Sinbad Restaurant - Middle Eastern 2727 James Street, Syracuse, NY 13206

"Wish I could give this place 6 stars! My husband and I live in Ithaca but pass through Syracuse regularly en route to/from the airport or route 90. Sinbad’s charming atmosphere has become an essential part of our routine. The food is delicious but never makes us feel grossly full, and the grape leaves are some of the best we’ve had in the northeast. The interior is cozy and thoughtfully decorated. We stopped there tonight, a snowy December evening, and immediately felt cheered by the antique tea sets, warm lights and table settings. And the service, every time, has been some of the best we could ask for. Staff who genuinely care about the food and their customers. There’s a sweetness to this place, and it’s not just in the baklava! It’s homey even for weary travelers. Don’t miss out on this neighborhood gem and its flavorful charm."

"I hate to give such a marginal review for this place because I see all the positive reviews and by the replies from the owner and just seeing him at the restaurant gives me a very positive impression of him but I must tell it like it is... The atmosphere... Very nice and clean inside, in my opinion. A bit overly bright for dinner, maybe tone down the lighting a bit. I found it very noisy with a lot of background, white noise from the fans and maybe the soda machine along with the little waterfalls they have in there which were nice effect. But it just did not make it enjoyable for having a conversation with my wife. The service was okay. The waitress was very pleasant but she didn't know if my wife's falafel platter came with pita bread or not, I thought that was a little weird, although maybe she was new. She never followed up to see how we like the food after we were delivered it which I wish she did. My wife got the falafel platter which she liked, great presentation but she was expecting the falafel to be warmer than it was. It was mildly lukewarm. We're trying to keep an open mind... Maybe that's the way this is supposed to be served from the the owners origin. Our experience with middle Eastern restaurants are for them to be freshly made and sometimes actually hot. The big disappointment was my dish, a shawarma sandwich. Again very nice presentation but it just missed it... Since it was cut up into inch and a half slices it was hard to eat because the wrapping was so tough. There was no way to pick it up and actually eat it by hand, which is okay, but it was so tough I couldn't even cut it with the butter knife that was provided. Provided so I want to peeling back all but like the last layer that was somewhat softer because it was moist to eat it. I left the big pile of all that wrapping on my plate. I probably should have taken a picture of that for effect. I don't know. The other part was the little bits of beef were very chewy, I was very surprised at that as I expected very tender flavorful meat. It was basically little pieces of beef and kind of a yogurt sauce and that was it. And it was basically $20, more or less. I thought that was pretty expensive and actually our impression overall of the prices were pretty expensive for the entrees and sandwiches, not so much for the appetizers. On the positive side though, the waitress came at the end of the meal with a little box of trinkets, telling my wife she could pick a ring if she wanted, wish was truly an unexpected positive experience. And she also gave us little dessert cookies. Which again were unexpected and very positive. I truly feel bad giving this review and I'm sure people will disagree with it and I assume the owner will probably reply to it. I do not mean it in any negative way at all but just giving my honest opinion as someone who has been around the block a few times. I wish them the best of luck!"

"Easily the best middle eastern food I’ve had in Syracuse. So much flavor and care went into the food. The dining experience was so pleasant, and we felt truly appreciated as customers. I already cant wait to go back!"