RAWA Mediterranean Fusion, Middle Eastern Food, Pizza Place — Restaurant in New Haven

My girlfriend and I went to Rawa once before and loved the food and atmosphere. We decided to order takeout one night and were completely disappointed and upset with what happened. We ordered two entrees and an order of the baba ghanouj. One of the entrees does not come with pita so we ordered the extra pita for $2 thinking it would be more than one piece of pita bread. We only received THREE pieces of pita bread and they were all raw. We spent $45 for three dishes and were only given three pieces of bread? We called the restaurant to ask for some clarification and were met with a young woman who was inexperienced in handling customer complaints. Instead of offering a refund or simply for us to come back to pick up more bread, she said there was nothing they could do and she doesn't make the decisions. We then asked to speak to a manger and apparently there was no manager working at the restaurant that evening. She then told us that they would give us 'free food' the next time we come in and mention our name, but didn't take any of our information down. We asked, 'how do we know you're not just saying that to get me off the phone right now, since you said you don't make the decisions?' She just said 'trust me, we will.' clearly trying to rush us off the phone because she was uncomfortable with the situation. My girlfriend is middle eastern, pita bread is not hard to make nor expensive to buy in bulk. If you're going to charge the ridiculous prices you're charging, at least give plentiful (and fully cooked) amounts of pita bread. How is anyone expected to eat a container of baba ghanouj with one...

The food items we ordered were unbelievably delicious compared to most Mediterranean places we've eaten at. We were surprised that this existed here in CT. Some people shared with us not so great reviews of this place. As someone who loves to cook and has eaten at many NYC restaurants this place's menu transported us back to the food we ate while on a few years of summer vacations in the Mediterranean. We ordered the babaganoush and fava bean appetizer. The thin bread served with it was delicious. Main specialty was lamb merguez sausage with tahini and their chopped Mediterranean salad. Delicious. Presentation could be improved on this dish.

Definitely coming back to try other appetizer dips , mains, and their dessert looked interesting too. The manager who attended to us, guy with shaved head, was great. The one item I'd like to see improved is a warmer space , but that can be said for so many new Haven establishments. Floors are always cold. Sitting next to windows in booths not ideal. The interior aesthetic is a bit jumbled up and needs a designer eye to give it a cohesive travelled Mediterraneanlook and aesthetic. Also too many hard surfaces which makes it a loud space. The owners should know all this since they owned restaurants in NYC. Overall a nice surprise for a last minute dinner...

We have lived down the street from Rawa for just over a year and haven’t made it in until now. We have walked by and driven past often, but the restaurant doesn’t usually look busy, so we weren’t sure if it was any good. I’m disappointed we have only now experienced this restaurant, and it’s a shame they don’t get more business!

We came in rather late in the evening (9:30 PM) on a Saturday and we were seated quickly. I had the Rawa cocktail (Sauza tequila, Cointreau, and hibiscus infusion), and it was delightfully fresh. We shared the baba ganoush, which came with fresh pita; we devoured it within minutes. For our entrees, we split the falafel plate and the chicken biryani; both were SO good. Seriously, it was the best falafel I’ve ever had—there was some seasoning on them that blew my mind. The chicken biryani was perfectly spicy and was magical with the cucumber mint yogurt sauce. Lastly, we had the baklava; it was super tasty, and I wanted more!

Our server was terrific—she was very attentive yet not intrusive. When there was a small issue with our bill, she took care of it quickly and gave us two extra pieces or baklava for the inconvenience.

Now that we know how delicious the food is and how great the service is, we are certainly disappointed we didn’t go sooner, and we will...