Rashad N.
Yelp
I visited this restaurant the month they opened, and a few times recently.
FOOD:
On arrival, they bring out a large bowl of Arabic salad, freshly baked bread, some sauces, and some small sides -- all on the house.
The salad and bread are authentic and incredible.
Their smoked meat menu is largely weight-based (like a butcher shop), where you order the type of meat you want and tell them approximately how much you want (knowing that the minimum is around 1 pound for most items, and weights will vary).
They also have other items with standard prices, like chicken platters, sides, etc.
This is a smokehouse, so unless you like the flavor of smoked meats (i.e. the smoke flavor itself), you may not like what you're tasting.
But if you're into smoked meats - it's excellent. The meats themselves are seasoned, but not potently with other flavors. Largely, what you'll taste is the smokiness and the cut of meat (whether that's beef, lamb, or chicken).
There were a couple of details I wasn't fond of on my first visit -- which have since been resolved. For example, on our first visit, the rice was undercooked (crunchy/gritty). This has not been an issue at all the last few times we've been.
We've had:
- ribeye
- beef brisket
- chicken
- lamb chops
- beef shortrib
My favorites have been their beef short rib and smoked chicken.
AMBIANCE:
On the surface, the place has a similar vibe to a diner -- but then they add a few things on top -- background music, TVs playing fireplace videos, etc. Overall it's fairly casual and comfortable inside, and clean.
PARKING:
There is a lot behind the restaurant which I've seen people park in, and there's street parking.
PRICING:
For the quality of you're getting, I think the prices are extremely reasonable and fair.
The only 'call-out' to mention here is: like most places in the area (because certain folks are stingy), gratuity is automatically included. That's fine, and I think they only use 18% - which is lower than what I'd like to tip.
That said, the checks come predefined with checkboxes for tips -- so you can accidentally end up tipping 40-50% without realizing it.
I always tip on top of what's automatically calculated, to be over 20%, but it would be good to highlight this line on checks, which some restaurants do, for the sake of transparency.
AREAS FOR IMPROVEMENT:
It would be great if they accepted reservations online. Lots of customers come from further out in Jersey, and even NYC. The peace of mind of knowing you'll have a table would be great.
That said: we've never had a wait, nor have we ever been turned away, as a walk-in.
Apart from this, for a new customer: it would be helpful if the smoked meat menu was explained clearly by the servers - with suggestions of approximate amounts to order per person, and in writing (e.g. explaining the average size of each cut), on the menu itself, to take the guesswork out of it.
Before ordering, I asked several questions to understand how each cut was sized, and was able to get everything answered.
For example: I was told the beef short rib can be portioned close to pound-by-pound, and ~1 pound is decent enough for one person, especially if you have other meats on the table. Whereas, the lamb chops are sold as a rack, and can be around 1-1.5 pounds.
The staff is all very attentive, friendly, and helpful.
They'll bring you to-go boxes and a bag for any leftovers, and the food tastes great the next day.
