Aladdin's Cafe - Lawrence

Our first visit was because we had planned a trip to visit Jordan and was curious what to expect. Now that we visited Jordan for a couple of weeks we are even more impressed. Has all the vibe you would find in Amman. The dinner special included melt-in-your mouth tender lamb shank with rice, lentil soup or salad for $14.99. The lamb was more tender than any we ate in Jordan. Wonderful change of pace. We live a distance from Lawrence but YES, we will return...

If you are easily amused and think that Arabic music and Middle Eastern decor can take away from the below mediocre food here, then I highly suggest this place. I ate here in 2010 and I recall it being pretty good. We were in the area this weekend and stopped in. The tzatziki was runny and flavorless. The yellow rice was bland despite the awesome attempt at putting what may have been spaghetti sauce on it. The chicken shawarma platter was a good size portion and tasty but oily. The gyro platter had hardly any meat but that meat was very good. Savor those 5 bites. Save your money and get the gyro sandwich instead. The taboleh was a small portion, beyond salty and the cracked wheat was still hard. The lentil soup was the best thing we ate Bc it’s supposed to be that bland. To the gentleman running this place. Call mama, call your wives and have them show you how it’s done right Bc you forgot. If you don’t know any better and think pita bread and a chick pea equals Middle eastern cuisine You will love this place. Bathroom was clean though!

I had the Schwarma Chicken pita, which is served with a good sized scoop of Yellow rice (turmeric, I think, not Saffron). The salad is included in the lunch special. Others in my party had gyros, and chicken. They have a variety of menu items including shish-kabob, and even salmon. Of course, they have a wide offering of deserts from Baklava to cheesecake and Tiramisu. Prices were not at all as high as I expected after a several-years absence. As I recall, their Hummus is excellent, but do not gamble on my feeble memory. Parking can be a challenge, and the rear entrance is technically handicap accessible, but is quite a challenge for someone using a walker.

We opted to try the Aladdin as was well recommended by friends since we love Mediterranean food. The Aladdin did not disappoint! The humus was the best we’ve had and now I’m craving it as I write this. We’ve been twice already and everything we’ve tried has been fabulous!

I have long loved Aladdin Cafe; it's one of my top 5 in Lawrence. Recently had amazing lunch with 2 friends on the patio at front. The falafel with baba ghanouj sandwich was fantastic, as was the generous side of lentil soup. My friend had a side salad that was very large and full of good vegetables. The service was perfect. Their Mediterranean food is wonderful. Hope this restaurant goes on for many, many years.