This is my first time here, and I walked in very pleasantly surprised with the decor. Simple and yet, very charming, very Arabian. I read other reviews and immediately that I wanted to try their lemonade with mint, which was heavenly. It was extremely refreshing, not too sweet, not too sour, tiny chopped leaves of mint floating around like confetti. I ordered the lamb shank, a plate of pickles, and also ordered falafel and avocado dip to go. The lamb was very well seasoned and fall of the bone tender. The accompanying cucumber bits in yogurt sauce was refreshing. The side of mushrooms with carrots and corn kernels that came with the dish was mediocre, particularly since the consistency and look of the mushrooms looked like they came from a can, but I may be wrong. The plate of pickles was delightful. I will admit that I was very disappointed because I had read that lentil soup would be complementary with main dishes when anyone dined in until 4 PM, but I'd never had any lentil soup at all, unless I am mistaken about the offer. Service was fast, even though there was only one server, who was, by the way, very polite and attentive. All in all, I will be back and I might actually end up being regular here. read more

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Had the opportunity to try Layali Halab and was very impressed. We visited on a Saturday afternoon and seated without an issue. Our service was great, very patient in answering questions. The restaurant was very clean and very busy with customers. We were served lentil soup and was absolutely delicious. We ordered some traditional Mediterranean dishes and also very good. Prices were very reasonable and lots of dishes to chooses. Decor is very nice and plenty of seating for small and large groups. Great experience and will be back, highly recommend Layali Halab, give them a try. read more

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Went for late lunch on Father's Day. One other table was occupied when we arrived but 2 more tables filled as we ordered & ate. We were served by the same young man (I think son of owners) who served us the 1 st time we came last year. We tried to order one of the pastries but the young man said they are out of those. I originally ordered Beef and eggplant kabobs but the young man came back and said they are out of that eggplant so I got Lamb kabob instead. Husband tried one of my lamb kabob pieces and said it's harder than it should be. I thought it was ok. Lamb shank was excellent as usual. Shrimp was just meh, but we had a non meat eater. Eggplant moussaka had very little eggplant. I didn't get a picture of the Batata Hata appetizer before we scarfed it all down, but it was delicious as usual. read more

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This is a tough review to write, I have picked up food from here many times would say I've previously had good experiences...To be honest I thought I already left a review and just came to add an update. Unfortunately, today the first thing we opened for our to go order was moldy pita bread for our baba ghanoush. After thoroughly checking the rest of the food, and trying to mentally move past the mold, we decided to eat the other dishes. The chicken was pretty dry for the Shawarma plate but edible. The lamb kabob was tasty. I think overall it's just disappointing and concerning when you have mold in your order and it brought the entire meal down. Like I said we have not had many issues previously, but one that I wanted to make sure was known. read more

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service was absolutely amazing, the guy at the register was super down to earth and friendly. i appreciate how we welcomed me when i told him it was my first time. i got the beef shawarma hummus with lentil soup. super fresh, very flavorful. you can tell the meat was crazy marinated. the mint lemonade was my favorite and i'll be back especially for that. i'll definitely make the drive to come back here! the place is beautiful and clean. read more

Layali Halab - Hummus Beef Shawarma - Middle Eastern Near Me - St. Louis, Missouri

It was a quiet Saturday afternoon and Mediterranean was calling my name so I decided to try this hidden gem I recently heard about. It was just me there but the service was nice and she provided suggestions from the menu. I was pretty hungry so I ordered the mix grilled plate and it came with a cup of lentil soup. Chefs kiss! Was worth the drive and didn't lie. The decor was really nice but still a casual relaxing atmosphere. I would go back read more

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Layali Halab is a solid choice for Syrian-style Mediterranean food with generous portions and great flavor. Everything came out hot and well-cooked. Service was friendly and the vibe was casual. Would definitely come back to try more! Kibbeh ($7.99): Recommended by our server. Crispy on the outside, tender inside. The filling, ground beef, onions, and pomegranate molasses, was savory with just a touch of sweetness. A great start to the meal. Chicken Shawarma Plate ($17.99): Well-seasoned, juicy, and nicely portioned. Comes with all the usual sides and everything tasted fresh. Grilled Shish Tawook ($18.98): Our favorite! Two skewers of grilled chicken cubes. It was charred just right, well seasoned, tender throughout. read more

Updating to say this place still serves fresh & delicious food. I find myself craving their schwarma. Today we got the fattoush salad to try & it had great flavor. The crispy pita chips on it really make it great. They serve an assortment of pickles with their dishes and it's also a nice touch! read more

Layali Halab - Chicken Shawarma on Plate - Middle Eastern Near Me - St. Louis, Missouri

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We were served complimentary lentil soup after we placed our order. The lentil soup was delicious. We shared the Grilled Lamb Kabobs. The meat was mostly tender and flavorful. The kabobs were served on pita along with a small house salad. The salad was very fresh. We tried the rice drink and it was okay. We received excellent service from our waiter. We loved the plush comfortable chairs at every table. We enjoyed the vibe of the restaurant. There's plenty of parking in front of the restaurant. read more

Layali Halab - Rice drink - Middle Eastern Near Me - St. Louis, Missouri

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Food was good, service lacked. We got the chicken shitook was well seasoned but dry. We also ordered the kibbehshiwami and it was also dry and very bland with only the garlic sauce making it more appeasing. Great mint lemonade and babah ganoush, falafel was decent too. I got the lamb chops and those were great and perfectly tender. I was annoyed with having to ask for a box twice and for my bill, waiting for service with having only one server in the whole busy restaurant to be really annoying. It took forever and the waiters just were not very attentive. read more

Runny tzatziki and tahini. The falafel was flavorless. There was no soap in the bathroom.

I've gotten takeout twice from here, and the food is so delicious! The shish tawook and chicken shawarma are safe bets. Can't get enough of that garlic sauce or the pickles that come on the side. I haven't dined in yet, so cannot speak much to the service, but the inside of the restaurant is lovely. read more

We ordered (moussaka and fried whole chicken). Food was stale and service was indifferent and passive aggressive. Unfortunately It was our first time but fortunately the last. read more

Layali Halab means Aleppo Night and the restaurant is themed based on that. You will feel little upscale when you enter. Great place for date night. Moreover, co-owner Aosou is a chef and we happen to have a chat with him. We went as a group for lunch. We were greeted promptly and assigned a table. I've to say everything is very fresh and made to order. While we are waiting for food, we got the complimentary lentil soup. Hummus Chicken shawarma: comes with hummus , chicken and fresh pita bread. When they say fresh, they mean it. They have their in house stone oven. Hot from the oven, we got two variations puffy and thin comparing to regular store bought / gyro places pita breads. Laham Hain: Baked bread with meat and veggies. Comes with a free yogurt drink. This is what the server recommended when I asked about something authentic Syrian food. I liked it. Lamb shank: I can't describe the taste. Very mild and the meat fell off the bone. Justifies the price tag. Chicken shawarma sandwich: Shawarma wrapped in freshly made pita, comes with fries , veggies and pickle. Overall: If I need something Mediterranean, this would be my choice and I can't stop thinking about the pita bread and its freshness. I wasn't aware of any restaurants in STL area that makes their own pita bread. read more

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Chef's kiss! Recently, Sauce Magazine featured this restaurant and after reading the article, I knew I had to try it sooner rather than later. I decided to check it out late in the afternoon on Saturday. Upon walking in, I couldn't help but notice how clean and beautifully decorated the tables and space were. I was promptly greeted and escorted to a two top. Let me just say, they have most comfortable chairs I've ever sat in. At first glance, the menu offers dishes from front to back. The appetizers are in the very front, leading with two inside pages of main entrees, and then the back has vegetarian dishes, salads, and dessert. I wasn't starving but knew I needed to eat something, so I went with the grilled shrimp because although it's light, it would be still be filling. I decided to stick with water as well. It didn't take long until my food came out and for the record, this was more than enough! Whew! At this point, my eyes were bigger than my stomach but I couldn't wait to dig in. My first bite was a piece of shrimp that I dipped in hummus. Holy cow it was good. Damn good! The shrimp was perfectly grilled, juicy, and while something I wouldn't normally do, it paired really well with the hummus. It's almost as if it's a dipping sauce. I then took a few bites of the salad and it was divine! It's crazy how something so light and refreshing packed such a powerful punch! I'd definitely say it's a palate cleanser because of the spices used but nonetheless, still tastes great! After I finished my shrimp, I was able to salvage a few pieces of the pita and dipped it in the hummus. I've already left the restaurant and I'm still salivating just thinking about how good everything was. Alas, all good things just come to an end and with that, I tapped out. I made a pretty good dent in the plate, which I was pleased with. Once my server saw I was done, he quickly came over, rang me out at the table and off I went. It's worth noting that while I was eating, another patron came in, whom the staff seemed to be quite familiar with aka, he's a repeat customer. I say this to say, this restaurant is going to be a serious problem in the best way possible. I can't wait to go back and try something else! read more

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The 5 star reviews are legitimately awarded! Helpful and welcoming staff, fair price, beautiful dining room and large portions of flavorful, artistically presented food. (We had chicken shawarma, falafel arabi, mankoushe zaatar and lentil soup, all excellent). Looking forward to my next visit. read more

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The food was amazing and authentic and so was the service. There was enough for leftovers and the prices were reasonable for what you get. The restaurant was very clean. read more

Layali Halab - Middle Eastern Near Me - St. Louis, Missouri

The best of the best. The shrimp, lamb, veggies and tea are fabulous. The decor is so cute and very elegant!

We got pita/hummus for an app. For our mains, we got the Lamb Kabo and Beef Kafta. The hummus was very creamy/delicious and yogurt side the comes with the mains were good as well. Everything else was kind of disappointing. The pita was cold. Both the lamb and beef lacked seasoning. Our order was originally given to another table but they did fix it right away. The service seemed a little disorganized for a mildly busy early dinner with to go orders and people sitting in. I tried this place because of the high ratings but unfortunately was a little misleading. read more

I'm having my dessert coffee right now, thinking about the great meal I just had at Layali Halab. The Zatar Bread was amazing! The selection of vegetarian mezza was delicious. This is a real treasure in The area. I'll be back! read more

Layali Halab - They give out Lentil soup as a first course --really good. - Middle Eastern Near Me - St. Louis, Missouri

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We were excited to check out this restaurant as we usually love Mediterranean food. I ordered what was really a falafel plate (as opposed to a falafel wrap) and it was over the top! It was huge, came with some hummus, dips, carrots and cucumbers. Their pickles on the plate were wonderful as well. It was incredibly flavorful and beautiful to see. We also were given their delicious Lentil Soup. My wife ordered the Chicken Shwarma that also came with soup. She said the chicken was marinated really well and also a large portion. The service was really good and the food came out pretty fast. Suzanne and her family are the owners and she was so sweet to make sure that my wife could have a gluten free lunch. We are thrilled that they opened so close to us and just off of Old Olive, the shopping center has lots of room for parking. We highly recommended you try their food! We want to go back and try the salads and other things. I have attached a picture of this and really it was 2 sandwiches with falafels and veggies. Soooo good!!!! Now about 3 days later, we came back with friends. They also loved their food. Unfortunately I ordered the same wonderful falafel that I had before. They offer soup with entrees during lunch, but Suzanne was wonderful and gave us each the lentil soup and again our friends loved it. Next time I will try to order something else and look forward to our next visit! read more

Layali Halab - Falafel plate - Middle Eastern Near Me - St. Louis, Missouri

I. Love. This. Spot. My partners and I love a good Mediterranean place, and this place IS that. I ordered some lamb, I always do when I go somewhere like this. It literally, very not figuratively, fell off of the bone. Tender bites for the entire thing. I was full, didn't wanna stop eating. (Lamb Shank entree) Service was good, no complaints at all. Our server was very nice, and answered every question that we had! It is definitely a relaxing paced place. I love the decor. I want to sit in here for hours~~ pictures of some of the decor provided read more

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Came back the next day for more ayran and baba ganoush. We also got the Lamb Shank. It was delicious. The lamb was so tender. I also liked the stir fried mushroom/corn it came with. Must try item!!! Service was good and attentive. read more

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The four stars are for the food and the service. But be aware of the food is fresh and therefore will take some time to get to your table. Be patient because it does taste delicious. We enjoyed everything we ordered from the falafels to the pizza looking Dish that I cannot pronounce. all of the appetizer dishes were excellent. The reason that this place does not get a five star from me is because when we ordered the mixed grill, the lamb came very overcooked and we were actually unable to bite into it. We asked them for a new one, but they said that this is how it comes so then we asked for a replacement with the chicken kebab, and they said that they would charge us extra for it. Honestly, we argued back that that would be unfair as the lamb was not edible and it's unfair to charge extra for the chicken. The server went back and must have spoken to the manager who finally agreed to let us have the chicken without charging us extra. One last thing is that we constantly had to ask for water, it was not often replenished despite us actually being there for multiple hours. The decorations in the restaurant are very pretty, very pink. But I agree with the previous reviewers that the light is very bright and could be a little dimmed during dinner time. read more

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Amazing Halal food, fresh ingredients. Get really busy, but you have to know the time Staff is excellent, places very nice and clean with great ambience. I'm glad they are close to my home. read more

Love my brothers from the Middle East , but I'll be leaving a honest review. I'm very familiar when it comes to middle eastern food feeling as I ate the best in Chicago/Dearborn. This restaurant here I will give a solid 6.3/10. The beef is cooked well but no seasoning. The chicken in my opinion is not cooked properly with little to no flavor. Quality of the ingredients isn't the highest but customer service was good. read more

What we ordered: Appetizer: Muhammara(Roasted red pepper, walnut, olive oil, & pomegranate molasses. Served with fresh pita bread) Entrees: 1-Mixed Grill (3 skewers with grilled tomato, onion & broccoli. Pita bread, house salad); 1-Laham Jain 2 Pieces(Fresh baked dough in stone oven covered with ground beef and ground veggies. Served with mint, lemon, & ayran) and 1- Mariya (Beef, onion, green papers, parsley combined on a pita bread. Served with hummus, fries, vegetables) Dessert: Pistachio Baklava Would we go again: The food was so fresh, very flavorful and overall delicious! The appetizer, the baklava and the lamb were our favorites! Service was great and they helped us understand the menu. Definitely would go again! read more

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I would have preferred for the veggies to be warm (they were cold), beef was a pinch dry, but everything else was good! I will be back. read more

Layali Halab - Mixed Grill - Middle Eastern Near Me - St. Louis, Missouri

Had lunch today, The free lentil soup was tasty and not over-seasoned. Entree was lamb kabo. The cucumber salad was fresh and of good quality, same for the rice and grilled onion and tomato. The lamb itself was FANTASTIC, cut very easily and was cooked properly all the way through, flavor was great also. The atmosphere was enjoyable, with soft lighting and faux clouds hanging from the ceiling. Service was responsive and friendly. I live very close to here, and I can't believe I didn't know it was here! Will definitely be back! read more

Layali Halab - Lamb kabo entree - Middle Eastern Near Me - St. Louis, Missouri

I have been there twice and plan on going again this upcoming coming Saturday. The food and service were very good. I had beef Shawarma the first time and chicken shawarma the second time and they were both delish! I will be trying a different dish on Saturday and I hope to have the same impression. read more

We ordered food for pick up. They were so nice and even threw in some Dahl. The lamb shank was cook perfectly and the kabobs are wonderful. read more

Amazing food!!! Lentil soup was so delicious and warm, I will definitely be ordering some the next time I am sick. The mixed grill kebab plate with rice and the hummus and pita was also so fresh and delicious! read more

The food was very good and flavorful. The beef kabobs was seasoned nicely. Three stars for good food The service was absolutely awful. The server with long hair I think her name on the receipt was Seban, she completely ignored us the entire time we were there. I had to ask her to put music on otherwise we would have sat in silence for the whole meal. She sat around playing on her phone with her headphones in. Seriously unbelievable. This was the second time we came. The first there was another server who was very kind and attentive, I'll look for my receipt to find her name and update. read more

Super cute restaurant. Feels very authentic. Lots of dishes that we have never tried before, beautifully presented. Server was friendly. read more

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Food was fab, ambiance great and service is wonderful! I had the Avocado Salad which was very fresh. read more

Layali Halab - Pistachio Baklava Baklava Made with Pistachio - Middle Eastern Near Me - St. Louis, Missouri

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The restaurant is new and just had their grand opening last Saturday Jan 20, 2024. We went there on Sunday late afternoon and had a wonderful meal. Their grilled meat was very tasty and the appetizers were delicious. The restaurant is well decorated and very clean. Service was very special. read more

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Wonderful place. I loved the chicken shawarma and the hummus. Also had a side of falafel. Lentil soup was delicious. I could eat here everyday. Ambiance is very middle eastern. Service was perfect. read more

Layali Halab - Falafel 6 Pieces, pita - Middle Eastern Near Me - St. Louis, Missouri

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Delicious food. An upscale feel and furnishings - but still casual and family-friendly. Nice variety of food and good vegetarian options. Kind and helpful staff - happy to make recommendations. read more

This is our FAVORITE restaurant ever! We come here at least once a month it's so wonderful and such large portions for the price & the service is always friendly read more

Love this place. Food is healthy, colorful and delicious. I suggest going for lunch and trying the complimentary lentil soup. I would have never ordered it - but once it was served, I decided to try it. Yum, surprising something so tasty, could be so healthy. Restaurant is very clean and service is excellent. read more