Neeharika Kumar

We came here for lunch. It is a hidden gem in Emeryville. We were looking for a lunch place and never realized that there were was such a highly reviewed place. We came in to try for lunch. A very friendly hostess/server/manager lady greeted us and we couldn’t sit anywhere on the bar. The order was quick. The lentil soup while waiting for our meal was just amazing. It took the anticipation for the food for the next level. The main food was better than that, we had to order more while eating. The extra came in super fast. Baklava is a must have. It was perfect amount of crisp and perfect amount of sugars. Would definitely recommend it for a perfect Mediterranean food place.

Krishna Shastry

Excellent food. Free soup and dessert however falafels are the very best I have ever had. Dish dash, eat your heart out. And sumac is claimed by both the Lebanese & Iranians. Hopefully, a war won’t be fought over this spice.

Marybeth Weiss

Wally’s has a cozy atmosphere with friendly staff. With a diner style bar seating and quick service it’s a great lunch spot. All of the food was delicious and portions were generous for the prices. Highly recommend!

+1

S. Raziq Mohideen

Typically I'm a bit slow to review, but I had to make an exception here. I recently went to Wally's Cafe with some friends for lunch, and we were very impressed. I ordered the chicken pomegranate plate, which was recommended by fellow reviewers, and I'm glad I followed suit. The chicken was tangy and flavorful, complemented by the pilaf and rice. My friends like the beef and lamb gyro, too. The portions were reasonable for the price. As good as the food was, the service was even better. The staff is extremely friendly and generous, providing complimentary lentil soup while we were ordering the entrees and some lovely pieces of baklava (also free) once we were ready to pay. They kindly answered our questions and made requested adjustments. When walking in, I noticed the "3-time Yelp Top 100" proclamation, but I still wanted to be fair in my judgment. But now I can see how they earned it.

Amardeep G

This little cafe was a great find! I can see why it has been voted of of the top 100 restaurants in America. I ordered the Pomegranate Chicken which had such a unique flavor which left your mouth bursting with flavor. It was tangy yet sweet with a savory aftertaste. I also tried the shrimp plate which was perfectly cooked with the right amount of spices that leaves you wanting more. The staff was extremely generous and gave us a serving of the Labeh to try after we were unsure if we would like it. To top it off, they gave us some baklava to try which had the perfect amount of sugar so you could actually taste the flavors. It wasn't just packed with a sugary punch. I would recommend this place to everyone and I will definitely be returning!

Cedrik Laplante

Heads up it’s cash only unless you decide to order online when you sit down. This is a true hole in the wall, literally walked through the bar to get to it and boy are we glad we did. Our server recommended the pomegranate chicken and it was so delicious. A hint of sweet with the normal savory you’re looking for from Lebanese food. Portion was huge so we were glad we shared and you get a complimentary soup and baklava with your order! Server was very nice and funny. Fun experience overall and we’ll definitely be going back

P. I.

In technically what could be called a "hole in the wall" spot, quietly exists some of the very best Lebanese food in the Bay area. I slept on this place for a number of years, but was asked by a friend to review it, and I was happy I did. Delicious Lebanese food, in the easy going greasy spoon environment, with a super laid back and friendly staff, make for one happy Middle Eastern food experience. I ordered the beef shawarma wrap, which comes with fries, some lentil soup, (absolutely killer), and a piece of baklava at the end of the meal, (homemade. Not the decent but standard fair that Jerusalem bakery serves to most of the Middle Eastern restaurants in the East Bay. No slight on Jerusalem bakery, but you can't mess with Grandma) One of my special delights here was the fact that they make "Toum", Lebanese garlic and lemon sauce made with safflower oil and has a consistency of mayonnaise. It is to die for. The beef shawarma in the wrap had a deliciously complex flavor of marinated beef, and was served at my request with some of the garlic sauce in the wrap itself, and some tahini sauce which I will ask them to skip next time. It was deliciously put together and perfectly wrapped. The fries were crispy golden delicious, and tossed in a very light dusting of salt. The homemade baklava with crispy, and buttery, and just had all the things you associate with delicious homemade baklava. I cannot recommend this place highly enough, you may have to look for a minute before you find it is right next door to the old bank on San Pablo avenue at 3009, between 40th and Adeline Street. You'll have to come down Adeline and make a hard ride on the San Pablo or go down San Pablo and make a U-Turn at Adeline. I'm super happy I found this place, and I will definitely be back for more. Next: Gyros. Bonus round: I got all this food for just over 20 bucks plus a tip. This is probably the best deal on Middle Eastern food in the Bay area that I have found so far. Piero

+6

Natenapa Serdynski

Cash Only business. (They provided ATM inside. Very smart business!) Park your car at Safeway and walked across street. Small restaurant, nothing fancy but they have outdoor seating. My husband and 2 kids absolutely LOVE this place. They gave 10/10 for flavors, portion, and service. This sweet lady is just so sweet. My kids said she reminded them of me when I had my own restaurant! We used to own Cafe and restaurant, we judged hard when it comes with food and drinks. Only one cook and one lady who does everything. Oh my goodness! Chicken Pomegranate is so amazing! Chicken liver is superb! Best chicken liver we have ever had! My Gyros is so impressive. My little girl had chicken and rice. I LOVE that she starts everyone with a warm cup of lentis soup. (They are a little too salty for us, but it is very flavorful.) And then Pita bread. Everything is so delicious and very large portion. Salad and sauce is just perfect! We have had Mediterranean a lot. Then, Baklava is complementary as well for everyone. Who does that? You can buy it, of course, but only $1.50 a piece! (Again, who does that? Cheapest Baklava in California!) Delicious, fluffy, nutty, not too sweet nor oily, nor too much honey. Very different! I gave 9 out of 10. I just wish they tidy up the place. Restroom could have been cleaner. The whole place could have been more organized and more cozy. Someone needs to help this business. They would get 5.0 rating review, just a thought.

+12

I ordered large group meals from Wally’s on three separate occasions. They are very accommodating with great communication. The food arrives as expected, fresh and fresh. Our go to place for business meetings.

G Fong

Food is always reliable and always delicious. I've been here multiple times and always order the Family Meal with Chicken and Beef/Lamb. Good portions and never disappoints. Serves 6 people family style. Includes your choice of 2 proteins + 8 sides: rice, greek salad, lentil soup, hummus, pita bread, tzatziki sauce, garlic sauce & baklava (6 pieces).

Empress Love

The staff is friendly but the food was not good. Pita bread was stale- chicken shawarma plate. The pita bread was soggy with the lamb gyro. Too many toppings just piled up . The meat was cut too thick . Salad wilted on the drive home ( about 5 mins away) The lentil soup was good ! I paid $46 for this and it wasn’t worth it at all!!!

+2

Siddhartha Nag

Quantity of food for the dollar, not crazy. You get a soup, salad, and little baklava but everything tasted pretty uniquely bad. I was surprised and impressed opening the boxes. That was until I started eating. Soup and salad were fine. Nothing to write about, not offensive at all. The chicken was extremely dry, hard, chewy, and poorly seasoned. The seasoning was unbalanced or just bad, both astringent and bitter. Under salted and dry. The plate had about 2 pounds of rice that I'm certain was cooked in powdered chicken bullion. It was very damp, salty, and left that MSG-tingle similar to a packet ramen. No real flavor outside of salty chicken. The sauces were medicre, the toum wasnt particularly garlicy - but rather mild. $47 for two chicken plates, borderline inedible chicken and about 3lbs of salty rice. Wouldn't recommend.