Flavors of Phoenicia — Restaurant in Ponderay

Good: The lady (I assume she is the owner) was polite, efficient, and attentive. The place looked clean and decoration was fine. Her kids were sitting at tables on tablets, so it looked like a family thing.

Bad: The employees cooking looked like that got up from surfing the internet, absolutely no one else was in the restaurant, but maybe it was because it was Memorial Day. The food was honestly gross. I mean I've had worse, but it was absolutely unimpressive. My wife and I got chicken shawarma with fries, and I've had shawarma several times in different cities. It was WAY too small for what we paid for it. The chicken had a rubbery texture like it was some Tyson frozen chicken or something. I'm not sure what the issue was, but I ate maybe half of it before I threw it away. My wife said hers was OK, but she didn't rave about it either. The fries were boring, nothing unique about them at all, just frozen fries I could make at home. Every time I've had shawarma it was AMAZING, and full of flavor, all I tasted here was yogurt and dill pickles. Also, every single shawarma I've had was huge, this was honestly about the size of a small microwave burrito. I've had numerous fast food wraps that were better than this, by far.

I had some hopes for this place, we decided to try it, and we quickly decided it's not going to be a repeat. We also thought it was strange to have a Lebonese restaurant in Sandpoint, ID. Honestly you would expect to see a place like that in Seattle, not in the middle of nowhere Idaho. We live in Priest River, and laughed at the idea. But beyond that, if you're going to bother opening something unique like that in a small remote town, you better make sure your recipes are absolutely rock solid, your portions are big, and your ingredients are fresh quality. Maybe go and learn how to make real shawarma, or refactor into some sort of Lebanese Fusion restaurant where you mix some other style to bring something interesting and flavorful.

I wish I could have left a more positive review, but this place is a sad replacement for Breakfast Cantina that used to be in...

Food is AMAZING 👏 I am actually half Lebanese and moved here over 13 years ago and am always looking for good authentic middle eastern/Lebanese food. This is it. As good as my mom and aunties make (and me, too).

We have literally tried 80% of Everything on the menu - from the appetizers - kibbeh, falafel, tabouleh, etc- all So delicious, but the kibbeh is our favorite! And the falafel is a close second- to the sandwhiches (which come with fries) and platters (which come with rice). We love all things kofta and my picky daughter loved the the chicken options. The owner has been there everytime we go by. We have ordered take out and dine in. What we really enjoy is the small town friendliness and personal attention to detail and the customer. I enjoyed seeing the family vibes when I see her 2 daughters doing homework or helping out in the restaurant because it feels more personal....and that's the most challenging experience to receive anywhere so extra plus on that front. We eat here regularly and highly recommend Flavors of Phoenicia for anyone who appreciates quality tasty food! I wish I had more photos but I tend to eat so...

My spouse and I were travelling up from south eastern Idaho for a trip and saw that they had Lebanese food in Ponderay so we stopped. We were a little early, but it was worth the wait! The moment we sat in the dining area and smelled the spices as things cooked, I knew we were in for a really good meal. The staff took time to explain what the food options were and made great recommendations. Ultimately, we went with the Sujouk sandwich with Zataar fries, Sumac chicken kabab with rice, and Labneh. We left both happy and sad. Happy because our bellies were full of delicious food, sad that we live nowhere close to eat there frequently. If you live near Ponderay or are travelling through like us, do yourself a...