Ahlan Mediterranean Cuisine

#Cold #Burnt #SmallPortions #WrongFood #Bland
AWFUL! Do NOT go here! I literally just made a Unilocal account solely for letting the public know how terrible this place is. I had ordered my food through EatStreet, their online ordering company and it was all downhill from there. My food took almost an hour and a half to be delivered (which could have been their delivery companies fault) so I called their delivery service and it doesn’t even ring, it just stays quiet for a few seconds and then says, «goodbye.» After starving for an hour and a half, my food finally arrived. I ordered the kafta meal which came with bread, a soufflé cup of garlic sauce, hummus, rice, kafta, and I upgraded for a $ 1.50 to the fattoush salad. I also ordered a side of fried kibbeh and a Mountain Dew and a Coke. The issues with my food and drinks are as follows:
1. I ordered a Coke and a Mountain dew (which were obviously both options on their menu) and the delivery guy gave me a Coke and a Sprite and said, «they don’t have any Mountain Dew.» Not quite sure why it is on the menu then, whatever though, not too big of a deal.
2. I opened up the bag and received a note that said, «Hello, we are all out of kafta, so I substituted it with our beef kabob. Enjoy! Sorry for the inconvenience. — Ahlan Meridian» A restaurant cannot just change someone’s order without contacting their customer. I would have gotten a chicken shawarma.
3. The beef kabobs were 4 pieces of DRIED OUT, COLD, and BLAND beef that were, I kid you not, the SIZE OF A QUARTER. My sister’s hamster would have still been hungry after eating that beef.
4. The white rice was COLD and PLAIN. I had to season it myself.
5. The hummus tasted like DOG FOOD.
6. The garlic sauce was WATERY.
7. This is the first time I’ve tried kibbeh and it was god awful. I would definitely try it again somewhere else because the fried kibbeh here was BLACK, DRY, and BURNT TO A CRISP. It was like taking a bite out of a burned out fire log so I still have no idea what it tastes like.
8. I upgraded to the fattoush but got the house SALAD which was WARMER than the kafta or the rice. It was probably about a HALF CUP of salad, the leaves were WILTED and OLD and there was barely any dressing, yet for some reason the salad was really WET and SOGGY.
I won’t be trying the bread.

I tried their tabbouli salad. It was really nice. This place is a good alternate for healthy food. I don’t often eat there a lot but whenever I do, I am always pleased.

This is a solid option if you find yourself hungry in the Okemos Mall, and you like Middle Eastern fare.
I have eaten here quite a few times over the past couple of years and always come away satisfied.
First, and foremost, the chicken shawarma is fresh off the spit… which seems to be a rarity in the local Middle Eastern food scene.
I typically get the chicken shawarma plate which includes rice, humus, house salad, pita bread, and a drink for a reasonable $ 6.99…you can upgrade to the salad with feta for fifty cents.
I have also tried the falafel, the kibbeh, and the warak dawali… all have been satisfying.
If the optional sides are fresh, you definitely have to try any of the above at least once.
Yousef, the owner, is really down-​to-​earth and will walk you through the cuisine if you are unfamiliar.
My mother-​in-​law has spoiled me when it comes to authentic Middle Eastern food.
This is the closest thing I’ve found outside of the Detroit metro-​area.
Ahlan means welcome in English.
You can find them on Facebook.