Baklava Cafe

This was my only option for delivery that appeared moderately healthy during my second nights stay in Philly.
God do I regret it.
I ordered the mix grill, sub veggies for rice, with a Greek salad.
What I got:
1) no veggies but two forms of rice
2) raw meat, including a beef stick of some kind and the meatball
3) no salad
4) overly salted, overly spices grossness
5) runny «cucumber» sauce that didn’t taste of cucumber at all.
I demanded a full refund. Needless to say I recommend staying away.

The positives = The Ethiopian food is very good. Its done right.
The negatives = its a small café for quick lunch or dinner. The place has identity crisis; Mediterranean or Ethiopia. Waiting staff was very attentive and friendly, but move at a fast food restaurant pace, and prefer their tip in cash «if you don’t mind.»
Finally= Such a shame there is ZERO high-​end Ethiopian restaurant in Philadelphia.

Just looked at their menu to see what kind of Ethiopian offerings they had and did not see a single Ethiopian item.
Forget this place…

I want to like this place because I love the woman who runs it. But the food ranges from nothing special to pretty bad.
The rice tastes like something from a cafeteria. If you are a middle eastern restaurant that cannot make a decent rice, something is wrong Hummos and baba are fine but nothing spectacular. I couldn’t force myself to finish my spinach pie it was that flavorless. Their chicken looks like a processed product for vegetarians who want to pretend to eat meat.
I think their desserts are expensive and while nothing is wrong with them, it is certainly not great baklava. My husband loves this place. When he needs to grab food fast in this neighborhood, he always stops in here. But, then again, he is a guy who love cafeteria food.

I wish I had read the reviews here before ordering delivery last night. Incredibly slow service and 3 out of the 5 items I ordered were missing. They then refused to deliver the remainder of my order and instead opted to refund me a portion of my total bill.
All this after I had already tipped them on my credit card prior to showing up.
The food isn’t anywhere near good enough to deal with the poor service.

For some reason, finding good delivery greek food in the Graduate Hospital area has been an impossible task.
Seriously unimpressed with this place, … we ordered through seamless tonight… and I don’t think I had anything I actually liked… the Chicken Kabob Sandwich could have been better — if they didnt put pickles in it? The greek salad could have been better… if they didnt put pickles in it (notice a theme?). The hummus was very watery and difficult to use as a dip because of it. We also got the 5 item — combo. They give you a small piece of pita to go with the 2 dips we ordered in it, which was not enough. The falafal was very dry and bland.

If you are an adventurous eater, such as I am, then, this restaurant gives you two different cuisines — Ethiopian and Middle Eastern/​Mediterranean. Yum, my friend and I love both. So, we stopped in for lunch today. She decided to play it safe with the Chicken Kabob Platter and I had Ethiopian Vegetarian Combo.
First, the Middle Eastern: The platter was lovely. Had the Chicken skewers, rice, Greek Salad and some carrots with a nice flavoring/​spice as my friend normally would skip! But they were tasty. Also comes with Pita bread. Ethiopian Special Veggie Combo — had Spicey Lentils, Yellow Peas, Green Lentils, cabbage-​carrot mix, collard greens and salad. This comes with traditional Injera bread.
All we can both say is, Wow! This was good. Very cute café in the heart of South Street. A Nice addition. We were both too full to try the Ethiopian coffee which smelled divine. The wait staff very nice. They have a full line of Middle Eastern pastries (hence, the name Baklava) and we will try next time with coffee.
They accept credit cards.

A friend of mine wanted a piece of baklava, so we popped into Baklava Café to peruse the case, which held the largest pieces of baklava I had ever seen. While he was deciding (this took a while) I was looking around — the menu, the restaurant, the seating int he back, the décor — I noticed posters from all around the middle east/​north africa, and I saw a poster for Ethiopia and saw a table in te back with a circular wicker basket food cover on it, which is distinctly Ethiopian. I looked at the menu again, which was all the usual lebanese/​israeli type cuisine, but then I looked at the girl behind the counter, and she was most definitely Ethiopian. I didn’t want to insult her, but I’m typically 100% on point in identifying ethnicity, so I decided to take a chance.
«You’re Ethiopian?» I stated, and she cocked her head, smiling, and answered «Yes! How did you know?» and I just smiled back and asked about the menu and the wicker table in the back. Her answer rocked my world, and is the reason I am writing a review before the fact.
«We are changing the menu now — we are an Ethiopian place now — I can show you a new menu, it’s not posted on the board — «and she handed me a menu that contained all the usual suspects, like Tibs, Watt, Berbere, — you name it! Vegetarian, lamb, beef, chicken, goat — all manner of North African goodness. I CANNOT WAIT to bring a group here and go buckwild on a platter, because as any of you who favor Ethiopian knows, there is NO place on this side of Broad Street to get your Tibs on. So, my excitement is palpable, and I encourage you all to explore this gem for yourself.
What used to be a mediocre Middle Eastern experience is going to be the only Ethiopian outfit in this area; so, if you want to find me, I’ll be wrapped in a blanket of Injera. Trust.

Came in to the Baklava Café for lunch on a rainy day. Honestly, I only wanted to come in for the pastries, but since we were hungry we decided to sit down and eat.
I got the 3 combo platter with eggplant stew, hummus, and rice w/​veggies (also came w/​a side salad), and he had the shwarma. We both ordered fresh juices as well. For me, the 3 combo was just «okay.» Part of the eggplant stew were warm, some parts were hot, some was a little cold. My best guess is they probably reheated it. Hummus and rice were good. The salad was pretty simple: iceberg, some pickles, tomatos, and cucumber, with yogurt dressing. Nothing special there. He liked the shwarma but was quick to note that «South Street Souvlaki is better.» The juices were a bit watered down, which we found to be pretty disappointing.
Their saving grace? Dessert. Get the baklava. And the bird’s nest. And whatever else in their little pastry case that calls out to you. It will redeem any mediocre lunch.

The moment my fiancé first spotted the sign for Baklava Café, he pointed it out and said that The Greek needed to check them out asap. Well, my sweet tooth certainly agreed with him, and I went straight inside and up to the display counter that was just FILLED with typical mediterranean pastries. It was a beautiful sight to behold, and I couldn’t contain myself and just had to ask for one of each, which the woman at the counter was happy to put together in a take away box. I brought out our bounty post dinner, and boy was it a feast:
Walnut Bird’s Nest: crispy, golden, toasted phyllo strands, with honeyed walnuts clustered at the center, the pastry dough was half soaked in honey, just on bottom, but it was the right amount of sweetness
Pistachio Bird’s Nest: same as its walnut counterpart but with a robust pistachio flavor, and gloriously fresh, green nuts
Pistachio Baklava: a huge pile of phyllo layers on top made this piece of baklava super thick, and very flaky from baking. It had a good amount of honey but was borderline cloying, and we could barely taste the toasted nuts at all (a serious shame since I LOVE pistachios)
Walnut Baklava: same deal as the pistachio one, although I could somewhat taste the walnuts a bit more
Walnut Kataifi: shredded, toasted wheat threads are wrapped into a large log, with crushed, honeyed walnuts in center, but it had another flavor that I couldn’t quite place for sure… maybe rosewater?
Finger: VERY large, with lots of thick layers of phyllo rolled into a log, and very few nuts and spices scattered within the layers, which made this pastry much less sweet
Baklava Café lives up to its name, but to be honest its not as good as other baklava I’ve had… and in Philly, I would have to say that Manakeesh Bakery is the better choice. But it’s so hard to find places that make mediterranean/​middle eastern pastries that you can take home, I’m soooooo happy to have Baklava Café around to sate my Greek sweet tooth!

Still a big fan fan after several more meals, although the chicken kabob only had 3 medium size chicken chunks on it along w/​a few vegetables — I felt it should have been more plentiful. The staff/​ownership is very friendly.
The most recent order was a delivery and although the guy was apologetic for the delay in finding us, he could’t follow the simplest instructions — ring the door bell at our well identifiable address sign. He calls our phone after trying for 15 minutes to find us — when he came I looked at the order slip and it had our correct address clearly written on it. He said the order taker told him we were near an intersection — just tell him to go to the address, nothing more, nothing less — it’s really not that complicated.

I finally made my way to this great middle eastern establishment on South St. after reading a great review from Miss Mini P. This is a great little mom and pop type shops where it makes you feel like you are at home with the ambiance and service they provide for any patron.
I came here a few days ago after enjoying a beautiful day walking on South Street I had noticed I was a block away from Baklava. I figured now is the perfect time to go in here, escape the South Street madness and take a break.
First off this place is phenomenal with an enticing aroma of honey in the air when you walk in. This is Winnie the Pooh’s pleasure palace when it comes to honey basically, or it could be a diabetics’ nightmare.
Baklava has some gorgeous displays of pastries, unique from other pastry /​café establishments I have been to. Who knew Filo dough could be prepped like this, making you salivate just by looking through the display case. Crisp flaky outer shell dressed in honey with a filling inside of crushed walnuts (I believe) saturated in honey also that is unbelievably delicious. These are not small by any means, which I do appreciate that, along with the other patrons who visit here feel the same. I was in heaven, I also furthered my explorations with a pistachio bird’s nest with cashews. Simply amazing is what I am saying with just the right amount of honey, your taste buds will thank me.
Now with my two treats I went with a cappuccino, made with «illy» espresso, this was a magnificent combination. Delicious blend made just right to compliment my order, this couldn’t get any better I thought.
This place isn’t that big, nor is it small it is just right, with the seating and how they maximized the space. They also have seats inside the front that is open with outside seating, so you can still see what is going on.
Husband and wife run this place, a duo of Syrian and Venezuelan flavor that brings out both traditions, an explosion of cultures for your enjoyment. The theme is more of a Mediterranean vibe to it, with sounds of traditional music being played. The décor is definitely influenced by his wife with her Latina taste, making you feel comfortable and relaxed. I will be coming back to try some other dishes they make, I saw a hummus that looked and smelled unreal. Great clean, fresh taste that is a family run place that should be enjoyed by all.

I just started working in Philly 1.5 months ago.
Both of my managers are major foodies and we always have excellent lunches.
We have tried a few middle eastern restaurants since I started in old city and this place is the best of them. The platter for lamb shawarma is huge! i couldn’t finish it but that was not due to poor taste but rather poor stomach capacity.
both of my managers (V&V) also have high opinions of the place. their juices are also tasty and refreshing in this warming weather. We come here once a week now.
It is near a cool Hindu/​Buddhist culture shop which sells cool incense, books, and other spiritual paraphenilia so it is nice to stop in there after a great filling meal. Also gives me a longer lunch break!
Highly recommended. 4 stars!

In an effort to broaden my wife’s taste bud (that and I really like to go Mediterranean restaurants) I convinced her to go to Baklava Café instead of our usual rainy weather fare. The entire time I was worried about her as more often than not people’s behaviors are changed based upon the residue of the 1^st impression.
Upon entering I noticed right away that all other Unilocalers were right this is most definitely a family run café, which I love immediately. My wife tended to agree as well, although I’m sure the cute little 5 year old behind the counter helped in reminding her of a part of her own youth. I was never a big fan of anything sweet, but just upon first look at the pastries you could tell the owners really knew their stuff. It wrapped around the entire counter top in perfectly placed and lit arrangements. It was not daunting and you really get that cozy feel of being in a pastries shop, with the salt air blowing in from the sea when in Baklava Café.
But being that it was rainy and we both had a hankering for some Shawarma we got the Lamb Shawarma. While it seemed great while we were at the Café during lunch, it wasn’t until we got home did we truly appreciate the amazingly addictive nature of it. So much so that we immediately had to whip out Unilocal and find the nearest-​most-​stars restaurant which had Schawarma we could find for dinner, since we were in the burbs and Baklava was in the city. It did not measure up and 2 days later we made another track in to the city just to get more of the amazing Shawarma. We had to rush since it was Chinese New Years and we had places to be, but as we sat there in our car devouring the torpedo of joy, pausing to unwrap only to avoid a possible aluminum foil eating incident, we could do nothing but wonder what sad people we have become.
Sitting in a car parked in full view of public, bite after bites of the delicious Shawarma. We felt like we had committed a lude act in full view of public, and we could do nothing but hide our shame as we drove away panting, drooling, and sweating from our adventure in to the darker and much more depraved part of our foodie-​ism.

You can tell this place is a really nice and clean family run restaurant. I got the falafel platter and asked for the eggplant stew, hummus and baba ganoush. The best eggplant I’ve ever had in my life was at Marrakesh (actually close to this place) and Baklava’s eggplant is just as tasty. In fact, I wanted to order it again tonight and almost rode my bike there just to get some for dinner. Props to their hummus and baba ganoush which was also very creamy and delicious.
My husband ordered the lamb kebabs rice and side salad. The salad was especially fresh and the dressing they use is superb. I really can’t say enough about a crispy & fresh salad (and he was annoyed I kept eating off his plate).
My husband and I ordered a few pieces of Syrian delights, which were all delicious I thought. My favorite was the pistachio bird’s nest with cashews. Everything tasted fresh, was perfectly flaky with just the right amount of honey. I brought a variety pack to take to work the next day and everyone liked everything (at least that’s what they told me). We’re all foodies at work and I definitely will be picking up desserts for them the next time I’m in the area or if I need a host gift. Yup, I’m a fan.

We received a large platter of the Burma from Baklava Café as a gift to our department at work. The burmas were overwhelming sweet as if they were submerged in honey. I thought it was just my taste buds because I can’t handle overly sweet desserts. But everyone in my department agreed that it was too sweet. What a shame, the platter came with about 40 pieces and we only had about 10 of them.

Now wouldn’t it be a cryin’ shame if the baklava here, the namesake of the café itself, was shoddy?
If this were the sad state of affairs, I’d forevermore look upon this South Street spot with scorn. Luckily this is not the case. I particularly enjoy the pistachio baklava from these lovely people. No scorn! Smiles. Sticky smiles.
I don’t know if a person can hit a wall when it comes to sampling an incredible variety of many flaky-​layered, honey-​syrup-​sweet, phyllo-​based pastries, but I intend to find out. Has not happened yet.

My friend and I were starving and need a snack to tide us over until our dinner reservations. We passed this little bakery and were amazed! I’m from Erie, PA, and every year in July we have a huge Greek Festival filled with amazing Greek baked goods. This brought me back to Greek Fest!
My one rec: get the lady fingers!

We just stopped in to the crisp clean middle eastern bakery and coffee house. The proprietress offered us samples of a variety of baklava tastes (cashews, yum!!!). We spied and settled on sharing a pistachio marvel, shaaebiyat – layers of dainty phyllo filled with whole pistachios and sweet goodness and then drenched in honey. My husband had a perfectly prepared illy cappuccino and I an equally tasty illy coffee.
The pastry case is filled with sweet and savory delights… we’ll be back to work our way through them all!

Are you looking for a sweets fix? Baklava Café has got it all. They just opened but you wouldn’t know it based on their selection. They’ve got boat loads of flaky pastries some with walnuts others with pistachios and more without. Then they’ve got trays full of apple crisp pies and meringue cookies and it’s pretty much heaven.
I stick to the honey drenched concoctions, so I went in knowing I’d like a pistachio baklava. I got a square pastry which had sides folded up to meet in the middle, it was topped with pistachio crumble and, to my delight, was filled with crushed walnuts. The best of both worlds; this cost $ 2 and was completely worth it. My friend thought the roll reminiscent of a Papadopoulos Greek Caprice Wafer looked good. It looked like a Caprice, but it was open in the middle and much lighter, almost delicate. It only cost $ 1.50 Both pastries were lightly honey soaked. They weren’t saturated, but rather the flavor of the (probably) homemade dough, nuts, and honey complimented each other perfectly. I’ve made baklava before and it’s never tasted this good. The guys at Baklava Café really know what they’re doing.
The restaurant isn’t in full swing yet so it’s not clear whether they’ll be offering coffee, tea, etc., but I can’t imagine a Mediterranean café not serving some sort of delicious beverage.