Home          
     
 

Robaii (Middle Eastern cuisine)  $

 7.25
JaT Rating

496 Hamilton, Palo Alto, 94034  (Directions)


650-325-1994


Website  Menu  vCard

          
Tiny clean Middle Eastern restaurant located in downtown Palo Alto


Reviewer: Jason
Total Reviews: 1020
Reviewed: 10/13/2004
Rating: 7
My photo gallery 		We were going to pizza but got sidetracked with the Robaii falafel and persian cuisine. Located on the corner of Hamilton and Cowper in Palo Alto, right off University ave. There are a number of tables on the sidewalk to soak in the rays or you can enjoy your meal indoors. Prices are ok with most dishes ranging from $5-10.

I ordered the Lamb Shwarma with Pita. It was a short wait and was bit jealous of Terrys falafel plate. He had the better deal, larger portions and a variety. My dish was just a pita and I knew I was going to be hungry afterwards.

Overall the Shwarma was ok, it was too runny. By the time I got to the bottom of the pita, it was wet and the contents were falling through. I hate soggy pitas, maybe Robaii should layer the bottom with lettuce. Meat was tender and had plenty of spices, lamb flavor wasnt overwhelming.

I tasted a falafel ball and it was much better than the lamb. I would recommend getting the falafel plate for the price and portions.
 


Reviewer: Terry
Total Reviews: 738
Reviewed: 10/13/2004
Rating: 7.5
My photo gallery 		We had seen Robaii on a previous visit to downtown Palo Alto. It looked promising so we decided to try it out. I ordered the Robaii Iced Tea and the Veggie Combo.

The veggie combo was delivered quickly and consisted of of pita, hummus, baba ghonosh, some lettuce, etc. It was a pretty decent selection of goodies. I thought the hummus was right on for taste but the consistency was a little too runny. The pitas were tasty and fresh. The baba ghonosh just does not appeal to me at all. The combo set me back $8 and the iced tea another $1.50. The iced tea tasted just like any other iced tea and seemed entirely overpriced, even if it was free refills.

Overall I found Robaii to deliver the goods. Probably the best Middle Eastern restaurant in Palo Alto. As far as in the Bay Area, I think it has tough competition when you compare it to the Falafel drive in and Habibi's.
 
6.5
Agent Rating


Reviewer: Dan
Total Reviews: 81
Reviewed: 10/4/2005
Rating: 6.5
My photo gallery		 The actual name of this place is Robaiis Persian Bites. And it does...but I get ahead of myself. Being convenient to my old job, I have eaten here at least a dozen times and my conclusions are the food is good, but the portions are too small and consequently the prices are too high.

I have few complaints about the quality of the food here. The falafel balls are some of the best Ive had. If you want to try this place, go for the falafel plate. The meat dishes here are also good, though not as good as Mediterranean Wraps or Gyros Gyros. I also like quality of the hummus that is included on many plates. The main problem is, almost every time Ive eaten here, Ive left hungry. After eating, Ive either ordered more food or actually picked up snacks somewhere else. Thats just not right! Items here will cost between $6 and $8. Thats pretty average, but not when you have to order two items just to get enough to eat. For this reason, I gave up on Robaii a while ago.

I disagree this is the best Mediterranean food in Palo Alto. Gyros Gyros, just one block away, has a better deal, though I can't speak for their falafel. My personal favorite is Mediterranean Wraps over on California Avenue.
 
Disclaimer
User submitted quickies (help)

Login to write a quickie.