Lebanon Cafe

[Suzy Wong]

This has evolved into my favorite M.E. restaurant. The food, atmosphere, service, the food AHAH, it is consistent, and very good. My 10 yr old son can be quirky about what he likes, and he enjoys the food also.

The things I order most frequently are lebna, vegeterian lentil soup, and grilled shrimp/salad, although there are many more great selections.

What I also like about the salads, the dressing
is very light, it's not heavy and weighted down, which allows for the tastes to come through better.

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We used to walk there from the house to dine on med stuff until we found Phoenicia. We always order the dinner for two thing there. It has always been very good.

[willifred]

Suzy....if you haven't tried the Bethanjan Dip, you are missing out!!!!! Also, I love their policy (or nonpolicy) on wine. Lets face it, that food just begs for wine...One of my favorite things is to take someone there for the first, not expecting much, and blow their mind.

[café au lait]

We used to walk there from the house to dine on med stuff until we found Phoenicia. We always order the dinner for two thing there. It has always been very good.

The atmosphere at Phoenicia just creeps me out. I always feel like there might be a Middle Eastern mob hit at any moment. And there's hardly any customers when I go. Scary. I'm so uncomfortable there that I only get take out now.

Lebanon's is not my favorite either. Mona's is my number one go-to with Byblos my second.

[JudiB]

Dang it I lost my note when I tried to spell check it!!!!!!!!!!!! DANG DANG DANG. :mad::mad::mad:

Suzy where is the Lebanon Cafe?

[Suzy Wong]

cafe au lait,
I wasn;'t implying it had to be everyone's favorite, it is just mine. That's why I started a topic on it. Made sense at the time:confused:



Judi B,
It's on the corner of Carrollton and Jeanette....

http://www.lebanonscafe.com/

Willifred,
I have had the bathanjan I believe, unless I am confusing it with another, I will try it, I do eat seafood but not other meat, and I feel a place like this (kind of food) has a lot to offer.

haven't been to Phonecia...

[Dilfan]

The atmosphere at Phoenicia just creeps me out. I always feel like there might be a Middle Eastern mob hit at any moment. And there's hardly any customers when I go. Scary. I'm so uncomfortable there that I only get take out now.

I really like Phoenicia and think they have one of the best conventional hummus in the city. I don't care for the salad dressing, and the menu is somewhat limited, but I usually get the gyro plate with double hummus, and it suits me fine.
I know what you mean about there never being busy, but I understand that they do a booming lunch business. One thing that I used to find "funny" is that before they expanded, if you wanted a drink, you went to the bar and made it yourself! I'm not sure if they still do it that way, but there was no way you could complain about the quality of the drink.... :)

[Dark and Stormy]

I have got to agree re Lebanons, they have been consistently good for years. Part of it must be the manager/owner seems to always be there. I always substitute bathengen for hummus on the dinners. And I love the mint tea.

[justagirl]

Judi, it's close to where we went for Thai that night before your kids played at Neutral Ground.

I haven't been in years and will have to try it again soon. I've heard the hummus at Phonecia is awesome. What's so different about it that makes it so good? Just curious.

[JudiB]

Thanks Suzy... I thought I had the right place! JAG, expat and ambrosia and I went to dinner at the Thai place next door, well - next door, across the side street, lol. I walked outside to sm... well I walked outside, lol, and noticed the place was hoppin'.

I'm a new convert to gyro, hummus, etc... I can't believe I'd never had it before Katrina. I discovered it in Baton Rouge, a little place off Perkins Road, next to WLAE, where WWL was broadcasting from. I love it now.

cafe', when we came back after the storm, and hardly anything was open yet, Phoenecia's was and we tried it for the first time. Every other place we'd been to had this underlying (lingering) smell. Not this place, it was soooo clean it sparkled. It's funny how we all associate different things in our minds.

[café au lait]

Judi, you're right about the cleanliness of Phoenicia - it is spotless and even more so now as they have done some remodeling in the last year or so. One of the things I didn't like about Lebanon was that it was grungy, kinda old and sticky grunge. Just not my cup of tea. And Lebanon doesn't serve schwarma which is what I get rather than gyros or kebabs. But ya know, different strokes for different folks and all that. Middle Eastern food varies from place to place just like Chinese and Japanese and Mexican food does.

[dragongrrl]

Phoenicia's food RAWKS. I've seen it busy lots and I love eating there most of the time. I don't care for the belly dancing on the weekends with folks putting the money in the girl's waistband. I've never liked people who come to your table and want a tip for something you never requested. I feel the same about Mexican guitar players.

Maybe if I had money, I'd be more of a sport, but I'm broke and cheap.

[JudiB]

cafe', have you tried Acropolis? That's very close to my house, suep recommended it a while ago, and I really like it. They don't have the schwarma either, and that's my favorite.... but they have some other things that are wonderful. I love their lentil soup, very lemony.

dragongrrl, Phonecia's has belly dancers now? lol I didn't even know that! Here's a pic of my husband at Byblo's. http://picasaweb.google.com/Judib52/Byblos/photo#5224853394422393586

[Suzy Wong]

Actually,
Lebanon does indeed have Chicken Shawarma,
Beef Shawarma
and
Chicken Shawarma Salad




Judi, you're right about the cleanliness of Phoenicia - it is spotless and even more so now as they have done some remodeling in the last year or so. One of the things I didn't like about Lebanon was that it was grungy, kinda old and sticky grunge. Just not my cup of tea. And Lebanon doesn't serve schwarma which is what I get rather than gyros or kebabs. But ya know, different strokes for different folks and all that. Middle Eastern food varies from place to place just like Chinese and Japanese and Mexican food does.

[dragongrrl]

cafe', have you tried Acropolis? That's very close to my house, suep recommended it a while ago, and I really like it. They don't have the schwarma either, and that's my favorite.... but they have some other things that are wonderful. I love their lentil soup, very lemony.

dragongrrl, Phonecia's has belly dancers now? lol I didn't even know that! Here's a pic of my husband at Byblo's. http://picasaweb.google.com/Judib52/Byblos/photo#5224853394422393586

They said it was only on the weekends. I didn't know Byblos had them. Does Lebanon Cafe? LOL. He looks like he's having fun. I guess I'm a party poop. ;)

[Dilfan]

I've heard the hummus at Phonecia is awesome. What's so different about it that makes it so good? Just curious.

JAG,
I can't put my finger on it, but it is very creamy and not "gritty", and the flavor is evident but not overpowering.

[dragongrrl]

The Baba Ganoush is fan-freaking-tastic too. Never had better and I don't always like it. I love the hot sauce that they put in the center too.

[JudiB]

Difan, I told JAG the same thing... it's as smooooooth as silk, and very very tasty. I can't reproduce it.

dragongrrl, the babajanush at Acropolis... oh WOW ... I have made a credible impersonation of it. lol YUM.

Ok, now I'm hungry. Stop talking about wonderful food, everyone!!

hahahaha... I crack myself UP

[dragongrrl]

Okay, Judi, I will go to the Acropolis just to try it. Only I can't yet. I'm on a low carb diet. FOOOOOOO.

But I take vacays every now and then and by heaven the next one will see me there. :D

[Low-N-Slow]

M.E. food isn't all that low-carb unfriendly. But, IIRC, Acropolis doesn't have whole wheat pita, like Mona's and Byblos do. At least they didn't used to.

[dragongrrl]

Wow! Mona's and Byblos do? I may have to go soon. Thanks Low and Slow. You made my day.

Suzy, do you know if Lebanon does? I'll try them too.

[globe9]

Lebanon's does have chicken schwarma. I know this because I've gotten it there before. Where is Phoenicia? Is that the place in the same strip mall as Chili's and Houston's on Veterans?

My favorite Med. Eastern places are:

1. Acropolis
2. Mona's
3. Lebanon's

Never been to Byblos. Tried to go to the one on Met. Road one evening, but there was a 20 min. wait and we were starving so just went somewhere else. Also took a look at their menu and didn't see gyros on there, which is what I was craving and the whole reason for choosing a Med. Eastern restaurant that day.

[café au lait]

Lebanon's does have chicken schwarma.

Well, that just goes to show you it's been quite a while since I've been there!

[Dilfan]

Where is Phoenicia? Is that the place in the same strip mall as Chili's and Houston's on Veterans?

Yes, it's in the back of the lot across from the Marble Slab and just in front of Sake Cafe

Never been to Byblos. Tried to go to the one on Met. Road one evening, but there was a 20 min. wait and we were starving so just went somewhere else.


You can also try Byblos Market on Vets. I like their Gyro plates, but they serve schwarma there as well.

[Isabella Maja]

Yes, Lebanon's has wheat pita.

Lebanon's is my favorite.

The bathenjan is fantastic & well as the musaha (sp?).

I love the fattoush salad & add feta.
The lentil soup is very good as well as the appetizer special which is a combo of appetizers. I sub the tabouleh with bathenjan.

The lamb chops are also very good as well as the tuna steak.

The eggplant sandwich is pretty tasty too. I like to add a bit of bathenjan to it for a kick. Or some lula kabob.

The lula kabob is one of my favorites too!

We've had lots of group dinners here over the years, I think I've tried everything on the menu.

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The atmosphere at Phoenicia just creeps me out. I always feel like there might be a Middle Eastern mob hit at any moment. And there's hardly any customers when I go. Scary. I'm so uncomfortable there that I only get take out now.

Lebanon's is not my favorite either. Mona's is my number one go-to with Byblos my second.

I believe that we have always been the only table or one of three or four tables when dining at Phoenicia. The service has always been very friendly for us. My Sweetie was turned off by Lebanon after the storm. The place was loaded with flies buzzing around in swarms. There were post storm reasons for this, but it was kinda gross.

[Suzy Wong]

dragongrrl,
I don't think they do, but I really have no idea:confused:.

png, your husband/wife needs to be fair;)
I was in N.O. days only at first 4 weeks after the hurricane, and there were flies and weird bugs EVERYWHERE I went even uptown that mostly didn;'t flood like the rest of the city. Even coffee places I frequented, that had very little food.

I like that you can see in the kitchen at Lebanon, and anyplace you can see the kitchen for that matter.....

[PNG]

I know, but the they left the doors open and the memory of all of those flies buzzing around the food is a little gross. I have eaten many unmentionable things while sitting out in the middle of nowhere in the jungle, but in town I like to have a no fly rule! We would walk over from Freret and the number of flies in the neighborhood was pretty tough. We used many cans of Bengal to keep them away from the house.