Great lamb gyro! Like others have said, the service is amazing. Only ordered my food to go, but was greeted with a handshake, smile, and cup of coffee right from the pot! read more

I ordered and waited for a takeout order at Zeina's, and it was a great experience. I was bringing lunch back for a group and the portions were super generous. The grape leaves in particular were really excellent, and the chicken shawerma was fantastic as well. I also thought the salads were fresh and delicious. One thing, is that I understand that this space is not super accessible for people with mobility issues. My mom has brought my grandmother here and it was challenging for her so they haven't gone back (there are stairs in, and stairs up for the buffet. Highly recommend the food though and the staff were all extremely nice to me and my baby niece who was with me. Love this small business and I would be back frequently if I lived nearby! read more

Outstanding Mediterranean food! We stopped by for lunch while driving on vacation. What a find ! This is a medium sized cafe with terrific Lebanese food. We had an appetizer platter with hummus and baba ganoush and dolmas and tabouleh that was excellent. Chicken shawarma. And sides of falafel and fried cauliflower. The cauliflower was fantastic. Only the pita bread was average. Everything else was great. read more

Zeina's Cafe - Appetizer sampler - Lebanese Near Me - Utica, New York

Always a great experience. The food is great and plentiful and the staff warm and friendly. When traveling the NY State Thruway past Utica we make it a point to stop. read more

Great food and great owners. Their gyros are exceptional and can feed two people. Have to end the meal with George's coffee!

Like everyone, we stumbled upon this restaurant a few months ago after a long drive since they open late at nights. I must've gotten lucky that day because I never knew this gem existed so faith led me here. All I can say is the food had a homemade, fresh feeling and the rice...oof...the BEST! My friend and I came back for more because that was one of the best Middle Eastern style rice I've ever had, and I'm from the city. Order anything with the rice because the meats are perfectly cooked and seasoned so you won't be disappointed. And it comes with a salad and pita bread so you will be FULL. Aside from the delicious food, I want to share my experience with this restaurant as it holds near and dear in my heart. I recommend to anyone traveling across NYS to make a pit-stop here. My friend and we're driving back to our hotel from a long journey. We stumbled upon this place as it was one of the few that opened late when we made a pit stop. The owner and family, I swear, they were one of the sweetest folks I've ever encountered during my trip. Maybe I'm from the city that I'm not use to such warmth from a small town but their hospitality and kindness really reminded me of why I need to get out of the house at times because there are good people to meet out there. Anyways, I'm just grateful to have had a pleasant chat with the family. Learned a lot about these kind folks and their history. The most I can do to pay it forward is to write a post, which they deserved anyways because the food was fantastic- enough to make us drive back the next day to get more! read more

Loved the food the owners son and wife very nice and felt like home. New to Utica and would recommend this place as a first place to go! Good conversations great time! read more

Zeina's Cafe - Lebanese Near Me - Utica, New York

What an awesome find! The parking is a bit confusing as there isn't an actual lot, but there is street parking and a bit of parking in the space behind the restaurant. There is a counter to eat at in the front and towards the back there are tables and chairs. The service was friendly and helpful, and the gentleman who helped us was very nice. The menu is straightforward really, but read it all to understand the pricing and set up! We ordered a gyro sandwich for the big kid, and we asked for a veggie kabob platter and a chicken kabob platter to split for the wife and I. The server was kind enough to bring it to us already split, which is a small thing that matters a lot! We started with the appetizer mix n match option, and we ordered tzatziki, classic hummus, baba ganoush and tabuloeh. All were amazing (we only needed more of the awesome pita bread!) and I adored the baba gaboush particularly with its great smoky flavor. The tabuloeh was fresh and the balance of lemon and abundance of parsley fantastic. We fully plan to go back and order them by them by the quart from the take out/catering menu! The starter salad was fresh, and the dressing on the side so easy to add what you'd like. The dressing was much more oily than light, so a little bit went a long way and I added some of the lemon slice from the tabuloeh to it to give it a bit more acid. It was still a great start. The restrooms were clean but very small, so just a heads up. The entire place was a comforting, local feel and will be on our "regular" spots for sure! read more

Zeina's Cafe - Lebanese Near Me - Utica, New York

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Wonderful food and even nicer people. Spent a weekend in the Utica area and decided to stop here for lunch. We felt like we were having lunch with family. Everyone was so kind and friendly. Ended up ordering the lamb gyro and the salad with chicken shawarma. Both dishes were delicious and very fresh. The owner, Layla, offered us coffee that was rich and tasty. It is very difficult to replicate the kind of service you find here. We would not hesitate to come back again if we were in the area. read more

All I can say is if you want the best Lebanese food and the nicest genuine people that care about the quality of their food and their customers you have to try their restaurant. I was there tonight and felt welcomed and nice to see a local own family own restaurant take the time to come to your table and welcome you and ask how your meal was. They are great people and have a great work ethic our local restaurants could learn a lot about customer service and the quality of the food they serve. Thank you Zeina and wish you continued success. Thank you both Layla and Albert you're the best. read more

Authentic, tasty, Middle East food with generous portions. It's fresh, it's tasty and it comes from MOM. What a great asset to Utica. The dining room is open but we had a picnic down by West Side brewing so I could get my Utica club! Highly recommended. read more

I came to Utica for the vaccine, I stayed for the delicious Lebanese food! Not being familiar with the area, I looked on Yelp and saw that this place had pretty stellar reviews. I ordered the falafel and the mixed grill and my girlfriend got the chicken gyro. The falafel was tasty, crispy but not dry. The pickled vegetable was an interesting touch. The mixed grill and the gyro were solid but the service was what set this place apart. Our waitress was friendly and at the end of our meal the owner came out and offered us a Turkish coffee and baklava. Nice lunch experience, like the former Governor of California, I'll be back! read more

Delicious food, generous portions and warm hospitality. We are so glad we stopped in.

Owners super nice, very social and funny. Food was great, super nice proportions and probably some of the best falafel i've had. The restaurant had many seatings for everybody there and it was a really nice spot. The owners even came over and offered us coffee and it was a very nice experience. read more

Best food ever they always delicious no matter what you order and the owners are friendly and so welcoming

We stopped at this Lebanese restaurant in Utica on our way back from Old Forge. Excellent food and very reasonable. I had the Kebbe and my husband had the gyro both were delicious. The owners and server were very friendly and offered us Turkish coffee. read more

Been going here for years. The family is always so kind and they take care of the customers. The gyros are amazing in taste and size and you will want more! You won't be disappointed read more

Amazing food and wonderful staff. Very friendly and always happy with the meal. The location is convenient and lots of parking

Wow! So much fun and a fantastic meal! The personal touch made the food even better. From the owner visiting our table to the great conversation with our bus boy and the attentive waiter- I've had few experiences as pleasant then this. In a COVID world, this restaurant made us feel so welcome. The food- so delicious and carefully made. The appetizer platter with humus, grape leaves, yogurt dip, and tabouleh with house made pita was spectacular. Our lunch specials of chicken with rice and salad- outstanding! The dressing for the salad was on point - making something so simple, extraordinary. The Cold Mint tea was so completely to the favors of the entrees. The owner brought a pot of coffee (on the house) along with our dessert. The coffee is extremely strong but very good if you like that. The baklava was dense but so flavorful. The crushed pistachios on top were so delicious and a high end touch. That's the thing - this is not a high end place but food made with love so it was such a surprise. I can't wait to return. By read more

Authentic food with excellent service and they are very friendly and personable. Great place to eat in or for take out.

I travel throughout the state and Connecticut and western mass weekly. I stumbled upon this place and saw good reviews on Yelp. Ate here a few months ago and it was excellent. You feel like family here. Awesome baba ghanouj. Gyros exceptional. Wonderful family. Wonderful! read more

Zeina's Cafe - Mixed gyro - Lebanese Near Me - Utica, New York

Love the food great people they treat you like family! Would recommend it to anyone!!!

Outstanding! The food was excellent, the owners and family are lovely and so friendly. It's not the biggest place, but they cook up some big flavors with delicious hummus, some of the best falafel I've ever had, and the lamb skewers were perfectly cooked and fantastic. Turkish coffee came around several times during our meal, which gave us a chance to chat with the owner and enjoy some delicious coffee. All in all, I highly recommend Zeina's! We will definitely stop in again when we're are in Utica. Thank you! read more

Best Mediterranean food I've had in the U.S., never mind Utica. Support this family owned restaurant. You will not be disappointed.

Amazing food prepared by a hard-working and beautiful family. Warm hospitality and smiles. Got a lamb gyro w/ fresh ingredients and a side of fries. Portions were generous! Top lunch spot for me. read more

Amazing food, great service and warm hospitality. Creamy humus. Eggplant fries is a treat. read more

Once again Zeina's nailed it! This is our favorite stop on our way to Boston. The Hummus and Hasweh was an awesome find and the dolmas continue to be the best I've eaten. read more

Food is amazing! Best hummus I've ever had! Staff is so nice and so helpful! Absolutely recommend!

Amazing experience. Unpretentious appearance, excellent food, good service, and warm, welcoming hosts--the owners. Highest recommendation

Outstanding customer service and extremely friendly management team, can't wait to go back.

My wife and I had dinner at Zeina's. Upon entering, it looks like a takeout shop. There is seating in the back. It is not fancy restaurant but the food is fantastic and the owners are extremely friendly. We were greeted as if we were long time friends and customers. My wife had the Mezza Platter. The Baba Ghanouj is fantastic. It has a great smokey taste from roasting the eggplant. The Falafel were light and tasty. I had the Fried Kibbeh Plate. The Kibbeh was great. To drink, I had the Mint Tea. It was very refreshing. My wife and I will definitely return her when we are in Utica again. read more

Friendly, welcoming service and really top notch Shawarma! They really know how to make their hummus; smooth and full of favor. I'd come back every week if I lived locally! read more

When you're here you're family, this is actually true at Zeina's. This place is excellent! The inauspicious exterior opens to a simple take out area in the front and a small dinning space in the back. What makes Zeina's memorable is not just the great food but the family element. It's not uncommon to see Albert (one of the owners) offering free coffee or baklava around the dinning room. Layla, his wife, is usually running the kitchen space and always welcomes guests with a smile. More than once she has given me samples of off-menu items just to be nice. You never feel rushed and you always feel welcomed, this business really understands customer service. I have never had a bad meal here and will continue to eat at Zeina's. I highly recommend the grape leaves and the fried kibbeh. read more

Hand down some of the best Middle Eastern/Lebanese food I've had. Traveled the world and been to that part fo the world many times and haven't found anything as good as this in the states! Family owned and operated and friendlier people! Give them your business, you won't regret it and will definitely go back for more! read more

Delicious food, warm friendly atmosphere, owners greeted me and made sure I had whatever I needed.

My family stopped here for lunch on a long road trip and so glad we did! Only about ten minutes from the highway and we were greeted warmly by Layla Zeina leading her family and staff in the kitchen. Everything was fresh, delicious, and healthy. read more

Stopped by for takeout during Covid. Small family-run place, had a bustling business when we walked in. We were headed to visit nearby Hamilton college. Had: lamb gyro, chicken shawarma gyro and shish tawook along with a side of fries. Two adults split the lam gyro, which was sufficient. Excellent. Would go again if we're in the area. read more

Had to be in Utica today so came here based on Yelp reviews. Fantastic meal. If you're passing through the area and need a great Lebanese meal in a homey environment, don't hesitate to stop here--you won't be disappointed. And get an extra pack of pitas to go, too! read more

So I am not a huge fan of this cuisine, however my wife is a lover of Mediterranean style food. She said that her dish was outstanding. What stuck out about this spot was that it was one of the most friendly places that we have been in a long time. Family owned and operated, it was wonderful. The staff was both genuine and pleasant to talk to. I can't think when we will be back to Utica NY, but if we do make it back, I am we will be back to this spot! read more

Love the space and the service. Love seating outside under the grape vine. Sometimes work there after breakfast