Raya’s Lebanese

Very good! We got gyros and the combination platter to split between two of us and it was sooo fresh. The baba ganoush and hummus was the best I’ve ever had. The gyros were also perfdct. The only reason I’m giving this 4 instead of 5 stars is because I wish the menu was more diverse.

Delicious! I had the gyro with a side greek salad and everything was great! The pita was soft and fresh, tzatziki sauce was wonderful, and the meat was savory and tender. Can’t wait to come back!

Work nearby and walk past this place a lot. Finally decided to give it a shot. I’ve never really had Lebanese food before, but I can tell you I’ll definitely be back. The people were very friendly and great. Ordered to go and the food came out fast, although I was the only person in the restaurant as I got there right at 11am. Ordered the gyro combo, which I thought was a good deal at $ 8.50. The fries were well seasoned with salt and pepper. The gyro was fantastic. Very pleased with my food choice.

Ever since I worked on the Horseshoe casino project, I’ve been coming here (and at their old location on court street). Sam, the owner prepares all the dishes herself (even the sauces from scratch) and has always been one of the friendliest restaurant owners I’ve ever met. I can only discuss one dish as the first time I visited, I was hooked on the Mac Louba — extra Tzatziki — Spicy. My addiction to this dish, almost came to the point of crisis when I got my coworkers addicted as well to the point of intervention! Hell, they used to make it for me before I would even call it in!
Sadly, I moved away to Indianapolis for years and today I stopped in to say hello (and eat). Sam instantly recognized me and came over to greet me, holding in front of her that spicy mix of chicken, potatoes, cauliflower, and pepper I’ve come to expect and love! You know what? It tasted exactly the same as when I moved away and it felt like home. I will admit that I have had the baklava and falafel but nothing compares to that hot mixture of spice and flavor counter-​balanced by the cool of the cucumber. I write this review very satisfied to the point of excess, and I will be soon seeking help for my addiction now that I admit I have a problem. There are only so many times you can fall off the wagon before you just succumb and say to hell with it — you had me at tzatziki!

The food was delicious!!! I had the kafta over yellow rice with salad and taziki !!! Five star!!!

This place is really really good. I grew up in Detroit and dearly miss the outstanding ethnic food. Raya’s is a dive diner joint that offers a great selection of Lebanese food at good prices. I had the lentil soup with a side of hummus and the Chicken Shawarma wrap. Everything was flavorful, fresh, and delicious.
Even if you’re new to Lebanese food, check Raya’s out. They offer a variety of dishes that will appeal to even a newcomer’s palete.

Friendly welcoming staff. I hadn’t had Lebanese food before and the owner was very very helpful in pointing out what some of the popular dishes were as well as any questions I had. Fast service and great food. As some of the others have said it seems like a lunch spot, we stopped in at around 1 and the place was dying down.
I ordered the M’shaghan. The chicken was pretty flavorful and if I knew the recipe I would cook it at home on a regular basis. We also ordered the babahganoush which I hadn’t had before but was so good I cleaned the plate entirely.
The owner served us and struck up a conversation with us as we were finishing up because we were the only ones in there at the moment and was very friendly. The décor reminded me of a Chinese all you can eat buffet but that shouldn’t take away from the food.
Even though it says Lebanese it also has an American twist in a way because you can get French fries. Overall the food was pretty good and I’d come back.

I walked on this place lost downtown it is small but the service is good, they are friendly glad I went in. I got a chicken sharwama sand which it was OK, the chicken was to die for however the garlic sauce was bad

Food is ok nothing great. For a change you can try this. There are better Lebanese places around.

Excellent service and food. We will definitely eat here again! The owner made a special plate for us and added free, delicious falafel on the salad.

Perhaps my lack of knowledge on Lebanese food is on full display here, but I think most of the menu items at Raya’s Lebanese are something I could find at a Greek-​owned diner. Raya’s is clearly a lunch stop, as my wife and I had dinner here and only one other person was in the restaurant at peak supper time.
It’s a cute little diner within quick walking distance of Fountain Square with very nice ownership. I’m sure they do great lunch business with business folks that work in downtown Cincy.

I attended Raya’s on a Thursday evening with a group. Though we were late in their evening the establishment was welcoming and friendly.
It was a bit weird seeing Burgers and Wraps on the menu, but everything the group ordered was very good.
The hummus was wonderful! Heavy on the garlic, light on the lemon.
We each ordered different dishes and shared them around family-​style which gave us all a taste of the menu. The lamb was well made, the gyro meat was tasty, the chicken rice was good, the beef was delicious, the stuffed grape leaves were phenomenal, the tabbouleh was killer.
The only disappointing thing I found, was that the tea they have is Brisk from a soda fountain, not fresh made. But otherwise, I highly recommend Raya’s Lebanese!

Kevin at work introduced me to an awesome Lebanese restaurant. The gyros are fantastic.
Great Food and Great Price.

So I work with a guy named Kevin. He surprised me today by buying me lunch. He said, «you have to try this it is by far the best Mediterranean food you will ever have.» After sitting down, eating, and some discussion, I have to agree. Best Mediterranean in town!

This place is da bomb! I literally eat here once a week and sometimes twice in a single day. The owner is super rad and always cooks everything to perfection. If you haven’t been here, what are you waiting for?!

Amazing food!!! I grew up with a Middle Eastern mom so i know delicious Mediterranean food. It’s a definite must if you’re looking for a fast and delicious fix!

Great food. Reasonably priced. Staff was very friendly. Both the humus and taboulli were extremely fresh and delicious!

I chose this place for lunch because it was located right next block of my work. Ordered Chicken Shish Kabob. Service was pretty slow considering the fact that I went in there at around 1:45pm. Salad was fine, pita bread was average, chicken was good but not great. Hummus was mediocre.
I see a lot of positive reviews for this place. May be l need to try out other dishes before rating them but for now it’s ³⁄₅.

Loved it! Great falafel, quick service, and they took credit card. The guys next to me ordered a rice dish that also looked amazing. The lady, Sam, who was working there was super nice and friendly! Oh, and they have Dr Pepper, which as a Texan I always appreciate! :)
Right down the street from Cincinnati Shakespeare so this is my new pre-​show dinner stop!

Small diner. Prices are good. For $ 6.50 I got a hummus pita wrap (which was actually a lot more food than I expected!) and some baklava.
The baklava was unimpressive and dry, but the wrap was very filling and delicious. Lots of variety on the menu.

You will find me here at least twice a week for delicious, affordable, authentic Lebanese food, prepared by a super sweet woman from Lebanon! I love how quiet it is there, but for her sake I think she deserves more business!

The only reason this delightful place isn’t getting a 5 star review is the service was very slow. Otherwise this was a great place! The good was wonderful and the staff was really nice and friendly! The hummus and baba ghanoush were divine! I would definitely recommend it!

My office is a couple blocks from Raya’s Lebanese, so this place is on my weekly lunch rotation. Raya’s is a smaller, nice, family owned joint. My go-​to is the gyro platter, which is $ 8.50 for a pretty hearty gyro, fries and a drink — pretty solid deal for the amount of food you get! Raya’s tzatziki is some of the best I’ve had — try it! Everything else I’ve had at Raya’s has been delicious, I’ve never been disappointed.
Raya’s service is good, and is a great option for a quick and affordable lunch or dinner.

Amazing tastes from Lebanon: the hummus and baba ghanouj were really delicious! We also tasted the gyro and mixed platter, very fresh and well prepared. Also the service was great, kind and nice people. We will definitely be back!

Great service and food. The ambiance isn’t much, but the place counters with some fantastic Lebanese fare.
We had the gyros and kabab — both that hit the spot.

Love the Gyro! Sauce is excellent. Fries with pepper, who would have thought it, very tasty. Will become my regular place whenever I’m in Cincinnati.

This is a small Lebanese American dinette with a few booths and a classic lunch counter offering up the traditional array of Arabic foods. The combination vegetarian platter, which I seem to order at every similar joint I happen to stumble into, was extremely good, with delicious fresh ingredients producing some of the best tabouli and falafel I’ve ever had, in addition to an excellent hummus and baba ganoush. Service was prompt and friendly. Great place for a quick, inexpensive and healthy Lebanese repast.

Raya’s is a cute establishment with good Mediterranean fare (Gyros, Falafel, Kabob et. all). All of it tasty and in generous portions. The interior is a bit basic, but brightly lit and with upbeat colors.
What really stood out, however, was the customer service. The family who runs it went out of their way to make us feel welcome. Everyone, including the mother, came out to see how we liked it and if we needed anything. Not only that, but they gave us more than what we paid for, including stuffed cabbage to try, and some free baklava at the end of the meal, just because they were proud of it and wanted us back as customers. Also, it was toward the end of their service so they were a little short on beef, so gave our friend as much beef as they had, and threw in a generous extra second portion of chicken as make-​good.
We aren’t from the greater Cinci area, but our friend was and expresses great appreciation for them and a desire to come back, so their great customer service paid off.

Awesome !!! Everyone should try this place, the people are great and the food is WONDERFUL !
We walked in not knowing anything about Lebanese food and they selected the best selection for us. Wow !

I love the gyro! The fries are yummy. Lightly salted and peppered. I gave this place four stars because the food is amazing but going for lunch it can be a long wait. Do not go at 12! I can not stress this enough… Stress being the operative word. If you go any other time it is easy in and out.