La Badiya

I had a review that was in my DRAFT folder. I did not realize this was now closed. Thanks for the Unilocal user that corrected me. My Draft was written in 2011 so it was appropriate at the time. My bad. But this was my review of the restaurant. .We started with the hummus & lamb, had shish combo for 2 & ended with baklawa. The hummus SUPERB, lamb was tasty in the garlic sauce and the Shish combo was way more food than my hubby & I could handle. It was delish! Perfectly grilled and tender. The baklawa was perfect… soft, flaky & the perfect sweetness. It was our first time at this restaurant and I have to say the food tasted like it came out of a home kitchen. They make all their food from scratch (except the cake dessert) so you might hear that they are «out» of some of their best sellers.
Atmosphere– my hubby described it a 1960’s European (i think b/​c of the color scheme). I thought it was a fair representation of Mediterranean décor. I liked the atmosphere… there was a hooka on display and I loved the bar. Nothing like you’d expect by looking at the outside.
Overall…I’m very pleased. The lady that gave them 2 stars must have gone on a day that just didn’t align right… like all restaurants have. We went at 5pm on a Sunday… not many folks there… but as we were leaving, the place was starting to fill up. Hope they do well. I Will say this is the BEST restaurant in which to get Mediterranean food in the tristate. Prices are avg for this type of place ($ 42 for 2 with 2 appetizers, 2 sodas, an entrée for 2 & 1 dessert.). We used a
gift cert towards the meal. Try it out! There is something for everyone (vegans too), even for the pickiest of eaters. :-)

My husband and I just tried to go here with a
coupon and were greated with a sign on the door stating that they were no longer accepting any coupons. When we asked the guy inside he said that they weren’t taking coupons but that he could give us 15% off. We said no thanks and went elsewhere for dinner. There was nobody in the place eating so I would think that business even with a coupon is better than no business. Did I mention that the restaurant had a horrible smell as we walked in?
We were disappointed because we were willing to give this place a second shot. Our first time eating here was a couple of months ago, they honored the coupon and the food was good. The service was not so great right from the start. The waitress/​hostess said «oh great, people, I was getting so bored!» Not the most professional thing to say when customers walk in. The restaurant remained dead with only one other customer coming in after us. This made us nervous that the food was going to be horrible. The food ended up being good and we were looking forward to giving it amother shot. So what would have been a 3 rating the first time drops to 1 star and we won’t be back. If a restaurant agrees to participate in marketing promotions they should honor them.
I give this place less than a year in business!

We had delicious fresh Greek salads and the hummus was wonderful. In fact, all of our food was really good except the spinach pies that my daughter had. They became even less popular during the night when she became physically ill (trying to be polite here). The rest of the family have great memories of eating there, but it will be a long time before my daughter will want Greek food again.
The service was excellent and the quality of food seemed fine, but I would be hesitant to eat there again.

Seriously, what is it with this area and putting great restaurants in locations that hide their awesome?
Anyway, my friends and I headed over to La Badiya for some shawarma after seeing The Avengers.
La Badiya ended up being so awesome I’ll have to add them into my regular rotation.
It’s a great little Mediterranean place that is perfect for both large groups AND intimate dining.
I’d feel equally great taking a party or a date here.
The food is pretty great, they do Greek/​Mediterranean dishes very well.
The portions are generous and you’ll most likely have to get take-​home boxes.
So any time you feel the need to quench your mighty hunger after your heroics with Earth’s mightiest heroes, head over to La Badiya.

I’m giving this 2 stars. The 2^nd star is in memory of how good this place was. I just got take out, after they insisted that they don’t deliver, even though it says in big red letters that they do on their website, and on the gift card we got. And the person answering the phone had attitude about it, and assumed we were asking for free food for some reason when we ordered a side of mushrooms.
The food? Falafel was burned to the core. They forgot my pita bread, and when my wife ran back in to get it, they just threw a bag of store-​bought stuff in the bag, and this stuff is like cardboard.
The hummus and sauteed mushrooms were ok. Nothing to complain about there, but if this is the direction of the new management, I’m done with this restaurant, which is sad because it used to be so good. One of the other reviewers asked how it got 4 stars? Probably because of how they used to be.

I don’t understand how this place has four stars.
I had heard good things about their hummus, so even though it’s squished in between a shady motel and a gas station, I thought I’d give it a try. We walk in to a nearly empty dining room, and are seated fairly quickly. There was one waitress for the whole room, so at first, she was pretty quick with taking our orders and bringing our drinks. As the place started to fill up, however, she became somewhat overwhelmed. We were checked up on a few times, but when it came to getting the check, we just had to sit there and watch her run back and forth between the other tables for ten minutes. She was a really nice girl, she just needed to have some help.
On to the atmosphere. It looked nicer on the inside than I imagined, but not by much. The menus were cheap looking and had some very obvious spelling mistakes («vegie»), not that this is a big deal, but it implies that whoever was in charge didn’t really care. Anyway, there was a fairly large table sitting not too far from us who were extremely rowdy (comparing American strippers to Middle Eastern strippers — seriously), and while I tried to ignore them, it became difficult when they were harassing the poor waitress. I realize this isn’t something the restaurant can control, but it did take away from my experience.
Lastly, the food. My husband loved his salmon, my lamb was delicious, and the caesar salads were surprisingly good. But the much hyped hummus was kind of bland, and I wasn’t impressed by the falafel. And the prices were WAY too high (nearly $ 50 for two people???).
Overall, I was really disappointed, and will probably never return.

After hearing great things about La Badiya from several different people I was excited to check it out, however what I found wasn’t as exciting as I hoped. Full disclosure, I used a Unilocal deal to eat here, so the price isn’t really something I can talk about.
I was really excited to eat here, but after we ate I wasn’t exactly thrilled. I had more of a «Meh…probably won’t come back here» feeling. We started with the starter combo of hummus, Baba Ghannoush, Tabbouli and Garlic Sauce with pita bread. It was just alright. I had heard really great things about the hummus, but I didn’t think it had enough flavor and the baba ghannoush was sour. I mixed the garlic sauce in with the hummus and that made it better, but I also had garlic breath for 3 days later. Which really isn’t a huge deal, its almost something to expect after going to a Mediterranean restaurant. For entrees we got the Chicken and Hummus and the Lamb Shwarma with Hummus, and both were just okay.
The service was slow, we sat at our table for 10 minutes before anyone came over, and then another 10 before our drinks came out. There was no soap in the men’s bathroom and the menus had hummus on them. I probably won’t come back here again.

Best Mediterranean Restaurant in Northern Kentucky area. The way I Found this restaurant was, by reading some reviews from Unilocal comments. I also seen that Unilocal had a Deal coupon. Buy $ 20 and get $ 40 off your bill. Not bad of a deal.
Ok, onto the meal. There was 4 of us eating. Nicole, Andy, Steve and I. So we first ordered the Baba Ghannoush, with the Pita bread, great to starter as appetizer. We also order lamb fried Kibbi, not to bad. The main meal I ordered was the lamb and Hummus. It was really good. The owner brought out a lot of samples. They brought out the chicken hummus sample, that was my favorite. I would order that Next time Nicole and Andy ordered the combo sampler. Steve had Shish Tawook. We all ordered the Egyptian white rice.
Overall I would highly recommend this place.

This is the only restaurant that I have ever wanted to just walk out of because the food was so bad. Let’s forget I just moved back from the Mediterranean (I was in Turkey for a year), this food is Lebanese and terribly done.
The lentil soup was very thick, goopy, and salty from being on the stove simmering for too long, the waitress told us the grapes leaves were made earlier in the day (not fresh prepared) and that they actually just microwave them to heat them up, and the Falafil was so burnt from over-​frying that it was unpalatable. Everything tasted bad, and I assume if it wasn’t burned it still wouldn’t have been as good as the other restaurants like this in the area. Very low class cuisine. The waitress told us she tried the tomato kibbi, but that it doesn’t have any taste. We appreciated her honesty.
We (me and my two «foodie» friends) each took a few bites of our orders before just asking for the check and leaving the food we ordered on the table. Aside from a forgetful waitress and overhearing the owner screaming at people in the kitchen, the food SUCKS. I paid for my friends’ dinners because I felt so bad that I had the idea to try this place and dropped the ball badly.

So I went here a couple of months ago and forgot to write a review. My husband and I really liked it. We had the starter combo for an appetizer which comes with hummus, Baba Ghannoush, Tabbouli, & Garlic Sauce — a bunch of dips served with pita bread. Our favorite thing was the hummus, next time we come we’ll probably get an order of just that.
I also ordered lamb shawerma, & I forget what my husband ordered but it was really good! I remember that I was going to give them four stars, only because I was a little bummed that they didn’t have gyros… but after tonight I don’t know what I was thinking.
They have so much delicious food. I just got back from the « Unilocal’s Meet the Owner Event» & I have totally fallen in love with the place. I tasted about 10 different things & loved almost every one of them. There were only 2 things that weren’t delicious, one being a salad, and even those two things were still really good.
I think my favorite things were the Shish Tawook, the Lamb Shawerma, & the hummus, but I don’t think you could go wrong ordering anything on their menu. I will definitely be going back soon, & I’ll be recommending this place to everyone I know.

Excellent Middle Eastern food! The vegetarian feast for two is fantastic and could easily feed three. The baba is great as are the vegetarian grape leaves and salad. Cheap, BYOB, attentive service and authentic food. I highly recommend.

So good. Seriously amazing. My mom and I went there, we go the vegetarian combo for two. The food just kept coming and coming and coming. The amount of food you get is nuts and it’s not a boat load of mediocre food. Oh no. It’s a lot of really, really DELICIOUS food. Home cooked and freshly made. You can taste the love (ha). The people that work there are very friendly and nice. The owner came to check on us and was very courteous and definitely made the place even better.
It’s in an unexpected location, but don’t let that fool you. I would recommend it to any and everyone. LOVED IT.

We gave it a try after being tipped off that the place is a hidden gem. Don’t be fooled by the location or outside appearance. The hummus and banana ganoush are especially good. My son loved the lentil soup. The owner is friendly and service is good. Enjoy!

Unassuming on the outside, the inside is all classy and yummy.
This is a place that even gets french fries right, though I hate to say I tried them among all the exotic choices.
The arayes is a wonderful choice: meaty and filling, it comes with pine nuts and tzatziki sauce.
Remember, they don’t serve alcohol due to the religion of the owners, but they have smoothies as well as soda and water.

If you are Ali Baba and traveling with 40 or so hungry thieves and need a place to feed them that’s both delicious and cheap, let me lead you to La Badiya.
I’d heard about this place for a while but never got the chance to get over there until yesterday. What have I been missing! This place literally feels like an oasis for amazing food. You drive and drive into the heart of Kentucky when, there it is, glowing sign and all. Quick, pull off the road and into here! Do it before it’s too late.
La Badiya is Mediterranean to the core. Hookah on the bar when you walk in, red and gold tapestries on the wall, the likes.
We came at 7pm on a Wednesday and it was empty, but it did start to fill in as we sat down. This is the kind of place that’s perfect for an outing with friends or on a date. The booths are large and comfortable. Plenty of room for a lot of people, or so large that you feel you have to get close to your date so it won’t be awkward sitting so far away across from each other. Win win.
When the menu is placed down you have this, «Woah!» moment. Tons of choices, and each well explained. Don’t know what a Shish taouk is*? They do a good job at telling you just what goes into it, so if you know you like lamb or chicken or beer you can pick the right meal for you.
I got the falafel sandwich and it was amazing. Flavorful falafel packed full of tons of different things. Wow. In the sandwich they had picked turnips, which isn’t everyone’s spot of tea but damn if it wasn’t delicious in the sandwich. And the best part — it was only $ 4! And this was a big sandwich. Damn
We also got the baba ghanoush which was very good — not the best I’d ever had, but tasty. However, the hummus? Oh my god, the hummus! Not to be missed if you are even a small bit of a hummus fan.
The whole meal: $ 30, and that included two dinners, drinks and a side. Most of the sandwiches are about $ 4 and the entrees $ 12 to $ 18. And it’s a ton of food!
It’s BYOB for now, but that may change (especially with that beautiful wooden bar when you walk in). There’s also free wifi in case you wanted to get some work done with your eats.
I loved my meal and woke up craving more delicious meals made of chickpeas and eggplants. Erlanger, you got yourself a winner.
*Shish taouk are cubes of chicken, skewered and grilled and then usually marinated with a yogurt or a tomato purée. And it is delicious,

Wow. This place blew me away. My expectations were low. I mean it’s seated next to a motel and across from the waffle house. The menu is classic and nothing too fancy.
I ordered the veggie sampler so that I could try a few things. The food seemingly kept coming out of the kitchen for days. I think I ended up with 5 plates full of food!
First, I wasn’t prepared for the massive amount of food.
Second, I wasn’t prepared for the deliciousity.
People, the falafel was great! The grape leaves were fantastic. And the hummus was HEAVENLY!
When you go don’t forget it’s BYOB.

After reading a Unilocal review, I filed this into my list of restaurants to try next time I was in the area. I arrived for a late lunch and there were no other patrons in the restaurant which is usually not a great sign. Also, I was a little concerned because although the sign on the building was La Badiya, there was signage for Country Kitchen still remaining which left me somewhat confused. When I went inside I was greeted by a Dale who also was my waiter, and immediately seated. Since this was my first time, I asked him what dishes he would recommend, and he was ready with a list of dishes he really liked. I settled on the Lamb Shawerma and Baba Ghannoush which was both garlicky and delicious. Since I was going to get together with my parents for dinner, I decided to make life easy and I ordered dinner combos to go. My selections included a Shish Kafta, Chicken Kafta and Tawook. Each came rice and a side so I ordered Lentil soup and salad. Dale made sure we had a ample pita bread as well.
I packaged what was left of my Baba Ghannoush so that evening we finished that with our pita bread, and there was more than enough food for three of us to sample the creamy lentil soup, salad and each of the entrees.
The prices were very reasonable, and the quality of the food was excellent both in value and nutation. I would definitely like to try the fresh juices on my next visit.

My wife drove by this restaurant one day and made a mental note to try it soon. Well tonight was the night.
I wasn’t expecting much based on the fact that from the outside it was an old Country Kitchen or some such prior to becoming LaBadiya. When we walked in we entered a dimly lit dark wood entry way. From there we were escorted to the dining area which was a little brighter and less formal.
Our wait staff was kind, friendly and very helpful in making decisions regarding the menu. Speaking of the menu, I found it to be rather poorly designed but that can be forgiven.
We both ordered an entrée that was accompanied by either a soup or salad and fries or rice. The soup was a nice crushed lentil and my wife ordered the Fattouch (sp) salad. Excellent!
Next was the entrée. We ordered two and shared. The Chicken Schawarma had nicely charred chicken with white rice topped with parsley and almonds. Included with this dish was a small dish with ground garlic and vegetable oil which added a nice tang. My wife loved the garlic!
The other entrée was the Chicken and Hummus with the same white rice. Even though the name seems a little less exciting it was a nice tangy dish that had a bit more interesting flavor than the Schawarma.
So to sum it all up we both were very pleased with the meal. We also thought it was a great value based on the quality and amount of food compared to the price paid and…
FRESH! Everything was freshly prepared and done well.
We will visit LaBadiya again.

Great, great food! I came here with two adventurous coworkers for lunch — they had never really had Mediterranean food, but I have.
First of all, I was extremely impressed with the variety on the menu — raw fruit juices, soups, salads, sandwiches (far more than just gyros!), and plenty of full entrees.
I ordered the lentil soup and the falafel, hummus, and tabbouleh sandwhich and enjoyed it immensely! The falafel was so flavorful — far more depth than the standard mashed up chick peas. The falafel was green-​ish because of the fresh herbs they put in it. So flavorful!
My lentil soup was not what I expected (white lentils rather than green/​brown, and it was blended rather than whole lentils) but it was incredibly delicious. I could eat bowl after bowl of that soup and call it a day!
The waiter told us how they use fresh ingredients, that nothing is frozen and reheated, and the only oil/​grease they use in their cooking is olive oil.
My open-​minded coworkers really enjoyed their meals, too. They said they’d definitely come back… and so will I!
The only negative is the atmosphere of the place. The décor is… okay… but what really got me was how quiet it was! We were the first table seated for the lunch «rush» and you could hear a pin drop! No music, no other customers for at least 10 minutes… it was very boring at first. Luckily the food was great!

As many have said, this was a nice little surprise to find in an inconspicuous spot in Erlanger. Attached to a somewhat rundown hotel, the grubby exterior belies the excellent (and bountiful) food served within.
The serving staff seems a bit unsure of the food, which is kind of disappointing, but hopefully that will change with time and experience.
I tried the Lamb Gallaba sandwich and small Fattouch salad and was very happy with my choice. I’m definitely looking forward to returning and trying some other Mediterranean dishes.