Babylon Restaurant — Restaurant in Town of Henrietta

Do you like Middle Eastern food or want to try it? GO TO BABYLON RESTAURANT, NOW! This unassuming restaurant, located in a small strip mall on E Henrietta Road, has some of the best Middle Eastern food you can find in Rochester. And, I’m very picky when it comes to food. The owner is Iraqi and the menu features some Iraqi or Iraqi-style items, as well as standard Middle Eastern dishes. I stopped in today, having just noticed they were open. They had only been open a little over a week. All three gentlemen working couldn’t have been warmer and more welcoming.

I ordered two pita sandwiches and an appetizer of falafel. The falafel! Oh my goodness, the falafel! The absolute BEST falafel I’ve ever had in my entire life! I was told they are Iraqi-style and apparently, the Iraqis know how to make falafel. They were crispy on the outside, but so soft, tender and moist on the inside and delicately-spiced. The two pita sandwiches (a chicken shawarma and a beef shawarma) were also very, very good. Both were on soft pita bread, filled with marinated, slow-roasted meat, combined with lettuce, tomato and pickle. The chicken shawarma had a wonderful garlic sauce and the beef was dressed with tahini sauce. I highly recommend either, or both!

And, talk about hospitality......While I was waiting for my food to be prepared, I was treated to a bowl of soup, which was thick, creamy and delicately-spiced. Then, the owner also sent me home with a piece of their homemade baklava and znoud (an Iraqi cream roll) to try. Both delicious, of course. Not to mention that the cook accidentally made me a falafel pita instead of a falafel appetizer. When the owner noticed, he insisted they make me the falafel appetizer and sent me home with the falafel pita, as well, no charge. I mean, how often do you find that kind of generosity and hospitality at a restaurant?

Babylon Restaurant will definitely be a restaurant that I frequent, it’s just that good. The people are friendly, the food is fantastic, the portions are generous and the prices are very reasonable.

Update (7/2/2021): I've now been here 7 or 8 times and have never been disappointed.

Tonight, I got a gyro pita and I have to say, it was the BEST gyro I've had in Rochester, and I've tried them all. From the homemade pita (their homemade pita is awesome), to the slices and chunks of fresh gyro meat, to the accompaniments (tomatoes, onions, lettuce, feta, traditional pickles and tahini sauce), it was everything you want a gyro to be. And, big, too! That was a gyro pita you have to hold with both hands.

if you haven't tried Babylon Restaurant yet, what are you...

If you are looking for a smooth operation and sophisticated full service restaurant with wine or beer, this is not a place for your outing. This is a truly home made middleeastern (which is such a huge word, like northern hemisphere) restaurant. The floor is very open, with tables where families can sit around, along with a more common tables and chairs - and that was exactly the way it was! Kids running around, people sharing food, Arabic chats flying here and there. It was as if I was taken to the local eatery in some country out there!! The energy of a street (I'm imagining) from Oman or Jordan was there. The price was very reasonable, considering these food they offer take often very long steps. The food was simple, halal, with plenty vegan/vegetarian options. Hummus was properly served with drizzled olive oil, and salad was topped with pickled vegetables slices. The Arabic speaking people were having vegan soups, which I wish I had. And no alcohol. You pay for the order at the counter with how many drinks, and get your choice of drinks from their fridges! I had a small bottle of drink with Arabic writing with a lemon picture (with small poppy seeds looking things floating!). I loved this very refreshing and not too sweet, lemmony drink. Many other common soft drinks were there. I would not describe the food as elegant, BUT for what it is, I really enjoyed it! It really felt like I went into a small eatery where (middleeastern country) locals would go for a good home made dishes. I don't know how long this place has been open, but it definitely became my place to go for something authentic. In contrast, Aradin and other more popular places are nice, well Americanized, and they also serve "Mediterranean" dishes, but for Middle Eastern place with more authentic foods, I would give Babylon my string thumbs up. They can streamline their operation, BUT that would take away this unique atmosphere, so I personally was ok with this bustling atmosphere, that turned out to be a bit more entertaining than a normal...

My wife and I ate here recently, and honestly, I’m amazed I hadn’t heard of this place before. We love Middle Eastern food, and it’s tough to find restaurants that use quality ingredients. Right away, we could tell the difference—each of us tasted the feta by itself, and it was excellent, clearly high-quality. The pita, which I assume is house-made, was soft and tasted like freshly baked bread. I’ve never had pita that wasn’t the thick, tough kind you get in stores.

I have a mild onion allergy, and my wife has a vendetta against onions. When we asked about certain dishes, the staff at the front weren’t sure if they contained onions. The owner personally came out and assured us he could prepare the dish without onions—each of the three times we asked. We felt a little bad for asking repeatedly, but I simply can’t eat onions, and he was more than accommodating. It was reassuring to see that the food isn’t all pre-made, as some dishes had onions incorporated rather than added on top. I had the gyro plate, my wife ordered the falafel sandwich combo, and we also tried the fava beans. Everything was delicious.

Toward the end of our meal, we were pleasantly surprised with a small dessert and a carafe of cardamom tea. My wife is now hooked on cardamom tea! This unexpected gesture was incredibly thoughtful, especially given the current challenges in the restaurant industry.

We were planning to order dessert anyway—I can’t visit an authentic restaurant without judging their baklava (baklawa). We also tried the znoud, and both were delicious. The baklava was prepared perfectly, with each individual layer of phyllo dough clearly visible along the edges.

I highly recommend this restaurant, and we’ll definitely be back. It’s the kind of place where I feel comfortable exploring new dishes, knowing how well they prepared the ones we usually order. For me, finding a restaurant that nails my favorite dish is a sign that everything else on the menu is likely...