Makarios

I can’t find any reason to give this place less than a 4 for the food. However, the restaurant doesn’t feel so clean and everything around looks worn down and old. The noise level of this restaurant is dead silent. If you’re stumbling in for the late night munchies, it feels like you can’t speak any louder than a dull whisper. The service was good and helpful.
I ordered only the lamb kabob by itself and ordered it medium rare. It was tender, rare, and delicious. The meat chunks were humongous, soft, and slightly salty, which is exactly how I like my kabobs. They even added a few vegetables on the side to make a prettier presentation. The sweet potato was hard. I didn’t like that but it still tasted good. My total came out to less than $ 6 but I felt like I got at least $ 10 worth of intensive meat flavors.

I love coming here for lunch and ordering the chicken shawarma salad. It’s a large portion and I always order a side of the garlic sauce to dip the chicken in. The people there are always super friendly and the service is also good– the food comes out at a timely manner. I also think they have the best falafel in town– it’s crunchy on the outside and fluffy on the inside and it’s clear that they don’t use old grease because it’s not overly dark.

I was hesitant when the GF suggested this place (it’s one of her favorites, but I’ve never eaten here). I’m a pretty picky eater, and this was a little out of my comfort zone. We ordered some take-​out over the phone and picked it up about 20 minutes later. Gotta say… I came away very impressed. I had the sauteed beef and mushrooms with a side of fries — and it was extremely tasty. I’ll definitely be coming back here again — both for that meal and to try more!

Tip: For weekday lunch go at 11 and easily find a parking space for free in their parking lot vs metered street parking.
I went here today for the first time in a few years. The food and service were both good! It is a convenient location. The staff seems well trained in hospitality and are attentive. The food seems to be a step or three above what you’d get at Purple Onion. And our server made on-​target recommendations to both me and my friend. I had the Makarios Chicken Seared Plate with rice and a cup of Lentil Soup as an appetizer (included with meal). My friend had Garlic and Almond Rice Zesty Beef with Lamb Vegetable Soup. We both agreed we will return. We also both had enough left over for take out boxes. I recommend as a lunch place.

After a night of cocktails and drinking, we wound down with some AMAZING Middle Eastern food here at Makarios. All I can say is… WOW. Our waiter was superb, and he guided us along on our choices. We went with his recommendations (a chicken dish and a steak dish) and we were blown away. The food was delicious! My chicken was cooked to perfection, and nothing was dry or overcooked in any way.
Our waiter (did not get his name and now I am regretting that) was probably one of the best waiters I have ever had at a restaurant. He filled our drinks before we even knew they were low, and patiently answered all of our questions about their various menu items.
Two full sized entrees and drinks only cost us a total of $ 27.00. We WILL be back!

Excellent food, excellent service, excellent value, and ample parking. One of my favorite Mediterranean places in Birmingham. Possibly the best tabouli in town. Love the lamb and chicken shwarma sandwiches!

My friends and I really wanted to enjoy this place. However, it was real let down. We saw the sign for kebabs and were immediately drawn to the restaurant.
We got the combo platter for two. The kebabs were really dry and hard to chew. It was only a little enjoyable if I slathered it in one of the two sauces the plate came with. The only good part about my entrée were the salad, fries, and rice. The kebabs that we came in for were not worth our time. I ordered a cheese quesadilla to go to eat later and it was a really big disappointment even though it’s hard to mess up a cheese quesadilla right?
Our server was fantastic and was able to answer our questions and waited our table promptly.

Have been to this place a few times. It’s good value for money. Would’ve been given 5 star if they got warm pita with hummus instead of cold pita. I’ve eaten better but, for more $$

Wow! Awesomeness! We found this place on Unilocal from the great reviews and decided to try it. We are from out of town so had to rely solely on comments. This place did not disappoint. It was minutes from our hotel and everything was just wonderful. The menu had many different options from which to choose. Our server Bobby was spot on and the food was perfect. My husband and I shared our whole meal which consisted of a small Greek salad, chicken kabob plate that came with grilled vegetables and we ordered an extra side of rice and a lamb kabob. Delish! Plenty of food for even the hungriest of appetites. Loved this little place!

I ate lunch here on a Sunday afternoon with a fairly large group of friends. The room was nearly full of customers. I arrived late and it took a while to get a menu and water. I however ordered soon and my meal came out quickly at about the same time as my friends’.
I ordered a vegetarian sampler with dolma, lentils, grilled veggies, falafel, spinach pie, and soup. I must say the soup was quite good: tasted like split pea soup but I think was supposed to be lentils. I was disappointed by the lentils. They were burned and didn’t have any real taste to them. The spinach pie was mostly bready and not like spanekopita I’ve had other places or made myself. The grilled veggies were acceptable. Overall, it was disappointing in terms of taste. The one good point is that it was a tremendous amount of food, enough for at least two if not three meals.
I have to say that their wraps («sandwiches») looked quite good and were at a very affordable price. If I come here again, I will try those next time.
I haven’t tried other dishes here but, from this one experience, I would prefer other Mediterranean places in town.

Stayed in Birmingham for 2 nights and noticed this restaurant within walking distance from the hotel.
I had doubts about the place when I walked in because the setup looked like a fast food place (counter with menu on display, McDonald’s type of display if you can visualize it; tv on mounting bracket) and this type of Mediterranean food is not meant for fast food. But I chose to sit down for dinner anyways.
I ordered the fried kibbeh, chicken shoarma with fattoush, and yogurt for drink.
What struck me was how fresh the food looked and tasted. The portions were very generous but a bit pricey. Almost $ 30 for one person.
Staff is friendly, lighting is appropriate, and cleanliness is what I expected.

Who would have thought you could find delicious Mediterranean food in the deep south? This place is awesome. Great food. Great service. I had the starter combo of baba ganoush, taboulli and hummus. Main course shish kafta and tawook. All was wonderful.

I’m a sucker for good lentil soup. I know, I know. Not really original, but this place has awesome soup. Great when you’re under the weather, great when you’re over the weather and wanting something that reminds you of home. Tapingo is awesome. I’m able to order/​pay from my phone, and when I get there my food is ready.
I also like the gyro salad — nice sized with a generous portion of gyro meat. I’ve never eaten in, but the place is always full whenever I stop by.
Probably as close to Persian food I’ll get in Birmingham. See these guys for authentic Mediterranean food.

Yum yum yum!
The portions are huge and the price is so low, but don’t let that fool you, the food is amazing! I had the veggie combo and basmati rice, a Greek salad and of course some baklava for dessert. The atmosphere left a little to be desired, but it wasn’t offensive.
I will be back and recommend this to anyone looking for some authentic Mediterranean flavor!

Great for the ravenously hungry! But before you pick up your fork and inhale your dish at once, be warned – you might be like my friend and I and end up with a food baby. Actually, though – I was keeling over from all the yummy food in my belly. If you want to avoid this, save some for leftovers. Otherwise, embrace the food baby like we did.
Atmosphere: Good for casual dining. A friend or second, third… anything after the 1^st date kind of place. The atmosphere could have been a little nicer, but the good prices and food made up for it. The fact that they offer fries kind of takes away from the authentic experience (if you’re into that) but please don’t let the fries fool you, the other stuff is good.
Service: Excellent. Our server was attentive and constantly came in to check in and see how we were doing :)
Food: Great! Another vote for the Chicken and Hummus. The hummus. Is. So. Good. I can’t think of a good way to describe it– the texture almost reminds me of the smoothness of yogurt. As for the flavor, it is spiced and seasoned to perfection. Thank you to my fellow Unilocalers for the suggestion. Soooo much food, but so good. I got the side of basmati rice, and it was garnished with some kind of nut. Excellent, and *safe* recommendation for first-​timers!
The lentil soup was also good but a bit bland… Throw some salt and pepper on it though and it’s golden :) and while you’re at it… dunk some pita in there!

I went to their newly opened restaurant near hoover.
It was awesome. Great food. Nice and charming staff. Good vibes.
Ordered the Platter. It was really tasty and fulfilling for like 4 people.

The best baba ganoush I have ever had! It is so smokey and flavorful. Gyro is top freaking notch. This place also has a «cheaper» sandwich section on the back of the menu. $ 3-​$ 4 roll up sandies… Hell yes!

Good location, good food, and a good experience every time I go.
Nothing exquisite, just your average Mediterranean/​American fare, comparable to Pita Hut.
Not quite on par with Cedar’s taste, and not as cheap as Purple Onion or Al’s, it’s still a good place to go when you grow tired of your favorites.

One of my favorites in Birmingham – well priced, tasty, and plenty of options for anyone. I would give it 5 stars but today was slow (but mostly pleasant) service – and that was off-​putting.
Hummus is possibly the best in town. I often love the hummus at a place right down the road, but this may be my new favorite. I tasted my friends babahganoush and it had an excellent smokiness to it. I may need to just get a sampler next time. I always order the Greek Tawook salad — I could do with a bit less salad dressing, but I’ve never asked if they would do that. It’s really just that good. The chicken is grilled to perfection and I love the mixture of beets, lettuce, feta, etc in the salad. Mmmmmm.
As I said, I would normally give it a five. And I’m sure I’ll update it to that eventually – but today’s server was… nice and to the point, but I’m used to the service being more prompt.

This place is in a really great neighborhood near the Hassinger Daniel Bed and Breakfast and some beautiful churches and old mansions. The place was really busy and the staff was handling the chaos without a sweat. The staff was very welcoming, friendly and efficient. The hummus was seasoned perfectly with the right balance of garlic and citrus. I had a cup of lamb stew that I think was the best thing I ate while I was in Alabama. It reminded me of my grandmother’s beef stew, with the same rich tomato base and a diverse mix of hearty vegetables; the lamb in the stew was extremely tender making the dish absolutely perfect on the cold night. My main course was sautéed beef that was seasoned with lime and cilantro. It was really delicious. This is one of the best Middle Eastern restaurants I have encountered.