Cedar's Restaurant

by Dan B.

I know Middle Eastern food.  I have been eating it since I was a little kid and have tried many in many different states througout the country.  Cedar's restaurant is an amazing one.  I have had better, but the food is nothing less than stellar.  They have brilliant little changes in their food that makes their food clearly better than most Lebanese restaurants.  For instance, when I got a lamb kabob, it came with a red paste (hard to describe, a little spicy).  And it was very lemony and tasted magnificent.  Not only that, the service there is extremely friendly.  I have been here 4 times now and on every occassion the server has been extremely nice, attentive, and caring.  They treat you with respect and don't assume that you don't know what's up as far as Middle Eastern culture/food.  They have very good rice as a side dish to their items and I haven't had anything that's bad there yet.  This place is extremely popular and successful and can get pretty busy so it may behoof you to consider coming at 9 PM. (which is a more normal hour to eat for me coming from Miami anyway).

by Fat TuEsdays Club -.

Cedar's Restaurant.. the kick off spot for our Fat Tuesdays Club...Eager and ready to get a Taste of Lebanese food!!!!  The restaurant definitely had the support from  Lebanese or Middle eastern locals...which is usually a good sign.. it gave a feel... if  we actually travel across the World to indulged in this Lebanese food.. the inside dining was very elegant with dim lighting and the classic white clothe tables... the patio area was very simple with ceiling fans to stay cool..  the only possible problem you may have on dining outside is the hookah smoke..   the service was very attentive..  the waiter for the night explain every dish that we had interest in.. and took as far as demonstrating the proper way to eat the food..  very good service..  we started with 3 appetizers.. and later ordered  4  en trees.. Appetizers:Warak Inab... Grape Leaves stuffed w/rice, parsley seasonings.Laban Salad... delicious homemade yogurt w/chopped cucumbers, mint garlic.Sujuk...extra spicy sausages sautéed w/a touch of lemon juice.En trees: Kafta Kabab... three skewers of ground lamb w/ parsley, onions and flavorful seasonin  Plus, you can add our delicious Tajen Sauce for only $3 more!Samak Tajen... a fillet of Snapper, gently seasoned and sautéed and topped w/ onions 'n tahini sauce.   Kibbeh Bilsanieh.... Baked minced beef and cracked wheat shells stuffed with savory ground meat, onions and pine nuts, served with yogurt and cucumber Kibbeh Bi Laban... Kibbeh Balls cooked in yogurt sauce w/garlic and cilantro for a delectable treat, served with rice.  Our conclusion on the the night at the Cedar's Restaurant was fairly good... the Favorites out the appetizers and a must try was the (Warak Inab)..and far as the entrees goes.. we all had our own favorites.. but we did agree that all the food was very flavorful, juicy..with plenty of sauces to add to the flavor..

by Allan F.

It's Lebanese food, which pretty much means Mediterranean food.  Kabobs, lamb based entrees.  I like the atmosphere AND the food. It's also opened LATE on the weekends!

by Pam S.

This Lebanese restaurant had a mish-mashed confused decor' theme, but the food was pretty authentic. Appetizers of goat cheese, falafel and soft pita bread were awesome, although the lamb and beef sausages weren't that great. Main courses of stuffed chicken breast went down well with my boss, while my team mate enjoyed her salmon. I had the shawarma (sp?) which was decent, but the beef was a little dry. Food wise, I'd give this place 3-stars, but the service was so amazing that I have to up it a little. I asked the waiter for red sauce to put over the beef and he had one specially made - asked me to taste it on the spot to see if it was alright.. and it was delish. Made the dry pieces of beef that much saucier and yummy. Oh yeah, there was also a belly dancer.. so.. interesting place to come for pretty decent food...especially if you're a bunch of greasy 30-yo dudes with an inordinate amount of 1-dollar bills (weirrrdosss).

by alysia h.

Hands down the best restaurant in Orlando. I have been eating here for years and every time I am in town I stop by. I have never had anything but AMAZING service here, and it should be noted I am not Lebanese, don't know any of the people except from eating there once every other month, and they have always been very friendly. I usually just order appetizers, have only had a main entree once but it's because the one time I ordered an entree, I was already so full on appetizers I could hardly eat it! The falaffel is amazing, hummus is delicious, the feta cheese dip is great, and the bread is made before your very eyes... what more could you hope for? Usually my boyfriend and I fill up on appetizers and a drink each (either coffee, soda, or a drink from the bar/wine) for less than $25 before the tip.

by Jenn T.

On our last night in Orlando we decided to try this Lebanese food restaurant.  When we arrived, there was only 1 table out of about 10 with customers inside... but the outside patio was almost full.  So we decided to join the others outside.  Everyone sitting in the heated outdoor patio were smoking.  Smoking something that I know as "hookah".  It smelled sweet but I didn't know if I wanted to try it.The menu was a little daunting since there were so many things to choose from and we had never had most of them before.  But we chose a few things and these were our likes and dislikes.Dish#1: hummus with beef stripsSPECTACULAR!  The hummus was so smooth and the beef strips were marinated with something that made it extra tasty.Dish#1A: pita breadThe pita bread is cool.  It's puffy!  Went very well with the hummus.Dish #2 meat piesThese were only so-so.  It was like a little meat patty stuffed into a doughy square of bread.  It didn't tingle my taste buds.Dish #3 Meatballs in a yogurt sauceThe yogurt sauce was kind of tangy and it's good for the first few minutes but then becomes a little overwhelming.  The meatballs seemed like they were fried first and then drenched with the yogurt sauce.  The meatballs had interesting contents, like pine nuts.  It was served with rice and was okay.Dish #4 Combo kabobsThis is a good dish to try all their kabobs (lamb, beef, and chicken).  Lots of veggies on the plate but a little undercooked.We gave in and decided to try the "hookah" and also try Turkish coffee.  The hookah smelled nice and had a nice light flavor.  The curator of all the hookahs says it was sweet apple.  With the bitter coffee, the taste of the smoke was even sweeter.  It was fun playing with the smoke.But now I come to find out that the hookah is filled with tobacco, fruit pulp, and other herbs.  Tobacco isn't good for you so no more of that for me.The service was okay.  They tolerated our ignorance about the cuisine :)  The hookah guy was especially attentive with refilling our hot coals and making sure everything was okay.I could go for that hummus again.. mmmhhmm...

by Carla B.

This is one of my favorite restaurants in Orlando and I always make a point to go here when I'm home.The menu offers a lot of options for every palate -- as a vegetarian, I know I can walk out of there completely stuffed from all the good eats. My parents and brother aren't veggie and they enjoy the lamb dishes and whatnot there.I think the food is really good here -- one of the better places to eat in Orlando. It's a family run restaurant, and on various occasions we've met the children of the owners as they help out. One of the owners will also read your Turkish coffee grounds (of course, that means you have to drink it.)I've partaken of the hookah there as well, making a delightful evening even more so.I will say they do get packed, but they also don't rush you out of the restaurant, which I appreciate.Service is so-so, depends on the night and how busy they are.Sitting outside is great -- even in summer they have ceiling fans and misters, making for a nice ambiance. In fact, I don't think I've ever eaten inside here.

by Julie A.

Shawarma, shawarma, shawarma... Oh how I love you... For my first venture into Lebanese cuisine, I was happily pleased. The main courses were great, but let me emphasize how lovely the hummus and shawarma appetizer ($7.50) tasted yesterday. The freshly made warm pita bread was also a plus. Like pillows of shawarma/hummus filled goodness in my mouthhhhhh.As for the main entrees, I ordered the Bemieh (lamb, okra, in a tomato based sauce, for $15) and my friend ordered the Kibbeh Bi Laban (which were a special type of beef meatball served in a thick creamy sauce, also $15). I liked the Bemieh. It reminded me of that Tajine Jilbana from Zitouna in San Francisco, but with thinner sauce and more tomato-ey. (Is that even a word?) In other words, their tomato sauce is kinda like a stew/soup consistency. My friend's Kibbeh Bi Laban was much more tastey. I have a preference for creamy foods, so naturally I liked his dish better. The sauce had a thick creamy texture (like thinned out yogurt), and the meatball was really good and had a different taste. They mixed some Lebanese spices in with the meat. We had some great dessert. I don't remember what it was, except that it came with a simple yellow cake sitting on top of a rose-flavored sugary sauce. Simple and delicious. Oh, I almost forgot. The Turkish Coffee ($2.50) was excellent. I've never had a coffee so rich with flavor. Happily pleased.Service was OK. The lady should smile a bit more. I guess it's just one of those days for her. ::shrug::They have outdoor seating here. It's kind of enclosed with a roof above and walls around. Great for breezy days so you can enjoy the outdoors and sunshine without the chill factor.Note to self: this is review 222. Lmao!

by Niriksha A.

Great atmosphere to relax and smoke sheesha and sip Turkish coffee.  Live music on the weekends.  Can be loud on the weekends so not the best date place.Also...if you make a reservation on the weekend be careful - there is a fixed price menu for indoor seating so check before you dine.

by Jenn V.

I have had a lot of Lebanese and Middle Eastern food (from growing up near one of the most highly Middle Eastern populated cities in the U.S.) and this place was just O.K.  The prices were a little steep for what you are getting.  If I spend $20 on a meal I kind of expect to have a soup or salad included with it-- I had the kibbeh and I got 4 little kibbeh balls in a soup with a plate of white sticky rice.  That was worth $20?  And I have NEVER had white sticky rice at a lebanese restaurant.  I'm really baffled by that.  Usually it is long grain butter rice with almonds.  The atmosphere was lacking-- we sat outside and I couldn't fathom why on an evening that was in the mid-80's they wouldn't have the ceiling fans on.  It was a hot box!!  All in all it was alright but I have had MUCH better, and I don't think I'll be going back.  I'm confused by one of the reviewers who was trying to make her visit seem absolutely horrible.  She claims she kept trying to get a wine menu from her server and they ignored her requests many times.  That can't even be true-- the wine/beer menu is right on the back of the menu-- they don't have a separate one.  Sounds like someone is making up stories.