Phara's

by Erica V.

I adore Phara's and I wholeheartedly mean that. I already loved hookah, arabic music, middle eastern food, and belly dancing so it was right up my alley. However, it has been my great surprise that everyone I have introduced to it has liked it and oftentimes loved it and gone back on their own. I went almost 3 months ago for date night because of Yelp reviews and I've gone back almost every 2 weeks since then.This is the best hookah lounge experience I could have imagined. Authentic, friendly, lingering-allowed, and not nickel-and-diming you for every coal. It makes me hate Kasbah. Sitting outside with friends getting tipsy off BYOB and laughing is about the best thing I can think of that's happened recently. $3/person corking fee.Phara is very accommodating, calls you back personally for reservations and will walk around making sure everything is great.Their humus ($5) is very creamy and their lamb shank ($21) is delicious and enough to share. Their special blend arabic coffee ($3) I love... and I'm not even a big coffee drinker.I love that this place is friendly and doesn't make you feel weird for sitting around for 2-3 hours at a time. Even after they close our waiter has told us to not worry and sit around and relax.I encourage everyone to at least go once even if it's not your scene.

by Crystal C.

We came in for a friend's birthday on a Sunday night at 8:30.  We were warmly greeted by Phara herself, and our waitress was helpful in explaining the dining/hookah process to us.  The ambiance of the place was lovely and relaxing.  There is ample patio seating, and the owner/mgmt is smart enough to provide bug spray if you need any!  I ordered a chicken entrée.  The portions were generous, and the food was well-done.  The grilled vegetables that came with my entrée were delicious and adequately seasoned.  My friend, who normally doesn't eat anything without legs, surprisingly devoured his vegetables.After we told the staff that it was our friend's birthday, Phara entertained us with beautiful song and dance.  Our friend was also treated with birthday baklava, which we all fought over.The hookah was GREAT.  It lasted our party of four a very long time and it was the perfect accompaniment to our meal.I wish I had known about this place sooner, as I would have surely brought family and friends here for a good time.

by The Grave Maurice X.Alon B.L. S. E.

Is it ironic that this Mediterranean restaurant is literally an oasis of  atmospheric dining in the desert of 'pub-grub-heavy North Central Austin'?One would never expect what is behind the aquamarine-colored facade of Phara's if you were a first time visitor.  As you enter the restaurant, you are ushered into a cozy dining room, which is suitable for a romantic dinner.  If you are looking for something to quicken your pulse, step out into back patio -- and the word 'patio' is selling it short ... its more like a back-acre -- where tables from 2-20 are arranged in various set-ups, including on-stage and under the gazebo.  Hookahs adorn most of the tables and patrons puff away on beautifully scented tobaccos.Farah's is BYOB, which plainly stated, is AWESOME.  Sure, there is a $3 corking fee, but compared to cities with BYOB spots, this is a very small sum and unworthy of being bitched about.  Also, North Loop Market is just across the street with a superb beer selection and decent wine selection in case you forget to bring your booze, or simply run out in the midst of your good time. For dinner, my fiancee has the vegetarian sampler, which she enjoyed.  I had the shawarma platter (thinly sliced lamb on this particular sampler) and its was amazing.  Their pita was average, but the hummus was amazing, as was the baba ganouj and the yogurt cucumber salad (i always forget what this is called).Prices are fair for the area, and certainly worth every cent for the pricier dinners.  Dinner for two (bringing our own wine) including an appetizer was $40 without tip.  That's hard to beat anywhere for a Friday night dinner.Lives have patterns. In mine, I'll find round trip tickets to LA for $250 three hours after I book them for $400. I'll lose my cell phone in a bar, buy a new one, and have the old one returned a day later. In the case of Phara's, I found the single best first date place in Austin. This, of course, occurred shortly after I entered a committed relationship where I don't anticipate ever having another first date. FMLPhara's is a very deceptive little restaurant. It's across the street from a heavy metal pizza place and a sex toy store. It looks tiny when you enter it but it has a HUGE patio an private room. General impressions - First date restaurants say a lot about you. If it is off the beaten path and unique it shows that you are smarter than the last guy she went out with. If it is a unique cuisine it shows that you are more cultured. If it is dark and romantic it shows that you are ...um.... dark and romantic. Point is, for a first date it doesn't hurt to appear romantic, cultured and smart. If you are all of those things and you do NOT bring up an Ex or say something about "looking everywhere for the right girl because you are tired of banging random bar sluts every weekend" you might actually get to third base. Whatever. Point is, inside or on the patio Phara's has a great ambiance and general vibe. Food/Drinks - IMPORTANT - Phara's is BYOB so make sure that you bring whatever it is that you plan on drinking. NOW: they DO charge a $3 per person corking fee but if you think about it, a bottle of wine that sells in a store for $18 will usually cost $40 in a restaurant so you are getting out pretty cheap... especially if you are going to go through multiple bottles and in reality, a restaurant DOES need to turn a profit so I won't complain about an extra $3 a person. Food - We ordered the Mezza sampler and it was incredible. The hummus was fresh, the tzatziki was great, everything was wonderful. For my entree I ordered the Beef Tenderloin La Zeez which was absolutely incredible. It is prepared in a habanero garlic sauce which is spicy and delicious and can be tempered with the tzatiki sauce if you are a little girly man. Service - Our waiter, Orion (I think that's right), was perfect. He suggested menu items but wasn't upselling us. He let us know about everything Phara's had to offer but we never felt like it was a sales pitch and he split the entree of my girlfriend and her friend into two portions on two plates. He also let us know about upcoming events at Phara's and other amenities it had to offer. He also said that we could camp at our table as long as we wanted after we finished eating despite the fact that the restaurant wouldn't get any extra revenue from our BYOB wine. My service at Phara's was probably the best I'd had in at least a year. Overall - I loved Phara's and will probably go back at least once a month. The food was amazing, the atmosphere was perfect and festive and the service was impeccable. I would happily recommend it to anyone.Went back with a group for hooka happy hour and had a thoroughly wonderful time.  Great service, great food.Orange cream shisha was especially (and surprisingly) good.  Chocolate, california dream, and double apple mint were also tried and enjoyed.All around a very positive experience (again).Love. This place is great.Every single person working here was friendly and helpful.  The food was…

by Mary Ann D.

I went to Phara's a few nights ago, and I cannot wait to go back. We ate in the dining room, which has a really nice and cozy feel. We had the beef tenderloin la zeez and the shwarma, and both dishes were delicious. The hummus was some of the best I've ever had. After dinner we went outside and I was so surprised at how large it was out there. There are tons of tables, for bigger and smaller parties, a gazebo and what looked like a pretty comfy lounge area with lots of seating and little tables. I had never tried hookah before, I tried the kiwi and it was nice, but I'd rather spend the money on something more fun to smoke. =) There was a belly dancer, which was fun to watch and the owner was walking around introducing herself and talking with everybody. Great food, relaxing atmosphere, I will definitely be going back.

by Nicole L.

Phara is an excellent dancer.  Yeah, excellent, excellent dancer, yeah.  As Lucky D. says, she really does enjoy what she's doing, and while the music is a bit too loud while she's dancing, but it doesn't last forever.  (Like I can concentrate on a good conversation when all that shakin' is goin' on anyways!)  The best part of her dance might have been when she approached the table of good-looking dudes next to ours.  They were obviously of Middle Eastern descent, and one of them- let's call him Mr. Hott- got up to dance with Phara!  Mr. Hott had about 4% rhythm, but that didn't matter.  Oh yeah, we ate food there, too!  It was fantastic, and Orion was a great waiter.  The dolmas were perfect, and so was my lamb.  I pretty much NEVER eat meat in a restaurant, but I got some sort of crazy hair and decided to go against my normal habits.  I was the opposite of disappointed.  DROOL.I shall return, Phara.  I shall return.

by Nicole G.

I had such a wonderful experience at Phara's that I was inspired to write my first yelp :) The ambiance (great lighting) and cozy dining room was perfect for sharing a nice, intimate meal with that special someone. Taking advantage of the BYOB policy, we took a bottle of red along with some Belgian style golden ale which the server offered to put in the fridge or to set up a chiller beside our table (we opted for the latter). This was just the beginning of the top notch service we received that night. Our server, Brian, gave us some great appetizer recommendations and we ended up going with the homemade hummus which was delicious. My dinner companion said she prefers her hummus with a splash more olive oil, keep in mind she could drink that stuff straight. I was more than slightly disappointed when he broke it to me that they were out of their signature dish, lamb shank, but I soon forgot about this once I was savoring the exquisite flavor and tenderness of the lamb la zeez. My friend ordered the equally tasty beef tenderloin shish kebab. The food was amazing and beautifully prepared, but what really made the experience was the Phara's family. Brian was very attentive and never intrusive. He even brought us some baklava on the house to finish out our meal. We sat for hours enjoying great food, drinks, and conversation and never once felt rushed. Phara is the sweetest lady and a wonderful hostess. She went by every table to say hello as if she was welcoming us into her home. She is also a wonderful dancer and even managed to get me up dancing with her, teaching me some of her moves. The cutest moment of the night had to be when the two chefs popped out of the kitchen for a moment to see everyone enjoying their culinary delights, we toasted them in gratitude of course. Once we realized that we had been there for almost three hours we finally asked for the check and thanked Brian profusely for the superb service. In return he offered to take us on a tour of the rest of Phara's and Christoper's. I can't wait to go back, hopefully with weather nice enough to dine alfresco and try out their hookah. You should give this place a try... you know you want to!

by Alon B.

Lives have patterns. In mine, I'll find round trip tickets to LA for $250 three hours after I book them for $400. I'll lose my cell phone in a bar, buy a new one, and have the old one returned a day later. In the case of Phara's, I found the single best first date place in Austin. This, of course, occurred shortly after I entered a committed relationship where I don't anticipate ever having another first date. FMLPhara's is a very deceptive little restaurant. It's across the street from a heavy metal pizza place and a sex toy store. It looks tiny when you enter it but it has a HUGE patio an private room. General impressions - First date restaurants say a lot about you. If it is off the beaten path and unique it shows that you are smarter than the last guy she went out with. If it is a unique cuisine it shows that you are more cultured. If it is dark and romantic it shows that you are ...um.... dark and romantic. Point is, for a first date it doesn't hurt to appear romantic, cultured and smart. If you are all of those things and you do NOT bring up an Ex or say something about "looking everywhere for the right girl because you are tired of banging random bar sluts every weekend" you might actually get to third base. Whatever. Point is, inside or on the patio Phara's has a great ambiance and general vibe. Food/Drinks - IMPORTANT - Phara's is BYOB so make sure that you bring whatever it is that you plan on drinking. NOW: they DO charge a $3 per person corking fee but if you think about it, a bottle of wine that sells in a store for $18 will usually cost $40 in a restaurant so you are getting out pretty cheap... especially if you are going to go through multiple bottles and in reality, a restaurant DOES need to turn a profit so I won't complain about an extra $3 a person. Food - We ordered the Mezza sampler and it was incredible. The hummus was fresh, the tzatziki was great, everything was wonderful. For my entree I ordered the Beef Tenderloin La Zeez which was absolutely incredible. It is prepared in a habanero garlic sauce which is spicy and delicious and can be tempered with the tzatiki sauce if you are a little girly man. Service - Our waiter, Orion (I think that's right), was perfect. He suggested menu items but wasn't upselling us. He let us know about everything Phara's had to offer but we never felt like it was a sales pitch and he split the entree of my girlfriend and her friend into two portions on two plates. He also let us know about upcoming events at Phara's and other amenities it had to offer. He also said that we could camp at our table as long as we wanted after we finished eating despite the fact that the restaurant wouldn't get any extra revenue from our BYOB wine. My service at Phara's was probably the best I'd had in at least a year. Overall - I loved Phara's and will probably go back at least once a month. The food was amazing, the atmosphere was perfect and festive and the service was impeccable. I would happily recommend it to anyone.

by Nicole L.

This has become a new favorite spot to bring my "girl" dates.  Just bring a bottle or 2 of your own vino to split and enjoy the great outdoor atmosphere and dancing.  You can't go wrong with The Sampler they have on the appetizer menu - great presentation, delicious mix of classic dips, etc. with delicious homemade pita.  I've yet to try the hookahs, but will definitely get my shisha on when I can share the pleasure of smoking with several friends.

by Chris B.

Recipe for a good summer night = go to Phara's with a big group, bring lots of booze, stuff your belly with plenty of delicious food, drink more booze, chill and hang out until midnight, call a cab...

by Kamni G.

My husband and I went on a double date an it turns out the other couple had wanted to try this place forever as well. It's byob and we went with beer and wine. The atmosphere doesn't transport you to