Phara's Mediterranean Cuisine

This was one of the worst dining experiences I have had in 50 years. We were given take-out menus as they were out of proper menus for some reason. Our meal took over an hour to arrive after our order. Sauces were not brought with our meals. We were avoided by our waiter who gave one appology during that one hour wait. I finally walked up to a woman who seemed to be in charge and asked if it was usual for people to wait one hour for 3 meals and was told that it was due to a large party in the back. We waited another 5 min. I asked if our food was being prepared and if not we wished to leave as it was now nearing 10 pm and we were hungry( we had our teenage daughter with us.) We got our meals in about 4 min. after that. My husband ordered the chicken La Zeez and it was literally Four 1 by 2 inch pieces of chicken. Four. My daughter's Aegean salad had miniscule amounts of feta on it. She barely picked at it, saying it wasn't very good. I decided to eat it as I had paid too much for it. I couldn't. It was so tart it was impossible to eat. I ordered the tabbouleh salad. It was tasty, but $5 for a hard formed scoop that reminded me of grade school cafeteria lunch presentation. And the scoop was $5.00. The bread was tasteless and tough. We came to enjoy the belly dancing. We saw the dancer for maybe 10 minutes and then she spent the rest of the 2 hours we were there, outside with the 'large party.' We were comped our deserts, what was left available for desert options. Our family eats out only once a month and a bill of over $70 for 3 meals and such horrible service, portions, and quality left us feeling robbed. My daughter felt sick from her meal. more

This is one of my favorite places! The staff is incredibly accommodating. The food is WONDERFUL - especially Tenzin's Famous Aloo Channa & the Beef La Zeez; I get it every time. There are a few other bellydancers, but Phara herself will sometimes bellydance for you ~ She is wonderful & so is her beautiful story about her late son Christopher who is the name-sake for the Casbah. The entire place from inside out is like a mini cultural vacation. So, bring your own wine or beer (which saves youy $), and simply enjoy!! more

Lamb! order it here. Yummy and they have belly dancers. Can be kinda awkward at times but they are great at shaking it. more

Nice place, had a wonderful dinner last night! more

Phara's had excellent food and service and we even met Phara herself. A very gracious, kind-hearted business woman. \r \r The huge outdoor area was beautiful Pros: Awesome outdoor back area this is available to rent more

Phara's is trip, real time travel back to orginal weridness that was Austin before we were so impressed with our ourselves. \r My wife and I own a bed and breakfast nearby and when we have guests who want to know Austin's true weirdness, we send them to Phara's \r I love the menu especially the Chicken La Zees (sp ?) Phara could make so much more money if she had sold alcohol but having to bring your own is part of the charm \r Pros: Atomosphere, Menu, Hookas, Belly dancers, Phara herself Cons: BYOB more

Food was good and our server really nice. However I thought it was a little overpriced for what we got. My Aloo Chana was basically a cup of soup with cheakpeas and 2/3 tablespoons of white rice on the side. It set me back 15 dollars and I left hungry... Pros: Food is good; Nice and Friendly Staff / Servers Cons: not good value more

I went there on a Saturday night and they had a belly dancer who performed throughout the night. I had the lamb shank which was delicious, followed by dessert and a hookah. The service was great, the entertainment was fun and their byob policy makes this restaurant a great deal and a fantastic experience. Pros: Great entertainment and atmosphere more

I've been wanting to try Phara's Mediterranean Cuisine for some time and had the pleasure of doing just that Friday night. Six of my friends and family had a lovely dinner and a great time. We got there around 8pm and were seated right away. The dining room is small but intimate - great place for a date or small dinner party. We got an appetizer that was sort of a sampler which was a great choice if you have never had Mediterranean food. Phara's is BYOB (with a small corking fee) so we brought a few bottles of wine. They had live entertainment with a belly dancer and supposedly they have a beautiful outdoor patio area. It was 35 degrees outside so we passed on that but I can't wait to come back and sit out there this spring/summer. The food was taking a little long to come out but our server was so nice and offered us a complimentary salad and informed us as to what was going on. She and the owner made such an effort to make sure we were taken care of that we really didn't mind the wait and boy was it worth the wait. I got the lamb kabobs which were served with basmati rice and vegetables and some sort of a yogurt sauce. It was delicious and ended up scraping the plate. All in all a lovely meal and I can't wait to bring more friends there. I would highly recommend Phara's for those looking for delicous food in a fun, inviting setting. Pros: Delicous Food, Intimate Setting, Accomodating Staff Cons: Parking/Location more

I've had so many gatherings here! Love the Hooka's and the food!! Even better I can invite 10-20 friends and bring enough wine for everyone. Sit outside watching the Belly Dancers and carry on as loud as we want! Amazing time every gathering we have!! more

I have been reading reviews for restaurants on CitySearch for years, and following our fantastic experience at Phara's last night, I felt compelled to write a review. The food was excellent. The service was attentive and helpful. And the outdoor seating area provided a nice, relaxing, change-of pace setting for enjoying our meal. This place is a huge improvement over Ararat, the restaurant that used to occupy this space. I am really looking forward to returning to Phara's again. Pros: Service, BYOB, Food, Outdoor Seating Cons: No video arcade or skating rink more

we had a fabulous time! My family is mixed greek and turkish so when parents visit it is hard to find places they enjoy that not completely Americanized, yes I know it America but I want to show them nice things here too, so I write this to say;ekkur ederim, Phara (THANK YOU PHARA!) Annem boylece memnun (my mother was so pleased)! I've lived in states for while and i tried former place at this location only for disappointment but seeing a new thing here i thought i must try, it wonderful i was thankful to have somewhere to bring parents for home cooking food. And your bellydancers made us much fun with all the dancing! Next time I try hookah, it smells good and papa never let me smoke. we had a great time and you are a beautiful lady! (may your hands be healthy!) Pros: everything Cons: papa has crush on phara more

What an experience. Cold food, bad service, very unfriendly. The employees were also pretty moody, which didn't help. Never eating here again Cons: Everything more

I've been to Phara's several times since it changed owner's. I went one time under previous management and vowed never to go back. Once Phara took over, she completely revamped the restaurant from the kitchen all the way to the patio. What used to be a filthy dive is now ABSOLUTELY DEVINE! The wait staff is so friendly and the food is mouth watering. I've tried several dishes on the menu and I always find a new favorite. I especially love the entertainment. The belly dancers are wonderful and always make my meal taste that much better. I always folllow dining with a Turkish coffee and drift back to childhood days with my family in Dubai at the Intercontinental Hotel. Phara's, utterly authentic in atmosphere and cusine is as close as I have come to that 5 star restaurant of my youth. This will always be my favorite resteraunt now that it's Phara's. Pros: I love the Ambience, and the entertainment Cons: I wouldn't change anything. more

My friend and I had dinner at Phara's on Saturday night, Jan.31 and it was outstanding. If you\r want a place to go that's different and unique you need to try Phara's. The food was better\r than delicious is all I can say. Our service was great and the back court yard area is beautiful. \r I had the Beef Shish Kebab , it was very tender and seasoned perfectly. My friend orderd Salmon\r and loved it and raved over the spicy sauce. This place would be great to hold your special\r parties or events. The belly dancer was awesome !!!! We will be back with more friends.............. Pros: Atmosphere more

I tried Phara's a couple of times, and I might have been unlucky, but both times visiting was horrible. I was served cold food which took almost an hour. I hope it shapes up so I can enjoy Mediterranean food again. Some of the employees were in bad moods as if they did not want to be there. I try not to come. I hope it gets better. Pros: Name Cons: Food, Service. more

The lamb shank is to die for, provided you get there early enough before it sells out. The mezza platter goes great with double apple houka and some cold beers from your own cooler. Phara's hospitable smile is always around to welcome you and make you feel in your own back yard more

I had a birthday party here for a group of 15 and Phara and her staff could not have been more accomodating! The food was amazing, we sampled everything. The lamb with haberno garlic sauce melts in your mouth and the hummus is creamy and smooth. Our waiter continually checked on us and made sure we had everything we needed like ice buckets for our white wine and beer. The hookah room was set up with low seating and candles. Our Hookah expert showed us the ropes as we smoked the strawberry sheesh and the belly dancer was great entertainment. This was the best dinner and birthday party I have had in Austin, and I thank for Phara's! Highly reccommend and perfect for date nights too. Pros: great patio, ambience more

i chose phara's for my birthday party in the end of july after a very long search for the perfect bohemian location. as soon as i saw the cute, funky outdoor space at phara's i knew i had found the place! we used the hookah lounge which phara and her staff set up with low seating and some regular tables as well. our guests ranged from 18 to 88 in age (around 40 total), so we had something for everyone! phara also decorated the tables with fresh flowers and brought out buckets and corkscrews for the wine we brought, along with plenty of ice, glasses, water all evening long. we ordered several appetizer platters for starters and let people order dinner at their leisure.\r it worked out great! the BEST part was that the food is absolutely amazing. i was so sad when ararat closed, but phara has taken this place to a new level! i will be back many times! Thank you Phara!!!! Pros: great food, very acommodating, byob, good place for a party too! Cons: none...i loved it! more

Service was great, food was delicious (the lamb shank is AMAZING, it basically falls off the bone when you pick it up). The vegetarian appetizer's had a lot of character and flavor too! We got to bring in our own drinks for a reasonable ($3/person) coking fee, and there was live belly dancing! I highly reccomend this place! Pros: Ambience, Food, Live Belly Dancing, Service, Patio Cons: Not open during lunch. more