It's always a pleasure to read about a restaurant you haven't tried, go and visit it and discover a…read morenew favorite for future dining excursions. This is the case with Lama Mediterranean Cuisine in The Woodlands. My wife had a doctor's appointment at 2 pm and we live about 35 miles away, I figured go early and get some lunch and then get to the doctor with a full stomach. We put the address into the GPS and pulled right up in front of the restaurant. While it was nice weather outside, we decided to sit indoors and I am glad we did because I noticed some diners outdoors were batting away insects. Our server, Abraham came quickly and took our drink orders while we studied the menu and admired the beautifully decorated interior of the restaurant. Blue is a strong color they have used effectively, there is a large dinging room for a big group just off the main dining room and a bar at the far west end. We ordered some appetizers and they came out quickly, We had a small order (4 pieces) of the Fried Hallumi Cheese and also Kebbeh. Both came with a small sampling of cucumber, tomato and red onion which paired well. The Kebbeh had the most fragrant seasoning, I believe a mix of cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and clove. The serving sizes were ample and after trying some we both agreed to save room for the entrees we ordered, my wife had the Gyro Sandwich and I had the Chicken Shawerma, both were wrapped in a super fresh pita that had to be house made. My wife had the regular fries and I had sweet potato which were cooked perfectly, so light and crisp. We couldn't resist ordering some baklava to go, my wife thought walnut sounded good but our server said he felt the cashew was the best so we ordered that. When he brought it out, he said that there were 2 pieces of the cashew but he also added one of walnut at no charge, what a treat. We will be coming back here, the restaurant overall was super fresh and clean, service was great and the food was fantastic.

I finally visited this Greek/Mediterranean/Persian restaurant on a Sunday for lunch to see why it's…read morerated so high. Inside is elegant and well decorated with glass tables and large rugs everywhere. Looking at the menu, it's a mix of various cuisines, but they do separate out the Persian dishes which are somewhat similar to Mediterranean ones just cost a little more and have different spices altogether. If you visit on weekend nights, you'll likely get to see belly dancing here. I settled on the chicken shawarma wrap, even though it costs a few dollars more than the chicken pita. It does come with one side for $21,and I chose French fries. It tasted pretty good, but you do have to get used to the pickles which gives the wrap an overall weird taste. These are not your typical pickles which go well with American fried chicken sandwiches. A Mexican tortilla is used as a wrap here instead of the bread they use for wraps in other Mediterranean restaurants in Houston. If I wanted a chicken burrito, i would have dined at a Mexican restaurant. The fries are previously frozen ones and lightly seasoned and really only decent when hot. Unfortunately this is one of those restaurants which takes care of newly seated guests and large parties but ignores the tables of 1. Not my fault I only have one in my party. They seated me in the corner and another gentleman came about 20 mins after me and I never saw a waitress go to his table after being served his entree either. The chef or kitchen hand is the one who brings out the entree from the kitchen here and my waitress never showed up until they try to take your plate away. However, I was still eating and also waiting for 10 mins on a refill. I can only eat so much before needing to take a sip of a liquid...but if you come with a party of one here..you will likely be waiting awhile. The lady taking my plate wasn't even my waitress either. Meanwhile, for the gentleman sitting outside alone, I observed his drink to be empty a while and they weren't refilling his either. He finally leaves and goes to a cash register to pay. What? A semi-fine dining elegant spot with mandolin playing in the background has a cash register where you have to go up to pay? What is this world coming to? With these prices, they should roll out red carpet from the front door to your table each time you walk in....and surely make the waitress do something for once and take your card and swipe it herself at the cash register which shouldn't be in the middle of the damn room. Sort of defeats the purpose of being elegant. Did I mention the glasses are plastic here too. If they want to be refined, try at least using glasses for drinks.

i've eaten here sooo many times and here's a comprehensive review:…read more to begin, everything tastes quite fresh and the choice of ingredients for the bowls including the chick peas, jalapeños, and sauce are all excellent. the rice here is good and the chicken tastes great. let's talk price. this place can be quite expensive, especially if you are ordering something like a shawarma. personally, i wouldn't just because the amount you get for the price is quite small. for the rice platters, id say it's also a touch expensive for the size, however, there is a deal occasionally on uber eats where you can buy one get one. uber eats of course charges enough in service fees and delivery to basically charge you the full amount anyway, but if you have uber one or some other deals you could get these on an excellent deal. now, i LOVE my halal food, and there really aren't many options for good halal-cart style halal food in college station and even considering that, i find myself missing abu omar when im away from cstat. but when im here, i usually pass by the cart just because the prices are too high to justify eating regularly. i'd definitely suggest running some deals so atleast on certain days its more accessible for students. with that out of the way, id recommend trying a rice platter from abu omar. the staff is nice, the packaging is nice, and the food comes out decently fast. it tastes great and *if* you enjoy it relatively soon after getting it (i.e. your delivery didn't take a long time to arrive, if ordered) you can typically enjoy it quite warm, which is awesome. personally, ill definitely keep eating and enjoying the food from here and keep wishing there were better recurring deals or prices across the menu. taste: 9.5/10 price: 6.5/10 overall: 8/10! a solid, classic halal food cart option in cstat. one of few choices for great halal food. give them a try, but know it's a bit expensive for a student's meal.

I love abu omar Italian shawrma zinger shawrma rap fries 100% definitely recommend this placeread more

Follow up after a few more visits…read more.. Service - outstanding. Friendly, helpful and knowledgeable staff that can recommend on your food selection and answer any questions. Atmosphere - clean and inviting environment. Food - never disappointing. Flavoursome, authentic, fresh and always delicious. You must try it! Highly recommended.

First time here Food excellent taste…read more Well done Price good Service excellent Recommend

We visited on Monday the 15th around 6:00 pm and had a great experience. The food was excellent…read moreespecially the hummus and Fattoush Salad(FWI is a big plate ). Everything tasted fresh and flavorful. Even my husband, who usually refuses to eat Mediterranean food and always says "take me to Whataburger," ended up loving it and finished everything on his plate. That alone says a lot. ( nothing wrong with Whata but .. ) The service was also very good. We didn't catch the gentleman's name, but we really appreciated his attentiveness and kindness. Overall, a great experience and we'll definitely be back.

This was a very nice surprise and honestly didn't seem like the type of restaurant you'd find in…read moreConroe. I came just after happy hour, and the dining room remained nearly full until I left. Maybe my favorite part of the whole experience was maybe the ambiance. The service was really great, as the waitress visited many times to ensure I had everything I needed. As far as the food, I tried the mixed grill with the toum and spicy tahini dipping sauces. This plate comes with a small salad and plenty of yellow rice. I also sampled the Road to Damascus cocktail which was initially a little bitter, but got better tasting as I drank more. The restroom was modern, clean and dimly lit, with Mediterranean style lighting. I'd definitely return to try more dishes and maybe make it to the happy hour.

Excellent Persian food, specially if you like eggplant, beef, lamb or some harder to find regional…read moreCaspian dishes. They also have the safe and standard fair like gyros, kebabs, and shawarmas. For next time, I might consider some of the rice substitutions they looked interesting. I had the eggplant and beef stew, Khoresh Bademjan, and Kashke Bademjan. Both were excellent and complementary despite te similarities. I liked the balanced of yogurt/whey against the eggplant mix with the starter. Someone else had Fesenjan (Persian Pomegranate Chicken), and it was delightful with its mix of sweetness, sourness, and balance that it tempted me away from considering ordering more eggplant dishes the next time I returned. The service was also exceptionally attentive, hospitable, and sociable. The ambiance was professional, fitting, and not overbearing. The deserts were also well portioned and easily shareable. My favorite was the Sholeh Zard, a Persian take on a rice pudding. I didn't see it on the menu, but they had some available. It was a nice mix of sweetness, florals, and spices without being too over the top in any quality. The price seemed fair. It didn't seem like a massive bargain or poor value. The portions were fairly large, but were not excessively massive. Everyone in my party had leftovers, but we are not big eaters and we ordered a starter and two deserts to share for the party of 4. A very slight negative was the rice was cooked a bit inconsistently giving it an uneven texture, but I was the only who noticed in our party. It may have been intentional, the slight crunchiness/hardness did create an interesting mouth feel. I know there are some dishes that do this intentionally. A minor flaw if that would not ruin a masterful meal and experience.

The was best Persian cuisine in Austin! Very authentic!…read more I'm Persian (my dad's side) and grew up eating traditional meals. Oh, the nostalgia... so fulfilling to my soul, especially since my dad is no longer earth-side.

The food was FANTASTIC! So flavorful and juicy! Nice ambience too! (Just a tiny bit cold, but cozy…read moretable and music playing in the background.) I will definitely go back!

Zara's has some amazing food that you can usually only find in Houston. I had their Chicken…read moreSouvlaki cooked on a wood fire grill and served with mixed vegetables, Basmati rice, Tzatziki sauce with warm pita bread. We had a group of 12 people, we had great service and everyone really enjoyed their dinner. I look forward to going back and trying more of their menu!

It is with a great pleasure to express my utmost experience at the SHANDEEZ GRILL RESTAURANT in…read moreAustin-TX. As always, we had a wonderful experience with the Quality of Food & Services... I have been going to this Restaurant for the past (9) Years. It is and has been a Family-Own Business, with a great consideration in maintaining a Clean & Friendly Dining-Environment, where you can feel comfortable to take your time to enjoy the Authentic Persian-Food with your Family & Friends... I also read quit many Positive-Reviews , and a few Negative-Reviews. Please keep in mind that, Persian-Food is way different to prepare, which takes time and time and effort to prepare... I highly recommend to provide a feedback, as I always do.... This is the only way, management would truly understand the Quality, Size, Amount, Smell, Cleanliness, Serving, anything and everything about their Products and Services. I hope you all enjoy the Persian-Food, as much as I do...

five of us were there for an hour crowded into a four person table, ordered 2 pots of hot tea, 3…read morecold drinks, and an appetizer. we received only the initial free naan with feta, radish, and mint; hot tea; and one bottled drink. we never even got ice water. the hostess told us about halfway through they were out of clean glassware and having trouble getting everything washed, but that was the only explanation we got until we decided to leave, when she said they were understaffed and the kitchen was focusing on online orders rather than the restaurant. the location was pretty and everything was clean and well-kept, but it was too warm, there was a strong glare from the unshaded windows, and it was very loud. it seemed mostly to be set up for family groups.

Some of the best Persian food in town! Avesta has some of the most rich and juicy high quality food…read morethat hits the spot. From generous portions to amazing naan bread I love love coming here. Their cherry rice is just top tier here and it goes so well. I had never had cherry rice before coming here and I'm hooked!. From the pictures you can see its quite a generous portions of rice so you'll be pretty full by the end of it. Kabobs beef/chicken, always extremely fresh, juicy, and rich in flavor. Hummus with the complimentary naan goes so well together I've came back year after years and am happy to report that their quality has remained the same. I always recommend Avesta when it comes to Persian food!

Avesta Persian Restaurant delivers a well-rounded dining experience with a warm, inviting ambiance…read moreand genuinely friendly service that makes you feel comfortable from the moment you walk in. It's the kind of spot that works just as well for a casual dinner as it does for a relaxed night out with friends or family. We started off with the lentil soup, which was comforting and flavorful--light yet satisfying, with a nice balance of spices. The hummus was smooth, creamy, and elevated even more by the complimentary fresh bread, which came out warm and perfectly baked--easily one of the highlights of the meal. For mains, the Koobideh Combination stole the show. The kababs were juicy, well-seasoned, and cooked perfectly, with that classic smoky flavor that makes Persian kabobs so good. Definitely the standout dish and a must-order. The Salmon & Chicken combo was equally impressive--both proteins were tender, nicely grilled, and paired beautifully with the saffron rice and grilled vegetables, giving you a great mix of flavors and textures. We also tried the Soujuk & Cheese Lahmajun, which added a nice twist to the meal. It had a crispy base with rich, savory toppings, and the cheese brought everything together really well--great for sharing. Avesta is a solid go-to for Persian cuisine in Houston. Between the quality of the kababs, fresh bread, and overall flavor, everything hit the mark. Pair that with the great atmosphere and welcoming staff, and it's definitely a place worth coming back to