Chef Samir Shaltout

I love Arabian food and being able to find it here in Greensboro is great. Chef Samir’s food is delicious and they have the best baklava treats that I found, they make them. I could tell that their juices and waters (hibiscus, etc) are all-​natural (meaning is not bought, it’s made). The décor could literally transport you to Egypt. I love the hints of elegance that reminds of Arabian royalty. Last but not least and majorly important in the restaurant industry… their service is the best. All of the times that I have been there I have seen Chef Samir coming out at some point to greet and make sure that clients are satisfied with the food & service.

Pretty good food, chef Samir is a really friendly guy you can tell he cares about his product. The salad was fresh although the schwarma wasn’t the best I have ever had. I was happy to find a good dinner anyways

Delicious!!! Can’t wait to come back!!! The chicken was cooked to perfection and seasoned wonderfully. The restaurant décor is beautiful!

I love This place.
Chef Samir is the best host and he personally sees to every guest’s comfort.
The food is always fresh, and made to perfection. Just overall great atmosphere, great food, great service.
I recommend grilled or Cajun shrimp. Chicken kabobs are also great.
If you’re in a group, you should just go for the mixed grill and taste everything.

Hubby and I had time for a rare lunch date and decided to try this restaurant. We were excited about trying the food here, but ultimately disappointed. The owner was very nice and attentive-​no complaints there. The food is why the rating is a 2star. We did enjoy the hummus appetizer thoroughly-​very authentic. Wish we had ordered several orders of that just for lunch. I ate the fish platter and haven’t tasted a more bland fish than if it was at a cafeteria. I asked for some sauce and he was reluctant but provided some tahina. It did not help. Left it on the plate. Hubby orders beef shawarma platter and it was flavorful, but chewy. Extremely chewy. He didn’t want to finish it and he always finishes his plate. Great company for lunch, but we will not be returning here again.

This was my first time eating Egyptian food. I went with two Egyptians as well so their standards were high. The atmosphere is really cool. The owner took care of us and provided a great time! When my friends got their food, they had large smiles and said that it tasted just like home! Good times!

The best! Great atmosphere. Great food well seasoned. A lot of menu options. The customer service was great very attentive.

Chef Samir Shaltout knows how to do it! We have driven by this place so many times, and I have always wondered about it. Last night we decided to find a new place and we tried it. Upon walking in you will notice that they have taken a big interest in making sure the restaurant in the end of this strip mall is decorated to the «T».
The server allowed us to sit at our choice of table, once we seated we noticed many options on the menu. It was nice that they made a special point to show all vegetarian options and the server offered to send the Chef out if we had any questions or requests. We ordered the grape leaves, spicy potatoes, & tahini dip for appetizers.
The grape leaves were served warm which was a nice change to most restaurants who serve them cold, they were packed full of flavor and taste great. The appetizer order came with four. The spicy potatoes were exploding with flavor, they were cooked into nice tender chunk’s. My wife really loved these.
For my meal I had the fish fillet, I believe he said it was cod. The meal didn’t lack in size or taste. The fish fillet was served with a large portion of rice and salad. The meal came with two very large fillets, that were covered in an awesome marina sauce. This meal cost 13.99 and defiantly didn’t disappoint, the quantity and quality were both great, I would be happy to pay for that again.
During our meal it was very nice that the owner came out and checked on us, he conversed with us shortly and made some recommendations for our next visit. I can’t wait to go back to this great place again!

I was trying to expand my horizons, when my husband mentioned trying Egyptian food. I am so glad that I did! Chef Samir Shaltout is my new favorite. Beautiful décor, excellent service, amazing food, large portions, and inexpensive pricing make this restaurant a MUST TRY! You won’t be sorry.

Wonderful food beautifully cooked and seasoned.
You can tell they care about the quality of food they are serving. I feel it’s so rare to find this attention to detail nowadays.
The service was also efficient and friendly.
I, no doubt, will be stopping here again when in the area.

I came in to Chef Samir’s on a Tuesday evening around 7 while in Greensboro on business. Having read others’ reviews, I was anticipating good food but was prepared to wait a bit for it. Well it seems that Chef has been paying attention and taking measures to improve!
I had the hibiscus tea drink to start. A little sweet for me personally, but definitely a unique flavor, and I enjoyed it. Upon receiving my drink I was ready to order, requesting stuffed grape leaves to start and the moussaka tagine for dinner.
The server was very sweet and attentive, and brought out the dolmades in under 10 minutes, probably closer to 5. The flavor was great, rice seasoned well, and they were piping hot. By the time I finished 3 of the 4 and pushed the plate aside to save room, out came my moussaka.
Again, right out of the oven in a beautiful pottery tagine, this dish was hot and flavorful. Not overpowering with the tomato like I had read in other reviews, the eggplant was meaty and cooked well, and the dish was peppered with just the right amount of ground beef and large chunks of bell pepper. This also came with rice and a beautiful, fresh side salad, seasoned and topped with big slices of cucumber, tomato, and more bell pepper, as well as a light traditional seasoning and olive oil. Even if you think you don’t want the salad, take it. It’s a refreshing palate cleanser to balance the intense flavors of this cuisine.
I had a great experience here in this tucked-​away gem. –1 star only for the price, which seemed a *little* high for the area. A much needed change from the 2 dozen chain restaurants in this area!

I have been a regular at Chef Samir’s for the past 3 years but was disappointed at how they treated me when I called to provide feedback on a large order that they prepared for me. We placed an order for 11 chicken shawarmas, which is our favorite dish — the chicken was not minced like it was supposed to be. When I called to tell them, they became defensive and questioned me if I knew how a shawarma was made — Really? They asked me to send a pic (which I did) and haven’t heard back from them since. Whatever happened to listening to the voice of the customer– please listen to your customer and find ways of keeping them happy. The food was good but the whole experience left a bad taste with me.
I’m sorry they have lost me as their customer!

This is an intimate and cozy restaurant with some delicious food/​drinks and impeccable service,
The menu is full of everyone’s favorite Egyptian stuff and a few more more sophisticated family style format dishes, Everything so Fresh & tasty.
**THE SERVICE**
Staff and mangers take time to look after you and make sure your experience is good, waiters are always super friendly, the owner was present and extremely welcoming. They deserve the good reviews.
**THE FOOD**
We had Hummus, Baba Ghannouj for an appetizer.
My Friend had Juicy Duck & Rice & Salad, and I had fish with the Jumbo Shrimp & rice & salad it tasted delicious!
**The Dessert**
My friend and I had Om Ali, the rice pudding was so creamy and yummy!!!
**THE DRINKS**
I had a sahlap and my friend had mint tea so good.
I suggested Chef Samir to my co-​workers/​friends for dinner. Chef Samir is one of my favorite Egyptian Restaurant in North Carolina
Great interior and exterior design, good music, very nice décor, reasonable and affordable prices.
Thank you for great meals and awesome service. I can’t wait to return! The atmosphere is very authentic.
Highly Recommended!!!

The reviews are spot on. The food is very tasty. The 4-​piece appetizer is no longer offered. We opted for shrimp (very good) and baba ganoush (ok). Mixed grilled entrée was very good as was was moussaka stew. The dessert was free due to the Suez Canal
Reopening and baklava and rice pudding got high marks. The service was inconsistent and can be improved.

Found this place while visiting from NYC — so I’m no stranger to authentic Egyptian food. Food and service were both excellent. The owner/​chef, Samir, came out to check on us to make sure we were enjoying the food. Entire staff was super friendly.
Lamb, beef shawarma, mixed grill — all perfect. Hibiscus drink was delicious.

The menu has a lot of options for vegetarians and non-​vegetarians.
We tried Falafel, spicy potato, fried calamari, mix grill and Egyptian Khushari.
The best dish was the mix grill. The service was slow, but OK.
The restaurant itself has a lot of pictures of Egyptian paintings, hieroglyphs, etc. which was good.

Chef Samir Shaltout is my favorite restaurant in Greensboro, NC. The food is amazing and the atmosphere is warm and cozy. I especially like the booths with the high backs. My husband and I love treating ourselves to Chef Samir’s flavorful cuisines in one of their secluded feeling booths.
The beef sherwama is my favorite dish. The meat is tender and melts in my mouth. I am a BIG fan of red meat, but the chicken is tasty as well. I had bite of my mother-​in-​laws meal and was pleasantly surprised at how flavorful it was. The salad is simply delightful with feta cheese added on top. As for deserts, the Baklava is a winner, hands down! My mother-​in-​law makes some of the best baklava and this gives her method/​recipe some real competition!
I also love how Chef Samir comes out and meets his customers. It’s the little things like this that puts Chef Samir at the top of my favorites when it comes to dining out.

So much good here!
First, I’ve never had beef enriched hummus, it was really appealing! I would definitely order it again.
I decided to do the Mix platter because I wanted to try it all! It’s funny, I started trying the Shawerma, and was like, eh… it could use some sauce. A moment later Chef Samir is table side, a courteous greeting, a quick explanation of all my items and then he says, «Oh, your takziki will be here in just a moment.» And then it was, and it was just what was needed. Lots of food here.
I opted for a little baklava for dessert it was all delicious.
Really, this is a gem for Greenboro, I wish we had options like this back home.

Chef Samir Shaltout is a Mediterranean restaurant that opened in 2012 on busy Wendover Ave. in the same shopping center as Staples. The restaurant is named after the head chef and owner who is Egyptian. The food I had here was excellent, but the service was slow as molasses.
If facing Staples, Chef Samir is located on the far right end of the strip. The restaurant has a couple covered seats on the patio outside. Inside, there are nine booths for four along the walls and three tables for six in the middle of the space for a maximum seating capacity of about 54. The interior has a distinct Egyptian theme. The ceiling tiles and wall moldings are decorated in Egyptian art and hieroglyphics. The atmosphere is casual and noise level can vary from quiet to loud depending on the crowd.
The menu features a good variety of Mediterranean cuisine with a handful of Egyptian-​specific specialties such as Samak Mashwi (whole grilled fish), Kushari (an Egyptian rice, macaroni, and lentils dish), and Mulu’khia which is a soup made with jute leaves. There is a bevy of hot and cold appetizers (e.g. Egyptian yogurt, falafel), salads, soups, stews, and tagines (stews named after the pots in which they’re cooked/​served), pastas, rice, meat, seafood, and desserts like Ahsura pudding (Egyptian wheat pudding) and Umm Ali, the Egyptian version of bread pudding. Beverages include various teas, coffees, and juices such as Karkadeh (hibiscus) and Kharoub (locust bean) juice.
We visited for dinner where most appetizers run about $ 4 – 6 each and most entrees $ 13 – 18 each. We ordered a couple samplers to try a wide variety of food along with a tagine and a dessert. Here’s the rundown:
Appetizers:
* Babaghanoush — grilled eggplant blended with tahina sauce, garlic, lemon, parsley, salt, black pepper, yogurt, and topped with olive oil
* Eggplant with Garlic and Vinegar — slices of fried eggplant topped with vinegar, cumin, and garlic sauce
* Moussaka — eggplant, sweet pepper, garlic, vinegar, and crushed tomato baked in an oven
* Hummus — chickpeas blended with tahina sauce, garlic, lemon, cumin, salt, and topped with olive oil
Meats:
* Chicken Kebab — skewers of grilled cubes of marinated chicken breast
* Chicken Shawerma — marinated chicken breast roasted on a revolving skewer
* Beef Shawerma — marinated thin slices of beef roasted on a revolving skewer
* Kofta Kebab — skewers of grilled marinated ground beef
* Shish Kebab — skewers of grilled cubes of marinated filet mignon
Tagine:
* Moussaka with Ground Beef — layers of fried eggplant, ground beef, tomato sauce, garlic, vinegar
Dessert:
* Baklava — phyllo dough stuffed with nuts and honey
In general, the food was outstanding. The appetizers were served with a plate of freshly baked pita bread. The quality of something as «ordinary» as pita bread can make a big difference and Chef Samir gets it right. The pita bread is warm, soft, and appetizing on its own.
The hummus, babaghanoush, and eggplant with garlic and vinegar were all amazing. The hummus and babaghanoush were fresh and soothing. Just terrifically made. The purple eggplant was fried, but not with a batter. It was stir-​fried in a pan. A little bit oily, but quite delectable. I wasn’t a fan of the moussaka as it had a bit too much tomato for my taste.
Of the roasted and grilled meats, the kofta stole the show. The meat was tender, succulent, and full of flavor. The meats overall, particularly the beef, were very nicely seasoned. The mixture of spices and subtle aroma were apparent in most bites. Naturally, the chicken kebab (made with chicken breast) was the leanest, driest, and least tasty of the meats. That wasn’t the case with the more heavily marinated chicken shawerma.
The moussaka tagine was pretty good. The tagine was served in a glazed earthenware bowl. The eggplant looked like it was prepared similarly to the eggplant with garlic and vinegar appetizer described above. The eggplant glistened and was topped with parsley. Thankfully, the moussaka tagine didn’t taste as tomatoey as the moussaka app. Be careful eating the eggplant as soon as it hits the table because this vegetable can hold its heat for a while.
All entrees are served with a side salad and vermicelli rice. The salads consisted of chopped Romaine lettuce, green bell pepper slices, sliced tomato, and seasonings. The loose vermicelli rice was lightly seasoned and topped with chopped parsley. The salad was palatable and the rice OK. The latter, though somewhat ordinary, was a fine contrast to the other more intensely flavored foods.
Do try the baklava. Four small (two-​bite) pieces come to an order. I liked how they weren’t too rich nor overly sweet.
Service was painfully slow. It took a solid 30 minutes for our entrees to come out after our appetizers. Unacceptable. The servers were friendly and polite. However, our server wasn’t knowledgeable when it came to specific menu items. Finally, several empty tables went uncleaned for the duration of our stay.

I decided to check out this place for a late lunch today. The server welcomed us and promptly took our drink order. I was thinking about getting one of the many appealing appetizers… but I was with two somewhat difficult people who are afraid to try something new and wouldn’t agree to share anything with me! I think we missed out.
We all ordered the chicken kebab sandwich on pita. Our food came out in about 15 minutes. The chicken on the kebab sandwich was extremely moist and flavorful. The pita bread was perfect, and the mix of veggies and tahini sauce were a home run. I added feta cheese to mine because I love it. I ordered the rice as a side and it reminded me slightly of saffron rice. Good flavor and tasted very unique. I tried some of my sister’s French fries and they were very good. The pita kebab sandwich was actually a very decent portion for lunch. I could barely finish all of my food but I was determined to because it was so delicious.
My two dining companions and myself were all very impressed with our meals. I truly appreciate the chef coming out to our table to ask us how everything was after the meal. The inside of the restaurant was appealing to the eye and interesting to look at.
I will definitely try an appetizer next time I visit!