Smiley’s Cafe

Last time we were here we got the worst case of food poisoning. It hit 2 out 3 people in our party. It was the worst 2 days of my life. I understand that these things happen at restaurants like cross contamination and such. But I never had anything like this in my life. Our food was reheated by a bunch of college students working the front. I should have trusted my instincts and walked away.

Great authentic food. A little gem. We loved the tabbouleh the baba ganoush and hummus .
If you’ve never been here for yourself do yourself a favor the Falafel is even good and that’s coming from a carnivore!

With all the praises I expected more.
This was a simple gyro without anything particularly complex, unique, or even superior execution.
The pita is very thin and a bit dried out. The romaine lettuce, as you can see, is somewhat wilted and beginning the fast decay feared in garde manger stations the world over.
The primary issue of this sandwich was the flavor balance. The flavor profile was dominated by cool dill yogurt. This sour flavor strongarmed the beef, vegetables, and pita (all three of which only carried marginal flavor pack anyway.)
The condiments, romaine lettuce and tomato, are an odd choice for a Mediterranean dish. I would much prefer the traditional pickled radish and mayo-​based saucing.
While this gyro was ok, I was hoping for much more. This came nowhere near the kebabs in Berlin. Those were half the price. I left confused with the 4.5 star rating.

I loved smileys for the first year when they opened. I ate it about 3 – 4 times a week. However, lately, the pitas have been stale and the falafel very dry. Also it seems they have started skimping on tomatoes in the sandwich as well. I keep giving them another chance bc I’m vegetarian and there’s not many options in manayunk. But I think this sandwich is my last. It seems ever since they turned the restaurant over to teenage workers the quality drastically dropped. Hopefully smiley and his wife read this and get back in the kitchen themselves. I miss their sandwiches!
Gave them another chance today and it’s still bad. My falafel pits was mostly lettuce and hummus and the pieces of falafel that I did get we’re very bland. I won’t be coming back until the owners start working there again or hire better help.

My girls and I ate here last night, we had a great meal. Everything was so fresh and definitely homemade. When I asked them about ingredients and allergies they didn’t skip a beat and knew how everything was made. Service was so friendly and Smiley himself came over and said «thank you». Greek salad, hummus, yogurt sauce, smoothie were all fresh. My friends liked their pita sandwiches and they were big! Don’t forget the baklava.
If I was going to change 1 thing I would just say that it would be nice if the cups weren’t Styrofoam.

Just moved to the area about a month ago and my girlfriend and I were craving Greek food. We have a place that we love in New York so the standards were set very high. This place delivered our food fast and it was absolutely delicious. Definitely going to be our go to spot for weekly take-​out.

A good spot to grab a quick Greek meal in Manayunk.
I came here this past Tuesday with my boyfriend and we ordered grape leaves, the beef shawarma platter (subbing baba ganouj for hummus), the falafel sandwich, and a tropical smoothie.
What’s good:
–The grape leaves! I’m normally not into grape leaves at all, but ordered them because my SO wanted them. I’m not even sure what exactly was in them (other than rice), but they were amazing. They had a really complex mix of flavor: a bit sour, a bit umami, a bit sweet, which made them really interesting. They also came on a bed of salad, so the entire side was really refreshing.
–The beef shawarma platter: tender, flavorful slices of beef with tzatziki sauce, fluffy and fragrant jasmine rice, creamy baba ghanoj, and a really fresh mix of veggies and feta for the salad.
–The tropical smoothie: coconut, pineapple, banana, and honey. I find smoothies a bit too sweet generally, but this was perfect. *Even better because you get bits of coconut pieces as you sip!
What’s less good:
–The falafel sandwich: The falafel was crispy and I believe homemade, but bland. I wish it had a bit more flavor, and also that there was more hummus in the sandwich.
–The pita: not bad, just not great (thin, kind of tough). I don’t think their pita is homemade, so that’s probably why.
–even if you eat in they give you Styrofoam/​plastic take out containers. It would be nice if they gave real plates/​cutlery to people who eat in their dining area!

It’s a go to. I highly recommend getting take out. I love EVERYTHING on this menu.
The owed is amazing and makes me
SMILE every time I am in there.
Also, its great inside and you can BYOB.

I really enjoyed the beef gyro. The pita bread is very crispy. The portions are huge. Very well priced. The atmosphere is cozy. I need to go back and try out other parts of the menu. The menu wasn’t too big, but they do have options. The staff was friendly and helpful. I look forward to going back again soon.

Had the chicken shawarma and it was fantastic! All the ingredients were nice and fresh and the food was so cheap! Great place to grab takeout on a week night.

Authentic Mediterranean food for a decent price! Friendly staff, with the option of various smoothies to complement!

I went to Smiley’s for falafel and they were out of falafel. At noon. On a weekday.

I was looking for a place to get takeout from for dinner with my in-​laws on Sunday. We just got back from being out of town and I didn’t feel like cooking. I was trying to find a place my in-​laws would enjoy. Enter Smiley’s Café.
I ordered a bunch of food on GrubHub. It was ready when I went to pick it up.
I got the garlic chicken platter, falafel platter, Greek salad, a ton of pita, hummus, rice, and baklava. It easily fed five people with extra left over. In fact, I’m eating leftovers for lunch right now, two days later and they are still amazing.
The salad is amazing. It reminds me of how my mother prepares salads. It’s still crisp and delicious with dressing on it after two days!
The food is delicious and fresh. It was prepared in a timely manner and the price is perfect!
We’ll be ordering from Smiley’s in the future!

What a find. The food was delicious. Started with dolmades and falafel. Flavorful and so good. I had the beef gyro. I love the amount of lemon in their sauces. Perfect. The pita is a bit crisp on the edges, which I love.
The two young women at the counter were fantastic. Sweet and welcoming. I believe they did all the food prep. Perfectly balanced. Cannot wait to go back. Bravo Smiley’s!!!

Yum.
I love to swing by Smiley’s on my way home from work and pick up a vegetarian falafel platter. Their falafel is perfection! Far, far better than Couch Tomato (no surprise there since this is a Mediterranean joint). Prices are fair, food is super fresh. Their hummus is silky with just a hint of lemon. Yes, carryout can take a little while but everything is made to order so I’m happy to wait or just call ahead. Do not miss this great little place!

I love Smiley’s and I would say it’s the second best shawarma place I’ve had since the quality isn’t as good as a place I’ve had in Boston, but it’s a close call. I personally come here with my girlfriend and we usually get a shawarma beef plate to split and it’s enough for both us (although she doesn’t really eat that much). However, although their shawarma isn’t the best I’ve had, their hummus is top notch compared to the other location in Boston, so I would give them props for that!
The service and atmosphere is phenomenal – the staff is so friendly and inviting and the owner, Mr. Smiley himself, is such a kind and compassionate man who takes time to personally engage with his customers… I’ve only met him a few times since going there, but my opinion of him still stands. Atmosphere is very cozy and the décor+lighting provides a very relaxed environment to just sit and be comfortable while enjoying a good meal with friends or studying.
Make sure you don’t miss them since they are tucked away on a side street in Manayunk! But once you find them and eat there, you’ll remember exactly where they are for next time.

I got the falafel pita and it was absolutely delicious! The pita it came in was fantastic and there was just enough substance to the pita-​sandwich to get everything in one bite which I thoroughly enjoyed. I also got the grape leaves to split with a friend and in my opinion I would say those were just okay. I only had grape leaves for the first time about a week ago at a different restaurant and I thought they were amazing… however after getting them here I don’t feel the same. Maybe I just don’t know what flavors to expect in a traditional grape leaf– I can only say I enjoyed them a lot more at a different location.
Either way– I will absolutely be back. Honestly great, wholesome food for a really competitive price. Thanks Smiley

Okay yummm. First time here and I plan on returning! 2 of us shared the vegetable platter and a Greek salad for lunch.
The veggie platter… had falafel, tomato & cucumber salad, tabouli and hummus. We received warm pita as well. We both really enjoyed the platter, perfect portion for 2.
As for the salad… yum! Lettuce was crisp and abundant with veggies and feta crumbles. I often find that Greek dressing tends to be oily but this wasn’t the case, it was perfectly blended with spice and vinegar!
We also ordered the tzatziki to accompany the pita. Each cup is 75 cents and regretfully I didn’t order 10! I love my tzatziki and this is solidly one of the best I’ve had.
This is a wonderful option for lunch as the dining area isn’t the most appealing for the dinner setting.
Lovely food, friendly service, and fairly priced!

BAHHH this place is soo good. I crave it all the time. Smiley’s is an interesting restaurant name… maybe I’m missing something with it’s relationship to Greece. But it does make me smile when I put the food in my mouth. MMMMM :)
Food is always great. The falafel platter is my go-​to. I love how they are always changing up the sides that come with it — salad, stuff graped leaves, tabbouleh, it’s always different. The pita comes warm and once it gets warm it does get hard (LIKE ALL BREAD AFTER ITS WARMED AND GETS COLD), so make sure to keep it in the tin foil and keep this in mind when tearing up the food. The platter usually last me two meals or at least 1 meal and a little snacky. Nom nom. Maybe I’ll order some now…
I have also ordered a few other items on the menu and all have been good. The tzatziki sauce is really yummy and you get a generous portion when you order the bigger size. The hummus is amazing, especially with the olive oil drizzled over it. And the price is great.
They deliver which I LOVE. But always get sad when I have a craving after 9pm because they close.
The staff is so friendly, and the cashier I always see is always happy and laid back. She rocks!
The restaurant itself is fine. Nothing special. Very café-​like, not too much light. You don’t need to eat-​in to get the full experience. I’d suggest ordering out.
Parking is on the street. Metered parking on Main but if you are picking up you can just put on those emergency flashers and run in. If you want to save some coins, there is free parking in the neighborhood that would just be a short little walk.

As I would skeptically pass by this out of the world rated restaurant I always wondered could it be that good… my first experience points to yes.
Pretty simple order of small Greek salad with chicken and small house salad with chicken did not disappoint. There were only two top salad spots in Manayunk/​Roxborough until I ate here: couch tomato and zestos. Now there are three. Good price point and appropriate size. Ease of online ordering, fresh ingredients. Need to go back and hit up some of there other stuff.