Cafe Barada

Our family has been visiting Café Barada since the late 80’s, not once has there been a disappointing meal. My very first time I entered the restaurant and did not know anything on the menu, the owner said; «I will bring you something, if you do not like it you do not have to pay». I came back nearly every evening for the next month and ordered the same thing. Many years later my family and I know their menu intimately and enjoy every single item. The only time I am disappointed is when I am out of town and have a non-​Barada middle eastern meal… never as good. Never… sigh
The Hummas is as good as it gets, this dish alone sets a high bar for the rest of the world’s Hummai. All of the meats are fresh (nothing is frozen). The Mujaddara is a MUST. This dish is spiced so delicately that an evening can be spent savoring this amazing lentil dish. Bakalav! They make it every day, one sheet at a time, perhaps 20 – 30 layers of thin filo dough, fresh nuts, light syrup and then a sprinkle of Pistachio on top. Order 2… ahhhh…
No, I do not work there, though once after an amazing Sunday Globe review, I bussed tables for them since people had formed a line around the block waiting to try what the Globe had experienced. Go there today, best Middle East food in New England and perhaps the world.

Love this place, the food and the family. I’m not really well versed in Lebanese cuisine but this is the first restaurant that I’ve ever wanted to try everything on the menu.

A nice little place ideal for dinner. The food is very Lebanese (in a good way :)) and most of the items we ordered turned out to be delicious. The Tabbouleh and Hummus were perfect. One item that was surprisingly off in taste was Falafel.
Grilled chicken in the entrée was very dry .
The surprising part was when we handed over our cards to split the bill evenly.
We were a party of 6 people and the owner mentioned he will not be able to process more than than two cards ! We had to go back and forth on which cards to select as this was very unexpected.

I know other people seem to like this place, but I went tonight for the first time and the staff was so unpleasant and rude that I left before even ordering. They were knocking into me, speaking so rudely, and being generally unpleasant that I didn’t want to give them any of my money or have them prepare my food with such negative energy. I hope you all continue to enjoy it, but for the people I care about I will warn them away from such a place. Illness is bound here.
Namaste

I would give 4.5 if I could. The food is always impeccable and delicious here. I have been perhaps 50 times over the years, most often for the salads and felafel.

Damn good Middle Eastern food, very reasonably priced, great service. The food is very tasty, check out the Mujadara and hummus in particular.

Our first time here. The food was delicious, the service even better. We are vegetarians and were pleasantly surprised to see so many choices for us. I ordered the veggie kibby and loved it. My husband ordered veggie grape leaves and mujederra. Even my 5 year old loved it. Tip: order the pilaf instead of salad when given the choice. It’s Delish. We will definitely be going back.

We’ve come many times over a number of years and have always been impressed with the fare. The vegetarian kibby is quite good, and I haven’t found a better felafel anywhere in the Boston area. It has a nice family-​owned atmosphere, nothing fancy.

I’ve been going to Café Barada for over 20 years now… and unlike some places, it’s never wavered from giving us the best Lebanese food. Everything we’ve tried here has been good, and the family and staff are welcoming and wonderful. My personal absolute favorite dish is the Mujeddara, but I love everything vegetarian on the menu. Even their hoummos is better than anywhere else.
This place is definitely worth trying out — and then coming back to.

We were visiting Boston for a science conference and ventured out for this place because a lab member knew the owners daughter from grad school. It was excellent from start to finish. We had the falafel, grape leaves, and baba ghanouj for appetizer and all were phenomenal. DO NOT leave without getting some baklava! It was one of the best Lebanese food experiences I’ve ever had.

Surprising from the subtle sign on the outside, but this place is excellent. Start with a gyro, then go back for dinner and a beer.

The reviews here tell it all. This is the real deal folks.
The kibee and rolled grapeleaves are the real thing. all the nuances of home cooking are there.
Skip the skewer s, which are good, and get the real stuff like lubia and baba ganoush and sheikh al meshi

Good food. Nice owner

Great Lebanese food! And I can tell you, even better than restaurants in Lebanon!
As a Lebanese person, I talked with the owner and he told me that the food is prepared by his wife!
Very tasty and full of Mediterranean favors!
I tried the appetizers plate and the kebbé! Very yummy like home !

Lovely recommendation from a Lebanese friend and the place lived up to it. Smallish place with good décor, they have some really authentic mediterranean food. Always a good sign to see lots of expats and there was a fair share of them dining tonight.
Started with the Lebanese IPA — clearly still a work in progress. Very mellow and watered down — not as hoppy as an IPA should be. On the other hand, the regular Lebanese Almaza beer is mildest of the mild — so relatively speaking my IPA was hoppy!
Stared with an appetizer sampler (tabbouleh, hummus, baba ganoushe, split black lentils). Hummus was the best I have had. Topped this with a falafel pita wrap and we ordered more food than we could handle. Serving was quick and friendly. Several other veggie selections which we had no place left to try. Overall made for a good dinner in a nice friendly and cosy restaurant.

Best falafel in the city. Huge portion size for lunch. I loved it. Half noe half later which is great for working late. I recommend adding some spicy sauce. Yum!

Very very good Mediterranean food.
If you’re craving a meal of meat, you can’t go wrong with the meat sample platter. Comes with a salad and dessert. A little bit pricey but you leave extremely full and with leftovers. The grilled chicken meal with rice and veggies is a solid choice too.
Every time we go we make sure to get the appetizer sampler as well. Best babaganoush ever!
As for things to skip, I found the falafel to be too salty. I would also give the fatoush a B+. Huge portion that is good to share, but a tad bit too tart.
Overall, I always leave satisfied. Friendly service and cozy ambiance.

Your food is delicious and your staff is wonderful.
The coffee is my favorite. But I highly recommend the beef kabob, along with the rice pudding.

Holy deliciousness. How did I not know about this place sooner? This place is adorable! I really think if you like middle eastern food this will be right up your alley.

We stumbled upon this place after l’impasta was closed because it’s air conditioning was broken– but I’m glad it was.
The food was delicious — especially the hummus and grape leaves. The roll ups are huge and the lamb and steak were delicious– but be sure to leave room for dessert because the baklava was AMAZING