Amalia's Cafe & Hookah Lounge

This is one of my favorite places to go in South Philly if I'm looking for a BYOB with great food and ample seating. In fact, it's one of my favorite places to go if it's just for two!

The food: Their kafta kebabs and sandwiches are definitely my favorites. If you're just there for the hookah, their fries are well-seasoned and their grape leaves are good, too. And their baklava. And their falafel. You know what, you don't really want to be there just for hookah. Get some food.

The hookah: What can I say, it's a hookah bar! They aren't stingy with the coals, but their flavor options (while good) aren't as comprehensive as at other places I've been. Their hookah menu has some pretty crazy items on it (we still haven't figured out what "Code 69" is supposed to be), but whenever we've tried to order one of the more adventurous items, we've been steered away to something else. Hard to say why, but their suggestions have always been solid!

The ambiance: Lots of interesting lamps surrounding plus, comfortable booths, and oh yeah, two Apple TVs blaring great Turkish/Middle Eastern music. If you're lucky, there'll even be music videos.

The service: I've never had to wait for a seat, and everybody is so very friendly. Nobody minds if you BYO and they will be quick to offer you bottle openers, corkscrews, and glasses.

I ordered delivery from Amalia's last week for the first time. When ordering Mediterranean, I usually keep it pretty simple and stick with the chicken kebabs. These were served over rice with a side of salad (several choices - I went with the classic Mediterranean) and some mezza which included olives and pickled veggies. The platter also comes with pita which I asked them to leave out since I try to avoid delicious gluten during the week.

I was bummed that there wasn't an option to add a side of hummus as part of the meal. Instead, I had to order a small side which cost five dollars for a teeny tiny portion. I was grateful that they were willing to sub fresh veggies for pita, however. All of the food was quite good!

My lunch total came out to over twenty bucks which was quite steep, but I was also paying for the convenience of delivery. I really liked Amalia's but will probably keep it as a once-in-a-while treat instead of a regular in my delivery lineup.

We were searching for food and I wanted middle eastern and everyone else wanted chicken or pizza.

I ordered a hookah, the chicken kabobs and a side of fries. The food was a little expensive for what I got but it was good none the less. The hookah was good and the prices on that were good as well.

There werent a lot of people in here on that day but that gave me the opportunity to have a conversation with the owners about various things. They even let my family bring in food and drinks from the pizza shop next door. That was good looking.

I would really go back in a minute and tell you to try them as well.,

Byob - awesome
Food - awesome
Hookah flavors and prices awesome however don't you dare try and change the charcoal and break his shit lol.

Owner is sweet and helpful. He chased away these pervs outside blowing kisses to my sister, mom, and I, which we appreciated lmao. Def a cool, hidden spot.

I've yet to dine in, so this review is for takeout.

The food here is consistently fresh and delicious and there is good variety in the menu. The falafel is some of the best I've had in the city and the grilled meats are super flavorful. If you're into hookah I'm sure dining in is a good option, but for healthy takeout they get an A+.

Yesterday their customer service knocked it out of the park. My delivery order showed up without the pita, and they called me before I called them! They immediately sent the delivery person back with the pita and a bonus dessert. That's how it should be. Additionally they arrive twice as fast as as most delivery in every neighborhood that I've been in.

The food is consistently fresh, inexpensive, and generously proportioned. I always get the Mediterranean platter because the spreads are home made and top notch.

I recently ate at Amalia's Cafe and was pleasantly surprised. First, I truly enjoy tasty, healthy foods, and I feel Mediterranean Food falls into this category. So I have eaten at many Mediterranean restaurants in many cities across the U.S.
Amalia's Pros and Cons.

PROS:
- I wanted to substitute hummus for salad and the owner did it without hesitation or extra charge.
- The hummus was amazing, the only place I ever had better hummus was a small restaurant in NYC.
- Pita bread was warm and fresh.
- Chicken Kabob was tasty, cooked just right, and offered with two different tasty sauces.
- I was given complimentary baklava, which I love, and it is probably the best baklava I've ever had.

CONS:
- Rice was ok. It was bad, but it wasn't on the same level as everything else.

I recommend this place if you have a craving for good, decently-priced, Mediterranean food.

Small , cozy, warm, little Israeli place located in the middle of nowhere in South Phiilly. Came here with my buddy for dinner and some hookah. Its a byob so we brought some wine. Our waitress was very friendly and the owner/chef came out to introduce himself and talk about the food. We ordered the hummus platter for appetizers and a hookah to get started. The hummus was great and obviously home made. For main course we split chicken, lamb,beef and vegetable skewers along with some grilled corn. The meat was some of the best ive ever had. For dessert we were given complimentary baklava which was fantastic. This is an amazing hidden gem with very authentic middle eastern food. Definitely coming here again.

A hidden gem of a restaurant. It's slightly off the beaten path (from center city) - but well worth the Uber ride (or if you have a car, drive - plenty of parking). The food is amazing Israeli (Middle Eastern) food. It's authentic. How authentic? I'm from Israel and absolutely love it. I took my parents (and step brother and his family) last night and they all loved it. The meat is well prepared (not dry). The food is all homemade. The service is extremely friendly and inviting.
Make sure to try the baklava, tiramisu, and ginger tea - which are all made in their restaurant.
Oh, and one of the best parts - it's BYOB and very inexpensive. Definitely give this place a try - you will absolutely love it.

Stumbled on this place (thanks to the Yelp Gods) after dinner at a different BYO. A friend and I were looking for a place to take our already opened bottle of wine and finish it with hookah. We were pleasantly surprised to find this small, hole in the wall café. What this place lacks in curb appeal it makes up for with authentic food and decor. We had the baklava that first night and it was divine.

I've been back a number of times since then and have yet to be disappointed. The lamb skewers and hummus were very tasty. They also have this bangin' ginger tea (bangin' is a technical term) that I could drink all day. The hookah is quite nice too. And everything is affordable.

I've decided to make this my new chill spot. The food is good, the atmosphere is relaxed, and the service is pretty great too. Always a good experience when I'm at Amalia's.