Relaxing evening by Jawad

We were running really late and drove all around town with some friends for a Shisha and finally came across this place. We called them and asked what time they close and they said 1:30 AM (Thursday night) and the grill closes at 1:00 as well as the making of shishas. It was 12:45 already so they took our order for the shisha over the phone and we drove there. As soon as we got there, we wanted to place an order for food, but they said they already closed up shop on the grill, even though it was just before 1:00, but we kinda expected that. The shisha on the other hand was ready to go and we were seat and everything quickly. It was super relaxing, light Arabic music going and only 3 or 4 other tables. The fountain is very relaxing too. We continued smoking until 2:15 before they finally said we needed to close out our tab and then left.

Would definitely come back again. Not the #1 place in the DFW area, but pretty close up there.

by Justin J.

I searched for a hookah bar in Arlington for a long time, and finally found Narah Cafe. Excellent Hookahs -- food is decent, but not the best I've ever had.  They have a good crowd on Saturday nights --- lots of loud arabic music and sometimes an occasional belly dancer! Fun place for Arlington, which is mostly not that fun.

by Kurt T.

OK...I'm from Arlington, but I live in LA now.  So Arabic food is a dime a dozen out here.  I was actually pleasantly surprised at how good it was for Arlington.  Plus who'd have thunk there were so many Arabs in Arlington.  Didn't smoke the hookah, but did enjoy the food.  Decor is what I expected.  The people were nice in there.  Also this reminds me of something that drives me crazy.  Persians is a made up LA word.  They're Arabs or Middle Easterner's.  Quit trying to be so fucking PC.  Persians just sounds stupid.  I will never use the term Persian ever...except to describe heroin.  That's it.  But Narah Cafe is cool and right across the street from my friends' band practice space.  Check it out.

by Rudy C.

So I was an Arabic minor in college and naturally I'm into all things arabica now.  My good friend Kyle F. went to Gaza one summer and came back with a nargileh pipe (sheesha if you're Egyptian, hookah if you're American I guess).  She inhaled like a pro but I was too scared and wussed out and just pretended.  After graduating from college I moved to Lebanon to teach English and that is where my habit of Lebanese cuisine, smoking nargileh, and lusting after Lebanese men began.  I mean after freaking living in the mothership, I had no excuse to hold back.Now it's kind of in the middle of Arlington so it is a bit of a drive for people in Dallas and Fort Worth but I would highly recommend the trek.  First of all it is cheap.  Yeah.  You can get a drink, an appetizer and an entree for like $15.  Plus the pipes are cheap too.  About $16 for a higher quality tobacco and about $10 for the more regular tobacco.  They have interesting flavors and the smoke lasts a long time too.  Totally anti-boughie, this place is friendly with staff that helps and don't try to gouge you with expensive bad tobacco and adding hidden fees like a certain downtown Dallas joint which should be avoided at all costs.The place is smallish but can fit about 150 people with both an outside patio and the main lounge.  The decor is reminiscent of something Mediterranean but nothing gawdy.  Since it's close to UT-Arlington, there are a lot of students there which is totally not my thing but I can deal.  Many actual Middle Easterners go there too so that speaks highly of the food (which was fantastic thank you) and the pipes (clean unlike Kan Zaman in San Francisco). Service is prompt and the staff have no problems blowing out ash out of your pipe and changing your coals.  And that Lebanese waiter guy Ihsan was muy freaking caliente.  I'd go back just to stare but the food and the pipes will not disappoint.So if you love nargileh and Mediterranean cuisine without the attitude or feeling robbed, check this place out.  And I'll see you there so say hello.  It's open late too.

by Elben S.

Mediterranean cuisine is rare around here. Luckily, we have Narah Cafe. The food is great, especially their kabobs, which run around $12 to $16 and comes with rice, grilled vegetables, and either a salad or soup. My favorite is the lamb kabob, perfect in tenderness and flavor. An entree comes with two kabobs where each kabob is about 6 inches in length and 1.5 inches thick, so you're getting a good amount of meat. The default degree of cooking for their meats is medium-well, so tell them if you want something different.The rice is just right, not too wet and not too dry, and is flavored with some spices to give it a Mediterranean aroma. The first time I came here, the rice was really dry but it seems that that problem is now fixed. The vegetables, however, are dry and overcooked. I've only had their lemon lentil soup, which, in my opinion, is missing a little bit of kick. Solid, but not great.They also have sandwiches and burgers, which generally fall under the $6-7 range. They are good, but really, you're here for the kabobs. Some come with fries, which are similar to potato chips but thicker.With a relaxing Mediterranean decor and environment, Narah Cafe is a great place to enjoy a meal from the fertile soils of the Mediterranean.

by Azam K.

This is a nice place to visit with friends and family to enjoy good middle eastern cuisine.  The eating area outside is well maintained, it is decorated by a tree, small plants, burning torches on wooden sticks and soothing sound of artificial waterfalls.  I tried their chicken shawarma and it was juicy and excellently cooked.   After the meal I tried the famous Palestinian dessert Kinafe which was bigger than I thought and good in taste.  Thei Turkish coffee is as good as the one at Cafe Izmir (meaning its really good).  After the meal we had "Narah's Secret" flavor shisha which was nice but not as good as the Double Apple flavor.  The kitchen is open till after midnight, even till 1:30am.  The restaurant itself closes at 2am.  In my opinion, the fact that they don't have alcohol makes it even more appealing for families to hang out after hours.

by Melody L.

The food used to be really great but they got rid of the cooks and that one white lady just doesn't know what shes doing. I've given this place chances after chances but she does not belong in the kitchen. The chicken tikka that used to be so juicy and tender is so hard and dry. The lamb chops are the same. It's not actually appetizing to eat food that tasted like its been reheated time and time again... im sure thats not the case but they need to invest on some real cooks. For hang out place I will give narrah 3 star but food... not so much

by Jaimeson S.

Every time we pass by this place, the parking lot is packed. My husband and I had been talking about trying it out for months. Last night we finally decided to give it a try with a couple of our friends. We arrived about 7:45 and it was pretty empty, but we weren't surprised for a Monday night.  The ambiance isn't fancy. And I think it could do without the self-serving Narah Cafe T-shirts on the walls. We decided to order the family style dinner for 4. We started with some dolmas (my favorite) and some hot tea. I also had a Turkish coffee that was delicious.  The hot tea was bland. The dolmas were very tasty. The hummus was good and tabouleh was plentiful.  We also got a plate of taziki and lots of pita bread and a pickle plate with raw onions and tomatoes. The kebabs (chicken, lamb, beef) were really delicious. The lamb kebabs were the best I've ever had (and I'm not a big lamb-eater). The beef kebabs were not exciting. Towards the end of our meal the place began to fill up with Middle Eastern folks coming to smoke hookahs, play cards, and drink Turkish coffee. If I hadn't been so stuffed, I would have tried a hookah. I have a feeling we will begin to frequent this place and try the other dishes on the menu as well as a hookah or two on the outdoor patio.