Bedawi Cafe

So glad this place is here. (Even if they don’t always open exactly when they say they’re going to open.) Handmade pita, cozy space, and a friendly staff who actually pay attention to their customers. Bravo.

The place is small and cute, the staff are nice, and you can get these adorable 10″ middle eastern style pizzas for about $ 9 each ($ 7 during lunch).
We’ve tried six of the pizzas. All were simple but tasty (lamb was probably our favorite). If you have a light appetite, two people can share one. And they’re just $ 7 each!

At BEST, mediocre. I’ve tried it 3 times, just to be sure. Everything I have had here seems to have been put through the deflavorizer at least twice. Hard to believe that the Middle Eastern people who run the place actually have taste-​tested this stuff. Too bad.

I have nothing but good things to say about this place. Actually I ended up here because I was going to try the Halal food by Taqwa Masjid and I couldn’t bring myself to eat over there cause all the places looked disgusting. So after searching for another Halal restaurant I ended up here. It was worth the far away trip from my home. They are a very neat and clean restaurant. Beautiful atmosphere and environment. When I arrived I saw they had seating inside but they offered I sit in the garden which I did. I took pictures and put them on Unilocal.The garden outside is beautiful and relaxing. They gave me their lunch special menu. Everything is $ 7.They have a selection of entrees and pizzas. I had the Menguez platter which is a lamb sausage it came with Hummus, salad and pita bread. It stated on the menu that it was spicy. And it was a little spicy. It was perfect. It wasn’t bland. It had just the right kick. They also had Mint Tea… Which I ordered. The waiter was courteous and friendly and service was quick. I recommend this place to anyone who wants an inexpensive REALLY NICE place to eat.

Sorry Bedawi, I tried. I must say I am miffed after a long wait for a basic lunch platter (30 mins; got it to go). They also have a minimum of $ 15 on the debit card and they wouldn’t yield even though my order was over $ 10. So I had to go across the street and pay $ 3.50 total in fees to get cash out.
It was the 3^rd or 4^th time there, but definitely the last. Bummer.

So this was my first time at this place and I had a pleasant experience for the most part.
The food: (in order of most liked to meh-​so-​so)
Spicy Lamb Pizza ($ 10): thin crust, not too oily, great flavor, but I wish it had more pieces of lamb.
Chicken pizza ($ 10): same as the lamb (but I liked the lamb tad bit better) the size of the pizza is enough for 2 semi-​hungry people to share if more food is ordered as well. 1 whole pizza would be enough for a hungry-​hungry person.
Chicken Platter ($ 10): superb chicken. Cooked just the way I like it — a bit charred and seasoned very well. Rice and salad was alright.
Chicken ouzi ($ 13): it’s a unique taste. If you don’t like spicy food, you will enjoy this. If you like your food spicy, I wouldn’t recommend it.
Mint tea ($ 2): I always like mint tea. This was no different.
The Service:
We went in pretty late — around 9:30pm. Aside from one other customer, it was just our group of about 7 people. I have to say the service was slow. I wish someone came to check on us as we were sitting in the garden area. Some of us were waiting for quite some time for a water refill.
However, when the nice man was serving us, he was very pleasant; brought a nice homey, welcoming vibe. He also served us complimentary dessert (a dry cake type of dish with sweet syrup drizzled over).How nice of him! It wasn’t too sweet. I would recommend it.
The Décor:
They can definitely improve it. But it’s not a bad place. I liked the garden area. Good place to just chill out with some buds at night.
Will I be returning? Most likely, why not. I liked it. Try it out!

I’ve had a lot of Middle Eastern food here and abroad over the years and I can’t believe my neighborhood restaurant is the best, since I haven’t started frequenting Bedawi until recently! Dishes feel fresher, spice notes more complex. Here is a friendly, family business and I suspect the dishes are served with love. Super-​fresh salad, tasty, moistest lamb I continue to have, chicken ouzi to die for… whether I eat in or get take out, same awesome quality. Generous portions, too!

Great little get away in Park Slope! After a long bike ride, my homie and I needed some food… and fast! We were on the hunt for something fulfilling and affordable. The Bedawi Café was the place! We saw a sign outside stating «The garden is now open». So of course that’s where we wanted to be seated! We were the only two there. It’s not really a garden. It was chessy and welcoming! I ordered the lemon chicken platter. It came with hot pita bread, salad, and basmati rice. The rice had great favor but needed salt. The chicken was perfect. My entire meal was only 10 bucks! Highly recommended if you in the mood for some good Middle Eastern cuisine.

I ordered from here tonight despite mixed reviews of this place with hopes that maybe folks were being too critical. I was sadly disappointed to learn that the negative reviews were right. The food in general is bland. The hummus, which I expected to be garlicky and flavorful, was flat and tasted like nothing. Perhaps the most tasteful part was the side salad because the red onions and olives gave it a bit of a kick. I don’t think there will be a next time for me here.

Seating was very slow for such a quiet night. We were led to a very dark garden area that has the potential to be a beautiful, intimate setting at night, but was a bit creepy and hard on the eyes.
There were only two other tables, yet we waited nearly 20 minutes to place our order and receive water. At least we were given a bottle opener upon seating to take advantage of the free BYOB service.
My dining partner and I ordered the chicken and merguez platters — both very typical North African /​Middle Eastern dishes. Both meats were overcooked and tasted bland. Tahini, baba ghanoush and hummus were all on the weaker side as well. I will say that the pita was refreshingly light and crisp, compared to many similar joints.
We usually visit Zaytoons on Smith Street for our casual BYOB/​Middle Eastern fix, but decided on Bedawi due to the location, backyard and lower prices. Bedawi has potential, but needs to step up its game when it comes to snappier service and spicier cooking!

Great place!
I have been in Bedawi Café several times now and I will continue to go back. I was really surprised to see the bad reviews here. The food here is so delicious! and it’s reasonably priced, plus the service is great.
The MERGUEZ platter was pretty flavorful, I have also enjoyed the lentil soup and the hummus. You can tell they use quality ingredients. So yummy! Portions were great, and everything was fresh.
Staff was extremely sweet and helpful in every way possible, fast and friendly too. I am satisfied as usual, I totally recommend it!
I’ll be back, hopefully sooner than later)

When I was in college, I worked at a Middle Eastern deli, so I know my way around Middle Eastern food. We ordered dinner off Seamless. First of all, I was surprised the hummus didn’t have any garlic. It was super bland. I had the falafel, which was dry. And the ful salad, which was basically fava beans with chopped tomatoes. No spice or flavoring whatsoever. The worst thing about it was after dinner, my partner and I both had cramps and stomach aches. I went to bed thinking it would pass, but at 2 am, I was in the bathroom with a terrible case of food poisoning — vomiting. So terrible I had to call in sick to work the next day. I would definitely avoid this place. I don’t understand how someone can get food poisoning from something as simple as falafel, hummus and ful.

Love the food and the ambiance! Had the mozzarella and spinach calzone, and the falafel sandwich, I loved every single bite of it! I also took the lamb platter which was really good as well! The price was just right for what you get.
Also ask for a mint tea very good! And take the baklava!

I got delivery on 3 pizzas, and though they took an hour to get here, I can say that, Yes, I am a fan.
I avoided the «Traditional» eats food, and ordered the pizza, because it’s nearly impossible to mess up!
It was wholesome, good, even if a tad small, no complaints. Their signature Bedawi Vegetarian pizza was my fav.

A Puzzling Experience for Long-​term Customers
A long-​term customer of the Bedawi Café, I noticed that the Café is run by the owners only this summer. Consequently, the wait time has increased. When we visited the Café last Sunday, we had a puzzling experience. 25 minutes after we sat down in the garden in the back, we had to ask for a glass of water to be brought to us. The owner did not come to take our order either, and I decided to go to him to place the order after a 20-​minute wait. The sodas and food were finally served after 45 minutes. The owner in attendance replied later that there were many take out order that evening. But that did not explain the neglect in bringing us water and in taking our order as a regular professional operation.
What happened to us on Sunday was quite different from the day before when I went alone to the Café in the evening. The owner in attendance worked at a slow pace, but he brought water and took my order with a professional efficiency. He tended to the youngish customers with a level of energy, quite different from the extreme long wait that he put us through the following evening.
My husband is a modest, elder gentleman. He and I appreciate the well-​prepared food, as much as the well-​designed summer garden at the Bedawi. But it was offensive to have to ask for basic water, and to have to walk to the owner to place my order after more than 20 minutes. This treatment was distinctively different from that of the youngish crowd on other evenings that I saw.
I believe that it is very important to treat customers of all types equally on all days that the Café is open. I believe in the basic right of all customers to be served in a decent, timely fashion. Whether young or old, we all have a tight schedule. I would like to share my belief with the owners of the Bedawi in the hope that the dining experience in their summer garden will improve, and will be a truly beautiful experience.

I liked it, but it didn’t Me-​wowi.
The lunch special rings in @ only $ 6.50 and offers a plethora of options.
Pita reminded me of a cross between a flour tortilla and homemade pita. It was delicious and soaked up the slightly smoky baba ganouj and gratis tzaziki that showed up on my plate. I’d probably try the hummus next time, as the baba was not my favorite.
Bring booze, sit out back next to the fountain and take your time.

Delivery review
Potato, beet, Bedawi, and foul salad all tasty. Labana yogurt/​cheese pairs well with pita bread. Chicken ouzi is rice with raisins, nuts, chicken inside phyllo dough served with salad — could use more chicken. Ours had 3 – 5 pieces of chicken. Merguez entrée was a bit too spicy but tasty. Would try other dishes.

My new go to spot. The place is very nice with a backyard however we didn’t sit there since it was raining.
It’s like a cheap date night for girlfriend instead it doesn’t feel cheap at all with their food looking amazing.
Price is very reasonable and on a weekday, there’s really no one there around 7. I guess it’s a takeout place plus fine dining. Well long story short, it’s a wonderful place.
I hope they can play some American music but their tone makes the place traditional in a sense.
Definitely order the salad sampler.

Bedawi Café where have you been all my life!
Middle Eastern cuisine in huge portions, for a lot of value, things here were served up fresh. I don’t think I’ve ever had fresh baba ghanouj and… wow. Not to be missed.
I’ve really enjoyed their olive oil drenched hummus

I walked in for take out. Quick. Courteous.
I just wanted to test it out so I got three basics, tabouleh. lentil and bulgar, baklava, and some pita.
tabouleh– bland, under seasoned, under cooked bulgar
Lentil and bulgar– tasted of old grease
Baklava– stale
Pita– not like any pita I’ve ever had and I grew up in a Lebanese family. More of a chewy flat bread.
I should’ve known when I saw a spinach pie listed with MOZZARELLA cheese as an ingredient.
The quest for good middle eastern food in my hood continues.