Phoenicia Restaurant in Birmingham - Phone Number, Reservations, Reviews

Aside from the modern decor, James made the entire evening that much more special! The food was fresh and exceptional.

I’m not sure who manages this restaurant, but their bar space is horrible. Apparently they are taking dinner reservations at one of the smaller bars in Birmingham. Also, large groups that should be sitting at tables are monopolizing the bar for dinner reservations as well. A random lady came to order carry out and she couldn’t even sit at the bar while she waited for her order. I’ve never seen anything so mismanaged, as a bar should be first come without spots held and catering to large parties. With only 10-11 bar seats, this restaurant needs to do better. The food is decent. The open patio lovely. They need to figure out their bar with a better bar manager/bartender.

My favorite restaurant in the entire Birmingham!

Roasted garlic is really delicious! Omar did serve us, a very nice person!

Great food. But be ready for a hefty bill. Been a few times but have had to space it out, get time to "save up"

Amazing, elevated, and authentic Lebanese and Middle Eastern cuisine. You have to order the humus and hashwi. The sweetbreads were a pleasant surprise! The only place that gives too much pita. Can't wait to return!

Server and place are very nice and welcoming. The food is not acceptable though . My chicken came undercooked and after I told them this fact, even the second time it was still not cooked well. The performance of the kitchen is just not acceptable at this price point. Take your money elsewhere, Birmingham has great choices this place doesn’t deserve a rating more than 4 stars in average.

Nice Mediterranean place, great food, but pretty pricy, I guess priced for the Birmingham location.

The four of us for dinner on July 12th. The hostess (a petite woman) did a great job at keeping us informed when our table was going to be ready. Service was just right. We started with hummus and kibbeh neyee , both excellent. My spinach salad was very good as well as one of the best veal chops I have enjoyed. It was served in a pomegranate reduction Others had grape leaves, shish tawook, shawarma plate. No leftovers. A very nice meal with family with good food and good service.

Excellent food and service. I’m still thinking about the lamb chops a day later.

I have been eating at the Phoenicia since 1973 when it was a single storefront with a counter and a few tables on Woodward Ave. in Highland Park. Then, it expanded to two storefronts with a nice dining room. I spent many enjoyable times each week with Sameer and his brother eating and talking. A mutual friend's mother was the cook, and everyone who came to eat was always treated like family. To this day, it remains one of my fondest memories of great food and friendship, with a man who truly loves making everyone feel at home. If you have not had the pleasure to dine with Sameer and his family at their beautiful Birmingham location, you are missing out on making your own wonderful memories of dining there. You will be so happy you did, and when leaving, you will be looking forward to returning soon.

Our patio reservation was mishandled by the hostess and manager, who insisted on seating us in direct sunlight without an umbrella. Despite our request for a different table, they were unwilling to accommodate us, displaying unprofessional and rude behavior. Feeling insulted in front of other guests, we decided to leave.

Just wonderful! Kibbe Nayieh 🥹🥰

Service, food, and dessert were all excellent.. Pleasant experience.. Very kind.. Would definitely be coming here again… Thanks…

Excellent service and cuisine it was one of the best dining experiences.

We recently had our rehearsal dinner at Phoenicia and it could not have been any better. It was perfect. From working with team to get everything set up, to the servers on the night of there wasn't a detail we'd change. They made the entire process so easy and we hope to have more events there in the future. Also, the food was incredible! Thank you!

Absolutely horrible service. Little to no care for customers. If I could give it zero stars I would.

Phoenicia deserves zero stars. June 19th, 2024, at approximately 8 pm. Arrive without a reservation for a party of 3 but was able to be seated within a couple of minutes. Was seated in a visible area of the restaurant and waited for a server. We were able to look at the menu and all decide on our entrée. A total of 15 to 20 minutes passed while waiting for a server to even greet us or take our drink order. GOT UP AND LEFT.... WORST SERVICE... FIRST IMPRESSIONS COUNT. Phoenicia Failed!

Had the sampler and hummus chicken entree, with baklava dessert…I love Mediterranean/Middle Eastern food, but found this mediocre…kind of bland. The balaclava was terrible, hard as a rock and dry…could not even cut it to eat…just gave up. We also got the hearts of palm, which was delicious, but only got two…FOR $16?! That was crazy…especially with three people. The server should have said something. I also got the Stoli Doli pineapple martini which was delicious. My guests enjoyed their meals…but again nothing special. Service was fine, kind of felt like she didn’t want to be there, wish she’d had a little better awareness to not interrupt us right in a conversation…hovering in my eyesight for me to gesture for when are ready is maybe a better way…not a big deal. Also kind of surprised no comment about my birthday…my guests gave me flowers, card and happy birthdays with her at the table…got no acknowledgement. Was I rubbing her the wrong way??? I thought maybe I’d be offered something…at least a happy birthday. I didn’t want to be sung to or expecting free food, but got nothing. Anyways, I had real high hopes since it was a full house and reservation was hard to get, so I was expecting top service and great food…we got average, nothing special. Although, I did love the black gentleman at the host station checking us in…very personable and welcoming…nice start. Might try coming back one more time…and maybe I should be a little communicative if something isn’t good…but I hate being pushy or looking like a diva. TBD

Severely overpriced , small portion. Fake Arabic resturant set up to over charge customers. Any Arabic food competitor near by would shut this place down. If your checking this review steer clear or pay hundreds of dollars for what you can get for 20 bucks at a real Arabic resturant.

Phoenecia has consistently been one of my favorite restaurants for decades! The food is always incredible. Recently, we took my mother-in-law for dinner and one thing I noted is that the acoustics in the restaurant are incredible; we weren't shouting over the noise so she could hear us! The atmosphere throughout felt lively yet relaxed. What a huge difference compared to so many places.

Good food, but was a bit off-put by the portion sizes/ high prices. For example, the $25 chicken shawarma gets you about $5 worth of chicken and a side hummus. If you can justify the prices, I'd recommend this place.

The customer service is top tier per usual😘

Excellent high end Mediterranean restaurant. I tried sausage, labneh, hummus and salad for appetizers. The sausage was little salty, mainly because of that sauce it is soaked in (I think pomegranate molasses sauce, but not sure). But overall, all appetizers were good. They also serve pita bread and pita chips; the pita bread was mediocre though. I wish they serve freshly baked pita bread, not store bought one. I mean that’s what you should expect from such an upper end restaurant. Main entree, I ordered mix grill. All meats were perfectly seasoned and cooked to perfection. My favorite was the kafta. Then I got carrot cake and baklava for desserts, which wasn’t the best honestly, would rate both 6.5/10. I also got a Manhattan and Lebanese beer for drinks. Both were on par. The decor and atmosphere were very lovely. They have outdoor seating that is excellent in good weather!

I hadn’t been in years and I was shocked at the unpleasant experience that it was. The food was just ok to be honest - did not care for the spinach pies at all but mostly the service was so slow - 2 hours for lunch with no alcohol and it was NOT busy. We could not find our waiter - he kept disappearing into nowhere. We were there so long I went to the bathroom twice! I love to support local spots but I doubt I will be back.

Great food, just crowded and loud. Not the place for a group of more than four because you can't hear people.

My fiance and I dined here tonight. The food was great. Definitely fresh. The only thing I would watch out for is getting over charged on your bill. We didn’t notice until the very end and it’s very annoying but it is what it is.

It’s great to have an upscale/ semi casual restaurant close by. Situated off Old Woodward it affords indoor and outdoor seating. The interior is rather sophisticated with a subtle mid-east motif. Stocked with a bar, wine room, and private rooms this would make a great after work spot. I took my wife out for surprise lunch and she enjoyed it. During the mid weekday it has a rather business vibe as it felt like everyone there was attending a business meet up. While the services matched that of any high end eatery. I’m not sure the food was at the same level. Don’t get me wrong it wasn’t bad, in fact it was rather good. Since the general area has one of the largest middle eastern populations in the country, much of the food is authentic. And Phonecia's seems on par with the majority. It's the environment that separates it. How do you rate the best in a speedy pack of gazelles? Regardless of my lengthy explanation I applaud the overall execution. Two thumbs up!

Exactly what we wanted. Me and my family had a wonderful experience there. Me and 5 others shared a wonderful assortment of appetizers and entres all at once for the perfect mezza! Our server, James, was extremely accomidating and was patient with us throughout our whole evening. Calm cool and collected, making our dinner seemless and breezy. 360° service!

Food is so good. Service on point. Definite favorite.

Decent size menu. Went with group - so tried many dishes. some good (hummus, chicken), some not at all (sauce on lamb sausage, dover sole). Wait staff was good. Decor in place was nice. Pricing fine. Locals seem to love it, so a bit dressy and crowded - make reservations.

Very very clean restaurant, and the food is super tasty and very good except very few things as I am a Lebanese restaurant owner: On the menu it says: shish tawouk and it is not it’s only chicken chunks, very disappointed as they say on menu chicken shawarma and IT’S NOT AT ALL it is only grilled chicken breast cut to pieces and some of them were hard. TABOULI IS VERY TASTY BUT, only very very few chop tomatoes you can hardly notice. But the fat touch is excellent and they should go easy on green peppers. Over all it is the best Lebanese food in Detroit. Phenomenal LEBANESE SAUSAGE.

This place is a joke. No words for how miserable the whole experience was.

A very memorable evening, delicious food and wonderful service. ,

This place never disappoints. Have been there so many times. Very friendly service, awesome drinks, ( well poured) . Good portion sizes. Come hungry leave full

Top five restaraunt in Detroit and the surrounding area. Extremely affluent clientele. The dry rub ribs and the baked chicken are world class.

One of our favorite spots to come with our uncle. Especially when we have Angela as our server. She always goes above and beyond to help us and our party has some dietary restrictions. We love coming here. Food, service, and atmosphere are always fantastic!

Best food every time we go! So consistent and amazing bar tender, Joe!

Went to dinner for my husband’s birthday and we’re so lucky to have Dina as our server! She was cheerful, friendly and explained to us clearly the specials! Food was delicious and comfy seating! Thank you again Dina!

date night 🙌🏻💃🏻 I recommend ALL food. Specifically the combination plate, Labneh, Spinach salad. The service is so close to 5 stars. I’m just being critical here 😌 Happy V-day

We had a party of 6 and they wouldn't split our bill three ways. Disappointing as we don't drink wine but the other 4 do. We ended up having to pay for wine we don't drink. You will need reservations for dinner.

Great place, get a reservation…

In spite of an advance reservation, we were seated at a table in the waiting area, and when we asked for a better table, were told nothing was available...even though we watched at least two tables sit empty for the duration. The waiter seemed to be in a rush for us to order, coming back several times to see if we were ready yet. And the food was, overall, unremarkable.

Great place to enjoy. Good service and great food.

Delicious, great atmosphere (cozy but elegant, not stuffy nor stiff). Really great menu and nice staff. Food was delicious and quality ingredients. Seems to be a real neighborhood gem. A place for a Sunday dinner with the family or a date night, drinks at the bar and mezze. Would come again!

When I went to the restaurant with high hoped,I was very disappointed.The baked fish was not tasty.It was like steamed.The green beans were canned or taste like canned.The only thing I liked at the restaurant was the arak and feta cheese-green olives plate that they weren't restaurant made.High price,low food quality!

Hats off to the chef. Food is always top notch. Friendly and attentive staff. Recommend making reservations!

REVISED - I am baffled that this restaurant gets a 4.5 star rating, probably because it’s been around forever. It’s expensive and the food is mediocre. There are so many better Lebanese restaurants in the Detroit area but this establishment has (a somewhat) upscale decor, great location and parking (when it's available)....so basically they have a captive audience. A suggestion to management - your host/hostesses (there were way too many - 4 jammed into the very small entrance space when I arrived) need direction on how to dress - jeans and stretch pants do not set a good impression.

We went here for our 23rd wedding anniversary and received excellent service. The food was amazing and the restaurant was beautiful.

Love the place. Would have liked more lamb offerings at lunch.

Food was just ok. Service was pretty mediocre. After the server brought the wrong order, he stated that he would remove that from the bill, which never happened. I did not even remind him about that, I just paid the bill. Also, he forgot to bring the broccoli side, and after was reminded twice, he brought it when I was done eating. Not impressed.

After reading the stellar reviews, and learning about the history of Phoenicia, my friends and I were excited to try it for the first time. However, we were extremely disappointed in our visit here. Service is extremely important in my eyes and the service here was truly lacking. The employees seemed very stuck up and only attended to their regulars. Our server seemed so fed up with us from the moment we sat down. It was like we were inconveniencing him by being seated in his section. We asked him for recommendations as it was our first time - and his response was "whatever you like". We went ahead and ordered a few things we thought we would enjoy. The food comes out and it was very disappointing. It lacked a lot of flavor. The quality was lacking. The poultry and meat were very dry, and hard to chew. The ribs practically had no meat on them and we were biting into bone. The food is overpriced for what it is. It needs more. I really wanted to love it, Mediterranean cuisine is my favorite.

Love Phoenicia!! The stuffed squash and collard greens are amazing! Highly recommend the stuffed onions and salads too.

I had a mixed experience at Phoenicia restaurant in Birmingham, Michigan. The servers were lovely, accommodating our request for a nice table for our lunch. Unfortunately, the manager seemed indifferent and even rude, insisting on seating us near the restrooms when we were among the first guests. This lack of professionalism cast a shadow over an otherwise pleasant meal. On a brighter note, I must commend their ice cream, particularly the rose water flavor, which was a delightful treat. If only the overall service matched the quality of this sweet ending.

Best place in town for dine in or take out. The grape leaves and ribs are the best of any where in the country. All the food is great and the team here always take great care of their guests.

After months of renovations, I’m so glad to return to one of my favorite spots to dine in Birmingham. From drinks, to appetizers, to main entrees. Everything was divine, and services were well mannered. Loved seeing some familiar faces as well.

The food and atmosphere was amazing!

My mother and I carried out. It took 1.5 hours to get our food. I ordered a shish tawook entree. Instead of rice, I got green beans. They charged $3 more for green beans. The entire dish was $31. Five pieces of chicken with one lousy slice of grilled red pepper. $31. Absolutely not. I will never go back.

Always a favorite when we're in MI. So many delish vegan options + amazinggggggggg salmon. Get it blackened. You will not be sorry.

Elegant restaurant in Birmingham. Nice atmosphere and quick service. The discovery of libanese food, various and tasty, was oriented towards a well prepared hummus and chicken based dishes. List of wine not matching real bottles availability and forced to choose only alternatives.

The food was very good. Reservations are plus. You can also sit at the food service bar. The service was great. Patio seating on nice days.

Excellent place. Everything was good. Especially the lamb and beef in the mix platter was really juicy and perfectly cooked. Also the Lebanese sausage in the appetizers was flavorful.

Perfect for a lovely anniversary meal. Every bite was amazing. The service was spectacular and the restaurant itself was clean and very aesthetic.

Unfortunately, the past two visits have not been good. Patronizing waiter Clifford to busy waiting on everybody else to bring hot food. Dover sole and chicken ice cold. Won't be returning! They don't appreciate regular customers. Thanks for nothing!

Very busy even in week days. Should reserve ahead for groups larger than usual. Excellent food.

We had an early dinner,4pm. Only 3 people finishing their meal. We asked to be seated a four top instead of two. The hostess walked around then came back and said we had to be out by 5pm. No one else in the restaurant. Our bill was 217.00. The food was okay. We were rushed out. It was our anniversary. Not a great experience. We will never go back. Too bad Samir was not there. Our waiter Kamel was very nice. Disappointing.

Fav place to sit at the bar for a drink and dinner

Ate here a few times. I figured at least one dish had to be good.. In my opinion it was a poor experience, food quality seemed to be lacking, dry poultry, dry meat, hard to chew, lack of flavor. Many middle eastern restaurants nearby that give more of a complete feeling to the experience and the dishes. I feel a lack of pride when I eat here - like the restaurant is just existing and not trying to impress or take care of the client. The building is also seems very old and the ambiance gives me a bland, outdated, dusty feel. Makes me question the cleanliness as well.

Been here couple of times now, unfortunately, the second time was a disappointment food wise.

Terrible experience/service. Not coming back.

Server was very helpful with gluten free. Same high service and quality when I came here 9 years ago. Definitely coming back next time I'm in town.

Phoenicia is just classic. I’ve been here more times than one can count. After a long eight months of renovations, the doors have finally reopened! I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to bring my brother-in-law and sister for dinner last night. And of course, a phenomenal experience as always. My guests always rave about their drinks, I usually have them make me an improvised strawberry mocktail, which is very refreshing. I’ve tried pretty much everything on the menu and only have good things to say about all of it. Usually I get the mixed grill and hummus with either chicken or hashwii every time I come, those are my go-to’s. And the warak enab of course, AMAZING stuff. I’ve tried most desserts as well. I love the Lebanese sundae with ice cream, fairy floss and pistachio. Always satisfies my sweet tooth. The service is always great, last night our waiter was Omar and he was very attentive and helpful. Also had a chance to meet the owners! Father and son, Sameer and Sammy Eid. Such a treat getting to know these gentlemen, heard all about what part of Lebanon they’re from, their experiences in the restaurant industry, etc. Can’t wait to return and speak with them again! The atmosphere is a nice intimate space with modern decor and windows to let a fresh summer breeze in. Always one of my top recs, be back soon!

I wish I took pictures. Bit sure how this place has an average of 4.6 stars. I've been to places that had 4.6 stars that were WAY better than this. I wish I took pictures. Their portions are all over the place. 1st of all it was 3 of us. Me & my 2 teenage sons. We didn't have drinks our bill was $187. I huge dish, the mixed grill comes with lots of meat & veggies And rice. Then the combination plate you get 3 grapeleaves & 3 cabbage rolls which are the smallest I've ever seen. Only a tiny bit bigger than the grapeleaves. The flavor is average. Then they have kibbeh, if u order kibbeh well, that's all u get no rice, no veggies with it. Very ignorant if u ask me. The rice pudding is average, the waiter told me that the carrot cake was made fresh, huge slices & was great. Since I love carrot cake I ordered it. It was horrible. The cake had huge chunks of walnuts. I love walnuts bit mot huge chunks in a cake. Also it should have been called raisin cake since there were a ton of raisins in it. 🤢 Killed the taste. I will say I tried the Lebanese ice cream & that was great! 😋

The absolute best middle eastern food in the state of Michigan. They have the creamiest hummus, fresh high-quality ingredients, and well thought out menu items. The ambiance of this restaurant is top notch as well. The service is always amazing as well with an attention to detail.

The workers were stuck up. We came in after making our reservation for a day after we intended to. Their were a bunch of tables but were told they could not get us in. So we walked up to La Strada that was perfectly busy but they were happy to have us. Never, ever, again Phoenician.

Fries take out tonight! Pretty impressive!

Both times I’ve been to Phoenicia, the food has been excellent! Wait staff are very professional, yet friendly. My friend ordered soup and the fish, which was very good, and I ordered a starter trio of baba ghanoush, hummus, and tabbouleh, along with a Mediterranean salad with chicken, all excellent. I met my friend for a casual lunch, but this place is also great for business meetings.

Amazing food! I spend there anniversary with my wife and we were so impressed with how fresh and tasty everything was. Mixed grill give you the best option to taste different type of meats. Please had great vibes and fantastic service. If you are in the area this is an absolute must go!

Always good extremely expensive I can't go that often because it is so expensive but I would say it is what it is

The baked whitefish was fabulous and well worth the forewarned 25 minute wait! The food quality here is always excellent across all the dishes I've had over dozens of visits.

Wonderful! Some of the best seafood I’ve had and best in the Midwest. The restaurant has a new menu every three months so I’m excited to go back soon!

We all already know that this is one of the best restaurants in town, however I didn't realize how amazing their hospitality was. Called very last minute for a large reservation, dealing with a death in the family we realized last minute no one had had lunch. Daryl and his associates were SO kind in accommodating us, even allowing us a change in the reservation. Our server and the food were amazing and we had a nice time, despite the sad occasion.

Excellent food, great service and a clean atmosphere.

One of the best Mediterranean restaurants in the USA. Extensive plant based menu too. Pricey but worth it.

Visiting from out of town. Went there this past Saturday. Got seated right away. Food and atmosphere were great. Our server, Christina(spelling) was fabulous. She deserves a raise not only for the service but for smiling and putting up with my quirky humor. Overall a five out of five

Very enjoyable atmosphere. Food was fantastic. Service was superb.

We did not have a reservation when we truly should have. The host squeezed us in. Our water treated us like family. The food was exquisite. Roasted garlic, artichoke hearts, branzino and quail. All are highly recommended. Do yourself a favor and treat yourself to this experience.

CRAMPED tables. I literally couldn't even move my arms the other chairs were so close. I walked out after they failed to provide us with a good table. I would have thought a place like this would have had better quality design

No word other than ridiculous, if you like lemon I highly recommend the combination planner which comes with grape leaves and Middle Eastern stuffed cabbage! Great service! Great food highly recommended

Quality service with well prepared cuisine.

Wonderful food and great wait staff. I am WFPB gluten free vegan and there was several choices on the menu. I had the Mujadara (Lentils and Rice) it was amazing.

After wanting to try Phoenicia for quite some time, my husband & daughter took me there for dinner on Mother's Day. While the food was tasty, it was not all that different from many other Middle Eastern restaurants we've dined with in the past. The only thing that really stood out were the prices. Maybe it's location in Birmingham allows Phoenicia to charge twice as much as the average restaurant for the same quality of food. Our bill for three people (without drinks) was $185. If we are splurging for a nice dinner out, I want it to feel as though we've had something special. While the restaurant is lovely, it is rather small and crowded. We were seated very close to a large party on one side and a table of four, loud children on another. I'm not sure why a nice restaurant allowed four kids (three of which were very young) to sit at a table without adult supervision, but it definitely affected our experience. One very positive thing about our experience was the Hummus & Hashwi. This dish was new to us and stood out from the otherwise tasty, but ordinary dinner.

Atmosphere is great !!! Good food also.

Excellent experience, our waiter was awesome and the food phenomenal. Only suggestion would be to describe the menu items in more detail so you know what is included. The side salad that comes with your food was just okay. However, these are just mild suggestions. Overall excellent experience!

An institution in Detroit dining!

I’m a study customer every week in your restaurant between leala downtown Detroit and Birmingham … I always make a reservation never show up with no reservation so today I had reservation for 4 and My cousin came from out of town surprise me I call the restaurant and the manager I talk to her and I asked her and she know me very well I’m there every weekend just to add two more people with my reservation she gave me an attitude and told me no I cannot do it if you wanna wait until 10 o’clock I will have a table open for you the restaurant close at 11 if she’s trying to be funny . Last time I order my food I came from Macomb Township to Birmingham they messed up the order and I did not call the general manager or complain about it I really don’t appreciate what you did today and I will never put my foot back in this restaurant again .

Wonderful food and an excellent staff. A real pleasure to dine there.

Beautiful schwarma and hummus. Warm welcome and excellent wines

Only got a carry out (shawarma & onion potatoes), but it was pretty decent

Went to this place on a whim and was so impressed! The roasted garlic appetizer was amazing. Great service & everything we ordered was super yummy. Will be back to try more of the menu!