Hayat

The food quality is actually good, and you’ll enjoy your meal. However, the atmosphere could use some improvement. For example, it would be better to separate hookah and no-hookah tables because some people are allergic or sensitive to smoking.

Top notch place. First time visit I was greeted well and they took my takeout order. The place was very clean and smelled good. Ordered the Red Lentil Soup and Greek Salad. Both were fresh and delicious. I work around the corner, so will definitely return for lunch.

It’s always a treat to visit anytime I have friends in from out of town. I always take them here. The food is amazing, and the atmosphere is unmatched. I do recommend going at night and also checking their specials, for they have hookah specials on Wednesday, I believe.

It was a great experience. Our server was nice helped us through the process. We ordered a salt chicken; cooked inside a solid salt. Portion was big, perfect for three people. I gave three stars for atmosphere because of smell, my wife didn't like it. It was basically lingering hookah or Sheesha smell. Will definitely come back to try some lamb dishes.

Me and my family stopped by for lunch today and really enjoyed ourselves! I suggest going by 2, 3, or latter in the day. Takes them a little while to get the full menu up and running. But the food was fantastic, the pricing very fair, and the experience was wonderful. Special mention of our server Daryna. She was very helpful, informative, and gracious. She helped make our experince.

Loved it! We ordered the whole chicken in the flaming salt pack. (I can't remember what it was called.) It was tasty and it was awesome to be served from a BALL OF FIRE. The staff was very friendly and accomodating. The Middle Eastern decor created an ideal atmosphere. It was reasonably priced and we got more food than we could eat. (Three appetizers were included with the meal.) We will definitely go back. Tip: The innocent looking pepper 🌶 is really hot. 🔥

Great food and great customer service. Our waitress was very attentive and welcoming. The restaurant was very clean and nicely decorated. The seats are cushioned well for you to relax after you eat and partake in Hookah. There are two outside dinning areas. One in the front and the other on the side with a privacy fence. The parking lot was well lit and private security was visible.

I went for dessert and was greeted by a male server who gave me a menu and told me to order with him when I was ready. I asked for recommendations for dessert to go and he recommended the baklava. It came out in a timely manor and I was off put by the price of one piece of baklava. It was $13 and change after tax and when I got the order it was very light. I looked in the box and was disappointed at the size of the piece I received. That disappointment went away as soon as I had the first bite. It was small but packed with pistachios and so much flavor. It was light and delicate with sweet flavor not too strong. I was very impressed by the dessert and can’t wait to go back and try the dinner menu. Thank you for a great experience.

I went to the venue with a group of friends and enjoyed the atmosphere. We tried some Hookah, which was entertaining. Despite the weekend crowd, the staff was well-organized and provided excellent service.

Where should I start? Low quality food, music so load which we had problem talking to the waiter, or the fact that they charged us three times for one check? Let's start with the most annoying, the day after we did the mistake and went there for spending some time with friends, I saw two transactions on my credit card for the same check, and obviously I disputed one of them and obviously the credit card company canceled one the transaction, but here comes the fun part. Next time one of my friends went there( without me) the owner told them that you disputed the transaction for last check and now you owe us money!!!! And they paid them again. So I would call this super bad management or theft and robbery in day light!!! Stay away from this place as long as and as far as you can!

This place was empty when my coworkers and I came for lunch (only one other group here). Service was quick and the waiter was nice and helpful, if not too chatty. I got the koobideh kabob. The portions here are huge. I think the plates should be a little bigger bc cutting your meat and eating was a little messy with the rice spilling off the side. The tea was very strong and delicious. The restaurant itself was beautiful with patterned tables and chairs and pillows. They also offer hookah here and have a stage in the back for live music/performances. Can't wait to come back!

The food was delicious, but sadly the service is absolutely terrible! They had one server for the whole restaurant, so everything took forever to come. Be prepared to wait a long time for everything if you go.

I love this place!! The overall ambiance is perfect for a get together with a couple of friends. Maybe some tea time, lunch, or hookah sesh. Or if you prefer a more energetic vibe, you can come on a Fri/Sat night where they have a belly dancing performance and live Dj! I've seen it get pretty lively some nights with people dancing and having a good time. Hookah is great, just what I'd expect. And I'm always pleased with the kebabs. Chicken, beef, you name it; they are all quite delicious. It's hard to pick a favorite dish...but the chicken options are my go-to. Overall, I can easily recommend this place. I've been here plenty of times with friends+family, and I will continue to return!

So great! This place is an underrated gem. We came here and reserved the salt-baked lamb shoulder in advance which comes with 3 appetizers as well as basmati rice and roasted tomatoes and peppers. Delicious! They baked the lamb at table-side which is wrapped in foil and under salt. The salt is set on fire and the whole thing is very theatrical. We got falafel, baba ghanoush, and another eggplant dip. Everything was so delicious and flavorful; the lamb came off the bone without needing to cut anything. Highly recommend!

It's a hidden gem for sure!! When here you must order the lamb shoulder! Enough to feed 4-5 people, delicious sauce, unique presentation and it's an experience!

Fkn terrible they lucky I can't give 0 they want 25 as a entrance fee In weekends bullshut

Saw their advertisement on tv and we immediately drove to Hayat ! Big lamb shank with more then enough rice foe 14.00 is affordable considering when i go to other place for just lamb its way to expensive. This bing shank is big i mean big and wis wnough for two persona and a rice. Me and my husband share it and then we order pizza which is really good also !

I call before I came drove thirty minutes no one was here I was the minor of magnificent colour lighter shade I own the right this term Yvonne T. Mitchell the waiter was about to sit me and the with rotten yellow teeth ask for my number just in case they have open reservation they will call me

It was like Love at first bite... Recently tried @hayatcafehouston and we had such a great experience. Not just their food was great but the staff was so friendly. We ordered their Mix Grill (good for two) it was a combination of 3 different kabobs and came with 3 different sides. We got humus, baba ganoush and fries and all the three sides were delicious. Last but not the least I ordered their Kanafa and hands down it's the best I've had in Houston! Will definitely go there to try more of their menu items.

This place is soooo freaking awesome, Really nice waitress I got a cappuccino nice and smooth, lemon mint smoothie was so refreshing really good , food super delicious

We had an enjoyable lunch here recently. The three of us shared the Testi Kabob which says it is for two but was more than ample for the three of us girls for lunch. It is a lamb stew cooked in a clay pot which is brought flaming to the table and makes for a dramatic presentation. It comes with three appetizers so we chose falafel, yogurt with cucumber and baba ganoush. The last was exceptional with a delicious smoky flavor. Our server was friendly and attentive. The paper menus don't offer much detail but if you scan the QR code on the table you get a more detailed menu with pictures that was very helpful.

this place is a ripoff, cash only. Otherwise, you must pay 20% CC charge and the tip is enforced to %18 like or not. wondering, cash is encouraged, is owners trying to cheat IRS.

My first time trying Turkish food; I didn't know what to expect but I had an amazing dinning experience. The service was great, and the food was DELICIOUS (big enough to feed 4). I'm so glad I got to try this place. 5/5

Terrible service!!!! Worst waiter i have seen over the last few years. Ground meat kabab was not fresh made from old meat. Kunefe extremely dry with no syrup. Not going to this restaurant again!

Delicious food!! The service was great!! And the environment was friendly. We enjoy seeing A belly dancer lady and the music was contiguous!

Food was not hot fresh! We were a party of five asked for water for beverages and was brought out 5 random water bottles and charged us $1.45 each, thus $7.25. They included gratuity tip in the bill and charged us a 4% non cash fee. Definitely ANOTHER COMING BACK

Food was ok. The best part was the knafeh. Hot and fresh. Best Knafeh in Houston! Mix Grill

I absolutely loved this Yemeni restaurant. They have huge portions and the meat is soooo tender that it falls off the bone. Service was implacable and they serve to please.

Bad customer service first the hookah was so bad u pay lot u smoke it for 5 minutes then is not good anymore

My coworkers decided to choose a place for lunch on a cold day. All of us wanted to do ramen or a soup place however we had one recommendation for hayat so decided to go there around noon on a weekday. When we arrived it was completely empty and we had a party of 8 people- I ordered a veggie pizza. It took 45 mins to come out. All of us ordered together and we were getting a bit irritated so we asked how long our food would take. The waiter stated they were waiting for everyone's food to be done to bring all of it out at once. We stated it's ok just bring it out when it's ready. They started bring the food out and when we got our food it was hot. I tasted the pizza felt like it needed some spice so asked for chili pepper and they brought me a different type of crushed pepper which seemed a little more mild than the normal pizza crushed pepper but was still good. Overall we got out of there in one hour and 45 mins. The food felt like it took forever! We won't be back due to that reason - although we were the only party, we were big but still was hoping to get out maybe in an hour and 15 mins max. The bill came out to be around $13 for a decent size pizza. I'd recommend calling beforehand and picking up instead of coming in if your on a time crunch.

I Had high hopes with this place. Unfortunately It didn't turn out any good. Location, seating area and the ambience are good. The weather was pretty cold on the day we went there for lunch. It was pretty chilled inside. they just ignored my request to turn the heater on. That itself was a big disappointment and to top it off the food wasn't any good either. We ordered the salt baked lamb. The meat and rice was just bland. In fact the meat even smelled. The appetizers were Ok though. Having spending over $80 for that kind of experience, its definitely a NO for me!

Quality of food isn't good, and on top of that the charge you 4% for credit charges without advance notice. I really don't recommending this restaurant

The old new year's party was a blast! Strong points: good food for moderate prices; great service, BYOB! Weak points: hummus and cucumber yogurt were rather bland; hot inside, no fresh air. A crowd of around 100 people crammed inside a small room, smoking hookahs and doors shut! Overall: yes, loved it! Will be back!!

The food and the service was good except the hookah , there's no charcoal guy going around so you might be waiting around to get more.

We had a great experience in this restaurant. First time we came there was during the winter storm and this place was surprisingly open. Service was slow but good, everything came out hot and fresh. We got chicken kabob, chicken shawarma sandwich and grape leaves. Everything was tasty! The other time I was there I got Greek salad and babaghanoush. Food was great both times! And the ambiance is just great there, very colorful and vibrant!

Cancer causing smoke !!! Worst place too much smoke ... please go to Nara it's much better

As a business owner I don't like to leave bad reviews. I give suggestions. At Hayat resturant It was my very first time. Also I took under consideration that all businesses are trying their hardest due to the pandemic. Well we came in with a group of 4 adults & 4 kids walked in and the entire cafe smelled like a smoking chimney inside definitely not a place for some one with "asthma issues" We asked if we can sit outdoors and was pointed to walk around outside where the patio was. Well we went to the outdoor patio & waited for 20 min& we were getting little impatient & My wife called the resturant & said we been waiting out in the patio to get a menu & to have some one take our order. Luckily a server name " Hassan" came and gave us the menus & took our order immediately & it took 30 min to get our food we were about to all head out because we were felt like no one was really attentive of the outside until we called& got Hassan as our server. Well we ended up getting our food 40 min after ordering & Quantity that was served to us was very good portions and the food was "Delicious" just the wait & need more manpower in the resturant. Also just a suggestion being in houston you should consider putting outdoor fans with Mist blowing for customers who can't sit inside due to the Hooka smoke. Price: it was slightly on the expensive side but the taste was well worth every $. But over all the food was delicious & I will come back again in future & hopefully y'all will have the fans for outdoor.

I've been there once. I loved the resturant. You should try Testi Kebab (clay pot kebab), and Salt Baked Lamb Shoulder. Loved loved loved the music. Recommended..

Very welcoming and attending staff. Great service. Not gonna lie they have the best hookahs in town that lasted for hours. Great for both families and friends.

We are picky about quality and authenticity and we're extremely happy with our lunch.

We went Saturday night and we didn't have reservation, they asked if we had reservations and we said no, they said you can sit outside, we were waiting about 45 minutes and nobody came out to take our orders and we left hungry. If you can't take more customers you could say we just accept reservations. They only had 2 waiters working for the whole restaurant.

Great environment. They have good food. I was there Saturday night and they had live music and belly dancers. Pretty cool. Def recommend this place.

I like the atmosphere and decor in this restaurant. The food is very good too. They have Persian food, Turkish and Arabic food on their menu. We go there often.

Food was great loved the service!!! Definitely coming back for that knafah! Ramadan kareem l.

the rice is not well cooked and the receptionist is not helpful at all, I had to wait an extra 15 minutes for my food because he didn't get the correct orde.

We went to Hayat Cafe on Saturday with my daughter and we had so much fun. The food was great, the dj was playing great music, the service was wonderful and the people were nice and friendly. I recommend Hayat Cafe to everyone.

Hayat cafe is such a great place for enjoying .The food was delicious. Food : kabob with basmati rice was very testy full of flavor so tender ,healthy and grilling.I highly suggest Hayat cafe anytime 11pm till 3am .if you want fresh and healthy food after 12am amazing place @ Houston My recommendations : Food: sultani kebab w rice 2.testy kabob Desert: kenafe with ice cream. And amazing hookah and nice hookah men (Hasan )

The best persian spot here in Houston 10/10 highly recommended! Hassan is the most friendly person ever highly recommended

She was so rude, I think you guys need to teach your waitress how to behave. As a customer I'd like to see someone who is respectful.

This place was a disappointment, with extremely poor service staff and inhospitable management. We visited this place last Friday evening for a table of four we had reservations made in advance while making those reservations no one told us we had to reserve food ahead of time. We had an extremely poor experience when we entered and we're seated we waited about 20 minutes no one came to our table to introduce themselves or take our order at which point we got up and asked the manager for menus he gave them to us without even questioning why. The waiter still didn't come to our table yet in the meantime the manager came back and asked if he could have the menus BACK because he needed them for other tables we let him know that we've been waiting for about half an hour and no one had taken our order When we finally got to order, the waiter was frustrated that we each had a dish to order and literally abandoned the table half way through said "he can't spend this much time here, he has to get to another table" he didn't take our appetizer orders and when we eventually ordered they brought out food, water, drinks, appetizers all at the same time (almost an hour after we'd been seated and asking for water/to order) Food was mediocre and we were treated so extremely poorly by all service staff. They ad no concern for us and we were prohibited from ordering most of the menu because apparently we had to book it in advance. Dessert took so long to make we ended up canceling since we'd been at the establishment for so long. Food was mediocre and extremely disappointing for the treatment we received to get it.

Glad we stopped by this place. It's new so the service was a bit slow but the food made up for it. We ordered the Hayat family Testi kabab and the Salt baked whole chicken. It was sooo delicious I would 10/10 recommended both family platters. The atmosphere was a whole Mediterranean vibe. I would definitely reccemd this for family and friends! They also have hookah if you are into it. They are open till 4 am which is a plus.

I ordered to go and I was really satisfied with the food quality I don't know how the in person experience is but I'd recommend ordering to go 100%

I'm giving this place this rating because the food was better than their service. Very slow service and lack of customer service. They promised me 10 mins and it took 30 minutes. Then to top it off his credit machine on his main computer terminal wasn't working and he blamed it on me and my credit card company. When I told him to use the little credit card machine that you actually see at all the stores, restaurants and other businesses, it amazingly worked. After that there was no apologies. He was dumbfounded and just didn't care or probably a combination of both. Will NOT be visiting here again.

The food was very good; much better than I expected it to be. The service was very slow. People eating lunch on a Thursday need to get back to work. Speed it up!

Exceptional and very flavorful food. The lamb platter was so tasty and the presentation just added to everything. I ran across this place on TikTok and loved the interior setting and the chill atmosphere. Me and my family (6 people and 3kids) were able to be seated quickly and spread out from other tables. The only downside was the wait time for food. It took about 30-45 min to get our food but they seemed understaffed so that's understandable. But the food made it worth it. Beautiful presentation and delicious food. They also stay open late which is convenient in the pandemic time and you crave late night food.

Although it's a café as the waitress mentioned, their food is worth having a smoke free area. I am not a smoker but went there for food and the moment I opened the door a strong hookah smell came into my lungs and I started coughing. I told the greeter I wanted a smoke free table he said they didn't have any smoke free areas. The place was full of little kids and I don't think it's fair for them to be in that toxic place. This should be against the law anyway. Food was good. Please do not lose customers because of that poison. Not everyone wants to smoke or inhale toxic air from smoking. I have been coughing ever since I entered that place and won't go back to it ever again! Update: I woke up at 4 am coughing real bad. I couldn't sleep all night. This place is the worst! Please don't go there if you have kids or are not a smoker. Smoke is awful there and so harmful. They don't respect others health.

I've been here twice. First time we ordered a hookah and a pot of tea. The waiter was offering us every few minutes to refill the pot and we excepted it to be free but when we got the check, we realized that we charged 4 times for 4 pots of tea (4*2.99). That was okay and we thought it may be our mistake. Second time, we went there and again ordered same thing. Amazingly, no one offered us to refill the pot and we were okay with that. But this time, they charged us for 4 glasses (we were 4 guys) for 1 pot of tea (4*2.45) and when we asked, they told us we charge every glass of tea once and the refill would be free. Each one of us spend only 4 dollars more at the end but I can't believe a business owner could do this for only 16 dollars. Definitely never gonna visit here again and hope they change their routine.