I'm honestly sad to say that my last visit, about 10 days ago, was completely different from my…read morefirst two visits. I know this is a different location, but it has the same name and menu, so I expected a similar experience. Unfortunately, it was very disappointing.
As someone with celiac disease, I asked if the Fattah could be made without bread. At first, I was told no. Then the owner came over and explained that the dish is normally made with bread. I told her I understood that, but because I have celiac disease, I was simply asking if it could be prepared without it. In the end, they did make it for me without the bread, which I appreciated. However, the interaction felt uncomfortable, and I felt like I was being lectured rather than helped.
The biggest frustration was the tea. As Middle Eastern people, tea is an essential part of breakfast and is usually enjoyed throughout the meal. The owner is Syrian, so I was honestly surprised by the policy. The only way to get a kettle of tea was through a breakfast special, and it only provided about four cups. There were four of us at the table, so when we asked for more hot water or a refill, we were told no and that we would need to purchase individual cups of tea instead. It felt disappointing and not very hospitable, especially considering how important tea is in our culture and breakfast traditions.
I also want to say that none of this was the waiter's fault. In fact, I felt bad for him because he seemed to be taking the heat from multiple customers who were frustrated with the policies. At one point, I even turned to another table and told them to go easy on him because he was clearly not the one making these decisions.
What made me even more uncomfortable was seeing the owner correct him in front of customers. He was using his phone to check ingredients and see whether the falafel contained gluten so he could answer my question correctly. The owner asked him why he was on his phone, and when he explained what he was doing, she told him he should already know the answer without looking it up. I appreciate that he was trying to verify information for a customer with dietary restrictions, and I don't think staff should be criticized in front of customers for doing that.
The food itself was average. Several dishes seemed to be lacking salt, and I wasn't the only customer who noticed issues. During our visit, I heard other customers expressing frustration about the service, the tea policy, and the overall attitude.
I had such a positive experience at the other location that this visit was genuinely disappointing. While I appreciate that they ultimately accommodated my dietary needs, the service and overall atmosphere were not what I expected, and unfortunately, I wouldn't return to this location.
