Habibi Lebanese Grill — Restaurant in Orlando

So I have been doing my best to explore Orlando cuisine far and wide. I heard that this place has some of the best Middle Eastern food in the city. At least according to the fine readers of Orlando Weekly. So I grabbed a couple of friends and took the long trek down to Hiawassee and checked it out.

I get in this place, and I see just delicious food displayed everywhere behind the glass. There's nothing better than watching those spinning meat sticks in the back getting ready to get eaten by me. I check out the menu and weight out my options, knowing I kind of want a little bit of everything.

I decide to get the Chef's Platter for 2-3 people (Chicken Kabob, Shish or Kafta Kabob, Hummus, Tabouli, Grape Leaves (V) & Falafel. Served With Garlic Sauce & Pita Bread). And, because I wanted it, I also got the Chicken Shawarma Platter (Marinated Chicken Breasts Roasted Slowly On A Spit, And Cut In Thin Slices).

I mean, everything was good. So good. The kabobs were awesome. Charred to perfection and not dried out because of it. Don't just eat them off the stick, though. You gotta grab of a hunk of meat with the pita, dip it in the hummus, maybe a little garlic sauce, a slice of pickle on top. Basically I'm telling you to get your hands dirty and play with your food here. This kind of cuisine is so much fun for that.

The hummus was better than anything you can buy in a store. Mega creamy, and teeming with spices. The falafel was crispy on the outside and soft and chewy on the outside, like a Lebanese hush puppy. And the pita bread was so soft, so rippable, and the perfect vessel for me to make dozens of little sandwiches with multiple flavor combinations. So good.

Also also, the shawarma was excellent. First time I've ever had shawarma, which is surprising, since I saw the Avengers back in like 2012. Very flavorful. This one was a little dry, but hey, all meat that's barbecued like this can be dry. That's why we invented sauces. And tabouli and hummus and rice, and pickles. Very good stuff.

Overall, I really really loved this place. I wasn't sure how I'd like the Lebanese focus with the foods that were more basic Middle Eastern, but everything new I tried here was really excellent. The staff was super friendly and made me feel welcome. I will definitely be back...

I recently visited and had a less than satisfactory experience due to an extended wait time. After accepting our order in person, we were made to wait for 40 minutes, being informed that there were 15 Uber Eats orders ahead. While I understand the demand for online orders, there are several methods that can be employed to effectively manage Uber Eats orders to prevent overburdening staff and ensure a pleasant experience for in-house customers:

Enable Busy Mode: • This feature on the Uber Eats platform allows the restaurant to extend fulfillment times during busy periods, helping to manage the flow of both online and in-house orders. By tapping on Settings and then selecting Start busy mode, the restaurant can control the pace of incoming orders. Adjust Prep Time: • If more preparation time is needed, the restaurant can delay the order by 5, 10, 20, or 30 minutes. This adjustment can be made directly on the order screen, allowing for better time management without overwhelming the kitchen staff. Pause or Stop New Orders: • When the kitchen is swamped, pausing new orders temporarily can be a helpful measure. This can be done by tapping the navigation button and selecting Pause new orders. When ready, simply go to Settings and select Resume new orders to start receiving orders again. Adjust Item Availability and Business Hours: • Managing the menu availability and business hours on the Uber Eats app can also help in controlling the volume of orders, ensuring that the staff can handle the demand efficiently. Set Different Menu Hours: • Allocating different menu hours for different days of the week can also be a useful strategy to manage order volume effectively.

By implementing these features available on the Uber Eats platform, restaurants can create a balanced and satisfying experience for both online and in-house customers. I hope you guys take these suggestions into consideration to improve the overall...

No matter how many times they change employees, food and service is never consistent... one day food is ok, one day it’s not. One day service sucks one day it’s ok, sometimes both. Just left and got my money back because from moment I paid I waited 10 minutes to even have someone come from hiding in the back kitchen to even acknowledge the orders. Sorry but inconsistency is not cool. I’ll just go to Flame Kabob or elsewhere. I really want to like this place and I’ve given this place too many chances throughout the years. Hope they get better.

Update: sept 10, 2018

after everything I decide to go once again to habibi, my wife calls to ask what I wanted over phone while ordering. I clearly hear her say 2 beef shawarma platters... oh and their charging garlic sauce now, they never did before.

30 minutes later she finally gets the food, when remember, the beef is already cooked and ready to slice along with the sides and salads being right there. Why 30 minutes when it’s all done ?

She comes home to find 2 wrong orders and the beef and chicken couldn’t be any dryer and overly done. Pita breads are flat and dry as a cardboard too. Maybe that’s why we needed 4 more garlic sauces to counter the dry food they serve.

Wow ! . Once again had to get my money back and drive to Dr. Phillips Flame Kabob.

Don’t like complaining but when it’s taking my time to have to leave home drive there, get a refund and have to order food again somewhere else, it’s 2 hours later and I’m just driving home with the food. They should pay me for all the damn gas and time I just spent just to get dinner today. Thank for the inconvenience.

I work in dr. Phillips and eat 3-5 times a week in restaurant row. So I’m not cheap or mediocre in my food. Specially when they want to charge extra for stuff, make sure your service and food is consistent and on point.

Being nice doesn’t mean good service and food. And they are nice. Just food service...