Alanis Mediterranean Bistro — Restaurant in Cranston

I’d like to give a shout out to a local businesses where I had an absolutely delicious meal. I was looking for something new & different in the Cranston area close to Garden City that wasn’t the same old monotonous fare that I’m used to. I stopped in for lunch on Thursday as I had an appointment on Reservoir Ave & again for dinner on Sunday after I picked up a cake at Antonio's Bakery. I’d like to start out by saying, I’m half Italian on my Dad’s side (Neapolitan, from the Avelino region, & Sicilian, specifically from Messina) & a quarter Armenian on my Mom’s side (ancient Armenia which is modern day Turkey)…so therefore I’m extremely fussy about my Italian, Armenian, Mediterranean, & Middle Eastern cuisine; my Grandma (Neapolitan) & Grandma (Armenian) were outstanding chef’s in their respective kitchens, & I was outrageously spoiled as a child & very rarely ate out, I had the best of the best~those skills were certainly not passed down nor inherited by me-scrambled eggs in the microwave anyone. With that being said… The owner (who is from Syria, so you know you’re getting an authentic product) & his team provided great customer service, very attentive & patient, knowledgeable about the food they’re serving & able to explain the flavor profile of each item. The restaurant is pretty well taken care of & clean. They encouraged me to try the shawarma, I’m glad I listened, I wasn’t disappointed…now I’m obsessed. I ordered the grape leaves, hummus, & chicken gyro. The grape leaves and the tzatziki were okay, I was expecting a tangy, lemony flavor with the grape leaves along with a more traditional look as well as flavor to the tzatziki, however the hummus & chicken gyro were very good. The hummus was creamy & the gyro was light, airy, & mild…it felt like I was eating healthy. The owner provided a free sample of their falafel…which I had at another establishment years ago & didn’t like…when I returned on Sunday I ordered that along with the chicken gyro, & the owner gave me a free paklava dessert-to my surprise I thoroughly enjoyed it as I’ve found others hit or miss & off putting. Needless to say, I had an amazing experience & I’ll definitely be a repeat customer for sure when...

I wish I had pictures to share for this review but after doing takeouts and wolfing down the food as soon as I get home, alas, I have nothing to show but this honest review. I have been at this place twice now, after having discovered it one late Sunday evening (past 8PM), when most places are closed. The fact that I count middle eastern cusine as among my favorites would've sufficed for my walk in. However, this scored extra persuasion points for me as its modern signage, bright lights, clear glass walls, and clean interior made it an extra attractive spot along Rolfe Square. In I walked. While I initially was surprised at the prices on the board, thinking this median befitting of a semi-formal sit down setting, I realized afterwards that the big differential is the taste of the food-- very good quality and flavorsome. After that, I now see that the price is equivalent to the quality of the food I am getting and so that is now a non-issue. Long story short, I believe that hands down, this place has the best tasting, well prepared middle eastern cuisine I have had in RI so far. Even if they are not a more formal sit down venue, the food is above par. I have ordered the Taza Platter, the Mazaj Platter, Beef Shawarma, and Baba Ghannouj on these two occasions, and all were flavorful with the meat always moist. Best tasting Hummus and Baba Ghannouj! I also like that they use white meat which can be tricky to cook but nope, they've got that down right. Experts. The only dish I thought could use improvement is the Muhammara which came out dry. I opted for just the Basmati Rice the second time and it was good. The food serving is also generous. I have never been a pita fan but they even grill that so well I end up eating pita and dipping (more like spooning) these triangles happily on the Baba Ghannouj and Hummus. For certain, I will always come to this place when I get a hankering for middle eastern food that hits all the right...

100% would recommend Alani's ! We just went there for the second time, arrived at around 10:30,(they close at 11) and the doors were locked. A couple of men were standing inside. As we got across the street to get back into the truck, a man, who ended up being the owner, came to the door and stopped us . He yelled from across the road " if you are hungry please come eat! We usually do close at 11, please, come in! " We were hesitant at first because we didn't want to take up any of their time if they were trying to close up and leave, but we went in. He greeted us and asked us what we would like to eat . He explained it had been a very busy day for the business, so they decided to close up a bit sooner so his crew could go home for the night. We exclaimed our gratefulness to them for being so kind as to fire up their grills again for us. As we sat and waited the two young men behind the counter worked fast to get our order together, the owner oversaw, made sure they were diligent about wearing gloves while handling food ! (Which I’ve noticed A LOT of restaurants don’t seem to even do anymore!) and made sure the men still plated the food in an orderly manner, and even made extra falafel for us during the wait. He offered for us to even eat in ! We respectfully declined as to not take up any more of their night. They served us our food, even more falafel to take home, were respectful, despite the inconvenience, fast with their service, and had hospitality that you just don't see anywhere anymore. The young man behind the counter, who was there the first time we had discovered them, is pleasant and respectful. We mutually agree to tip our hats to him !!

As a side note, in a time that we all feel the pressures of life, businesses feel this pressure as well. Hospitality and feeding people go a LONG way. This business has left an impression on us like no other, truly great...