Byblos Mediterranean Restaurant — Restaurant in Fort Worth

I have eaten at Byblos many times, and even danced there during my performing days, in my youth. The food itself was hit-and-miss, and the service was consistently terrible. Still, the other dancers and I continued to eat and perform there because we enjoyed the opportunity to perform, and to see each other's performances. The floor of the place was always filthy, and our “dressing room” was a dingy office/laundry room in the back. The pay was pretty pathetic, but tips from the customers could sometimes balance it out. Of course, pretty soon, the owner began placing an “entertainment fee” on each guest's bill. The patrons (understandably) believed this “fee” was being forwarded to the dancers (which of course, it wasn't), so tips dropped to almost nothing. I stopped performing there, because the gig simply did not pay enough to make it worth the trouble, but I still continued to drop by to see my friends perform on occasion.

I have recently been made aware of something even more upsetting than all of this. Another dancer, who I am not close with, but who I have always known to be a well-respected member and leader of the dance community, not only as a talented performer, but also an accomplished teacher of this art form, was treated in a way that came as quite a shock to all of us. Turns out that the owners of this establishment found out that she wasn't straight. So these people, to whom she has been providing quality shows for literally DECADES, began refusing to serve her or her wife when they came to eat there. Eventually, the owner told her directly that while she could still perform on their stage, that her wife wasn't even allowed in the building. Holy cow. Seriously? No matter how you feel about LGBTQ+ folk, this type of treatment is not only unnecessary, but completely horrid.

That's it. I'm done with this place. I won't be back to...

I can't wait to go back! True Lebanese cuisine, finely crafted and exquisitely presented. Chef Joel's Garlic Whip is the best I've ever had and is the real deal; no fillers. Though Falafel is not my favorite, his Falafel has made me a fan. Not the usual deep fried overcooked; his is crispy but oh so tender. My family also ordered Baba Ghanouj, which I haven't been able to find since I last visited Omar's near Seattle. It was creamy, and had the right balance of sesame paste, garlic and lemon. The same can be said of the Hummus. Yes! We ordered three appetizers just to try them all. For dinner I had the Mix Grill which included Kafta, Taouk and Shish Kabob. The chicken was moist and tender, and perfectly seasoned, same for the Kafta and Taouk. And each with the Garlic Whip will have you swooning. My husband had the Beef Shawarma which he devoured. For dessert, Baklava and Namoura. The Lebanese way of making Baklava is not the sickening sweet kind like other Mediterranean cuisines. Theirs includes a sprinkling of pistachio's on top and just the right amount of honey and walnuts. I'd never had Namoura before so it was a great surprise. It was moist, almondy, and the hit of orange blossom flavor was delightful. Joel, has 19 years experience as a chef and was classically training. He and his wife are friendly, personable and eager to please. The restaurant was super clean and décor was hip and modern. What a refreshing addition to the staid restaurant fare...

We went in today, we were asked if we were there for hookah or dinner and we said both! The waitress took us to the hookah area which isn’t appropriate for eating and asked if we would eat there… and we said okay! Later I read a sign on the wall that said if you eat in that hookah area you are charged a 20% gratuity. The waitress had not mentioned that to begin with. We ordered a flavor and she asked if I would like anything to drink so I said water, she brought out the hookah and two bottles of water (which I would have to pay for, I thought I was being offered free water) then before she put the coals up she went to the kitchen and informed us they didn’t have coconut coals and only the round ones (I hate those a lot, they taste burnt) but since we already had sat down and the hookah was brought out we decided to say yes again. Then when she put them on the hookah barely would give us smoke, I asked her for help she took the hookah to the kitchen to fix it but we didn’t hear from her for 20 minutes. That is not her fault, the place is severely short staffed and also very dirty. Our waitress was very sweet and hospitable. Then we walked up to the counter and let her know we would just want our check and that is all. We had smoked for maybe 3 minutes, she was very courteous and said sorry about the situation and did not charge us. But we decided we would not eat in an establishment where we had so many hurdles just getting a decent hookah. You guys...