Syrian House Restaurant
Quick info
About Syrian House Restaurant
On Horton Square in Birmingham, Syrian House Restaurant serves a halal menu with a grill focus, including lamb mandi and Beiruti hummus. Platters are sized for sharing across the table, and Arabic tea follows the meal. A private dining room accommodates groups, alongside break-out spaces with a curtain rail for family privacy. Payment is cash only, so diners should plan accordingly. Some menu items are not always available on arrival despite appearing on the printed list.
Good to know
- ReservationsAccepts reservations
- ParkingFree parking lot · Free street parking · Usually plenty of parking
- AccessibilityWheelchair: entrance, parking lot, restroom, seating
- Good for kidsGood for kids · Kids' menu
- DietaryHalal food · Vegetarian options
Reviews
What reviewers say
Reviewers most often mention lamb mandi, beiruti hummus, arabic tea and family privacy rooms.
What reviewers say
Reviewers most often mention lamb mandi, beiruti hummus, arabic tea and family privacy rooms.
Customer Review Summary
Reviewers repeatedly single out the mandi as the draw, described as juicy and tender, with the lamb mandi from the grill praised for its rich, satisfying flavor and standout sauce. Close behind, several mention the beiruti hummus and generous platters sized for groups, along with Arabic tea offered after meals, and diners note the food is delicious and reasonably priced, often leaving with enough for next-day lunches. Service draws mixed reactions: many describe staff as friendly, humble, and attentive, with one reviewer highlighting the owner personally checking on their table, while others report being left to seat themselves with no greeting, or requests for tap water being overlooked repeatedly. One reviewer describes a more serious visit, ordering shawarma that arrived dry and reheated, told after the fact that the kitchen had run out and served leftovers, with no apology offered and only cash accepted for payment. The space itself is called warm, cozy, and homely, with a family room noted for privacy and kids said to enjoy visiting.
Customer Review Summary
Reviewers repeatedly single out the mandi as the draw, described as juicy and tender, with the lamb mandi from the grill praised for its rich, satisfying flavor and standout sauce. Close behind, several mention the beiruti hummus and generous platters sized for groups, along with Arabic tea offered after meals, and diners note the food is delicious and reasonably priced, often leaving with enough for next-day lunches. Service draws mixed reactions: many describe staff as friendly, humble, and attentive, with one reviewer highlighting the owner personally checking on their table, while others report being left to seat themselves with no greeting, or requests for tap water being overlooked repeatedly. One reviewer describes a more serious visit, ordering shawarma that arrived dry and reheated, told after the fact that the kitchen had run out and served leftovers, with no apology offered and only cash accepted for payment. The space itself is called warm, cozy, and homely, with a family room noted for privacy and kids said to enjoy visiting.
Featured reviews
- Google user
“It’s best restaurant in Birmingham the guys so friendly Ali and Ahmad so good with me always looking after me thank you so much.”
- Google user
“Best Mandi in Birmingham. There is family room for privacy. Kids really enjoy going there. Staff are warm.”
- Google user
“Went first time yesterday for a little family get together. Ordered 2 platters for 5 people as we were 9 of us. The platters are good enough size with all the things mentioned on the menu. The food is absolutely bang on. Coming from the middle east we were aware of the taste of mandi and this did remind us of it. Great service as well.”
- Google user
“We had a very disappointing experience at this place. Before going, we called multiple times to make sure they were open, and each time we were told they were. We arrived around 20:30 and ordered 2 Arabic shawarma. I was honestly very excited for my partner to try authentic Arabic food, especially since the menu had many appealing options. However, when we tried to order, we were told that many items on the menu were not available. That was already frustrating, but it got worse. When the food arrived, it was nothing like proper shawarma. As shown in the photo, it looked dry and unappetizing. The taste was very bad, and it was clear the food had been reheated in a microwave—which is honestly one of the worst things a restaurant can do. The bread wasn’t even grilled properly, and everything felt low quality and careless. It got to the point where I had to go back and ask them if they were sure this was shawarma, because it looked like anything but shawarma. Their response was shocking—they said they didn’t expect anyone to order shawarma, and that the shawarma skewer had been finished two hours earlier, so what we got was basically leftovers. To make things worse, we had to pay in cash because they didn’t accept card, we still paid the full price, and there wasn’t even a simple apology from the staff. As a Syrian, I know very well how authentic Arabic food—especially shawarma—should taste, look, and be prepared and served. This was far from it. This is completely unacceptable. A restaurant should be prepared to serve the items listed on their menu, not make excuses to customers. In my opinion, this shows a serious lack of professionalism and respect for customers. Serving old, reheated leftovers is not acceptable. We will definitely never come back.”
- Google user
“Best Middle eastern food, best juicy mandi, always love to vist, nice and clean, staff very humble and cooperative. Food values more than money, cheaper if you compare to the other ones in Brum. Must give a visit”
Highlights
- Great dessert
- Popular for lunch
- Popular for dinner
- Popular for solo dining
- Halal food
- Happy hour drinks
Amenities
- Wi-Fi
- Wheelchair accessible entrance
- Accepts reservations
- Outdoor seating
- Delivery
- Takeout
Show more amenities
- Dine-in
- Good for kids
- Vegetarian options
- Cozy
- Cocktails
- Coffee
- Offerings· 9
- Free water refills
- Halal food
- Happy hour drinks
- Happy hour food
- Healthy options
- Late-night food
- Private dining room
- Quick bite
- Small plates
- Popular for· 1
- Solo dining
- Dining options· 7
- Breakfast
- Lunch
- Dinner
- Catering
- Dessert
- Seating
- Table service
- Facilities· 1
- Restroom
- Crowd· 2
- Groups
- Tourists
- Highlights· 1
- Great dessert
- Atmosphere· 2
- Casual
- Quiet
- Accessibility· 3
- Wheelchair accessible parking lot
- Wheelchair accessible restroom
- Wheelchair accessible seating
- Parking· 3
- Free parking lot
- Free street parking
- Usually plenty of parking
- Family-friendly· 1
- Kids' menu
Location
Restaurants near Syrian House Restaurant
- Arabian Nites Birmingham4.17910.2 miReservations
shisha quality, loaded chicken fries, mocktails
- Al Fursan Restaurant4.38510.7 miWheelchair accessible
lamb mandi, family rooms for privacy, complimentary lentil soup
- Ken Ho Restaurant4.15160.7 mi
dim sum, prawn dumplings (har gow), sui mai
| Place | Rating | Distance | Mentioned in reviews |
|---|---|---|---|
| Syrian House RestaurantOutdoor seating · Vegetarian options · Wheelchair accessible | 4.4399 | — | lamb mandi, beiruti hummus, arabic tea |
| Arabian Nites BirminghamReservations | 4.1791 | 0.2 mi | shisha quality, loaded chicken fries, mocktails |
| Al Fursan RestaurantWheelchair accessible | 4.3851 | 0.7 mi | lamb mandi, family rooms for privacy, complimentary lentil soup |
| Ken Ho Restaurant | 4.1516 | 0.7 mi | dim sum, prawn dumplings (har gow), sui mai |
The 3 nearest restaurants by distance. Ratings, hours and review terms come from public business profiles.
