Lavash Cafe

THIS place SCREAMS– EXCITEMENT and originality for many reasons! Rated– An «A Mediterranean BEST,» in Columbus for a reason!!!
*The Staff– Phenomenal
*The verity, offering top unique and quality ingredients– exceptional
*The menu-​FRESH-​Carnivore, GF, V, desserts, freshly squeezed juices, unique beverages, smoothies, and the Coke «magic» machine-​the touch screen system with multiply drink options, and a fresh tea topped with a mint spring.
*Atmosphere– inviting and memorable
Sad-​SO sad, It took me until NOW– to discover this place! Portions are HUGE, almost everything is homemade, and decisions are HARD to make-​which keeps you craving and wanting more!
Located on High, in Clintonville, This place SHINES– both inside and out in décor. Everyday you are greeted with specials on a board when you enter the door, and visuals displayed on the case-​how cool!
We ordered the soup of the day– Harirra– my 6 year old son gobbled it up! Its vegan. It’s in a tomato base full of flavor! We also got the homemade hummus with the house-​made THICK pita-​not too thin or with bubbles-​HIGHLY recommend! actually BEST pita ever!!! FREE refills-​NOT THAT YOU NEED THEM-​BUT SELFISHLY, you want to take home to experience more with all that amazing hummus.
my marinated lamb chops-​never had and highly recommend medium well (staff suggestion)-DID NOT disappoint! my server said I should also try or the garlic sauce-​YUP sold!!! Truly spectacular. the dish is severed with saffron rice, another side, and I opted for the servers suggestion of the salad. GREAT deal and LARGE PORTIONS. The Fatoush salad is FULL of fresh flavors, fresh romaine lettuce, tomatoes, radish, green onions. red bell peppers, cucumbers, tossed in a fresh lemon, garlic, sumac (a red plant for color), olive oil and fresh herb vinaigrette, topped with crispy pita chips. HUGE and wonderful! I like the Tahini sauce with it personally-​another staff member recommendation!
Dessert-​took home several and are amazing– you can’t go wrong here, with any.
There are SO many options-​we HAVE to return and soon!!!

How have I not reviewed this place? I love Lavash! Order at the counter then take a seat in the restaurant. Your name will be called to get your food. Service is quick. One of my favorite Mediterranean/​Middle Eastern restaurants in Columbus. Portions are huge and great for sharing. Restaurant in bright and clean. They also have an extensive dessert case. The restaurant as any restaurant would be a good choice for vegetarians or gluten free seekers as their menu shows vegetarian and gluten free options.
Funny side note. If you order one of the fish dishes, it comes with the head still attached. The workers got a laugh of me squirming as I carried the tray to the table after my husband thought it would be funny to order it.

I’ve been coming here for years, and I think this might just be my favorite place to eat in Columbus. The food is always on point and the service is excellent as well. While it is pricey, I think its worth it for how good everything tastes. My personal recommendation would be the chicken schwarma sandwich on the pita bread. Plenty of food, tasty, and not too expensive! Any of the kabobs are strong options as well. Oh, and if you’re feeling indulgent spring for the baklava (the classic walnut is my favorite). Parking is pretty easy in the area as well, and they have a private lot in the back. Much love to this place!

Killer everything! One of my favorite Mediterranean restaurants, too many great things to list just make sure you ask for some hot sauce.

First time here. My husband and I ordered the LeVash vegetarian combo. Which included hummus, stuffed grape leaves, tabouli, falafel.
My husband ordered the Shawarma beef and lamb. I ordered the Kefkah (sp?) chicken. Everything was absolutely delicious. For dessert I got the Burma and my husband got the cashew finger. Everything was delicious.
The only hold back for us was the price. However because of it being so good we would come back again and pay the same price. We ordered two soda drinks. And everything was $ 46 out the door.
The atmosphere was like a cafeteria where you just go to the counter to order. Then you will get a buzzer when your food is ready to come pick it up. You bus your own plates.
If it was a restaurant with full-​service it would definitely get a 5+ score. I recommend you come check it out!

Came back for desserts only and they were all great. Mini roses were my fav, it was like a little baklava with a toffee flavor.

Omg, the beef kabob sandwich on lavash bread/​wrap! Sooooo awesome! I can’t believe it’s only $ 7.45. How soon can I make it back to Clintonville? Also, the hummus and house-​made bread are the perfect comfort food. This place has the best Middle Eastern food that I’ve ever had. The service is friendly and efficient, and the outdoor seating area is a pleasant spot for a casual lunch. It would be pretty in the evening, too.

I’ll admit, it took me a few times to find my item at Lavash. I’ve literally tried almost everything on the menu. From the Tabbouleh Salad, to the Shawarma, Kippeh, Grape leaves, regular old french fries to hummus and baba– my favorite thing to order has to be the Blackened Snapper Fish meal. It’s pricey yes, but it’s good! If i’m not in the mood for fish, I’ll order the Lamb Chops but beware — they are a little smaller than you’d expect so if you’re a big eater… don’t do it.
Overall, Lavash is good and it’s always a pleasure on the eyes and the mouth… not always a pleasure to my wallet as it is sometimes expensive to eat here often. But yeah, as many have said before me, Lavash has to be one of the better Mediterranean restaurants here in Columbus.

I ordered the chicken shawarma rolled in lavash, a side of hummus, and a fresh pressed carrot juice. It was so delicious that I would get the same order again (which will likely be very soon).
The food was excellent, the service was outstanding and the restaurant appeared nice and clean. The outside seating is another plus.

Met Arvid (fellow Unilocaler) for a Saturday lunch. This restaurant’s food is definitely better than a chain. However, I tried their Special of the day — Lamb Moussaka — and I’m not sure it was enough flavor. I really couldn’t taste the lamb. And for $ 16? The dish comes with a side of their rice, but I didn’t want the starch. They happily subbed in a side salad, which comes with an italian-​esque dressing (not sure if they make this, but it was a good dressing!). The fresh crisp lettuce and ripe tomatoes were wonderful on that sunny afternoon.
This spot is a fast-​casual concept. It was kind of awkward having to order at the counter, get a number, then have to go back up to get your food and drop your number sign in a basket up front. The physical space of this eatery is long and narrow. If it weren’t still too chilly outside, I would have been all for that nice patio.

The food is outstanding quality.
I’ve patronized here a dozen times. I’ve enjoyed several menu items most notably the shawarma, the gyros, kabobs. The tabouli is terrific.
The beef kefta is my must order every time item.
The black bean hummus is very garlicky and spicy, and without a doubt the best I have ever had.
Aside from the excellent food operation, I have found the staff that works here to have some of the best customer service I have seen. From the cashier, to the cooks in the kitchen, they all are very warm, hospitable and pleasant group of people that aim to please. I find that to be a very important trait at customer retention, and they certainly have succeeded with me.
Highly recommend.

Lavage is our favorite mediterranean restaurant in Columbus you can always count on their exceptional hospitality and their amazing cuisine
we had many events here always number one place to bring friends

We usually cater from Lavash for small casual business lunches. The food is always fresh and good. I like their lamb and chicken kana a as well as their hummus. Their baklava is good as well.
I have been to the restaurant itself only once for lunch and once for dinner (today). There is usually a line to get in so the place is quite popular. I only wish they had sit down service. You order at a counter and they give you a number. They usually call out your number a couple of times. The first time to give you appetizers and salads and the second time for your main entrée. Having a small wait staff could significantly improve the experience without taking a big hit on the bottom line.
Anyway, today we got the black bean hummus, the lamb chops, and the lamb wrap. The black bean hummus was terrific. I really liked the texture as well as the taste. The lamb chops were cooked perfectly — tender and juicy— but the spices on them were too bland, which detracted from an otherwise excellent dish. The lamb wrap had too much tahini sauce in parts which made it taste a little bitter at times.
This is overall a 5 star for freshness and a 3.5 star for flavor. A great restaurant for a quality meal just that it doesn’t stand out in terms of flavor.

Food is Stellar and it will definitely become a regular stop for me when i come back to Ohio. If you have a large group it is a good idea to get the platter with a combination of different meats and rice with some of the best hummus i have experienced.
Fair warning go early because it gets full quick and it is not the quietest place but that is not what this restaurant is about… It is about sharing food and conversations with friends and family!

When I first moved here, I informally polled some new friends by asking their favorite restaurant. Several of the girls said *Lavash*, and after passing an unassuming restaurant on High I dismissed their suggestion. Fast forward to today. I brought my toddler in to the restaurant for an impromptu lunch date (I am a stay at home mom with Cabin Fever with all of the snow!). We had THE BEST lunch. My highlights:
–the service is incredible. Even though it has a «quick service» feel because you order at the counter, I still felt cared for by the staff. The owner or manager stopped by the table more than once to talk to my daughter and the hostess was helpful
— My lunch was DELICIOUS. I split a lamb kabob sandwich with my toddler and couldn’t finish it all. The meat was flavorful, the sandwich had plenty of greens and the pita bread was perfectly toasted.
— I have felt like Clintonville could use a bakery– Lavash is this secret, hidden bakery. We split a tiramisu. It was good! It was a little different than a traditional Italian tiramisu– maybe a little fluffier?
— Lastly, it was really reasonable priced. My sandwich and dessert were under $ 12.00
Bottom line: will I go back? Yes!!!

Lavash Café — where do I start?! Upon walking into the restaurant, I knew I wanted to be there. The atmosphere was buzzing with activity and the delicious food was staring at you through the display. The menu is nicely put together, and it helps one narrow down their options without getting confused about what to order. I was hungry enough for a sandwich, so I went ahead and ordered a gyro, my friends ordered fattoush, mujadara, and a plate of rice & kebab. The food was so on point! I really like that the food is cooked to order. When the food arrived it was so flavorful and the portions were perfect. The owner is a very nice gentleman — he came by our table to make sure that everything was ok and that we were enjoying the food and our time. He has a great sense of humor as well.
I will definitely give this place a big, two thumbs up. Authentic and full of flavor!

«I have a confession to make. With the last bite that I took, I accidentally drooled a little bit.» That was what my boyfriend told me on my way back from the bathroom. He was talking about the homemade walnut baklava.
If I rated this place only on the baklava, it would get a 5 star, hands down. I used to make baklava in high school, trained by my Latin teacher, so I have a very particular view of what it should look and taste like. The homemade walnut baklava sold here is the closest thing I have ever had to that recipe. It is so mouthwatering, you might drool while you eat it! We of course took several pieces to go for us and friends.
We have also had some of the food items here. He got the lamb kabob on a pita and I got the beef shwarma on lavash. His was great! The lamb had a nice smoky tasty to it and tender. The tahini sauce on mine was very good. I liked the lavash too which kind of reminded me of Indian chappati. However, the meat was very tough. I didn’t end up finishing it. He ordered a Turkish coffee to go and it ended up being something like 2 servings of Turkish coffee based on my experience. It had a nice spice and heavy cardamom taste to it.
The service is fast and the place allows for takeout, quick sit and eat, or eat and chat for a while. They also have a small outdoor seating section that we would have tried if not for the cold.
Next time I’ll get a lamb sandwich instead. And of course baklava to go.

Lavash is one of the best restaurants in Columbus! Family owned and operated, Lavash has incredibly delicious food that you must try. Great for groups and they also have outdoor seating when the weathers nice.
I really like the lamb chops with rice but their gyros and kabobs are great too. And no matter what you do, make sure you ask for a free side of garlic sauce to go with your meal. This isn’t just papa John’s garlic sauce, it’s creamy and addicting stuff! You’ll thank me later!

NOTE: Upgrading to three stars and updating for the sake of providing new information; will likely not return.
I posted my previous one star review on my local Clintonville Discussion Forum Facebook page (post has now been removed by moderators). I was met with a lot of indignation, bullying, and it was also insinuated that I’m, perhaps, ignorant of immigrants’ cultural norms/​mores (which is interesting, since I’m Indian-​American, my parents are 100% straight from India, I’ve lived in India/​traveled abroad, and speak two other languages fluently other than English). In either case the pros:
— The owner’s son, who is also a co-​owner, bought new trays so that all trays will be washed after one use. No more germs! Hummus for all!
— He made a donation in my name to the Clintonville Resource Center for as «a gesture of goodwill».
However, the cons:
— The only explanation that was given for the the owner’s rude behavior was my apparent misunderstanding of cultural norms. No apology, just that he couldn’t have behaved the way I described.
So, dear Unilocalers, take my experience at face value. If you want good food, then this is definitely the restaurant to try. Nothing in my review suggests that the food is anything but delicious. If you have started to love Lavash over the years, and feel brave enough to offer some kind suggestions, then, perhaps, don’t do it. You may be met with an irate business owner who is having a bad day.

I finally got a chance to head to Lavash, and it only took four years! It’s been on my radar ever since I lived behind it at Olentangy Village, but I think I took its location for granted and then never ended up going. So much has been written about this place already that I won’t be contributing anything too new to the conversation, so I’ll try to keep it short.
First off, this place has plenty of parking with a large private lot in the back plus plenty of street parking along High St. The inside is not very big, so I’d be wary of bringing large groups in. You order at the counter, and they call your name once your order’s up to grab it.
I went with the beef and lamb shawarma on the Lavash bread which is like a wheat wrap, and my girlfriend tried the chicken shawarma on the regular Greek (Mediterranean?) style bread. I also went with hummus and fries and a chocolate and almond baklava.
The food was out quickly, and my shawarma was pretty tasty, but I think I like Pita House’s shawarma a little better. The Lavash bread was just okay for me. The meat was tasty and had lots of flavor, but I’m not sure if the rest of the ingredients added much to the dish. My girlfriend’s chicken shawarma was very good, however. It was definitely the garlic sauce that came with it, and the bread was much better in my opinion.
The hummus was tasty, but the pita bread was a bit burnt. I really loved the fries and the seasoning that was on them. It’s a pretty big order and could definitely be split between two people. The baklava was great as well, and I probably could have stuffed down more of those, but I managed some self control.
Overall, probably not my favorite Mediterranean spot in Columbus, but I do want to try some of their other non-​sandwich dishes, because they look delicious. I definitely won’t write them off based on the other reviews, but if I’m looking for a lamb shawarma sandwich, I’ll definitely be sticking to Pita House.