Cleo’s Mediterranean Cuisine

Updated ²⁰¹⁶⁄₆
Food is still awesome and the service is great
but the prices for the hookah tobacco is waaaaay over priced
Example: double Apple hookah tobacco cost around $ 13.99 in all Arabic super markets
Here it cost $ 30 !!!
I know its down town and all but wow !

Looking for something close to my hotel. This was on the corner. Very good quality. Lamb kabobs were delicious and the hummus was extraordinary.

in love with all this food. all the falafel all the time. excellent service

When I come to NOLA, this is where o like to go. I get the sautéed vegetable platter with chicken. SO GOOD! I’ve also had the hummus and it’s awesome. It’s in a really cluttered convenience store which is a bit odd, but they have my fav bottled drink so it worked out. They have tables but I always get it to go. They don’t seem to hardly ever close, so this would be a great late night snack!

Exceptional food, unique twist to Mediterranean cuisine. Hummus and vegetarian platter were exceptional.

I can’t stop thinking about the hummus and baba ganooj from this place. Found the place on Unilocal and decided to give it a try. I ordered the vegetarian sampler and I can say it was some of the best Mediterranean food I’ve ever had. Loved how they put olive oil and chili sauce on top of the hummus and baba. The tabouli was very fresh but somewhat dry. Felafel was delicious. Had a very cinnamony taste and just melted in your mouth. The grape leaves were good. The only thing we didn’t care for as much as everything else was the lamb shawarma. The lamb was really salty and kinda tough. But all in all, I would come back any day.

This place is good and innovative! The hummus was so delicious and I love how they put blackberries in it/​on it, so DELISH. Came in with a group of six and we all loved our food! I can’t wait to go back!
Our table ordered: hummus appetizer, shrimp kabobs, beef kabobs, chicken shawarma, beef shawarma.

I’ll start by saying the food was mostly very tasty — great mezze platter, good side salads, but non-​flaky and bland spinach pies.
My biggest complaints are the short-​staffed hectic service when we came in around 9:30pm and the pricing of the convenience store items. Warning **THERE ARE NO PRICES LISTED FOR A REASON!** My 6 Kind bars and 3 non-​alcoholic beverages totaled $ 37! That’s insanity.
My suggestion: go in for the hummus, but walk somewhere else to buy a drink to go with it.

Came in for lunch today with a friend. I’d been curious for a while because I’d heard and read good things, and it always smells so good when I pass by. So when he said it was good, I said let’s do it.
So, the café/​restaurant/​whatever part is the left half of the space, and the right half is like a convenience store. And you’re encourage to pick your drink out of the cooler for convenience.
I ordered the falafel appetizer and the gyro sandwich (and I grabbed a bottle of water). The falafels come 6 to an order with some tahini dipping sauce. And they were excellent! Awesome flavor and crispiness. And they’re pretty sizeable as well. The gyro sandwich was pretty typical… lamb strips, lettuce, tomato, and tsatziki in a pita. Again, good flavors and a good helping. The food came out quickly and the server/​cook was cordial enough.
My buddy got the gyro plate, which comes with a salad, hummus, lamb, and pita wedges. It looked very good as well.
It was nice to find some good Mediterranean food nearby that’s also quite cheap. I’ll have to put this on my lunch rotation…

We arrived pretty late into town and surprisingly, there aren’t too many restaurants opened past midnight. Well, this place is opened 24/​hr so if you are hungry, you can swing by here in the middle of the night.
Their hummus was good which the pita bread complemented quite well. The pita bread was soft and I felt like I was hogging all the bread to myself. The shrimp kabob was grilled right and had that good smoky flavouring to it. I wasn’t a fan of the beef kabob at all though which made me disappointed. The beef was too chewy so I couldn’t even appreciate the flavor.
I guess our waiter was having an off-​day but service was not the greatest. He literally slammed our plate onto the glass table out of nowhere which took us by surprise. Plus, when we asked for hot tea (listed on the menu), he shook his head slowly and we came to the conclusion ourselves that they weren’t serving hot tea for the night. But overall, not a bad place for late-​night eating.

I ate here last night and I couldn’t wait to write a review! Don’t be fooled by the fact that the restaurant is basically in a convenience store– they serve fantastic food!
We started with the stuffed grape leaves and the falafel and both dishes were exceptionally good! I loved the grape leaves because they were cooked well and had a lot of flavor. For my entrée, I got my go to– the beef shawarma which came with salad and hummus. I know that I get this as every Mediterranean restaurant, but it’s my favorite and it’s how i know if I like a place. Cleo’s version didn’t disappoint. The beef was nice and tender, the salad was good and the hummus was perfect. I like when the hummus is finely whipped and that’s how it was here. I loved it!
I like that they let you pick any drink you want out of the store and they are extremely attentive and make sure that you have everything that you need. This spot is open 24/​7, so you really have no excuse to not check it out, especially on those late nights. This restaurant was a real life saver for us and we will be back again.

Walking by it looks like a convenience store from the street, and half of the business actually is, but when you go inside you will be greeted with the wonderful aroma of delicious middle eastern food.
Try the kibbie!

Let’s see, great food, open 24/​7, extensive menu, good prices, it’s right across the street from my apartment, and the service is fast. What’s not to love?
With so many hit or miss late night joints in this area, Cleo’s always comes through in the clutch. The guys at the grill hustle, so you never have to wait long. When I call in a 2 person order, it’s usually ready to go in less than 10 minutes, even with a full Mardi Gras restaurant.
Cleo’s keep doing what you’re doing. This regular will keep coming back.

Wow this place. Open 24 hours, and the food is LEGIT. A healthy alternative to the crap available in the quarter late night.
BRIGHTLY lit which I love especially with their hours.
The guys are always super friendly, even as I peruse their selection of strange imported candy for forty minutes because I can’t make up my mind. I always get the candied sesame, because I know from experience that while you want to try the violet crumble, it’s probably four years old.
They rely mostly on food and beverage sales.
My watermelon water was old. It was sad.
That being said– the food is worth it all. I get the chicken shawarma, the combo platters, the gyros-it’s all good.

Solid Egyptian spot in a liquor store. Had the gyro/​chicken shawarma plate with salad and hummus. Licked my plate clean. Wife had the gyro wrap which was a little small. Prices are a tiny bit high given that you are sitting in a liquor store, not in a proper restaurant. Can’t beat open ²⁴⁄₇.
Owner pointed out that this isn’t a liquor store… because they don’t sell liquor. Still has that feeling, you get the point.

Very friendly and helpful, family owned business. We hesitated at the door because it looks like basically a grocery store, then we went down the street and the owner came out and said «hey, we’re open!»
Anyway although the furnishings are rather spare, the staff was charming and the food was delicious. Turns out they are Egyptian, so the food was slightly more spicy than the Lebanese to which we’ve become accustomed. We had the mezze platter and it was nice. The Kibbe was a little dry but tasted good. The Baba was nice and smoky. Good stuff, prompt and affordable.

The guy and I came this past weekend before going to the Orpheum theater for a show. It is on the same block, so easy to get to. Seeing that it was 24 hours, looked a little odd. You walk in, the convenance store is to your right, dining area to your left. You do not get free refills on the Lebanese Iced Tea. The server will tell you to seat yourself. You can kind of view the kitchen, and everything that is going on in the back.
The guy and I got the hummus with pita for an appetizer. Surprise (nice), they put a little Sriracha on the hummus giving it a small kick. I ordered the falafel sandwich and the guy got the lamb gyro. It was very good. When you are done, pay at the same register that you would check out for the convenance store.
This was surprising how much I really liked this place. I was kind of nervous, based on the looks. They were busy, the floor is cement that has been walked on many times. I am glad to have stumbled here and look forward to being in the area again to enjoy the food. Seeing as how it is in the CBD, the parking all around is pay to park, and I don’t have much business in the area, it will be more enjoyable of an experience.

Don’t you just love when a dirty convenient store randomly has incredible Mediterranean food? This shit’s good — better than Lebanon’s and Mona’s. Teeny bit expensive, though. I also love the fact that Cleo’s is essentially a bodega because that means DRINK OPTIONS like mad. I obviously tend to go with the tallboy can of Arizona iced tea, but there’s something for everyone.
Service gets a little kooky around lunch when the place is busy. The server was so panicked and frantic that I felt a little stressed, so I dropped it down to 4 stars.
Anyway, great place to get lunch, band-​aids, and blunt wraps in one trip.

Almost two years to the day since I first ate at Cleo’s, I am back again and the food is as perfect as it ever was. It may even be better.
I accidentally found this place as I was walking by and the smell hit me. I crossed the street to see where it was coming from. I actually thought I was standing in front of the wrong place for a couple seconds.
This is a tiny café inside of a convenience store, but in New Orleans we know that some of our best food comes from tiny places.
I have to say that I rank this place as one of my favorite restaurants in the city, maybe anywhere. The ingredients are always fresh and the service is always on point. They are fast and always friendly.
The variety of food is substantial and a true representation of authentic Mediterranean food.
I love to come in here and order a variety of appetizers and they never disappoint. Every time I bring someone to New Orleans to visit, I bring them here so they can experience the best of food our city offers. If you ever find yourself in the area, you need to stop by and have a bowl of lentil soup for me.
On your way out take a look at all of the Interesting things at the convenience store.

Fresh ingredients, made with care, ²⁴⁄₇. We found this place on
and on Unilocal.I like the fact that they have a grocery store with imported chocolates and drinks as well. The falafel was extremely fresh giant, and made from scratch. The Gyro slices were thick n juicy. This was probably better gyro than we’ve had in Houston which is saying a lot. The plates are garnished and decorated very nicely with spices and salad in the presentation on the hummus adds a nice touch.
The lamb chops were amazing! Seasoned and garnished to perfection. Definitely my highlight along with the gyro plate.
It’s a bit pricier than usual but it’s the French Quarter and its of excellent quality and convenient.
Look no further if you are hungry any time of day! They will not disappoint.
The owner and staff are friendly