Rose's of Englewood — Restaurant in Englewood

We try to dine out locally, or get local delivery (never with those delivery apps) at least 2 times a week. Restaurants are suffering since the pandemic and it's up to all of us to support our neighborhood eateries.

Rose's is tucked into a very pretty little building in Englewood on a main drag. Plenty of parking. We entered smoked glass doors and went down a few steps to the restaurant.

Immediately, we noticed the pristine cleanliness and simple lines of the dining room. Plenty of light, beautiful mural.

Bottled water was brought to the table along with a basket of warm pita and a plate of those lovely little pickled radishes, olives and pepperoncini. Yum to munch while looking at the menu.

Now, we love our Middle Eastern restaurants we frequent. Rose's is Lebanese, and there are differences. The biggest one is their native dishes are seared over real charcoal, not a gas grill. And it makes a major difference. But I am getting ahead of myself.

We ordered for appies a few things: Borak -- 4 slender cylinders stuffed with cheese and spinach were fresh, crispy, and touched with fresh lemon. So good. Sauteed Liver -- we get it everywhere they sell it and this was a biiig portion, lightly sauteed and spiced -- we put the pita to good use and cleaned the platter. Fried Eggplant was a marvel of simplicity and flavor: 6 thick discs of eggplant chargrilled buttery smooth with a lemon garlic sauce I will dream about until I go back. So far, Rose's is going to see us again.

For the Entree, our lovely server who is also the co-owner, Yasmine (forgive my spelling, no disrespect intended) recommended two dishes and we were all about them:

The part of the Menu labeled Dinner Entrees is really what Lebanese Cuisine is all about. Look there for your inspiration. We ordered the Rose's Combination Platter which arrived with a Kafta Kabab, Shish Kabab and a Lamb Chop. The fresh and abundant salad that shared the plate made this a marvelous and filling entree.

I am a sucker for lamb chops, so I did the Lamb Chop platter. Three nice sized chops, I am guessing around 4 oz each, perfectly rare and soooo tender. Since we are controlling our carbs, I asked for some char grilled tomatoes and they were a perfect pairing with the chops.

No room for dessert, but next time, I will try their Lebanese ice cream.

So, we will be back, and soon.

Bring a bottle of wine, revel in the lovely surroundings, and enjoy some classic Lebanese cuisine with the mother-daughter duo who has been making sweet music here and in Fair Lawn for over a decade.

And don't...

First and most important, the food is outstanding. I am always a bit hesitant to get falafel because once you have top notch falafel, nothing else will do. Well this place makes the good stuff. You won't be disappointed. And to everyone thinking they are eating tabbouleh when they scoop some at the wf salad bar... Non, you are not. Tabbouleh at Roses, my friends, is the real thing. Baba ganoush: perfect. Hummus: perfect. Armenian beef: perfect. My only food critique: The eggplant dish was too oily for my tastes. I know it is really hard with eggplant, so I am being picky, but it can be done. Three service notes: First: Fine dining should never include plastic water bottles. Please get a water filter and serve tap water with good ice, also made from filtered water. Second: My first dish ordered was missing an ingredient in the kitchen, but I wasn't told until much later. Fine, except I think it led to a rather long wait time to get our main meal. The wait between appetizer platter and main course was just too long. The company was good, but I still get antsy after 20+ minutes. With no water. Third: It is pretty cold in there when it is below freezing outside. (I understand it is expensive to fix such a problem, especially when it usually...

Had to be one of the worst dining experiences ever. Yasmeene is cold rude and really not be anywhere near front of house. Service was awful and slow in an empty dining room. The food was terrible, old and made with cheap ingredients. When hoping to address concerns, she laughed right in my face; that was the ONLY smile we saw from her. Do yourself a favor and DO NOT GO TO ROSE'S. The food, service and overall attitude was just gross. Even the bathrooms were dirty and smelled bad. The ceiling had cameras falling out. It just was an all around mess. Her mother would be rolling over in a grave if she saw what Yasmene has done with what her mother built. So much better literally ANYWHERE else. Tipped tje standard 20% regardless because I'm pretty sure she pools tips( hopefully honestly). I also shared my experience w a few friends and they've also met and dealt with this woman. She was the same way with them. I feel bad for her employees and for anyone who goes...