This is the real thing, grape leaves, kibbee and chicken shawarma are amazing . Don't pass on the…read morecoffee and baklava after!

The restaurant is located on a street that seems like it used to be bustling, died out, and is…read morestarting to revive. We arrived around 2:30pm on a Thursday, there was only one other group there. We were immediately greeted and our waiter was super friendly and chatty. The inside is pretty casual, and they played 2000s hits at a good volume. We started with a cup of Turkish coffee... I've never had Turkish coffee so maybe this is standard, but they did not offer cream or sugar. I don't usually like black coffee but it was surprisingly light, and the serving was pretty small so I actually quite enjoyed it. The owner later said it was the brand Utica coffee (which I love). We ordered the loaded fries, which came with taziki sauce, feta cheese, and tabouleh. Usually loaded fries feel very heavy and greasy, but these tasted very fresh. For the main dish, we ordered the Elias Gyro and the Layla Gyro. My pallet is usually more oriented towards lots of flavor and spice, so I found the Layla Gyro to be lighter than I would have liked. There wasn't as much sauce as I was expecting, but it was still very moist. I loved the pickled vegetables in it, but I wasn't a huge fan of the fries. The Elias Gyro was a lot more flavor heavy thanks to the garlic sauce, which was delicious. The meat in both gyros was cooked perfectly. Lastly, we had the baklava. Ive never had baklava before so I have nothing to compare it to, but oh my goodness it was so good. Overall, super positive experience. It's always such a treat to see the owner walking around interacting with customers, and I would definitely go again whenever I want something light and fresh.

This is a SPECIAL and delicious place. Set aside any doubts and get your culinary curiosity going…read moreand GO! I am a serious Yelper. I believe my reviews are honest. I love to help folk who want to avoid bad restaurants and especially to have excellent culinary experiences. I am grateful for others who lead me to memorable dining spots. This is one of them. One Arabian Night is tucked away in a scrappy part of Utica, NY. It's a Yemeni place so authentic at one point the chef came out during a call to prayer, unrolled a little rug and prayed. It's a beautiful thing. People being authentic and showing devotion. These guys are also devoted to flavor, and very generous portions at very good, honest prices. I got the succulent mixed lamb, which had chopped veggies and little pieces of roast potatoes. The dish came with a HUGE "sheet" of freshly baked flat bread with sesame seeds (as big as a pizza) WHO DOES THAT?! Side dishes were a fresh chopped salad of tomatoes, cucumbers, red onion and lettuce with lemon juice and parsley, a bowl of very tasty lamb broth and a spicy chutney. I was blown away. When I was there it was catering only to Arabic families and men amiably chatting and eating with their hands. I was taught by my mom to respect other cultures and do as they do: so I observed the locals a little and dug in -ripping bread off and using it to grab finger fulls of food. It was wonderful. They also have an urn of self-serve sweet spiced tea to help make this a unique and unmissable dining experience in Utica. Go! And please leave your xenophobia behind. This ancient civilization (one of the world's OLDEST) has something to teach the most hardened burger-chomping American.

I've only ever ordered delivery but it's always delish! I'll make sure to dine in soon.read more

Lafa Mediterranean by Zeina is like the Cava of Mediterranean food, and I mean that as a full…read morecompliment. It's a build-your-own, line-style setup, and when we arrived there was a good line of people--which is usually a good sign. My friend JD picked the place, so I let him go first and watched how it worked. I ended up getting a bowl with falafel and just loaded it up. I chose salad instead of a full bed of rice, with just a little rice added. By the time we were done building it, my bowl was so full I could barely close the lid and that's exactly how I like it. The food was fresh, healthy, and flavorful. The staff were very friendly and patient while we made our choices. If I lived in this area, this would absolutely be one of my go-to spots for a regular meal: healthy, fresh, nice atmosphere, and good people behind the counter. Easy 5 stars for Lafa

Lafa is always consistent with their food and today I stopped in for a quick lunch to try their new…read moreStreet Corn Falafel! The place is clean with many options for seats, and I was lucky enough to snag a table outside. I got the Street Corn Falafel wrap and if you order it in person you can watch them create the wrap right in front of you on the saj they have. There are so many toppings to choose from, but I definitely recommend the crunchy pita chips, cucumbers, and tzatziki. They also usually have some tasty lemonades! It's a solid place to have a tasty lunch or dinner, and take out is a popular choice here as well!

I see why this place is highly rated! My co-worker recommended this place and so glad she did. We…read morestopped in for dinner around 7pm and was welcomed with the warmest and pleasant energy. We started out with the spicy feta hummus which came with this fluffy and warm pita. The hummus itself wasn't spicy but the seasoning layered with the dip. It was smooth and creamy. We couldn't stop eating it! I had the Jordanian refresher which was refreshing and delicious. The server came and checked in on us several times and was super friendly. For my entree, I had their gyro with lentil soup as it was a bit chilly this day. (well for a Florida girl like me) The lentil soup was so warm and creamy and just perfect for a soup day. I was expecting chunks of lentils but honestly, I preferred the way the restaurant prepared theirs. The gyro was huge and stuffed with veggies and sauce. They do not skimp out on the meat - which was super flavorful and juicy. I wish I could order this gyro down to Florida. What a great dining experience at an amazing local business!

My wife and I visited Diwan for dinner for the first time last night (7/10/26) after hearing so…read moremany great things about it. We were excited to finally give it a try, and the food absolutely lived up to the hype. This was easily the best Middle Eastern food we've had in Central New York. We started with the hummus appetizer, which was fresh, flavorful, and paired perfectly with the delicious house-made and warm pita. I ordered the beef and lamb gyro, and my wife had the beef kebabs. Both meals were outstanding, and we'll definitely be back for the food. Unfortunately, what keeps me from leaving a five-star review was the service we received from our server, Megan. I'm not sure whether it was because we arrived about an hour before closing or if she was simply having an off night, but from the beginning, the service felt rushed and inattentive, and it never improved. Just a couple of minutes after we were seated, she asked if we were ready to order. When we said we were still looking over the menu, she simply replied, "Okay," and walked away without asking if we had any questions or explaining the menu. My wife had to stop her as she was walking away to ask what drinks were available. A few minutes later, when she returned to take our order, she took our appetizer order and my wife's entrée order while looking around the dining room, said "thank you," and immediately started walking away without taking my order. I had to stop her so I could order my meal. During our meal, while I had my gyro in hand and was about to take another bite, I noticed her standing beside our table preparing the payment terminal. My wife looked at her, the server said "sorry" and then set down the payment terminal on the neighboring table instead. Once we were finished, she handed us the payment terminal and then asked whether we'd like dessert or coffee, after already presenting the check, which felt a bit odd. After I paid, I was in the middle of selecting how I wanted my receipt when she took the payment terminal away before I could finish, leaving me unable to receive an itemized receipt for our meal. The food was exceptional, and we'll absolutely be back because the kitchen deserves every bit of the praise it receives. That said, we'll be requesting a different server next time. The service we experienced tonight was disappointing and didn't match the quality of the food. On a positive note, there was another server working this evening who was incredibly friendly and welcoming. I didn't catch her name, but she left a much better impression and reflected the kind of hospitality we were hoping to experience.

The lamb meat was not tender. There was good flavor mixed with veggies and rice but I won't be…read morecoming back. Dessert was tasty and filling. Service was good and the place and setting could be spruced up some more. Plenty of parking available.

Loved it here! We…read moreordered baba ghanoush, pita, hummus, salad, dandelions, chicken schwarma, flavored drinks, the gyro and baklava. Everything we had here was amazing. We first tried Goodies' food at the Regional Market and loved it; so we knew we had to stop in for lunch. I'm glad we did! They had a location on Marshall St that recently closed. We loved it here and will be back soon!

King David's slaps. Consistently great food. Fast service makes it excellent for a lunch during the…read morework week. The new "crispy gyro" is a fresh take on a classic dish. Worth the 10.00 price tag, easily. Somehow the "crispy gyro" is less messy than its predecessor but you wouldn't guess that by looking at it. Go to King David's. It's good.

The biggest issue during our visit was the temperature inside the restaurant. I'm not sure if the…read moreair conditioning wasn't working, but it was very warm and stuffy, which made it difficult to fully enjoy the meal. The food was good, but it wasn't particularly memorable. On the positive side, the staff was friendly, and our food was served quickly. With a more comfortable dining environment, the overall experience would have been much better.

Very friendly staff. Food was great! My husband had the pastrami burger and I got the pastrami…read moreRueben. The pastrami was very tender. Generous portion for the price. Will definitely go back!

100% recommend food was pretty good and service was pretty fast in the area was very cleanread more

Food is so so so good. They'll adjust the spice to your plate. And great prices. Will definitely…read morevisit again. And again.

Met a friend here for dinner. We ordered mango lassi, naan, salmon masala, saag paneer. Service was…read moregood. Ambiance was casual.