Damascus Restaurant

This business is unclaimed.

Owners who claim their business can update listing details, add photos, respond to reviews, and more.

Review

60 reviews

#23 of 235 Restaurants in Allentown$$ - $$$, Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, Vegetarian Friendly

+1 610-432-2036+ Add website

Hours

Tue

10:00 AM - 7:00 PM

Wed

10:00 AM - 7:00 PM

Thu

10:00 AM - 7:00 PM

Fri

10:00 AM - 8:00 PM

Sat

10:00 AM - 8:00 PM

Improve this listing

Ratings and reviews

4.5

60 reviews

#23 of 235 Restaurants in Allentown

RATINGS

Food

Service

Value

Atmosphere

Details

This business is unclaimed.

Owners who claim their business can update listing details, add photos, respond to reviews, and more.

Claim your free listing now

CUISINES

Mediterranean, Middle Eastern

Special Diets

Vegetarian Friendly, Vegan Options, Halal

Meals

Lunch, Dinner

features

Location and contact

449 N 2nd St, Allentown, PA 18102-3101

+1 610-432-2036

Improve this listing

Is this a Mediterranean restaurant?

Yes

Unsure

Details

Manage this business?

CUISINES

Mediterranean, Middle Eastern

Special Diets

Vegetarian Friendly, Vegan Options, Halal

Meals

Lunch, Dinner

FEATURES

Takeout, Reservations, Seating, Table Service, BYOB

Contribute

Write a review Upload a photo Ask a question

4.5

60 reviews

Excellent

Very good

Average

Poor

Terrible

stowtraveller

142 contributions

Excellent Middle Eastern restaurant!

Mar 2023 • couples

Loved this spot, easy to see how it’s been here for decades! Delicious Middle Eastern food all homemade from scratch, from baba ganoush to baklava. We also enjoyed the hummus, stuffed cabbage, special salad, and falafel. Sabrina was our capable and friendly server. Highly recommended and worth a trip!

Written March 30, 2023

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

vallinnik

San Francisco24 contributions

Best of the best!!!

Aug 2023 • solo

It doesnt get any better than this! Homemade authentic food. Sabrina makes every visit feel like coming home. The food is the best ive had in the whole country. Parking can be tricky but it is always worth it. A gem for sure!

Written August 12, 2023

551melm

Scranton354 contributions

Great find!

Jul 2019 • none

Found this out of the way place through TripAdvisor. We were passing through Allentown and were surprised to find a highly rated Syrian restaurant. Look for the address as the restaurant sign was hard to find. Parking is neighborhood parking. The food was excellent. We had the lamb kabob and humus, which were excellent. The service was friendly, the portions large, and the price reasonable. The place is a bit small, so come early if possible.

Written August 6, 2019

Jeanne C

Lenhartsville50 contributions

Hidden Gem

Jul 2019 • couples

Damascus is off the beaten path, but so worth the trip. The food was incredible, the prices reasonable, and the service excellent. We looked at the appetizer selection, and unfortunately, didn't get past them to order any of the entrees. This was the first time any of us had surkey, and we were in love from the moment our server described it. It was so good, we ordered a second dish of it! Our table was filled with pita, garlic chips, fried cauliflower, feta cheese, babaghannouj, spinach pie, fried kibble, and a kabob skewer of lamb, and all of it was superb! The couple we were with are from Brooklyn, and they were discussing how often they could make the drive to eat here! It is that good! The only negative is that they don't have fountain service and drinks were by the bottle or can. I'm looking forward to a return visit to try the other appetizers we didn't order, then another visit to order an entree. This is an excellent choice!

Written July 13, 2019

Stay774992

2 contributions

A wonderful lunch

May 2019 • couples

Authentic and righteous dishes. Generous portions. As you would enjoy in Damascus or Beirut. Highly recommend.

Written May 7, 2019

basherte

Lehigh Valley110 contributions

Home-like, satisfying, genuine Mid-East food in a sweet and hospitable community environment

Mar 2019 • friends

I have now been to Damascus about half-dozen times. There is no shortage of good Mid-East cuisine in the Allentown area - Aci Halal just down 2nd Street a few blocks from Damascus, Aladdin going east on Tilghman Street and Sahara in Wescoesville to name a few. It's an embarrassment of riches, each with its own specialties, each with its own personality. They also mirror to some extent their own geographic origins, be it Syria, Lebanon, Turkey or elsewhere on the Fertile Crescent. One thing they all share is a commitment to a superior standard of hospitality, not the foofie kind where it's part of the training ritual but rather the genuine kind: effortless, patient and as authentic as it can be - the sort of connection that feeds your soul as well as the food served sustains your body. At Damascus I just don't see how you can go wrong. The servers (typically Sabrina or Areem, and please forgive any misspelling) are professional and clearly dedicated to your enjoyment of the experience. But this professionalism looks and feels different from what is customary. This 'way of being' goes well beyond efficiency and attention or ensuring that food is delivered timely and the hot food is hot and the cold food . . . well you get the idea. This is personal charm, a sincere and unaffected desire to extend a hearty welcome, and smiles and personalities that light the dining room. It is all but impossible to remain a stranger. It's a crowded dining room. The tables are uncomfortably close together and I would object to this - anyplace else. At Damascus it's part of the charm and individuality. The tables are arranged community style in oblong rows along the wall. A few 4 tops dot the other portions of the smallish room. And the food reflects this caring and this tradition. Babaghannouj is dead solid perfect, the other appetizers as well depending on one's favorites and evening's whim. Hummus, fried shrimp, fried cauliflower, stuffed grape leaves with ground beef or vegetarian. Maybe I'll find an appetizer I don't care for but it hasn't happened yet. Enjoy the fatoush salad or the Granny Tomato salad. The beef (Delmonico) or lamb Supreme is too wonderful. Malfoof (stuffed cabbage) is another favorite. One of the things I appreciate is that the food is not over seasoned. It has distinctive taste without being too heavy on garlic or salt or pepper or other mid-east spices. Save room for dessert. The toughest part of this is choosing. Damascus is delightful. Though one might not believe this to have read this review - I am a tough customer with serious experience in the hospitality industry. The restaurant business is brutal and the competition for your dining dollar is fierce. I calls 'em as I sees 'em. My reviews tend to be constructive and are detailed and straightforward - and I don't pull punches when an establishment disappoints. Damascus has earned its reputation and carries my heartiest recommendation.

Written March 19, 2019

Jerry S

Philadelphia318 contributions

The best example of Syrian home cooking I have found this side of the Atlantic...

Jan 2019 • couples

This was my second visit in about 6 months. I confirm my original feelings that this one of the best and most authentic “home cooking” restaurants serving Middle Eastern food. Simple in terms of décor, with photos of Syria on the walls, the place clearly has its regulars. One meal tells you why! In addition to the very friendly service, many of the food options are unlike what other Middle Eastern restaurants offer. “Shangleesh”, for example, is a type of cheese one finds in Syria and Lebanon. Here you can order it alone, or as I did, in a dish called “Surkey”, in which it becomes a salad mixed with chopped tomatoes, garlic, parsley. It was delicious at $5.99. One can also find pickled vegetables, like the pickled eggplant at $4.75. For main courses, there is much too choose from and far more than their wonderful kababs, which are beef, chicken and vegetable kabobs. I found their “Fried cauliflower over rice” at $11.50 to be excellent. All in all, speaking as one who travels regularly throughout the Middle East, this is the best example of Syrian home cooking I have found this side of the Atlantic. It makes the trip to Allentown worthwhile just to enjoy a dinner at Damascus. It is a BYO and reservations on Saturday nights as recommended. I’m looking forward to returning soon!

Written January 21, 2019

Kevin A

21 contributions

Hole in the Wall with Excellent Food

Sep 2018 • family

Our reception was very bad. Once seated, we were made to move tables. The restaurant was less than half full, but we were told that they were very busy and that the food would take a while because the grill was very small. Waitress was harried. But...the food was amazing. Falafel, kibbeh, fatoush salad, tabouleh, hummus, babaghanoush, rice, vegetables, chicken kabaab, lamb kabaab. All very good. Salads were the best I've ever had. Lamb was tender. We will be back, God willing.

Written September 8, 2018

LSH888

Allentown68 contributions

Eat in great, take-out not so much

Aug 2018 • family

We love most of the food at Damascus when you dine in, but this isn't a place you choose for the atmosphere. Had dinner there with a group and enjoyed that there were so many choices, including a good vegetarian variety and the food was good. Ordered a large take out order and while they worked hard to make it easy to reheat, we were dissappointed. Would never order the fried cauliflower with tahina sauce or kabobs to reheat and the vegetarian grape leaves were hard and tasteless. Would definately order out their cold appetizers.

Written August 29, 2018

liza112000

Kingston2 contributions

Love it

Feb 2018 • couples

We had early dinner me and my boyfriend ,it was he’s first time ,for me it’s the only place I eat dinner at when I get to Allentown ,service great ,food out of this world remind me of all the great food I use to have back home in Syria ,keep up the great work ,people if u want to try the real middle eastern food go to this place u will never be sorry .they always welcome u any time of day and give u extra food too .

Written February 25, 2018

Jan H

Hood River56 contributions

Make this restaurant a priority

Nov 2017 • couples

I mostly write reviews for restaurants I adore and this is my newest rave. At Damascus, my husband and I had the best and most authentic Middle Eastern food I’ve eaten outside the Middle East (and trust me, I’ve tried a lot; this is one of my most beloved of cuisines). We were fortunate to be able to try their Kibbe Nayyeh on a Friday night (usually it’s only served Saturday or by special order) and it brought back memories of a fabulous meal in Istanbul (the Turkish version is chi kofte). Everything we tasted was exceptional: fresh, well prepared, authentic. You can taste the love in the preparation. It’s BYOB which makes this eatery an even bigger bargain, and the service is fabulous. I think we left a 25% tip! Please seek this homey restaurant out when visiting the Lehigh Valley. If you love the food of the Middle East you will not be disappointed.

Written November 18, 2017

Tom M

Quakertown238 contributions

Still good but getting nervous!

May 2017 • none

We've been long time customers and have raved about the food. BUT, have started to notice some changes since the former ownership has been taken over by another family. Seems to be excessive use of the microwave! That does not work out well for fresh, warm pita bread which when nuked hardens into a crispy, chewy non-pita that is unlike the fresh, hot, soft Pita we'd want to have with meals. We noticed this also with both the spinach and meat pies. The usually flaky crusts have turned into hardened, chewy shells even though the insides are very tasty. Also noticed a difference in the babaganoush. Gone is the great smoky/charred flavor that we used to look forward to. It's still good--but not something we'd really look forward to and always commented on. Even the grape leaves seem different. We'll be back but are hoping that they go back to basics, focus on home-made quality, and above all abandon the microwave!

Written May 29, 2017

504

New York City341 contributions

My favorite restaurant in the area

Dec 2016 • couples

Hands down the best Middle Eastern food in the area. It's a hole in the wall and has no atmosphere, but the food is spot on delicious. We have been coming here for years for their outstanding fattoush salad (never had better fattoush anywhere else!), their kibbee (simply perfect),and the lamb skewers (tender with no fat). I also love their cauliflower appetizer. Well, actually, I love everything they make. This is a family-owned restaurant and the food reflects that. The restaurant was recently sold to another family and I was worried about the quality of the food, but the previous owner stayed in the kitchen with the new cooks for a few months to make sure the food stayed the same. If you love Middle Eastern food, this place is worth a drive from anywhere! Couldn't recommend any higher!.

Written January 18, 2017

regondi

New Rochelle18 contributions

Truly worth going out of the way for!

Jan 2017 • couples

What a find this was! My wife and I were driving from western Maryland to home in Westchester County, NY. I googled Allentown restaurants, and Damascus seemed interesting, and worth a bit of a journey off Route 78. As most of the reviews I read stated, you don't go to this restaurant for the decor- it's simple and plain. But, oh, the food! We started with a Babaghannouj appetizer that was a perfect smokey combination of eggplant, lemon, garlic and sesame paste. The flat bread was excellent, and freshly made. Then we had two more appetizers- Lifit (pickled turnips), and Kibbee Kras (grilled crushed wheat and ground beef stuffed with sauteed onions, pinenuts and beautifully spiced). Then a chicken Shawarma, the chicken thinly sliced with an absolutely first rate lemony sauce, topped with tomato, parsley, raw onions hot peppers pickles and tahini. We opted for the $1.50 extra charge for Tabouli, and it was worth it! This dish was a masterpiece, and has us looking forward to another trip to Allentown. We were stuffed, but couldn't resist taking home a piece of baklava, and an order of homemade rice pudding. Both dessserts were superb, but I long to try their cheese baklava next time. Service was perfect, prices were incredibly reasonable, and we went away loving Damascus.

Written January 10, 2017

debbie w

Stafford876 contributions

Damascus is a jewel

Nov 2016 • couples

We ate lunch here and when we went in there was two tables as we sat there the simple restaurant quickly filled up. The server was very friendly and efficient. We had hummus with pita and some garlic chips. It was excellent. The garlic chips were so flavorful and coated with the garlic a perfect pairing with the hummus. Then my dining partner ordered the hickey shwarma sandwich and I had falafel. One awesome thing was the portions were perfect in size. Not too big not to small, just right. They were flavorful as well. We topped it off with the birds nest dessert a phyllo dough saucer filled with ground up pistachios and a light syrup. To die for! Don't miss eating here!