Review Abduls - Sydney

The best Lebanese place we have been👍 Totally loved it nothing could be better❤️ Fresh yummy foods,big portions with reasonable prices,nice & clean sittings~ Nothing fancy just pure food with lots of family love 💕 feeling like home here! Thanks for all and sure we will come back again soon😇

All the BYO vibes. And they don’t charge corkage!! Don’t go expecting a nice setting, in fact, the fact that it feels outdated as hell is part of the charm. The waitresses were lovely and attentive. The food was very tasty and cheap. Lots of veggie options. The fried eggplant was the highlight for me. Would def return!

The service was great. I went there to break my fast and they were helpful. They offered us soup asap. It went down good. The mixed lamb grill was not as expected but I did not mind the vegetables at all. I needed some as I had too much of meat lately. The shish kebabs needed less grilling. It was bit over cooked. Their bean rice was unusual as well. It was a journey to Middle East. Thank you for your hospitality.

Named after his eldest son Abdul by Dib Ghazal in 1968, this famous establishment is located on the corner of Cleveland and Elizabeth Street It is a no-frills landmark Lebanese restaurant in the heart of Surry Hills. I may be able to load a video of the happy grandson still serving it up after 40 years with a huge smile and a love of preparing genuine delicious Lebanese cuisine for hundreds of thousands of hungry Sydneysiders. totally yumm. Reasonably priced as well.

The peak of Lebanese food is at this place and reaches its top place at Abdul’s restaurant! The best in Sydney and it can’t get better than this. This 64 years old place is still serving the best Lebanese food. The amazing falafels, hummus, tahini etc can’t get better than this. I’ve been here dozens of times. This place will always be beyond words when it comes to praising the quality and authenticity of their food.

I was ordering regularly from this place but not anymore. Sent me a few cold and horrible chicken pieces instead of the regular shawarma and didn’t even let me know. I’d order something else. Never ordering from you again…

Been coming here for years, never disappointed. Jimmy is a legend and makes the best rolls in the area. Everything is always consistent and very reasonably priced. The bbq mix plate is my take away go to with an extra packet of bread. The mince meat lady fingers and the baklava is always good.

I have had one meal with a friend and my review is based on it. Sometimes a place that seems like a good deal is actually a disappointment. We took a beef shawrma which was too dry and not hot enough. We also tried a classic mix platter which was slightly better. The place has a long history and the owners just need to look at the feedback and see what they may like to fix.

Visited for and early dinner and the place was not too busy.The food served is fresh and the service is decent.Tried the falafel and grilled chicken skewers.Both were good.Also tried their rice with meat and the hummus and garlic dips.

I LOVE this place. Gruff service from a man of few words, who has occasionally been known to smile, in a small hole in the wall take-away, on the corner of a busy street. <br/>He has been making me shwarma and felafel since I was a teenager after school (I am in my 50's). Nothing has changed - even the decor. Thank god, because I wouldn't want anything to change about my shwarma.It may look shabby but it is a clean kitchen and the food has always tasted fresh. The meat isn't fatty, the felafel are crisp but soft and moist on the inside, and the tabouli is lemony. The portions are plentiful.Take home some punnets of the cauliflower or beans, and a bag of fresh bread too for dinner - they are ALL delicious.<br/>The women on the register are always lovely too.

The Vegetarian Plate (4/5): This plate had a generous serving of creamy hummus and baba ganoush that balanced out the saltiness of the pickled radish and tabbouleh. The potato and green beans were the mixed veggies on the side which I could give or take...it wasn't the memorable part of the dish but all the other elements made it forgiving. The falafel was nice and crispy just the way it should be! At first I wished there was more but I was struggling to finish my plate towards the end of it. <br/><br/> We ordered the hot chips as our side dish and it wasn't great. Chips were kind of soggy and wasn't really seasoned.<br/><br/>The Baklava (4/5): The Baklava here is soooo good. Enough said.

Food used to be great , portions were more filling , service alot more consistent. Now it's total crap - the young Indian-looking waitress is just bitter and rude. Shame the business has gone so bad. <br/>

I didn't go to the proper restaurant (although I'm sure I've been there in years past as it's been a longstanding part of Sydney's Lebanese restaurant zone, inheriting the old "Beirut by Night" building that I always loved the sound of) but I just got a kebab that was huge and only $9.50. Decent ingredients including many sauces, tabouleh, pickles and so on. Gruff but efficient service. After paying $14 for a much smaller kebab in Melbourne the other day, I would definitely have to recommend Abdul for a big feed, plus there were many other vege and pastry things in the window for takeaway.

Heard about this place through my parents whom use to eat here 30 years ago so decided to see what it was like for myself. Food was very nice, had the mixed mazza banquet as pictured. Decor is relatively outdated and place can get very noisy at times. Not an ideal place for a first date but good for groups.

I have said this before and I will reiterate it : If you are a foodie, eat in big groups. You get to eat more. While there was no change in philosophy this time , there was an additional value add. We were able to enjoy our meal in a 'Diwan' - a moderately sized room with Lebanese decor that gives you the right kind of feel way before you eat the food. It just enhances your experience further.<br/>Alright, enough with the ambience. Let's get to the food. Being a big group, we ordered a lot. With the menu being limited, the dishes that we ordered included the Garlic Chicken Skewers, Kafta Skewers, Mixed Plate (every single kebab on the menu), Falafel plate and Homous (restaurant spelling) dips.<br/> The Garlic Chicken Skewers were lightly spiced, and while the meat was well cooked, there could have been more flavour. The Kafta Skewers, made of minced meat, were quite succulent and would be recommended along with the garlic dip. The standout performer among all the kebabs was the Shish Kebab, without a doubt. Tender, juicy lamb cooked to perfection with the right combination of spices made the meal fulfilling. The Falafel plate was your standard falafel plate which you get in every other Lebanese restaurant these days - not brilliant, but not too bad either. The potato curry, however, was quite flavorful. When the kebabs are up to the mark, the Homous usually is too, and it was here as well.<br/>While the service was courteous, the Diwan's ill thought of location meant that I had to make a phone call every time I had to place an order. However, the place is worthy of a visit, and kebab lovers should definitely give it a try,<br/><br/>Overall, the ratings would be -<br/><br/>Food - 7/10<br/>Ambience - 8/10<br/>Service - 6/10<br/>Value for money - 8/10<br/><br/>P.S. DO NOT FORGET TO ORDER THE LIME JUICE. EXTREMELY REFRESHING!

First time having Lebanese mixed plate. I shared with a friend and we couldn't finish the whole plate. Portion was generous. Their lemon juice is so nice and fresh.

Abdul’s is a family-run, no-nonsense takeaway joint/Lebanese Restaurant that sells authentic Lebanese dishes like mixed plates, fingerfoods and shawarma. I decided to stop by while searching for something new to eat in Surry Hills. I didn’t expect much from the somewhat aged interior but boy, was I surprised.

This place has been a local favourite and my Lebanese of choice for the past few years. Despite its horribly dated decor and the indifference of one of the staff members (we all know who I'm talking about), Abdul's continues to be a reliable favourite with beautiful Lebanese food which excited the palate and satisfies the cravings. The Large Mixed Grill can comfortably feed two people and the homemade hommus and tomm sauce are exactly what the doctor ordered on a cold winters night. <br/><br/>It's worth a try if your craving a Lebanese fix in Sydneys inner West

We had trouble deciding what Middle Eastern restaurant to visit when we were around the neighbourhood as there were at least 7 near each other! Based on reviews, we decided to choose Abdul's Lebanese and it certainly did not disappoint! We ordered the mixed BBQ shish kebab combo and the extra chicken combo. From memory, I think each dish was around $20? Totally inexpensive, especially for the food portion you receive! <br/><br/>My dish was amazing, we had falafel, dolma, lamb and chicken kebab, generous amounts of hummus and tabouleh- lots of it lol. Every aspect tasted very delicious and super authentic! Definitely try it out if you're in the area :) <br/>

Horrible service most of the time. The food is ok though. Especially compared to other middle eastern restaurants in the area. The restaurant itself is in bad shape.

Great quick dinner if you are in the area. As we arrived we could hear belly dancing in their functions room. <br/><br/>Love the lemon drink they make goes well with the food and to help cool you down in humid weather. <br/><br/>Got the banquet with dessert which comes to $30 per person. You get flat bread with 2 dips, bowl of beans, tabuleh, falafel and a plate of bbq meats. Food was tasty and came out quick. <br/><br/>Overall, i thought it was an ok first visit. Because we didnt get to sit and eat the sweets we got a mixed pack container to take awa

This is my favourite place in Sydney so far to get take away chicken shwarma or falafel. The falafel are fresh and the toppings are authentic. It's hard finding a place in Sydney with garlic sauce or even picked turnips, but this place has it all! Great size and very affordable!

Abdul's is good if you can get seating, if the staff don't stuff up your order or if you are happy taking away. The place looks grotty and sort of is and you're bound to be packed into the restaurant like a sardine in a can of sardines; however and thankfully, the (cheap/reasonably-priced!) food isn't too bad and makes up for that. All of the food's good and better than neighbouring Lebanese or Middle Eastern restaurants' food.<br/><br/>The only complaints with Abdul's is staff can be really inattentive and poor at communicating when they forget what you've ordered and that the restaurant looks grungy and packed (and it is).<br/><br/>We would recommend trying the food from Abdul's but, perhaps if possible, not at Abdul's.

Winner kebab. Have tried the beef, falafel and chicken and all were amazing. Very friendly service too. Am a local here and would definitely recommend

Old school. Completely agree with the previous reviewer. Abdul's is one of those places that grows to fit you, just like an old slipper that's worn in all the right places so it fits every groove of your foot. It is a totally basic Lebanese restaurant, completely unpretentious, serving cheap tasty food. When eating here I steer away from the menus and order my favorite dishes - hummus and baba ganuj of course, eggplant, lady fingers, omelette, garlic chicken, lots of pita bread to wrap it all up in and then some of their delicious little sweets to share. Everything about Abdul's is pre-Instagram so don't come here looking to judge the book by its cover, or wow your Insta-buddies. Just order your kai (food), eat and enjoy :)

Been coming to Abduls frequently since about 1980 so not sure I can review them objectively. The guy behind the counter & I have aged together & comfortably nod at each other. <br/><br/>Kafta rolls in Prince Alfred Park, big eat-in banquets with babies & grandparents, countless takeaways brought home, bags of falafel eaten while driving, food from Abduls is just part of my life fabric.<br/><br/>I have no idea how Abduls compares to other Lebanese restaurants & I don't care. I've been through vegetarian phases & carnivore phases & Abduls has fed both. Long-time favorites:<br/><br/> - deep-fried cauliflower with tahini. IMO the best cauliflower dish anywhere, my overseas visitors always want this when they come<br/><br/> - kafta or omelette, with some of the best babaganouj anywhere<br/><br/> - chicken skewers with garlic sauce<br/><br/> - forget tabbouli & get the fattoush salad, freshly made with crunchy fried bread

Has to be one of the best kebabs in Sydney. And hope to get the big guy serving it cause he totally loads that kebab. Super tasty.. Always done take aways. The meat or veggo fingers aren't to bad either.

I absolutely love the garlic chicken mixed plate here. The dips are amazing with the flat bread and the combination of salads such as the tabouli is great with the chicken. The day core isn't very modern but the food speaks for itself.

Came here for lunch and had the mixed shwarma grill with chips and garlic sauce, which were all cooked well and tasted delicious. The staff were attentive and the food was prepared quickly. The place is obviously popular by the number of people that frequent this joint every hour. I also had this can of lemon juice called perrier. This drink was also refreshing, slightly different in taste to your normal lemonade. Prices are reasonable and I highly recommend this place to all.

Nothing much has changed here since 1968, and that's a good thing! Inexpensive, generous serves of great, fresh Lebanese food. Abdul's is an institution

Recommend any day. I ordered some take away from here tonight with my brother. I used to love out west so I'm judging this place in comparison to my local lebanese restaurants I.e El jannah, la mono, habibs etc and I have to say, although the offerings are slightly different to a charcoal chicken, the food was phenomenal. The garlic chicken was on point, everything was fresh, tabouli was amazing, and the sauces were to die for. <br/>The man behind the counter gave my brother and I some falafel while we waited for our food and it was amongst the best I've had. <br/>So if you're in the city and wants some traditional lebanese food that is NOT Turkish influenced and has authentic garlic sauce, Abduls is it.

Abdul's Lebanese Restaurant on Elizabeth Street in Surry Hills is a family owned Lebanese Restaurant and Take Away. The take away options are cheaper than the dine-in - but the food is just as good. There is the normal seating option in their main dining hall or small rooms where patron seat on low couches and eat from coffee tables. The latter is pretty good when you dine in a group as it provides a private and cosy feel. There's also a belly dancer who comes now and then to entertain.  There's an ala carte menu as well as a banquet menu. If you are starving, the banquet menu is definitely worth every cent with a wide range of cold and hot dishes, and desserts served.

An institution of deliciousness. Easily one of my favourite places in Sydney. I can't pick a favourite dish but the tahini fried cauliflower, falafel (with hommus) and the stuffed vine leaves should definitely be had. This is aside from the meat dishes that are all cooked to perfection (chicken and garlic sauce!)<br/><br/>I could go on and on..<br/><br/>And I will! For the desserts, make sure to have the Birds Nest with some cinnamon tea.<br/><br/>And after stuffing your face with the above, buy some takeaway so you can relive the experience in the days following Abdul's.

Best takeaway option in Surry Hills. We often grab takeaway from here - generous servings of delicious hommus and tabouli. Easy and delicious food at a decent price, and always a crowd favourite at parties and BBQs.

Fantastic Mixed Plate. Had the BBQ Grill mixed plate.....$18.50 eat in @ lunch time...really nice. Great tabboulli....good dips..really good felafel...and 3 meats were all good...beef a bit chewy but still good...great chicken and lamb kofta. Very Happy .

Civilians beware! Zombies only. The dining experience at Abdul's is sort of, but not really, like walking into a cemetery - if you're a zombie. Everything edible inside the joint tastes amazing. Our flesh of choice was a selection of mixed platters (meat, chicken and veg with baba ghanoush and garlic sauce). Each platter comes with a superb falafel ball. Plus they throw in some free flat breads, peppers and olives to keep things fresh (yes, our olives were fresh). For dessert - the almond roll soothes the stomach, though my zombie herd were of the opinion that it was on the sweeter side (the palette of the zombie is more amenable to the bitterness of warm blood). Sipping on their Lebanese black coffee is like kicking back in an industrial quarantine zone after a long but successful day out with z-mates feasting during the apocalypse.<br/><br/>So the edible manifestations at Abdul's are top notch. What makes it a cemetery? The service, which makes the ambience of the place deathly. The woman in charge, the maitre-de, is the human embodiment of Hades having a tantrum on a bright sunny day. She is as sullen as she is morose. Making a request for flesh or liquid nourishment from her is like trying to talk to a teenager glued to Facebook on her iPhone - a huge inconvenience. Once the order is placed, this sullenly bag of meat and bones lets out a sulky grunt as if you've just told her she can't have ice cream for the rest of her life. Grabbing her attention is like trying to hail a taxi in NYC on New Years Eve. Talking with her is like trying to start a friendly chat with a mummy embalmed for centuries in a crypt. You get the point. (As I am a zombie, this behaviour worked up quite the appetite).<br/><br/>I visited Abdul's for the food and was not disappointed, as it is the flesh of my prey that keeps me standing to this day, while many of my companions have perished. However, if you're on the look out for a pleasant night out and a cheery ambience, you can stay at home and watch some TV with that cousin you put up with but don't really like. It'll be more pleasant than a second in the presence of the ambulating pillar of lugubrious disdain that sulks the halls of Abdul's.

A pitiful experience. I was looking forward to my meal this evening with my wife and two teenage girls.We arrived at the restaurant and could hear the music was very loud and to our surprise there was a belly dancer entertaining the crowd and the diners all joined in on the fun.So far so good.We settled in and our waitress bought us our complimenrty olives and peppers in a bowl and some bread,We began to enjoy this with our drinks until my daughter said to me what are these in the bottom of the bowl and to my digust it was olive pits lots of them hiding below the olives and peppers .We we're all frozen I looked in and could't believe what i saw ,we've been given a recycled dish someone else's leftovers at this point we wanted to get the hell out of there.I called the waitress over and said what is this and she said it was for another table ,but she knew she was busted.unapologetically she bought us a new bowl,well i hope they were new.Our meals soon arrived and even though it was tasty i couldn't get the image of the pits staring at me almost laughing at me saying sucked in.Just when we thought that was all over i passed the last piece of flat bread to my wife and she looked at it and said these are teeth marks and slightly wet,so we were sure they just topped up the bread basket as well without removing the used bread.We vowed to never return again.

Love it. Being going there ever since Omar kyam shut about 15 yrs ago, best Schwarma roll in Australia hands down, try to get the big fella to make it, place could use a freshen up on the decor though...

Horrible... So we decided to go here because of the great reviews about this place.. we were very very disappointed. Its safe to say I will not go back there. The restaurant is hardly a restaurant, its more like a small hall with chairs/tables. The lady who worked there was so rude and not at all accommodating. The food was absolute rubbish! First of all, the presentation was horrible, all smooched together onto a small plater - BBQ mixed plate. The falafel was cold, literally cold, the tabouli was so dry we had to request lemon juice.. The kafta was gross and its normally my favourite meat skewer.. the chicken wasn't seasoned at all! There was way too much of the homous/baba ganoush compared to garlic dip. Then the chips - they were good at the top, but the bottom was again, moderately warm - felt like they were old and had been thrown in the bowl with some fresh ones on top. My boyfriends mixed plate - Extra chicken mixed plate was a joke if you want chicken - its shaved bbq chicken, what? The entire time we were there not one worker came and asked if we needed more water or anything.. we waited ages before our order was taken when there was hardly anyone there. Overall it was very disappointing and I would NOT recommend this place at all! If you want good lebanese food, try Sammy's in Brighton Le Sands, its amazing!

Great. Went in a VERY large group. Staff accomodated everyone and were constantly checking on us and clearing plates that weren't used. There was so much food we had to take some home. Everything was was pretty good.

Changed. This place used to have the best falafel rolls in surry hills. Even with the iconic always-crumpy man behind the counter. Recently though they've started to charge for the garlic sauce, which I don't mind if they wouldn't put the tiniest drop in the wrap. Same with tahini & hummus. :( Not worth any more.

No pretence of handling food with gloves here. the chunk of meat on the pole looks like it has just been left there over nite, dried out and nasty. Mixed plate very bland and unappetizing. so much for a nice kebab...

Terrible - never go back again!

Yum. Best Hommus in Sydney by far. Friendly staff and yummy flavours.

Family favourite for 20+ years. never disappoints!

Fried vine leaves!. I started going to Abdul's in the 1970s when it began as a chicken shop and then served Lebanese food when the chicken rotisserie broke down. Have been going back ever since but not again. The food was appalling - vine leaves were deep fried, cauliflower dish was inedible, pitta was stale. The prices have gone up and the food has gone rock bottom. Mum - did you teach the kids how to cook?

Terrible. Food used to be better value and generous with portions however since they have renovated this restaurant to my dismay the portions are now a lot less and the prices have gone up.<br/>I only ate here considering it was good value, never received service however now I would go to many other places since Abduls has lowered its standards.<br/>Wouldn't suggest Adbuls anymore.

Order the takeaway garlic chicken pack, lots of food and very tasty.only $13

Terrible.. I went to Abdul's Lebanese Restaurant for a friends birthday, where we ordered the Mixed Mazza Banquet. It was terrible. Food was awful. Lamb was burnt, so were the kofters. The falafel was cold, and the chicken. The chicken was undercooked and a piece was bloody. When we told the waitress, she said, "Oh. We grill it. Sometimes it's like that. It's normal. It's fine to eat," and she didn't take it away or replace it. That made me think, wow, how many other people have they served partly raw chicken to. Also, the place was cramped! You couldn't walk between tables at all, and you couldn't even push out your chair to get up. It was terrible. Service was also bad, given the response to the undercooked chicken. It also took ages for them to bring out desert. There was nothing special about their "lebanese coffee". It was simply black coffee. Also, they mixed up our bill and charged us 5 dollars extra for soft drinks we did not order nor receive. So all in all, it was a horrible experience. Waste of 25 dollars. Was overpriced, and terrible to taste. A kebab from a kebab stand would have filled me up better for a fraction of the price. I just couldn't eat the food. Just terrible.

Not impressed at all. I can't believe there are reviews that this is a nice place to eat at. I wonder how independent those reviews are. Having tried a lot of middle eastern and Lebanese food before, I would have to rate this as pretty average or even possibly below average. You don't want to look in to the kitchen. I don't even know how you would use the words Cuisine here.... I think there are a lot of small kebab shops which do a much better job and at a better price too.

YUMMMMMMM. I ordered the banquet menu for $25, there was so much food I couldn''t finish it. Very authentic, gorgeous chicken and beef Kebabs with Garlic sauce, loads of sides, service was friendly and fast. <br/>Would definetely go back again. Noticed the baklava on my way out but was just to full to get some, but it looked gorgeous. Very good value for money and very tasty.

Best Restaurant in Sydney. One of my favorite restaurants and the best Lebanese food I have ever eaten. I have regular dreams about eating Abduls mixed plate.

Excellent BYO place. Good Lebanese, dinner menu 25 bugs and I couldn't even eat everything :)<br/><br/>No alcohol, but liquer store next to it with good wines.

Not impressed. Gave it a try despite the reviews but the food was bland and tasteless and the service slow. Not a good evening.

We had dinner there and the food was tasteless and insipid as if it had been sitting there for hours. The elderly gentlemen serving was overtly rude. Save yourself the horror of Abdul's

Didn't like. The food was dry and has been sitting there for long periods of time, the person behind the counter had sweat stains on his shirt. The place was no well lit very gloomy. They have been hit by the foods inspector twice