Best Lebanese?

[alakate]

Any suggestions for the best Lebanese food? Authentic kibbe, grape leaves etc.. Anywhere in Boston and surrounding areas. I have been to Samia's in West Roxbury.

[foodee]

Cafe Barada is on Mass Ave near route 2. They do have wine now. It's a wonderful little spot run by a family, great food and service. Best baklava, grape leaves and kibbe. I am also in love with the salad dressing...very simple, but delicious!

[lipoff]

Ah, I still mourn the loss of Skewers in Harvard Square. But yes, Cafe Barada is not bad at all. But I second the recommendation for El Basha in Worcester. Amazing kibbe and grape leaves, great people; although quite a trip from Boston.

[autopi]

can someone tell me where cafe barada is in cambridge? or are we talking about cafe baraKA, just south of central square?

[a l i c e]

Does Barada have wine?

[jandazza]

Barada! Barada! Barada! Best food and best service. The lentil soup is incredible and all I crave now with any cold I catch (sorry to Grandma's chicken soup). It is obviously homemade and the spices give it an unusual and exotic flavoring. The hommus is perfect and smooth and the grape leaves are fantastic and incredibley fresh.

[Chrispy75]

How about Shawarma King in Brookline?

[hiddenboston]

I like Shawarma King a lot. I keep forgetting about that place. The chicken shawarma is definitely worth getting there.

[Gordito]

We are all big fans of Shawarma king -- pay special attention to the specials menu when you get there. It's not such a great place to sit, best for takeout, but everything is homemade and we have yet to get a bad dish there.

[eatanddestroy]

I second both Byblos and Reef Cafe.

[cheesehound]

I second the suggestion of Reef Cafe in Allston--delicious food, and the people couldn't be nicer. The space is small but take-out is an option.

[elcaminogirl]

Byblos in Norwood is excellent. We always we get one of the family platters and it's all great.
Here's their site: http://www.byblosrestaurant.com/

[Rubee]

I haven't been since last year, but we really liked Reef Cafe in Allston, and the family is SO nice.

[hiddenboston]

I used to like Sepal for Lebanese food, but they are no longer in Watertown. Cafe Barada in Cambridge has excellent Syrian and Lebanese food. And the Reef Cafe in Allston also has excellent Syrian and Lebanese food.

[Science Chick]

I second Cafe Barada. My BF is Israeli and it is one of the few places we've eaten MidEastern out that we BOTH actually love. Prices a little bit higher than most of the others mentioned here, but well worth it. Reef is good, as long as the mother is around. Our experience is when she is not there, the food suffers tremendously. As for Sepal, I was sorry to see them leave, but they went downhill so dramatically in the past year that I figured something was up. Last time there (~4-5 months ago) I was served rancid, clear-colored olive oil, mealy hummus made from canned chick peas and dried-out reheated falafels. What a shame!

[coookie]

nevermind.

[PennyC]

Sepal has moved onto the MIT campus but is still open to the public.

http://www.sepaloncampus.com/

[hiddenboston]

They are just open for lunch, though, aren't they? I miss the one in Watertown, but yes, it did seem to go downhill a bit toward the end.

[lmuller]

The best Lebanese place that I have found is out in Worcester. El Basha is a family owned place that has expanded over the years to have three locations. This is the only place that I have found that really compares to my gramma's home cooking!

[fullbelly]

Norwood has some options for you. Cedar Market, and a couple of restaurants (tho the names are escaping me at the moment...)