Albaraka Restaurant is a cozy spot that serves authentic Middle Eastern food. My friend and I came here on a weeknight for dinner and it was empty. We were greeted upon walking in and the gentlemen who greeted us talked us through the menu. We decided to order the Moutabbal and Qidra to share. Our food came pretty quickly and was a good portion for two people to share. The Moutabbal was delicious -- it was smoky, smooth, and well-balanced. We enjoyed eating it with the pita bread. The Qidra was very good. This is the first time my friend and I tried it so we didn't quite know what to expect but we both enjoyed it. The lamb was tender and there were a lot of spices, making it a flavorful dish. There were whole cardamom pods in the dish and they are not the most pleasant to bite into, so I had to be a bit careful after I got two of them. Otherwise, it was a very good dish. Overall, giving Albaraka a 4/5. Food is good and the service is quick. The ambiance is okay. There isn't anything particularly positive or negative to say about the space. Would recommend others to try this spot if looking for Middle Eastern food.

Great restaurant with amazing food! Super authentic mansaf (lamb cooked in yogurt sauce, served with yellow rice and bread). Nice Palestinian art and decor. Friendly staff. Will definitely come again.

I literally have never loved a place enough to give a Yelp review. This place is amazing. I can't stop thinking about the hospitality and how authentic the food was, and how kind the owner was. It feels like you're going to your favorite uncle's house, and he whips out his best recipes just for you.

Authentic home cooked food. Everything I tasted was very good, the right amount of lemon in grape leaves mutabal, the Mansaf was delicious and also the orca ( bamieh) was delicious. My first time eating there but not my last, I love it because they have daily dishes not your usual kebabs.

Amazing authentic Arabic food. Great service and hospitality with a very clean environment. We will definitely be back to enjoy .

PROS: Five stars if I had to rate the food alone. Absolutely delicious, huge portions (each dish could serve 2-3 people). Very few staff but they seemed nice. CONS: No one was eating here when I came for lunch time on a Friday. And I can't help but wonder if it's because the dining area is kinda dirty. Not so bad I felt the need to leave (and I seriously enjoyed the food!). But unclean tables and stained walls make me question the kitchen, so I really hope things change. I would come here again for takeout, but this Palestinian food is beautiful and full of flavor. I loved the beef stew with okra and Friday special with lamb and seasoned rice. Our food came with olives, rice with almonds, pickles, pita, and a yogurt sauce. We just ordered water, because the drink options were Coke, Sprite, and water. I loved the food so much and was tempted to finish it, but there was so much food! But I was definitely grateful to take home leftovers. Definitely worth trying.

This is one of the best middle eastern restaurants for home style food in OC! It takes me back to visiting Syria and enjoying the flavors of true Arabic food. The service was great and the staff friendly. The restaurant isn't fancy but when the food is this good that doesn't matter to me. I had to order the kibbeh Laban!! This was the best I ever had in a very long time. The kibbeh was delicious and tender and the yogurt sauce was incredible and bursting with flavor. (I will try the Shish Barak next time.) Hubby had the KUFTA with tomato and it was delicious as well. Similar to what I've had in many homes. The rice was fresh and not Uncle Ben's. They use a delicious basmati rice with toasted noodles. They offer a nice olive and pickle plate and a generous amount. Portions are generous. The whole meal taybeh! (zakey) If you want true middle eastern home style food this is a great choice! Update! We took our son here so he could try we tried the fattoush and Shish barak and just as amazing. Son approved and only suggestion would be to turn the political news off as nobody wants to watch that while trying to enjoy their food.

Fantastic Palestinian restaurant serving dishes which casual diners may not have had before. We went on a weeknight and there were plenty of open tables. The restaurant is located in a strip mall and free parking is available nearby. The menu is extensive and includes appetizers, daily specials, and entrees. We had no idea what to order so we relied on the kind advice of our server, which turned out to be a great idea. Our favorite dishes were the mshakhan (half chicken dish served over a flatbread), and the sheikh el mahshi (fried squash stuffed with pine nuts, onion, and ground beef cooked in yogurt). The sheikh el mahshi came with rice pilaf. The look of the restaurant itself is a little rough, and decidedly casual. But those can sometimes be the best places!

In my quest to hit all, or close to all, restaurants on the la times top 101 list, we journeyed to Anaheim for this restaurant. More than an hour drive one way. The restaurant is in a strip mall in a street section called Little Arabia. I didn't know that this existed. At 2 pm, there were only a couple of people in the restaurant, a bad sign. I got the Msakhan, a chicken dish. My partner got the falafel. Both were terrific. I find most falafel not very good but this falafel had a superior outside crust, my chicken was awesome. We also had some babaghanoush that was good with an especially strong Smokey flavor. The helping size was huge and we had lots to take home. The ambiance was weird with a Qatar soccer match playing loudly on the screen. Who cares, the food was great. Great taste, great value.