Olive Tree By Chef Yousef

My partner came here a few weeks ago without me (he was in the Temple Terrace area for business) and he raved about it. This week, he told me he was heading back to the area and wanted to know if I wanted to take him to lunch there? Ah, YEAH!! I didn't care if I had to pay.We arrived at the restaurant in an old shopping center and not much on the outside. Once you stepped inside, small, nice vibe and I knew I was in for a treat. Based on the menu, it wasn't just one area of Mediterranean food. The menu covered all areas of the Middle East from Greece, Jordan, Egypt, and all the spices in between.We were seated immediately and our server brought out water immediately. Even though it was in a strip center, inside, it felt like I was in a restaurant in the Middle East. We both knew what we wanted. My partner was going to have the Foule, Falafel plate and the lentil soup. He raved about the soup and I was instructed it was not to share. I decided on the Mandi after they brought out the olive oil and middle eastern spice dip with pita. I thought I also ordered a side salad, a Greek one, but it wasn't. It was their full blown Greek salad. We were brought out pita with a dipping sauce that was amazing. That could have been a meal! What I loved most about this restaurant was the food was brought out when it was made. There was no sitting under a heater. The foule and my salad came out and both were delicious. The foule had chickpeas on top and added a flavorful chew with the pitas. My Greek salad was one of the best. The dressing really made the salad. Pickled veggies came out next. Loved the jalapeños! The presentation of the falafels was spot on and perfectly crisp on the outside and not grainy on the inside. The homemade tahini set it over the edge. The soup looked amazing and was gone in 5 seconds, so that's a good sign. My Mandi was the last item to come out. It came with a small salad that my partner immediately owned. The lamb fell off the bone and the yellow and orange rice with yellow raisins was perfectly cooked. The flavors melted in my mouth! I think I gained 5 pounds after this meal (and we took a bunch of leftovers). Everything we ate complemented each other.Along the drive there, I noticed many middle eastern restaurant along 56th St. We will be back and plan on trying the many middle eastern restaurants along the way!

So disappointing!!!!! I really like the chef and the first time I visited, most of the dishes were fresh. He was very hospitable. Long wait times but it was busy so I didn't mind it. I came back looking forward to one of the dishes I ordered the first time, to my dismay it was completely different in the taste the freshness and the even the amount. This time and what promoted this review the service was absolutely below garbage I arrived after lunch and before dinner there were just 3 full tables in the whole place so definitely not busy. The wait times were not acceptable. They brought out one dish at a time and everyone in my party had to let their food get cold waiting for others or eat while everyone else is watching them eat. Secondly we were sharing appetizers they brought extra plates that were literally wet!!!! Are you kidding me ... I had to wipe them off with napkins before placing the food on them. We were served by a little girl that has no business working in a people business. She had a frown on her face and had no idea how to serve. I was really excited about this place but unfortunately based on the lack of consistency with the food and the terrible service, we will NOT be returning.

I really wanted to like this restaurant after reading such great reviews. I was truly looking forward to it, but ultimately felt that staff miscommunication, service, and the flavor of the food just wasn't there. I hope that it was an off day, given the amount of great reviews I've read. The other food in the restaurant (kebabs and the daily special Maqlubeh) looked great and a lot of customers were ordering these larger plates. Service: Despite all waitresses being kind, from the moment we walked in it felt like there was a miscommunication between staff regarding the table we were supposed to sit at and as if our waitress didn't have proper training on the ordering system. It's also a pretty intimate restaurant which I enjoyed, but it was unsettling to have the waitresses stand in one area and almost stare at us eat. Felt a bit like I was in the spot light lol. Our server was attentive though and checked in during the different phases of the meal and brought more pita. Also as I was leaving I saw a staff member leave the restroom and not pick up any of the paper on the ground.Food: We ordered the Baba Ghanoush, Fattoush Salad, Chicken Shawarma and Beef Shawarma. These are all some of my fav lunch time dishes and I've tried them at multiple restaurants all over. The Baba Ghanoush had too much tahini for my taste and the Fattoush Salad was just too sour and seemed like there was too much pomegranate syrup. Both of the Shawarma's were good and I really loved the garlic dipping sauce. Chicken shawarma was the favorite of the two. We do wish they were slightly bigger or served with a side. Enjoyed the complimentary pita served with oil sesame and herb blend.Drinks: We tried the Laziza malt beverages in pomegranate and apple and enjoyed them a lot!Overall not sure if I'd return. If so it would potentially be try out one of the larger meat and rice dishes.

We kept hearing about this place and finally checked it out. Instantly became a new favorite of ours. We love the big portions. We love the quality ingredients. We love the great service (shout out to Aliya!). And we love the phenomenal Middle Eastern flavors. Chef Yousef is incredibly talented and invigorated my love for Middle Eastern food we tried the mansef and olive tree feast. Delicious meats, sauces, and rice. We can't wait to go back and try more dishes.

I am not sure whose grandma is in the back cooking but this is the BEST mediterranean food I have ever had! From the smooth hummus to the flavorful baba ghanoush, I just don't know where to start. I had the mixed grill plate which comes with chicken, filet mignon, and lamb. It also comes with rice too. And let me just say I am not a big rice eater, but I basically ate all the rice before I even started on anything else. The flavor throughout the rice is so good. You can tell that a lot of of love and time has been put into making the recipe. Not just in the rice, but throughout the whole platter!! This is definitely a spot. I will come to often!

Ladies and gentlemen I may have found the best restaurant in temple terrace. I knew I was going to enjoy the food the moment I walked in. The beautiful aromas of various spices lingered in the air and I felt a sense of excitement building up. The complimentary bread with olive oil, olives, and zaatar absolutely amazing and a perfect start off for our meal. Very fresh Mansaf - it's roti style bread, aromatic yellow rice with lamb and toasted almonds, it comes with a yogurt dipping sauce. The lamb itself is very fragrant with less salt than I expected , this is probably due to the fact that we should mix all the ingredients together for a balanced bite. It was excellent and the portions are awesome Olive tree platter - all your favorite appetizers in one platter , the falafel was top tier and the kibbeh just as much. The dips were perfect and highlighted how versatile chef yousef is. This is one of my new favorite restaurants and I can't wait to be back

I highly recommend this restaurant. It was delicious! We ordered the Mansaf and the veggie platter appetizer. Everything came out quickly and it tasted very fresh and well-prepared. This was my first time trying Mansaf, and I am glad I tried it at Olive Tree. The lamb was very tender and the yogurt sauce paired very well. Eating this dish made me feel very homey and warm. The veggie platter was good as well. It was essentially a sampler of the hummus, baba ganoush, tabouli, falafel, and yogurt. Our waitress also brought us complimentary pita. Loved the pita. The food we ordered was more than filling for 2 people. Service was good. And the inside of the restaurant was well-kept. I would come again.

Symphony of flavors! The chicken shawarma + rice + garlic sauce is out of this world. The interior is cozy and quaint with some booths and tables. I did not dine in but it was a pleasant atmosphere. The service was quick and I had my food ready to go within 10 minutes. The only problem is the bag they sent me away in has a massive amount of liquid in the bottom, making it extremely messy. Otherwise, the food itself is phenomenal! Couldn't recommend more!

The food is FIRE. This would be my "Death row meal" literally the best food I ever had. I love Mediterranean food but this was TOP TEAR!

I've been wanting to try Olive tree for a while, and I am so pleased with my experience. We tried the olive tree sampler, as well as the mansaf and kufta kabab. The flavors were exceptional! So much love and thought put into these dishes and it shows!! The sampler had hummus, baba ghanoush, kibbeh, falafel, and labneh--so full of flavor and mouth watering. The entrees were portioned so generously with left overs to spare!! All of the flavors came together so well. Amazing servers with great recommendations! The inside is very lively and feels homey. This was my first time at an authentic middle eastern restaurant and I will most definitely be back to try more!! Olive tree you exceeded my expectations!!