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Habibi Restaurant (Closed) (Middle Eastern cuisine)  $$

 9.5
JaT Rating

3906 Washington Blvd, Fremont, 94538  (Directions)


510.659.9600


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Modest middle eastern restaurant located in the heart of Irvington.


Reviewer: Terry
Total Reviews: 739
Reviewed: 8/4/2004
Rating: 9.5
My photo gallery 		I dont eat much Middle Eastern food yet if all of the places were like Habibi I certainly would! Its the only Middle Eastern place I can goto where I walk away stuffed to the brim and willing to take on more food if it was on the plate. Usually Middle Eastern places dont have the quality goods and provide you with small portions. At Habibi, you are certainly paying for the prvilege to eat here ($10 for my traditional order of the Vegetarian Combo plate) but you walk away a satisfied soul.

Falafels - these are the best falafels ever. Not too greasy, moist inside, VERY flavorful without being too high in sodium.

Hummus - the best in the world. I hate runny hummus its gotta be almost like a paste. They put a good dose of lemon and are a little easy on the garlic. The mixture is pure heaven.

Pitas - standard Middle Eastern store bag of pitas. They are decent when fresh but nothing out of the ordinary.

Tabouleh - Ive had good or bad here. Sometimes its spot on and bursting with flavor. This last time it was a bit on the oily side but still quite flavorful.

Schwarma - When I used to eat meat I would order the schwarma and it was truly amazing. It did not let me down at all and was my standard order every time. (along with the Hummus).

The owners here are top notch people who are quick to chat about good food, the Almaza beer or the Middle Eastern channel that is constantly on the TV there.

It doesnt earn a 10 because of the somewhat high price but its very hard to knock it down too far because of the high quality food. There is no Middle Eastern place I have been to that rates higher. Way to go!
 
8.25
Agent Rating


Reviewer: Phuc
Total Reviews: 13
Reviewed: 9/30/2005
Rating: 8.5
My photo gallery		 Passed by this place going to class one day, and since I felt like something light (it was a hot day) I thought I would go in and try the veggie special I seen here on jatbar. Got there and service was nice. I ordered the veggie special and a mango drink.

The mango drink came out first. It was in a can but it tasted just like a mango, with added sugar.

The entree came out and it was about as much food as I would expect for a ten dollar dish. The falafel balls were a little bit on the dry side, but very flavorful. I don't have sensitive taste buds, so the hummus was a little plain for me, just needed a little more lemon and it would have been perfect. I don't know what the green thing on the plates was, but it was good with the meal. Rice was good and the pickles also. Olives I didn't like, as much as I try to like olives, I can't, unless it is on my pizza.

So, I will definitely be back here, good food, good portions, what more do you need? Next time I will get a meat plate.
 


Reviewer: Shannon
Total Reviews: 28
Reviewed: 3/7/2007
Rating: 8
My photo gallery		 I visited this restaurant for lunch at around noon on a Tuesday. There was no wait but a little lack of direction on what to do. People were around but not really giving us much attention. Instead of waiting, we decided to seat ourselves. Unfortunately it took a little while to be served but I'll give them the benefit of the doubt. It's a little place and they seemed busy. A grandma came out to take our order and was super sweet.

We started out with some Yabrak (grape leaves stuffed with meat). They give you 6 per order for $5.39. When the grandma brought it out, she told us that it is like Lebanese sushi which I thought was an interesting way to describe something... probably because yours truly looks like she could be Japanese. Anyhow, this appetizer was delicious. Grape leaves practically melt in your mouth and the rice was cooked to a perfect moistness. Flavors weren't overpowering either.

I ordered a Shawarma sandwich (lamb served with tomatoes, parsley, onions and Tahini sauce in pita bread for $5.69). I had to eat it with a fork and knife because as soon as I took one bite, the sauce practically covered my face and hands. The meat was a little dry and not as tender as I've had at other places. The tomatoes, pasley & onions were all at the bottom of the pita so I after I finished the meat, I ended up eating a vegetarian sandwich. Not so great.

All in all, the sweet grandma provides a homely feeling to the restaurant but I'll have to give it a second chance by ordering something else on the menu.
 
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Woochifer ate...

shawarma

“The food here is decent for a local establishment, but nothing special. They've relocated across the parking lot, so the "Closed" designation should be removed.”

1/3/2009 8:51:11 PM

DaringGirl ate...

Chicken shawarma sandwich

“Not that good. Chicken was dry. Sandwich was pre-made & had been sitting around for a while. It had lettuce, tomato and mayo. Yuck.”

7/31/2007 2:04:41 PM