Sitti

by Jake C.

Great food but you have to like those flavors (ie falafel, hummus, cilantro, yogurt).

by Kelly L.

Love it! It was great to find a middle eastern restaurant in Raleigh. The ambiance is great but gets a little loud when full. They have an amazing table that runs the length of the restaurant right in the middle of the room.The food is just scrumptious. The falafel is crisp on the outside and moist on the inside, served with a light sauce and some tiny diced tomato and onion. The kibbee mikli was a fantastic meatball like dumpling with a nice creme freche like sauce. They each are served with 4 pieces so they are truly perfect to share.As for entrees...I have had or tasted the Orange and Goat Cheese Salad, Chicken Shwarma Wrap, Beef Shwarma Wrap, and the Kafta Kabob Wrap. The Salad was a nice combination of tart and sweet, it had figs in it which really made the salad. I wish there had been enough figs for each bite. The two shwarmas were very moist and tasty.  The kafta is fantastic. I can't wait to eat it again. It had a great spice to it. It is mouthwatering just thinking about it.Some other great things include the zaatar that is served with warm pitas, the middle eastern beer options are surprising, and the desserts a perfect single serving, I would get the Ashta again. Also, the fried are super good.

by Melodie S.

Really good lebanese (for Raleigh). Have eaten here enough times to gain a consistent read on it. The food is always consistently good, even though I tend to get the same thing (mixed grill). The location is fantastic and there is usually always a crowd. Service is always rushed and amateurish, not their strong suit.

by Amanda H.

Going into our dinner at Sitti, I had no feelings whatsoever regarding Lebanese cuisine. Mostly because I'd never had the opportunity to give  it a go. If Lebanese food always tastes like the cuisine we were served here - sign me up for life. Sitti is the Lebanese word for Grandmother, and the menu here it's Granny's traditional cooking with a modern twist. In keeping with that theme, they've installed a long, communal table in the center of the restaurant where anyone is welcome it dine. The room itself is appointed with a cool mix of modern clean lines and relics of the past. Because of it's large, open design and high, exposed ceiling it does tend to get a little noisy when the room is crowded (and lately it typically is). As fantastic as the atmosphere is, it's the food that cinched the four stars here. The fresh pita bread they bring at the beginning of the meal was mouth-watering and my sister assured me I was missing out big time (I'm allergic to wheat so I was unable to partake). Thanks, sis. But when the entrees arrived, I insist I had the upper hand. While her simple beef kabob looked tender enough and smelled great (she recommends it highly), my baked salmon still haunts my dreams. This sucker was fat, juicy and melted in my mouth (seriously, hardly had to chew). Flavored with cilantro, tahini and mint along with a little kick of jalapeno, it was a preparation like none I'd ever tasted. Bonus points for awesome presentation, too. Also had my first taste of Lebanese wine - a white blend that paired well with my fish. Sadly, as much as we'd tried to save room for desserts (I'm a sucker for rice pudding, and Sitt's sounds killer), we failed miserably. I owe you an update on that facet. And finally -  while this area is up-and-coming, it can still be mildly shady at night (mostly just panhandlers), so just be safe about not arriving alone or walking a long distance to your car at night if you can help it.

by Christina B.

Great Place!  Totally loved it!    Went there for a lunch with my friend who is very familiar with Lebanese food and we were both impressed!  Very contemporary, open floor plan.  Although seating was very close together and we could hear each other conversations.  And loud at times.The food was mouth watering and tasty.  The service was adequate enough for me to visit again because of the food!I didn't like the parking situation though.  Had to park in a garage and couldn't find anything on the street, which of course lent itself to the place being busy at lunch time when we went.  (but extra expense)

by Tripp W.

This is a downtown staple for me.  They serve lebanese style food with a kinda modern decor (typical of the Empire Eats family of restaurants).  The deck out back is really nice to get seated on during the summer and the front outdoor tables are good for people watching.  The wine list has a decent array of world wide choices, but they always seem to be out of about 40% of the by the glass.  Everything I have ordered here has been truly tasty and cooked as requested.    Must try menu items are the kafta (ground lamb and beef kabob) and the plank salmon.  Service is standard, but could be a little more personable.

by Luke C.

This new Lebanese restaurant opened in Nov 08 and has attracted a real nice crowd ever since. It occupies a corner of the block and is right near Moore's square in Raleigh. The location is great.The restaurant has three sections, the bar and high tables to the right, a large and long communal table in the middle and then traditional tables off to the left. The bar and high tables are the best. The crowd gathers here and chat. There's a real hustle and bustle in this area. Strangers bump elbows, apologize and strike up interesting conversations. It's really nice.The decor is average and non-descript. I can't really tell it's a middle eastern restaurant save for some decorative hookahs to the left.The appetitizers were great. Entrees still need a bit of work. My wife ordered a lamb dish which was cold by the time it came out. The desserts, for example Ashta, a chewy cotton candy-like sweet, were great and deserve a try.Overall, above average but with some problems that hopefully will get better over time. Talent is generally acceptable here.

by Larry C.

What a memorable and enjoyable dinner. My wife are into sharing lots of small plates, as in tapas or mezzes.  Good selection and quality.  However, be sure to advise server NOT to bring things out as they're ready, or you might be overwhelmed with food at once.  Better to schedule your order, or better yet, order when you want your next course. Five small plates 5 glasses of wine were $75, which i thought was excellent value. Their corkage fee is $15. They screwed up my lamb chop order (which was excellent) by first bringing out lamb kebobs instead, so they comped us dessert instead, which was a very nice gesture.  I will look forward to returning when next in Raleigh.

by Tom S.

Great lebanese food, and a fun spot to go with your friends.  I would suggest the Lebanese Tasting plate, a great thing to share with your group (we had 7 people, decided to get two whcih worked out great).  I had the mixed grill kabobs which was more than enough for me, but the star plate of the table was the lamb shank.  It was cooked perfectly and had great flavor.  Service was good, not great.  I'm still not sure about the revolving servers method, always seems to create some confusion.We'll definitely be going back again soon.