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    Raya's Lebanese

    4.3 (184 reviews)
    InexpensiveMediterranean, Lebanese
    Closed Closed

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    i forgot to take pictures of the food but it was so good

    On tour from chicago and this has been our lunch spot in Cincinnati : Today's experience was exactly what I could have hoped for. I came with a friend with a limited budget of $5. My friend and I decided to split the falafel wrap so we would spend $3.50 each. We asked if the fries cost extra and the owner (Sem, who took our order) said yes sorry. We ordered just the falafel and when our food came out, she gave us free fries as well. Both the sandwich and fries were phenomenal and Sem was so kind! Everyone else we came with (8 total) loved their food as well. A beautiful place. Would recommend!

    Kofta Wrap
    Lilianna G.

    I got the Kafta wrap and HOLY MOLY, was it super duper tasty. It was super amazing. The beef was super tasty and had a wonderful amazing seasoning. The sauce was tasty, and the wrap was very tasty. The owners were very kind and super fast. The restaurant itself was super nice and the decor was really pretty. I'll definitely go back!!

    Lentil Soup
    Christian B.

    Lebanese home cooking! This little restaurant is cozy and very tasty. I stopped here for lunch and really enjoyed my meal. I had the lentil soup and Shawarma wrap. Service was good and friendly. Great place for a quick lunch. Check it out if you are in the Cincinnati downtown area. Enjoy and Buon Appetito!

    Chicken kabob

    The decorations especially the torches on the walls are satisfactory , the service is decent but I think they could use a hand. The chicken kabob was and the fries felt good to chew.

    Gyro Wrap
    Leah B.

    My first experience here was a couple days ago. Craving a gyro and close to downtown, my Yelp search quickly landed on Raya's. I order a gyro and side of fries. The gyro meat was bursting with flavor and the fries has the best salt and pepper seasoning. The one critic was that the pita was a bit chewy/hard, I assume from being cooked and then wrapped quickly in parchment and foil. I didn't let that little down side effect my review because I still enjoyed every bite. Craving fulfilled!

    Fish Platter
    Sarah E.

    Quick, authentic, no frills spot downtown. No wait fora table at lunch time, lots of businessmen and door dash orders coming through. It took quite a while for our two meals to come out but they were very fresh and tasty. The decor is outdated and some dust clutter in the corners. Not sure if there's a bathroom. I learned that they do not have iced tea and do not take Amex, but other than that we had an ok experience. Would return for a pickup order.

    Bar area
    Ryan J.

    Had 2 of the platters- both were great. Went back the next day and had the same thing. Recommend

    Mixed Platter (I love spicy food, so added cayenne)

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    2 months ago

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    25 days ago

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    6 months ago

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    1 year ago

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    4 months ago

    Food quality for the the price is unbeatable. Low key family atmosphere. The lentil soup and tabouli were excellent.

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    6 months ago

    Food was great with a large selection. We enjoyed the decor and friendly staff. Wonderful mid-week lunch spot.

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    7 months ago

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    3 years ago

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    1 year ago

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    3 years ago

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    2 years ago

    Good ambiance, plenty of seating and prompt service. Food was great and had no complaints.

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    2 years ago

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    4 years ago

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    2 years ago

    Pretty good food. Nice change of pace for lunch. Ambiance and service was fair. Good price.

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    5 years ago

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    2 years ago

    The place is great!! The food is good! Feels like you're at home! Definitely recommend! Don't miss out!!

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    4 years ago

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    1 year ago

    Absolutely delicious cheap food, super loving and warm ambiance and service. Everything you could want in a local spot!

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    2 years ago

    Good, atmosphere, and staff were all excellent! Truly a gem of a place. Amazing tabbouleh.

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    3 years ago

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    1 year ago

    Absolutely delicious food. Warm and welcoming atmosphere and service! I would recommend this to friends and come back.

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    1 year ago

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    3 years ago

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    4 years ago

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    4 years ago

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    2 years ago

    Extremely clean inside. Quick, attentive, and diligent service. Excellent healthy, halal food. 11 out of 10.

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    7 years ago

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    4 years ago

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    3 years ago

    Sooooo incredibly Amazing food! Sem and Rita are so sweet! The music was fun...we even danced a little

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    Phoenician Taverna - Taverna Falafel

    Phoenician Taverna

    4.6(505 reviews)
    18.8 mi
    $$

    I used to live in Mason, about 2 miles north of Phoenician Taverna. First time there was for a late…read morelunch. After a Great Clips haircut, on the recommendation of the stylist, I tried it out, was very impressed. Been there many times since, never been disappointed. I've since moved to Liberty Twp. but the Phoenician still beckons. Had dinner last night there with my wife. It was a wonderful experience. I felt it was high time I wrote them up. We started with an excellent double-hop IPA and a great Lebanese red wine, I think it was called Kefraya. Gonna seek it out locally, maybe at Jungle Jim's. As always, the pita bread is fresh, oven-hot and delectable. The shankleen appetizer is outstanding, a lovely fusion of greens, lentils, feta cheese, olive oil and spices. Wife ordered schwirma - slow-grilled combo of sliced chicken alongside sliced beef and lamb. The waiter obligingly substituted a side of couscous for rice, no extra charge. I had a braised shank of lamb in a rich tomato sauce. Both entrees were delicious. As always, the portions were very generous, so we took food home along with complimentary fresh pita bread. Besides the great food, the service is superb. The owner makes a point of stopping at each table to ensure that the diners are happy. We look forward to our next visit.

    My best friend wanted to take me to Phoenician Taverna for the longest time. She raves about this…read moreplace and been coming here for years. Finally she made reservations for Saturday evening (it is recommended because they get super busy). We got there and was greeted by the owner. BTW, was very down to earth. So their menu looked good (Lebanese food). There is so much to choose from and hard to decide. I especially loved their drink menu, especially wines. We ended up ordering: Appetizers: Baba ghannouge M'hammara Taverna falafel Dinner: Shawarma chicken Kebab mixed grill Drinks: Chateau kefraya, Les Bretches Almaza Pilsner My favorite from the appetizers is the eggplant and falafel! Super fresh and the bread that came with it was so good. Even the dipping sauce was amazing. My Shawarma chicken was super delish. You have to put the garlic butter on the rice! It gives it great flavor. My Mr enjoyed his meal as well. We definitely had to get a to go box because there was so much food. But we will look forward the next day to eat it. Overall, the service was great and I loved the experience. We can see ourselves coming back for more! I can see why my best friend loves it here! Highly recommend you try it.

    Photos
    Phoenician Taverna - More seating and the ope kitchen.

    More seating and the ope kitchen.

    Phoenician Taverna - Swordfish kebabs

    Swordfish kebabs

    Phoenician Taverna - Open bar seating

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    Open bar seating

    The Aperture - Lamb Shoulder

    The Aperture

    4.3(99 reviews)
    2.1 miWalnut Hills

    We were so confused. We went for lunch but realized it was…read morea carry out BBQ place (they did have 2 tables to eat at). Due to our timing we decided to go ahead and grab some bbq. The menu was not very intuitive w/ clear descriptions. My food came with my choice of bbq sauce which clearly had just been removed from the fridge because it was jelled and very cold. The baked beans were something totally else. I feel the entire business model in that space is very confusing. It's BBQ on Wed-Fri during lunch, Greek in the evenings during week and a Steak House on weekends. I feel the About Page could describe their business model better. The service was good. I am just so confused. Sorry

    It's been over a year since I have dined here. I came in to a completely different menu. The…read morefocaccia was still amazing and fluffy. The drinks from the bar were crafted well and presented nicely. We ordered quite a bit of food to try off the menu. The pork and fish skewers were flavorful! I do wish the pork was cooked a bit longer to give it a crispy outside. The Farrotto had a nice crunch with each taste and was a little cheesy. The pappardelle with rabbit was very good as well, it had a rich flavor. The trout was a bit fishy for my liking. The short ribs were cooked very well, but I was not a huge fan of the sauce it came with. The lamb ribs had a nice flavor, but I thought was a little overcooked. I think my favorite had to have been the pasta/grain dishes. I do like that they rotate the menu so there is always something new. Great ambiance and decorated well inside!

    Photos
    The Aperture
    The Aperture - Black Garlic Eggplant Hummus

    Black Garlic Eggplant Hummus

    The Aperture - Maritozzo

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    Maritozzo

    Five Stars Mediterranean Restaurant - Tabulie

    Five Stars Mediterranean Restaurant

    4.8(157 reviews)
    4.3 mi
    $$

    This is a wonderful family-run business that delivers more than just delicious food. Ahmed, the…read moreowner, once went out of his way to gather ingredients to fulfill our order that included tabouli. When I went in to pick up our order, he apologized for the extra wait to make our food and explained he hates telling customers that he is out of a certain type of food. This truly touched my heart, I wish I could support their business more than I do. I fully endorse the five star rating both in this review & the name of the business.

    Been eyeing this place for a while and finally made it out. Mediterranean is one of mine and my…read morewife's favorite cuisines, but haven't loved a lot of other places we've visited. Made it out here last night before seeing Pericles at Cincinnati Shakespeare Company. We ordered a couple waters, which we didn't realize would be bottled, and some dawali to start. The wait was very short, maybe ten minutes. These were definitely the best stuffed grape leaves I've had, with a sweet and tangy sauce. Nice light appetizer. For our entrees, she chose the falafel platter, and I went for the Arayes, which is a dish we've made a couple times at home recently and has become a favorite. These plates arrived only a minute or two after we finished the grape leaves, so perfect timing. I must say, everything looked incredible. We both took a bite of falafel, then the arayes, then the salad. Everything was very undersalted. Usually, I think of this as a huge strike against a restaurant, but once we added salt to everything, the flavors popped. It wasn't that the food was bland or unseasoned, it was just undersalted, which didn't help the flavors stand out. This is the main reason I did 4 stars instead of 5. The entrees were $18, and came with a big bed of rice and salad, but I felt the protein for each platter was a bit sparse: 5 falafel for the plate, and 5 arayes, which had a very thin patty of meat in each. Both were topped with a delicious cilantro-tahini (I think) sauce, that i would have liked a bit more of, for the sides and the arayes which were on the bottom. The water bottles were $1.50 each, so I'd probably bring our own next time, but that's not a big deal. Overall, most of my issues are small and nitpick except for the salt, so if that was nailed next time, I think this place would be a home run.

    Photos
    Five Stars Mediterranean Restaurant - Lebanese salad

    Lebanese salad

    Five Stars Mediterranean Restaurant - Hummus

    Hummus

    Five Stars Mediterranean Restaurant - Street view as taken standing at the Dairy Queen.

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    Street view as taken standing at the Dairy Queen.

    Cafe Mediterranean - Puffy bread

    Cafe Mediterranean

    4.4(246 reviews)
    5.9 miHyde Park
    $$

    My family visited Cafe Mediterranean last night and had an outstanding experience. I feel that the…read more'personal touch' of a family owned restaurant is both unique and becoming harder to find. If this appeals to you, try this place. Their service makes you quickly feel right at home, and that continues throughout the meal. There were five of us, so we ordered several dishes to share. The hummus was fresh, the falafel was crispy on the outside and tasty, the lamb was tender, and the lahmacun ('Turkish pizza' for those that haven't tried this) was outstanding. The Lahmacun reminded me of my visit to a Turkish restaurant in Kazakhstan many years ago -- it was that good. My adult kids also had the salmon and a chicken sauté and loved both... I almost lost a finger getting a nibble. The drinks and desserts were also spot on. It's a very relaxed atmosphere and has seating to accommodate larger groups, so bring your friends and family and share. One recommendation for the Cafe -- we wish the lighting were a bit dimmer. Seemed a little bright in the main dining area. Other than that, thanks for a great night.

    Our server was really sweet. They were super busy but extremely accommodating. The hummus and pita…read morepillow is absolutely amazing! I could eat it all day long. The salmon wasn't as "well done" as I would have preferred but still very good. The cooked veggies were seasoned very well too. It's a great date night spot or for a girls night. Will definitely return!

    Photos
    Cafe Mediterranean - Interior seating

    Interior seating

    Cafe Mediterranean - Fried calamari

    Fried calamari

    Cafe Mediterranean - Black Tea

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    Black Tea

    Raya's Lebanese - mediterranean - Updated May 2026

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