Cairo Grille

Great gyro. Amazing homemade lemonade. Good prices. Medium quality service bc it’s mostly self seating and serving. Very good homemade ketchup. Relaxing, fun, quick place to grab a bite.

I have been here about half a dozen times and the food is always consistently delicious. My go-​to menu items are the falafel pita wrap with rice (only $ 1 more), the beschemel (reminded me of Greek pastitsio) with roasted vegetables, and the roasted red pepper hummus as an appetizer (you must get this). Order any or all of the above and you will not be disappointed. I also recommend (if you have room) ordering their lemon cake for dessert. I have never tasted anything quite like it, and I usually ending up finishing the entire thing before deciding whether I like it or not. Menu items that I have not tried but plan on trying are their chicken kabobs and their lamb burger (not on menu, but listed on their «specials» board). Overall if you are looking for a nice, healthy lunch for a reasonable price (typically under $ 10), this is a great spot.

The food here is amazing! The falafel is probably the best I’ve ever had. The hummus and soup were good as well. I loved the lamb Kefta kabob too. Really, really good stuff.
I wasn’t sure what to expect since this kind of looks like a fast food place but the service was impeccable and I couldn’t have enjoyed the food any more. Also the prices are extreme reasonable. We will be coming back here again.

For those in Gainesville that know this location has changed hands and themes many times. Now its the Cairo Grille.
The location and ambiance is excellent. To me if the right owner, with the right menu, quality ingredients, offering great service, this location should be a gold mine. But, for whatever reason, maybe because they are visually off the main road they don’t get drop in business. Who knows.
We decided to try the Cairo Grille on a Saturday for lunch. Having lunch and then visiting the nursery next door makes for a nice relaxing Saturday lunch trip with the family.
Waling in the front door. The place is very clean and nicely laid out. We ordered at the front counter. The menu is nice. It has something for everyone. Prices are on the higher side for what you would think you would pay for rice and a kabob. But you can tell they food is made with quality ingredients, so do get what you pay for.
We sat outside. They have a nice porch. One of the highlights of this location.
Service was very friendly. They weren’t busy, so the inside staff did drop by to check on us and see how we were doing.
All in all, if you love middle eastern room, this is one of the best locations in Gainesville to get your kabob on. The hummus was fresh and tasty. The pita chips were a little to thick and crunchy for my taste, but still good.
Final verdict 3.5 start due to price. But we will be back.

Modest surroundings with fresh delicious Mediterranean food server quickly. Loved the smoked paprika in the Baba Ganoush. Would definitely recommend and return.

Good, clean, food. I’ve enjoyed everything everything that I’ve had there. Falafel is good, lamb is good, chicken is good, humas and chips are good, limonada and hibiscus tea are good. It does seem a little pricey, and the ambiance is a bit strange. That is what is holding me back from giving 4 stars.

A hard to find egyptian restaurant with great food. You may drive past it and miss it but don’t let that discourage you from going in and having a bite. My favorite part of the meal was the falafels which may be one of the best in Gainesville. Very Savory.

Bright, spacious and very clean, I had a lovely experience with pleasant staff and good food. Chef Steve made me feel welcomed and special. He took time to explain about the cooking of the dishes. He wanted to make sure I would be happy with my choices.
Now to the food. Loved, loved the vegetarian plate. The food was fresh and tasty with ample portions of salad, light falafel balls and a huge bowel of hummus with plenty of homemade seasoned pita chips. The stuffed grape leaves were really excellent.
This was super inexpensive and I would pay 50% more and still be happy with the check. They also have a loyalty program that I will take advantage of I the future.
Oh, I forgot to mention there is ample outdoor seating on the large veranda and even through a huge rainstorm diners stayed dry and protected.

Did not like this place. Cold food, interesting smell in the restaurant. Won’t come back here.

I got my order to go. Order was ready on time and accurate. I had the hummus dip, which was served with pita chips. Very good! For my meal I had the combination plate. Delicious! There was very little sauce, but had I been eating inside it wouldn’t have mattered. Overall great and definitely will be back!

WORST FOOD! Do NOT go there, just moved to the area and wanted to try a new place. Our meal was terrible, the rice smelled and tasted moldy, and the beef inside my golache had been burnt at one point, and recooked before given to me. I would not consider myself a high maintenance person when it comes to food, but I took one bite of my meal and could not eat anymore. I can’t believe they would even think the food is okay for human consumption. Gordon Ramsey needs to work this «restaurant» to make it anything decent. Hoping I don’t get sick from this disgusting place tonight. Never again!

Food was great, service also very good. Everyone was very friendly & helpful. I had hummus & pita chips (excellent) and the Vegetarian Combination Plate. I’ve never had stuff fig leaves or falafel, it was very good. I really enjoyed experiencing something new & will be back soon!

I don’t always leave reviews, but when I do the place is perfect. If you haven’t been here and enjoy Mediterranean/​middle eastern cuisine, you are missing out. I come to gainesville 2 a month and always stop here. Staff is great, food is great, price is right, quiet/​relaxing atmosphere. It is a little hard to find, but right behind CVS.

Was excited to try this place, but in the end, I was pretty disappointed. I had the lamb kabob sandwich, it was small but tasty. We tried the babaganoush, it was pretty bland, which it seems they tried to counteract with chips with way too much salt on them. My husband had the meat combo plate and also enjoyed the lamb. The sesame fudge tasted like soap. We probably won’t go back here.

I came to Egypt Grille with my boyfriend for lunch. We ordered the hummus with pita chips, steak kefta kabob sandwich, and their chicken falafel. The food was very affordable and was brought out to us very quickly!

Cairo grille offers something that is lacking in Gainesville: a solidly good middle eastern influenced restaurant.
Pros: restaurant is clean and the prices are reasonable. The hummus is the best I’ve ever had so far in the states, so that’s saying something. The pita is also really good with the hummus since its crunchy. I ordered the chicken entrée. The chicken was delicious, as was the tahini dressing on the salad. My husband got the combination platter and was a fan of some meats but not others, so it can be hit or miss. The spices they use on the food are really good so you get a very flavorful bite.
Cons: I would have preferred more veggies over the giant portion of rice. Some meats were well done and others were not too great. Overall, the food is good though.
If you’re looking for a change in your dining routine, this would definitely be the place. Plus, they have baklava!

See my original review for more details but a brief update on them:
The food has, if anything, even improved and they’ve started doing more specials to round out a menu which is not so extensive. So that’s welcome news. Cairo is getting better and better.
The staff are super-​nice, as are the owners. My only complaint is, they really don’t make good baklava. Many places order baklava from bakers in Jacksonville or elsewhere and there’s a reason why: it’s hard to make, goes stale quickly, and is demanding of labor. I’m not impressed with Cairo’s baklava, but fortunately I’m impressed with most everything else.

This boy from Nowhere, FL wasn’t even aware of Mediterranean cuisine until escaping the farm for college, and that might admittedly add to my overall favor for Cairo Grill. From fresh and tasty to zesty and savory, I keep finding excuses to trek out to Cairo for a quick lunch or take-​out.
The Space
A hop, skip, and jump from UF, you can find Cairo over in the Thornebrook area. If not for their unique, blue signage from the street you can believe you’d never know about this place, as it sits sunken behind a plant nursery by its lonesome. The property is very, very large considering: a) the nearby population and b) the amount of customers I’ve witnessed on any given hummus run.
Walk in, order at the counter, and find yourself a seat in the sea of options. I’d paint a picture of «any time is a good time to bring a party of 8». It’s considerably clean, and outdoor seating on the deck is relaxing when the weather plays nice.
The Service
I’m sure with their above-​average rating and my handful of visits, they must have peak hours sometimes. That said, put my money on getting fantastic service sheerly for lack of patrons and ordering at the front for food. I’ve come both with parties of 6 and just one friend, each experience being spot-​on. They will bring out your meal and after that you’re on your own, but that can be kinda nice for a lunch meetup.
The Food
Plenty of chances for switching things up at Cairo, especially with their platter options and the price-​point. Between sides and meals you’ll share and try a ton of different items, which I am a big fan of. The Veggie Combo plate clocks in at a whooping $ 8.95 and comes with:
–Hummus (B): Ask for the Red Pepper version (not spicy), though it can run on the oily side especially with the fried pita chips
–Falafel (B): Crispy, savory, but a bit dry without some tahini
–Dolmas (C+): A nice change from fryer food, but hit or miss on freshness
–Egyptian Salad (B): Simple, zesty, and bright flavor to slice through the density of everything else
Final Thoughts
By and large the food feels pretty fresh, it’s a steal when it comes to value, and the lack of competition in the area, as well as in Gainesville, make Cairo a solid option for quick dip-​ins for literally dipping yourself into a bowl of hummus. It would be nice to have a bit more energy in the place than just staff + my party, but rather than complain I see this spot as the chill, any-​afternoon lunch option in the area.

An awesome lunch spot in the Millhopper area. When the weather is great out, I like to grab one of their fresh teas and sit on the wrap around porch.
The menu is simple & inexpensive, and everything is made from fresh ingredients. It’s a nice treat for people used to consuming grocery store hummus or paying an arm & a leg for lamb.
Also, they’re pretty good about vegetarian options (which is smart, especially in Gainesville)

I really really wanted to like the Cairo Grill, but I probably won’t return. I love Levantine-​type food, but unfortunately, this experience fell very flat.
It smelled great walking in the dining room, and I wanted to try as much as I could, so my order was a kebab combo plate, which was a Shish Kebab, a Kefta Kebab, Chicken Kebab, and Falafel, with rice and a small lettuce and tomato salad. I also ordered some hummus, because, of course you have to check out the hummus.
The service was great, with a friendly cashier to take our order, and when we missed our order being called out ready, another employee came looking for us to bring our food. The old Buddha interior has had a fresh coat of paint, and seems so much cleaner and brighter– and the AC was set for a good temperature, unlike the sweltering former Buddha. So far, so good.
All of the Kebabs had a good char on them, which adds a nice facet, but there was not much flavor other than a very mild… lemon? I think? Perhaps from a marinade. The Shish Kebab was tender, but the Chicken was very dry, which made me question whether there was a marinade after all. Kefta kebab was also lacking in flavor. No sauce for falafel, tahini, cucumber, or otherwise. The rice was plain, missing another opportunity spice it up a little with butter or parsley. Salad had a miserly drizzle of tahini, which helped a bit, but wasn’t enough. The portions were otherwise of good size.
And finally. the hummus. oh, my hummus. Nothing special at all, no personality, no kick, no nothing that would make me say «Ah, this is Cairo’s hummus.» No… unfortunately the hummus had the bland, non-​committal homogeneity that I’ve come to console myself with from the supermarket hummus. As in, it’s ok, but I can get something mighty similar from the deli section. Oh, and it was served with Chips! Pita Chips! What gives with that? I don’t want a chip, I want warm, tasty delicious homemade (let me pretend) pita to tear up and scoop that hummus up with!
I know Gainesville is lacking in good Levantine food with easy parking, but as much as I wanted Cairo Grill to be my new best thing, I just can’t see myself going back. The flavors are so faint, so mild, I feel like this is something I can do at home– which is not why I go out to eat. I go out for the exotic, for the spice combinations that don’t suggest themselves to my American-​raised palate. The intensity of flavor that I’ve come to expect from this style of food just wasn’t there. Sorry Cairo. I wanted it to work out. But it’s not me, it’s you.