Al-Mandi Resturant And Cafe

Overall: food passable, but horrible dining environment and unprofessional service. For faster and reliable Middle Eastern food, go to the nearby Cedarland Bakery for good Lebanese instead.
Went here a few weeks ago for lunch with some family. We should’ve walked out right away when we noticed that there was no heat, barely any lights were turned on, and the only «customers» we saw were a couple of people watching some Vin Diesel movie playing loudly on the TV towards the back. In fact, the staff almost seemed surprised that customers were coming in, given the short pause before they asked us if we were there to eat.
We ordered a few platters and hot tea & coffee. We sat there, freezing (eventually all of us had to put our coats back on) and waited at LEAST 15 minutes before our drinks were even served. There was no hot water in the bathrooms, either. The server, while sweet, was unfortunately very inexperienced. She dropped a falafel onto the table as she brought out our food, kept coming by at regular but illogical intervals to check on us (such as asking us if we wanted anything else while we were still waiting for our order, or if we wanted a to-​go box while we were still clearly eating).
The food itself was average. Falafel and hummus were fine, pita was store-​bought, the kofte was well-​seasoned but over-​grilled to dryness; other grilled meats were ok. Over-​priced for the quality, in my opinion, though I know sometimes complex ingredients and prep can cost more, especially if they’re «exotic» dishes fewer people would order.
If Al-​Mandi really wants to be a restaurant and get reliable clientele, they need to make the place comfortable for customers, lose the disposable plates and cutlery, train up their staff, and make sure they serve food/​drinks in a timely fashion.
There have been at least 4 immigrant family restaurants at this location, and some of them have lasted longer than others. I support immigrant businesses and know how crucial they are to both the local economy and giving immigrants a boost in experience and earning power, but Al-​Mandi needs to shape up and get some expert advice/​training or it will be one of the short-​lived businesses.

Very sparse interior. The combo deals aren’t too expensive, and they’re pretty good, but service seemed very slow given how few people were in the restaurant. The tea we ordered took a very long time. There are other similar options not far from here that are, IMO, better. This place did JUST open when we tried it… so maybe a little time will work the kinks out? I’ll go back eventually.