Pharaoh’s Restaurant & Bar — Restaurant in Spring Lake

I fully intend to come back and update my review in a few months when we try Pharoah’s again. I understand restaurants need time and things will certainly not be perfect when they first open. This review is mainly to highlight the things they can improve upon as they work out the kinks and get to a good place operationally.

Husband and I visited yesterday around 6:45. There was a 10-15 minute wait which was no issue. We were seated inside and our server greeted us. I was surprised to find they didn’t serve mango juice as I believe they do (or used to) serve it at their Hope Mills Rd location. Not a big deal. We then ordered appetizers which took a while to come out. Fries were delicious as was the falafel, but we felt the falafel was a bit overpriced for just a few small pieces. Plus, no sauce to dip it in, just a little drizzled over top. The pita with the falafel also didn’t seem to make sense and felt more like a visual filler.

It then took quite some time for our server to come back for us to place our main order, but when she finally did, we ordered the King Tut platter to share, which took around 45 minutes to come out. During that time, our server didn’t check on us, refill water, etc. We figured she was likely busy, but still would’ve expected to be checked on at least once. When the main platter came out, we were sorely disappointed. The lack of meat was the first thing we both noticed. For $28.99 it was very overpriced. We would’ve been happy to pay that if there was sufficient amount of meat, but that simply wasn’t the case. I had a few bites of meat but left most of it to my husband so he could feel sufficiently satisfied. The rice was good but not hot, but the tabbouleh needed much more lemon and the hummus tasted store-bought.

We had to ask for silverware twice and weren’t given extra plates to share the platter. We finished everything on the platter and proceeded to pay and leave.

We both went into Pharoah’s with the expectation that service would be slow and things would not be perfect, which is why we weren’t totally upset by our experience and do plan to come back in a few months to see how things are. I hope management will take our feedback and the feedback from the community and make improvements and adjustments as they learn what works and what doesn’t. We are so excited for them to be part of our community and hope to see them thrive. We look forward to...

This was our first time trying Pharaohs. Obviously, they're just getting on their feet, so service was understandably on the slow side. The server was attentive and kind. As far as the food goes, it is miles ahead of the previous restaurant here, but it would be overshadowed in a larger city with similar options. Still, I am glad that it's here as it's a fresh option for the area, and it is a good contender quality-wise to other local sit down food options. Despite the name Pharaoh's and the decor, it is a typical kind of Americanized Pan-Arab/Mediterranean food joint with some Greek food on the menu as well which I think was the intention given the sub-text of the restaurant.

We decided to try their stuffed Grape leaves which were stuffed with rice (rather than a mix with lentils or meat). They were okay, but nothing to write home about. We also had some hummus which I enjoyed; I found the flavor of this hummus to be pretty cumin-forward. For our main entrees we chose the falafel pita and the lamb kofta pita. The falafel was rolled into smaller crispy disks and appeared to be made fresh-- I loved the texture and flavor of the falafel. I found the toppings of the pita to be a little unbalanced, but that's a small criticism. We also equally enjoyed the kofta pita though it was definitely the...

A truly flavorful experience at Pharaoh’s!

My wife and I had an incredible dinner at Pharaoh’s and can’t recommend it enough! I ordered the Lamb Burger, and wow — it was delicious! I started eating it with my hands but quickly had to switch to a fork and knife because it falls apart fast — but honestly, that’s not a complaint. It’s packed with so much flavor and juiciness that it had to fall apart to be fully enjoyed.

My wife had the Chicken Shawarma, and she absolutely loved it! Every bite was seasoned perfectly. We also started with the Dip Trio — tzatziki, hummus, and babaganoush — which was the perfect way to kick off our meal.

To top it all off, we took advantage of Wine Wednesday and enjoyed a bottle of wine for 50% off, which paired beautifully with our dishes.

A special shoutout to Serena, our server, who was incredibly accommodating and super attentive throughout the night. She made the whole experience even better — we’ll definitely be asking for her next time!

Pharaoh’s has officially earned a spot on our favorites list. Can’t...