Tasty Zaytoon Lebanese Market and Restaurant

"The staff was great, the atmospheric was nice, and they had a good selection of vegan cuisine. Everything looked great and we went for the mezza sampler (Hummus, Baba Ghannouj, and Falafel). Everything was great and it was very filling. We would definitely come back here again. A couple days later we went back and tried more. Everything was great. We also got a chance to speak at length with the owner. He was outgoing and personable; we were very impressed. We also visited the attached grocery store and found some hidden gems. We highly recommend this restaurant for excellent homemade meals. Don’t miss the olives from the owner’s personal olive trees."

"The food here was delicious and considering my daughter and I are vegan, it was wonderful to find a restaurant with so many authentic items on the menu we could eat! We tried so numerous things and had leftovers for lunch the next day! My daughter has traveled the world and said the falafel was the best she'd ever had. Our food came quickly, the presentation was beautiful and the owner even stopped and chatted with us when we were done. I will definitely go back with my husband... who is not vegan, and will have plenty options to choose from too."

"Put down the menu for the same pizza you've had every week for the last 3 months. Drive past the same pub food joint you go to when you can't decide what to eat. Instead go to Tasty Zaytoon and have a great meal made from great ingredients. Olives made by the owner from his own trees in Lebanon? Yes please! There are plenty of plates to share and entrées with good portions. I had the lamb kebab, which was delicious. I'll be going back to sample some of the other small plates. Worried about mispronouncing a dish? No problem, cause I messed up every word and had to ask how to say a few dishes, but it was fun and the waitress was happy to help us out. Lots of good options for vegetarians and those with dietary restrictions. It's BYOB, there is a wine and spirits store across the parking lot. There's also a store inside with wonderful goodies from overseas. That's where you can buy the homemade Zaytoon olives!"

"Pros: Vegetarian and vegan options. Staff is kind and the owner expressed his heartfelt efforts to re-create authentic dishes with fresh ingredients. The restaurant was clean. Dishes were assembled and served in an artistic manner on the plate or bowl. Cons: The most important part of a restaurant is the food. And unfortunately this is where Zaytoon falls short. After trying a variety of dishes, it didn’t take long to conclude that the authentic Lebanese flavor was lacking. This style of cuisine utilizes aggressive and subtle flavors in harmony to create amazing culinary experiences. Unfortunately the strong garlic and spices typically attributed to Lebanese food simply wasn’t there. Perhaps in an effort to attract more diners, the food lacked flavor and wasn’t as garlic and spice forward as true Lebanese cuisine would or could be. Despite the lack of flavor, the chicken was tender and grilled skillfully but lacked any flavor other then the nice char from the fire. The grape leaves were served cold which is unusual for this type of dish in a restaurant. Perhaps some may prefer them cold at home but it was odd in a restaurant when most establishments serve them warm or hot. In addition, the restaurant side of the business lacked the interesting decor that lends to authentic cultural experience. There’s really not much to see here that enhance your dining experience other then the occasional interesting patron. The music was loud and we wouldn’t recommend for a date or special occasion."

"*Indoor dining review* My girlfriend and I love Lebanese Food and are frequent visit of one restaurant in Philly. When we heard about Tasty Zaytoon opening, we had to stop by a give it a try. Restaurant: 4/5 Service: 5/5 Food: 4/5 Parking: Free parking lot ~Restaurant~ Restaurant itself is very clean and nicely decorated. As soon as you walk in on the left is the cute little market where you can buy different items. on the Left is the dining room. You have to sort of walk back a little bit for the hostess stand(a bit odd setup but not inconvenient). I would definitely recommend making a reservation, since it looks like it gets busy especially on weekends. ~Service~ All the staff are very friendly and personable. Although we didn't have a reservation, they were happy to accommodate, one of the member at the back prepping food even made a joke saying: (I will give you my table)... love it but fortunately there was an open table for us on a Saturday. ~Food~ We ordered 2 of the MEZZA dishes (BABA GHANNOUJ & MUHAMMARA, which is one of our all time favorites). Both were delicious, accompany with freshly made pita bread. We also ordered (CHICKEN SHAWARMA & KAFTA WRAP) It was very good and flavorful, just a bit oily for my taste. Both come with a side of salad that we just did not like the dressing that's drizzled with. Apart from that the wraps themselves were very delicious. In conclusion: While it is not like Suraya restaurant that we go to every year for special occasions, it is definitely unique in its own way and offers number of good items on the menu. I would go again."