Aladdin's Café 1015 Florida 436, Casselberry, FL 32707

"Amazing authentic Lebanese food. Stopped by on a Thur nite and very surprised to see it empty. Was recommended by a co-worker who was half-Lebanese. Food was so delicious! Ingredients were fresh and high quality - no gristle in any of my meat dishes. Had baba ghanouj, grape leaves, shish tawook to start. Baba was smooth, creamy, well-blended with a hint of smoky flavor but not overpowering. The olive oil mixed with it was so good - best way to describe was a clean flavor without leaving any greasy residue. Of course it was imported from a Mediterranean Arabic country, hence the flavor - Hassan the owner said from Morocco or Syria. Grape leaves had vegetarian option so I chose meat! Very tasty, not oily. Shish tawook (chicken kabob) had a nice grilled flavor, nicely tender and marinated. I like the Persian version (shish tavook) a little bit better because it is a little juicier, but the Lebanese was not dried at all - slightly different flavor and definitely warrants a reorder on return visit - and I tend not to order chicken dishes so that says something! Fried kibbi was very good - least favorite but I would reorder again, yes. Crunchy outside, tasty, soft/crumbly inside, meat minced well and not gamey. Makanek was very delicious even though drenched in oil. The sausage had a robust flavor that was not gamey (I love lamb), and stood up well in oil. Very savory but lean flavor - some sausages taste savory due in part to fatty content, but not this one. Baklava was excellent in the tradition of other Arabic cuisines - tend to be drier vs Greek which is wet. Not to the extremely dry end which tends to be very flaky and crumbles. Just wet enough to notice the honey, and no syrupy or cloying sweetness. Would describe the sweetness as not overpowering, even a little subtle, dissolves almost like a powder even though no sugar dust. The owner told me 30 year history of establishment, and how it has been a favorite of foreign dignitaries when they travel to FL. I can see why. Reminds me of an Afghan restaurant in upper East side of Manhattan that had same claim (Pamir). And yes, prices reasonable. Forgot to mention the nice service by owner and the refreshing hot green tea (Moroccan with mint). Mint nicely soothes the entire GI tract, but be wary if you have GERD, not to lay down for at least 2 hrs after (if you have average gastric emptying time) - the tea is soothing but not sleep inducing, so you might be tempted."

"Husband has been dying to try this place out for a long time! We walk in 40 minutes after opening, there were people sitting there already waiting on their food, so we weren’t to early, atmosphere upon walking in was cold, it felt like you had entered a basement, no music, it didn’t smell like food, and it was dark and cold, gave it the benefit of the doubt ordered our food falafels were cold in the middle took 2 bites total, super disappointed, pita bread was cold, food just wasn’t it we got water, cups were dirty, for the price this place should be a lot more welcoming, it just wasn’t at all, we spent a total of 30 minutes in there in and out, we couldn’t wait to get out."

"The overall experience was a five because of the authenticity of the food and our waiter, Mohammed. As soon as we came in we were sat right away and everything was pretty fast but we didn’t feel rushed at all. Mohammed was very friendly and answered all our questions and more. The portion sizes are perfect. Everything is homemade and delicious!"

"I believe all of the reviews will agreed at least in one thing: tastes like homemade. The food, the restaurant and the staff will make you feel like you are eating at your parents house and they cooked you a meal. Everything felt very healthy and delicious. They have a wide variety of food so vegetarian friends and meat lovers folks will find a good amount of options. Very spacious and welcoming. The server suggested options and was very knowledgeable about the food and the ingredients on it. Definitely coming back!"