Beirut Restaurant — Restaurant in Clifton

Located in the vibrant heart of Clifton, NJ, Beirut Restaurant offers an authentic Middle Eastern dining experience that captures the essence of Lebanese cuisine. On a recent visit to celebrate a special occasion, I found myself enchanted by the restaurant’s warm ambiance and tantalizing aromas wafting from the open kitchen, where fresh dishes are prepared right off the grill.

Atmosphere and Ambiance:

The restaurant's interior is charmingly decorated with traditional Lebanese decor—think intricate lanterns, rich tapestries, and warm, earthy tones. The cozy, welcoming atmosphere is perfect for both intimate dinners and larger gatherings. On our visit, the traditional music playing in the background added a delightful touch, enhancing the overall experience.

Service and Hospitality:

While our evening was mostly delightful, we did encounter a slight hiccup with our waitress, who seemed a bit overwhelmed and inattentive at times. However, this minor issue was quickly overshadowed by the exceptional hospitality of the owner. Upon noticing our concerns, he personally came over to apologize and ensure that we were well taken care of. His genuine care and attention not only rectified the situation but also elevated our experience.

The Food: Fresh Off the Grill

The highlight of our visit was, undoubtedly, the food. We opted for the mixed grill platter, a hearty selection of chicken, beef, and lamb skewers, all grilled to perfection. Each piece of meat was tender, juicy, and bursting with flavor, clearly marinated in a blend of traditional Lebanese spices. The smoky aroma and taste were reminiscent of a true Middle Eastern grill, with each bite transporting us to the bustling streets of Beirut.

The platter was accompanied by a variety of sides, including fluffy, fragrant basmati rice, freshly baked pita bread, and a colorful array of grilled vegetables that added a delightful crunch. The house-made garlic sauce, creamy hummus, and tangy tabbouleh served as perfect complements, enhancing each bite with their vibrant flavors and freshness.

A Pleasant Surprise:

The owner’s attentiveness did not stop at addressing our service issue. Knowing it was my birthday, he went above and beyond by surprising us with a complimentary dessert—a beautiful presentation of all different kind of desserts. The flaky, honey-soaked pastry was the perfect end to a wonderful meal, sweet, nutty, and utterly delicious. This thoughtful gesture truly made the evening memorable and highlighted the genuine hospitality that Beirut Restaurant embodies.

Overall Experience and Value:

Despite the minor service hiccup, our overall experience at Beirut Restaurant was delightful. The quality of the food, combined with the warm, welcoming atmosphere and exceptional hospitality, made for a fantastic evening. The mixed grill platter, in particular, was a standout, offering a true taste of Lebanese cuisine that felt both authentic and satisfying. For those looking for a genuine Middle Eastern dining experience in Clifton, NJ, Beirut Restaurant is well worth a visit. I look forward to returning and exploring more of their menu.

Rating: 9/10

Beirut Restaurant combines delicious, authentic Lebanese flavors with a warm atmosphere and excellent hospitality, making it a great choice for any special occasion or a...

Attended a function here last night. Walked in thinking what a cute place this would be for a shower or engagement dinner, and left thinking never again. Food was over an hour late with some tables not getting their main dish till 8:55. We picked a Muslim place that understand Ramadan and the importance of serving fasting people quickly after the fast was broken (which was around 7:30 for context).

Many important guests left before dinner was served, including the first Muslim assemblywoman in NJ and her team.

I stood by the kitchen door and for 20 minutes kept telling every wait staff that would listen that this is unacceptable as we are fasting and at that point it was 8:35. The excuses were: “the meat is being grilled”, “a few more minutes”, “we have other people to serve in the restaurant who are also fasting (even though we were a private party)”, and the “we gave you a lot of appetizers” (because we paid $50 a head for appetizers) .

Finally at 8:40 after one of the management finally came out to address me - the excuse was oh food was done but we didn’t want to interrupt the MC, who didn’t speak from 7:45 in anticipation of food, and started speaking at 8:10 to distract the guests because of how late the food was. It threw off our schedule and our program because we meant to have a whole segment after food was served. We were scheduled to be done by 8:30 -8:45 max, and we had to convince some people who needed to leave to stay because food is “about to come out”. And then I asked that those special guests be served first, 7 tables were served before them even though I kept asking the waitress who kept brushing us off and said “it’s coming”.

The management chalked it up to miscommunication. Just like valet was supposed to be included and then the valet told our guests to pay $5 at the end for the service. We had to get that clarified as well. Prayer area was also supposed to be set up and they said no one told them.

Overall put a damper on what otherwise would have been a nice night. Had it gone well we would have happily used them again and many of the attendees who were prominent community members would have as well. Real shame because the food was decent when it...

If I could give this place 0 stars I would...I made reservations for 8 PM and when I did I asked if there would be entertainment at that hour and was assured there would be and was reminded there is a $20 per person charge for this. I was totally fine with that...we arrived at 7:50 PM got inside and were told that we cant smoke hookah inside and that entertainment doesnt start until 9:30 PM. Had the person who I made the reservations with told me the real start time for entertainment and that we couldn't smoke inside I would've never come with my group of friends. Due to the fact that everyone in my group was coming from different places we had to stay. We chose to sit outside in the tent where the heaters were running low on propane. We hadn't even sat down when a waitress asked us for our orders. We asked for a few minutes and for those few minutes the waitress stood there at the table waiting awkwardly. The food was out extremely quickly which isnt a good thing as we came to smoke hookah and enjoy a good time. By 9:00 PM as we were finishing up dessert and older man in a traditional costume came by and told us and another table that we had to leave due to capacity restrictions. I mean when you looked inside there were at least 6 empty tables and not empty for social distancing reasons. They may have been reserved but in any event our check was brought to the table without us asking for it even though we had planned on ordering more coffee and another hookah. We left and went to another local place where we enjoyed the rest of our evening celebrating a friend's birthday. Needless to say we will never be back even though it came highly recommended. Funny because the person who recommended this place was inside with another group of people and she was just as disappointed and she was a regular here up until the other night...this ruined the entire experience in enjoying our food and company...rather pay $45 per person for the entertainment at another place and know that I will get my money's worth in entertainment...