I came to Khoury's on Friday, with a group of friends, for dinner. I had never been to Khoury's before, so I was excited to come, since I had heard about it and have tried practically every Middle Eastern or Lebanese restaurant in South Florida. Hidden from US1 and across from Winn-Dixie, in a beige-ish building with red awnings is Khoury's, a family-owned restaurant. There is a small parking lot at the front that gets full, but there is street parking, as well as a garage nearby. It's not fancy or pretentious, and has more of a homey feel, but is not a cafeteria-type of casual restaurant like Daily Bread. A good in-between option. I was immediately greeted as I entered, which was nice. Someone from our table had made a special request for a sample of dishes for the entire table for $20 a head (there were about 15 of us), so we could get an idea of their food. At the same time, I cannot help but wonder if this affected the quality of the food. Sometimes, when food is made in large quantities, it can be rushed or made sloppily. The first thing we got was hummus. I don't know what they put in it, but it did not taste like garbanzo beans, which is what hummus is made from. I like to taste the chick peas, as well as oil, in my hummus, and neither of these flavors were present. I am not sure if the hummus was instead made with another vegetable I was not made aware of, but like I said, it didn't taste of chick peas. It had somewhat of a sweet taste. Confusing. The next item that arrived was the tabbouleh. The flavors in it were not very strong. I like my tabbouleh to contain mint and a lot of lemon juice and some salt, but this tabbouleh was bland. Honestly, you can buy better tabbouleh at Publix in the deli section. Ditto on the grape leaves, which also didn't have much lemon juice and were dry. I was very hungry, however. Next up were falafel balls. They came with the requisite tahini sauce for dipping. This was my favorite item of the meal, as it packed a bit of spiciness to it and had great flavor. The main course that was brought out to us was rice with pieces of lamb, which I assume is probably the lamb shank. We also got kibbeh to go along. The kibbeh was strange, as I am used to seeing it in the shape of an elongated ball. These were more like meat patty pies, in triangular shape. I took a bite and was not that impressed. The flavor seemed off-putting. The rice with lamb was good, it had plenty of cinnamon in it, to give it an exotic flavor, and pieces of almonds. I do think that more lamb could have been included, but perhaps my scoops had missed some of the pieces of lamb, so I may be at fault for that. Considering the reviews and how highly people had spoken to me about this place, I was not sure what to think. Some of the items were good, but most really were underwhelming. I feel that Kabobji, Shaddai, and heck, even Daily Bread offer better-flavored options. My own intuition also tells me that the food at Khoury was not that fresh. Again, I do not know if the fact we basically asked for "catered" food had something to do with it and perhaps they put more care for individually portioned dishes. Service was great, Pierre, the manager kept checking on us (it helps that he was pretty easy on the eyes, too)! Though I would not say their food was out of this world, I would be willing to give them a try, though next time, by ordering my own dishes. Perhaps, this would change my opinion for the better.
(3)
Mary N.
I know good Lebanese food when I see it because my family is Lebanese. I'm a BIG fan of Khoury's!This is honestly the BEST Lebanese food I've had other than my grandma's. This family-owned restaurant is hidden gem. My family and I have been coming here for many years and love it! I highly recommend this to anyone who wants to enjoy the freshest Mediterranean food.
(5)
Ting W.
Price for lunch meals were good except: Beef kabob tasted a bit rancid and there was a fly embedded into the lemon that they had put on my iced tea. Service was great, but the quality of food was not good and the health inspector should pay them a visit!!
(1)
Charlie C.
I visited this little restaurant with a few friends some time ago. It was not really busy when we arrived so we were seated immediately at a table. The service was good and the food was very good. I had the veal and the flavor of the meat to me was perfect. The prices are a bit high, but I enjoyed my time at this restaurant. I noticed some of the negative reviews about it, but I tried it myself before actually reading these comments. If you like this kind of food, I suggest you try it yourself to actually know if you'd like it.
(3)
Tuna B.
READ THIS FIRST! Don't do it, just don't. It was dry flavorless improperly prepared and it took forever with only three tables in the joint. Almost every dish was worthless. Ask for the kitchen hot sauce. Is the only commendable thing.
(1)
Joaquin O.
I went to this place for a business meeting then this happen... We ordered several appetizers, one of which was a grilled sausage plate. The texture of the meat was so weird. We said that we couldn't even figure out which animal the meat was from. It was just bad and we sent it back. After a few more mediocre courses I asked for a mint tea. Can't ruin that right? After a few sips of my tea I noticed something floating in the bottom of the cup. Looking closely I saw it was a small roach. I called the manager over and pointed it out. She told me that there's no way it was a roach. I poured the tea and bug out on a plate showing her that it was actually a roach. She took another plate and put it on top of the roach plate and said that's not a roach at all. Then she walked away. At that point I just wanted to leave. I was disgusted! When the check arrived the sausage dish was still on the bill. I asked if they wouldn't mind removing it as we only had 1 bite and returned it immediately. Long story short, do not waste your time or money on this place. It is not authentic Middle Eastern food, it has very bad customer service in the classic Miami style. The manager told me earlier in our meal that they have been open 22 years. I have no clue how a place like this survives for 22 years. Miami we need to hold ourselves to a higher standard.
(1)
Alain M.
Great great experience. Food was delicious, everything we ordered was flavorful and beautifully presented. It's no frills, traditional home cooked food at its best. The staff was very nice and informative and our waitress even brought us samples of things to try. Can't wait to be back.
(4)
Belinda B.
I'm sorry...it is just not good..nothing really popped. I felt bad taking my friends here..no one left happy. We just left.
(1)
Jean-Pierre D.
For the price, food not consistently good. Lamb was ok but I couldn't chew on that beef kabab. Service was slow.
(2)
Shane H.
This place was a nice find as I roamed around looking for somewhere interesting to eat. I had the special: Rack of Lamb. I've had lamb before, but I'm not sure what makes it a "rack". She asked how I wanted it cooked and I asked if they can cook it rare, her face lit up and said "Yes!" I felt special. They brought out a container with warm pita bread to munch on while I waited. The wait wasn't long. I was the only person in the place until 1 other guy came in. The the rack was served with pickled squash and brown rice. It was all very tasty and fresh. The lamb was perfectly rare! And very flavorful. The service was good. She prompted me to use "the garlic" with the lamb. The garlic was a very strong, ball of soft garlic butter on the side. It was so strong that it had a little burn to it. It was good... On everything I touched with it. And I touched it with everything I had to eat! I like this place. The portions were perfect (not too much, not too little). The food was flavorful and unique. The location is interesting. I'll be back to try some other special in the future.
(4)
Jennifer L.
This is my favorite place for authentic Mediterranean cuisine. Everything I've ever tried is as fresh as can be. The Tabouleh is amazing. The Kibeh is filled with plenty of delicious lamb and fried to perfection. The hummus is like non other I've ever tried and I could go on and on. There is never a wait and the service is great.
(5)
Melissa M.
I simply just love this restaurant. Im so accustomed to eating Cuban food, that when I first ate at this restaurant, I was hesitant, but afterwards was already planning on when to eat there again. The service is great, friendly and helpful.
(5)
Iris S.
We ate here the other night and the food was great, the service excelent and great prices. Very satisfying customer we will be back!!!
(5)
Mina K.
We went to Khoury's, both unexpectedly and by the recommendation of a Lebanese friend. The interior of the restaurant is simple and not as inviting as the outside seating area. We were seated immediately by the hostess, but we never met our server; she seemed to be more invested in a personal conversation with another table. After waiting 25 minutes, the hostess came to take our orders, without any recognition of our wait. We ordered the kibbeh, fattoush salad, and Khoury's Kebab. We were given warm pitas in a bread warming container. There was a dampened cocktail napkin with the bread, clearly to help warm and moisten the pita in the microwave. If you've ever done this, you know it doesn't really toast the bread and, in fact, may dry it. The kibbeh was delicious and not greasy, but the fattoush was forgettable. When we were served the salad, the server spilled the dressing twice, didn't apologize, or offer to bring napkins, until we asked him so that I could clean it up. Not impressed. The kebab was incredibly oily; the meal is composed of rice with vermicelli, slices of beef kebab and sauteed potatoes and tomato. I'm not sure why the sauce had to be so oily. The meat and vegetables were flavorful, but each bite also coated our lips with oil. Overall, the food was wasn't great, though not terrible, but the service was absolutely abysmal, to the extent that I doubt we'll ever return. There are other Lebanese restaurants in Miami that offer better service, ambiance, and food.
(2)
Pilgrim C.
My partner had an excellent experience at Khoury's when we recently visited Miami to explore real estate in the area. The service, made up of a combination of family members who own the restaurant and a few other employees, was very attentive. We were offered water refills multiple times, and empty plates never sat on the table long. The restaurant isn't large, but there are small booths available for couples, plenty of areas for larger groups, and outdoor seating available. The food was great. The hummous was smooth and well-blended. The falafel had a uniform consistency and was accompanied by a very tasty yougurt sauce. Both of us had the special, which was a stuffed eggplant with ground beef, onions, and rice. We also tried one of the desserts--a name I am as likely to misspell as to forget--a "cake" made out of a creme of wheat base with rosewater and honey, and it was both unique and excellent. I would love to see other traditional dishes offered here in the future. We had a wonderful experience, and we will be happy to return in the future.
(4)
Michael H.
I really love Khoury's!! I usually like hole in the wall places, so when my friend brought me here for lunch one day, I was smitten! I have been here multiple times since being introduced to Khoury's and I always can't wait to go back. The food is excellent. The portions are perfect, not too much, not too little, and the flavor of the food is outstanding. I had the lamb shank the last time I went since it was on special, and I was not dissapointed. It is hard to find good Mediterranean places in Miami, but Khoury's rocks. My only gripe is the parking. There is very little, and if you go on a weekend, the South Miami crowd will make it impossible to find a place sometimes. Don't think about parking in the Winn Dixie parking lot in front because you will be towed! In short, great food, great ambiance, and good service!!
(4)
Jessica J.
Sadly, I must put this review in about Khoury's, my former favorite spot for delicious mediterranean. The hostess who was very kind, sat us in the back booth near the emergency exit so we could enjoy some quiet conversation. We sat down and adventageously ordered our heart's desires in appetizers and specials, right down to the turkish coffee and baklavah and THEN it happened in the light switch at about eye level and not more than 12" from my face....two enormous feelers emerged from the space of the light switch and junction box! and we immediately made an "emergency exit". We were so grossed out that my partner forgot to sign the credit card slip and we got all the way back home once he realized he had left his card and unsigned slip behind. At least it makes for a funny story, but sadly, we will not be returning to Khoury's.
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Lunch Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Beer & Wine Only Outdoor Seating : Yes Wi-Fi : No Has TV : No Waiter Service : Yes Caters : Yes
Naty K.
I came to Khoury's on Friday, with a group of friends, for dinner. I had never been to Khoury's before, so I was excited to come, since I had heard about it and have tried practically every Middle Eastern or Lebanese restaurant in South Florida. Hidden from US1 and across from Winn-Dixie, in a beige-ish building with red awnings is Khoury's, a family-owned restaurant. There is a small parking lot at the front that gets full, but there is street parking, as well as a garage nearby. It's not fancy or pretentious, and has more of a homey feel, but is not a cafeteria-type of casual restaurant like Daily Bread. A good in-between option. I was immediately greeted as I entered, which was nice. Someone from our table had made a special request for a sample of dishes for the entire table for $20 a head (there were about 15 of us), so we could get an idea of their food. At the same time, I cannot help but wonder if this affected the quality of the food. Sometimes, when food is made in large quantities, it can be rushed or made sloppily. The first thing we got was hummus. I don't know what they put in it, but it did not taste like garbanzo beans, which is what hummus is made from. I like to taste the chick peas, as well as oil, in my hummus, and neither of these flavors were present. I am not sure if the hummus was instead made with another vegetable I was not made aware of, but like I said, it didn't taste of chick peas. It had somewhat of a sweet taste. Confusing. The next item that arrived was the tabbouleh. The flavors in it were not very strong. I like my tabbouleh to contain mint and a lot of lemon juice and some salt, but this tabbouleh was bland. Honestly, you can buy better tabbouleh at Publix in the deli section. Ditto on the grape leaves, which also didn't have much lemon juice and were dry. I was very hungry, however. Next up were falafel balls. They came with the requisite tahini sauce for dipping. This was my favorite item of the meal, as it packed a bit of spiciness to it and had great flavor. The main course that was brought out to us was rice with pieces of lamb, which I assume is probably the lamb shank. We also got kibbeh to go along. The kibbeh was strange, as I am used to seeing it in the shape of an elongated ball. These were more like meat patty pies, in triangular shape. I took a bite and was not that impressed. The flavor seemed off-putting. The rice with lamb was good, it had plenty of cinnamon in it, to give it an exotic flavor, and pieces of almonds. I do think that more lamb could have been included, but perhaps my scoops had missed some of the pieces of lamb, so I may be at fault for that. Considering the reviews and how highly people had spoken to me about this place, I was not sure what to think. Some of the items were good, but most really were underwhelming. I feel that Kabobji, Shaddai, and heck, even Daily Bread offer better-flavored options. My own intuition also tells me that the food at Khoury was not that fresh. Again, I do not know if the fact we basically asked for "catered" food had something to do with it and perhaps they put more care for individually portioned dishes. Service was great, Pierre, the manager kept checking on us (it helps that he was pretty easy on the eyes, too)! Though I would not say their food was out of this world, I would be willing to give them a try, though next time, by ordering my own dishes. Perhaps, this would change my opinion for the better.
(3)Mary N.
I know good Lebanese food when I see it because my family is Lebanese. I'm a BIG fan of Khoury's!This is honestly the BEST Lebanese food I've had other than my grandma's. This family-owned restaurant is hidden gem. My family and I have been coming here for many years and love it! I highly recommend this to anyone who wants to enjoy the freshest Mediterranean food.
(5)Ting W.
Price for lunch meals were good except: Beef kabob tasted a bit rancid and there was a fly embedded into the lemon that they had put on my iced tea. Service was great, but the quality of food was not good and the health inspector should pay them a visit!!
(1)Charlie C.
I visited this little restaurant with a few friends some time ago. It was not really busy when we arrived so we were seated immediately at a table. The service was good and the food was very good. I had the veal and the flavor of the meat to me was perfect. The prices are a bit high, but I enjoyed my time at this restaurant. I noticed some of the negative reviews about it, but I tried it myself before actually reading these comments. If you like this kind of food, I suggest you try it yourself to actually know if you'd like it.
(3)Tuna B.
READ THIS FIRST! Don't do it, just don't. It was dry flavorless improperly prepared and it took forever with only three tables in the joint. Almost every dish was worthless. Ask for the kitchen hot sauce. Is the only commendable thing.
(1)Joaquin O.
I went to this place for a business meeting then this happen... We ordered several appetizers, one of which was a grilled sausage plate. The texture of the meat was so weird. We said that we couldn't even figure out which animal the meat was from. It was just bad and we sent it back. After a few more mediocre courses I asked for a mint tea. Can't ruin that right? After a few sips of my tea I noticed something floating in the bottom of the cup. Looking closely I saw it was a small roach. I called the manager over and pointed it out. She told me that there's no way it was a roach. I poured the tea and bug out on a plate showing her that it was actually a roach. She took another plate and put it on top of the roach plate and said that's not a roach at all. Then she walked away. At that point I just wanted to leave. I was disgusted! When the check arrived the sausage dish was still on the bill. I asked if they wouldn't mind removing it as we only had 1 bite and returned it immediately. Long story short, do not waste your time or money on this place. It is not authentic Middle Eastern food, it has very bad customer service in the classic Miami style. The manager told me earlier in our meal that they have been open 22 years. I have no clue how a place like this survives for 22 years. Miami we need to hold ourselves to a higher standard.
(1)Alain M.
Great great experience. Food was delicious, everything we ordered was flavorful and beautifully presented. It's no frills, traditional home cooked food at its best. The staff was very nice and informative and our waitress even brought us samples of things to try. Can't wait to be back.
(4)Belinda B.
I'm sorry...it is just not good..nothing really popped. I felt bad taking my friends here..no one left happy. We just left.
(1)Jean-Pierre D.
For the price, food not consistently good. Lamb was ok but I couldn't chew on that beef kabab. Service was slow.
(2)Shane H.
This place was a nice find as I roamed around looking for somewhere interesting to eat. I had the special: Rack of Lamb. I've had lamb before, but I'm not sure what makes it a "rack". She asked how I wanted it cooked and I asked if they can cook it rare, her face lit up and said "Yes!" I felt special. They brought out a container with warm pita bread to munch on while I waited. The wait wasn't long. I was the only person in the place until 1 other guy came in. The the rack was served with pickled squash and brown rice. It was all very tasty and fresh. The lamb was perfectly rare! And very flavorful. The service was good. She prompted me to use "the garlic" with the lamb. The garlic was a very strong, ball of soft garlic butter on the side. It was so strong that it had a little burn to it. It was good... On everything I touched with it. And I touched it with everything I had to eat! I like this place. The portions were perfect (not too much, not too little). The food was flavorful and unique. The location is interesting. I'll be back to try some other special in the future.
(4)Jennifer L.
This is my favorite place for authentic Mediterranean cuisine. Everything I've ever tried is as fresh as can be. The Tabouleh is amazing. The Kibeh is filled with plenty of delicious lamb and fried to perfection. The hummus is like non other I've ever tried and I could go on and on. There is never a wait and the service is great.
(5)Melissa M.
I simply just love this restaurant. Im so accustomed to eating Cuban food, that when I first ate at this restaurant, I was hesitant, but afterwards was already planning on when to eat there again. The service is great, friendly and helpful.
(5)Iris S.
We ate here the other night and the food was great, the service excelent and great prices. Very satisfying customer we will be back!!!
(5)Mina K.
We went to Khoury's, both unexpectedly and by the recommendation of a Lebanese friend. The interior of the restaurant is simple and not as inviting as the outside seating area. We were seated immediately by the hostess, but we never met our server; she seemed to be more invested in a personal conversation with another table. After waiting 25 minutes, the hostess came to take our orders, without any recognition of our wait. We ordered the kibbeh, fattoush salad, and Khoury's Kebab. We were given warm pitas in a bread warming container. There was a dampened cocktail napkin with the bread, clearly to help warm and moisten the pita in the microwave. If you've ever done this, you know it doesn't really toast the bread and, in fact, may dry it. The kibbeh was delicious and not greasy, but the fattoush was forgettable. When we were served the salad, the server spilled the dressing twice, didn't apologize, or offer to bring napkins, until we asked him so that I could clean it up. Not impressed. The kebab was incredibly oily; the meal is composed of rice with vermicelli, slices of beef kebab and sauteed potatoes and tomato. I'm not sure why the sauce had to be so oily. The meat and vegetables were flavorful, but each bite also coated our lips with oil. Overall, the food was wasn't great, though not terrible, but the service was absolutely abysmal, to the extent that I doubt we'll ever return. There are other Lebanese restaurants in Miami that offer better service, ambiance, and food.
(2)Pilgrim C.
My partner had an excellent experience at Khoury's when we recently visited Miami to explore real estate in the area. The service, made up of a combination of family members who own the restaurant and a few other employees, was very attentive. We were offered water refills multiple times, and empty plates never sat on the table long. The restaurant isn't large, but there are small booths available for couples, plenty of areas for larger groups, and outdoor seating available. The food was great. The hummous was smooth and well-blended. The falafel had a uniform consistency and was accompanied by a very tasty yougurt sauce. Both of us had the special, which was a stuffed eggplant with ground beef, onions, and rice. We also tried one of the desserts--a name I am as likely to misspell as to forget--a "cake" made out of a creme of wheat base with rosewater and honey, and it was both unique and excellent. I would love to see other traditional dishes offered here in the future. We had a wonderful experience, and we will be happy to return in the future.
(4)Michael H.
I really love Khoury's!! I usually like hole in the wall places, so when my friend brought me here for lunch one day, I was smitten! I have been here multiple times since being introduced to Khoury's and I always can't wait to go back. The food is excellent. The portions are perfect, not too much, not too little, and the flavor of the food is outstanding. I had the lamb shank the last time I went since it was on special, and I was not dissapointed. It is hard to find good Mediterranean places in Miami, but Khoury's rocks. My only gripe is the parking. There is very little, and if you go on a weekend, the South Miami crowd will make it impossible to find a place sometimes. Don't think about parking in the Winn Dixie parking lot in front because you will be towed! In short, great food, great ambiance, and good service!!
(4)Jessica J.
Sadly, I must put this review in about Khoury's, my former favorite spot for delicious mediterranean. The hostess who was very kind, sat us in the back booth near the emergency exit so we could enjoy some quiet conversation. We sat down and adventageously ordered our heart's desires in appetizers and specials, right down to the turkish coffee and baklavah and THEN it happened in the light switch at about eye level and not more than 12" from my face....two enormous feelers emerged from the space of the light switch and junction box! and we immediately made an "emergency exit". We were so grossed out that my partner forgot to sign the credit card slip and we got all the way back home once he realized he had left his card and unsigned slip behind. At least it makes for a funny story, but sadly, we will not be returning to Khoury's.
(1)