Sidon Lebanese Grille and Bakery

10/8/2017

Sidon Lebanese Grille and Bakery
4625 Bancroft Street, Toledo OH 43615
http://www.sidongrille.com/

We were intrigued when we saw that Sidon got runner-up in three categories for the Toledo City Paper's 2017 Dining Awards: Ethnic Dish, Falafel/Gyro and Fast Casual. Sidon has a traditional Mediterranean menu but with many stand-outs for vegans. The restaurant has an open European feel to it, with lots of seating spaces. When we went up to order, we informed the cashier that we were vegan (always a good idea!), and they got out a cheat sheet that listed all of the items that were vegan, as well as those that were gluten-free. Items on the menu aren't labeled vegan and so ask for the cheat sheet.

We ordered babaghonouj and zaatar (Lebanese style pizza with thyme and sesame seeds) as appetizers, as well as a veggie plate (veggie grape leaves, falafel) with a side of fries and a falafel sandwich. One of the real stand-outs were the pita, which are puffy and baked fresh in a brick oven – some of the best pita that we've had in Toledo.

The food was fresh and very tasty. The items that most Mediterranean restaurants in Toledo have were all good (e.g., falafel, grape leaves), and we really enjoyed the zaatar. The portion sizes were generous too and so we had leftovers. There are several items on the vegan cheat sheet that we didn't get this trip. We're eager to go back. Sidon is a must for a vegans in the area!

1 Comment

Veganmom

10/22/2017 11:25:59 am

Thank you for the recommendation! After reading your review, we found it in a small stripmall in Ottawa Hills. We stopped in for dinner on Saturday night and loved it!

We went to the counter (you order first and then seat yourself with a table number) and asked for the vegan menu/cheat sheet but the server didn't have one. It didn't matter, though, because she very nicely took a paper menu and circled everything that was vegan! It included: hommus, baba ghannouj, veggie grape leaves, Mujadra, loubieh, falafel, lentil soup, yellow rice, French fries, fattoush, tabbouleh, salad, falafel sandwich or plate, veggie plate (grape leaves and falafel), zaatar "pizza" and spinach fatayer. We actually took the menu to a seat, planned our meal and then went back to the counter to order it.

We ordered a falafel sandwich, fetoosh salad (huge!), hummus (a little on the smaller side - about the size of a small soup bowl - so order two if you have hummus lovers in your party), fries (good, shaped somewhere between skinny fries and hand cut fries), lentil soup (one of the best I've ever had), and grape leaves (you get 8 small grape leaves, refrigerated, and they are terrific). We were surprised that our total was less than $40.00.

Drinks are bottled and canned, not fountain refills. Pro tip: if you're dining in and just want water, don't bother buying it bottled. A server brings a large carafe of water with the Pita bread to each table.

Like you, we absolutely loved the Pita bread! I used it to make a grape leaf sandwich at the server's suggestion (they offer a falafel sandwich but not a grape leaf sandwich on the menu). We ordered several refills of bread and our server (you order at the counter and choose your own seat but a server brings you water and bread, as well as your dinners when they're ready) was always fast and there before we needed him.

After our meal, we went next door to the Middle East Market and bought more of their hummus. As a side note, the market had amazing produce prices - avocados for $1.00 each, honeydew melons for the same price.

We will definitely be back to Sidon (I found out it's pronounced SIDE-on and it's named after a city in Lebanon). Yes, we are lucky to have so many fantastic Mediterranean restaurants in our area, but it is still a little tricky to find one that has small vegan touches for everyone in a large vegan party - vegan fries, yellow rice that's not cooked in chicken stock, etc. To have all of that plus terrific food, low prices and a fun atmosphere (my teens loved the songs they were playing) - it's a big yes for us. Thank you again, Vegan Toledo, for your recommendation!

Vegan Toledo Blog

Sidon Lebanese Grille and Bakery

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