Layaly Mediterranean Restaurant — Restaurant in Chamblee

Believe the reviews that complain about the waiting time, they're true. For us, from start to finish, it took two and a half hours. While there are times I do not mind taking time at a restaurant, the whole experience was quite a letdown.

We had a reservation, arrived right on time, waited 10 minutes before even seeing the hostess. Then when she finally talked to us, it was another 5 minutes before we got seated, so much so that I asked her if there was a problem. Mind you, while there was a huge party (about 15 people), there were several empty tables. Once we got seated, it took another 10-15 minutes to even get glasses of water and menus. I had A LOT of time to observe what was happening, and the hostess was nowhere to be seen half the time with parties waiting over 5 minutes before she even got to them. She was not serving any dishes, not even sure what she was doing, but certainly not her job.

Our server came, we ordered drinks and the appetizer (the Layaly mazza). It took an hour to get our drinks and the platter... There were two employees behind the bar that seemed to be running around and preparing drinks all the time, so I am not sure why it took so long. We were not an isolated case though. All the tables that ordered drinks had to wait forever before getting them, but no one else waited as long as we did. I also do not understand why it took an hour for a platter which is basically two tablespoons of two different dips and tabouleh, and 3 falafels.

Because it took so long to get the appetizer, we decided to order our entrees even before the appetizer came. Well, that was another hour-long wait from the moment we finally got our appetizer before we got the entrees. Our server told us it would be a couple of minutes (actually she said that multiple times the first hour), and at that point we truly started timing; the couple of minutes turned into a half hour, and when we complained, she said we would be next, which was another 10 minutes. Again, we had a lot of time to kill, and while we waited I've noticed at least two parties who left before even ordering drinks for one (a table of 6) and the other, a couple, didn't make it past the cocktails before they decided to give up and leave. Add to this that the place is extremely loud: voices reverberate a lot and you can barely hear anything, so much so that one of the items ordered by our party was not even correct. While I appreciate that our server acknowledged that we had been the ones waiting the longest, and while I understand that having such a huge party earlier (which basically left 20 minutes after we got seated) can be challenging it does not excuse having to wait an hour for each dish we ordered to come out, same for the cocktails (one of the drinks was even a bottled beer, the other a Diet Coke, which was flat). Every single thing took forever: getting water refills? If we didn't ask for them we probably would have never gotten any. Oh and to add to the frustration, other parties that were seated after us were getting their orders much faster than us.

Now about the food, here is what we ordered: Layaly mazza: it was okay. I've had better baba ganoush and hummus, even better tabouleh. kafta kebab: the person who ordered it enjoyed it. I got to taste it and it was perfectly fine. Again, I've had better, but truly it wasn't bad. Kousa mahshi: it was a bit bland, but enjoyable honey harissa chicken: this, I highly recommend. It was delicious. fattoush salad: must have been sitting for a while because the pita was soggy, and there was too much dressing

I asked if we could get something comped to make up for all the waiting time, and our server came back with offering us free dessert. We declined. We ended up getting 20% off our bill which was honestly the very least they could do. I am not sure how this place is getting such rave reviews and so much attention on social media, but one thing is for sure, we will not be back. There are plenty of other Mediterranean restaurants where the hummus is better and...

Came on Friday to kick start the long weekend (Memorial). Found this place and it was rated pretty high so we thought we would check it out. We were a total of 6 people. I called prior and they said they had no reservations until after 845/9p. Asked again and whomever I spoke to said if we came and waited, we still would most likely be seated around 845/9pm. We still decided to try our luck and see the wait time when we got there, because worst case scenario we would find something else nearby.

When you first arrive it’s a small parking area and you have to valet. I would recommend if you don’t want to valet, do street parking (at the light make a right and it’s in front of the storage company) because it’s free and it’s literally less then a minute of a walk to the restaurant. There were a handful of street parking available. Walking in to the restaurant, the ambiance was very beautiful and I was told the new owner did all of this. The new owner is the son of the previous owner (the dad). We got there around 715/730p, and were prepared to wait. They did not have any indoor seating available, so they accommodated us on their patio. Since we were already prepared to wait, I would say we were seating fairly earlier than expected. We were at a table by 740/745p, which was perfect timing because the rest of our group arrived then.

We all ordered our entrees and some of the people in our party ordered cocktails. I don’t drink, but even for me they looked so enticing. I believe everyone agreed that the food was okay but the drinks and dessert were great. The food was a let down because the quality and taste of some of the dishes were not Mediterranean. Maybe it has more of an American twist, but I also did not enjoy the Beef Kabab I ordered. The entree did not fill me up and the meat was really tough. Someone else ordered the Lamb Shank and that was a complete let down. There was hardly ANY meat and all bone. They really did not select and cut that piece correctly.

For desserts we ordered the Dubai chocolate cheesecake and Knafeh. These both did not disappoint. They were delicious. The “cheesecake” does not have that cheesecake feeling. If you try that portion separately you can tell it’s not cheesecake, but the chocolate helps give it that sweet flavor. It was perfect. I would definitely recommend this spot for drinks and dessert. But I strongly believe the rating of food is incorrect and it’s overly hyped for what we...

I saw a review on social media and then my husband and I ended up having to be in ATL for an errand. Normally, we would grab fast food on way home, but instead I suggested we go here and actually enjoy a meal. It was 6:30pm on a Sat. evening and we sis not have a reservation so were prepared to be turned away. Instead, we were given the option to wait 80 min. for a table or dine at bar. We were happy to sine at bar. After reviewing the menu and chatting with the lovely and very experienced bartender Camila we order the Grapeleaves and Falafel along with two Specialty drinks. Everything was absolutely amazing! The flavor profile was exquisite highlighting the delicate flavor combinations in both the drinks and cuisine. The pair of sauce with each item was perfect. As we enjoyed our appetizers and drinks we also enjoyed watching Camila make each drink and guessing what she was making. It was like dinner and a show. We were never rushed and never waited long for the next course. We decided to share the steak kabob with Lebanese Rice and added a side of Spicy potatoes. Again, we were extremely impressed with the quality of each item. The perfect amount of seasoning to allow the dish to shine. I made the comment that I had never heard of Arak and Camila quickly offered to let me taste it. I Loved it!! Such a cool drink. My husband loved his Raise a Glass to the Sultan Bourbon Cocktail that he ordered a second one. The steak was cooked perfectly and dinner was wonderful. We were so full, but could not leave without trying the Dubai Choc. Cheesecake. Again it was perfection. Did not disappoint at all. As we waited to pay, I noticed another drink being made, this was a house-made mint lemonade and it is freshly made daily. Again Camila brought me a sample without me asking and again it was perfection!! Our service was phenomenal, the food was excellent and the ambiance was wonderful. We cannot wait to come back with friends. Thank you for a...