Our May dinner took place at Layla Lebanese Restaurant located in The Grove neighborhood, advertising fresh Middle-Eastern food. My first overall impression was a letdown as the ambiance was lacking, as what appeared as a somewhat promising venue from the outside was sparsely decorated and void of semblance on the inside. However this is a fairly new eatery so I cut a little slack on that and was still hopeful of a good dinner among friends - after all great food trumps any decor faux pas. Our group of diners was a good size - probably ten in all, and were seated already when my hubby and I arrived, toddler in tow. Things seemed off to a decent start - but unfortunately quickly became rocky. We had a nice waitress that seemed earnestly eager to please, however I found it odd that during drink orders, most everyone was taking water. Now, it was a Sunday evening but our group typically indulges in wine regardless of the day. I soon came to find out the restaurant was awaiting its liquor license - bummer for the owners and patrons alike. Then came the food. Here is what was enjoyed: the water bread, fries with rosemary, the carrots, and the baba ganush...but that was it. Most found their main entrees very bland and not nearly as bursting with flavor as one would expect with Arabic food. Many asked for some dipping sauce or hot sauce just to add some flavor to their meals - and there was hot sauce available but no other sauce other than olive oil was available. Hmm. Another oddity noticed while dining was the extreme fluxes in room temperature - it seemed maybe there were issues with keeping this updated old building comfortable because at one moment I was cold with air blasting on me and the next air was shut off and I was sweating. This whole review isn't really going anywhere good so let me just summarize with how our group rated Layla: For service one gave 2 spoons, and 4 gave four spoons. For food, there was one 1 spoon, one 2 spoons, two 3 spoons and one 4 spoons. And atmosphere: one 2 spoons, three 3 spoons and one 4 spoons. I think I'd summarize by saying ambiance was wanting, service was decent and food was so-so - nothing that wooed us to come back anytime soon. I give Layla 2 spoons. What do you think of Layla? Rate & comment below!
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