Arabesque on Devine

Best Lebanese food in Columbia! Every aspect of the dining experience was prefect! comfortable seating, warm ambiance, and a welcoming vibe. The food was absolutely delicious, bursting with authentic flavor and beautifully presented. I’ll definitely be coming back for more!

An absolutely delicious meal from start to finish. The salmon was exceptional: cooked to perfection, with wonderfully crispy skin and accompanied by a simply perfect spicy sauce. The mussels were equally delicious, with a fantastic balance between saltiness and the sweetness of the sea. And let's not forget the spinach rice—so good it deserves a 12 out of 10!

Great food. We drove to Columbia from Charlotte to have a meal and this was it. Very nice staff and a good menu. Some bread was fresh but the pita was not fresh/homemade. Hummus and Baba ghanoush were excellent! We enjoyed the green beans and Kofta. There was a brunch menu item (wrap with egg and Lamb) that was ok. I expected more meat, there was hardly any in the wrap at all. All of the food was good.

I used to come here with my dad all the time. I decided to try it out yesterday for the first time in years and it was just as good as I remember it being! They still had my favorite things; baba ghanouj for an appetizer, Lamb Shawarma as the main course, and Baklava for dessert. The whole meal was cooked to perfection, and the server did an excellent job making sure I had everything I needed to enjoy my dinner. I'll definitely be visiting more frequently from now on!

Just recently visited this establishment for the first time. For the appetizer, I had the Fried Kibbeh. The beef inside was delicious, I didn't care for the cucumber yogurt that came with the dish. I also ordered the Lamb Shank for the entrée. This dish was amazing! The lamb was tender, and the meat just pulled off the bone. The zesty broth and vegetables made this dish very memorable. This entrée came with rice which I added to the broth yum yum! To go I ordered the Shawarma Plate. This dish was delicious, the marinated chicken over the rice garlic was seasoned to perfection! The service at the bar was very professional, and the atmosphere was great.

Have enjoyed Arabesque for many years. Didn't realize I had not given a review. Located on Devine Street on the edge of the Shandon and Old Shandon neighborhoods, you can enjoy indoor or outdoor dining. Outdoor tables are on covered patio. Inside, decor is colorful and dressed in traditional Lebonese fabric and arrangements. Gorgeous front and rear bar areas with dining tables and comfy, pillowed booths throughout. Staff is very pleasant and friendly. Very pleasant atmosphere with nice cultural vibe. Appetizer and entrees arrived in good time. All the food is freshly baked or prepared in the kitchen. Started with the Sampler Platter and had two entrees -- Kafka Kabob w/ vegetables and Chicken Shawarma Wrap. De-lish!! If traveling on I-77, take the Garners Ferry Exit toward downtown Columbia and Arabesque is a straight shot reached in 7-10 minutes, depending on time of day and traffic. Garners Ferry Rd becomes Devine St when you cross Beltline Blvd. Stop in, soon!!

Arabesque, one of my local long time favorites, from their Schwarma, pizzas, the sampler platter is good way to start off, the atmosphere makes me feel as though I could be in a different land with the rug tapestry and comfy pillows whilst enjoying amazong middle eastern food! My friends and I can't ever get enough of this place!

First time here... everything was great... atmosphere was nice and quiet...waiter explained things on menu that I didn't understand...I got the lamb shiskabobs...nice portion lamb chunks.. everything flavorful and seasoned well...will definitely be back to try more

Came here after my run one night and man was I pleasantly surprised! First, the atmosphere was absolutely great. It's a super chill vibe with dim lighting and not a ton of busyness. The seating was comfortable, had tons of cushions so it was definitely a vibe. Our waitress was absolutely amazing. Came to the table the right amount of times and was pleasant as anyone can ever be. The food was on point! The gyro meat was seasoned to perfection. I opted to swap the rice out for their veggies and it was a great call. There were bell peppers, onions, tomatoes and mushrooms in there which complimented the meat perfectly. Their tzatziki is homemade and the perfect contrast to the dish. I'll definitely be back for lunch or dinner soon!

Every aspect of the dining experience was perfect! Incredibly comfortable seating, and or staff (Erin) was extremely attentive, and knowledgeable about the cuisine. It was the freshest tabouli, hummus, and babaganoush I have ever had, and their brunch is very ambitious. No let downs, and they offer a military/veteran discount as well :)

Wanted to come back to my favorite places ... I'll spare the details ... but as always dope music and dimly lit and my server was on his A game from the jump ... I ordered the mussels like I always do and never miss. For my entree I ordered the Curry with the Lamb with the hot heat level ... this should be interesting ....sooo the spice level didn't meet expectation so the waiter recommended the Shatta hot sauce and it hit the spot. The curry was seasoned good and the veggies were a perfect blend .. personally my lamb was cooked a little too long but still was delicious . Shout out to the bartender .. my Mexican Mule with Don Julio silver did what it was suppose to do. It was always a pleasure ... until next time

Absolutely delicious! I have passed by many times, but have just recently had the opportunity to dine. Everything was so spectacular and delicious. The fattoush is incredible. The baba ganoosh may be the best I've ever had. So perfect.

My partner and I stumbled upon Arabesque's booth at Columbia's St. Patrick's Day celebration, and WOW--we're still raving about the food days later! From the first bite, we were hooked. The chicken alone was a masterpiece--juicy, tender, and seasoned so well. The array of sauces and toppings took it to another level; we loved mixing and matching to create new flavor combos with each bite. But the real showstopper? The salad with fresh mint, it has been living in my head rent-free ever since--it was so refreshing and paired perfectly with the juicy meat and chicken kebabs. If their festival setup was this incredible, we can't wait to visit their actual location! Arabesque has earned a loyal fan in us.

The food is good, while the service and ambiance make it great We had a party of 8 and we will definitely return.

it's a shame to write a review about lack of service when the food is good. But to call in for a pick up on pizza and be told it will be ready in 15 to 20 minutes ... only to get there at the 20 minute mark and still have to wait another 30 minutes is absurd. not one apology or update the whole time. Again, pizza is good but service is lacking.

One of the greatest food combinations can be found here if you get their Hummus, Garlic Paste and Damascus Bread. It is game changing. If you don't fill up on that, get the Shawarma Platter (1/2 chicken, 1/2 lamb). You will not be disappointed. The pizzas are tasty as well!

My husband and I travel the world and we make it a point to try restaurants every time we are in a new city! I am hoping this reaches many viewers! If you have a chance to visit Columbia South Carolina, please try Arabesque! The sampler of the appetizers is amazing! Also the Mix plate for two is amazing. The use minimal salt and allow you to ad. To your preference! The spices used are amazing! This is a Lebanese restaurant! I will be having dessert here soon! Talk about having food coma! Love i

This was our 4th visit to Arabesque and we will continue to eat there on special occasions ! The food is delicious and you have your choice of inside or out with plenty of room if you would like a little more privacy ! It is to me one of my favorite restaurants in Columbia !

I had the chance to finally try out the Arabesque on Devine restaurant, and I must say I was very pleased! The ambience is very nice and adequate. I love the lightning and the lebanese decorations. The sound of the music is amazing and fits the theme of everything while enjoying your meal. My entree was the Grilled Fish. It was lightly seasoned with a lemon twist sitting on a bed of steamed rice with sauteed vegetables. I loved the look of the plate with the garnish of fresh parsley. The wait staff was friendly, professional and on time with the order. I would definitely recommend this restaurant to anyone who is looking for a beautiful delightful feast!

Great little place for a date night. Very reasonable and wonderful service! Would definitely recommend and will be back!

The decor is a bit dated, but the excellent food and service make up for it! We had a holiday party in the back and they brought out tons of food! Everything was delicious, and we all had plenty of food to take home. Loved the hummus & pita, chicken & shrimp skewers, grilled veggies, and rice. The meat lovers enjoyed all the beef & lamb dishes. We also had some yummy desserts. I would definitely eat here again based on this experience.

Fantastic food, great service, welcoming staff, encouraging regulars, nice ambiance, clean restaurant

Great ambiance, welcoming staff, and our food was fantastic! We had the appetizer sampler, and mixed grill platter for two, with lamb chops. We will definitely return.

I try to find new places to eat whenever I am in the Columbia area, and this place looked good. The food was good. Service was good. The place is dated. There's carpet and the last time I went, there was a really bad odor which seemed to be coming from the carpet. Prices are fair.

Started with a Lebanese coffee which was deep and flavorful... non coffee lovers may need a dash of sugar as it is STRONG. The Schwarma plate, I could only eat half of. Love having so many sides like the herb potatoes and hummus.

The food was amazing, the service was amazing, I enjoyed my quiet lunch. I got the chicken shawarma wrap and pesto orzo salad. Everything was freshly made and well prepared. The restaurant itself is nicely decorated, cozy, and very clean. I will definitely be going back.

Loved the food. Had the Caprese Salad, one of the best I've ever had. We were a party of 10 and our server was friendly and fun. She took on 10 fussy men in full stride! The atmosphere screams Mediterranean! I will be a regular guest going forward.

Our group of 30 people had a wonderful time at Arabesque. Almost all of us are from out of town, as far as Tokyo, Japan for the celebration of 50 years of International Business Global Summit. The food was excellent, especially the lamb chops. Hat off to our waitress, Gracy, who single handled our table. If you happen to be in town, be sure to come and taste some of the most delicious Lebanese dishes.

This is not my first time having their food but it is my first time dining in. My bf and I came for a little lunch date and we came about 40 minutes after they just opened so it wasn't anyone in there yet. It was really cold though so i was freezing. The inside is beautiful with the setting and decor. We ordered lobster Alfredo which was one of their specials, I got lamb shwarma cauliflower crust pizza and my bf got the mixed grill skewers. First off, the Alfredo was so delicious. The lobster was fresh and cooked perfectly and the noodles were al dente and had perfect amount of seasoning and garlicky flavor. I think it was my favorite thing we had today. I'm keto so I LOVE the fact that they have cauliflower crust. The lamb shwarma is really tender and the cream sauce they put on it gives it nice depth of flavor and texture. I normally get the meat lovers which has beef pepperoni and chicken ..I think I prefer that more but still loved my pizza. If you love lamb shwarma, you'll love this pizza. And they give you a nice size pizza with 8 slices vs other places that are more like personal pan pizzas I can eat in one sitting. My bf said his food was really good but it wasn't the flavor he was looking for. I did try his chicken and it was really juicy and tender. The green beans were actually delicious too. I wasn't sure about the sauce on it but it gave it a nice taste and added texture as well. I'd give this place a solid 8.9/10

We patronized this place last week, we were not disappointed! So my wife and I ordered a couple of the appetizers (the steamed muscles, Damascus bread, and appetizer sampler), a couple entrées (NZ lamb chops and mixed grill platter), and desert (Limoncello Mascarpone Cake and tiramisu). Everything was wonderful. The muscles were delicious, not too tough but not soft either. The sauce they came in was a wonderful compliment. The sampler had delicious humus. The stuffed grape leaves were not bad, but I thought maybe had a touch of bitterness (maybe from the brine?). The Damascus bread was SO GOOD! I had to remind myself to keep my carbs down and not eat it all. My wife and I thought our entrées were very good. The meat was all tender and flavorful. The shrimp on the grill platter were huge! I also liked that the chicken was tender, not overcooked. My wife thought the lamb chops were also delicious, the rice and vegetables were a wonderful accompaniment. She's not a big lamb lady, but for this one time she took the plunge and she enjoyed the dish very much (consuming all the chops first). The desert was probably a bad decision, we were already so full and probably should not have aggravated our stomachs with more food. But upon seeing the Mescarpone and Tiramisu, we couldn't possibly turn it down! Both were so delicious and so rich! I didn't know if Lebanese cuisine delved into something Italian like these, but they definitely did a great job preparing them. We probably added 4 percentage points to our body-fat proportion that night, but it was well worth it! The service was good; we were attended to regularly and the food was brought out in good time. The restaurant's decor and dining area was very appealing to the senses. There's a front area that looks more relaxed and a traditional seating in the back area. It did have a feel that took us away from SC for a bit. 5 for 5 on everything, we will come back. Thanks guys.

What I loved about this restaurant was the quality and freshness of the food. I order the shrimp plate and it was super light but flavorful. The vegetables were perfectly cooked. My friend got the arabesque special pizza. She loved the crunchy crust and the fresh vegetables on top. We also shared the calamari and fried cauliflower. The calamari was bigger than I normally see at restaurants but surprisingly it wasn't chewy at all. I didn't care too much for the cauliflower, it was left in the frier a little too long and barely had a flavor. Unfortunately a few of the drink items my friend and I wanted to order were not available that night. The waiter did make an effort to offer other suggestions though. He was very friendly and attentive the whole night. What will make me come back is the live music they offer on Thursday nights. The two gentlemen were very talented and entertaining. During the same time the restaurant offers a happy hour menu with plenty of delish items to choose from. This place is great when you want to dine out but still feel healthy.

Service there was amazing I felt very welcomed and served well! Food was also super delicious and highly recommend this to anyone! The setting or Ambiance is a nice place for dates and super relaxed place to be!

This spot offers the best kebob experience in Columbia! The staff are friendly and the food is delicious!

Arabesque was recommended several times before we finally dined there and it's now a 'go to' place for casual as well as business dinners. Excellent attentive service in a quiet atmosphere with superb food. The front lounge area is a neighborhood gathering spot with interesting discussions and new friends. Parking can be challenging but can park in neighboring lots if necessary. Highly recommend.

So... of NOTE, Arabesque does NOT serve pork. So that's a good thing for those of who don't eat pork for whatever reasons! APPETIZERS: Today I decided to try 2 things I haven't tried before. 1) Soujouk $8 - Lebanese spicy beef sausage sauteed with in olive oil with garlic and finely minced tomatoes and onions. OMG ! So delicious! I would love to dump this plate into a proper hoagie roll! You know the kind that has a chewy crust but super soft center? 2) Fatayer pies $8. I got the mixed kind. There were 3 kinds: Beef, Cheese, & Spinach. For all of them I found the pastry to a bit dry. I'm not sure if it's supposed to be that way, so I'm not going to judge that too harshly. It was a savory dough though, but I felt maybe it could use a pinch of salt in the dough? The dough didn't really have much flavor to it. ----- BEEF: the meat has very delicate seasoning. If you slather it with the cucumber yogurt sauce, the sauce overpowers the meat but at least it lends moisture to the dough. ------CHEESE WOW! So yummy! The cheese is devinely seasoned with herbs and I think some finely minced onion. So good! The cheese has enough moisture to help the dough out, so this was softer, and I enjoyed the texture better in this pie. ------- SPINACH. Another WOW! The seasoning in the spinach was amazing and the spinach was well cooked, tender but not mushy. I totally want this spinach as a side dish , it's AMAZING! Again the spinach lent moisture to the dough, So I enjoyed this better than the beef. ENTREE (of sorts) I really wanted to try the garlic potatoes so I decided to create my own entree. I ordered the "Skewer only" order of Lamb chops $10 and the garlic potatoes "Batatta Harra" as my side. Potatoes: to die for! Super flavorful and a little spicy, these spuds are addictive! Lamb Chops. The flavor is so good! I think I was supposed to just get 2. But my plate came with 3, so I'll have to check my ticket to see if I got charged extra. If yes, well, they are delicious so I won't complain. Overall my food bill should be around $32 plus a few glasses of wine. And I'll definitely have leftovers for lunch tomorrow, so that's not a bad desl for 2 meals (basically). I'm definitely a huge fan of Arabesque, so give it a try!

I have eaten there in June 2023. My food was excellent the service was excellent and the prices are right. I've always enjoyed their pizza. They're Damascus bread is worth the trip there and their hummus is better than any other place I know. I particularly like one of their salads. Overall I think it's a fun place that's very comfortable and quiet I enjoy going there. Family-owned and family run. Hard to beat

Thanks to the team at Arabesque for ANOTHER outstanding meal! I have been visiting this restaurant for more than 10years and the food is always on point. Today, I was in town for business with my family and we started with an appetizer platter - hummus, baba ghanoush, grape leaves, falafel and bread (destroyed before I could get my camera focused); then shared the grilled meat platter - shrimp, kafta beef, and lamb over pesto orzo and Lebanese green beans. The three of us were stuffed and we took food home! Put Arabesque on your eatery list for your next business meal, family outing, date night or "me time" solo date. No matter what, put it on your list. You will not be disappointed!!!

I visited Arabesque on December 31, 2023 with my boyfriend. The food (we ordered the mixed platter for 2) was absolutely delicious and the bartender Ms. Shelly was awesome! The ambience was nice and We will definitely be back again soon!

Horrible, had a pick-up order, said food would be ready at 7 (ordered food around 6:30) waited for 45 minutes to get my foo. When I got it the pizza was cold and the taziki sauce was flavorless. Do not Recommend

Beautiful weather to sit outside. I love the area. The service and food was excellent. Their chicken is never dry and we really love the menu.

Would not recommend. Came in with my husband to try a new place since we always go to the same or similar places and was seated quickly by our server as there was no one inside except 3 people at the bar. Whom I assume was the owner or manager manned the bar, and kept the 3 people at the bar entertained with laughter. I ordered the lamb plate while my husband ordered a gyro plate. After the 15-20 minute wait our food came out and my order was completely wrong. I waived down the owner/manager and said "get ma'am are you the owner" and she said "well I wouldn't be behind the bar", which threw me because that's not what I asked you. I immediately said to the waiter to cancel my order. She didn't apologize or say anything else but yelled out to the server, "hurry up and make sure the chef doesn't make the lamb chops". Then she went back to entertaining the people at the bar and the chef (middle eastern man) came from the back and started hugging the bar attendants. Mind you our server was new so I wasn't too upset by his mistake, my issue was how she handled this situation by making me feel as if my dollar wasn't worthy and I can almost guarantee it was because of my race because there was no one inside who looked like me. But she had her nose inch high up into the other people's behinds. I left hungry and highly disappointed with the treatment, keep any follow up apologies or "we can do better", "hope you come back"... I wouldn't dare step foot inside again, you don't treat people in this manner... ever. And spare me because you have a cook in the back who is black, I wouldn't recommend this place to anyone with melanin in their skin. Never coming back.

Terrible service. Place is old and musty. Probably mold. Very dirty. No sense of Customer service. Ceiling leaky.

Great server ! Everyone is there because they love it there . A lot of regulars . The lamb is bomb dot com.

The food was pretty descent. The best and most favorite was their hummus and Naan, everything else didn't make the cut. Served us more rice and vegetables than meat. The service was amazing. Our waiter was amazing, he was very tentative but not overwhelming. The ambience was very welcoming and clean too. The pricing was a little higher than ither businesses. I will definitely be going there again, but just for hummus and naan.

I stopped in for a solo lunch date and at first I was a little nervous because it looks as though the bar area and seating there had not been cleaned but I saw photos online and I really wanted to try it so I remain open minded. My waitress was extremely nice and help me with the menu. Let's just say I'm glad I stayed the food was so flavorful and fresh. The beef tenderloin could have used a little love and was overcooked but other than that everything was great!

Holy smoke!!! Specials tonight were seafood ravioli with a pesto sauce and a seared yellow tail tuna over rice and salad. My wife and I ordered both because we couldn't decide. Both dishes were ABSOLUTELY OUTSTANDING! Staff and bar service is over the top!!

Usually, I love middle Eastern food. I have family and friends, who live in Michigan, right outside of Detroit, so I have had plenty of delicious Middle Eastern cuisine. My expectations were high for this place. Comparatively, it is not as good as the Middle Eastern food I have eaten in the Midwest. We came as a large group on a Friday night to celebrate some family events. There were a variety of meals ordered around the table. One that we all shared was the pita and hummus. Although the hummus had a decent flavor, it was certainly lacking something. I ended up asking for garlic spread, which was much more like the Middle Eastern food I'm used to eating. Unfortunately, it doesn't come with the pita being served so you have to ask for it on the side and pay $2 per (tiny) side cup. Besides that, it was a delicious spread and enhanced our appetizer. We passed it around the table because it became the preferred dip. We ordered and shared the lamb shawarma pizza. Again, I felt that there was flavor missing from the dish. It was underwhelming despite being cooked well and looking nice. We each commented that it still needed more of something... At the end of our dinner I needed to change our toddler so we headed to the restroom. Neither the men or women's restrooms had a changing table. HUGE disappointment as a family that brought four kids total to dinner in our party. I can't remember the last time we went to a restaurant that didn't have a changing table. Two things come to mind: either they're telling customers that they're not family friendly or they are missing a piece of their market by not providing better facilities. I made this comment to the manager on duty and he brushed it off like they didn't care. Disappointing. Overall, this isn't a place we would frequent. I'd love to leave a higher rating, but our experience was lackluster.

We came as soon as it opened beautiful decor when you walk in. My favorite is the seats with the low bench and pillows. We got some of everything to try since it was our first time. The salad was crispy and fresh the first few bits I wasn't sure due to the texture but keep eating it. It's delicious. Lentil soup was not what I was expected. The season is delicious but my ignorance expected like a solid bean. Unless you like black licorice do not drink the Lebanese mule I had. The meat platter get it request the creamy veggies! Lamb chops Yes!!! Seasoned to perfection and just tender and delicious

When I saw the menu I knew I had to come and try them out. Service was excellent, everyone was friendly && the restaurant is beautiful. Amazing food. Lamb chops was on point! Make sure to ask for extra glaze ;) We had tabouli salad, kufta (beef), & New Zealand lamb chops. For the drinks, we just had pink lemonade & sweet tea :)

Everything I've tried has been amazing!! Service is great. Food is phenomenal and they make a delicious raspberry martini! Highly recommend to give this place a try if you haven't..

I wanted to have some authentic Lebanese food and I ordered a kefta with salad. They brought me a regular burger patty. I was very disappointed. You only need to add spices to the ground meat... I made my own today.

Great food, Grace our server was hilarious and very helpful with our dish choices. I've always wanted to try this place and so glad I got to!

Good food, authentic Lebanese, but the tea was not! I ordered the hummus and tabouli with chicken. The hummus was seasoned well with lots of tahini! The tabouli was very flavorful and the chicken chunks topping it were juicy and had great grilled flavor. I also tried the pistachio cake and it was nice even though I don't like sponge cake. I ordered the hot Lebanese tea. I was brought a cup of super long steeped black tea. It was SO BITTER!!!'

Authentic middle eastern food, good location, comfortable Al around. One of my favorite places in Columbia, good food and good service every time. .

Amazing food. Good service. Lamb and appetizer sampler made the entire experience. Comfortable dining. Covid safe preparations. Great experience. Beautiful presentation of the sampler for two. We added the lamb skewers to get that extra authentic taste. A HUGE damascus bread piping hott, had me kissing keto goodbye. Generous portions of chicken, beef, and lamb came out on the tray. Dim lighting makes this a great place to have an intimate night out. Nothing has really changed here since covid. The appetizer platter has babaganoush, hummus, falafel and stuffed grape leaves. From inside on a cold novemeber day, it definitely felt like we had been transported to Morocco or Lebanon from right here in Columbia. The menu is huge but if you are not sure what you want, get these two samplers. It's perfect for two people and makes a memorable meal. The only reason it isnt 5 stars is that they had an extremely limited beverage supply. No sours, no porters, no lagers, and no stouts. We were able to get our drink fix later in the evening but I think good drinks would have made dinner that much better. Definitely check them out. Ps- always stop for a second to admire the chalk art on thier entry board. It is always a beautiful disney character that last 4-5 times I have been in. Someone with real talent must put that up there every week or so. When I'm in that strip mall, I have walked the extra few steps to check it out just to see what they have created for that week.

I love Arabic food, and as such, I love Arabesque. You can't go wrong with the chicken shawarma. Their grape leaves taste very delicious, and the bread and hummus/baba ghanoush is great as well.

My husband and I went in on a whim for dinner and we are so glad that we did! The food was absolutely delicious! We had the Damascus bread, pizza and fettuccini Alfredo with chicken. Everything was flavorful, rich, and seasoned perfectly. Our waitress Brittyn was excellent and the food came out quickly. We will go back very soon.