Phoenicia Bakery & Deli

This is one of those places that reminds you that before there were fancy sit down restaurants, there were small hole-in-the-wall ethnic grocery stores making great food. Everything here was unbelievably good. I had the Falafel Special (wrap, $8) and my girlfriend had a chicken shawarma plate ($12). We both had baklava. I cannot recommend this place enough

Phoenicia Bakery has been among my favorites for over 20 years. Their dolmas are incredible, the special falafel is OUT OF THIS WORLD, and I have yet to have a better Gyro. To top it off, their pistachio baklava is delightful.

Oh my lordddd this was so delicious ~ plus authentic, quick, and cheap. Will be my new regular lunch spot without a doubt.

I absolutely love Phoenicia Bakery! Their lamb and beef shawarma is the best I've had in Austin— so flavorful and perfectly cooked. Their bakery items are also amazing, and their namoura is hands down the best I've tried in Austin. Everything is fresh, delicious, and made with great care. Always a favorite spot for me!

This place has the best manakeesh (cheese/zaatar bread) in Austin. They taste exactly like how they make them in Beirut. The dough was perfect and the flavor was 10/10. It’s also nice that they have basic staples for when we’re running low on our Mediterranean goods like labneh, pita bread, etc. Will be visiting again and again!

I love going into Phoenicia...the smells of their bakery are so welcoming. The ladies are always nice and attentive to my order! If you haven't been ...go!

Simply delicious and authentic. These market contains authentic Greek ingredients you can’t find elsewhere. You can order sandwiches, plates, and gyros at the counter - great size for the price.

Great family run operation. Have not been there for years. Forgot what their gyro was like. Had one. There were no olives in it and not sure if that was part of a cucumber or not. Maybe a little more tomato too. Meat was delicious! And sauce was good. Baklava was good. Good change of pace for sure. I miss the delicatessen from where I'm from. Good job.

I have always cherished the authentic culinary delights from Phoenicia Bakery & Deli. Among these, the homemade kibbeh has always held a special place in my heart. Its perfect blend of finely ground meat, bulgur, and spices, all lovingly hand-shaped and cooked to perfection, offered not just a meal but an experience that spoke of tradition and quality. Recently, I've noticed the shift to offering frozen kibbeh, and while it serves as a decent substitute, it doesn't quite capture the essence of the fresh version. The frozen kibbeh, though convenient and satisfactory in moments of craving, lacks the freshness, the distinct textures, and the warmth of homemade kibbeh that I've come to love and expect. I understand the challenges and pressures that might lead to such a decision, but I can't help but express how much the homemade kibbeh is missed. It was more than just food; it was a testament to the care, authenticity, and culinary excellence that Phoenicia Bakery & Deli represents. I kindly urge you to consider bringing back the homemade kibbeh. Its return would not only delight many of your patrons but also reaffirm Phoenicia Bakery & Deli's dedication to providing genuine, high-quality cuisine that connects us to culture and tradition in every bite. Thank you for taking the time to consider this request, and I eagerly await the day I can once again savor the unparalleled taste of your homemade kibbeh.

On a recent visit back to my hometown, my husband introduced me to the Phoenicia market off South Lamar. I had such a wonderful time perusing all of the different ethnic food and ingredients that you just can't find at your neighborhood grocery store. For example, the number of fig and date products at the Phoenicia amazed me. At the counter, you have a delectable variety of prepared international food, and desserts that you simply must try. We ordered a couple of different flavored baklava and being of Lebanese descent, I have to say that their baklava was one of the best I've ever had. I picked the pistachio and, the walnut. It was so flaky and gooey and just the right amount of sweet. There were all types of fresh breads, salami, seasonings, snack foods coffees teas whatever you would want to try especially from the Mediterranean area. We found several items that were perfect for gifting and have been received very well. I have heard they have these in Austin as well which I plan on visiting very soon as I ate all the baklava I bought already.

The place is a little confusing but it's 100% worth checking out. The staff was kind and I will definitely be coming back.

Was pleasantly surprised to see the variety of options for middle eastern culinary needs. From fresh bread, fruits, spices, and many many more things. Staff were friendly. It is a small space but they have packed lots of products there. A gray option for those living in South Austin.

Keto suggestions- I bought Greek salad and ordered 1/2 lb of lamb meat. Wonderful meal

Best Baklava I've ever had - hands down! And, I've been to Greece! It was so fresh, so flaky and delicious- just outstanding! It wasn't overly sweet or overly syrupy either which can happen at other places. Ladies that helped me at the counter were very kind. I did get a veggie lunch plate and it was delicious. I do wish they would have let me sub out the grape leaf sides for something else's but that wasn't allowed at the time. The store itself is packed to gills with Mediterranean food, fresh breads and pastries - I wanted to try everything! Can't wait to go back.

This place is a true gem and another example of why we need to support local and protect our mom and pop spots. Part deli parts store so much delicious goodness to have and discover Mediterranean and mini flavors of that area this is a must have. I grab some olive oil a few fresh seasonings some baked goods and a muffaletta loved every bit will be back soon!

The Muffaletta is best. This is a big sandwich. The crunchy olive and carrot combined with melty cheese creates a wonderful texture to compliment the flavors. Great!

Was in town with family and we stopped to get food. Parking lot can be an issue if it is busy, and there are only a couple small tables to eat at so plan on taking it to go. Service was great, ladies behind the counter were friendly, quick and helpful. Food was delicious, not a single complaint about anything we ate. The whole place smells like spices and it's magnificent. Aside for food you can get a lot of items like sweets, cookies, and teas from overseas. We purchased pickled garlic cloves.

This review is for the grocery store/ convenience store experience. They had made expired products still on shelves, so certainly take the time to check the date. When we pointed this out to them, requesting fresher inventory options, they got really rude. Many of their products are no longer uniquely sold at an ethnic store so next time, I'm buying my Lebanese za'atar spices and Greek oregano elsewhere.

I love this quaint little deli! They have a really great selection in their market area, as well as unique pastries and even sell meals to go. I've had both their gyro plate and the kafta plate, as well as fresh hummus, feta, tabouli, pita bread and pita chips from their market items. At times, Mediterranean food can lack flavor in my opinion, but Phoenicia does it RIGHT with the perfect punch of seasonings and freshness. The servings are huge and I can never finish the entire plate when I get one. I prefer the kafta plate over the gyro plate because of the leaner meat, but both are very tasty and it's just my preference! If you come for a quick meal, make sure you look around their fridges and shelves. There are some real gems! I love grabbing a random ingredient and making a dinner out of it. So fun and I'm a regular :-)

Love their pita bread and tabbouli. Especially love their mom and pop store and the fact that they've been here for decades!

Great baklavas and maybe the best I've had. They take card over $5. The have a variety of international products. There's also tables to sit outside.

Tried falafel sandwich and eggplant sandwich; bread is lightly crispy with soft center; delicious; not over salted; natural flavors

Best of the best. Everything Mediterranean at very reasonable prices. Great quality chicken shawarma sandwiches. Amazing selection of freshly baked Lebanese baklava and other desserts. The pita bread is by far the best in town. Family owned and run business with very friendly and engaged owners and staff.

Best baklava in the city...and really anywhere in the US I've ever lived. I love that it's essentially our little international neighborhood grocery with a stunningly large and diverse selection (I found haggis and Olivier salad for New Years!). I also highly recommend their prepared foods, like hummus, tabbouleh (they even have it with quinoa) and tomato green beans yum.

Good place but be aware...they will not accept returns even if the groceries or food items are bad. Case in point -- I am a regular customer and on my last visit I purchased pre-packaged nougats. For some reason, this time around the nougats were not fresh and the rose essence had a strong after taste -- enough to trigger an allergic reaction. The tow ladies at the South Lamar location refused to take it back. They said that the package was opened - how else can you figure out if something tastes bad! I even told them that I am willing to purchase the more expensive nougats. But they were hellbent on saying No!! Their logic was they could not sell an open packet. Very poor customer service and attitude!!!!

Hands down the best falafel wrap I've ever had that I'm literally eating as I type this!!! I've lived in Austin for 12 years and this is my first time trying the food here, and I will definitely be back! Everything is fresh and the tzatziki is making me have butterflies! Go here! You will NOT REGRET IT!

Sweet owners, great selection of middle eastern grocery items. We were curious seeing a bag of green almonds for sale on the counter and inquired how to eat them. The owner explained to us patiently about green almonds and the Lebanese tradition of eating green almonds as a snack in spring. He even gave us samples I picked up a falafel special and zataar special - some of the best I have had in years.

I've been going to this Phoenicia for almost 20 years. The place has looked the exact same for that time and the food has remained consistent, so the people complaining that it has "gone downhill" are giving me some nice LOL's. Know why this place is the real deal? You could pick it up and smack it down in the middle of Astoria, Queens and it would fit right in. Yeah, all the stuff on the shelves are dusty. That's probably 1/20th of their sales and to me only makes the authenticity factor top notch. Go for the best pita/Shawarma/Kefte in Texas. Pistachio baklava is addictive.

Great selection of Mediterranean/Middle East food. I love their zataar croissants - their customer service is A plus!

This is not something shiny superstore where you can grab a quick bite...its an authentic Austin original.

Hands down the best chicken shawarma in Austin, TX. I tried them all. Trust me. This place is inexpensive, easy to get to, and the traditional Middle Eastern wraps are exactly what you would find in a major cosmopolitan city - fresh garlic, chicken breast, the perfect pita bread. My quest is over. Time to get fat.

Before: hated falafel, baba ganoush, dolmas, and tabouleh Now: all of those things are delicious I'm glad I finally wandered in to Phoenicia Bakery. I picked up the vegetarian plate, fresh pita, baba ganoush, and hummus. Everything was amazing and tasty and changed my mind about food I long thought I didn't like. The store itself is fun and full of imported goods and pastries and bread. Thanks to the previous reviewer who pointed me in the direction of the back refrigerator which houses all the to-go items. Lots of cheese options too. Their deli menu is online but they also have daily specials. No vegan labeling so best to ask or know what you're looking for. Strict minimum $5 for credit card.

The place seems disorganized and unkept. I ordered some food based on the reviews...however I had a hard time finishing and enjoying my food after seeing how dirty the place is. I caught a glimpse of the kitchen behind the swinging doors...and also a small Office room which I think is left open because there is so much junk the door must not be able to be closed!! Like seriously it looked like it was from an episode of Hoarders. Junk filled to the ceiling! First of all FIRE HAZARD, second of all how are the able to sell food in such a dirty environment? The products on the shelves were filled with dust so I didn't want to buy anything else . I will say that the staff was extremely friendly-the owner just needs to get it together. Clean this place up!!!

First time visiting this place today. Like other reviewers, I'm not sure why I didn't try it before!The chicken shawama wrap was perfect! The portion is a little small but great for the price! If you were hungrier you could just get two and it would still be under $10. I also bought a few goodies from their pantry, which I cant wait to try! The owner greeted me while I was browsing and she was so sweet. Love this little spot!

An austin classic. The tabouli is so good and you can get things there you can't get anywhere else from around the Mediterranean and Middle East, define worth adding to any grocery trip!

I really wanted to like this place, but the two sandwiches I had on two different days were atrocious and wound up in the trash can. The "Muffaletta" was a pile of poorly cut meat and cheese, bizarrely taken to the kitchen in a pile and microwaved and served on a very soft roll that resembled a hamburger bun more than anything. T else. The olive salad was there, but had no taste. Several days later I ordered a tuna sub. There was enough sugar (!) in the tuna salad itself to provoke a gag reaction. Another throwaway. There msy be other things here that are better but I am not tempted to find out. It is really too bad because independent places like Phonecia are getting increasingly hard to find. I just wish their food was edible.

Phenomenal zaatar special (feta, zaatar, marinated onions and olives in a soft pita-like bread). Good selection of unique Middle Eastern ingredients and products (including kashke, baklavas, and different cookies). There are two outdoor tables but no indoor seating, unfortunately. There is free parking in the lot out front, though there aren't too many spaces.

Dis' place is da' bomb. Great hard to find stuff. Spices', teas, humas, flat breads etc. Can't pass on the pastrami sandwich. Best $6 sandwich the city.

We used to live up by the Phoenicia on North Lamar but never managed to get there. We now live on South Lamar and finally had a chance to check the South location out! Note: there is NO inside seating and only 2 two seater tables in front, so you'll likely be taking your purchases to go. Be aware that the prices on the menu are pretty out of date but the sandwiches are still a pretty good deal. We got the Beef Shwarma "sandwich" for $5.something. It took a while to get the sandwich even though we were the only people there so I would probably skip Phoenicia if I was in a hurry. We were initially disappointed when they gave us the sandwich. It was actually a wrap and we were sharing it so we were sure we were going to leave hungry, but the flavor was great and it was pretty filling. I was fine with my half and I think I still would have finished a whole but would have been pretty full. Phoenicia is also a middle eastern grocery and bakery store so while you wait for your food you can wander the aisles, get olives from the large olive bar, fresh feta cheeses, or check out the baked goods. Turnovers are good sized and $1 each (cherry, apple, apricot, guava, and a couple other flavors) and chocolate croissants were $1.50. I got apricot and guava turnovers and a chocolate croissant for later.

This one of my favorite spots to pick up lunch. I highly recommend the cheese bread special. It is very simple but amazing. I'm not sure what is in the bread they use but it takes the whole wrap to a new level.

Love love love this place. If you're looking for falafel or shawarma for lunch, don't be turned off the by the market/convenience store look of the place. There are plenty of Mediterranean dry goods crammed into the place (all well priced), but the freshly made food ordered at the counter and to buy from the refrigerated section is incredible. The tabouli is a must, and the falafel special wrap is to die for. Absolutely delicious. It comes with all the works: peppers, tabouli, hummus, tahini, turnip - all sorts of delicious veggies. It's a big portion too, well worth the price. I've ordered the falafel special and bought tubs of tabouli, hummus, baba, and dolmas from here many, many times. On Fridays, they sell special, large soft pita breads that I also highly recommend. I recently moved out of state, and this is one of the eateries I will miss most.

Delicious, and very friendly ownership. Inexpensive and super fresh. That also have a lot of really cool hard to find imported foods. It's a very cool spot. The attached photo is of the veggie falafel plate.

The pita, the falafel, the feta and the tzatziki are game changers. This is incredible and fresh Greek food. The service is fast and friendly, menu is posted on the wall and while you wait, which is a very short wait, you can shop the grocery aisles for unique products. Pick up extra dips and fresh feta from the fridges on the back wall.

Small gem of a grocery for foodies! As it specializes in Middle Eastern foods, the prices are better than, say, Central Market And Whole Foods. My favorite thing is that the buyer usually tries out something different and fun in the non-perishable section. t's a small place, so please have patience in the small aisles and as the committed long-time staff may be covering the register and different deli positions all at once.

Awesome place. Really nice people running it. A south Austin gem. I'm glad to see businesses like this doing well

Unfortunately Austin doesn't have a shinier Mediterranean market, but Phoenicia will do. I like the big tubs of Bulgarian feta, and the olives are cheaper than Central Market. Their premade potato salad is nice (at least at the North location, haven't tried it at this one). Also they sell nice, edible cucumbers and cute little eggplants.

This place was recommended to me by a Lebanese friend to goes here on a regular basis. The thing I like the best is the zaatar bread and the special mix olive salad. They also make an eggplant wrap that is very good. They sell Mediterranean cookies that are ok maybe a bit tasteless IMHO. I'm deducting a star for two reasons, the owners have thick Lebanese accents and if you don't understand what they are saying and need them to repeat something they get a little grumpy. Also it is quite dusty and unorganized. The place needs a good cleaning.

Always the friendliest!!! Yesterday I bought some fine Greek Olive Oil, and treated myself to two servings of baklava. Crispy and sweet, the treats were fresh and wonderful! I almost had to go back to get some more! My visit before, I purchased a fresh bowl of creamy poblano soup. Seriously folk, this stuff saved my life!!! I couldn't eat this bowl fast enough! I ate the first full bowl without even opening my crackers. Wonderful deli counter! Go try it for yourself!

BEWARE! This place is GROSS! Not only is this place dirty as hell the attitude of management is disgusting and rude. I was going to place a huge order for pita bread on a weekly basis which would have given them a lot of businesses but I'll take my business elsewhere.

A little grocery store that hides a bakery and greek food. I like to sneak in here for lunch (I thought it was a secret but I think there are a bunch of other folks that have figured it out). It's a mom and pop, but the gyros here are tasty. Pastries are also good - I like the turnovers!

I used to come here a lot but it's been awhile. Was very disappointed in this visit. I was craving a turkey sandwich and thought maybe they would have a good one. I have always liked their food. However, if you are looking for a turkey sandwich, this is not the place. There was literally no flavor.

Why is this the first time I have stopped in here? One of the only charming little ethnic groceries in South Central. Fresh pita on gyro for $4.49, WAY better than downtown kebabs starting at $10. It is crowded, and the service is slow, but it is cheap and delicious, and I will stay coming back. Nowhere really to sit and eat though, think of it as a grocery store that has a little deli counter. This place is great and I hope it never leaves!

I have witnessed the downfall of this place over the course of last 6 years. I don't know what happened to the old lady who owns/manages the store but seems like she doesn't care anymore. Fresh produce is consistently perished, store is consistently dirty and disorganized. The condition of this store is just an appetite killer, imagine what their kitchen looks like if their store is worse than a teenager's bedroom. Customer service was mediocre but yesterday, they literally resist to check me out. One of the employees was talking on the phone (private conversation). The old lady was idle, she looked at my face for 2 straight minutes and didn't care enough to take two steps, walk to the cashier and check me out. Burnet store is significantly better.

Used to live in the neighborhood and was not that impressed. Happened to be searching for Labne (kefir ) cheese ,no one in specialty Arabic markets seemed to know about. What a surprise!!!! I found galore of different kinds at Phoenicia! They have really expanded thir market !Love it ! Don't live in a hood anymore ,but will drive and do my shopping for otherwise non existent items over at Phoenicia ! Also the sour cherries Konfiture ! YUM

Most amazing women run this Bakery and Deli. They are very kinda and all the food there is authentic and amazing. I go there weekly and I'm never disappointed. Make sure to grab a gyro and a cheese croissant when you go.

I challenge anyone to find a better chicken shawarma. The tahini sauce, marinated chicken, fresh pita bread are as good today as they were at my first taste in 2003. Also great for Lebanese grocery staples like several brands of labneh and fresh baked zaatar bread.

While the building isn't flashy or new, the food and service are to die for! Homemade hummus and pita just hits different. Everything I've tried here I have loved. The beef shawarma is my personal favorite, but you really can't go wrong with anything you order! This is clearly a loved establishment, both by the community and the owners. If you're looking for a traditional, homemade flavor, Phoenicia is the place to go!

Been coming here for years. The best gyro in town and kibba too! It's an older shop next to all the new Austin building but it's a true gem.