Aladdin’s Natural Eatery

This is the WORST place to go for Middle Eastern/​Mediterranean food! The Monroe Ave Alladins is good. The Pittsford is HORRIBLE. In Pittsford the Alladins staff are unfriendly & cold, rushing hurriedly & generally inattentive. I live nearby so I have gone there many times over the years each time hoping my experience would be different. I know, I know. It just gets worse. Most recent time was a couple of months ago and it was my last time! Waitress came over to take my order. (I was alone) It was not busy. I asked for lentil soup and spinach appetizer… and THEN a chicken pita. She was distracted and hurried. She disappeared not to be seen again until it was time for my bill. Minutes later a young guy set all 3 dishes in front of me and left. Huh? I got his attention and asked why would he bring them all together. I said I would have liked the pita after the soup. He said he would put it under the lights. Huh? I picked it up and asked to have it wrapped to go. It was REALLY COLD! I asked «aren’t they supposed to be HOT?» He said it was hot. Huh? He felt it and said something to the effect that the cook forgot to heat it. Yuck! No apology. Nothing but a cold stare. Actually cold stares was all any of the staff had that evening. Very unfriendly place. I was upset so I asked to have everything packed up to go home. While I did that I looked at the desserts. The lemon cake looked good and had just one piece left so I asked for that to go also. A young sullen girl with a long ponytail was getting the cake out to wrap it up for me. I was at the register with my original waitress, paying my bill, watching the sullen girl and my cake. This «normal» size piece that I paid for got sliced by her into a little sliver less than ¹⁄₃ of the original size. That wasn’t the worst part. In front of me and other customers she put the rest of the cake on a plate on the counter where the cooks work, gave each of the 2 cooks forks and herself with a fork and her back to us said «dig in!!» With her other hand she twirled her ponytail. When they were finished eating the cake I paid for she returned to her tables. No hand washing. YUCK! No supervision!
***** The good news I have to share with you is that I began looking for an alternative to Alladins. To my surprise I learned that a new restaurant has opened right in the Pittsford, Fairport, Penfield, East Rochester area that serves Middle Eastern/​Mediterranean food! They are Dalia’s. They are located at the corner of Fairport Road (31F) & Baird Road behind Abbott’s Custard, where Costello Pizza used to be. The restaurant is family owned. The owners are from Lebanon. The food is authentic. Berto and his wife Dalia make magic! Each thing I have eaten is like «Heaven in my mouth»! I’m not joking! Any other place is not worth going to now that I am hooked on their food. I stop for lunch a couple of times a week and always take home large apps of hummus, babba and tabouli. Each scoop with their soft pita is an OMG! The flaffal (sp?) are the BEST! After lunch I also get a dinner to go. Their portions are huge! The prices are great. They are the nicest, friendliest people too. They get great pleasure knowing people enjoy their food. The restaurant is cozy. The waitresses are friendly and kind. I hand out their menu to everyone I know. If you try them you will want to go back to try more and more.

So let me first say that I really love Aladdin’s as a whole. Their location on Monroe is phenomenal, Mediterranean food is my jam, and I honestly wish more of my friends enjoyed it as much as I do because I could seriously eat it all week long and be happy and fat throughout the week. But my God, this Aladdin’s must be the WORST member of their chain that I’ve tried again and again over the years only to be disappointed by cold food, old food, paltry portions, or terrible service.
You would think that for a restaurant in Pittsford, the quality of the food and service would be a little bit better, but maybe because it’s in Schoen Place they’ve decided to take advantage of the tourists and more affluent populace instead. I remember ordering pasta during countless visits here, and on more than one occasion it’s just been a gross gloop of cold noodles stuck to the plate topped with meager elements of the food that they say comes with it. You want mushrooms? Maybe you’ll get 1 or 2 whole sliced ones throughout. You want to pay an extra 4 $+ for shrimp? You’ll get exactly 4 baby prawns that are burnt, overcooked, and old from having been cooked hours ago or in the previous day. The level of cookery and care is simply unacceptable for any restaurant and this location brings a ludicrous amount of shame on the Aladdin’s name. If I order a dinner, please don’t bring it out 2 minutes later. If I wanted precooked, frozen, or older food, I’d go to the supermarket.
On top of that, I don’t even know where to begin when it comes to the staff. I’ve encountered all sorts of waiters and waitresses over the years and if not all of them have forgotten about my table half the time, the other half have acted like they had something better to do. If you’re going to be a server, show some grace to the customers that are coming in to dine — is it really that much to ask for you to do your job instead of chatting up your coworkers in the back? Maybe it’s just me getting older, but I wish the staff would be more respectful towards the people they’re trying to earn business from.
All in all, this location is just terrible. Avoid it at all costs. Aladdin’s as a whole I would say is actually a rather fantastic chain, but they need to divest this location sooner than later. If you want to experience what it’s truly all about, go to the Monroe Ave. location and you won’t be anywhere near as disappointed as you would be if you went here!

Aladdin’s is a great place to get a healthy, Mediterranean meal.
It is so fun to go to the Pittsford location during the spring/​summer time when the outdoor patio is open, overlooking the canal.
Sometimes the wait can be long, especially if you have a bigger party, so call ahead if you have a group.
The appetizer plate is a great way to try a little bit of everything: hummus with pitas, falafel, spanakopita… yum yum.
They have pocket pitas with your choice of filling, and they load it up with gorgeous looking alfalfa sprouts, I also enjoy having their chicken kebab pita, with chicken, scallions, tomatoes, feta, and tzatziki dressing. The last time I ordered the kebab, the chicken was on the dryer side, but it was still pretty good.
The prices are very reasonable, and if you have room-​get some baklava for dessert.

Chicken on my salad was from lunch
Veggies were not fresh
Waiter was depressed
Wine was vinegar
The Aladdins at Park Point is very good
Never going back to this location
Unilocal makes me give them 1 star but 0 is reality

Went to this spot last week for lunch with the wife. Amazing atmosphere. Location is on the Erie Canal and on a warm day it is fantastic.
The food was ok. I had the lamb gyro. I just felt there was a lack of flavor and it was overloaded with tomatoes. I love Mediterranean food but was kind of disappointed as I’ve been told this is the go to spot in Rochester.
My wife got the baklava and said it’s amazing. She has been back there to pick some up to go.
Service was good. They were quick for us as only had 45 minutes to eat and get out of there.

I have only eaten at Aladdin’s once, and I have dreamed about it ever since. I was unsure of the place, because I haven’t ever tried greek food. But I ordered the pasta that has a blue cheese sauce, mushrooms, and pine nuts on it. I am unsure of the name of it, but it was to DIE for. When I go back, I will most likely get it every time. I also ordered a hummus plate as an appetizer, and it was really good as well. The first time I had ever had hummus an it was delish. Also, great Baklava.
Not to mention, the service was really quick. However, I was there on a rainy day in the middle of the week for lunch, so I may have a distorted view.
Overall, really god and I want some RIGHT NOW. Yummy.

Aladdin’s is my favorite restaurant in Rochester and has been since I was in High School. Not only is the food fresh and delicious, but the atmosphere is cozy and bustling and always inviting. My favorite items are the Baba and the warm Tourlou aside one of their delicious salads. They have delicious light pasta dishes and fresh desserts!

Great casual mediterranean right on the canal. Sit outside if it’s a nice day and watch the boats float by. Service is fast, food’s good, and it’s surprisingly affordable given that it’s smack dab in the middle of Pittsford.

If you asked me to rate Aladdins 2 years ago I would have given 5 stars. Now their prices have gone up, portion sizes have gone down drastically and I’m no longer surprised if they mess up my order. I always get the veggie sampler, tonight it was mostly romaine lettuce and one of the dishes was incorrect, I don’t even know what it was! I would have gone back to get my order corrected but it’s s 20 minute drive.

Some of the best Mediterranean food in the area! Also this location is amazing right along the side canal. We went on a sunny Sunday and had a lovely lunch outside with a view of the canal. All of the food was super fresh and the portion sizes were huge.

Great location especially in the summer al fresco. Tough parking. Decent service. A little pricey for what is largely in my opinion rabbit food. A real colon cleanser of a menu. Important to add that my wife loves this place so I do too. Happy wife happy life!

The food is wonderful here but I would avoid it on any busy night. The front staff/​hostess is disorganized, dishonest and inexperienced. Waiting an hour and a half for a table and even after checking with them multiple times they «lost» our name. No apologies, no explanations. Just plain bad service.

I met my Belarussin wife in Victor NY in 2003. I took her out to lunch as our first date, at this location. It was a weekday, so seating selection was great. Got a nice, outdoor table, with a canal view.
We started with a generous greek salad, and glass of wine, and then shared Spanikopita and Mussakah. Service was great, and the food was great.
I will always hold Aladdin’s @ Schoen Pl in high regards…

I have eaten at Aladdins many times. It is usually very good with many healthy options for the raw and you Paleo fiends out there… and you know who you are! :) The gyro platter, hummus appetizers, and lentil soups are some of my favorites and the best you can likely find in the Greater Rochester Area.
The quality and service is sometimes hit or miss though and a lot depends on the summer crowds and who is working. We have had great experiences and ones in which we look at each other and say, «why did we come to Schoen Place today?». Still if you pick a weeknight or off hour lunchtime on one of the many days that the sun is likely not shining in gray Rochester, then you will likely do just fine with a healthy option for lunch or dinner. Now, go ahead and eat your flavorful Mediterranean vegetables!

I really, really wanted to like Aladdin’s– it’s been a mainstay in Rochester for a long time so I assumed the food was good because how else could it stay in business so long? I had given it a try a few years ago and I was underwhelmed, but I had to meet a friend out for lunch so I decided to give it another go-​around.
I got there at 12:50 and it was a gorgeous summer afternoon, so needless to say finding parking was an issue. After 5 minutes of stalking people, I found a spot and walked to Aladdin’s, where I waited in line for about 5 minutes. My friend wasn’t there yet so I put my name on the list and waited another 5 minutes for her to arrive. We went up to get our table and were told there wasn’t a table outside but there was a small table by the bar, would that be ok? We said yes, and we’re told to just wait a minute while someone got chairs for that table. After 5 mins. someone else came by and asked if we were being helped, we said someone was looking for chairs for the table. That person went away and we waited *another* 5 minutes for someone to finally take us to a different table because apparently chairs couldn’t be found. Ok. So we get to the table and wait 15 minutes for a waitress, she finally comes around and asks what we want to drink so we told her, then she said, «Do you know what you want?» and we said in unison, «We haven’t even gotten menus!» She said she thought someone gave us menus but took them away because we knew what we wanted??? Ten minutes later she comes back with our drinks and takes our food order. I got the pignoli pasta with gluten free noodles and grilled chicken. I also asked about their cooking process to make sure they know to cook the GF pasta in its own separate water, and they did so that’s fine. My friend ordered the chicken tenders with honey mustard dressing. We waited another 25 – 30 minutes for our food.
My pasta was… underwhelming. There was no goat cheese on it, despite that being in the description of the dish. The chicken was charred and had no flavor, and the pasta was just an oily mess. It felt like they tried to make up for the lack of flavor by just throwing a ton of garlic in it (which was not in the description). My friend was confused about her «honey mustard» dressing that looked like it was straight corn syrup with some weird spices added that looked like pine needles and dirt. Her chicken was overcooked as well.
I tried to like this place, but between the God-​awful service and the sub-​par food, it’s pretty unlikely I will ever go to Aladdin’s again. Which is fine, because Sinbad’s isn’t that much better farther away, and their food is out of this world, and I’ve never had bad service there.

Food-​wise, I would consider this Aladdin’s location as «acceptable». I found the gyro meat to be a bit dry, and the falafel was delivered lukewarm to our table, but overall the taste was alright.
The service could have been better. It was a busy night, so maybe the staff were trying to turn over tables as quickly as possible? Overall, the entire experience felt rushed.
The atmosphere of the restaurant depends on your table. Outside on the balcony is nice, but inside feels very cramped and very hot. If you do go, and have to wait for a balcony seat, it’s better to wait than sit inside.

This was my first time back to Aladdins in a while and I have to say I was pleasantly surprised. The look is the same and it was a little dead considering the snowy night, but that just meant our food came sooner so that’s fine with me! The waitresses are young but very knowledgable about the menu and are so pleasant.
The hummus with pita was really good with garlic lemon and tahini, though the pita was a little tough, I think it could benefit from being warmed a bit. The spanakopita was delish, both are large appetizers so definitely plan to share or take home leftovers!
For dinner I got the gyro pita which was delicious and just as expected, also pretty large so I was able to take half home. My mom and sister both got the Greek salad with chicken, sister got greek dressing and my mom got a creamy one. Both were amazing and would definitely come back for those salads! The dressings were just right, chicken was nicely grilled and seasoned, there was plenty of all the toppings, and the large salad really is LARGE. And all for under $ 10? Works for me I will surely be back, maybe in the summer when I can sit outside by the canal.

Nice location with outdoor seating by the canal. The food is good with large portions for the price but doesn’t «wow» me.
Not sure what it is I dislike exactly, certain things like the pita pockets just seem to be a collection of ingredients stuffed in a pita instead of a thoughtfully prepared meal (for example, the vegetables are chopped but not distributed evenly in the pita and the sauce is up to you to apply). Maybe I’ve just ordered the wrong things :) in contrast the falafel and Baba were great

I was a bit let down as I love the original Aladdin’s location on Monroe and have dined there multiple times during college. Maybe my views and taste has changed as I do dine at a couple of Greek/​Mediterranean restaurants at home in Florida .
We had a small family dinner of 7 people and the employees pushed together 2 tables together, a round table and a square table… it made us sit awkwardly and have limited space for our food and such. Whatever.
I ordered a chicken kebab pita roll… which is actually a pita rolled up like a wrap. I didn’t really care for my roll as there were so many tomatoes in it! It lacked flavor. The only thing I liked was the lentil bean and potato soup, even though my husband thought it was boring. I did originally want a chicken broth vegetable soup, but the server said it was SEASONAL. Great.
Anyway… I have very mixed feelings about this restaurant, but my relatives seem to LOVE it and my niece is half Greek so she absolutely loves their food.

We walked down the canal to the restaurant from our renaissance hotel. 2 min walk. They have two levels that you can sit outside on the canal side. We sat on the lower level. It was very pretty. This is a Greek restaurant featuring fresh local food. Good beer and wine list. We both ordered pasta dishes. I had spinach pasta with a aioli sauce. I had beef tenderloin on top for $ 5 extra. It was fabulous! The tenderloin was cooked perfectly! It was very reasonably priced. Under ten for the pasta dish (+5 for beef) the sauce was delicious with garlic and red pepper flakes. My husband had fresh marinara on penne I shared my beef as it was too much for one person. Great service and healthy yummy food.