Amazing! Amazing! Amazing! Everything was made fresh so it…read morewas about 15-minute wait but that's ok, I took the opportunity to look around the market. I picked up a few things. We got a medium Falafel sandwich and a Shawarma sandwich. Wow. Delicious. I actually may have liked the Falafel just slightly better but both were excellent. I also got an extra garlic sauce on the side... just love. Until next time.

I feel like I found a favorite near us. It's not one of those places where I would travel to, but…read moreif you're relatively close to Urbana, it's worth a stop. It's a small mart that specializes in middle eastern Mediterranean cuisine and ingredients. They place does not have seating inside, but plenty of seating outside. So plan on either take out or picnicking. They make the food right as you order so things are fresh. The part I really liked about this place was that the sauces were not overly salted - to increase shelf life - and the amount of oil/butter was not overly used to try to mask the ingredients. It's more on the "let the ingredients speak for itself" which I really dig. In the end, you don't feel heavy after the meal and you feel like you had a hearty and healthy meal. My favorite was the lamb shawarma. He toasts the outside pita and it gives it a nice crunch. The lamb is fresher than other places and he doesn't over season it to hide the lamb smell. Other places - if you notice - tends to use cumin a lot of mask the lamb smell. Not here though. The falafel sandwich was okay. It was colder than the lamb shawarma. But the falafels were made right there in front of you. I got the sujuk sandwich too (which is a type of sausage). It was a breakfast burrito basically. Our order took 20 mins to make and he makes it right when you order. So be prepared to stay there and peruse around. Some ingredients there were interesting. The one thing that caught my eye was a bottle of pomegranate molasses. He sells it close to 50% what Harris Teeter would charge and he has various brands of pomegranate molasses. I use pomegranate molasses to make grenadine for cocktails. Also has orange blossom and rose water (also both used for cocktails) I like this place and the guy is nice and sweet.

You will not be disappointed with this true tasting of Mediterranean tapas. Staff were wonderful,…read moresmiled, helpful knowledgeable on the menu and spices offering alternatives, the environment in the dining area is what you would expect in a Mediterranean café. B4 warned you need reservations for this place even at the bar the bar filled up quickly. Tables filled up quickly, and there is a minimum timeframe at the tables Restaurant week options and the menu was quite a deal. I was able to taste three cold three hot and three main dishes wonderful experience overall.

This place is simply beautiful in my opinion. Before you even enter, the patio has this inviting…read morefeel to it. But as soon as you answer, the decor is really nice. And this may be a best kept secret, but did you know they have happy hour all day every weekday at the bar? I go with a group of three, and we tend to just split all the happy hour food and have a party. The pide is fantastic, the burger is juicy, the gyro is flavorful ... I don't get me started on the two cocktail options, whew. It's all delicious. I need to return for brunch, and I have had some of their entrees way back, but that was their original location in DC. But I love the place and I wish them the most success!

Delicious! Love it here, the Hot Halaby Honey is outstanding and the key lime pie is one of the…read morebest I've ever had! Please go and support this family owned establishment, they're lovely and their curation and creation of this space is so thoughtful.

Love their Chicken Shawarma Manoushe. It was in season and back on their menu for the time I…read morevisited so I went straight there. The parking lot stayed busy as it is shared with other businesses. Once the flatbread was ordered, it took time to really get made in their kitchen. I could not wait to get home to eat it, so I made sure to scarf down a few slices in my vehicle - it was that good. Can't wait to go back and get another. It has marinated chicken, persian pickles, pickled turnips, and toum drizzle. I am not big on anything pickled, but with this, I had it the first time years ago, ended up loving it and never looked back. I also was able to wash it down with some Orange Blossom Lemonade. I like that it wasn't too sweet and it hit the spot just right. Writing about this makes me want to order these items again...soon.

Delicious food. Charming atmosphere. Wonderful, attentive staff. Mona's is a jewel!…read more Don't miss the baklava

Mona's Lebanese Café is a unique dining experience in every way. We felt as if we had been invited…read moreto the home of a Lebanese friend whose mother welcomed us by serving the most beautiful home-cooked food, and in a setting that took us back in time. The flavors, presentation, and service were unmatched. We enjoyed our experience thoroughly and can't wait to go back.

My best friend has been wanting to bring me here because she came a while back and said she had an…read moreexperience that was out of this world. I am Lebanese, and she thought I would enjoy the atmosphere and cuisine given that Ammoora is a modern Syrian restaurant. And she was right! Although it's listed as a modern Syrian restaurant, you will find products (such as some of their alcohols/liquors) representative of much of the Middle East. And as I'm sure you know, many dishes are similar or the same! I cannot say enough great things about Ammoora. I arrived 30 minutes before the rest of my group since I had a long commute, but I had a great time sitting at the bar enjoying some Arabic coffee. I also had the "Ashta Affair" which is a silky smooth cream based alcoholic beverage with just a touch of spices, and was such a great take on the very same Ashta I make at home. The bar tenders were such a delight to talk to. They made me feel like I was right at home. My party arrived and we were then taken to our table, where I felt I was transported back to the Middle East, as the dining room is decorated floor to ceiling in colors, patterns, furniture and linens. I was met with a sense of nostalgia that only added to this amazing experience. Then came the food. You can go to a thousand Middle Eastern restaurants, and each will have their own take on a dish, and that's what I loved about Ammoora. Their dishes were still very authentic, and had its own slight spin on it, making it even more incredible. We had a sampling appetizer that consisted of hummus, baba ghanoush, olives, and various other dips, followed by fettoush, the lamb, and the semki harra. I came with two non-middle eastern friends (one who had been there before) and both of them said that the food was out of this world, and I couldn't agree more. There is something for everyone here. You could come here for their extensive and unique drink menu alone and have a great time. And if you don't care to drink, then the dining menu will absolutely transport you and your tastebuds to a place of nostalgia, whether you've been to the Middle East before or not. I cannot wait to bring my whole family for unique and excellent dining experience. Everyone from the owner to the wait staff were extremely hospitable, and you can tell that their priority is in making sure your experience is unforgettable.

Beautiful decor, no doubt…read more The baba ghanoush and the shrimp appetizer were my favorites. The filet mignon was not very good, it really needed some seasoning. Very bland, served luke warm and even had a hint of it being frozen .... Not sure but it wasn't worth the price. I wanted to sprinkle salt over it. Ate 1/4 . I didn't like any of their cocktails. The desserts were just ok. For the price, I'd say pass. Great service and good coffee. I would recommend stopping in for appetizers and desserts with coffee, maybe.

Pretty good place. Good service and good food. Sweet palate than Moby dick's. Glad I tried this…read moreplace. Wife loved the cherry rice. Lamb is good

Amazingly bad food. Salad was iceberg lettuce and a couple…read moreslices of unripe tomatoes. No dressing no onions, no peperoncino, no olives. The Kubideh was bland and I thought it couldn't get worse until I tried the ground chicken kubideh. Horrible taste and horrible texture. Not merely bad, horribly bad. The other reviews were right. This guy has lost the will to run a good restaurant and the taste of his food is enough to make sure I'll never go back.

For mains, I went with the kafta platter and loved it. The meat was seasoned perfectly and the…read morevegetables were great. My partner had the chicken kebabs and was equally happy. Others in our group got shawarma sandwiches and spinach pies, and everyone was raving about their food. We wrapped up with a baklava sampler for dessert, which was the perfect ending. The food alone would've made the night, but our waiter really took it to another level. He was warm, personable, and clearly remembered my grandparents from past visits. He greeted them like old friends and was genuinely helpful throughout the meal, steering us toward dishes we'd love based on what we were in the mood for. That kind of attentive, personal service is hard to come by. Highly recommend this place if you're looking for a great Mediterranean/Middle Eastern meal with excellent service to match. Already planning our next visit!

I came here during lunch and got a a spinach pie ($4.5) and chicken shawarma pita ($10). They…read moreoffered these free chips "on the house" and they were a nice little appetizers to munch on. The spinach pie was quite good! And after about 10 minutes my shawarma came out. It was seasoned good even though a little dry. The garlic sauce was very flavorful and helped with the overall flavor and texture. I was quite happy with the food as well as the price! I would definitely recommend and come back to this place! Food(50%): 8.0 Staff/service(25%): 8.5 Value(25%): 8.5 Overall: 8.3/10

I wasn't feeling well today, so I went to Fettoosh for harira soup. It was warm, flavorful, and…read morejust the light, balanced meal I wanted. I've been here many times and have tried almost every vegetarian dish. I've enjoyed them all, especially the zalouk. I've also visited with a Moroccan friend, who says the food is authentic. The service is always excellent and personal. Every visit feels like being welcomed as a special guest. The food is great quality for the price, and the mint tea and baklava are delicious too. I'm always happy to come back.

Good food with even nicer service. This place feels very authentic and the man who owns it is very…read morekind and friendly. He chatted with us the whole time and recommended the mint tea to us which was delicious and well worth it. My first time really eating Moroccan food but the flavor combinations were good and the preserved lemon and olives used in the dishes were tasty. My favorite dishes here were the chicken tajin and the mint tea

While I am not Muslim, I went to experience the buffet at Iftar, the meal following a day of…read morefasting during Ramadan. The food was varied , substantial and terrific. We were welcomed warmly and received caring attention from all the staff. And we benefited from a truly multicultural experience. We look forward to returning often.

A friend living in the area had this on his bookmarks but lived a bit out, so my visit served as…read morethe catalyst to try out this establishment's $30 lunch buffet. I first tried the assorted kebabs. Unfortunately, the chicken had dried out and the kofta felt too crumbly. The chicken rice dish had quite aromatic rice but underseasoned chicken; seasoned rice alone can't substitute bland chicken drumsticks. The lamb rice dish had both aromatic rice and juicy, well seasoned lamb. I ended up combining the lamb pieces with the chicken rice. Out of curiosity, I tried a piece of their fried chicken. It proved juicy and not too oily. It would do well as a standalone appetizer in most restaurants. I also tried something that looked like lasagna, but without tomato. It tasted, to my uncultured palate, like a lasagna with some sort of cream or bechamel-like sauce. I quite enjoyed it. For dessert, my friend convinced me to try what I had initially passed over as oatmeal or tapioca pudding. The Omi Ali proved quite delectable, like a cross between bread pudding and oatmeal but with more nuanced spices and sweetness. I added it to my short list of desserts I enjoy, since I don't have much of a sweet tooth. Overall, I appreciated the breath and variety. Some hits and misses are to be expected at a homely, ethnic neighborhood style buffet.

The food was amazing. We got the gyro platter and the fries were some of the crispiest fries I've…read moreever had. The guy that was working there was super nice and friendly and he was working BY HIMSELF. The spinach pie (spanakopita) was also phenomenal, the food was definitely made with lots of love. Highly recommend this place if you're looking for simple but delicious Greek food. The inside was also very nice and I felt like I was in Greece. Definitely give this place a try!

Good food. Freshly made food. A neighborhood gem. Especially like the gyros and the kabobs.read more