I was just walking by when the smell stopped me, so I decided to try and WOW!. Everything was…read moreabsolutely amazing, from the flavor to the freshness. You can tell the food is made with care and love. I'm honestly mad I didn't find this place sooner. Definitely becoming a regular.

Rayan Lebanese Cuisine is parked just off East Riverside in a small lot with a cozy little seating…read morearea. It's shaded and decorated with wisteria garlands, and there's a TV playing a chill mix of old and new music--not too loud, just enough to set a good vibe. We ordered two dinner platters--one beef, one lamb--and they were stacked. Each came with rice, salad, baba ghanoush, and hummus. Everything tasted fresh and flavorful, and the portions were huge--I easily got a second meal out of mine. We also tried the moussaka and it was yummmaay! Lebanese food doesn't appear to be super common around Austin, so it's awesome to have a spot like this. I was really appreciative of how welcoming the staff were--they checked in with us and made us feel like we were guests in their home. Just really warm, genuine people. Great food, great people, and a chill spot to hang out for a bit

Really love this gem! Portion is large (especially the sides!). It feels warm and welcoming. The…read morespace has a rustic vibe--lots of wood, stones, and a big mural on the wall. Fresh pita & dips (free) - 5/5 As soon as we sat down the waiter brought out pita and a special dip that I never tried in other restaurants, and the pita was still warm like it had just come out of the oven. Soft, fluffy, and really fresh. I used it to dip into the sides we ordered later--the Baba Ghanouj and Hummus. The baba ghanouj had that roasted eggplant smokiness, while the hummus was thick, creamy, and very sesame-forward. Both were solid. Flatbread Trio ($15) - 5/5 This comes with three pieces but you can order a plate of three in the same kinds: meat, za'atar spice, and cheese. The za'atar one had that unique flavor--thyme, sumac, sesame seeds. The cheese flatbread came out hot and stretchy with three cheeses melted together. The meat one had minced beef and vegetables on a thin crust with slightly crispy edges. This one really impressed me. Lamb Kabob Platter ($19) - 4/5 Ground lamb mixed with onion and spices and grilled. The texture was fairly firm and the seasoning was pretty strong--you mostly taste the spices rather than the lamb itself. It comes with grilled tomato and onion, which adds a nice bit of sweetness and balances things out. It also comes with 2 sides--we chose baba ghanouj and hummus. The sides portion is really generous. Mixed Grill Combination ($23) - 4.5/5 It includes beef tenderloin, kafta skewers, and chicken shish tawook. The beef had a nice smoky grill flavor and was quite tender. The kafta had the strongest seasoning, and the chicken ended up being the lightest and juiciest of the three. It also comes with 2 sides--we chose baba ghanouj and salad. House dessert (pistachio pastry, $6) - 4/5 Looks pretty simple, but inside there's pistachio filling that gives it a really nice nutty sweetness. Not overly sugary, which I liked. I hope it could improve its appearance a bit. The food felt comforting and homey rather than fancy, and the portions were generous for the price.

Such a good find! I was in town with family trying to find a place for 11 of us to get something to…read moreeat and as soon as we walked in we knew we had found the spot. Staff were super welcoming and happy to quickly seat us. No waiting right away we had glasses of ice water and full baskets of their fresh warm pita while we made looked over their light up menus with helpful explanations from our server to help guide us. So many delicious things came out just as fast. Meats were all juicy and seasoned to perfection the chicken, steak, and kafta Delicious! Baba ghanoush and hummus to top all of it yummy! You can really taste all the work they put into making all their food great!

We've been here a couple times now, on a Sunday and Saturday for lunch and it has yet to…read moredisappoint. It's one of those places that's reliable and feels pretty consistent, knowing you're going to leave happy and full after eating here. The two times we've been there, theres always plenty of seating and are able to walk right in. It's a walk in and seat yourself experience and then you pay upon leaving. The staff keeps the dining area and buffet line consistently stocked and clean. They even provide hand sanitizer and gloves for you. Even when foot traffic picked up while we were there, the food was replenished quickly and didn't look picked over. Now let's talk food...Everything tastes fresh, well-seasoned, and like it was made with care instead of just being "buffet food" an under seasoned. The variety is also amazing, and it's easy to build a plate for pretty much any type of diet whether you're keto, high protein, balanced, veggie-forward, vegan, etc... Some of our favorite dishes we keep coming back for: Shredded beef (SO good), Baked fish (tender and not fishy), Garlic baked chicken (wonderful crispy skin), Fried chicken, Baked kafta, Kafta kebab, Gyro meat, Roasted cauliflower, Eggplant, Greek salad, Fatoush, Kale Caesar salad, Zaatar pizza, Cheese pizza (pro tip: top it with shredded beef- a life changing buffet hack), Rice with lentils, Rice with mixed veggies. For the quality, variety and amount of food you get, this is easily one of the best deals in the city! It's rare to find a buffet that's both affordable and consistently this good! If I had one small wish, it would be for desserts to match how strong the rest of the food is. They're not bad, just a little more "fine" compared to how amazing everything else is. I've seen another Dimassi's (I think in Cali) that had a frozen yogurt machine and I'd LOVE to see that here because it would be the perfect finish! Make a cup and then crumble up some baklava on it! Overall we've LOVED it here and we'll absolutely keep coming back! Great food, clean, consistent, and worth it every time!

In my family, we really like Demassi's. Not necessarily because everything there is amazing, but…read morebecause there is genuinely something to please everyone. Between me, my husband, and my mom, we have a lot of overlap in what we like to eat, but we also have some pretty distinct preferences, and Demassi's is one of those places where that works. My husband really loves Middle Eastern / Mediterranean food. I generally do not. I tend to find the meats too dry, I don't particularly like the spice profile, and I also find a lot of dishes in that category to be overly sour. It's hard to explain, but there's often a sharp, tangy acidity that I don't enjoy. For whatever reason, I don't have that issue at Demassi's at all. Here my husband can get his fix of dry, spiced meats, while I'm happy eating from the huge selection of rice dishes, cooked veggies, and soups. As far as protein goes, I actually really like the fish here, so I almost never eat the meat and still leave satisfied. It usually feels like a healthy pescatarian day for me, which I like. Then there's my mom, who just loves the abundance and variety of a buffet. She's happiest when she can sample a little bit of everything, build plates with lots of small bites, and then go back for more. Demassi's is perfect for that. On top of all of this, it's very reasonably priced, especially for lunch or on weeknights. It's always clean, the staff is consistently courteous, and they are really on top of bussing tables, which matters a lot to me at a buffet. Dirty dishes piling up are never an issue here. Overall, it's a solid, reliable spot for us and a place we're always happy to suggest when we're trying to please multiple people with different tastes.

This is one of the few places in town where I know I'm guaranteed to have an amazing experience…read more There are no misses on the menu, everything is pretty much assured to be absolutely delicious. There's really nothing to complain about, the patio and interior are stunning and transport you out of south congress. Service has always been prompt and good, they always refill the pita when you're running low. My personal favorites are the steak frites and the eggplant dip, seriously SO good. Everytime I come here I look forward to the next time I can go again

We recently visited Aba on a Sunday evening for dinner, and it turned out to be a wonderful…read moreexperience overall. I absolutely love the vibe of this place--it's definitely a high-end Mediterranean restaurant, perfect for special occasions. What really stood out was how beautifully everyone was dressed; it added to the upscale, elegant atmosphere of the entire space. The restaurant offers both indoor seating and a beautiful outdoor seating area, which really elevates the overall experience. The outdoor space, in particular, adds to the charm and makes it a great spot for a relaxed yet upscale evening. Since reservations weren't available, we decided to arrive early, expecting a long wait. Luckily, being a Sunday evening, it wasn't too crowded, and we were seated within about 20 minutes. For drinks, I ordered a Tender Robot Hazy IPA, while my husband went with the Verdant Mai Tai. I was a bit disappointed to learn they only serve canned beer and don't offer draft options, as I personally prefer draft beer and am not a big fan of cocktails, which tend to be too sweet for my taste. For the main course, I had the Heirloom Chicken Thighs, and my husband ordered the Jumbo Lump Crab Cakes. Both dishes were cooked to perfection--flavorful, well-seasoned, and the meat was incredibly tender. That said, the portion sizes felt a bit small considering the price point. We ended the meal with the Sticky Date Cake, and it was hands down the best I've ever had--rich, perfectly balanced, and absolutely delicious. Overall, we had a great experience. Between the beautiful ambiance, flavorful food, and exceptional service, it's a place I'd definitely return to. I'm giving it 4 stars mainly because of the lack of draft beer and the smaller portion sizes for the price, but it's still a fantastic spot worth visiting.

The was best Persian cuisine in Austin! Very authentic!…read more I'm Persian (my dad's side) and grew up eating traditional meals. Oh, the nostalgia... so fulfilling to my soul, especially since my dad is no longer earth-side.

I was really excited to try this place out, as Persian food is one of my favorites and it's pretty…read moretough to find. I decided to order a mini Persian feast: the beef koobideh with rice, doogh yogurt drink, and a saffron ice cream for dessert. This was my first time trying beef koobideh, and unfortunately, this just didn't seem to be very good. The meat itself was okay, decently cooked, and topped with quite a lot of some spice that I can't quite put my finger on. It was okay. The rice though, that is what really disappointed me. Persian rice is usually amazing, but this really didn't seem traditional and it had a strange taste to it. It also came with onion and a grilled tomato, both solid additions. Good portion though. The doogh yogurt drink wasn't homemade like I had hoped, but in all honesty, it still really hit the spot on a hot Austin day. Reasonable price. The saffron rice was also fairly disappointing. Large white chunks (clotted cream maybe? But they were pretty tasteless), gritty texture, not much flavor. Just not really worth it. All in all, a bit of a disappointing dinner in Austin. I'll have to look for a different Persian spot next time I'm in the area.

This place is phenomenal, the staff is incredibly friendly, the food is always hot, fresh and…read moretastes excellent. This has become one of our go-to restaurants. Cannot recommend enough!

My first time here and everything is laid out beautifully. Levant is the French name for Lebanon…read more The place was super clean and I didn't feel grunge while there. It has both indoor and outdoor seating. But because I was early there was plenty of seating and I chose indoor. The counter server talked me thru everything and gave me samples of the different side dishes. I chose not to get rice nor bread and stuck to the sauces and veggies. I ordered the Chicken and Lamb Levant bowl. The mixture of all the different flavors was exceptional. Thank you Levant Cafe & Grill for a wonderful dining experience. May 2026 bring you much success! Happy New Year everyone.

One of my favorite restaurants is Peace Bakery & Deli. This place is one of those true Austin gems…read more It's casual, friendly, and serving seriously flavorful Middle Eastern food. For my main dishes, I usually go with the lamb shank and sometimes the beef shawarma. The lamb shank was fall-off-the-bone tender, rich, and perfectly seasoned. It comes with a generous portion of rice that soaks up all those savory gravy, making every bite incredibly satisfying. The beef shawarma is thinly sliced, well-marinated, and packed with that classic shawarma flavor. It had the perfect balance of spices, and the portion size was no joke. Paired with their fresh pita and sides, it's easily one of the best shawarmas I've had in Austin. My favorite sides are the potatoes (must get), beet salad, tabouleh, hummus, and babaganoush. Pro-tip: ask for half sides, so basically you can choose up to 4 things instead of 2 full regular sides. The half side portions end up to be almost a full sized side. Pita comes with the meals and their desserts are good too. Service is quick, and the staff is kind. Whether you're grabbing something to-go or sitting down for a hearty meal, Peace Bakery & Deli is a must-try for anyone who loves Middle Eastern cuisine. I'll definitely be back to work my way through the rest of the menu!

Yummm definitely recommend So many options to pick from n…read morebuild your own plate Super flavorful n hearty serving sizes Customer service is kind n always friendly Inside is homey nothing fancy just a homey feeling Clean n lots of seating Prices are reasonable depending on what u get u can easily share a mixed plate DELISH deserts !!! They have coffee to go along but it is super strong like an espresso