Damascene Grill - Sylvania, Ohio

The J.

It was our first time there, and walking in, you would think each plated dinner would be $50. That's how beautiful it is set up.

The hummus is probably the best Hummus I've ever had at a restaurant, and I've had hummus all across the country.

My wife's Chicken shawarma was put together very well and the dry rub on the chicken was unbelievably fantastic.

I appreciated the fact that when we ordered a side of pickles for our garlic sauce, that they used real brined pickles from the Middle East. The same kind we eat at home. *They call their garlic sauce a garlic Aoli, it's actually Gross, and I'm pretty sure it was the lemon they put in it, I'm not sure, but I've been making garlic sauce for 30 years and didn't like it. Maybe some people will, and it was very runny. I don't think it's supposed to come that way, but if it's been in a cooler in a container that's almost empty, you will get condensation, and it will thin it out.

The rice had a fantastic flavor, but it is the yellowest rice I've ever seen, which was strange, and the Green Beans were the same way we make at home, nice & traditional. With the tomato and onions.

I forgot what my meal was called, but it was thin sliced lamb with the rice and green beans.** The seasonings on the lamb is very strong, but absolutely delicious. I've never had lamb made with that much seasonings. I absolutely loved the flavor, but not the texture.

** The problem I had with the lamb is first of all, it was the chewiest lamb I have ever eaten in my life, and once again I've had it all over the country. BTW, if you like lamb and if you go to Wyoming, you better really like lamb because it is so strong.

Lamb is my favorite meat and has always been since I was a kid. I had my wife taste it, because she loves lamb, and she actually said "That is not lamb" and that's exactly what I was thinking. Now, it's probably lamb, but I think it's very possible It's just a very cheap cut of beef and they seasoned it heavy enough that you can't tell, either that, or they got the oldest sheep, because, I don't think it was a lamb because of how tough it was either way, never get the lamb there, unless you have a very strong jaw and like chewing forever.

The lunch and dinner was unbelievably cheap. I absolutely could not believe our bill was so small for what we got, then again, the lamb was worthless, but everything was delicious, besides the garlic sauce and the toughness of the lamb.

As far as my Lamb dinner goes, the portions and the plate were so small, and that reflects why the prices are so cheap, but for the price, I'm not complaining about the portions, i'm just letting you guys know.

I was in the restaurant business for 13 years, and there is absolutely ZERO reason this place can not be busier. Their hours are very strange. We were the only ones there during lunch. This is a diamond in the rough, but they think they're making money by giving small portions and using the lowest quality lamb I've ever had. I don't understand how anybody could actually enjoy that.

We will go there again, probably just for the chicken shawarma sandwich, and we might try something else, but I was so excited about the lamb, and it literally ruined my entire experience. If it wasn't for that, they would have gotten a 4 star rating, which is about the highest I go, unless I can't find anything wrong, which is rare. I'm just very honest with my reviews.

I wish them the best, and I'm actually tempted to get the lamb and take it to the health department and have them identify what kind of meat it is. I'm not positive, once again, but to me, there's definitely a chance that is not lamb.

I wish you guys the best, and we will be back, and if you're thinking about going there, I DO recommend it. I just don't recommend the lamb or their garlic aoli, but I think you would be pleasantly surprised if you got one of their sandwiches, or some of their sides, and it's priced right.
I will never understand why that place has practically ZERO business during lunch, it's probably because of the lamb..DK
Ty.

Kelly K.

First time there, we had great service and the food was delicious. I was with a former coworker and we were catching up and they had closed at 8 and we were still talking at 830 and no one had come to ask us to leave. It was only when we saw people trying to get in that couldn't that we realized it was past closing. That was very kind of them as I'm sure they wanted to clean up and get out of there.

Dan

The best in Toledo.
Grew up eating middle eastern food. Tiger bakery, Beirut, byblos, sidon, souk, etc... ALL pale in comparison to damascene grill, formerly Barada. Was told for years that this place beats Beirut, was a non believer. Early 2006, I gave Barada, (now damascene grill) a try. Have been a believer since. Best middle eastern food in Toledo.

Alexis D.

My husband has been going on and on about a location called Baradas and how much he missed it. Today he found Damascene and learned it was formally Baradas and brought me home dinner. I can without a doubt say the meal was worth the hype and exceeded my expectations. The garlic sauce was fantastic especially paired with the picnic chicken!

V A. L.

This is a real nice family owned restaurant. Wanted to try something new and the reviews looked good. The inside of the restaurant was really nice and setup nicely. The person that greeted us and sat us was really comical, he was a nice guy with a good sense of humor. You could tell the food was homemade, it had a really good flavor. The wait staff was attentive and friendly. The menu had a good selection and wide variety. The hummus was really good. Will definitely return in the future.

Janet G.

We LOVE Damascene Grill! We dine in and also take out. Both the food and service are excellent! We eat lunch as well as dinner at Damascene!

Carol D. S.

We always enjoy our visits here. The food is amazing, very delicious. Staff is friendly and attentive. Didn't think to take photo until halfway through Barada's Favorite.

Brian ?. P.

Went here as the reviews were all quite stellar. The food was subpar at best, and the atmosphere is horrible. The service was questionable as well. Why? Let me fill you in...

We were seated immediately as there were only about 6 other people in the restaurant total. The tables were covered in paper, not tablecloths, and I fully expected someone to hand me some crayons to color with. Although there were only two tables occupied there were two servers, and it still took almost 15 minutes for our drinks to come out. They brought out store-bought pita bread, as they don't make their own. They set it on the table in a ziplock bag with a few packets of butter. Not heated or on a plate, or presented in any way, just cut and quartered into a ziplock baggie.

The lowest priced meal on the menu is $19. So if you get anything to drink and a meal, you're at $22 a person. Our family of five spend $134 before tip. The hummus is excellent, and would be phenomenal if paired with fresh pitas or naan. However, that was the end of excellence.

The kabobs are moist, but not well seasoned. There were honestly two bell pepper slices and one slice of onion on the kabobs. The presentation and color of the deliverables were not good. The Chicken Pieces meal had half the serving of chicken as the Chicken Schwarma meal, had half as much rice, but cost more? Make it make sense...

The Shish Tawook was over cooked and dry, but had good flavor. The rice is good, but not great. Everything needed salt.

Last but not least, our kids sat with empty glasses for over half their meal, as our server never came back to check on us. She finally asked when she came to ask if we needed a box... we left the leftovers as it wasn't worth taking home.

Damascene clearly caters to a clientele of a certain age demographic who typically dine before 5PM. If you enjoy flavor, or expect a certain level of attentiveness when spending your hard-earned money while dining out, do yourself a favor and head somewhere else. This was a major disappointment.