Aria Mediterranean Cuisine
405 Dartmouth Ave, Swarthmore, PA, 19081
Aria Mediterranean Cuisine Menu
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Address :
405 Dartmouth Ave
Swarthmore, PA, 19081 - Phone (610) 543-2701
- Website https://aria610.com
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :11:00 am - 9:00pm
- Mon : 11:00 am - 9:00pm
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : Yes
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Lunch, Dinner
Parking : Street
Bike Parking : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : No
Outdoor Seating : No
Has TV : Yes
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : Yes
WE SERVE THE FOLLOWING STATES
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Nat P.
Another 'where the hell is this place' suburban locale that's not up to par. It was very hard to find this place first of all, and maybe it was better that I didn't. But anyway...this place is around Swarthmore College near the train stop on the overpass above chester road. It has a teeny sign that's not that obvious. I ordered take out and this place seems to do that best since it's kinda small inside and not that much seating. The huge food cabinet in front is filled with pre made food that looked divine, but then again looks are deceiving. I had a gyro sandwich which was blah to say the least. The meat didn't speak to me, and each bite just made me more bored with the whole thing. The tzatziki was just ok. I moved on to a couple falafel balls, which besides giving me my daily supply of fiber, didn't do much for me. Finally I shared a chicken thigh kabob, which I would actually say would have been good if it was freshly made, since I think it was sitting out too long and developed this leathery, hard to chew feel. I tried to like it but I couldn't, and to top it off service was annoying. I don't know if its just me but I hate teen servers, cashiers etc, who have no idea what the word service means. The young girl at the counter who checked me out, showed no etiquette when it comes to serving a customer. I guess gone are the days when people appreciated your business. I paid, she took my money and gave me my change and that was it. No thank you, have a nice day... nothing. Not for me!
(2)Kalev R.
Wonderful. I would kill for the palak paneer.
(5)Gail C.
Very disappointed with our meal. The chicken was dry, how can chicken thighs be dry. Too much rice, Greek salad??? When does Greek salad have no cucumbers and loads of celery and a few tiny bits of feta. Sorry, but would not recommend this "restaurant" how can this place stay in business? The chicken FILO was so dry also, could not even taste the creamy dill sauce. So happy we did not invite our friends to join us. After reading the review of a former employee, wish I would have done so before we went. Disgusting about the owner removing mold from the food and picking food out of the trash. Needs to be closed. UGH.
(1)Ron V.
See my check-in for review! You can't beat this place for Lamb kabob, curry and moussaka.
(5)Tamara K.
Not a fan. I ordered a gyro sandwhich and tabouli salad. The gyro was like that fake gyro that you get at a diner. The Tabouli was below par. I do wonder how the falafels are....maybe I will give it another try.
(2)Dan C.
I have been here three times now, and was hoping it would be a great alternative to Sahara Grill in the city. Unfortunately, that was not the case. As a college student looking for ways to get some good eats without taking SEPTA, I can't complain about its location. However, the only thing that I have had that was good was the hummus dip. Sandwich and platters are so-so, but what really brought this place down was the deli assortment. I've tried a few things, but truly nothing is more disgusting than super oily eggplant salad that makes you feel afraid to eat any more because of potential stomach issues. Also, their stuffed grape leaves are usually half-solid from being too cold. I am extremely disappointed in this, as the proprietor's market stall at the local farmer's market was one of the most popular and delicious. Then, it was worth the money; now, I see my money sadly thrown into the trash can. I can only hope this place improves with time.
(2)Walter H.
Great local restaurant with Greek and Middle Eastern food. Informal ambience; fast service. I like the Gyro Platter with the Cucumber Salad. Many choices in the deli case for take-out as well.
(5)Gabe M.
This restaraunt absolutely rocked. My meal was $7.50, and I don't think I have ever spent money in a better way. The food was high on the delicious scale, the menu was varied, and the service was fast and pretty good. The best thing about this place was the fries which were killer. I highly recommend Aria for anyone who is hungry for Mediterranean cuisine and tasty fries.
(5)Amanda G.
I had very high expectations for Aria (from reading the other reviews), but I was not impressed with our first visit. I'm being generous with my three star rating only because you can't give 2.5 stars. Can we start with the fact that the GREEK SALAD had NO CUCUMBER in it. I mean, that's like, one of the key ingredients for a Greek salad. ADDITIONALLY, it was PACKED with CELERY. Celery? Are you kidding me? I was so perturbed by the fact that there was a large amount of celery in my salad that I actually spent about 20 minutes on Google looking at various Greek salad recipes. Nowhere did I find any recipe that omitted cucumber and added celery. ANYWAY, beyond that, the food was just OK. We got the chicken and lamb kebab platters. They gave you about 2 tablespoons of tzatziki, which was the consistency of water. It was pointless to have it. There was also about 3 cups of rice and one serving of meat. The platters basically came off as being dry and the flavors weren't exciting. I would go back one more time to get a gyro sandwich and to try the grape leaves. The food wasn't bad, as a whole, but I was definitely expecting more.
(3)Dee M.
Unsure why the few mediocre reviews for Aria exist . I will attribute those reviews to the entitled and sometimes affluent nature of most of those who go to the college. Aria is just off the main drag and its next to the Co-op food store. If you are here looking for a downtown, 5 star (Stephen comes to mind) type of experience you've come to the wrong place. And Yea, they could improve the decor but then the price would go up ! You enter through an area that can be crowded because of the large takeout business they have. Once you are seated the food can't be beat and it is super cheap for not only Mediterranean but for this area- Swarthmore. Last night I was served pita and fresh hummus before my entree of Lamb curry which came with a side of Taboula. All for $9.99. There was enough to take home for a second meal . This is the 4th or 5th time I've been there and I can say the service is good, the food good and cheap . I've never had a bad meal here.
(4)June L.
By far the best option in Swarthmore. I'm confused by the negative reviews here, but to be fair, I've only had their lamb kebab/chicken kebab sandwiches and platters, both of which are incredible. The rice in their platters stands out. Someone commented on the lack of cucumber and addition of celery in their greek salad-they definitely do have a unique greek salad (think less lettuce and a variety of other veggies), but I actually like it more than any greek salads I've had elsewhere. The owner's also incredibly friendly. My only complaint is that I wish they did delivery. I am going to note that they swiped my credit card for more than the price of an takeout order once, but the owner was extremely apologetic and gave me back my money.
(5)Laura M.
Food is really delicious and very unique. the owner/chef explained to us about what foods he thought we would enjoy and what foods might we might not be able to eat due to our food sensitivities. he was really gracious. The atmosphere is simple. There are interesting cultural decorations on the walls. I would definitely return to this restaurant and I'm so glad I found it.
(5)Dave R.
Amazing. Great food, super cheap. I have yet to have a bad meal from there.
(5)Anne H.
The food is amazing! I really liked the eggplant dish called "roasted eggplants" and the beans dish called "3 beans salad". Small and simple place but definitely a restaurant to visit just across Swarthmore college.
(5)Iman R.
Because the owner is such a nice guy, I would like to recommend everything at this restaurant but as someone who is familiar with middle Eastern food, particularly from Iran and Afghanistan (the owner is from Afghanistan) I can only recommend the hummus and cucumber salad (from what I've had). The Afghani rice and chicken kabob weren't terrible but I'm afraid it wasn't great either. The rice, as another person on here said, was not "some kind of rice-a roni style mix", it was a nice long grain basmati style rice with Afghani flavorings (cumin I think), but I prefer simple white rice with butter and a little saffron (being Iranian) and the chicken Kabob was just not fresh. And the jolabi desert (sort of like funnel cake) was stale and almost not edible. Also he offered (free of charge, which was very nice) a soup he called Persian "aush", which he said everyone loved. It first of all was not "Persian" at all. It tasted like watered down spaghetti and meat sauce with some frozen vegetables thrown in. But the owner is an incredibly nice guy (very gracious and friendly) and I sincerely hope it's better next time. Here's my constructive advice to the owner: Stick to making actual Afghan food. Make the place an actual nice (not expensive) sit-down restaurant rather than deli/market stand/restaurant that it is. I request an Afghan favorite my friends make called bolani...its the best and I'm sure Americans will love it! en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bo…
(3)Harriett T.
Delicious food-prices are reasonable. Cucumber salad-awesome tabouli-awesome their homemade humus is the best I've ever had If you like Middle Eastern food-give this place a try-you won't be disappointed.
(5)Bradley B.
Easily the worst falafel I've ever tasted, that's including falafel from a mix. The rice was some kind of rice a roni style mix, with tiny pieces of pasta masquerading as rice. The hummus was on point though.
(2)Nicole C.
Literally the worst restaurant in which I've ever eaten!! Trying to choke down my meal was torture. No idea how they stay in business. Only edible item was the hummus and pita bread served before the meal and even that was mediocre at best. I took the food home as a treat for my dogs who are not by any means picky eaters and they wouldn't go near it. Yuck, yuck, yuck!
(1)Cyrus M.
Great take-out deli/restaurant, pricing very attractive. The food is good and seems very authentic. Be prepared for the Tzatziki sauce being a lil minty (could have just been my 2nd visit). VERY friendly staff willing to make you happy with minor requests and substitutions. The free hummus appetizer will whet your appetite greatly. Loved the corn salad and all the entrees I have tried. Its decor is definitely not Le Bec Fin [neither is Le Bec Fin anymore :) ], but its quaint and serviceable. Wouldn't take a new-er dating partner there, but would love to show off its taste and service after you reach that comfortable sweater/jeans stage. Being in Swathmore is a bit geographically undesirable for me, but I still made the trip and would again.
(4)Jeb W.
Great. Delicious food. Friendly guy who owns it/runs it. Definitely try it. Was fantastic.
(5)Calvin H.
So the restaurant bills itself as Mediterranean but the owners are Afghan and the menu includes chimichangas and chili? Sure! The first time I came here the light above our table wasn't working. They were super apologetic about it, so we were able to make it seem more "romantic" and less "what is up with this poor restaurant?" They gave us some hummus and pita for free ("because college students love hummus"--true) and that definitely made up for the lack of lighting. The hummus and pita were great, as were the side salads that we got. Unwittingly, I managed to order both an Afghan entree and two Afghan dessert. The mantu (cognate with Korean mandu!) are steamed beef dumplings served with a tomato-yogurt sauce on top. Excellent, and the portions were so big that I saved half of my plate of mantu for lunch the next day. For dessert, we had jalebi and gosh e feel. Jalebi are like small cold funnel cakes, and gosh e feel are fried dough with sugar and pistachios on top. Both were excellent, even though they were probably made quite a while ago. Great restaurant if you happen to be in Swarthmore!
(4)Stephen P.
I get takeout from Aria farily often, about once a week. This is definitely a 4-star place for the two-dollar-sign price range. Go with expectations! -- the food is simple, wonderful, and delightful. Excellent place for the casual eat-in (where we go when we HAVE to get out of the house), as well as a quick pick-up for delightful and varied at-home dinner. Although not a vegetarian restaurant, your vegetarian friends will have no difficulty selecting a meal. I'd say that well over half of their selections are vegetarian. Meat is a component, not a base, for a meal. Azim is almost always in back (chef-owner) and will gladly talk about the food with you and answer any questions, too. For the most part, they nail the balance between seasonings and ingredients quite well. Neither is overpowering; each allows the other to speak. Last night, we had the roasted corn salad (a favorite), the three bean salad, chicken chili, gobi (cauliflower and chick peas), and the folded potato pancakes whose name I forget. I've enjoyed their burritos (not rice-stuffed, thankfully), greek and cucumber salads, baba ghanoush, hummus, samosas (wonderful!), chicken, etc., all in the past. On the other hand, I've found their falafal to be dry and the tabouili to be too lemony. Oh well, not everything is perfect (for me)! If you're in the Media/Swarthmore/Springfield area, this is a topnotch place for a low-key dinner or good meal-at-home.
(4)Gerry O.
This is the most remarkable Mediterranean food I've eaten since leaving the New York City area -- and that's high praise, indeed. Aria's food is fresh, artfully seasoned and cooked to perfection. Start with their Persian tea. It's brought to your table piping hot in tall mugs. It's a strong but not bitter spiced black tea expertly blended with cardamom, cinnamon, cloves and a touch of ginger. The brew is so pleasantly fragrant that you'll know it's on its way from all the way across the room. The hummus is as good as it gets -- slightly smoky, with a perfect texture and just enough garlic to make it interesting without becoming overpowering. The owner brought a basket of warm pita to our table along with a small clear glass dish filled to brimming with a black bean and olive hummus topped with a thin layer of savory, shimmering oil. There's just enough cumin in the hummus to be noticeable, and the combination of beans, ground olives and lemon creates a strong and remarkably complementary blend of savory, salty and slightly tart flavors in the mouth. Perfect. Aria's falafel sandwich is a delicious mix of crispy, delicately flavored fried chickpeas, hummus, tzatziki, tomatoes and lettuce wrapped in warm, crispy bread. The Tandoori chicken (yes, they have Tandoori chicken) blends just enough cayenne and turmeric and the meat is tender and moist. The overstuffed chicken kabob sandwich (highly affordable at around six dollars) is especially satisfying when served with a large dollop of their signature tzatzki sauce, which combines fresh yogurt with mint and just a hint of basil. Top off your meal with the most mouthwatering pumpkin and cinnamon bread pudding I've ever tasted and you have a perfect middle eastern meal in the heart of downtown Swarthmore, Pennsylvania. Oh, and the owners are as friendly as they are accommodating. The premises are small and tastefully simple, with a deli-like ambiance and no frills table service. But you're not here for the setting -- you're here for the dazzlingly delicious middle eastern cuisine, at affordable prices.
(5)Andrew S.
The place got our order wrong, missing at least one item. The koubideh and rice were both super salty but otherwise flavorless. Even for the reasonable price compared to NYC area, I'll pass next time.
(2)Bob W.
I've eaten here 5 times now...every time has been a treat. The place is small, clean and quiet. There is plenty of spacious seating. They have both table service and a takeout deli counter. The Mantoo (meat dumplings in a spicy red sauce) is wonderful...I usually get the appetizer as the platter has loads of rice. It's weird to get burritos at a Mediterranean restaurant, but their burritos are "the Bomb" especially the beef...But be warned, if you ask for spicy, you'll get "Spicy!" Which is just how I like it but it's too hot for some. Next time I'm getting a gyro, because they sure look good. By the way, the owner/cook is very friendly. My daughters also love their gelato, but I admit I've never tried it.
(5)John P.
I wasn't expecting the best from this restaurant because of its suburban location and very eclectic menu, but I was very pleasantly surprised, as my two dining companions who had been here thought I would be. The menu is more Middle Eastern than Mediterranean but even that doesn't cover all the items. The owners are Azeri (from Azerbaijan) nor Afghan as another reviewer stated. I have visited restaurants in republics that were formerly part of the USSR and also from restaurants in NE Philadelphia whose owners immigrated from the same and the menus often featured items from other republics far apart geographically and culturally, and this menu follows suit with such items as potato pancakes, dumplings, Armenian pizza and ka-bobs. I had vegetarian dumplings which I think have their roots in Siberia and they were wonderful as were the meat dumplings my friend ordered and I tasted. Also amazing was the grilled corn salad and I am not a big fan of corn. I didn't get to try them but the menu also features burritos, completely removed from the Mediterranean / Middle Eastern / former Soviet Union parameters. I ordered Persian ice cream for dessert which they were out of but a perfect gelato was a good substitute. I just wish this place was closer to me so I could spend a week trying the numerous menu items. The current menu is more expansive than the one found on the restaurant's website, which is still under construction.
(5)Katie L.
This is a great little restaurant in Swarthmore. They have a wide variety of food, and all that we've tried has been delicious! The service was quick and polite, and you can choose to dine in or take out. We will definitely continue to go back.
(5)Mark S.
In a word, the food was great. We had a sampling of a number of things, all of which were really good. And the dessert was to die for--sort of like baklava, but with shredded filo dough and round in shape. I would come here again in a heartbeat.
(5)