Pasha's Mediterranean CafePasha's Mediterranean Cafe/ Hookah Lounge — Restaurant in Louisville

This place is a hidden gem. Tucked away on old Bardstown Road in Buechel area, I don't think a lot of people know about it. I'm torn to tell you about it because it might make it more crowded but I want more people to give it business so it lives long and prospers.

I think of this as three small businesses in one, depending on your preference: a hookah bar/ restaurant (smoking), a non-smoking Mediterranean restaurant, and a carry-out pickup counter. So pick your desired experience.

First of all, the food is excellent and prepared well. The value for it is extremely reasonable and they are generous with portions. This is where you want to go if you have to feed a family and not approach triple digits. Even if you have that teenager or spouse who likes to order extra things, you can relax and say 'go ahead!' and smile and not fret. You should enjoy your food very much as well.

Secondly, the staff is extremely friendly. They do a lot with a small amount of people, so if they are running a bit behind, have kindness and patience. If they somehow get stressed (never seen it yet), again have kindness and patience. If you are not the patient type (like a previous reviewer who showed up before their posted hours and got mad they didn't open the restaurant early for him), then perhaps you should just order carry-out and enjoy the good food instead. No worries.

Finally, on that note, I did have to subtract a star only because I think my last paragraph may hurt them: hiring a few more people may make them more efficient. I think of it as a management decision but I had to stand in line for ten minutes to wait to pay my check as the hookah and carry-out business customers (five in front of me) were being served. Again I was kind and patient and was not bothered; however, a majority of 'consumers' are not programmed that way and I'm concerned may not come back. Perhaps they are not the target customer anyway. I'm just worried if I put five stars (as deserved, truly) and the problem persists then you'll be mad at me without warning you (as I did in the previous paragraph). Follow my advice and you'll have a great experience. Picture you're a guest in a Mediterranean family's home, they are working hard to get everyone what they need, and relax a little bit and enjoy yourself. Then you'll see this for what this is - a tremendously great gem tucked away for...

At first glance when we had gotten home with our take out, I was bummed. I ordered a lamb sandwich and my girlfriend ordered chicken skewers with rice and a salad. Opening my box, I saw a ton of French fries and a pita sandwich, rolled up in wax paper. By no means was this sandwich small, at over a foot long and over an inch in circumference, it was large. It was when I opened my girlfriend's box that I became sad. The smell wafting to my nose of fresh char grilled chicken, hot pita bread, rice, and a delicious salad would make anyone sad. There was a delicious garlic yogurt sauce with her meal also, but I wouldn't find that out until later.

Let me tell you about my life changing sandwich though, because in the long game it was a better choice. As I unwrapped the wax paper, the smell of delicious lamb and vinegary vegetables hit me. At first bite, I was hooked. The juice from the lamb dripping onto the fries left them with so much flavor. Each bite I took, I let out an audible 'mmmhhhmmm.' The lamb, the vinegar, the veggies, all come together for the absolute best regional 'gryo' for sake of a better term. Pasha's is the place to go when you want this style of food. Everything was delicious, even my...

Worst service I have ever received in my entire life. Me and my son went inside the restaurant to order a couple of falafel sandwiches. When I got to the counter, I looked at the menu and the price was 4.99. And a 12 piece of falafel was 3.99. I ordered 2 falafel sandwiches and a 12 piece of falafel, which in my mind should have cost around 13.97, but they told me the total was 21 dollars. When I asked why, she flipped the menu and there was a note that said all prices were up by 30%. I said that I didn't realize the prices were wrong in the menu, and I cancelled my order. At that moment, the cashier asked if it was because of a 2 dollar difference. I then said that it was because the markup shouldn't have been 21 dollars (the actual markup would be 19.25 after tax). Then the cashier got mad at me and started insulting me. We began arguing, and then they cussed me out of the store. If you go to eat there, make sure you understand the prices and make sure you keep a tab of the total so you don't get fooled...