el basha mediterranean grill

i am at elbashaas i am typing this. pleasant regional music playing and nice decor. its pretty small but comfortable. from what i saw they have a quant little patio area also. i ordered the gyro platter which comes with a side of potatoes and a choice of soup or salad. i opted for the soup and i'm glad i did!! yummy lentil soup. the side of mashed greek potatoes were fine. the gyro and tzasiki are fantastic. the cooks really know what they're doing. all this, a refillabe soda and a jar tip came to a very reasonable $13. i will definitely return and bring a friend next time.

wonderful experience. seven of us dined here for dinner. everyone loved the food. portions are huge, and prices low. best of all, the food was some of the most flavorful of any restaurant in omaha. even something as basic as rice tasted terrific. the hummus and pita appetizer is a great way to start off your meal. it is home made, and four people could easily share it as an appetizer.
i ordered the elbashaspecial plate, which featured soup or salad, veggies, rice, gyro meat and a chicken skewer. the meats were topped with a delicious taziki like sauce. it was a huge portion, and i enjoyed everything on it. i sampled a friend's lentil soup, which had a deliciously mild curry flavor. next time i will be sure to order it myself.
the restaurant is somewhat cozy, and was packed the night of our visit. there are also about a half dozen tables outside, to alleviate the crowding in good weather.
service is prompt. you order at the counter, and grab your own drink and utensils, however all of the food is brought out to you.
the only drawback i can think of is the lack of any alcohol on the menu.
i honestly think that elbashais one of omaha's finest ethnic restaurants.
food: a
atmosphere: b+
service: a-
menu sophistication: a-
value: a


-----03 jan, 2010-----

nice little neighborhood place. elbashaoffers tasty if basic middle eastern food. you order at the counter and they will serve your table. the dining room is small and "strip mall" basic, but they have outdoor seating in nice weather. prices are low. service is friendly.

yum yum yum. a group of us ate at elbashalast night. it was a lovely evening, allowing us to eat on the nice deck they have to offer. i've been wanting to try this place for a long time, and am so glad i finally did. the food was awesome, the staff friendly, and prices extremely affordable.

you order at the counter, and they bring the food out to you after a short (10 min max) wait. we started out with an order of pita bread and hummus (which was served very attractively it's bowl). both great, and it came with plenty for 4 to share. i ordered a gyro, and it was probably one of the best i've had. it was loaded with tender meat, thinly sliced onions, tomatoes, and for sure the tastiest tzatziki sauce ever. it was at least as good, if not better, than jim and jennies version.

per my dining companion's suggestion, i ordered a chicken shawarma to go and ate it for lunch today. i'm sure it'd be better to eat immediately, but it still made for good leftovers. served in a pita wrap, the chicken was flavorful and tender, and worked well with the veggies in it (tomatoes, spinach, and pickles…which gave a pleasant crunch to the whole thing). i would for sure order this again as well.

possibly with highlight of the evening was smoking the hookah. for only $10, it gave our group over an hour of fun, and was especially pleasant to do while enjoying the evening on the above mentioned patio. you had the option of several fruity flavors, and we went with mango. tasty! or, as someone in our group said, it tasted like magic. :-)

like i said, prices were cheap, with nothing being over $6 or $7. a combo (of fries and a drink) can be added for a couple more bucks.

my only small complaint is that it'd be nice if they offered alcoholic beverages. a beer would've gone great with my meal.

i would hands down recommend this restaurant.

great food, self service.. elbashais a self service restaurant. prices are very reasonable, portions are very generous, food is wonderful. well recommended place for lunch and dinner.

best mediterranean food in town. we had falafel andbashaplatters. great use of spices and flavors with quality meats. soup or salad, drink, and a full plate of food for both of us for $23. pretty happy with that, i'll be back soon.

we love it. my husband's grandfather was syrian and he has fond memories of his grandmother's cooking. elbashais the closest he's found to his grandmother's dishes, which he loved. we enjoy the hummas, lentil soup, grape leaves, chicken shawarma and kibbeh. and, if you are into it, the hookah's are very popular. these are enjoyed outdoors in the patio area. the decor is simple, not fancy. what a diverse customer base they have: all ages and nationalities enjoy el basha!

i had lunch at elbashafor the first time yesterday. it was absolutely delicious very fresh, very healthy and very, very good. we enjoyed a mezza platter, and i had the chicken shawarma wrap. i'm looking forward to going back and trying more of the menu.

fantastic middle eastern food. elbashahas the best lebanese/middle eastern food i've ever had (outside of my grandmother's kitchen). the flavors are authentic and the portions are generous. this is the first restaurant we've been to since moving to omaha a year ago that has warranted multiple return visits.

loving the food. i want to say it has been years and i'm still dining at elbasharestaurant and still can't get enough of it. food is always great and delicious, it's an authentic and a unique. recommend everyone.

must try. elbashawas excellent ...i truly enjoyed my lunch. i had the house salad, hummus, baba ganoush and the mixed grill plate for the main course. the food is simple and delicious. i highly recommend.

good food, reasonably priced.. today my wife and i stopped at elbashamediterranean grill for a late lunch. we arrived around 3 pm. there were a few tables occupied. you order from the counter and they give you a number to place on the table you choose. there was a tv on, but the volume was off and they had regionally appropriate music playing in the background. we both ordered the gyro sandwich. i had wanted to try kibbe, even though it is on their online menu, it is not on the menu in the restaurant. i asked about it and was told that they did not have any kibbe.

my wife also ordered the turkish coffee which she has not had in quite a number of years.

the gyro is served open faced. it had quite a bit of meat in it and was covered with a cucumber sauce, some onion and tomatoes garnished with some fresh parsley. the meat was very tasty and went along well with the sauce and vegetables. the pita on the bottom was very soft and delicious as well.

my wife also tried the baklava which she liked. it is not as sweet as a lot of baklava you will find which is mainly honey with some flaky pastry to hold it all in.

we will defiantly be going back to try the other dishes. 4.5 out of 5 for me.

***update***
i have been back 3 more times since my initial review. if anything i love this place more with each visit. i finally got to try the kibbe and it was awesome! i have also tried the chicken shawarma sandwich & the falafel sandwich. both of which were very tasty. i think that the falafel is even better than the one i had at amsterdam falafel & kabob and that's saying alot.

i can't wait to go back again!

thanks be to allah!. elbashahas the best shwarma in town. hard to get in and out of but great middle eastern food. a great place to stop after furniture shopping at nfm!

one of best mediterranean options in area. i've been visiting elbashaever since they opened over on dodge (7-8 years ago?). i've enjoyed consistently great, healthy food, excellent service and great value over the years. i usually get the hummas wrap combo. it's the best hummus wrap and potato salad i've ever had!

keep up the great work!

note: as other users have stated i also agree that the tv can go away. it adds nothing to the dining experience; it actually cheapens the overall experience. (i'll be back either way... just had to get that out).

elbashahas the best gyro i've ever had in my life. they pile on the meat too, it is seriously epic. get it and you will not be let down. get anything else while you're at it. the prices are right too.

tasty!. i absolutely love the baba ganoush!!! it is a must have everytime we visit. the prices are reasonable and and the service is quick and friendly. i would love elbashato open another location downtown.