Olive House

This is the worst restaurant I’ve been to in a long time. I could hear them using the microwave in the kitchen. Service was terrible and slow. The server was not knowledgable on their menu and didn’t seem interested in helping.

Not a traditional shawarma but still very flavorful
Big enough I took half to go
Whit Wine was warm and the server obviously didn’t want to be here
So overall I would give it an «OK»

I love their food. It is conveniently located close to campus, and their service is quick. Their use of frozen vegetables are a bit of a turn off though. I would also recommend that they work on making their portions more consistent.

I don’t understand how this place has such high reviews. This was my first and only time here — maybe it was bad because I got it to go but it shouldn’t make that big of a difference. I generally try my best to give the restaurant the benefit of doubt and still give them pretty good reviews but I couldn’t with this one.
I got a mazaa platter — it’s supposed to have couscous, dolma (stuffed grape leaves), hummus, and falafel.
I opened the box and was immediately unappetized (pictured). The food was just thrown in a styrofoam box. The dolmas looked soggy and flat and the hummus was shoved in a corner and all of the olive oil had leaked out of the box.
Even then, I was willing to give it a shot. I tried the couscous first and was pleasantly surprised — it wasn’t bad! It was seasoned ok but there was nothing special about it.
I then tried the hummus. I can tell you that this is not hummus. This is just chickpeas puréed with a little bit of salt and parsley on top. It had no flavor — it was completely bland and there was no taste of tahini — there was no taste period.
Next, I cut open a dolma to take a bite and the inside was this gooey, gray mess (pictured). I couldn’t even tell there was rice in there because it just looked like inedible goop. I took a small bite and immediately was revolted. The dolma tasted very old and it tasted like it had gone bad — there was a terrible sour/​stale taste to it.
Lastly, I tried the falafel and it wasn’t bad. It didn’t taste like authentic falafel but given the other foods, it was okay. The first falafel was cooked well but the second one I ate was uncooked in the center — it just tasted like mushy chickpeas.
The pita bread just looks and tastes like ones you get in a bag. Not terrible but I also don’t want to pay for it at a restaurant.
For $ 12 plus tip for this platter, I can say that I’m incredibly disappointed. I’ll probably never go there again just because the food served to me was for the most part, inedible. The restaurant doesn’t even have an inviting atmosphere so charging this much for food is uncalled for in my opinion.
Again, maybe my experience was so bad because I got my order to go. The other pictures of dine in food definitely looks more appetizing than mine. But in my opinion, there shouldn’t be that dramatic of a difference between take out and dine in options. I hope management realizes the quality of food they’re serving here.

The food here was decent but the prices ($ 15 or so for full-​sized entrees) were pretty high, especially considering the campustown location and very casual atmosphere. I really enjoyed the chicken in my chicken biryani, but the spices were very badly distributed in the rice so that most of the dish was not spicy at all and one small pocket of it was incredibly spicy. The food also took a very long time to come out. I would not be opposed to going back but want to explore other options for Middle Eastern food in the area first.

I like Olive House and will be back. I think the food tastes good, portion sizes are appropriate, and service is friendly. Olive House teeters at around a 3.5, but there’s a few reasons why I rated it 3 instead of 4 stars.
For one thing, the décor and the price of the food are a bit incongruent. If you saw the prices online and then just walked into the restaurant you may be a little shocked. It’s not necessarily shabby, but the tables aren’t very nice, the napkins are paper, and I think the pita for our hummus came out in a plastic bin like the chips at Qdoba. There was no music, which I think would greatly improve the ambiance. Also, if it’s busy, you have to take your check up to a cash register in the front. I guess if I’m dropping $ 40 on lunch I expect a little more than that.
I got the gyro. It was 100% well-​seasoned lamb and the tzatziki sauce tasted really «fresh,» like cucumber and summer. It didn’t look like much at first, but I was unable to finish it. (Although I had stuffed myself silly with delicious hummus). I went with the lentil soup for my side. It was good but would have tasted better over rice. At $ 9.50 I felt that was a good price. Next time I think I may go with a meat and hummus platter. They look delicious.
As with most Middle Eastern restaurants, there are many veggie options. My husband, who typically goes for vegetable biryani, mixed it up and went for the motadra. At $ 12 it was basically a huge seasoned dish of rice with cucumber and tomato pieces along the edge. To be fair, it easily would have made two meals for my husband, who is a bit of a garbage disposal. It also came with a choice of side, and he chose the lentil soup which he poured over his rice. My husband’s bottle of Heineken was a little eyebrow raising at $ 5, but my glass of wine was a large pour that was worth the money.
Bring cash. When we were there they were offering 10% off if you paid with cash — good deal! Also pick up a loyalty card. If you buy 10 entrees you get one free, or something of that nature.

Outstanding! We were visiting the area and just happened to stop here. Not sure when we first came in if we made a good choice, not to eye appealing décor. Then the server came… super helpful and knowledgable, great service. The the food came WOW great flavor, presentation, large portion (too much to finish). I wish they were closer to Oregon so I could go back. love love love this place.

Wait, wait, wait. Hold the 1994 McDonald’s limited edition Hamburgler Children’s Telephone. You’re telling me there’s a GREAT MEDITERRANEAN RESTAURANT in West Lafayette, IN, United States of America??? Yes. It’s Olive House. And you can schmooze your way over there all day, any day (not really, though. Look to see what times they’re open) and get yourself some awesome Greek favorites (hummus, couscous, babaganoush, etc.) as well as many other generously portioned and never skimpy-​on-​the-​quality-​or-​taste dishes at a very fair price.

饭菜量大，手抓饭虽然比不上大新疆，但是也还可以了。。
现在不送汤/沙拉了，非常不爽。。

I love this restaurant. I have yet to find any restaurant with hummus this fantastic. They make it fresh and the pita bread is still warm when it gets to your table. Much of the menu is a little pricy but they have wonderful pita sandwiches that are only $ 8 and come with soup or salad. I also recommend getting the lemon iced tea, it is very refreshing. The restaurant décor is very cosy and welcoming and the staff is wonderful. I saw a mother with two kids eating while I was there once and the kids seemed to love it just as much as the mother. It’s my favorite place around Purdue to go for lunch.

The gyro is not prepared like a true gyro; the neat is not shaved from the roaster. It appears to be grilled and I’m not sure if it’s even the same meat that usually comes in a gyro; it tastes different.
However, yummy Turkish salad. I had my food delivered so I can’t say anything about the actual restaurant or the service.

Unfortunately, we did not take the lack of Tabouli on the menu as a sign of what was to come. Perhaps I am spoiled by living in an area where the cooks are from Lebanon, but I found the food to be bland and disappointing. The staff were very friendly, and the restaraunt was very clean. If you are well acquainted with Middle Eastern food, this is not for you.

Had a great meal here, with the Jerusalem salad and okra in tomato sauce (served with rice). My husband enjoyed his gyro and lentil soup. I found the food to be at least as good, if not better, than Blue Nile (which we are also fans of). The décor of Olive House is a little nicer — the space is more comfortable, more attractively decorated and somewhere you’d want to sit and linger. We had excellent service so maybe they have worked on this, since the previous reviews were written. We will definitely return!

The olive house has very adequate Mediterranean food. The grape leaves were not fresh (most likely canned), the lentil soup was good, but the falafel was dry and crusty. It tasted like an over-​fried grocery store box mix. It was good to find vegan food in Lafayette, so I am grateful for that (hence the three stars).

We were one a quest for falafel and shawarma one find Sunday when we ended up at Olive House. This is a gem of a little restaurant, pleasantly decorated, making us not mind the small space.
The stuffed grape leaves and shawarma platter were delicious, but the best part of my meal was absolutely the fresh and delicious Jerusalem salad. My friend also really liked her falafel. What a great treat!

4.5 Stars.
I’ve been here numerous times and I always get something from their rice dishes, which always comes with lentil soup or salad. I’ve never had the salad but the lentil soup is quite good and simple. The shawarma was very good– I’ve had both the beef/​lamb and the chicken, and I’d go for the chicken. The biryani has a nice kick to it. Their pita is a bit rough (at least when I had it), so I’ve stuck to the rice dishes. The combination kebab is to die for, I highly suggest it! A half order is usually enough to fill you but a full order is great too. I’ve never had the smoothies but the guava juice I had was really good. Would definitely come back here again.

I got a gyro platter and it was pretty tasty. It wasn’t the type of gyro platter that I am used to but I still enjoyed it. It was served with rice and vegetables instead of pita bread.
The portions are very large and you get soup with your entrée. Everything is reasonably priced. The service is mediocre though. Nothing to rave about but not horrible.

I had high hopes for this restaurant when we went, but it was somewhat mediocre. The salad and soup were good, but the chicken in the shwarma sandwich was dry (as was the pita holding it) and the onions in the sandwich were somehow undercooked and overcooked at the same time (still hard-​ish, but with absolutely no flavor). As a whole, the dish was very bland.
I hesitate to try this place again, primarily because we were served mediocre food and there seem to be many very good options in the area without needing to return to this one.
Our server was relatively good, but it was also pretty slow when we were in there, so that was neither a good nor a bad thing altogether.
Overall, not great… nor horrible. Average at best.

I LOVE the food here! Favorites are the vegetarian kalaya, the maza platter, lentil soup, hummus, and baba ganoush. Everything is always fresh and delicious.
The servers are ALWAYS polite, if usually slow to get refills. The food does take some time if you’re eating in, but the wait to go isn’t bad. The baklava is fantastic!

I’d give this place a 3 at best, except that I specifically avoid this restaurant after a bad experience. The food is pretty bland, and every time I ever ate here (which happened frequently, because I really won’t eat at Blue Nile) it made me wish that the Lafayette area had a decent Mediterranean food restaurant. The entrees are pretty bland, really the best part is the soup and salad that comes with the meals.
One time, the food was extra sub par. And by that I mean I really could not eat it. It had a bad aftertaste and did not seem fresh. I told the owner quietly as to not disturb the other patrons that I could not eat this dish. She basically told me that it was my fault and that I must not be hungry. Really? Why would I come to your restaurant, which by the way I frequented quite often, if I was not in the mood for some food? Eventually she said that if I wanted I could order from the menu (at my expense). Oh, well, thanks…
When we left she still wanted to charge me for my plate even though it had not been touched more than everyone at the table trying it and agreeing that it was not good. I paid for half of it and never came back. Sucks for them because not only did it cost them my patronage but every time I go out in groups and someone suggests Olive House I immediately veto it.