Falafel King is a hidden gem in Gainesville. The owner, staff and service are all very friendly and…read morewonderful to interact with. The food portion size to cost ratio is well balanced. We got the lamp chop platter and the lamb shank platter. Both were very yummy and came with big hunks of meat on a bed of rice with sides of tabbouleh and hummus to go with fresh warm pita bread. We also tried the mint lemonade which was incredibly refreshing but not overly sweet. We liked shopping around the grocery area while we waited for our food. There were so many fun treats and cool things to browse. Highly recommended with you enjoy halal Mediterranean food!

This was my first time trying this location as I'm not a local to Gainesville. Initial impression…read morewhen I walked into the restaurant was it smelled absolutely amazing! This location only has a few tables and also a small grocery. I ordered from the counter so I'm not sure if they offer table service or not. The food came out quickly and I had it to go. Picture doesn't do it justice as it got shifted during transport but it was very flavorful! I will definitely return if in the area.

Stepped in here with my friend for a good cup of tea and was immediately impressed. The atmosphere…read moreis phenomenal and the decor is delightful. When you walk in the owner is often the one to great you, the cash register to the left of the entrance, and a lovely assortment of trinkets to the right. The food itself was nice and light. I enjoyed the Knafeh. We also got an assortment of drinks. My personal favorite was the Salep (like a more savory creamier hot chocolate, hold the chocolate). The masala chai was a decent price for a pot and had a delightful flavor, I've since taken multiple people and a variety of different pallettes enjoy the flavor. This is a great date spot, but also low key enough to just enjoy if you want a place to relax, there's a small bookshelf if you wanted to un plug and read while you enjoy your tea. Ps. The owner is a professional guitarist, my friend who is also a professional musician has a wonderful time chatting with him about their shared passions.

My fiancé chose this place for a random date and I was really glad he did. From the photos from…read moreothers on Yelp it looked like a place to unwind and relax so I couldn't wait. The photos didn't lie. This place is nicely tucked away from the Atlantic and San Pablo craziness. Walking in I felt transported to another country. As cliche as that sounds I don't have any other way to describe it. I love the items imported straight from Turkey for sale (the staff are true salespeople as they really wanted me to purchase something. They were beautiful but I didn't see anything that I HAD to have). In the back. the wisteria hanging from the ceiling and the middle eastern sofa for lounging and maybe for some snacks and hookah made it seem so cozy. I loved all the decor. The first thing we got was the Turkish Coffee that was heated in hot sand. The guy serving us, I wasn't sure if he was the owner or not was really great. He warned us not to ingest the coffee grind/powder/sludge on the bottom but that we'd really enjoy the taste. That was perhaps the best tasting coffee I've ever had not to mention it was nuclear hot. We got the Charcuterie for 2 which had lebna or lebneh, cheddar, gyro meat which I thought was shawarma but it wasn't, grape leaves, hummus, fruits and crackers with a side of honey and pita bread slices. I don't remember having lebna before but I loved it. There were some extras we got like the mozzarella balls, the ful medames, olives, and I believe some kind of date cakes. Trust me. We were good after eating all of this. My fiance also had Lentil soup which he said was nice and simple. Definitely had a wonderful experience.

Excellent place. They were very quick with getting the hooka and its a nice place to chill or…read moredepending what time your there rock out. Owner was awesome good dude. Thank you for the good night.

Such a vibe! Def recommend. I plan to make this a regular spot when I need to decompress from my 3…read morejobs

I really loved how the food here was sharing size. We were…read moreable to try many food items and we were a group of 5 people. Service was slow here, we only saw one server. The owner stopped by to say hi. We had great wine also. Other than that the ambience transports me back in time.

Had a quick lunch there during my visit to Jacksonville. The restaurant serves Lebanese food. For…read morelunch, besides the regular menu, they also offered a small buffet, but I decided to try their regular menu. Ordered the Kafta Istanbuly -- a platter of two skwers of lamb kafta, grilled eggplant, lightly sauteed veggie (carrots, broccoli, zucchini), raw spinach and yellow rice. Descent serving size. Light, but very delightful seasoning. The lamb and veggie were just like what I make at home! The rice was cooked with peas and carrots and was good. It weighed about 6oz. Overall the dish was hearty and healthy. My server also gave me some complimentary fresh pita and zataar & olive oil (delicious). At only $27.5 (as of Feb 2026), this was a perfect deal! As there are not many Middle Eastern restaurants in Jacksonville, I am glad to find it and I would go there again the next time I visit this city!

I visited with a friend and wow this place is a hidden gem. Apparently they have been around for 47…read moreyears! I had the lamb/beef gyro which was delicious! The pita was soft and pillowy and fresh, so authentic and the lamb and beef were seasoned well. The French fries were hot and fresh! I got my gyro without onions and tomatoes. They have a plethora of bak lavas! I tried the corn flake one and the chocolate almond one to go and they were both delicious!! The service was fast and efficient and ambiance was clean and casual. I will definitely visit again. Try them out if you haven't!

Had their Gyros hats off to them excellent Their…read moreservice is fast friendly they have there for over 40 years

I really wanted to love Beirut and will give it another chance, but my first impression wasn't…read moregreat. I came in as a solo diner and was seated quickly, although my table was kind of nestled underneath the high outdoor bar. That meant hearing some of the bartender's phone conversations. I ordered a glass of Lebanese rose wine and liked it! But my meal wasn't impressive. The vegetarian grape leaves (one of my favorite dishes, generally) were OK, although several were split up on my plate (but hey, it happens). I thought the flavor was underwhelming; there was a lot of acidity but nothing else. I also ordered a side of "extra crispy seasoned potato fries" which just turned out to be generic crinkle fries with salt. Definitely wouldn't order those again. I thought maybe there would be some sort of twist on them? The big frustration was service. The restaurant was far from full when I went -- I counted maybe a dozen seated tables. After I finished eating, I spent more than 30 minutes trying to get my waiter's attention to get my check even as I sat with my plates pushed away, glasses empty, and credit card out. He walked by multiple times to wait on and check with other tables, and I saw at least five other employees working in the front of house and walking by me. Even when I got his attention for the check, it took quite a few minutes to get it, despite him walking out to other tables. (Although I will note he seemed busier than the other employees!) My check before tip came to $24, which felt on the pricey side for what I got. I hope I'm wrong, but I got the vibe that I wasn't exactly their favorite type of guest -- a solo diner who wasn't smoking hookah. (I noticed another solo non-smoker go similarly unnoticed by staff.) Maybe they heavily favor regulars, too. But they weren't at capacity, and I'd have gotten out quicker had I been able to pay. Maybe it was just an off night. But it's just not a great feeling to be ignored.

My wife and I tried their lunch buffet for the first time and overall, it was a good experience. At…read more$15.99 including a drink, it's a solid deal. The food was tasty, but we were disappointed with the limited meat and fish options. Roasted chicken was the only choice available. I like protein so I ended up just loading up on chicken. We were hoping for a bit more variety in that protein area.

Not worth your time and the owner is not nice. It's at a gas station and not much parking . No…read morebathroom. Not coming back

Great service and delicious food, very nice I love it the whole thing and the price is the cheaper…read more.