Cafe Petra

I have had lunch at Cafe Petra every Monday for the past month. Each time I had something different. Entrees, appetizers and desserts. The staff is knowledgeable and attentive and every meal has been delicious. If you have never been there before, or it’s been a while, give them a visit. You will not be disappointed.

Very welcoming and clean atmosphere, super service (Cora was very sweet), great portions and very delicious food. Will definitely eat there again if I'm in the area.

Awesome restaurant in scenic St.Francisville. I got my favorite dish Chicken Swarma. Always a pleasant dining experience eating here.

This was our first time eating here. We walked in shortly after they were open and were not immediately greeted. There was no music on and it was a little awkward initially. We had grace given that it was about 15 minutes after open but it would have been better had they been ready to go after their opening time. Immediately after walking in, we smelled a sewer smell that was strong. We almost considered leaving but we weren’t sure what the smell was initially. The restaurant didn’t have signs about the smell or mention it to us. I eventually asked the waitress who disclosed to me that there was a plumbing issue that has been going on for a while and the restaurant hasn’t been able to resolve it. The smell was bad enough that I would not return to this restaurant unless I knew the issue was fixed. The service was okay. Given how slow the restaurant was, I would have expected a little more attentiveness when we walked in and in our first 20 minutes. When the waitress did come by she was sweet and polite. The food was fresh and tasted delicious; however, we didn’t feel great after eating it which I thought was odd given that it is Mediterranean food. They had markers for our kids which entertained them but also made a mess. I would have loved for them to have the option of crayons instead. The restaurant looked clean including the bathrooms.

I found the food to be absolutely delicious, the flavors were rich and everything was cooked perfectly. I've been wanting to try lamb shank and I'm so glad that I did 👌 The servers went above and beyond and were super professional. I loved this place.

We had lunch at Cafe Petra with our Chinese Crested doggie 😍 and the staff was SO SWEET. She tends to be ornery, but they were so patient and kind. They also took really good care of us! And THE FOOD…it was the best Mediterranean cuisine we’ve ever had! So much flavor, and everything tasted so authentic and fresh. We had the privilege of meeting the chef, who was also so very friendly. He truly has a gift! We can’t wait to visit St. Francisville, Louisiana again so we can go back to dine with them!!

Update 3/17/2024 Today's experience was different and special. The food was great as usual and reasonably priced. Our server, though, was the best one we've ever had at this location or at any other restaurant for that matter. Cora turned our lunch into a beautiful experience. Service is always good here, but she went above and beyond. She is the most kindhearted and helpful server we had the pleasure to meet today. She deserves to be kept in high regard by her employer. I'm including pictures of the menu. Totally recommend the lentil soup, the vegetarian plate, the lamb shank, and whatever you choose from the menu. It will be good for sure! /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// Food is really good here with generous portions and reasonable prices. Staff is friendly and kind. This is definitely my favorite place for this type of food, and Saint Francisville is a lovely town, so the location is nice too. Totally recommend it 👌🏽

Café Petra has a large menu with huge portions. We had a great meal here on a Sunday when most places are closed for dinner. The Chicken shawarma was plentiful and tender. The mixed kabob plate was also a hit. There is a nice beverage selection and the food comes out fast and hot! Very friendly staff too!

This was the BOMB.COM!! I love the ambiance and decor in this place! It's a great place to bring your family. You can definitely share entrees, as they are large. I want to come back soon!

The fare is really good. The waitress is fantastic. The dining room is well appointed with Mediterranean touches with music to set the mood. The only thing keeping the fifth star from dropping is the watered down lentil soup and the seemingly inability to serve the courses in appropriate succession for some reason; soup, app, entree were all served at the same time. It's a simple fix and I'm sure they'll iron it out. The quality of food will keep me coming back. I prioritize Petra over other local eateries.

The food is super good! My husband said the chicken schwarma had a little bit of a kick but that made it perfect! The falafel sandwich was also really good.

My husband and I have been dining at Cafe Petra for years now and it gets better and better every time around. We always have leftovers, never have to wait for service or refills, and always leave in hopes of returning soon.

Someone at the nearby visitors center recommended this restaurant and I am glad I came. Friendly employees, fast service, good food. I got the red fish plate and it was delicious.

Café Petra was was more than we hoped for! The location is very easy to find being in the heart of St Francisville with ample parking. We found ourselves in the middle of a holiday festival but were happy to find no long wait for a table. The item I saw in reviews that made this our destination was the fried cheese starter and it did not disappoint at all. It was fresh, crispy and seasoned perfectly and olives and oil that accompanied it made it the perfect way to start a meal. I also had the lentil soup which was deliciously spiced and I definitely could have made a meal of it especially with the fried pita chips provided. I also had falafel wrap which I found the falafel to be a bit dry but well seasoned and overall a good wrap. The falafel wrap and soup came as a combo with the soup soup adding a little up charge but totally worth it. I "borrowed" some hummus from my partners place, totally for review purposes:) and found it nice, light and well seasoned as well. The staff was attentive and nice. We would definitely return to Cafe Petra!

Thank You to my favorite Greek and Lebanese Restaurant and happy Thankful Thursday to the Owner Mansour for always making me feel welcome as a customer and thank you for always keeping the food FRESH & serving it HOT!! I know the food is gonna be great every single time I go and my server will always be looking out for me. The food here is truly authentic and always freshly cooked and served piping hot and with a smiling and friendly server. They keep your glass full here. And the dirty martinis are freezing cold and they are potent I love them and if you love wine they have many choices and the also have a full bar. The falafels are really delicious and I love the fresh in house made tahini sauce which is very authentic to where's he's from and it's so delicious it's made of sesame seeds and it's prepared with other stuff into a creamy sauce with fresh lemon juice and the in house garlic sauce is also very good especially on a Petra Sandwich which is a popular street food from his country. They make it here and it's white chicken with middle eastern seasonings cooked and finished on the grill served on a special wrap that is filled with Petra sauce,lots of juicy & seasoned chicken pieces,pickle slices and then wrapped up and sliced ito a few sections comes with garlic sauce also in house made and a side a fry's and a feta salad on the side.OMG MY MOUTH IS WATERING! The Kafta and beef tenderloin kabobs are also delicious as is every single thing they have. You can't go wrong no mater what you order. We always start with fried Halloumi cheese, it always is cooked to a golden brown with olive oil and fresh minced garlic and pita for dipping. They have delicious deserts here also, my favorite is Ashta has a a flaky crust filled with a sweet custard filling and it's served warm with a rose honey sauce and crushed Pistachios all over the top. ( they make and cook this fresh in house). They also have baklava and something else. I always order Ashta but no mater what you order your gonna love it and leave happy and full.

Great food every time we visit! My favorite is the combo pasta dinner! Of course we always add the grecian sauce with extra bread!

Little did I know it at the time, but my meal here at Cafe Petra was my last meal enjoying it in a restaurant. Along came the pandemic and just like that one of my favorite past times became a thing of the past. So sad. We stopped here while in town for a late lunch and shared some Mediterranean hummus to start and I got a chicken shawarma plate that came with a salad and more hummus. It was all just delicious and beautifully plated. We had the large and exotic looking restaurant mostly to ourselves because of the late hour and really enjoyed ourselves here. Here's to Cafe Petra and hopefully your lovely place can and will survive this terrible time. See you again soon!

Cafe Petra is located in the heart of St. Francisville, but is only minutes away from US Highway 61, so travelers can easily visit and then continue on their journey. It's Greek and Lebanese cuisine is familiar, but they have more options than the typical shawarma and gyros. One option you should check into is the Beef Kafta Kabob which is a seasoned oval of grilled ground beef, that can be had on a skewer or in a pita sandwich. Another favorite is the Beef Souvlaki, which is marinated tender beef, grilled, then served as a pita sandwich or plate. One of my favorites is the Petra Sandwich which includes chicken, melted cheese, and Persian Pickles rolled in a thin pita and pressed. For the truly amazing meal, one can check into their Signature Dishes which offers roasted quail, or their extensive Seafood and Italian menus. This clearly is a step above your average pita place! If you can't decide, or want to try a variety of tastes, check out the Meza Sampler, or the Vegetarian Plate. You can select a combination to suit you. If you have any room left, their dessert menu is more extensive and decadent than many similar restaurants. One other great aspect of their location is that they are right next door to one of St. Francisville's public parks. So, if you wanted to get your order to go, you could picnic next door under the old trees. There are a number of picnic tables and a large gazebo available. Might be a great idea if you have some kids with you!

They are open for business and inside seating (though there is outside seating available) during COVID-19! We stopped by for dinner. We had the hummus appetizer, and I had the Chicken Schwarma Pasta dinner. It was AWESOME! The food was great, and I highly recommend them. Stop by and check them out if you are in the area and are looking for some great Greek cuisine. You won't be sorry!

Great everything !! definitely recommend the combination pasta. Setting is very nice, waiter was on top of everything, the service was fantastic bravo cafe Petra

Best hamburger in town, grilled onions, mushrooms and Swiss cheese grilled to perfection!

Ok, so the food was great, we loved the food but the service SUCKED! I had to walk into the kitchen to get the cook to help find our server so we could get drinks. Lazy doesn't even start to describe the servers. The guy was so lazy it looked like he couldn't walk without leaning against the wall. No management at all when it comes service, no drive or caring about the customer. Food good, service horrible

So there we were in St. Francisville, hungry after having toured the Rosedown plantation and looking for something tasty on a Sunday. We drove past another well-known restaurant and it was clear that they weren't taking social distancing seriously, so we decided on a whim to try Cafe Petra. What a delightful and unexpected surprise! I had a pretty typical gyros plate with the usual Greek salad and rice, and my wife had a vegetarian platter. We both vacuumed up our food with aplomb, and I can confirm that both of our meals were absolutely delicious. The service was excellent, and the atmosphere was perfect. A real gem of a restaurant, and one that we're excited to go back to.

Was in town with a friend on the weekend and found one of the few restaurants still open. The food was very good. We had the Moussaka and it was not fresh but still very good along with a great salad and babaganoush.

one of my favorite places in town !! i can never get enough of cafe petra ! if you're debating going here let me tell you just go it's so worth it !! their food is perfectly seasoned, sweet staff, and calm ambiance all paired with amazing food.

The lamb kabobs are decent and so is the halloumi cheese. Gyros taste like gyros. Feta salad taste like feta salad.

Food was excellent. Service too. 2nd time eating here. We will be back. Beautiful place.

What a great spur of the moment experience! We came Into town with the intent to eat at another place, but they were closed. Turned out to be the best of luck for us! I eat primarily plant based foods and my husband eats primarily meat based foods. We were both SUPER pleased with our food. Service was "ok"... but everybody has the right to an off day here and there. The food makes up for anything else anyway! We will be back!

Well this place was a pleasant surprise. The food was excellent and very fresh. Best tzatziki I ever tasted! The server was very pleasant and attentive also.

Really enjoyed this place! Food was great, service was good. Plenty of food. I look forward to having my leftovers for lunch tomorrow!

" Food Was Tasty, But Too Expensive " I stopped in to the Al Aqaba since I was having a craving for a Gyros Sandwich. This Restaurant has entertainment, Belly Dancing Women, Hookah Pipes, Full Bar and a wide variety of Lebanese food. I had the Gyros Plate which came with warm Pita Bread. The meat was very tasty, the portion was Ok, the price of $11.95. Which is very pricey compared to what I can get the same plate for in San Diego Ca. But I was very surprised they had this type of restaurant in St. Francisville.

I had been craving a light meal for DAYS by the time we wandered up to St, Francisville. Meal was delicious, fresh and did not disappoint. Staff were friendly, clean, and taking plenty of extra precautions. Everything was cooked well, and our portions were perfect. If you don't mind something floral, try the Lebanese tea. It was the PERFECT refreshment for this sticky weather. I'll be sure to come back and try a few new things before we head north again!

Noisy but delicious food. Servings are more than adequate. They will let you order kids serving which is perfect for me.

The food was good and service was fine, but I was very, very disappointed with the dessert. I do not usually get dessert - I ate all my lunch plate, but was so happy to see "turtle cheesecake" on the menu. So I decided to get it. The cheesecake itself was not bad - but it was not turtle cheesecake, it was just partially chocolate. No caramel. No pecans. There was no description of what it was, but I'm expecting some chocolate, some caramel, and some pecans if the dessert title has the word "turtle" in it. I would not have ordered dessert if I'd known it was going to be a piece of cheesecake that was half regular, half chocolate with chocolate drizzled on top.

The only Mediterranean place in the area. They have the standard items. Nothing special and the service could be better but it's a good occasional change of pace if you live in the area.

We came back after there rebuild. The decor is similar to before. I ordered the Meza. This is a sampler of all the basics. The food was really good. I had not tried Baba Ganoush before. I really enjoyed that with the gyros. The humus was really good also, they added something that really made it special. I still have not figured what they added. This is a great place to get Greek food. We stopped in for dinner and i ordered the ribeye steak. Its not the norm for a greek restaurant, but it was extremely good. The cook on the meat was perfect as ordered. They had grilled onions on top of the steak. They also provided a sauce for the steak on the side. It was very good with the steak. Its very spicy(hot). Loved it. I also ordered a desert called ashta. This is phyllo dough filling with a pudding and a simple syrup on top. If you like phyllo dough, you will love this. Please check out the photos and try it

Updated review my husband and I went for lunch tonight . Sadly they brought my husband's food way before mine and he was basically done before I started ! It's definitely important to bring peoples food out together . I'm not going to drop the stars bc of one bad visit. Great food and great service ! My mom and I have been waiting for them to reopen she went last night and wanted to go back so we went for lunch today. The menu has many different choices that other Greek restaurants don't offer. I had went to Cafe Phoenicia over the weekend so I wanted to try something different from my normal pick. We ordered a fried cheese for our appetizer I ended up getting the vegetable plate which you got to choose four items and it came with a salad for $14.95 .My mom got the souk sandwhich served with hummus and salad for $10.95 The food- The Food was delicious I do have to admit I liked my moms souk sandwhich better than my vegetable plate. I will definitely be getting that sandwhich next time ! The souk sandwhich is a pita filled with beef tenderloin pieces with red onions, tomatoes , and tahini sauce it's simply mouthwatering and amazing to the pallet! My food was good it just didn't compare to the souk sandwhich. The fried cheese was delicious as well! They put a delicious but interesting green sauce in the hummus. They also have the Petra sauce which is yummy too. My mom is obsessed with the tahini Service - We had great service from our waitress and the owner came to check on us twice he was very nice ! Atmosphere- It's a warm casual restaurant I live the waterfall feature . I also like the colorful lantern lights . All in all I will definitely be returning to get the sandwhich !

Awesome every time!!! Food and staff wonderful. Makes crossing the bridge worthwhile.

We dropped by last night. The patio was nice with all the lights, I snapped a pic. St. Francisville is a neat little town. I'm glad they have variety in their restaurants. This one is recently renovated. Don't you like the lanterns? They had foreign music playing as well, which added to the atmosphere. Cafe Petra is a family friendly restaurant. We sat at the bar but it was very chill. I got a lemon drop but I didn't like their recipe for it too much. The bartender apologized and remixed it with more sugar for me like I asked, which was nice of her. Apparently the burgers take longer to cook, if not for that I think we would have gotten our group's food sooner. But he said it tasted really great. The rest of us got lentil soup, Mediterranean hummus, fried cheese (SO GOOD), and chicken shwarma, and the house salad. They have good grecian sauce. I am not a huge fan of hummus in general and this one didnt win me over. My friends just love it though, so to each their own. The pita bread was too thin and hard in my opinion. Maybe it just wasnt fresh. But overall really on par with my other favorite greek place. Thumbs up.

Found this jewel after a long hike. We ordered the fried cheese which did not disappoint. The server, Kate, was amazing- very attentive and pleasant. You can tell she enjoys her job. She suggested we save the oil from the cheese and add to our chicken shawarma wrap. So glad we did as it added extra deliciousness to the meal. Would recommend this place!! Oh, and the little box your ticket comes in is precious. It added to the fun and added to the decor.

We have stopped here a few times. The food is very good and the prices reasonable. I like the outside deck in mild weather. I'd recommend the gyros sandwich or platter. It's my favorite!

Combination platter was very good and very fresh.. generous serving and good service .. late lunch but not crowded and plenty of space for a group if needed. Really good Lebanese tea! Give this local spot a try!

We really enjoy this place ever since it opened. The food is fantastic and a stark departure from the usual fare of the area. I especially like, in these trying times, that the entire staff adheres to the state's mandates for safety and follows PPE protocol. Everyone was wearing a mask, from food runners to servers, bartenders to kitchen staff. Try the Lebanese tea, it has a nice floral tone from hibiscus and rosewater. Skip the apps and try the Meza plate which is a large sampling of their most popular dishes. Don't be fooled, the smallest portion for 1 goes a long way. Also, the fried Haloumi cheese is very tasty!

Service was much to be desired. Mix up on food, too busy to listen what was needed and still messed up order, never asked if we needed anything after food was delivered until the check was ready... then she was on it and the tip. Won't go back when there are awesome Lebanese restaurants all around the area

This is one of my favorite restaurants for dinner. Very prompt at seating you and have drinks out right away. The menu has lots to choose from, something for everyone! My favorites are the beef kabobs, chicken kabobs and the chicken shawarma pasta! This last visit my Dad got the fried shrimp and loved them! They weren't your frozen popcorn shrimp for sure. Wait staff is always friendly and helpful with any questions you may have! If you haven't eaten here, i would head on over and give them a try! You're most likely to leave with a to-go box due to large portions!

Great Mediterranean food in St. Francisville ! Glad my group and I decided to dine here after our Mrytles Plantation tour. Large portions of legit Mediterranean food! This was a great break from all of the Cajun and creole cooking we had ate while in New Orleans up until that point. I recommend the chicken shawarma! Delicious!

They catered a dinner for an event at our church and did an awesome job! I highly recommend trying their Lamb!

The food here remains incredible and beautifully presented. I'm so happy to have this local gem!

Delicious Authentic Lebanese! I was very surprised to find out that this delicious restaurant has been in Saint Francisville for so long and I never knew about it. We have our favorites in Baton Rouge, but this is really a gem. It's a MUST TRY!

Have been to this place several times and it is frequented by a lot of office-goers in the area. The place was recently revamped and it looks super! Larger seating areas, full bar, TVs; overall a very nice ambience - be it for a quiet date or a large gathering. Looks like they have a patio in the making... They've got THE most important thing right for a restaurant: FOOD. It has all the standard Mediterranean dishes like Shawarma, Gyro and the new menu has added items like Fish, Burgers and Sandwiches (Petra sandwich is awesome) which provide plenty of variety. Vegetarian options are also available (yay!). I have personally tried the Chicken Shawarma (Plate and Sandwich), Petra Sandwich, Veggie plate and Chicken Spinach salad. For a small town like St. F, this place is thriving. I wonder when they'll start delivery! Nom nom nom....would definitely recommend.

It's been a while since I have provided a review and I must admit, I owe many stars which I will be sure to distribute soon. However, I could not wait a second to share this ZERO star experience. First, my family and I enjoy Mediterranean cuisine and consume it very frequently which may contribute to a standard. I do take this into account and believe in a fair perspective. Three entrees with slightly above average dinner pricing included ZERO flavor. I'm truly baffled how this restaurant has multiple reviews with any stars whatsoever. I smell a conspiracy, it's sooooo bad. These folks must not know what good food and good service is. Not kidding. Salad dressing had ZERO flavor. How is this possible? The pasta had white sauce comparable to that of a store bought jar with a squeeze of lemon juice. The requested crispy/well done chicken was substituted for the slightly cooked and cut hours-earlier version. The meat moussaka was average and the only positive was that it did not come soaked in grease. However, it was oddly served before the other entrees. Hummus without a single slice of pita- apparently this is okay at Petra. No refills until it's time to pay is also okay at Petra. Good news, refills are communal because when returned in the same glasses they are randomly passed out to your table lol. Though there was certainly not a need to take the almost full uneaten portions home due to it being matter, a box was requested. Petra agreed, they'd rather the matter not be removed because a box was not provided. Neither was a tip. But take this one, drive to Zachary's Cafe Phoenicia for great food and great service. Don't waste your time and money here. ********update. The owner reached out which I respect and applaud. A refund was offered and declined. I provided sought details and recognize that one-off experiences do occur. I'm hopeful that our experience was an anomaly.

If I was rating this based solely on the food, it would be a 5/5 stars. I can't, however, because the service was less than it should be. I've had better experiences here, so this is only in reference to my most recent experience. Our server was very disinterested and otherwise it seemed that serving us was a chore. The other issue was that the Mediterranean hummus was not served as advertised--while it was still good, it was missing both sundries tomatoes and pickled garlic, both of which certainly would have added to the depth of flavor. I liked that the hummus was heavy on tahini because I am a fan of it but some might find it a little too sesame-tasting. I thoroughly enjoyed the lentil soup--one of the best I've had to date--with the crunchy toasted pita bits which were flavorful and added great texture. One new dish that we tried was the Petra chicken and I am certainly glad we did. I like strong flavors and it delivered with the Mediterranean spices. I would definitely order it again, and probably share it again, because it was a large portion. In summary, I will go back. The food has always been good--but I surely hope that the servers even pretend like they're happy to be there next time.

Great food. Amazing dessert. Service was great and our food arrived quickly. Dont get turned away by the dated decor. If you are looking for some good middle eastern food, al aqaba hits the mark.

Y'all do NOT have to travel all the way to Jordan to experience amazing Greek and Lebanese food! The first time I ate here was when Cafe Petra was Al Aqaba. I was not impressed with the vibe of the restaurant, but they came back full swing with Cafe Petra! Total renovation, with an attached deck and walk up bar window! The lanterns/ light fixtures had me in awe! The food has NOT changed (thank goodness) but the menu has changed, for the better. They have more Burger options, as well as Pastas, and Fish. My most favorite dish there is the Mediterranean Hummus and Lentil Soup with a scoop of rice. I could probably eat it everyday of the week! The pita bread is always hot and fresh in the basket and served with my appetizer. I also love how the kitchen staff is always ready to adjust their food to meet my high maintenance preferences lol ( example; no rice , extra salad. Or crispy chicken shawarma with extra spice). This place has performed a literal miracle, my father HATES Greek food, but I dragged him there for dinner one night and the rest is History. He has dined there multiple times since and this place has turned him into a Humus eating fool. He just can't get enough of it! The waitresses are super friendly and always ready to get me whatever I ask for. The owner is super kind also, whenever he is there he makes an effort to talk with all the customers and make sure they are happy and enjoying their food. This will forever and always be my #1 place to bring out of town guests! Not to mention they have live music on Thursdays ;)

Dinner was amazing! Just a few things to consider. First, the steak tortellini has no tortellini. Lol! Fortunately when we ordered it our server told us up front that there was no tortellini in it. The salmon with crab meat was great. The combo platter was tasty. However the desserts were underwhelming. They sounded really great but failed to deliver. The service was definitely above average. I had a hard time making up my mind and asked the server to surprise me. She did a great job.

My family & I loveeee this place! As of 12-18-18 it is currently closed due to a fire renovation. We CAN NOT wait for it to re-open hopefully sometime mid Jan '19. I believe they serve the best hummus I have ever eaten! The Lebanese tea is spot on I also have to highly recommend the lentil soup with a side of rice. All of the servers are extremely helpful & friendly. They seem to work together like a small little happy family. I've noticed that they don't seem to mind helping each other with their tables. Which makes for an attentive dining experience. You absolutely MUST try their Jordanian coffee!!! It is delicious...especially if you prefer a strong smooth dark brew. Ask for Mansour...he is the owner & will ensure you receive a 5 experience!

As a vegetarian, I am thrilled to have Petra Cafe as an option in St. Francisville, LA. The selection and quality is excellent. The service is quick and friendly. There is plenty for the carnivore to choose from as well. While I didn't partake at the bar, it appeared to be well stocked. And outdoor dining space is also available. We got ours to go and it was packed up nicely to take on our picnic. I'd post photos of the food but it is all gone.