Menu - Cafe Alameda

I was at the restaurant for lunch because they are not opened for dinner according to Google which is not always reliable. After reading a review I tried the fr... read more I was at the restaurant for lunch because they are not opened for dinner according to Google which is not always reliable. After reading a review I tried the fried lamb which was moist, and my biggest fear that it would be dry and tasteless,...but it was tasty and moist. I loved the spinach pie that was flavorful of lemons. The hummus needed some taste and grease, so I used the bottle of olive oil at the table to add my own grease. I have not made my own hummus before, maybe it needed garlic. The restaurant made a good garlic dip with lots of garlic in it, according to my boyfriend, but I didn't try it because it was probably made with sour cream. Not every lime is identical. Thankfully our plate of limes and onions had sweet juicy limes to squeeze onto my food. The pita bread was okay, most pita is better. I think the pita didn't have enough oil or something to be enjoyable. The Lebanese beef had very nice potatoes and onions. The beef could have been more tender. The prices were very cheap. The server seemed like an owner, and he seemed to know our English. I had passed by the restaurant before, but I didn't go it because I couldn't tell what it was about. There was no AC, but it was comfortable enough on a very hot day. I felt satisfied and I would go back again to try other dishes for sure.. I am from New York City, I am used to Lebanese food, but I am glad to try different styles by different people, in different countries.

We were in Merida for weeks and we were starved for spicy and flavorful food. I'm Korean and my husband is Indian so we are used to having at least some sort of... read more We were in Merida for weeks and we were starved for spicy and flavorful food. I'm Korean and my husband is Indian so we are used to having at least some sort of Asian or other flavorful cuisines and we were really struggling in Merida...with the food choices. We are both a fan of Lebanese food so we decided to give this place a shot. Reading some of the bad reviews of this place, it seems like people had high expectations for this place but there were lots of complaints about the cleanliness. I don't know how one could complain about such things when you are paying something like two dollars for a dish come on. And for people who were complaining about the food and talking as if they're connoisseurs of Lebanese cuisine I lived most of my life in NYC where you get the best of everything and Lebanese is no exception and I found the food freaking amazing. I feel strongly about the negative comments because my husband and I had one of the best experiences at this place during our time in Merida. First off, it's a hole in the place and ancient. Our waiter was saying how they've been around for years or so. Like a lot of Mexican places, they didn't do a lot of upkeep. So yes, they don't have nice tablecloths and I have no idea of the status of the bathroom because I didn't use them, but I could guess that they're not the cleanest. And for the insane prices that we were paying, I wouldn't expect them to have nice plates and such. But let's talk about the food. Simply put, the food was superb. There were lots of things missing from the menu because we went on Monday for lunch and he said they're the busiest from Fridays. But we picked some things off the menu and for the ones they didn't have, the waiter made some recommendations for us and they turned out to be divine. And no, we didn't order anything with fresh vegetables because let's face it, how could they possibly remain fresh in Merida weather that could easily go up to degrees? It's really about being smart with what you order. In short, we got the yogurt dip with pita bread, the lamb kebabs, some deep fried lamb dish, rice with noodles, a beer, and a bottle of water. All that came to about USD. With tip it became For one of the first times in Merida, we actually felt nourished and fulfilled after a meal. Our waiter was an older gentleman and he promptly gave us English menus when he realized we didn't have much Spanish under our belts. He spoke English quite well actually and his recommendations were on point. We had ordered of the deep fried lamb dish because we thought it would be a small dish but it ended up being quite big. Instead of just bringing out of those, he brought and told us that it's probably enough for both of us and if we wanted to get that extra order he will get it for us. It was really thoughtful of him to do that. All in all, he was an extremely pleasant character and though he didn't own the place, it was heartwarming to see someone work so hard. I highly recommend this place but don't go expecting to dine at a fine restaurant in terms of the aesthetics of the place. But give this place a shot and you will be impressed by the food!