Amels

We are always happy with the food at Amel’s however the waitstaff could have a better attitude. They seem to be very unhappy with their jobs. Also the place needs some renovations. The carpeting is worn and looks dirty and the booths needs new stuffing and need to be reupholstered. You would think that the money that this place makes that they would shell out some money for basic upkeep.

Wonderful Mediterranean cuisine! Best I have had! The hummus appetizer and citrusy tabbulee was amazing! My husband had the jasmine lamb and it was so perfectly prepared. The food is authentic and prepared perfectly. The atmosphere is older rustic and dated but makes you feel and know it’s well loved.

Excellent excellent food! You won’t be disappointed. The service is a little slow, but it could have just been the waitress we had.

Best Mediterranean in Pittsburgh! Came here with a group of 6 for my birthday and we had a great time. Try the hummus trio!

I drove by Amel’s many many times during several years before trying for the first time a couple nights ago. I was highly disappointed. I was expecting Mediterranean style food and it was listed on the menu, but the small samples I had were very bland. There were so many other items on the menu that I was wondering if it used to be somewhat more authentic and is trying to expand or what. It didn’t compare well to other places I’ve had around town that serve Mediterranean and near eastern style food. It just seemed like an expensive bar with a huge menu, some of which was not the usual bar fare but was of typical suburban bar quality.

Great meal! Great service! This was our second choice for the evening, but I’ve now decided it’s my new favorite place!

This used to be one of our favorite restaurants. We heard it had gone down hill. Last night we tried it and found that indeed it has. Way down. I ordered the Greek Chicken. All I could taste was lemon. They must of changed pita suppliers. The new pitas tasted like a doughy pancake. My wife’s dinner was bland. We were there on a gift card that still has another 5 dollars on it and I’m not sure we’ll even use it. It was that bad. My hope is that they fix their problems. It used to be great.

The food is terrible. We spent over $ 100 for the two of us. Don’t eat any fish/​seafood. Got food poisoning from the meals. If I could give zero stars I would. Regretting going to dinner there tonight. Threw up when I got home. Now both ends. Ugh. We both are sick. Food poisoning. Beware!!! Terrible food. DO NOT EAT HERE!!! Disgusting food. This was our third try here. First was great. Second ok. Third terrible. The entrees are horrible. The apps were good but don’t eat dinner you’ll regret it. So sick right now. Never going back.

What a great find (thanks to Unilocal!). I have lived in the area for a long time, and McNeilly road is simply one of those roads that I never have a reason to travel. As a bonus, the weather today made seating outside the optimum choice.
I ordered the Moroccan Couscous, which included chicken and lamb, with the fatoush salad. My companion got the Chicken Taboo, which included hummus, also with the fatoush salad. Both meals were full of flavor and fresh. The seasonings, such as saffron, really set the meals apart. Although we were there during the lunch hour, our meals were dinners. We are stuffed!
The parking is very limited but there is a large lot across the street where the Aldi is. Maybe parking is OK there? We got lucky — we got the lone spot right in front next to their sign. We walked maybe 10 feet.
The outdoor seating is nice, with umbrellas to keep the direct sun off. I did notice ash trays on the tables. If there were smokers present, we would have eaten inside.
Service was quick.

I live in the neighborhood and I must have driven past Amel’s 5 dozen times before saying Hmmmm… maybe I’ll try this place out.
I went out for my birthday dinner and would happily go again, and soon! It’s a perfect place to grab some food if you are trying to eat a little healthier… it’s also a great place if you don’t care as there are a wide variety of menu options. My problem was that there was so, so much on the menu that I wanted to order that I by the time the server came by to ask again, I had to throw up my hands and know that I would have to come back many times to get everything I wanted. I also wasn’t all that hungry. Always so annoyed at myself when I go to a new place that’s actually GOOD and can’t eat that much – the worst!
I started with their summer beer on tap (I think it was the Summer Solstice) which was very good, crisp, and flavorful. My appetizer was grilled artichokes stuffed with goat cheese (awesome.) Since I wasn’t very hungry, I got a soup and salad for my meal. The fattoush salad was very good and I would happily order it again. The specialty soup was a cold cantaloupe soup and it’s why I had to knock off a star. It tasted mostly of sour cream, but outside of that didn’t have very much flavor and I really love chilled soups! No one at my table enjoyed it that much, but as far as missteps go, it wasn’t a huge one.
Everyone else at the table enjoyed their meals and drinks without complaint. We sat on the patio on a beautiful summer night, which added to the experience. The shrubbery is situated just so, ad we didn’t feel like we were right off of busy McNeily Rd. Parking can be a bit of a hassle since the lot is so small and shared with many businesses, but we just parked across the street. Not a big deal.

I absolutely love Amels. It’s intimate, delicious, friendly, local… the list goes on. I’ve tasted a variety of delicacies including their fabulous hummus, grape leaves, stuffed eggplant, gyro plate, steak, etc… all of which have been cooked to perfection and amazing.
I highly recommend reservations, especially on the weekends. Pro tip: if you like to dine a little bit later, say past 8pm, you shouldn’t have an issue getting seated. The staff here is very friendly and won’t rush you; plan on a relaxed evening!

Best tabouli salad ever! Plus you get pita bread with oil instead of traditional white bread before your meals.

This is a restaurant that has been there for ions and there is a reason why. It’s not on a main road nor is it very easy to find or get to if you are not from the immediate area. But, it was a dedicated following. Why? Because the food is amazing and the staff is friendly. The hummus and the tabouli are perfect – the best I ever had. But, what brings me back time and time again is their She-​Crab Soup! I know it sounds crazy that a mediteranian restaurant on a back road of a Pittsburgh suburb would have the best She-​Crab Soup in the whole darn world but trust me… they do. I go there for that alone (and their martinis… they leave the shaker with you so you can have the dirty rocks!). My husband loves all of their lamb dishes – the gyros and the gyro salad included. Their fried zucchini rocks too. GO!

Yum!!! I have to Amel’s for drinks but I have never ordered food. Tonight I went in for takeout. Best decision today! I ordered Chicken Shawarma with Tabouli on the side. I sat at the bar while I waited. The bartender was very nice. The gentleman at the bar showed me his favorites on the menu. It was welcoming that I thought I had walked into someone’s home. The chicken in the shawarma was freshly grilled, the hummus was very tasty, and it was the best shawarma I’ve ever had. And why order fries or onion sings as your side when you can have freshly made tabouli ?? It came with a wedge of lemon to squeeze over it.
Now I need to back and dine in and get the true experience.

Awesome, slightly fancy spot for Mediterranean food. Walked in without a reservation on a busy night and got lucky to grab a booth. Pretty good wine and beer selection. Split the Mediterranean platter and some salads. Everything was delicious.
A little pricey, but well worth it!

I couldn’t have been happier with how my evening turned out. My husband and I came here for our 2^nd anniversary. We hadn’t been to Amel’s since our first date so it was a properly romantic choice.
It was a Monday night and not very busy, so it was seat yourself anywhere. I chose the booth in the corner because my favorite Klimt painting was hanging right there. Some people have called Amel’s décor cheesy, but I wholeheartedly disagree. It’s a bit eclectic, but not cheesy. I actually think it’s beautiful, but I’m one of those people that like having a lot to look at.
You get hot and fresh pita, dipping oil, and butter to start. It’s delicious. I ate pita with absolutely everything I ordered, and it was great. They’ll keep it coming if you start to run out.
The thing I remembered the most from our first date is that I got a fabulous cup of she crab soup, and my date ate most of it (but if you ask him, he’ll deny it). So this time I opted for the larger bowl instead. It’s a rich and creamy soup, with very large chunks of crab throughout. It was awesome. I would occasionally taste a little tiny bit of soft shell, but that just kinda reassured me that it was the real deal crabmeat.
We had grape leaves cuz my husband loves them. They are a very interesting Mediterranean delicacy. The lamb inside is tender and flavorful. But proceed with caution. If you’re not careful you’ll get juice all over you. I would recommend fork and knife instead of bare hands. I wish they weren’t so watery, but I think it might be a necessary evil since I believe they’re made by steaming or maybe boiling the lamb in the grape leaves. It’s a wet, but delicious appetizer.
For dinner I decided on the Lamb Jasmine. It was so so good. Again, the lamb was cooked to perfection. It practically melted in my mouth. The rice and veggies were also great, I believe there was spinach, artichokes and tomatoes. Oh and feta cheese! But the star of the dish was the tomato rosemary lamb glacé. The vegetables had been cooked in it as well as the lamb, and it was just amazing. That was the perfect sauce to tie everything together.
Dinner came with a choice of salad. I picked tabbulee, which I really like, but I find hard to eat sometimes because it’s so herby, and I think the parsley is kinda spiky. Not a great mouth feel. Lol. But again, that’s where pita came in handy. I just basically put my salad in a pita and ate it like a wrap. Unconventional maybe, but it was awesome.
I had some really great wine here also, their selection was pretty good. Get a good red wine if you get lamb. I got merlot, and it was really excellent. I think I’m getting better at pairing.
Service was fantastic, our server was so sweet and she really stayed on top of things. She even took our picture for us at the end of the night.
Amel’s can be a little on the expensive side, but it’s definitely got value. Not only was my food delicious, but there was a lot of it. I have leftovers! We definitely won’t be waiting so long to come back to Amel’s.

Great food and my favorite She Crab soup! Great beer selection and desserts too. Atmosphere is nice too.

This restaurant has a lovely atmosphere. It’s beautifully decorated. Our server was attentive. We started out with a hummus platter. It was just ok, the pita was pretty dry. I ordered the chicken Romano it was absolutely delicious. The pasta that came with it was also good. I will be back again soon.

After driving by Amel’s several times and laughing at the pink genie street sign, the boyfriend and I decided to give it a shot around 7 PM on a Friday night. Best. Decision. Ever!
I drove and was happy to see a parking lot in the back. Restaurant was dark and décor was unique with painted murals on the wall.
We were told the wait would be about 20 minutes, so we stopped by the bar. Moments after receiving my wine, we were seated. A 20 minute wait wasn’t bad, but a 5 minute wait was even better!
Food was incredible. Fresh, homemade, local, very filling!
Appetizer: Stuffed peppers. 3 decent-​sized peppers & complimentary freshly baked pita bread.
Entrée: Chicken something-​or-​other (I can’t find name on the online menu). Bone-​in chicken thigh from a local farm; rice pilaf; veggies.
Service: Decent — the only reason I decided on 4 stars, instead of 5. Waitress was friendly, but not terribly attentive (perhaps because they were busy?). She stopped by to take order, deliver appetizer & food, and to deliver check, and I found myself beverageless a couple times.
Overall, delicious food and a nice experience.

Lunch was outstanding! Double down with hummus and tabulee.
Will be back for dinner soon!