- Restaurants |
- Nightlife |
- Shopping |
- Movies |
- All
Aladdin Mediterranean Cuisine
Category: Restaurants Mediterranean Mediterranean [Edit]
912 Westheimer RdHouston, TX 77006
Neighborhoods: Fourth Ward, Montrose
(713) 942-2321
- Hours:
Mon-Thu, Sun 10:30 am - 10 pm
Fri-Sat 10:30 am - 11 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- No
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
Michael M. said: "I ate at Suzie's after they moved to their new location. It's much smaller. They took over the fast food spot adjacent to a Chevron station. The food is food, but nothing fancy. They do have a drive-thru window now." read more »
123 reviews for Aladdin Mediterranean Cuisine
Review Highlights
-
"Pitta is baked fresh, and the spicy hummus is delicious." In 13 reviews -
"And the pita bread is SO delicious." In 21 reviews -
"I may go back tomorrow to try the lamb shank." In 10 reviews
Loading...
123 reviews in English
-
Review from Alexandra H.
Houston, TX
First off... I think these one star reviews for Aladdin are bs. Who's eating Mediterranean at 9:45 in the morning!?! Whatever, who am I to judge. I'll instead tell you why you should go to Aladdin!
1. Exceptionally friendly staff. A rarity these days.
2. Great & Authentic Mediterranean food. Trust me, I've had my share.
3. Pita bread to die for. Yes those soft little pillows get their own category.
4. Great Prices for an insane amount of food.
5. Did I mention the pita bread?
Stop reading, just go. -
Review from Brittany K.
Houston, TX
Mmmm, might be my new favorite greek place in HTX!
The pita bread is - light and fluffy and not at all like the hard, dense bread you expect to find in most med restaurants.
The hummus (I strangely preferred plain over the spicy) was delicious!
The sides we tried were all good (there was a salad, an eggplant something (WOW) and a couple of other things that I can't recall. The meat (we tried chicken & gyro) was delicious! The sauces were pretty good (tzatziki = yes, plain greek yogarty-sauce = no) and who doesn't love BYOB ?! (OK, I'll admit - sometimes I don't. But no corking fee and a very relaxed environment make up for it.)
Well...sort of relaxed -- this place is set up on a line. You pick your meat and your sides and well, maybe it's my tiny brain, but it's a little confusing. The sides weren't labeled and so there was a lot of "What's this?" "OK, what's this?". A little more transparency for the serving line set up and I would have rated 5 stars. Delicious! -
Review from Feng E.
This place is pretty good for Mediterranean style food. I know I am no expert when to it comes this kind of food, but I do know good from bad.
It's like a little cafe and they lay out all the food there for you to choose. With veggie plate you can choose 4 veggies for 9.99 or sth. Other yelpers kept talking about the spicy hummus so I tried it. Honestly it wasn't my favorite. I think I stay cool with just regular hummus. The Baba Ghannouj is a little too sour for my taste. The chicken Shawarma is not very good. So I would say stay with the bread and veggies. However, I don't eat beef and lamb in this kind of place so if you like those you may want try. No harm to try out things is what I alway think. -
Review from Apokealypse N.
Houston, TX
Still going here once or twice a month because I know what to expect - the quality is always great. Ali knows how to run an eatery.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
-
10/14/2011
Strongly recommend. This among my favorite places to eat. The food is always fresh, and they have… Read more »
-
10/14/2011
-
Review from Nhu Lan P.
Houston, TX
Really good. My friend took me here. I played it safe and got a pot roast dish, but I tried his gyro...AMAZING! I definitely need to go back to have a gyro to myself! The hummus and pitas are super fresh. They are constantly baking them all day long. A lot of food for a very reasonable price, especially for how great everything tastes!
-
Review from Emily C.
Houston, TX
Best of the best! Lamb shanks, chicken shwarma, gyro, and veggies are super.
-
Review from Gene L.
Wow...I feel so ashamed I've never experienced this place until now! As David Y. mentioned, it's hard to see how Niko Niko's has so much business with this place just across the street. Not that I don't like Niko Niko's, but just for the price of a couple bucks more I can go do Aladdin for a ridiculously amazing meal. This is some of the best Mediterranean food I've had!
It's cafeteria style, and you go through the line and just pick out what you want. Each meal comes with one piece of fresh baked pita. I had the spicy hummus, lamb shank, cashew rice, and pesto-stuffed eggplant. Wow, wow, wow!! Everything was so good...I felt like licking my plate clean! The spicy hummus was some of the best I've eaten in a while, and it had just the right amount of kick. The lamb was so tender and fell right off the bone, and the flavor was heavenly when paired with the rice....and the pesto eggplant was so good too. I'm getting hungry again just writing this review.
There's a very good chance I'm going to become a regular here! -
Review from Jeff S.
Houston, TX
Another Houston endeavor helmed by people too stupid to figure out why you need an out-going message, when you're not open.
And these dopes take their idiocy many steps further
...by also not having their hours on their web site, and
...by also not having their hours on the door
...so when you get there at 9:45am (after all that fruitless research on a smart phone), and stroll in because the door is unlocked, you are greeted by a helpless imbecile who says, "We're not open yet"
Now for the finale: I ask the question "Then why didn't you pick up the phone when it rang?" and stooge number one says "Because we aren't open yet."
And how would I know that unless I drove to your restaurant and came in your god-damned door, you stupid, f**king morons?
Get with the program, bumpkins. -
Review from David Y.
I have a tendency to look past places close by, because I always assume I'll wander in eventually. That tendency really let me down with this one, because now that I've had some of what Aladdin has to offer, I realize I've been really missing out.
They've got sides as far as the eye can see and even offer tubs of take home garlic dip for those who, like me, could eat just about anything with a smear of it. The sides and rice are all well prepared and very bright-tasting. A particular standout to me was the chickpea pico de gallo-like dish. My cardiologist would be shocked to hear me say this, but who knew healthy could taste so good?
The meats are done well too, but I think the real stars are the veggies and sides. The gyro and tzatziki sauce can't compare to Madison's best, but both are more than competent and reasonably priced. I felt the same about the chicken schwarma I tried, but the the kafah (ground sirloin kabob) was delicious. Prices are fair to good, with a generous portion of meat and multiple sides running at about $11.
The combination of flavors you can create at Aladdin is really only limited by your imagination. Don't overlook this place, because once you find it, you'll kick yourself for foolishly missing out for so long.
The bottom line: a vast array of inspired sides and satisfying meats await those intrepid enough to find a parking space and come inside. How Niko Niko's can stay in business with a place a million times better so close by is a mystery to me. I'll visit a few more times and bump to five if it maintains the quality. -
Review from Adam B.
Houston, TX
Following the advice of fellow Yelpers, I decided to eschew my usual trip to Niko Niko's to get my schwarma craving fix, and headed to Aladdin's instead.
As a lover of fast, fresh Mediterranean (I used to regularly a place called Zorba's in DC that has a similar set up to Aladdin), I really wanted to love this place.
Maybe it was my timing (Sunday around 5 pm), or simply an off day, but it seems that this place does not have the volume to execute its cafeteria-style layout.
I wanted to order a sandwich, but it became quickly apparent that doing so would be like paying with cash in those Visa commercials where the assembly-line grinds to a halt whenever a customer doesn't use plastic. The gentleman behind the counter wordlessly plopped a pita on my tray, assuming that I would opt for the standard (only?) acceptable choice of 3 sides + meat. Since $10.99 for meat + 3 sides seemed a good deal and a reasonable way to sample Aladdin's wares, I opted not to go all Neo on this Matrix of uniform food options. Plus, I might add, it seemed appropriate to have "3 wishes" (plus meat??) in a place called Aladdin
The pitas were lukewarm, and left a lot to be desired considering the brick oven right behind them. My seasoned ear of corn was put on my plate after being briefly thrown in the oven, and, when I asked for it to be warmed again, the oven guy gladly popped it into the microwave for 1 minute, which seemed really counterintuitive. Somehow, it came out cold even after the zapping!
The babbaganouj was sour and did not taste fresh. Finally, the "chicken schwarma" took 10 minutes to cook and came out dry, lukewarm, and flavorless. Again, I had been fooled by the impressive array of culinary accessories Aladdin has behind the counter- I noticed that the chicken schwarma spit did not have the heat lamp turned on and was not rotating. The chicken they served was conjured up somewhere in a back room.
The scant highlights included a clean, spacious setup and excellent freshwater juices, however, in the end, Aladdin was an enigma for me. A cafeteria-style joint that couldn't turn over its dishes fast enough. A place with a wood fired oven that used the microwave for warming. Owners of schwarma spits that lay dormant. And, last, but least forgivably, Mediterranean that is not fresh.
Yelp, for the first time in a while you have led me wrong. I will maintain my faith, but it will be tough to forget the time you burned me (in the microwave).Comment from Ali N. of Aladdin Mediterranean Cuisine 5/8/2012
Hi Adam, We try very hard to make sure that our food is… More » -
Review from Bryce K.
This is a pretty solid Mediterranean place - I had the falafel sandwich and a side of the spicy hummus. You also get some pita bread, which they'll refill for free. Delicious!
The spicy hummus was nice - just the right amount of spicy, along with some paprika and olive oil. The falafel wrap was also good - the falafel was fresh and had the good balance between crispy outside and moist inside. I would have preferred a little more tahini, but no matter.
Service was super friendly and helpful.
The unfortunate downside is the location - since it was so nice outside, we wanted to sit outside. Sadly, the outside patio is right on Montrose and Westheimer, so we got serenaded with the sounds of cars and honking. -
Review from Brandi H.
I have this deep love affair with Mediterranean food. Probably because so much of it is vegan or veggie friendly, so I know that I'll have a lot of options.
The parking for this location is a little weird, but certainly not bad. Even on busy nights I've been able to find a space.
The only thing I've ever gotten here is the Vegan sampler. Even before I went vegan. It's a combination of about 10 different vegan dishes they serve. At $13 it's a bit pricey...until you realize it will EASILY feed 2 people.
BYOB, so bring some wine. They don't charge a corking fee (we've always brought our own corkscrew. Not sure if you use theirs) and no charge for wine glasses. -
Review from C C.
Houston, TX
We basically live here.
I love the simple, home-cooked quality of this restaurant and we are huge fans. It's a nice change from the McGreek food that's around town. The owner is really hands-on and awesome to his customers.
We are in there often, and they put up with our sometimes misbehaving toddler while she downs a bucket of the excellent hummus and pita. -
Review from Rachel E.
San Francisco, CA
Stopped in for lunch on Sunday. Here's the system:
Grab a tray, utensils, etc.. and head to the counter. There you will be greeted with fresh baked pita, and if it's your first time they'll explain how it works. If you order from the counter, you pick 1 main dish + 3 sides from the pre-made options. If that's not your style, you can have them make you a falafel sandwich, shawarma wrap, kebab, etc... You pay at the counter, get a number, and they'll bring the food out when it's ready. Our falafels took about 10 minutes to come out.
The hummus was very good and tasted freshly made. I like mine very lemony but those used to super market hummus may find it a little overpowering.
My falafel was good, but could have benefited from some cucumber and tzatziki sauce.
The inside is a little bare. Tables and chairs reminded me a little of a cafeteria and there didn't seem to be any decoration on the walls. We sat outside but unfortunately, their limited patio seating is right on the corner of the intersection so it was pretty noisy.
Overall I thought this was solid food with friendly service - but atmosphere left a little to be desired. -
Review from Rae C.
This place is worth the visit for the oven-fresh pita alone.
You'll read over and over again in the reviews about the spicy hummus. It's for a good reason - that shiz is delicious. The cafeteria style setup can be a little confusing, and the choices overwhelming. If you are plagued by indecision like me, stick to the menu. I had a falafel pita and could not have been happier. Perfect sober up food after a couple of drinks! -
Review from David C.
Bam. I thought this was a Fadi's clone but I actually like it a lot better. Fadi's is much bigger and more crowded, so there should be more turnover/fresher food - but I definitely like Aladdin's cleanliness, smaller space, and fresher flavors more.
I had a chicken shawarma / beef shawarma combo plate with three sides. The meats were solid but the sides are the real stand out. The rice is like Fadi's rice but the vegetables are a lot better. I love the grilled squash side, which is a chilled side but still has the grilled flavor of the vegetable. I also liked the vegetable medley which was a little too acidic for Esther L. but pretty nice for me.
The prices are around $10 but the portions are huge and, again, the food is super fresh. Gosh, love this placee. -
Review from Austin T.
Houston, TX
Aladdin's is pretty awesome. I go here a couple times a month. The food is good, portions are large, and the price is cheap. I can usually get two meals out of 1 plate. Some of my favorites include the curry chicken, brisket, green beens, and flash-fried cauliflower. I usually pick it up to go but don't mind dining in, though the atmosphere is nothing special. It's BYOB with no corking fee, which is nice. The food is not as good as Niko Niko's, but the two places are very different and hard to compare. I go to both depending on the occasion. I consider it a good weekend lunch place, week night dinner place, or somehwhere to go with a friend when we are really hungry. I give it four stars for what it is--a really good buffet. I recommend.
-
Review from Gene P.
Houston, TX
My go-to for falafel--best falafel in town. The bread is OMG amazing. Try the potato ball things, the cashew rice, the cauliflower dish, tabbouleh, chicken curry. Heck, everything there is good. Nice folks work there too. Tip them.
-
Review from Nikki J.
Houston, TX
Oh, Aladdin! How I love thee!
The beef shawarma wrap here is the greatest thing in this world. Hands down. Don't argue with me. I know what I'm talking about.
I like being able to walk down the line and take everything in. The service here is always polite and prompt. It's hard for me to give a broad food review because I found my ultimate love on my first trip there. Beef shawarma wrap with the Lebanese mashed potatoes. Oh. My. God.
I tried the chicken once and, while it beat out fadi's and shawarma king's, it wasn't enough to take me away from the beef shawarma. The hummus is great. The pomegranate eggplant is delicious.
Really, it's quite simple. It's just really good food and a welcoming atmosphere and staff. This is one of those places that I never turn down. -
Review from David N.
If you have ever been to Fadi's this place is very similar. Honestly, if you just sat inside without knowing which one you were in you probably couldn't tell the difference. And for Aladdin, that is a good thing. As I LOVE fadi's.
I came here to have dinner with a friend recently after work. You can order combos, for my meat I had the gyro, as far as my sides I had the pasta, baba gnocchi, and fried potato. DAMN that fried potato is so good. The prices are about the same as fadi's meaning you can get stuffed for about 10 bucks. -
Review from Harold B.
Houston, TX
another "way better than niko niko's" med. spot....
fresh vegs, great lamb shank & damn good gyro!!! very similiar to fadi's setup but for some reason its seems alot more homey/cozier than fadi's..... -
Review from kris r.
There is already plenty of reviews for Aladdin, so here is mine short and sweet.
Great food! Huge portions! Awesome friendly service! Go now! You won't be sorry! -
Review from Leland R.
Jasper, TX
this is one of the best places in Houston i have been to. i lived here for over 2 years and never know about it. now ever trip to Houston has at least one visit. the food is so good it does not matter how you feel you leave happy, that is if you can bring youself to leaving.
-
Review from Jessica W.
Houston, TX
One word - Amazing! A must try if you are interested in food full of flavor and relatively healthy.
-
Review from Cameron B.
Houston, TX
I love Mediterranean food and Aladdin is my favorite spot to have it. This cafeteria style restaurant is family owned and they are passionate about food and customer service. The employees are always extremely friendly and helpful.
I am a big fan of the cafeteria style service because I can see all of my options and they will always give you a taste of something if you are in the mood to try something new. Best of all fresh pita is served right out of the oven at the beginning of the line. I wish more Mediterranean places would offer this! (hint, hint, Cafe Lili)
My favorite thing to get here is the chickens shawarma with a couple side veggies (see pic). This chicken is consistently tender and has a fabulous flavor. The hummus is the best I've ever had. I find Niko Niko's hummus bland compared to Aladdin's.
Everytime my Mom comes into town she begs me to take her here, so it has become one of out regular spots!
* Great tip* Feel free to over order, because I find that the leftovers can be even better than the first taste!! -
Review from Andrey R.
Houston, TX
Food here is great and I agree with other reviewers. I will definitely be coming back. However, my only qualm, and I don't think they do it on purpose, is lack of clear prices on the menu. Essentially, you end up getting charged $1 here and there for what you thought was included with your meal. So I recommend being very clear about what you want, especially if it's your first time visit. Otherwise, service was very polite and everything delicious. Big portions, def can split between 2 people.
-
Review from Avery B.
Houston, TX
This is my new favorite place! So yummy! I haven't been to Fadis but I have been to similar Mediterranean buffet type places and they cannot even compare. I usually get 2 or 3 veggies and the lamb gyro meat and it is always more than enough food! My favorite thing lately here is that it is SO easy to go low carb (avoid hummus and pita) and the veggies are always perfectly seasoned. I love the fried cauliflower with some hot sauce and the lamb meat is always cut thick and in a large portion. Go here for lunch!
-
Review from Regina D.
Houston, TX
I drove by this place several times and wondered what it was like inside. I'm usually afraid to try new places by myself. So the other night a friend recommended I try it since I was driving around Montrose looking for food . Well I'm glad I did.
Very friendly atmosphere for starters. And I like how they had every thing up front and personal for you to see what you would like to have. Love the fresh pita bread and that spicy hummus. And the lamb shank was to die for. They have a really good pasta salad and the vegetables there are really fresh and tasty. I glad I tried this place and look forward to my next visit. -
Review from Trey K.
Houston, TX
I go there often for lunch. Everything is awesome and fresh. Don't waste your time with Niko Nikos down the street, that is the fast food of Mediterranean food!
-
Review from Neil Q.
Houston, TX
I thought it was really good and much more food than you get across the street at the more famous Niko Niko's. Food is really pretty good and reasonably priced for what you get.
-
Review from Tiffy J.
Houston, TX
A coworker introduced me to this place and I've been a huge fan ever since. Very small shared parking lot. Casual. I love the variety that this place has to offer and that you can see everything. I always walk along the glass and survey to see if there's anything new I want to try. Whoever is waiting on you is always nice enough to explain what everything is.
I either get the 1 meat/ 2 sides or 1 meat/ 3 sides. You get a lot of food with either and I always have to take something home. Some of my favorites: hummus, tabuli, gyro, spinach/mushroom salad (with the most awesome salad dressing), and Lebanese mashed potatoes.
There is a new gym approved menu there that have healthier options. My friend swears by it. I guess I'll have to get back over there to try this and several of the other delicious looking dishes they have! -
Review from Byoung Kyu S.
Plano, TX
I've been on a gyro kick so decided to hit up Niko Niko again. But after circling the parking lot twice, I decided it wasn't worth the hassle. Just across the street was Aladdin and I was extremely glad I got to try this place.
Prices are reasonable and portions were huge. 1 meat w/ 3 sides plus drink was $12.43 and well worth it.
The place has a "marketplace" feel to it. You go through the line and choose your sides. Ordering was a bit confusing (hence the minus 1 star) so I just told one of the guys that I wanted a gyro platter.
The spice hummus is a must try. The gyro portion was good but I wished it was sliced thinner. Overall, the food was fabulous. I may go back tomorrow to try the lamb shank. -
Review from Micah K.
Houston, TX
Eh.
That's all.
Okay, I guess I should say more than that.
Aladdin is perfectly adequate Mediterranean food. Hummus is decent. Baba ganoush is decent. Meat is for the most part okay, although from time to time a little more charred than I'd like. All-you-can-eat pita is hard to argue with. Lengthy service times for the kabobs is a little easier to argue with (I know you're making it fresh, but I'd like to have a little of my other food left on the plate by the time it comes out).
Drinks are decent. Baklava is decent. Prices are a smidge indecent--marginal utility and marginal cost don't reconcile.
But yeah. It's all decent. It's like that cute girl you go out on a second date with not so much because there's chemistry as you really want to like her. Three months later, you break her heart because you don't see a future with her and she curses your name forever.
I may have overextended that metaphor. -
Review from Chikting c.
Houston, TX
I stopped by for a quick dinner, and my friend and I have never had that kind of food before.
Excellent service ! The staffs are all so nice and attentive !!!! :)
And the pita bread is SO delicious.
however, i don't think i am a fan of mediterranean food; i had the chicken kabob, it tasted decent. The price is very reasonable. $10 for a basket of free pita bread, some salad , and a choice of hot food.
Well, i think you will enjoy this place if you like mediterranean food :) -
Review from Katie F.
San Antonio, TX
Aladdin is my favorite restaurant in Houston for several reasons...
1. the roasted cauliflower. this stuff is addictive. i've never had cauliflower that tasted so good in my life.
2. all the vegetables are SUPER fresh. ali takes pride in having the highest quality ingredients and it shows. this is sometimes a problem, because they all look so good it can be hard to decide what to order!
3. ali (the owner) is so friendly and accommodating. the ENTIRE staff works hard to make you happy. they let you try anything and are great about recommending dishes. aladdin has top-notch service because they make you feel at home :)
4. flavor. it's all about the flavor at aladdin. ali uses spices perfectly so that the true flavors of the food shine through.
i even love the water at aladdin, you can add mint leaves and lemon--delicious. the special extras like that, along with amazing food that make it my fave restaurant in the city. -
Review from Georgia S.
Houston, TX
Hey, still good value and consistent! Best chicken shawerma in town, it's nice and moist and I love their cole slaw. I meat & 3 sides for $10.99 and 4 veggies for 9.99
The lamb kabob is nicely flavored too.1 Previous Review: Show all »
-
1/22/2011
Ok, could not believe how crowded it was at seven! Parking was still available and the place was… Read more »
-
1/22/2011
-
Review from Jason L.
Katy, TX
This place is great. I knew from the get go (by the sticker on the window "people love us on Yelp") that this place was gonna be good.
Upon entering the place is home-y feeling.
My and my girlfriend were confused at what to get so we each got something different.
She got the regular hummus and I got the spicy. The pita was fresh and delicious. As was the rest of the food that was piled on our plates. Many times we joked and looked at each other and asked "where is the dent in our plates?"
The meat was tender and full of flavor. (It's that simple. and delicious.)
And their fresh squeezed juices were pretty much to die for. We both got mango/strawberry mixes that we savored to the very last drop.
Although a bit pricey, you get a lot for your money.
Very well worth it! I highly recommend it! -
Review from Sami A.
Houston, TX
ARE YOU HUNGRY AND WANT SOME PITA AND FALAFEL IN YOUR MOUTH? THEN STOP SEARCHING, PUT ON SOME PANTS, AND GO TO ALADDIN'S.
Only con is that they've started rationing pita like it is made of their souls and if you're in hummus devastation mode then you have to keep asking for some more like Oliver Twist.
tl;dr: Get the falafel sandwich and some hummus. -
Review from Krystle N.
Houston, TX
My first review - wow I feel like a real Yelper now!
This is one of my favorite place for REAL mediterranean cuisine.
They have everything you think of and more when you're craving mediterranean.
The food is all homemade and authentic!
Servings are good size and usually require a take out box.
The owner is awesome and will let you try new things and split up/ halve your sides so you can try everything.
Great service, great ambiance, and it's BYOB so you can sit back, relax, and enjoy the best falafel in town! -
Review from PingPing N.
Houston, TX
Saturday 05/14
Rode up here on our bikes and had a late late lunch on their patio around 6pm. Staff was extremely friendly. Setup is kinda like Fadi's--order first, pay, and they'll bring out the food.
Meat w/ 2 sides-$9.49. Ground beef kebab w/ spaghetti and spinach salad
Sandwich w/ 1 side-$7.99 Beef steak kebab w/ cashew rice and cranberries? Not sure.
Strawberry Peach fresh juice-$2.99
My man pointed to the dish and said, "thats nothing" referring it to be pretty small but complimented it to be very tasty. I loved how I could taste the herbs in the ground beef . (and Im not a huge fan of ground beef)
My steak kebab was not as memorable but the rice was fluffy and delicious. They actually gave me the wrong thing, gave me an entree or whatever it was so I had to go back inside and ask them about the mixup. They overcharged me too, but that was easily taken care with no fuss. I was actually just going to say, "give me another side." but they gave me cash back so it worked out better. Towards the end of our meal, a guy came out with a free gyro sandwich for us to take home. Always a win!
