It has been awhile since my last meal here and it's still the comforting, welcoming vibe I remember with excellent service- It feels good to eat here and I'll start visiting more often- I don't know how I let so much time go by! I'm vegetarian and ordered the stuffed kale- the 3-person table split the app trio: hummus, baba & tabouli and that was perfect You'll also appreciate the parking lot attached read more

Great spot with professional, friendly staff. Good ambiance. We shared the mixed appetizer and mixed meat plate between the three of us and we were satisfied! Loved the pita bread bowl. read more

Phoenicia Restaurant - Middle Eastern Near Me - Birmingham, Michigan

Pretty Nice ambiance. Reservation is recommended The food is meh I expected a lot being that this area has a large middle eastern population. It was just ok. Truly nothing memorable But it does have a full bar and the place is fancy Still. I won't be back read more

Phoenicia Restaurant - Dining room - Middle Eastern Near Me - Birmingham, Michigan

Phenomenal Lebanese cuisine in the heart of downtown Birmingham. Everything that we tried was delicious. It is best to come here with a group so that you are lucky enough to try many of the options on the huge menu. My husband and I ordered the mixed grill to share since we had already ordered so many appetizers. It was very nice of the restaurant to split our meal onto two plates. Service was fantastic and very attentive. The cocktails were extremely strong. Which could be good for some ... but were not my favorite. In the future, I will stick to wine. The good news is that they have a very good selection. Parking could be a challenge but there are parking structures a few blocks away and street parking if you can't get a spot in the small lot next to the restaurant. Highly recommend if you love Mediterranean cuisine! read more

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I've always wanted to try this restaurant and it has a long history in Birmingham and is well known for great Lebanese fare. Make reservations. This spot is popular and intimate. Never hurts to let them know you're coming. Let's start with the private parking lot next door. Very important in Birmingham where parking is hard to find on the street or a walk away in a garage. Service is outstanding. David was gracious, smiling, kind, and helpful. Hostesses and GM were fridndly too. Came here for my father's birthday and David acknowledged it upon seating. So nice! Menu is extensive. Hot and cold mezze, salads, soups, seafood, meat, and veggie dishes. We ordered hummus, fattoush salad, spinach pies, and lentil soup to start. You get a huge basket of sliced pita bread both fresh and toasted along with mixed olives. For mains we had stuffed squash, mujadara, and lamb chops which came with a chosen side of rice and lamb. The portions were good. Plenty to share. My dad ordered his chops medium. They came out gray on the outside and well done inside. He ate them quietly and didn't say anything until later. Ugh. The veg dishes were tasty. Mujadara portion was on the small side in my opinion. David let my father choose his birthday dessert which was rice pudding brought out with a candle. It was delicious according to the birthday boy. Prices are high as mentioned in other reviews. We knew that going in. Not sure what you get equals the price as much as the zip code. Again, service is five stars. Location with parking five stars. Interior is great. High priced food was good. read more

We sat at the bar and had a few small plates. The food and ambience was superb. We loved it and would definitely return.

Phoenicia has always been one of my favorite spots, the food is consistently amazing, and I'm a regular at both this location and their sister restaurant, Lela's. But unfortunately, my recent birthday dinner left me disappointed due to the service. The hostess was incredibly kind and welcoming, she was genuinely excited that it was my birthday, which started the evening off on a great note. But once we were seated, our server, Christina, gave us a completely different experience. She was short, dismissive, and made us feel like we were a bother. Despite the occasion, she didn't acknowledge my birthday at all, and the whole interaction felt rushed and cold. I want to emphasize: the food was fantastic, as always. That's the only reason I'm still giving three stars. I really hope this was just an off night for Christina, because I've come to expect both great food and warm hospitality here. I'll definitely return, but I WONT sit in her section EVER again I hope the service matches the standard that Phoenicia is known for. read more

Great food, great service and the atmosphere is very pleasant for a night out to dine with my wife. We celebrated our wedding anniversary and the carrot cake is insanely good. read more

Good service, parking, ambience however loud music & under a speaker, loud restaurant. My husband & I celebrated with family that chose here but we both were not impressed with the food for the prices. Fattoush had mealy white tomatoes, humus and baba were good but no better than most moderate priced middle eastern restaurants around. Rice & lamb side dish was dry. Other main dishes were good but nothing fantastic. Was here once a few years back. Neither of us care to return. Extremely expensive and average. read more

Phoenicia is classic. Wonderful in every way and a place to visit at least once! Delicious food (salmon is sublime, hummus is delightful and pita bread is heavenly!) and excellent service. 5 stars. read more

The food and service is always very good but customers are packed in like sardines and it's loud. The server had to wedge himself in sideways between the tables to go over the menu with us. The parking lot can't accommodate the volume - had to park in the deck across the street. read more

If you're looking for half the quality, half the quantity and double the price eat at the Phoenicia.

Good food and drinks, place has a very upbeat vibe of local patrons. Service was outstanding, good value for money. read more

Ambiance is romantic and intimate. Our waitress was attentive and knowledgeable on the menu, especially the desserts. Favorite dish of the night was the roasted garlic cloves, extremely flavorful and would highly recommend. Can't go to a middle eastern restaurant without hummus so also a must try. I tried the shish tawook which was juicy and served with some garlic. Portion sizes are smaller so would recommend ordering one main plate per person. I'm from a Middle Eastern background and will be honest in saying that Phoenicia isn't my favorite for Arabic food, especially compared to other restaurants in the metro Detroit area. Would prefer going to another local restaurant for Arabic food in regards to taste, variety, and portion size but I do like the vibe of this restaurant. read more

Phoenicia Restaurant - Hummus and Roasted Garlic Cloves With Tomato And Basil - Middle Eastern Near Me - Birmingham, Michigan

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Loved the food! I was so happy to see mjadara on the menu! I got mjadara with salad and it was delicious and filling. Tabbouleh was so flavorful which was part of the mixed appetizer, the quantity is quite generous. Stuffed grape leaves was delicious too. The one dish that surprised me but I did not take a picture of was the Lebanese omelette, delicious and so flavorful. Loved the addition of toasted almonds in it and the parsley flavor was so refreshing, my kid who is 20 months old savored it. Note: if you want the leftover to be packed make sure you let the server know well in advance. Our server seemed to be in a hurry to clear the table. Apart from this, the service was good. read more

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My best friend and I had dinner for our 11 Year Friend-aversary at Phoenicia as a last minute switch because the restaurant we originally had planned for our evening was closed. I believe in synchronicity and our experience at Phoenicia FAR surpassed our expectations. From the second we walked into the front door, we were greeted by two kind hostesses and our server, Dina. The ambiance in the restaurant was beautiful, the lighting was dim and romantic, and as this was in December, gentle holiday tunes soothingly played in the background. From the moment Dina seated us, we knew we had made a great choice. Her demeanor was so warm, friendly, knowledgeable about the menu, and attentive. We love her! Dina made sure to make our special night a total success. She was able to explain the menu in great detail and offer suggestions and provide information about the specials that weren't on the menu. She also had great expertise on the wine selection and pairing with our meal. Going forward, my best friend and I are planning on spending all of our Friend-aversaries at Phoenicia! Thank you Dina for making our special night even more special! read more

Phoenicia Restaurant - Champagne for our Friend-aversary! - Middle Eastern Near Me - Birmingham, Michigan

This place was FABULOUS and I totally wasn't expecting it. We met up with a group of three other friends to try it out. Because we had a larger group we ordered a ton of appetizers - my favorite was definitely the roasted garlic, as I'm a huge garlic fan, but the tabbouleh was also excellent. We ordered a bunch of entrees to share too, including the ribs, mixed mezze meat platter, and others. Dessert was the only miss, for me: the rice pudding was a bit too fragrant for me - we were thinking maybe jasmine or lavender-flavored? - although the baklava was good. I also tried the Daiquiri cocktail which was interesting too, they put sugar on the rim. Our bill for five people was surprisingly only $150, but I think the waitress did forget to include a few items on it. Waitservice was also good, and they cleared our table a few times in between courses. When we walked in, we were offered the chance to check our coats, too, which I thought was a nice touch. There is a free parking lot directly next to the restaurant - we parked on the street since we didn't know that, but next time I'd park there. Overall, everything here was fantastic, and I'll definitely be returning at some point! read more

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On the positive, the setting and service were really nice. But compared to other middle eastern restaurants in the Detroit area, the food just wasn't as good overall. The pita bread was standard grocery store thin pita. The spinach pies were good, as were the shrimp. However, the chicken shawarma was dry. We still had an enjoyable evening as we sat on the patio, but overall didn't live up to the reputation. read more

Phoenicia Restaurant - Chicken Shawarma - Middle Eastern Near Me - Birmingham, Michigan

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Horrible hostesses Wednesday evening 3/5/25. Came in with my family to a host who hated her job. The hostess sat my family down in the half empty restaurant in the middle table after we voiced to her my mother has vertigo. I went back to her to ask her to switch us to a table that was EMPTY and NOT reserved and her response was: "YOU SAT THERE LAST TIME IM NOT DEALING WITH THIS" I responded: "im sorry my mom has vertigo and a doctors note please she gets very dizzy and can throw up" She threw her iPad at the other non helpful unnecessary male hostess when he was playing with the iPad "figuring it out" when again the restaurant was EMPTY- PURE HUMOR. finally the waiters were confused who were there for over 15 years and sat us in a corner table knowing my mom can get sick. Unfortunately my seat was facing the hostess while she was starring me down and giving me bad looks- very unenjoyable. I've been coming here soft over 10 years. It's sad how two hostesses who have nothing to do with the ownership could ruin an amazing restaurants name. It's a shame to use the little amount of power in the world that you might have that evening seating people for the worse. read more

Had dinner here again on 1/31 - we were a party of 6 adults at 5:30 pm. Walked in and the place was already packed! Front desk was very nice and professional. They took our coats immediately and we were seated at 2 tables next to each other. Food was delicious as always! I would like to recognize Celeste our server as particularly gracious and lovely and a true professional in every way! Thank you! read more

Manager or Host was rather short with us, like we interrupted his playing on an iPad. Hostess was very nice when she showed up. Food ok.

This is one of my favorite restaurants and I always recommend it when people from out of town ask for restaurant ideas. The flavors and presentation of the good is incredible and I have never had a dish here that I didn't like. The owner usually comes by to say hello and the staff is top notch. Love to sit outside on the sidewalk in the summer with a friend, a nice glass of wine, labneh, hashwi and a bread basket. Add the Baba Ghannouj that is made with charred eggplant for extra flavor. Mjadara is a favorite of mine and theirs is fantastic. All the traditional Lebanese favorites are there if you're needing an emergency Fattoush salad... Great spot for a business lunch too. read more

Phoenecia is the best restaurant in metro Detroit! Consistant and perfect food everytime. Exemplary staff with a happy attitude. People like to work there. Everything is good - favorites include garlic confit, salmon with portabella and spinach, and the grand ribs! We eat there frequently when we are in town. read more

Phoenicia was fantastic! I could eat here everyday. I hadn't been here in a couple of years, and just realized this should and will be a go to spot. We really had a good time and were treated very well by everyone. Our server made some great recommendations that were big hits. Really fun and enjoyable atmosphere can't wait to sit outside and enjoy Phoenicia again soon read more

Great food and experience, can't wait to go back and try more. Ambiance was perfect for date night. Server was attentive and helpful read more

Phoenicia Restaurant - Martinis - Middle Eastern Near Me - Birmingham, Michigan

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As a single woman, I always feel welcome. Bennie is the best and food is excellent. ALWAYS!!! Thank you Phoenicia.

We had an amazing experience at Phoenicia restaurant. It was our first time, will definitely be back. James was our waiter and he was amazing. He helped us our appetizers drinks and dinner. Great experience the ambience was awesome. read more

I cannot say enough about the quality of the food here and the service Bennie provides at the bar. He remembers our preferences (though we go there sporadically) and can provide spot-on suggestions. read more

Love Phoenicia. This is probably one of my favorite restaurants in Birmingham. The food is so delicious and flavorful. Service is always on point, never stuffy and the ambiance is amazing. They recently remodeled the restaurant and expanded the outdoor dining area. I've tried many dishes but my favorite would have to be the mixed grill plate. The meat is always tender and seasoned to perfection. I recently tried the cilantro shrimp which was delicious surprise. The flavors all came together beautifully. Me and my husband always end our meal with an espresso martini and Phoenicia has one of the best ones in town! Definitely a must try if you're in the area. read more

Phoenicia Restaurant - Cilantro shrimp - Middle Eastern Near Me - Birmingham, Michigan

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This a tough review to write. Phoenicia has been in my rotation for out of town guests as a showcase for all that Birmingham and metro Detroit restaurants have to offer. We live very close by and go about 2x a month. Sadly it is time to move on. I've had three mediocre experiences in a row...I believe the service and food have gone down considerably since the rehab and the opening of Wilders. I last visited on a Saturday night and waited 26 minutes for a Vesper which used to be featured on the drink menu. After we ordered the waiter came back and mentioned that one of my apps (1/2 order of ribs) had been denied by the manager, apparently this size is no longer available. Not a problem we switched to a full order. This was irksome to me because the full order comes with a side which we did not receive. I did however receive the baked chicken instead of the broiled chicken which I elected to not send back because the broiled version takes 35 minutes. Our waiter never checked on us and we ordered a second round of drinks via a busser. There were ample hostesses/managers at the stand. Both Sami and son were making their rounds, yet not one person attended to empty cocktails, water glasses, nor asked about our meal. Baked chicken was not a good proxy for the broiled chicken, ribs are always great, baked whitefish ok and the ribeye so so. Really sorry to write this but the the 5 star spend yielded a 2.5 star experience... read more

I have been eating at the Phoenicia since 1973 when it was a single storefront with a countervand a few tables on Woodward Ave. in Highland Park. Then, it expanded to two storefronts with a nice dining room. I spent many enjoyable times each week with Sameer and his brother eating and talking. A mutual friend's mother was the cook, and everyone who came to eat was always treated like family. To this day, it remains one of my fondest memories of great food and friendship, with a man who truly loves making everyone feel at home. If you have not had the pleasure to dine with Sameer and his family at their beautiful Birmingham location, you are missing out on making your own wonderful memories of dining there. You will be so happy you did, and when leaving, you will be looking forward to returning soon. read more

The food is always outstanding no matter what you order. Regardless of which server you have the service is excellent.

Phoenicia deserves zero stars. June 19th, 2024, at approximately 8 pm. Arrive without a reservation for a party of 3 but was able to be seated within a couple of minutes. Was seated in a visible area of the restaurant and waited for a server. We were able to look at the menu and all decide on our entrée. A total of 15 to 20 minutes passed while waiting for a server to even greet us or take our drink order. GOT UP AND LEFT.... WORST SERVICE... FIRST IMPRESSIONS COUNT. Phoenicia Failed! read more

For the prices of the food, the take out food portions and service is below average. I did not dine in. I live across the street. I paid $5 for grilled vegetables. I received two burnt pieces of broccoli. Pictures below. I order hummus and a pint of garlic sauce, and my Meal did not come with Pita bread. I had to go across to Papa Joes to buy some lol. Maybe they had an off day but was not impressed with a meal over $50+. read more

Phoenicia Restaurant - Papa Joes Pita because they don't give you any if you order take out - Middle Eastern Near Me - Birmingham, Michigan

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This was perhaps the worst dining experience I've ever had. We were ignored for over 30 mins after being seated. Our server did not explain the menu at all - just asked us what we wanted; we had to ask for guidance on the menu. We weren't offered beverages. The pita basket came 40 mins after being seated. Food came almost an hour after being seated, and only after we asked if the cold appetizers might be ready. The food was not that good at all; the mjdara was burnt and dry - we didn't finish it, didn't want it packed up, told our server we didn't enjoy it, and still were charged. We never received any sort of apology for the long waits until the end when we were told that a complimentary rice pudding has been ordered on our behalf - which we didn't want at all; when we told our server this, he seemed offended that he'd already put it in and we were declining it. I would NEVER recommend that someone dine here. It was an absolutely miserable evening. read more

Back once since this gem reopened. Elevated Middle Eastern food with top-notch service. Old favorites are on the menu but they also have more modern twists on traditional fare. Still small, so expect to be close to the people at other tables. read more

The food is good. The service is great and the ambience is lovely. We really enjoyed our meal yesterday. The only real issue I have is the price. Dinner for 3 with a couple of drinks was $250. Probably double the price that we would pay for a similarly good meal down Woodward a few miles. I certainly see that the tony Birmingham location is a higher cost, but just didn't see the value. read more

UNREAL. love love love coming here! Middle eastern food with the most flavor!! Good portion sizes. Meat is sooooo good and tender!! Everything you get here is just amazing. They accommodate decent sized party's which I liked a lot and they have squeezed my last minute reservations in without a hesitation. Great staff Tabouli - 5 star Hummus - 5 star Fattoush - 5 star 3 meat platter - 5 star Drinks - 5 star read more

Between Covid and my brother's new baby we had to experience the best of Birmingham's cuisine via takeout. I had many delicious takeout meals while there and this one was at the top of the list. My brother raved about the ribs, but I"m more of a seafood type of gal so opted to split the cilantro shrimp and baked white fish. The cilantro shrimp was amazing (and tasted very healthy)- i can see why it's my sister in law's go to entree at Phoenicia. The fish was just OK so I'd probably skip that next time. However, the favorite part of my meal was definitely the hummus and pita chips because their homemade pita chips were so good. Sooo good that I couldn't stop eating them for 2 days. The food sure tasted good as takeout and (like most person) I"m sure even better in person. Once this pandemic madness is beyond us I look forward to eating there during future visits to the fam. read more

I used to come here a lot when I was younger and I finally had the chance to return. My friend and I were looking for a lunch place and nothing around bham opens until 5pm. Luckily we found Phoenicia! I walked in and got a table while waiting for my friend. The outdoor area had heaters so I tried sitting there. The hostesses were soo nice and we decided that it was too cold and moved inside. The owner, Samir, is the sweetest man that I have ever encountered! He spoke to us for about half an hour and his smile lit up the room, he was so so sweet! After this interaction I've decided to give Leila another try and I'm looking forward to trying Forest sometime too! We ordered the hummus and baba ghannouj. I liked the hummus, but I don't really like baba ghannouj. We also ordered halloumi cheese (I'm not sure which app this was), but it was great! We discovered that they get the branzino fish fresh from EU. Several times a week. I really admire this and hope to try it one day! I ordered the mediterranean chicken salad and it was delicious. The chicken was cooked perfectly and everything was so fresh. For dessert we got rice pudding. It was pretty good, but I didn't like the syrup on top. I would probably get a different dessert next time. Overall, this is a great restaurant. The staff is friendly and the owner is an amazing guy! I would definitely return. read more

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