Phoenicia's downtown (West: foods, estimate, area)

[ethanw]

The Phoenicia downtown is very disappointing as far as the food quality goes. It does not taste the same and that's a big no no for me. Won't come back for a while. Maybe let them settle in a little bit I guess. Till then I will continue going to the one on Westheimer

[HBsteve]

I've been to the one on Westheimer and liked it a lot. I went to the downtown one for dinner one evening, I expected to get chicken shawarma sliced fresh off the rotisseries behind the counter, but the guy gave me dried-out pieces taken from a drawer. It was so disappointing, I doubt I'll go back.

[testmo]

when i went downtown it was always sliced freshly from the rotisserie. i have a belief that the average american wouldn't be able to tell the difference between someone from the middle east/persia than someone who isnt. so don't take people's opinions so seriously when they say "just a bunch of mexicans" working there.

[madrone2k]

Looks like a mix of positive and negative reviews. I just visited the downtown store once, w/o buying anything. It looked like a lot more than I expected ... been disappointed too many times, so I was pleased.

I hope it will be successful, we really need something like this downtown.

Re: the authenticity aspect (the owners are Armenian, BTW). I'm still drawn to authenticity, even tho' friends insist that "authentic" does not necessarily equal "good". I have to admit that I've had reasonably good sushi prepared by Guatemalans working in a place owned by Chinese.

[tebor79]

how bout Zabacks on Westheimer and Fountainview for some awesome Shawarma and felafel?

[texas7]

Downtown welcomes its Phoenicia market | Houston Restaurants | 29-95.com

[OducksFTW!]

The vibe I got was that the Phoenicia downtown is the watered-down version for the white folks that want something that is a little different. The one on westheimer is the one that most of the middle-eastern folks go to. Both of them are great and hey its better to have two than to have just the one.

[Redrover]

Originally Posted by HBsteve

I've been to the one on Westheimer and liked it a lot. I went to the downtown one for dinner one evening, I expected to get chicken shawarma sliced fresh off the rotisseries behind the counter, but the guy gave me dried-out pieces taken from a drawer. It was so disappointing, I doubt I'll go back.

I stopped in for lunch late yesterday before going back to my office and I stood and waited while the chicken for my schwarma was sliced off the big stack. I guess when they are gearing up for a huge lunch crowd as they have daily, it only makes sense to pre-slice or the lines would be out the door.

[Hawk11ns]

Originally Posted by TimBomb

eventually everywhere is going to be like Alief with the diversity and options. Keep wishing, you might actually get it

Alief?

I'll have the options, hold the ghetto please.

[Live to eat]

I have been going to Phoenicia since it first opened as a tiny store on Westheimer, which the owner prepared her delicious chicken shawarma herself. It was the BEST shawarma on the planet, as I travel a lot and have not found any shawarma that came close anywhere in the world. However, I decided to try the downtown location and was so hugely disappointed that made me almost wanted my money back. I know it’s just a sandwich wrap and not worth making a fuss over. But I was just pissed that I was deceived into thinking I’m getting the same shawarma when it’s not. The sauce is what makes it so great and the sauce at these locations are different from each other. I hope the owners from both locations mine and other messages here and do something about this because it’s just not right that you name the downtown location Phoenicia but not use the same recipe when you make your famous shawarma. It’s just not right and I will never come back to the downtown store again. For for the folks who dint know, I don’t want folks to be cheated of the best shawarma in the world when they make the mistake of going to the downtown location.