This page is for archiving comments from 2009 + earlier from Aladdin's Natural Eatery.
2005-06-15 18:10:56 I noticed a few review sites have pitiful reviews of the place. It looks like a systematic slander, not actual bad experences to me. —FarMcKon
2006-01-04 21:47:31 I love this place. The food is good, and during summer the balcony is a great place to people watch. —JohnGormly
2006-01-05 13:57:15 I've never had a bad experience at Aladdin's. Good food, and the location of the Pittsford restaurant is great for a post-dinner walk along the canal. —PatrickLewis
2006-01-25 02:53:20 Hi. Since when is Aladdin part of Greek mythology? Dde —JohnPapdopoulos
2006-01-25 10:27:00 I really like Aladdin's... great food for not a lot of money! —JcPop
2006-01-25 19:17:48 Aladdins has many healthy and tasty choices. Definitely kid friendly. Love the moussaka! —LindaMarie
2006-05-25 21:29:07 Great place to eat. I first tried humos and falafel as appitisers there. The Moussaka is really good for an entrée if youre an omnivoir. —RickUrwin
2006-06-23 09:48:37 Absolutely the best for healthy, delicious food at incredibly affordable prices. Try the soups - Lenchili and Gazpacho in particular are delicious and a bargain; also give the Fruit and Nut salad ($4.95) a shot. Portions are generous, servers are attentive, and atmosphere (especially at the Pittsford location) is superb. Wonderful place. —GreenBrenana
2006-08-30 08:55:20 Good food. Fair prices. —AdamDewitz
2006-08-31 12:15:05 Aladdins is a must when my family comes to visit. The falafal is the best in the city and my friend from Italy thinks they have the best pasta. —EllenKelsey
2006-10-20 17:14:34 Ditto on the pasta— the pasta pignoli with chicken is really yummy. The balcony at the Monroe Ave location is great for dining al fresco (when weather permits), just mind the bees. —CatherineConnolly
2006-10-21 08:25:26 I've gone to the Monroe location about 5 times, and I always get the chicken kabob pita /w their sauce becuase it's so darn good. —TravisOwens
2006-11-15 23:11:29 Everything I've had on the menu is great. I especially enjoy their gazpacho in the summer. As for any differences between location, I think I actually prefer the Monroe location better. I've only been to the Pittsford location once, but when I did go there the waiter was hard to track down and the food took a very long time to come. I've not had either of those problems at the Monroe location, but again, I've only been to the Pittsford location once. —StevenDibelius
2006-11-25 11:25:00 I'd go back just for the baklava! The spanakopita was excellent as well. —AdrienneDahler
2006-12-13 12:14:25 Great place for something different to eat. I recommend the chicklaki plate, topped off with some baklava. —JohnBarry
2007-02-05 09:06:44 Rochester, I beg of you, Stop eating here. The food is always so bad and overpriced. I've never had anything good here, get real mediterrian fare for the same price across the street at Oasis mediterranean bistro. —NjTourist
2007-02-05 10:37:51 Aladdin's is a great spot if you're in the mood for a salad. Their greek dressing is among the best in town, and I have always found the veggies to be very fresh. Their kebab pita is tasty, and a steal at $5. The Pittsford location has Rohrbachs Scotch Ale on draught. —EastSideStephen
2007-03-23 08:32:10 I can't stand the monroe ave location of this restaurant. It always smells inside. The Schoen Place one has a nice atmosphere and good food. —KimBee
2007-03-23 12:57:17 That's vague. It smells foul? It smells good, but its too strong? —RichardSarkis
2007-03-23 18:38:13 Sorry, this is the only way I know how to put it: Aladdins on Monroe smells like feet. Dirty feet. Pretty nasty. The one in Schoen Place does not smell like feet. —KimBee
2007-03-23 23:59:34 Well observed, Kimbee! But in fairness, it's just the entryway the smells like feet. Luckily, Oasis is across the street and a million times better (not even taking foot odor into account). —WegmansFiend
2007-04-12 12:44:00 I'll pass along the "foot odor" issue to the owners, there's no reason for that. —RichardSarkis
2007-05-11 00:13:38 Mmm. Delicious goodness. I have very limited exposure to Greek food so I am not sure where it ranks on the 'authenticity' scale. However, the pitas are always fresh and tasty. They are more than willing to make adjustments (I get mine light on dressing/feta). In general, I refuse to eat salads but yet I seek out their Chicklaki plate in the summer (probably because it is more chicken and less salad).
Definitely one of my favourite places to dine in in Rochester! —OneLove
2007-07-21 09:32:07 Aladdin's is cheap! Order a pita or salad and an appetizer and your bill might be around $20 for 2 people. I have never had luck with their soup or chili-too cold and pretty bland. I also wish they would slice their vegetables smaller so that a pita can be eaten like a pita and not a salad. Overall, I enjoy my visits. —ElaineRobinson
2007-08-16 18:49:06 LOVE Aladdins. Good food. Good service. Fresh ingredients. Delightful vegan and vegetarian fare with a mediterranean twist. Their hummus is some of the best I've tasted at a restaurant and their homemade lemonade is unrivaled. —KaeLynRich
2007-09-13 22:48:13 I love this place, especially that hot little number Ashley Sanderl. —IanLinenfelser
2007-11-12 19:52:10 Its an okay and tired concept at best. —TimothyKinn
2008-02-01 10:52:14 I agree with the negatives. There are better alternatives around town and literally across the street which are at the same price or cheaper. And yes, last time I was there the downstairs in the Monroe location had a complex bouquet of berry air fresheners steeped in urine. Underlying glimpses of foot and hobo were also evident. —RochesterGuy
2008-04-09 21:13:37 I ate dinner at the Pittsford location and was very unimpressed. The portions are small and the food is bland. The only nice thing about the meal was sitting by the canal. —OwenThompson
2008-04-30 06:23:59 not too many favorable reviews as of recently! well, I haven't been there in a few months, but when I went last it was one of the better dining experiences I've had in rochester. I went out to lunch with a friend to the monroe avenue location. the food was delicious and unbelievably affordable - I had a chicken salad pita (I think) and not only was it massive and delicious it was only about $5. we also split a plate of hummus, which was clearly freshly made and served with crisp veggies. all in all, it was an excellent value. the restaurant itself seemed very nice to me, not sure what all this mention is of foot odor... —TonyFolenta
2008-05-01 10:37:59 I dont understand the appeal of this place. There are much better Mediterranean restaurants in Rochester.
The food is subpar, the hummus is a sad excuse, and they dont even offer tzatziki on their pitas, only tahini. —MrRochester
2008-05-22 00:55:25 If you do not understand the appeal, then simply take you and your negativity elsewhere. Aladdins does have tzatziki, if you simply took the time to read the menu. They offer it as a cold soup *seasonal as stated in the menu* which is a fantasic way to start a meal, especially with the summer around the corner. The monroe location has a fantastic deck for the warm weather and their food is both affordable and delicious! Ive never encountered a problem at either of these loctation. —SillyGirl49
2008-06-02 14:19:08 TIP: If you can honestly give good details as to why a restaurant is not worth visiting it makes sense to also recommend a few good choices that are, and why. Just a thought. —RickUrwin
2008-06-26 13:47:00 I have had lunch at Aladdin's on Monroe at least three times and I have always had a nice experience. The service was prompt and friendly and the food was appealing and delicious. —DragonfishUsa
2008-06-29 23:59:04 this is not greek food it mostly a mix of midle eastern foods-but people just dont know the difference the pita bread with give your teeth a work out the lentil soup is really tangy??? they chicken pita is made with all cheap dark meat whats going on cheap food cheap prices i guess. —michealvager
2008-08-07 13:36:15 The chicken pita is one of my favorite things on the menu. Yes it is dark meat and delicious — dark meat has a lot more flavor than chicken breast and doesn't turn dry as sawdust when grilled. —TracySchuhmacher
2008-08-09 17:40:04 Love the location by the canal. A decent place to eat, though I prefer Sinbad's for the food, you can't beat eating on the patio here in the summer. —DesignDreamz
2008-08-14 00:09:15 As a past employee of Aladdin's it is kind of humorous to see all this banter going back and forth about the good and the bad. Thanks to all of you that had kind things to say. For those of you that had something bad to say well that's the way it goes; everyone feels the way they feel. Although my experience was great. Know that the people that are behind the scenes work vary vary hard at both locations, mainly because such an inexpensive menu means managing more tables in order to take home close to the amount as someone at Outback or Fridays. One clarification - Rochester named Aladdin's a greek restaurant - Not Aladdin's. The true venue is "Natural Eatery" with some Mediterranean specialties - Mostly meaning no additives, preservatives or MSG. This confusion used to always drive me nuts. What still amazes me about Aladdin's is their ability to cater to a gluten free diet. The kitchens are open to variations where some restaurant cooks would say, "no way." —georgeortin
2008-09-01 22:22:54 Great food, the ingredients are always fresh, and the views at the Schoen location are unbeatable. The prices are amazing for the amount of food, and the freshness of all the ingredients. The service is usually slow, which is fine for a leisurely lunch or dinner. If you need your food fast get takeout. —carolturo
2008-09-13 21:13:28 We dined at Aladdin's tonight and I have to tell you that contrary to some posters experiences ours was phenomenal. We have enjoyed Aladdin's (Monroe Ave) in the past but hadn't been back in quite some time and were pleasantly surprised at how alive the place felt. The food was excellent as was the service. The hummus, falafel, and baba ganoush in particular seemed much improved, they somehow seemed more flavorful than I remember. The quality of the vegetables in particular the tomatoes and cucumbers was excellent. The restaurant as well was immaculate and the carpeting appeared to be on the new side. The rest rooms were also spotless! Overall one of the better dining experiences I have had in quite some time. I would recommend trying this restaurant again if it has fallen out of favor with you in the past. —Cindy
2008-09-28 12:38:10 I like Aladdins in Pittsford, I've been going there for years. My favorites are the Hummus, the beef kabob pita and the greek salad. The last few times I've been in there the service has not been good. Once we went in and waited about 5 minutes to be acknowledged, which wouldnt be bad except the place was empty and staff member after staff member walked by us without so much as a glance. Ultimately we ended up taking our business to the Simply Crepes, across the street. They were very busy but acknowledged us as we entered. Other times we have had inattentive service, where we weren't asked if things were ok or if we needed anything. The food is still pretty good but I think the staff may need a refresher course in Customer Service. —DeniseDafoe
2008-10-16 09:45:37 I love the place. I've never had a bad experience there, and I'm a frequent customer to the Monroe Ave. location. I like that I can get a lunch that fills me to just the right point (not stuffed, not hungry) for six bucks. I also never noticed any odd odors, and the place has never made me ill. As to the service, I usually go there for lunch so I can't speak to the evening staff, but the service has always been pretty good to me. —HandsomePete
2008-12-19 18:02:20 For everyone who complains about the greasy, bad-for-you foods at most restaurants, this place is what you seek. The food is cheap, healthy, and delicious. —BatGuano
2009-03-12 14:08:48 Best bang for the buck and the food is the best of all the Greek/Mediterranean restaurants around. Their hot pitas are the best. chicken pita is a favorite of mine and consistently cooked perfectly. Not a big fan of the soups or the cold pitas which are difficult to eat since they're oversized and filled entirely with lettuce. The pittsford Aladdins is a cute place for a date. Desserts are hit or miss. —JaimeTe
2009-03-19 22:42:45 In my opinion this is one of the best restaurants in the Rochester area. The food is all fresh and tasty...not to mention good for you! It is also VERY Vegan and Vegetarian friendly. I prefer the Pittsford location on the Erie Canal. The view from the patio in the Spring-Fall is wonderful. —PrincessB
2009-03-29 04:11:20 I recently visited Rochester and my friend and I dined at the monroe location one evening. Some of the best tasting food I have had in a very long time!The fact that I live in FL might have something to do with that, but the food was excellent nonetheless! —AntDi
2009-05-17 10:17:39 Aladdins is a great place if you want high quality, healthy food at a very reasonable price. Their chicken is so tender and marinated to perfection at the Monroe Ave. location. The chicken is a bit drier and ytou get smaller portions at the Pittsford one. Just beware of the clientele. They tend to be rather uppity and holier-than-thou at both locations. I can't say anything bad about the food and the wait-staff is always very friendly. —PickleCelli
2009-07-12 11:22:22 I am amazed at the amount of raves on this page. I had high hopes for this place because the Aladdin's in Ithaca was so wonderful. My husband and I have been there twice and have been disappointed both times. The service is always with an attitude. We went Friday night and one of the servers slammed the water onto our table, and then literally threw the straws at us. I ordered the pignolia pasta (pine nuts, goat cheese cream sauce, etc), and not only was there absolutely no goat cheese in it (the whole reason I ordered that dish was the goat cheese), but the stench of burnt garlic was overwhelming. What I had was a bland cream sauce with no flavor, and burnt garlic to boot. We are giving up on this place and will just go to the Ithaca one when we are in the area. —Joslin
2009-07-15 22:56:08 Which location did you go to, the one in Schoen Place or Monroe Ave? —RichardSarkis
2009-07-16 12:05:20 I went to the Schoen Place one in Pittsford —Joslin
2009-07-23 17:54:04 Unfortunately (by my perspective) the Schoen place location does not have the same owner as the one on Monroe (but they're part of the local franchise). The Monroe location is whole-heartedly recommended by me. Go there and you will have a great experience. —RichardSarkis
2009-11-24 13:20:16 I LOVE the Pittsford canal location especially on a warm sunny day! I've been to both locations many many times and I'm convinced that the food is better on the canal. The two are actually run by different owners...maybe that has something to do with it. Just about everything on the menu is great. The dishes are also very reasonably priced. Since I live close by, Aladin's is a perfect place for me to grab something quick to eat when I don't feel like cooking. —Liren
2009-11-30 14:24:14 Gotta say I like the place on Monroe more. Just feel the service is better. As for the food, probably one of favorite places for soup and salad. I like the fact that when you order soup you get a real bowl and don't feel as if you wre just fleeced for $7.00. One of few places where soup and salad is actually a meal. —almorinelli
