This place is AMAZING .. food is consistently excellent. The falafels are THE best ever, The seafood platter with the red sauce was amazing as well. Just call and order ahead. Hard to find gem on rt 4..

Great lunch place! The Mediterranean platter, although an appetizer, felt like a full course. Great service, fanatic food! Will be back to try dinner!

Delicious and did not break the bank. Great waitress who was unbelievably patient with my dad. I will be back every time I come to town

As always a spectacular meal in a restaurant that drifts you away to the Mediterranean Isles at sunset, replete with fine dining, reasonable prices and excellent service. Go here whether you have been before or a hundred times as the constancy of the experience continues to delight!

I love Garlic Lovers. Their white bean salad is a delicious side, but their french fries are even more incredible. The spicy chicken sandwich is definitely my go to, though I very regularly try the other items on their menu.

Awesome staff, amazing food, and big portions. Definitely did not leave hungry, highly recommend. Fair pricing, a true hidden gem!

By far the best Mediterranean food in the capital region. The store owner Nabil, is warm friendly and a fantastic host. The food is out of this world. Everything on the menu is delicious. Highly reccomend!!!

Friendly service, fantastic food. I highly recommend for a date night if you want some good food, and you know they appreciate your service. Can't wait to visit again!

Entrees were excellent, very cozy spot , and was very impressed with the pita and hummus. Could maybe use a wider wine selection, but other than that, very friendly service and will definitely be returning.

The owner, chefs, and servers all care a lot about the food, and you can tell. Great place for dates because the food oftentimes takes a little while. Try the chicken pesto or chicken dijon for dinner. Absolutely heavenly

It's more a 4.5..Not too many veggie options but the taste of the hummus was really good! Pita was fresh. Quick service. A very friendly ambience.

Great Food, atmosphere and service! Best chicken toscana dish in capital region. Wine by the glass, half bottle or bottle! Perfection.

Fantastic food. Have been there a few times now and have yet to find anything on the menu I haven't liked. The eggplant roulade in particular was delicious. Would highly recommend.

Lovely place that makes you feel at home. The owners are kind and sociable. Staff is friendly and courteous. Food is absolutely delicious!

A 5-Stars secret in N. Greenbush!!! Nabil’s menu and ingredients are great. Nice ambience, clean, and why not say it again: great food!!!! Everything was great, come and eat here now!

Had a delicious lunch of lamb kabob. The portion was large and the service was excellent! Highly recommend this restaurant!

Lovely lunch: attentive, but unobtrusive service; flavorful dishes in plentiful amount, atmosphère pleasant

Excellent Mediterranean menu with many options including gluten free meals. Tables are well spaced, wait staff are gracious and I felt time slow down. Our drinks and food were served in a timely manner but we were never rushed through courses. I highly recommend Garlic Lovers Corner. Take out is exceptional as well!

Really enjoyed the fresh pita with hummus and tzatziki, and the eggplant was delicious! Really tasty, quiet atmosphere, I’m excited to go back for more!

Best Mediterranean food in the Capital Region I have found. Friends that are excellent cooks enjoy Garlic Lovers when they come to town. The owner is kind enough to talk recipes with them and share cooking tips. Lunch or dinner we have always had excellent, high quality food. Don't let the exterior fool you, it is a nice atmosphere inside. In fact, the restaurant places tables far enough apart for a enjoyable dining experience.

My Greek salad and my friend's goat cheese salad were both delish. She had the tazaki and pita which I shared and that was also very good.. I especially loved the herbs and spices on the warm grilled pita. This restaurant is a little hidden gem.

I'm just sorry I waited so long to try this restaurant. I didn't know it features a lot of Greek cuisine. Amidst soothing sounds of Greek music, I ordered the beef and lamb gyro with tzatziki sauce. The pita and meat came warm and both were tender and easy to eat, the raw vegies were fresh and colorful, the sauce was delicious. Instead of fries I was offered a bean salad, which was also delicious after a light sprinkling of salt and pepper. The restaurant itself is cozy but there is ample space between the tables, it looks and smells clean. There is a soothing color theme of earth tones. I came early for lunch (just before noon) but two other couples came in right after me. The waitstaff was welcoming and friendly. The only disappointment was no baklava for dessert (surprising!) but the coffee and spumoni were good. I will definitely be returning with family and friends.

Mediterranean sampler was outstanding. Not typical at all. Daily special fish was fresh and flavorful. Update second time in walked out because we could see we would wait an hour to be served. Order to go and enjoy at home

Really good Gyro’s and Sandwiches. The amount of choices this restaurant offers will have you coming back for more. Went with some friends and the owner running the store had no one working, but still managed to get everyone what they needed. Please go support this man and his amazing food.

This is the first time we ordered here and the first time I have ordered take out for my family of five and everything was amazing. All five of us loved our meals. Food is delicious. Definitely recommend

I have not been there in several years, but the burger was just as good as I remembered! And the hummus was amazing! The salad was delicious too! I can't wait to get a chance to go back for lunch.

Continues to be a hidden gem! Unassuming and just all around great food! You have to check it out if you haven’t been!!!

Best gyro and falafel I have ever had (and I have been to Israel twice). The Mediterranean plate is fantastic and bountiful. I love this place. They are struggling a bit after Covid, so go now.

Soooooooo good, Greek salad and Dill Salmon! Yum! The lemon cake was rhe perfect end to the meal. Delicious and the service was great. I am going back for sure to try the other items.

Fantastic food and service. Delicious! I had the baba gnoush and pita along with a veggie and rice dish. My family had a lamb and need dish. They had grape leaves which were really good.

Amazing Mediterranean food. I’ve been a local for years and I go to this restaurant often. Their chicken Dijon is my favorite dish. Also nabil the head chef is so kind and loves meeting customers. Definitely love this place!!

I absolutely love this restaurant. I have never been a fan of hummus until I tried it at this restaurant. I am sooo hooked. Also, the veggies are perfect! I could easily eat a plate of them and be happy. The staff and owner are very cordial. I will be a customer forever!

Wonderful food! Everything was homemade, fresh and delicious, with unique flair to every dish! Highly recommended for lunch or dinner, paired with the extensive wine list!!

Came to visit from Philadelphia and got take out from here on our last night in town. It was by far the best food we had on our trip, I wish I’d found out sooner and I would’ve eaten here more than once! It may be my favorite baba ganoush I’ve eaten. My husband is incredibly particular about eggplant but gave it a chance on the roulade and gave it rave reviews. This place is a gem.

Ending up meeting an old friend for lunch here at the last minute as the diner down the street would not seat me so I left. I am glad I left the diner as this place was great! Gyro was tasty and their yogurt sauce was amazing. Will definitely be going back!

The food is always excellent. Great low-key atmosphere and always leave satisfied. Location is very unassuming but this is easily in my top 3 for best restaurant in the area

Everything about Garlic Lovers Corner is amazing! The food was delicious, and the customer service was fantastic. I shared a few appetizers and entrees with my family. We started with the Fried Calamari, Gyro Pita, and Tzatziki. Each of us ordered different entrees to share. I highly recommend the Grilled Ribeye, which was a perfectly cooked medium. The Garlic Shrimp Florentine and the Dill Salmon dishes were rich in flavor. It was all topped off with red wine. I suggest dining-in since we couldn’t get enough of this delightful experience. Thank you!

The food is phenomenal! You can really tell that everything is made with care. The bread is fresh, the dips are homemade, and even the salad dressings are elevated compared to most restaurants. The ambience is nice with quiet and elegant music, and everyone is so kind.

My husband and I went there for our anniversary...and we were actually served by the owner of this lovely restaurant...He was very friendly and we felt right at home...God bless you Bill

Had a great dinner. Visited on a Thursday and met the owner. What a great person, and his genuine approach to service is not seen anywhere. You get a comfortable family vibe. This place will not disappoint. Pesto Chicken was amazing, but there is something for everyone.

The food all tastes so fresh so delicious. Even the water is good honestly. It feels like eating with family. It’s just a nice lowkey vibe. We just came back from eating there with our 9 month old and it was really nice. He even had some of the taziki and hummus! Soo good!

Delicious as always. Never ordered anything that I didn't absolutely enjoy. My favorites are the salad with salmon and Cucumber vinaigrette on warmer days and lamb stew when it's cold out.

A wonderful food experience. The owner is Egyptian, which puts interesting twists on old favorite Mediterranean food. Some of the best Dolmas I've ever had. Chicken kebab was amazing. Plan a lunch or dinner here when you are in the area!

Best meal you can have across the river from Albany- 15 minute drive from downtown. Exceptional homestyle Mediterranean cooking and great service. Do the owner a favor and make the trip

Found this place with a quick gmaps search. I would not have seen it otherwise. Our dinner had two dishes and I would recommend them both. The beef stroganoff and the Moroccan chicken stew. Both were large portions and came with a house salad. The vinaigrette dressings were exceptional. Worth stopping in for a hearty meal.

One of my favorite places to eat. They have an absolutely amazing salmon salad, and the best hummus and homemade pita I've ever had. Best Mediterranean place I've been to in the Capital Region. The lunch menu in particular is very reasonably priced for the quality of the food. Never had anything here that wasn't delicious, and I eat here quite often. Convenient to Troy, but definitely also worth a trip from Albany.

The Dijon Chicken was so tasty. Like many places, they are short staffed but handled it well.

Great hidden gem. Food quality is great as well as presentation. Consistency is key. Another businesses need to follow. Best falafels around!

Small family owned restaurant with fantastic food. Great Mediterranean options. Homemade cucumber herb dressing was very different, almost like green goddess but more refreshing. Lamb was cooked to perfection. Desserts were delicious. Highly recommend!!

Four of us enjoyed lunch. I had lamb kabobs and my friends chose other options. We all found the food to be delicious and expertly served. And the food is not heavy on the garlic.

I really regret not coming here sooner! The food is wonderful! Can not wait to come back 🥰 Highly recommend all the dishes we ordered. The Moroccan chicken stew, Mediterranean plate and garlic mashed potatoes were all craveworthy!

Marlea Allyn

Can't wait to come back!! Food is delicious and staff is amazing.

Jon Munitz

Honestly the best food I’ve had in the Albany area. Everything is fresh, well balanced in flavor and the portions are great. 100% a place to take a date. I strongly recommend the Mediterranean platter and the Chicken Toscana. The owner/head chef is such a lovely man taking care of customers and ensuring top tier quality.

Colleen Katsares

A hidden gem. Our server Tina, was excellent. The owner is so nice. The food is amazing we had the salmon with the Jasmine rice and grilled asparagus which goes perfectly with the meal. My hubby had the lamb kabobs he said it was so delicious both meals were cooked to perfection.the cucumber dressing for our salad very fresh I could drink it. The portions are great. The Spumoni desert was yummy. Give this place a try you won’t be disappointed. We will be back !!!

J Noreika

This is a special place. We found it by happenstance on a trip from Cleveland to New Hampshire in 2008. And we have been returning whenever there is an opportunity even if it means more driving. It is that good. Nabil opened Garlic Lover’s Corner in 2007. It is in a small strip mall on North Greenbush Road. Our most recent visit was the first time back in a few years. Little has changed. The place is clean, comfortable, the decor pleasant and not ostentatious. The menu features meat, fish and vegetarian dishes but we come for the lamb. Simply put, the lamb kabobs are the best I have had and I have been eating them for over half a century starting with Momma Khalil’s in the Oakland section of Pittsburgh. In the beginning, GLC was a BYOB but now has a full bar. I’d recommend the Merlot, “Sideways” not withstanding, with the lamb. Appetizers include a tasting sampler but we enjoyed the tzatziki and pita bread; the former was smooth and creamy with just the right combination of cucumber, garlic, dill, lemon and mint. Don’t fill up on it. The lamb kabob comes with a house salad with homemade dressing; I enjoyed the cucumber dressing that reminded me of a good Green Goddess. The kabob lamb is a most generous portion; Nabil uses a special cut of lamb that is tender and tasty. It was perfectly cooked to medium rare. It was accompanied by jasmine rice and a fresh vegetable medley of zucchini, red peppers, and broccoli. Too much food, we had lunch for the next day. All this and remarkably reasonably priced especially after the “surprises” we’ve had recently living in Center City Philly. If you like Mediterranean and Lebanese, don’t miss this place. None of us are getting younger so don’t wait. And when you go, tell Nabil Jay and Joanne from Philly nee Ohio sent you.

Mackenzie Peters

Fantastic food - will definitely be going back!

Liz Taylor

Garlic Lovers catered our July 4th event for the third year in a row. The Ribeye steaks and mashed potatoes were fabulous and perfectly seasoned! Guests were wowed by the quality and portions. The hummus is so creamy I can’t find anything like it . Thank you so much.

Sarah Crockwell

Absolutely delicious. The atmosphere was relaxing and the staff were wonderful.

Rai *

I thought it would be just garlic heavy as , I love garlic. It is an old school home cooked Mediterranean restaurant. The atmosphere is very fine dining in a small strip mall. Food is amazing,,, highly recommend 5* , a hidden gem

Joshua Brown

My wife and I went here for lunch this week. The food was soooooo great! We got the hummus with pita for appetizer. The pita was warm, cooked perfect and spiced well. And the hummus was so good. I could’ve just eaten it all day. Then I got the gyro pita and my wife got the Bedouin Chicken. They both were fabulous, cooked perfect and well balanced. And the fries are great too. The older man was the hostess and server. He was charming and funny. We will definitely be coming back and recommend it to everyone.

Kristen Kelly

Second time there and once again did not disappoint. The creamy Dijon chicken was out of this world. The owner always makes sure to check in on how your meal is. Will be returning to try more!

Jmn4

Fantastic experience. Apparently been here for 16 years! Easy to miss hidden gem, small restaurant. But when you walk in and look around you get that "it's gonna be good" feeling. Good wine selection and great drink prices. We were served by the owner himself and he was just a great guy. Went with a Moroccan stew and a chicken Toscana. Portion sizes generous both superb. Tzaziki dipping sauce with pita for an app. Will definitely come back. Great Mediterranean, Italian, and Greek style food. Very close knit family place

Katharine Landry

The chef/owner(?) came out to our table to chat and check in on us throughout our meal—sweet and genuine man. Authentic cuisine and kind staff, we had to roll out of our chairs after eating so much pita, the portions were perfect and meals delicious

Pawel & Karolina Zieba

A hidden gem. The food is exceptional. Service is very polite and professional. A really nice touch that the owner who is also the chef, will meet his guests at each table. At least something we have experienced each time we ate there

Jenn K

Friends and I met for lunch around noon on a Friday. We were warmly and quickly greeted by, I believe the owner. We were walked to our seats and asked about drink orders. We said that we would like the Mediterranean sampler platter. Our favorite! (See our posted pictures) We placed our lunch orders which included the Gyro pita, chicken pesto sandwich and the spicy chicken sandwich. We all ordered fries. The sandwiches were excellent and the fries were hot and perfectly done!! 3 other couples came in after us and were seated and served. This is a special restaurant in a corner of a mall. Highly recommend! They serve wine and beer. They also have many vegetarian dishes.

Corrine Kennedy

I’ve lived in and around the North Greenbush area for my entire 62 years and this was the first time I dined at Garlic Lovers. It did not disappoint. We went with a group of friends ( our monthly dinner with the gang). The inside is warm, quaint and welcoming. The gentleman who waited on us ( I believe he was the owner) was wonderful. We ordered the Mediterranean Platter as an app- delicious, and my chicken kabobs were so tender they melted in my mouth. Our pita bread was warm and if I didn’t devour half the basket I may have been able to finish at least some of my dinner!! Thank God for left overs. I’m so glad I finally tried out Garlic Lovers- will most definitely return. Excellent!

eileen gerrish

Delicious dinner for two. Made easy online reservations. Great wine list to start and pair with a great hummus app. Our salads and entrees were perfect! Lovely lemon cake to close our dinner. This is our first time back since moving away in 2015. Still top-rate!!

Fady Abdelmalek

Starting from the atmosphere to the food; top-notch place. The spicy marinara sauce together with the calamari appetizer was amazing. The ribeye was probably one of best flavored steaks I’ve had in a long time. Portions are perfect and quality is impeccable. Highly recommend!

Francesca Greaney

Even while short staffed, the service, food and overall experience was perfect! I would definitely recommend!

A good place for occasional lunch, I love their falafel and their lamb kebob is one of my favorites. It is typically not too busy at lunch hour.

Yes the dinners are amazing... always delicious -but still for a tiny, neighborhood place it was a bit too pricy.

Delicious food. I love their hummus and chicken pesto sandwich. Often they're out of burgers and they recently changed their fries, but usually a very good experience.

Delicious...my Mother who doesn't like hummus or falafel or tzaiki sauce ate the entire Mediterranean Sampler herself...plus her dinner...great food very nice people

The staff here is always so friendly, the portion sizes are HUGE and the food is always flavorful! My only harp is the warmth of the environment, decor and table/seating-wise.

Food is delicious, ambiance is pleasantly relaxing, not someplace to go if you're not looking to take it slow and easy. Hibiscus Tea is fabulous!

Great food, and it is wonderful to get the individual attention from the owner during the week. The ambience is nothing to write home about, but the Mediterranean food is what you are there for...

Great place for Mediterranean style cuisine, I love the different varieties of New England Clam Chowders I have tried here although they do not have them every day. Falafel is another of their appetizers that I like best, much better than the offerings by other restaurants. Service can be slow on occasions, that would be my only complaint.

This place is a hidden gem in the capital district. Food is great! Last time I went there I had the beef stroganoff and it was perfect. The pita bread and the falafel were impeccable. The only reason why I'm not giving it 5 stars is service, which was a bit slow (they seemed to be understaffed), but if you have the time to spare and prefer to order everything at once, then you should be good.

This is a small quaint place with excellent original food. We eat there fairly regularly. Their lamb stew is outstanding. Tonight I had peppercorn in crusted swordfish which was also excellent. It was one of the specials of the night

Good food. However, we were disappointed the name of the restaurant was not reflected in the food.

Justa GoodOlBoy

We had a restaurant.com coupon and figured let's go try something different from our normal routine. We were greeted by a very friendly gentleman who made sure we were well attended to. We ordered a few different things, starting with a hummus appetizer plate which was almost too much on its own. The kabobs were great as was our overall service. Awesome experience!

Food was great. They should not have the owner serving unless it was a last resort. I don't think one diner including my gf could get a drink refill.

The food at Garlic Lovers Corner is always great in my opinion. The have great Mediterranean food. Their hummus is the best I've ever had, it's smooth and creamy and seasoned perfectly. I typically order their Greek Salad with Gyro meat (I'm gluten free), and it's one of my favorite all-time salads. Their Green Goddess-type dressing is out of this world, and I could eat their dolmas all day! I'm so glad they come in the salad! When dining with friends/family, they always love ordering the gyro sandwich and fries. They also say the pita is wonderful. The pita always comes out hot and freshly made. The only downside of this restaurant is the service. It is EXTREMELY slow. There typically is only one waitstaff, and I believe only one cook. I tend to order right when I'm seated so there is not an extra delay, but even so, I usually don't get out of there under an hour. Since I typically go during lunchtime from work, it can be an issue. Other than that, it's worth the trip.

This place has great food, but service is sometimes an issue. We stopped by for dinner a couple weeks ago, the place was half full and we were told it would be a 30 minute wait. We asked if we could have a glass of wine while we waited and that was the last anyone spoke to us. No wine, no explanation. We ended up leaving and the girl seemed happy to see us go. I assume they were short staffed, and we were willing to wait and enjoy a glass of wine but this experience will probably prevent me from going back.

M B McManus

Short staffed which made for a very long dinner. The scallops were good, beef stroganoff delicious! Toasting the pita bread a nice added touch.

It worries me that the place is under staffed and the owner does way more than he should be doing. When you do too many things you can’t excel at everything. Shows himself as stingy.

I definitely would not order a rib eye there. Mine was not good. Potatoes were good and the pita bread but if I could I'd want a refund or a voucher to try something else. I was very disappointed. I think there must be good food there though. Just didn't like what I ordered and the person I was with struggled to cut their kebab. Might have been too thick. I don't know. I didn't taste it. Good lentil soup..

So I have to say that the food here is exceptional but I give it ONE STAR BECAUSE OF THE OWNER. I have been here many times and each time the owner isn't there my experience has been great, the food always good and the service exceptional. However, the owner's bedside manner is very lacking and I will never go if he serves me again. He is brusque, rude, and his service is horrible. When my family and I walked into the restaurant on a Thursday evening, there was one other table with two people. The restaurant was empty and as we walked in, the owner looked at me and my children and said Yes? As in what are you doing here? As if we were there to do him a favor!! I can understand if the restaurant was slammed, however that type of welcome isn't exactly what I want to go to pay for. It just gets better... after we were seated...the owner comes back and says are you ready to order. No water...didn't even ask if we wanted something to drink. By contrast, he took care of the two top table fawning over each detail for this couple. At the end of the meal, my partner signed the bill and went to heat up the car. The owner comes over to me and says " I cant read this and almost throws the bill at me." I look at the bill and noticed that my partner wrote the tip in-correctly. As I dial my partner on the phone...the owner yells out to me "HERE WE LEAVE 15% to 20%" I mean how rude! I am on the phone trying to figure out if it was an honest mistake but I have never in my life been treated so poorly.I corrected the mistake and though we left him 20% his service honestly did not deserve even a dollar. I have never written a review and honestly I wasn't going to bother with this one but this isn't the first time he has been this brusque with me...Not sure if he has an issue with people of color or what the deal is but if I do want to eat their food, I would think twice just because of him. I have had his nephew serve me and my family before and any other server at the restaurant has been polite and very welcoming but the owner needs to brush up on some etiquette and manners.

Have been a loyal customer for a few years. Food is good but a little pricey and the last time we ordered to go food the pita bread was stale. We called tonight for a pickup order and was told no pickup orders tonight. We will not be bothering anymore with this place. To many other great restaurants in the area.

Called Wednesday about take out order for Saturday. Was told no problem, we open at 4 and can have your dinner ready by 5. When I called Saturday at 4, line busy, got through 4:15, was immediately told earliest he could have an order ready was 6:30. Upon pressure he agreed to 5:30. Placed my order only to be told one of the dinners on menu not available! Settled for same as wife, Beef Stroganoff. Ready upon arrival. At homed opened up dish to find tough beef, fatty chunks, some well done! Gravy was very tasty and salads were fresh.