If you have not yet been to The Olive Bistro in Little Falls or Clifton, New Jersey, please stop what you're doing and fix that immediately. This place is an absolute gem. From the moment you walk in, you're wrapped in warmth--by the people, the culture, and the unmistakable love poured into every single dish. The food? Spectacular doesn't even begin to cover it. Every visit, I either try something new or let them choose for me (which I highly recommend), and without fail, I'm blown away. Not once--not ever--have I been disappointed. Every bite feels thoughtful, soulful, and deeply rooted in tradition. The flavors are rich, comforting, vibrant, and unforgettable. You can taste the care, the history, and the pride behind the food. And the people? Truly some of the warmest, kindest souls you'll meet--welcoming you like family, not customers. I can honestly say I'm being slowly--but very happily--converted. The beautiful food, the incredible hospitality, the culture, the entire experience... it's something special. The Olive Bistro isn't just a meal, it's an experience, and one I crave again and again. Do yourself a favor: go hungry, go curious, and go often. You'll thank me later. read more

Went on a Thursday night and had a GREAT experience! We started with the hummus- incredibly seasoned, creamy, and drizzled with olive oil and served with tons of pitas for dipping. Mixed Grill and Chicken Musakh was amazing . Cute interior, good service, and delicious food. read more

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Omg!!!!!!!! Just omg!!!! Food ecstasy! First time there holy smokes! I feel Middle Eastern food is a healthy option when it comes to dips, meats, rice and veggies. We have been thinking of trying this a while and so glad I finally did. The portions are hugeeeeee moderately priced. The staff super nice the ambiance was cool. Just amazing. The food I just can't give it enough praise without using expletives on a public forum. You have to try!! read more

The Olive Bistro - Beef & Lamb Shawarma Platter - Middle Eastern Near Me - Little Falls Township, New Jersey

The Olive Bistro is in a large white building that it shares with a Rita's. They very conveniently share a large parking lot. The restaurant is BYOB, which is always a plus. We were warmly greeted when we entered. We were seated in the enclosed patio, which is very comfortable. Upon seating, we got a dish of olives and a dish of a variety of pickles. These were delicious. I wish that I could have bought a jar of the pickles for home! We shared a Shepherds Salad to start. The portion was massive. Easily enough for four people. I thought that it needed more lemon and salt, but it was tasty nonetheless. I ordered the Lamb Kidreh and my husband ordered the Shish Kabob. The Lamb meat is the shank, and it was flavorful and succulent. It was served over a humongous mound of spiced rice and came with a cucumber yogurt sauce. The Shish Kabob was a very generous serving of beautifully grilled filet. It was served with spiced rice, pita, and shepherds salad. We left with plenty of leftovers. We shared the Knafeh for dessert. It was honestly underwhelming. I did have some excellent Arabic coffee. Overall, this was a very nice meal. It would be great for a large group. We would return. read more

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I ordered some food from here today and was really impressed. We got the mixed grilled and the hummus with meat. The mixed platter was very good, the meat was very tender and very well seasoned. It came with chicken breast, chicken shawarma, beef kofta, and steak. We opted for the sweet potato fries as well. The hummus was great. The portion was pretty good (it was $14). The meat was well cooked and seasoned and the hummus tasted perfect. It was clearly homemade hummus. read more

The Olive Bistro - Middle Eastern Near Me - Little Falls Township, New Jersey

Olive Bistro was great. We ordered the hummus with meat, lentil soup, falafel, and shared a mixed grill, and everything was really good. The service was top-tier from start to finish. All of the meat and chicken were perfectly tender, and the falafel were super crunchy and filling. Even the rice that came with the mixed grill stood out--it was aromatic and clearly seasoned with a nice blend of spices. The ambiance was also really nice. It's not as extravagant as their other location, but it's still very well maintained, and the Palestinian decor on the walls gives it a warm, welcoming feel. Highly recommend! read more

The Olive Bistro - Olive Bistro Mix Grill - Middle Eastern Near Me - Little Falls Township, New Jersey

After seeing all the high reviews, I'd wanted to check this place out for myself so I made the trip the last time I visited Boonton. To be honest though, my experience was underwhelming. First off, there was nobody inside when I got there, though that could be somewhat explained that it was on the later side for lunch. Only one person seemed to be working that day. The prices are high and that admittedly drove some of my expectations. I went with the lunch special since that seemed like a better bang for your buck, but it still cost me over $25. This will give you a dip, pita bread and salad along with a small entree so it is a decent amount of food. The food seemed very fresh, however, everything other than the kabob lacked flavor. Even the soda isn't real soda which disappointed me. If I were to come again, would just get a platter and skip the lunch special altogether. The guy working there was nice, however when the bill came, he added a 20% gratuity automatically. I'm not a fan of that, the customer should decide how much to give based on the service. Overall not a bad spot but the price probably will keep me from coming here again for a while. read more

The place seems small but it extends towards the right and it has a lot of space! The service was amazing, our waitress was super kind and patient with us (as we were two friends catching up), didn't rush us to order nor to leave and that was super appreciated! We got the zaatar chips which were good but just couldn't finish as it was a huge plate. We also each got a chicken shawarma platter and it is, by far, the best chicken shawarma I've had in the US! I liked their rice but wasn't wild about it and same with their side salad, but the side sauce was fantastic, as well as the pita, and, like I already mentioned, the shawarma was beyond amazing. I will most definitely be coming back!! read more

The Olive Bistro - Zaatar Chips - Middle Eastern Near Me - Little Falls Township, New Jersey

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Good menu selection. Lahamajin was excellent. Food was good but could have been tastier. The restaurant was extremely cold. Waitress wasn't great- waited a long time for needs and she didn't seem to care less. read more

The food was delicious, and the service was very pleasant! I was happily surprised at how much I enjoyed the big grill platter and apps to share with three of my friends. Parking was easy in the back of the restaurant and I would definitely recommend to anyone that's looking to come here. read more

The Olive Bistro - Middle Eastern Near Me - Little Falls Township, New Jersey

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Olive Bistro was delicious! First, it is a versatile spot, in that it can be a date night or a chill hang out with friends. I really also enjoyed the authenticity of the restaurant with its authentic Palestinian food house special options and Arabic music. I had the cheese rolls and hummus + meat as an appetizer. It was incredible. The food came out quickly and STEAMING! There was a nice bit of a crunch in the rolls and the hummus was incredibly flavorful. It with meat is an excellent combo. As an entree, I had the mixed grill and it was also delicious. The assortment of meats were different and paired so well with the salad and rice, which had a touch of spice to it and added some extra flavor to an already flavorful meal. The garlic sauce was also a perfect pair with the meal. All in all, food was delicious, service was excellent, and it really lived up to its billing, as an authentic restaurant. Highly recommend! read more

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Solid refreshing option if you're in the mood for authentic middle eastern (similar to Mediterranean )food Friendly staff, insane portions and amazing value. Parking is shared with Rita's so it's a little tough on a busy evenin Hummus (5/5) Hands down best hummus I have had smooth creamy and delicious! Falafel Admittedly didn't eat this order but that's only because I was so full from everything else Roasted cauliflower (5/5) Perfect balance of flavors with a hint of lemon and just tasted homemade Fatoush salad (5/5) THE BEST perfect combo of veggies and crispy pita. Dressing was on point not too tart or oily just a refreshing delightful dish Makluba (5/5) The waiter pitched it as exactly how his mom makes it. Obviously we were sold. Says it serves two but our party of 5 left with 2 leftover containers! I would order lamb next time, but the party opted for chicken. Just tasted like a warm hug read more

Amazing flavorful home style cooking. Sambousek, Arayes, Shawarma, hummus, fatoush salad, mint tea all aromatic and flavorful. Highly recommended!! read more

Charming. Lovely setting with high level of cleanliness. Friendly prompt service with a big smile. Great food , authentic flavours, generous portions, and very high quality. BTW prices are astonishingly low. Love the place, definitely many returns. read more

Great food and friendly service. We ordered the trio dip for appetizer and got the muhammara, labana and baba ghanoush. The muhammara was on the sweeter side, but we enjoyed all three. We also got the shepherd's salad and tabouleh. Loved the shepherd's salad- not too salty which I've found to be the case at other places when ordering same dish. For entrees, we got beef and lamb shawarma and the chicken kidreh. Chicken was fall off the bone tender and perfectly seasoned. Portions were generous- leftovers enough for a full meal! Atmosphere is bustling, on the louder side which we didn't mind. Great for a casual, delicious hearty meal with friends and family. Highly recommend! read more

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Tried The Olive Bistro with friends last night. Parking is good. The restaurant itself is bright and modern. The staff is friendly from the time you arrive and throughout your meal. Our waitress was helpful with good recommendations. We had excellent falafel, baba ghanouj, muhammara, labne, and some ground beef pastries. The dips were really high quality, nice flavor. The falafel was enjoyed by all, even the guy that said he doesn't usually like them. For main courses we had musakhan and makluba. They didn't have lamb for the makluba, so we had the chicken version. The musakhan is excellent! You get a nicely roasted leg quarter, roasted onions, and spices served over a crispy flatbread. Grabbing pieces of flatbread with the toppings was a tasty experience. Since we had already ordered a bunch of items and also wanted their dessert, the makluba ended up being a bit too much rice for three diners. It was good but if you want it, you should be prepared to not order much else. We had kunefe, kunefe ice cream, and baklava ice cream for dessert. The kunefe was very good and the ice cream was creative and tasty. Certainly worth a return! read more

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Every time I'm in the area visiting family, we stop here for a meal and I've never had a mediocre bite here. The baba ghanouj is so savory and smokey, and their kebabs are incredibly juicy. I also love their rice with chickpeas- idk what its seasoned with but it's so savory I often buy a side to have at home lol Service is very attentive and polite, I always feel welcome and look forward to coming back. read more

The Olive Bistro - Their trio of hummus, baba ghanouj and muhammara. - Middle Eastern Near Me - Little Falls Township, New Jersey

We had the lunch specials. I had the shwarma lunch, it was tasty. My wife had the falafel lunch. It is my new favorite falafel. And it came with much more than I've had elsewhere. The falafels are larger than they look in the pictures I saw before visiting. It was nice to have both superior quality and quantity. It came with a healthy portion of hummus. Tabouli was tasty. I would get the falafel next time. We had enough to take some home. Everything looked so good that I didn't take photos, I will next time. This is my new favorite spot. There was a 20% tip added and a non cash surcharge during lunch. I have complained about this at other restaurants, usually because it's accompanied by poor service and mediocre food. This was not the case here. The food was so delicious and the portions so generous that I didn't mind the non cash surcharge. And the waiter did well, I would have tipped 20% regardless. read more

My friend was very excited to bring me here and I see why. The food here is incredible, absolutely wonderful. Every bite I took my eyes grew bigger and bigger. I ordered more than I could eat so I could have some later on. The staff here is very friendly as well. They really bring you in as if you were in their home. Great location and great seating cannot wait to come back. read more

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Ordered: Fresh Mint Lemonade (~$6) Fattoush Salad (~$12) Sambousek (~$9): crispy puff pastry with seasoned ground beef Makluba with Chicken (~$40): Palestinian dish with chicken, fried vegetables, and seasoned rice layered in a pot then flipped upside down; served with yogurt (laban) and salad Aya's take: Being Middle Eastern, I love trying new Middle Eastern restaurants especially ones serving authentic or traditional dishes. We started off with the Fresh Mint Lemonade which is one of my favorite drinks; if it's on the menu, I get it. This one was sweet and refreshing but could've used a lot more mint. We also got the Fattoush Salad which had the perfect assortment of lettuce, tomato, cucumbers, parsley, and mint along with the fried pita. The ratio of lemon, olive oil, and sumac for the dressing was perfect. We didn't know the Makluba comes with salad too; had we known, we wouldn't have ordered this one. The Sambousek was crispy on the outside with well-seasoned ground beef on the inside. The dough isn't as flakey as it's supposed to be for traditional sambousek but it was still good and paired nicely with the Fattoush. Makluba is one of my all time favorite rice dishes! I absolutely love the eggplant and how aromatic the rice is; this one was pretty spot on. They do flip it upside down at the table but our flip wasn't very "clean"; it broke apart right away. The chicken was quite dry and the portion could've been better. There was so much rice and it was moist and fragrant but was missing the toasted nuts and parsley it was supposed to be topped with. Great try overall and if you're looking for a Palestinian-owned restaurant in NJ to support, look no further! read more

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The food was so delicious, well seasoned, and authentic. The service was so incredibly thoughtful (our waiter so carefully attended to food allergies) and kind, we felt like family. The owners talked to the customers to make sure they were enjoying themselves. We ordered the fried cauliflower, which had this beautiful tahini pomegranate sauce cutting through the crunch. Then the lamb maqluba...perfectly seasoned rice that melts in your mouth. The kids really enjoyed the pies, which they thought were better than pizza. My husband really enjoyed watching the Arabic coffee get heated in this sand machine. read more

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10/10 everytime Very family friendly atmosphere. Very nice ambiance and decorum to match read more

So happy to have dined at the OB, food, service and ambience was great! The only drawback is, I don't live anywhere near this awesome place. read more

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I've gotten food to go before and it was wonderful (the olive bistro mix grill is the best meal I've ever had I highly recommend it. It was still fresh even after I got home). Sitting down to eat there was a lovely experience. Inside the restaurant is cozy and makes you feel right at home. The service is great whether you're getting food to go or to sit down. Everyone who works there is always polite and welcoming and really help create the cozy ambiance. read more

The Olive Bistro - Zaatar Chips - Middle Eastern Near Me - Little Falls Township, New Jersey

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Got the Falafel Platter it was great and super fresh!! Went with a party of seven and everyone enjoyed their meal. Food is worth the buck since the plates are large (hand picture for reference). The lemonade w/ mint is a little pricey but definitely recommend (it's very good). Service was pleasant :) 10/10 recommend read more

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Another delicious experience here! I would definitely come back or have an event catered! read more

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Authentic, flavorful, and delicious. I felt like I was in someone's home as opposed to a restaurant. The place is small, but very cozy. The decor on the walls is full of color and tells a story about Palestinian culture. The staff made us feel welcome and were extremely attentive. The best dish of the visit for me was the Chicken Musukhan. All the seasonings blended well together and the hot bread was to die for. The mint lemonade is all a must with your meal. Will definitely return to try more of the menu. read more

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I went with a group to celebrate someone's birthday. It was around 7pm and I had a hard time with parking. Their lot that they had behind the restaurant was already full so I had to slip into the side and wait for a proper spot to open. I was unfamiliar with the area and it was pouring rain outside so searching for parking elsewhere was not looking appealing. My group had already ordered several dishes in the meantime. The food was very homely and satisfying if you like the style of food. I enjoyed almost everything such as the hummus or baba ganoos or there was pita bread with a type of spiced meat in between or a large salad. It was all good except for the main entree for the table. I can not remember the name as it was ordered in my absence but it was a rice dish with meat, eggplant and tomatoes where the waiter flipped it over when he reached out table. The rice was slightly sweetened maybe with cinnamon which isn't my favorite but what I really didn't like was the meat. It was a familiar lamb taste but for some reason I had and extra hint of fat as I was trying to eat it. Could be something to decide based on a person's taste preference but I just did not enjoy it. It's a small building with a decent amount of seating. The waiter checked on us here and there, a little less than expected but not something to complain about. Food was mostly good. I would come here again and maybe even bring new people if I was in the area. read more

Had dinner here today for first time with a friend who is vegetarian. Plenty of offerings for both of us. Service was great and most helpful.We will certainly be back and glad to know that they have a second location on Rt 46 west in Clifton read more

Loved the food here, and decided to order catering for a party. Paid in advance with 20 percent tip. Arrived to pick up food that should have been ready 45 minutes earlier, to be told that they were "getting" my order. As I waited for over an hour (!) for them to prepare the food with no explanation, missing my own party, I merely got a shrug, and a "sorry, we forgot to put in your order." Incredibly poor service, won't be back. read more

Amazing!! Went for iftar on a rainy Tuesday and it was fully packed with reservations but they still made room to accommodate us. We tried the mixed grill and the lamb qidreh and all the meat was cooked perfectly and so tender. The staff was so friendly and repeatedly making sure everything was good at all the tables. Truly a gem of A spot and can't wait to go back!! read more

The Olive Bistro - Mixed grill - Middle Eastern Near Me - Little Falls Township, New Jersey

A diamond in the rough!! This new, Palestinian-owned restaurant is beautifully decorated and serves an amazing selection of food. We absolutely loved the various appetizers and entrees- the lamb was unbelievable and we had never had anything like it! The waiter was exceptionally friendly and we were greeted by what seemed to be the owner multiple times. Would definitely recommend stopping by and giving them a try! read more

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I WILL 100% BE BACK HOLY MOLY THIS PLACE IS SO GOOD. 10/10 recommend. My boyfriend and I came and got two dishes from here. We got an appetizer and one dish for the two of us and went home with a full meal. The appetizer is enough for 4 people, and the olive oil here is AMAZING. The baba ghanouj is amazing. Hummus taste delicious and I am genuinely so excited to come back with my family and friends. This place does claim to be halal as well and my boyfriend and I got the lamb kidreh. The rice underneath had this absolutely lovely taste filled with olive oil undertones and we loved it. Service was quick and the ambiance is so cute with an entirely heated outdoor section. The La Ziza tastes so good, I recommend getting the raspberry one and be sure to come with an empty stomach. I'll be back soon. Expect to spend on a main dish split between two people $30 total, and if you choose to get an appetizer, it will be ~$12 more. This was so decently priced!! read more

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Quaint little spot with parking in the back. Friendly pleasant staff & good food. Went on a Friday afternoon and had the place to ourselves. The amazing seasonings in the rice was our fave, the hummus and pita, and falafel was also great. The mint lemonade hit the spot and the lentil soup was yummy. Only disappointment was with how oily the fries were. We barely touched it. Aside from this, we enjoyed our time here and would return. read more

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My experience at this restaurant was really nice. It's a quaint bistro. Everybody is so friendly. It's like going to house. The food is so fresh and delicious. I recommend this to anyone. read more

The food was amazing quality and great taste! Very big portions. The restaurant was very clean and the customer service was amazing! Definitely recommend and when I visit again I will be coming here again! read more

I've been here twice. Both times the food and service were amazing. We ordered the cheese arayes and lamb makluba. The makluba was amazing! Makes me want to keeping going back. read more

Traveled all the way from LI to try @the_olive_bistro Honestly the standard in which they operate is higher than any restaurant we have probably ever tried The staff were so incredibly nice and the food was soooooo good It felt as if the food they presented was an invitation to their country Palestine read more

The Olive Bistro is not to be missed. My family and I found this place via yelp and shared a few appetizers and two entrees. Everything was fresh, perfectly spiced, and the portions were very good. The menu is a mix of standard Mediterrenean fare like hummus, falafel, chicken, lamb along with Palestinian specialties like makluba. They also have fantastic chicken wings! The staff and service were also wonderful. If you are in the area, stop by because the food and ambiance will not disappoint. read more

I visited Olive Bistro for the first time with family last night and I must say the experience surpassed my expectation. The food is the closest tasting to back home. I ordered the chicken kabob platter and the food was very fresh, high quality, and super tasteful. The ambience gives me a cozy at-home vibe and the decor is all authentic and handmade supporting local middle eastern businesses! The customer service is on point, friendly, attentive and quick. I will most definitely be returning again to try other items on the menu. The homemade baklava ice cream is a must!! My new favorite middle eastern restaurant in the area! read more

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