Phoenician Taverna

The best I’ve eaten anywhere recently. Service was perfect, food was perfect. Wonderful Lebanese wine, food. Perfect evening.

I had eaten here a few years ago and it was very good, but last night’s meal was bad enough I nearly sent it back. The appetizers, in contrast, were very good, but the main dishes disappointed completely.
I had something called Ouzi; the portion was way too small, the lamb was all dried out, and no veggies came with it, only rice. The rice was aromatic but it was all so dry it was difficult to choke down. My wife thought her meal (some grilled meat and vegetable dish) was way too short on veggies too. Her meat was ok though.
The appetizers were really good; a crushed walnut dip, sausages in a tomatoey sauce, stuffed grape leaves, all good. Mango juice was good.
Service was good. Ambience was ok – strip mall kind of stuff.
5 people, 30-​minute drive, $ 115. Probably won’t go back unless it’s appetizers for two and I’m already in the neighborhood.

I cannot say enough positive things about this place. It’s unassuming from the outside, located in a strip mall next to a UDF, you would never know how incredible this place is.
You walk in, and it’s dimly lit and very romantic. There is a bar near the waiting area and booths and tables available for seating. I’ve been here a couple of evenings and found the owner here going table to table helping first timers to find what they would love.
The number one thing I would recommend is the walnut hummus, called M’hammara. It’s so amazing. Take this from someone who usually hates walnuts. It’s served with warm bread perfect for dipping and an oil dip as well. My other go-​to favorite is Fattoush, an amazing cold salad with lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, mint, reddish, parsley and a pomegranate garlic dressing. So. So. Good.
My advice, ask queations and order many things. It’s all amazing!

We love Phonecian Taverna and have been regulars since they opened. We had actually gone to the owner’s prior restaurant Lebanese Taverna in Washington, DC without knowing! Try the mezza platter for agreat appetizer sampling. The warm bread is great with hummous and baba ghannouj. The owner is very nice and always comes by to check on people. We have tried almost the entire menu and everything is great!

This restaurant is the best in Cincinnati and possibly the USA if you like Middle Eastern/​Lebanese food! My dad and I always enjoy everything we try. I’m mostly Vegan and My dad enjoys the lamb dishes. I especially love the kibeh, baba ganoush, lentil soup and the complimentary bread with flavored oil dip. The owners and staff are very welcoming and provide great service!

Fabulous. I tried their lamb fateh ghanam. It was great. The service is very good too. I walked in about 3 minutes before they close. The waiter and the owner was very accomodating naf courteous.
Highly recommend

I went with a friend for dinner. Overall the place is nice. The place was packed with people who were mostly over 30. It’s a good casual date night spot. My friend and I sat at the bar. We ordered hummus for an appetizer and the accompanying and bread was awesome because it was hot and fresh! I ordered salmon and my friend ordered beef. My salmon was flavorful & my friend really enjoyed his beef.

The hummus are my favorite. What’s not to like here. The owner is always available to answer any questions or concerns. Great selection of wine, beer and bourbon. This is an authentic Lebanese restaurant. Service is great! If you don’t know what to order, they are willing to help! Love it!

Paul and I just enjoyed dinner here for the first time. We were famished after a long hike in Chillicothe and looking for something different.
Highlights included service, atmosphere and the appetizers. Our server could not have been friendlier. He more than earned his tip. The Lebanese music was something special. It set the tone for a relaxing experience for our tired bodies. In terms of food, the Fatayer B’ Jibne rocked my world. They are small hand pies filled with feta and deep-​fried, but they are not the least bit greasy. Paul had the Lahm Bel Ajin, which was flatbread topped with lamb and beef. He really liked it.
The only downside was our entrees, which were both over salted to to the point where visions of the Dead Sea came to mind. I had the Chicken Shawarma and Paul had the shrimp kebab special. My chicken was so tender, and Paul’s shrimp were grilled to perfection, but the salt ruined the taste.
3.5 stars rounded up to 4 thanks to amazing service, atmosphere, and appetizers.

Sometimes I step out of my comfort zone and try a new place. I went here with some coworkers for lunch. Now I did enjoy the Schwama wrap it wasn’t something I would crave or die to go back for. The roasted chicken was also good but again nothing special. All of the dishes seem bland or basic. Service was good and the restaurant is nice.

Our first visit to Phoenician Taverna and it turned out to be very pleasant. Ambience was really good and people were friendly. Now about the food. I usually eat falafel and hummus whenever I go to any Mediterranean restaurant because that’s probably the only option we have as vegetarian but here we had lot of options and our server Zach recommended us to try veggie platter or sampler which has almost 8 – 9 items so we ordered that and Walnut deep. Walnut deep is a must try dish and I loved it. I wouldn’t say I liked everything in my platter because everything was quite authentic and if you are trying it first time it’s not quite possible to like every dish but falafel, baba, hummus, cheese pie was really good and salad was good too. I would definately go again to try walnut deep and falafal:)

I am a fan of Lebanese food and for me, this is one of best restuarant I’ve come across.
You might want to call atleast in the morning for dinner reservation. The place has a heavy influx. The ambience is subtle and sets you in a good mood. I went with a friend and we ordered vegetarian food. First thing we noticed is the plesantaries the staff exchange with you. They are all friendly and extremely hospitable. The complimentary Pita breadserved with olive oil and sesame dip was a great start while we decided on our order. Like the reviews suggest, the ‘Walnut Dip’ is delectable. The Hummus dip, the Taverna Fafafel and the Pita bread itself had an authentic appeal. The best part was that the staff kept asking us if we need more Pita bread and ensured we experience the cuisine to the fullest. The ‘Baklava’ for dessert had a perfect texture. The Orange Blossom they use in the desserts has a rich flavor to it and makes the desserts even more palatable.
Overall, an amazing experience. I would love to go back to this place and try the rest of their menu.

No place outside the Middle East has served me better Lebanese food, and the last place I expected to find it was in Mason, Ohio. My brother said it was as good as the Halal Guys in New York. Everything about this place was authentic, from the dishes they used, to of course the food they served. We couldn’t have been happier eating their Mixed Grill and we also loved their falafel platter. I really wish I had room for their kunefe, but that just means another visit. :)
Lebanese cuisine is my favourite and this place definitely served up to all my expectations.

For me, and granted I have not been to a plethora of them, this is the best Mediterranean food I’ve ever eaten. I’ve been here several times now, both for lunch & dinner and it’s the go-​to place the hubby and I take visitors when they don’t want the typical chain experience.
For lunch, I almost always get one of the mezza samplers. Both the vegetarian and non-​vegetarian options both good, though I think I skew toward the vegetarian for the fatayer b’jibne (cheese pie). A fried pocket of dough wrapped around a mixture of mozzarella and feta cheeses, so good! There’s also hommus, baba ghannouge, falafel, spinach pies, kibbeh and on & on. All served with this wonderful, usually warm/​hot, pita bread. Delicious… mostly all of it. I think the only item I am not a fan of is the m’sakaa (cold eggplant/​chickpea dip). But that is a total personal taste preference, I have a friend that loves the stuff.
For dinner, I’ve mixed it up a bit. App-​wise, I’ve greatly enjoyed the shankleesh (vibrant feta spread), hommus, m’hammara (walnut & bell pepper dip) and an entire order of the cheese pies. For the main dishes, I have stuck mainly with the shawarma and the farrouj meshwi (deliciously spiced rotisserie chicken). I don’t ever think I have chosen fries for the side, always gone with the white long grain rice.
Word of warning, the flatbreads are kind of small. They are definitely more on the appetizer/​light meal side. The hubby ordered one at dinner and was a bit disappointed. It was good, but he definitely shared my dinner with me that evening.
And oh my goodness, try to get something with the garlic whip on the side. I believe it’s both vegetarian and vegan, but you just might want to check. I believe the owner said it was just raw garlic, olive oil and lemon whipped together to make a butter-​like spread. The better half is not a fan, but I put it on my rice and dip my pita bread in it. It’s definitely got the garlic flavor, but since it’s from the raw state it has the spiciness that fresh garlic often has.
I think the only thing I’ve never tried are the desserts, though they always sound delicious. I’m just usually too full from appetizers and dinner to sample. Maybe next time we go we can just do some appetizers and leave room for it!

Lots of good reviews, but the service and food here was definitely a winner. I couldn’t pass up on the idea to try the walnut dip and the spinach pies. The walnut dip is unlike anything I have had before in a Middle Eastern restaurant, and very, very tasty. The spinach pies were more won-​ton sized, so they were small bites, but very flavorful and there were four of them. The service was provided by very attentive wait staff members. I highly recommend trying this place if you like Middle Eastern food!

Great choice. I had lunch on a weekday and it was about 80% filled with customers. The M’Hammara (walnut dip) was interesting. It was spicy and oily, which I wouldn’t have thought to like, but did enjoy. I wasn’t a huge fan of the Sambousik (Meat Pies) because they were drier and hotter than I prefer but am sure others would enjoy them. This is a solid place for lunch and great for big groups if you make a reservation before.

We go here for lunch once every two months when we find ourselves in Mason to attend meetings. We split the two days we spend in Mason between this place and the Sura Korean restaurant next door.
We usually go in a large group for lunch and always find seats for our group without having to call ahead. The staff is friendly and helpful.
On our most recent visit, I ordered the Ouzi — tender lamb served over flavored rice. The meat was really tender and juicy and the rice was really flavorful. The side of yoghurt sauce was really good.
My friends ordered the Meze platter (vegetarian and non-​vegetarian) and the chicken shawarma sandwich. Everyone enjoyed their food. We also ordered their fries with special garlic sauce and it was amazing.

Let me start by saying that I love Mediterranean food. I cannot believe that it has taken us this long to visit Phoenician Taverna. This place is located in a strip mall in Mason, but don’t let that fool you. They have it going on.
We decided to check this place out on a Friday evening. When we walked in, it was like The Old meeting The New. The ambiance was very modern. They even have a small wine bar in the corner towards the front. But the smells are what you might expect if you were traveling the Mediterranean.
We were greeted by a server who happened to be toward the front of the establishment. Very friendly people. We had contact with at least five of the employees while we were there, and they were all friendly and helpful… and so polite.
We started with an appetizer — the Shankleesh… a spiced aged feta spread for your bread. They did not skimp on the feta, or the spice. Delicious! I am trying to cut back on carbs right now, but I had to have some bread to cut the spices of this dish. Well worth it.
I then moved on to the main course. They had a Cabbage Roll special, and I couldn’t resist that. Until the server came back and told me they were out of the Cabbage rolls. I had been trying to decide between those and the Lamb and Beef Shawarma, so I went with the later instead. The meat was so tender and tasty. I am a big lamb lover, and this did not disappoint. I finished my meal and had a Lebanese coffee to finish things off.
As I stated before, I really enjoy Mediterranean food. I find a place that is good and stick with it until they disappoint. I have a feeling that I will be going to this place for a long, long time.

Good food. Very friendly staff.
Specially loved the falafel. The eggplant bed was amazing, so was the falafel.
Will go again for more.

Great spot for a sit-​down, more leisurely lunch (with delicious food).
Finally had the opportunity to check this place out and I was not disappointed. They have a smaller menu for lunch versus what you see for their menu online, but still plenty of great options. I had the vegetarian mezza platter– I loved the presentation and that I was able to try 9(!) different items. I left stuffed, but I couldn’t not try everything, it was just too good!
This would be a great place for a business lunch, provided you want to have a longer lunch. Don’t be fooled by the fact that it’s located in a strip mall– the interior is great, and the food and the service even better.