Diwan Restaurant — Restaurant in Town of Manlius

My seven year old and I went here for a nice treat for his good behavior in school. I developed a taste for Mediterranean food while travelling in the military and love exposing my kids to foods of all kinds. They had a great kids menu, various child portions of the adult menu. Most served with seasoned French fries. We began with an order of pita and hummus, the portion size was definitely enough for two adults, and more than enough pita. Definitely did not hold back on the pita like other places. My son ordered a beef Shawarma with fries. It was a kids portion but was ample for an adult. I tasted a bite and the meat was very well marinated and was excellent. So full of flavor. I ordered the gyro plate over rice. Wow. The gyro style beef strips were incredible and I had a nice amount of it. It was very well seasoned. The rice also had a nice subtle flavor that created an amazing combination when mixed with the fresh taste of the homemade tzatziki. For dessert we ordered baklava, in which he and I shared. It was served warm and gooey. It tasted magical. It was an almond baklava with a very sweet and cinnamony syrup. When served warm like that, it tasted like pure magic. The waitress was very nice and attentive. I forgot to mention that this place is very much a sit-down style restaurant. Even though it is in a strip mall, it has lots of seating and is a very nice setting. I will definitely be back. 5 stars...

Although I came here with high expectations, I was sorely disappointed with the serving size and portions. Coming from NYC and Boston Middle Eastern restaurants, I've experienced wonderfully hearty and delicious Middle Eastern dishes prepared by folks who were proud of their heritage. The food I received at BulBul was almost an insult to those memories. I paid $30 for two "Hungry Boy" meals to-go, and was given roughly $5 worth of what I paid. My photo was taken right after I took my sad meal out of the bag. Suffice to say, I will not be returning.

Food: 1/5 Staff: 4/5 Service: 4/5

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EDIT: It appears the establishment owner believes I consumed most of my meal before posting the picture. While it's pointless to begin a "he-said, they said" argument, I still firmly stand behind my statement that the picture was taken as-is straight from the take-out bag before consumption. I acknowledge that other patrons may have experienced flawless meals, however, that was not my case. I found it offensive that the owner would flatly deny my claim, regardless of its factual basis. The fact that this has been the first time I have been rebutted over my hundreds of reviews is a testament to how management here...

We visited Diwan Restaurant for lunch, and experienced an all around amazing meal! To start, we ordered the Hummus with Warm Pita Bread and the Spicy Walnut Kibbeh. Both appetizers were to die for, and were finished before we could even remember to take a picture! Moving on to the main dishes, we ordered the Lamb Gyro and a Beef Shawarma Bowl. Their red sauce, and tzatziki complimented the flavors of the entrees perfectly. Finishing off the meal, we ordered both flavors of their amazing baklava to go! The entire meal was incredibly fresh and flavorful, and everything is priced very reasonably! While they do offer their amazing dishes as takeout, I recommend the dine-in experience if time permits! Our waitress Adina was extremely friendly and provided amazing service. Throughout the entire meal, we never once felt rushed, which gave us the opportunity to enjoy the beautiful decor and ambiance! We will be adding Diwan into our regular dining rotation, and cannot wait to try more of their regular menu, as well as their specials that are posted on social media! If I could, I would give this restaurant 6 stars! Diwan provides a delicious and welcoming dining experience, and is worth driving from anywhere in Central New...