Byblos — Restaurant in Tampa

The worse lebenese food worldwide..food was not cooked well and oily ..the place is old and tables and chairs are filthy and our table booth had some food dropped on the seat from previous people ..docor is not cozy like most people wrote , its old and out of date with tons of dusts all around the place ..service is super sucks and waitress " Cloudia " was overwhelmed with tables and she doesn't know what's in the menu ,seemed like she just got hired without being trained..the Resturant manager KEKE was they only positive thing in our experience, he came in the end and apologized for the 45 mins delay on 2 main dishes which my wife and I had ordered and for the service and treatment we received stated that there was a big order was place before our order which doesn't make sense . ya'll must know that every single review with 4 and 5 stars was given to this place was either a friend with owners or never been to a good middle eastern Resturant and thinking this place is the top. I felt bad for the poor belly dancer for not being able to move around and have a good space to dance well since there is table and chairs had been put all over the place , she was bumping to tables and chairs..I told the Resturant manager that he has a great personality and deserve to run a better place ..with all the respect to the owner but it seemed to us like he opened this place 10 years ago and haven't since then renovated it or remodeled it or even spent a dime to upgrade.. " basically is like milking the cow without feeding her". The biggest proof of what i mentioned is the high prices of dishes and menu compared to the poor service, no napkins were offered they brought us a nasty looking black towels were put on the top of a small plate and filthy restrooms in this place , let's talk about the bill we paid, my wife and I paid $80 +tips ... for 2 sodas, 2 appetizers( 2 pieces of frozen kebbeh which the meat inside was still cold& a small plate of hummus which I called it sample) and 2 dishes ( shish kabob was mine , and chicken shawarma was my wife's) GUYS!!!! For this amount I could've went to a high end Resturant like (cheese cake factory or pf. Chain)..and when they 1st seat u they bring you a very tiny plate of olive oil and some oregano , 2 slices of pita bread, OK!! ..what about when brought us the hummus ! Should I lick it with my fingers ...when I asked the waitress for more bread , she brought me 2 more slices after 15 mins and she was holding them with her hand wrapped in a piece of paper after I saw her taking A hookah to a table outside . "Yuk" everyone should know this place is not a Resturant, it's called cafe ..which it's ok with the management if u see young guy walking by ur table looking for restroom and staring at you , wearing a black muscle shirt and dropped pants and a nickles IN SOUTH TAMPA, cuz they serve hookah outside and god knows why these young ghetto crowd goes there for. I just thought to share my bad experience specially with people has been to middle eastern Resturants and know what Arabic food taste like ..do not even think to even step there , unless you would to be served A burnt shawarma and uncooked chewy kabobs ....

PHENOMENAL! Best service, incredible atmosphere, outstanding cuisine! We came here as a party of 9 and were BLOWN AWAY! From the very first conversation with the host in reserving a table all the way to the very last minute when we were leaving, we were treated with friendliness, grace and respect. Our Server, Chris was full of life and charisma, cracking joke after joke, making us all laugh and enjoy our time there. He was the most attentive server I have ever experienced in my lifetime. Everytime our glasses were half full he would refill us, he took away dirty plates with promptness, suggested dishes for us and took our orders with precision and ease. He was SO friendly, warm and an honor to have in our company. Now let me get to the food; dare I say it is the BEST FOOD in all of Tampa? I DO, actually! You can TASTE THE LOVE and THOUGHTFULNESS they put into EVERY DISH!!! Even the fries were perfection, not frozen, house made fresh deliciousness with a light, golden, thin crisp on the outside and a mashed potato consistency on the inside and SO DAMN FLAVORFUL! How do you make the inside of your fries that tasty!?? NEVER IN MY LIFE have I tasted a fry that damn delicious! Don't even get me started on the scallops.......I cut them with my spoon, that is how delicate they were! Very flavorful, you can tell they fry the panchetta first and then the scallops in the grease, but you don't miss out on the fresh element either, especially with the green pea puree; MUAH, to die for! Best scallops I've ever had in my life. And you know I had to try a little of everyone else's dish. I would be here for hours writing if I had to describe each one of their unique flavors. Let me just say everyone loved their dish as much as I loved mine! In addition, I love when the manager comes to visit the table to see how everything was! So personable and appreciated (also, thank you for my husband's complimentary shot of whiskey for his birthday). This restaurant was so well thought out, from the comfy chairs to the layout and the decor. All I have to say is, if you want to FEEL emotions while you eat and be transported into a different world where the mundane everyday reality seems to dwindle away for an hour or two, and you want to really enjoy EVERY bite you take, while being treated like royalty, COME HERE!!!! I am already planning an excuse to come back! Thank you Chris for your warm-hearted personality and thank you Byblos staff for being so friendly and welcoming. This place deserves a...

I visited for the first time yesterday .Based on past reviews that I’ve read , the owner claims they changed the restaurants theme due to wanting to attract more of a broader clientele, since it’s old theme attracted only a certain kind of customers . To be quite honest I believe the same thing is occurring now, except this time around it is more catered to higher class clientele only . It seems as distant from Lebanese cuisine and culture as possible , which is completely fine but in that case, if your dining in thinking you’ll have authentic middle eastern food then you will only be disappointed . I believe this is the reason for any low ratings. They gained many more clients but lost many as well.

Anywho, for the appetizer I ordered cauliflower and hummus. The cauliflower was very good but to small of a portion and the hummus lacked in flavor , too bland.

The entree was the scallops with pea purée and you can tell off back it is quality food just unfortunately It had so little food that I’m unsure how they think one person can feel satisfied from only eating that . The plate, which I wouldn’t even consider a full meal was $18 . I don’t mind paying high prices if it’s worth it . The rest of the food was tasty .

All in all, I wouldn’t come back unless it was a special dinner occasion. The decor and ambiance makes it one of a kind for a romantic night with a significant other .

Giving them a 4 because despite all this, the food was decent , server was nice and I can tell the owner cares for what his/her customers have to say due the fact that he/she stays on top of the reviews .I just think the menu and just the whole concept of the restaurant...