Was craving Mediterranean and the hubs and I stumbled upon this place! Small but nice, the gentleman who waited on is may have been the owner not sure, but anyways the service was really good. He was very helpful with the menu selections. Also an added bonus they have hookah!! Very nice selection and quality, lasted a while. Great place to lounge with a date or some friends bring a bottle, grab a bite to eat and hookah.
(4)
Brandon C.
I love this restaurant for both the food and the experience. The food is not your run of the mill kabob/humus middle eastern food. It brings together Egyptian, Greek, Lebanese, even Indian flavors. The owner is great. He goes out of his way to make guests feel welcome and have an authentic experience.
(5)
Sara G.
Delivery was just not worth it. With tip, $25 two unheated sandwiches that had to be eaten platter-style because they were falling apart. My minced lamb looked quite unappetizing. It was 3 logs of ground lamb that I had to break apart on my own. Meh.
(2)
Kelly L.
Love this restaurant! Boss is very friendly. Nice ambience for a chilled night with hookah and food. BYOB!
(4)
Jess L.
I had an appointment today that took me by King Tut and I still regretted not having their baklava, so I stopped in again and felt compelled to write another review after my lunch there. Not only did I have a falafel sandwich on pita with hummus and feta which was A) nearly the size of my head and B) near perfection but C) the sandwich was $3.50. Huge, tasty, amazing lunch for $3.50? Plus baklava and a superlative turkish coffee (you could taste the cardamom--drool) which only put it at about $8 for the whole thing? (The baklava was a cheese baklava, which I've never had. It was really interesting--very delicate and light, dusted with a little honey and a sprinkling of pistachios. Perfect for a lunchtime dessert.) Plus, the server remembered exactly who I was. I had to come back and adjust my rating to five stars. Their dinnertime menu is delicious and fairly priced, but their lunchtime menu is an outrageous steal. I'll definitely be back for both!
(5)
Danielle S.
LOVE King Tut! It's impossible to find authentic Middle Eastern food in Philly, so King Tut fills a great niche. My favorite dishes are the avocado tehina (imagine a creamy, bursting with flavor guacamole) and the Israeli lentil soup. I'm not a huge chummus fan, but the chummus is great. I'm an event planner for a living, and King Tut's owner Ibrkhaim was so, so accommodating with a recent event I had. He shut the whole restaurant down for us, customized a special menu, and made everyone feel at home the entire night. It's BYOB, so bring a bottle and enjoy!
(5)
Jenna M.
If I had to nominate one restaurant for "Hidden Gem Only the Locals Know", King Tut would be it. King Tut looks pretty unassuming from the outside, but the food... oh wow. Let's start with the Best Falafel in Philadelphia. This isn't your typical bland, dry, masquerading-as-health-food falafel. The King serves up meaty, savory, manly falafel. It's like the filet mignon of falafel. Another standout dish is the King's meze, a shared appetizer platter with some familiar favorites (like that perfect smoky baba ganoush), and some you might never have tried but will soon crave at random hours of the day (the spicy red pepper dip). Be sure to order extra pita... delicious, fluffy, beautiful pita. The owner told us he ships the pita in from Israel. I get the sense he's kind of a perfectionist. The neat thing about the King is the recipe is a little different every time, but always delicious. In an era of focus group-tested menus, King Tut really makes hand-crafted dishes. It's like attending a dinner party hosted by a high-end chef.
(5)
Sarah F.
A friend and I went here this past Wednesday because we had a restaurant.com gift card. Our server accepted it without a problem. Before you go, know that the portions are huge. We shared a vegetable samosa, which was really yummy, but cold in the middle. The sauce it comes with is very spicy. After the samosa, it took a long while for our entrees to be served, but since we had nowhere to be it didn't matter. After awhile, a girl came from the kitchen and asked if we wanted her to bring the chicken entree because it would be another 10 minutes for the fish. We were sharing so it worked out nicely, actually. By the time we actually got to the fish we were already so full from the chicken. The fish comes whole, and the server was happy to remove the bones for us. The fish (Wed Special) was great and I wish it had come out first, however it was my first time eating bone-in fish and it was a little bit difficult. We were too full to finish, and declined to take home leftovers because we were heading somewhere else, and fish isnt the greatest reheated anyway. The server seemed kind of offended that we didn't want to take it with us, and I felt like I had to reassure him that we liked the food. I recommend this place if you are not in a big rush to go anywhere afterwards, and definitely if you have a giftcertificate.
(4)
Aileen K.
Great food! Great service!
(4)
Regina F.
King Tut offers all the wackiness and adventure of trekking to the other side of the globe without actually leaving Philadelphia. The menu is a surprisingly cohesive pantheon of Middle Eastern, Mediterranean and Indian cuisines. The okra dish - ask for it extra spicy, and assure them you're Asian, even if you're not - is saucy, spicy and succulent. It differs from traditional bhindi masala in that there's plenty of chili sauce to sop up with your absurdly fat, warm fluffy pita bread. Basically, you've got okra swimming in chili coulis. The avocado hummus is like somebody bred guacamole and hummus and made some sort of perfect, quintessentially smooth offspring. Oh yeah, and the baklava with its creamy undertone was definitely worth taking a diphenhydramine (prior to eating at a BYO) to suppress that pesky histine reaction before indulging in its honey pistachio goodness...
(4)
Jenna E.
My boyfriend and I will definitely be back! We did not know what to expect and we were pleasantly surprised. The food was delectable and the service was wonderful. The owner treated us like family and was kind and genuine. Highly recommend!
(5)
Rob W.
I went here for a friend's birthday party and I was utterly surprised. I want to be clear right off the bat, the only reason I didn't give this place 5 stars is because it's not a 5 star restaurant. They don't serve dry aged beef or lobster mac and cheese, what they do serve is some of the best middle eastern cuisine I've had to date in Philadelphia. I think we payed $25 per person and the amount of food they gave us was unreal, not to mention DELICIOUS! After dinner the owner rolled out a few hookas and we really all relaxed... I really do love this place and can't wait to bring my parents!
(4)
Kimberly S.
Love this place. The owner is friendly and the food is great. Service could be on the slower side, but why rush out anyway.
(5)
Rand H.
Delightful little gem of a place. I've had several dishes. Fantastic garlicky babaghanoush (I'm sure I've spelled that wrong), good chicken dishes and this week tried the rabbit which was on special. Pita bread hot out of the oven. Owner is wonderfully friendly without being solicitous. I only get to Philly once or twice a year but I like to try to get a meal here when I am in town.
(4)
Charles P.
Great food, great service, well executed dishes. I had the falafel as an app - strong dish well seasoned. The Lamb kabob dish I had was perfectly cooked and the Tahini sauce was great. I recommend going while its still new and doesn't have a crazy wait. Trust me, if you wait too long to try it you will be waiting.
(4)
Teresa K.
We went there for takeout last week. The online menu looked like it had a great variety of food, including seafood, so we were surprised when they gave us the menu. The only seafood was a fish of the day. The girl said they lost the password and couldn't update the online menu. Anyway, my friend ordered the lentil soup and she loved it. I also loved the avocado and tahini dip. It was good, way too much oil floating around in it, but still good. My friend ordered the koshari which she said was quite good. There was a lot of it, she still had some the next day. I ordered the Eggplant Moussaka. I have to say I was terribly disappointed. 2 small slices of eggplant, 2 small pieces of tomato, a few, maybe 4 pieces of onion, a couple garlic cloves, and a ton of rice. For 12.95 or 13.95, I forget which, it was NOT worth it. It didn't taste bad, but I didn't want the rice, so it took me like 2 seconds to eat. The worst part of the whole place, though, was I had to use the rest room while I was there. It's downstairs, and kind of smells mildewy. But it gets even worse. There's a sign that says "Don't put toilet paper or paper towels in the toilet." Yes, that's right. Your toilet paper goes in the trash can. Actually I'm surprised I didn't just walk out right then. That has to be unsanitary. All in all, I can say it wasn't worth the long walk from my office building to get there and I will not be back. I forgot to add that it took over 30 minutes for us to get our food.
(2)
Ben P.
Good food. Great service. Cozy atmosphere. It's a little pricey, for what it is. First time we eating there, so we ordered apps, platters, etc. We went big. Wanted to give them their due. They came through in a major way. Food is great and authentic. Portions are sizeable and they even threw in a 4th item on a plate that normally comes with 3. It's a family-run joint and the service feels like it, which is nice. We we absolutely be back. Probably more likely to do a lot of take-out from them, sandwiches, etc., because as I said, they menu can get it bit expensive.
(4)
Michael G.
Amazing food, amazing service such a fun place to go with a group.
(5)
Sean H.
Although the hookah took forever, it was nice when it did come out. And my friends really enjoyed their food. I'd already eaten, so I just nibbled on some pita while they dined on kebabs and all the trimmings. It looked lovely. The place itself was rather unassuming and pretty dead, neither of which are things I mind in the slightest.
(4)
Kyle K.
Off the beaten path but definitely worth stopping in. Went in late on a Saturday night. One of the few byob places I'll return to. The food was tasty and the portions are generous. I wanted to try more of their menu offerings but was stuffed after appetizers. The pita and hummus could be lunch by itself.The stuffed grape leaves were on point as well as the meat lovers platter( don't recall the actual name). Some of the best middle-eastern food I've had including my travels abroad. The server was was enjoyable and was very helpful. I enjoyed the mixed berry hookah with my meal and a mint tea. All the patrons were locals and seemed familiar with the staff. Next time I think I'll enjoy the outside seating as the restaurant is a little on the "intimate" side. If you enjoy making new friends you'll love it. Get a few friends and a bottle and enjoy. Its also a great location to just sit and people-watch.
(4)
Cat P.
I was dying to trying this place out. We got there and it was pretty crowded, but we were seated right away. It took them over 10 minutes to come out and give us water/ask for our order. We figured it was no big deal. After we ordered, they brought us out silverware, plates, and a pita bread basket, of which my date and I each took a piece and put it on our plates. The waiter then came back, grabbed the pitas off our plates, and insisted the basket and silverware was for another table who had been waiting longer than us. He then gave them our stuff even though we had kinda used it (no joke). The table next to us left and as the bus boy was cleaning it, he offered us a glass of wine from that table! He seemed shocked when we said no, but of course we didn't want it! The bus boy was wearing gloves, but didn't change them the entire night. He even brought out our food and plates using the same gloves that he had been using to clean up other tables. Halfway through our dinner, they burned something in the kitchen, so the entire restaurant filled with smoke. As our dinner was winding down, we asked for boxes. The waiter didn't think I had put enough of my dinner in the box, so he opened it, touched my food with his hands, dumped the rest of my plate in, closed it, and gave it back to me. I know that things like this probably happen in the kitchen, but I didn't want the guy touching my food right in front of me. Needless to say, that went in the trash as soon as we got home. I wish I was making this all up. It's a shame because the food was decent and the staff was friendly, but I was so appalled by the lack of cleanliness and the bizarre service that I will never go back there!
(1)
Cindy K.
Cozy little restaurant with an array of food to be had. I like that it was BYOB. I was with a friend and we were planning to go elsewhere which was closed. This place was opened. My friend had been there before. The food was very flavorful. I had the Addas Bihamod black lentil sauteed with garlic, green and red peppers, lemon juice and olive oil. The pita bread that came with it was awesome, freshly made and a nice garlic taste to it. We also had the King Tut Tea - Karkadeh which was a fruity hot tea. This was very flavorful. The service was very nice. We closed out the place and they didn't mind at all. The food came out very quickly. The staff (mother and daughter) were sooo nice. I highly recommend this place.
(4)
Madeleine S.
The chicken curry here is the best I've had in years, and the pita is thick and fluffy, like naan, but denser and even tastier. I came alone right after they'd opened, and the owners were incredibly kind and attentive. One even came over and had me put the sugar in my iced coffee before he made it so it was exactly as sweet as I wanted it, which I REALLY appreciated. Wonderful place, will be back a million times.
(5)
Nikki L.
People walk by this place all the time and don't realize how good it really is. BYOB, amazing pita and hummus, cheap plates, and fantastically priced hookah?! What more could you ask for? And out waitress Shariheen (I know I just completely butchered the spelling) was one of the coolest waitresses I've ever met. She even had to play a medic when a woman was passing out in the table next to us while her loser asshole friends just sat there and did nothing. I have found my new fav local spot.
(4)
Lindsay T.
We are in the midst of a falafel crawl at work and so far we've King of Falafel, Crisp, The Crazy (in a good way) Falafel Guy on 20th and Market and we've decided that King Tut's falafel is the best yet! We ate there so that may have helped their rating as the falafel was perfectly cooked - crispy and warm without being overly soggy. In addition to the falafel sandwich (which I got with hummus and feta) we split the fattoush salad - awesome - and the lentil soup - even more tasty. The salad was chopped so that the herbs and veggies melded together perfectly with the light dressing. And the lentil soup was pureed which I ended up really liking with the perfect touch of seasonings. The food didn't come flying out - which I didn't mind- but take note if you are in a rush. ALSO is a BYOB.
(4)
Christina W.
my friend&I where looking for a hookah spot one night and we came across this spot one word "FABOLOUS" the food is delicious and the gyros Mmmmmm!!!the lamb was so tender the Veggies where fresh I loved it not to mention the falaful I never had it before but its one of my favorite appetizer.The hookahs where smooth to taste and they have great flavors the owner and his wife are welcoming and the places is gorgeous and well kept.word of advise if youre ever in the mood for good times and good people king tuts is the place to be
(5)
Clifford Q.
Great Food - Local Haven - Wandered in Friday night after 3 other places in the area that were packed - Was a little leery as there were only a few folks inside. We eat out almost 5 nights a week and it is always fun to try a new place. Food was incredible - Tastier then other local places that serve same cuisine - Nice portions - Nice family owned and run business - Mom was in the kitchen cooking away with a broken ankel and dad and daughter taking care of the front - great food - great service and great prices. I think it wil be come a regular
(4)
Maxim K.
Great food - server with a smile - unique decor. Did I mention the food. It's gentle Egyptian tempered with the smells of the Mediterranean sea
(5)
Katherine S.
First time trying King Tut was a large take-out/delivery order. It arrived promptly by the promised time. The menu is rather interesting - mostly vegetarian, mostly Middle Eastern but some Indian. The only meat dish we ordered was the mixed grill, which was uninspiring - even my meat-a-tarian husband agreed the next time we patronize King Tut (which will be soon) we'll stick with the veg dishes which were absolutely fantastic. The lentil soup was to die for - I don't even really like traditional lentil soup - this was full of fresh herbs and spices - the next time I have a cold and don't want my usual cure of Pho this will be my go-to soup. Also followed others' recommendations and got the okra and baba ganoush which were delicious. Roasted eggplant and tomato/potato vegetarian platter was a close second, as was the mixed appetizer platter with various spreads and falafel. Obviously I cannot comment on the ambiance and in-restaurant service but at minimum we'll be doing take out again without hesitation - a decent value for a healthy delicious meal.
(4)
Janna R.
This place is awesome! True Mediterranean homemade food cooked by the owner and his wife. It tastes unbelievable! They are both incredibly friendly and fun. Real Arabic coffee and delicious tea. Great hookahs and belly dancing music in the background. I am totally going back there again at the next available opportunity. We celebrated a friend's birthday and just took over the whole place, stayed past closing hours and danced the night away with the owners! Fun fun fun!!!!
(5)
Bruce W.
Wonderful food and atmosphere, run by husband and wife team. Thanks to Kham X for the advise on handing the coupon in first like it says in the I reactions. We had no problems with ours. Make sure to ask for spicy. (911). If you wan anything beyond very mild. The Avacado eggplant was superb along with the spinach pie and shrimp. Well be back!!
(5)
Burgle K.
I have now been to King Tut twice and its been a blast both times. The food is so good and the owner is hilarious. After handing me my lamb curry (which was so so good) he told me not to get curried away. My girlfriend and I got the babaganoush and this lentil dish to start and I had the lamb curry and she had some lamb pita sandwich thing. The total was $40. Please do yourself a favor and try this place out.
(5)
Kham X.
Food wasn't bad but the waiter lied about not being able to rerun my credit card with the certificate amount taken off. When we paid for the check we presented a certificate which enticed us to try the place out. The waiter ran the full amount of the check "by accident" and said he couldn't void and rerun the charge. He then began to blame us for not telling him we were using a certificate and that the food was worth paying full price for anyways. Not the best way to keep customers when there are lots of restaurants to choose from.
(1)
Tracey C.
I was in Philly for the weekend and all I could say is WOW! The food was amazing. The server was genuine and friendly. We went his recommendation and everything was delicious. We had the egyptian foods-- i can't remember all that we had. We did have two appetizers, two main courses and the farina dessert. He answered any questions we had. The owner came out to also ask about our meal. The food was so intricately and well spiced; we both said we would come again from NYC just to go here. The Byob made it very reasonable. The place is a foodies dream find!
(5)
Mary F.
My friends and I were very excited to try this restaurant. The food at least has had glowing reviews. So we made reservations for Saturday night at 7pm. When we arrived they didn't have a table for us. There were a few empty two seat tables but they were spread out around the restaurant. The owner asked us if we wanted to split the party up and sit at two different tables. We declined and were asked to wait, he would figure something out. We waited for another 20 minuets or so with no progress on the seating arrangements. It was clear that they had not referred to or plan around their reservations when seating other customers. The food did smell and look wonderful, but the service is abysmal. Will go back during the week to see if we can get a table but will never go back on a weekend.
(2)
Abbe F.
We had a horrible experience at King Tut on a Saturday night. The service was impossibly slow. Our salad never came and the proprietor/waiter argued with us about whether we ordered it after he had recommended a specific salad. Two of the entrees we ordered (one at his urging) weren't available. The entrees took more than an hour to be served, and when we complained, he dared us to leave. Two of the dishes -- the Egyptian lentil soup and the Kushari -- were delicious, but the rest of the food was forgettable, and the nasty service left a lasting impression. We won't be back.
(1)
Erin R.
Israeli salad, the falafel, the lamb kabob, and baba were pretty good. Service was average, as they have only the owner waiting tables. Try it during the week or a Sunday night. I'd go back for the food, but it's not the fanciest place to eat. BYOB.
(3)
D L.
food was tasty, very cheap. owner is chatty, but harmless. they are slow here, but the food is worth it
(4)
Jeff B.
I went to King Tut the other night with my wife and some of our friends after we had walked by a few days prior and thought it looked interesting. It was a great time, and I look forward to going back. The restaurant has a great comfortable and casual feeling to it, and the staff was very welcoming. They even offered to clear a table for us so we could have the window seat when there were other tables they could have sat us at. The avocado tahini was really exceptional.
(4)
Sari A.
I had nearly eaten here a couple of times in the past, I loved the Bamiya and Kushari entree the most there. Now as the atmosphere, there are a couple of drawbacks -- like the religious conflicts fueled by politics which is usually brought up by the overly talkative waiters. Serisouly? not smart talk!! I understand that they are trying to be friendly with the customers, however, there is a fine line between being courteous and being intrusive. Since it is a hookah bar, I had to give it a try, and compared to other hookah spots, It wasn't the best thing nor the worst. To my knowledge, this is the only restaurants serving Egyptian cuisine in the city, and whenever my cravings gets uncontrollable for good Egyptian Bamiya or Kushari, I will go ahead and order it either to go or delivery! Three and half Yelps!
(3)
Drew L.
I have been passing by King Tut for two years always wanted to come in to eat And today was perfect chance, the food was every thing I thought it would be! I am fan of middle eastern food I recommend king tut!
(5)
Ali C.
We stopped in here after walking around a street festival, where we found nothing to eat. The falafel was great, service was fast. Hope to return to try more!
(4)
Stephanie K.
Small place, there was a tv in the back but it seems like only for the owner to watch since it wasn't on the wall but that didn't really bother me since I don't like watching tv. Service was nice, the hummus came with a spice that you can mix in it and boy oh boy, one little taste of that by itself, you would need a whole bucket of water. I love spicy but that was like wow lol the wife owner who I think is the cook gave me lemon juice with sugar to cool my mouth down which was very sweet of her. When it was time to pay, she recommend that we should take the hummus home and she will give us two extra pitas to go and have it for lunch tmrr. She was very sweet ! The food was very good. Pita was so soft and fluffy. I have to try out their hookah next time !
(4)
Chris S.
I have been coming to King Tut with my boyfriend for nearly five years. The food has always been excellent. My favorite is the Egyptian Lentil Soup. Their hummus is fantastic too. And the owners/chef and staff have always been very kind and welcoming. After coming back after a bit of an absence the owner was concerned and said that we were missed. I will always enjoy coming here and their excellent food and welcoming atmosphere.
(5)
Steven G.
After a very pleasant and tasty meal (we had the lamb stuffed Ouzi, Avacodo/tahini, and baklava) we showed the waiter/owner our Restaurant.com gift certificate on my cell phone. He quickly said, oh yes, please validate it and I'll be right back with your bill. I did as the man told me to do and he returned with a pen and paper asking me for the validation code. I said I already closed it, so I reopened the electronic gift certificate to show him the certificate number. He said that I have to hit validate so he can take down that number instead. I said, I already validated it, so I cannot validate it again. He said, if you already used it, then you cannot use it twice. I said, I validated it less than 10 minutes ago, that is why its saying I used it. He said without the validation code we cannot use it. He then took off the $11 included gratuity and said please just pay the remaining and you do not have to tip as I was looking up Restaurant.com customer service. Honestly we were warned from a Google review that after showing a coupon, King Tut added a $14.50 corking fee. plus.google.com/u/0/1156… WARNING, use a paper Restaurant.com gift certificate and not electronic.
(2)
Marie C.
Stumbled upon this place trying to kill time and omg SO glad I did. Fatima is probably the sweetest person I've ever encountered (and I frequent sweet people). It's BYOB since they don't serve alcohol, but that's even better to avoid high prices. Quiet and intimate, and Fatima was perfectly attentive. Not annoying, but around just enough so that our water glass was always full and we never had to ask for more coals. In fact she brought us extra coals so we could switch them as we please. I didn't try the food, but it looked good. Hookah was good, service was 10 stars and walking distance from our hotel. Will absolutely be back!! Thank you, Fatima!!!!
(5)
Simone A.
Went for a large birthday party and was so happy about the entire experience. I mean a party of 14 plus people each accompanied by a bottle of booze at a small Egyptian BYO, things could get messy - but the owner was so great with us. We did a sort of price fixed deal which was also fantastic because again with a large party throwing back drinks for 2 hours ... It was just easier. I think we might have ordered every possible option on the menu and each dish was filling and delicious. I lost track of what was what, but I know the hummus and chicken shawarma were favorites. I think we might have ordered every possible option and I lost track of what was what, but I know it was all delicious and the service was some of the best I've ever had. I can't wait to go back.
(5)
Kayla U.
First off, I should have read the yelp reviews before purchasing a Restaurant.com gift card. It was supposed to be a minimum of $50 order and you get $25 off of this. I went to King Tut with my boyfriend tonight and we ordered more food than we usually would so we could hit the $50 mark. We told our (very slow and inattentive waitress who couldn't even offer us more water when the place wasn't that full) that we had the coupon during our meal and she said that it was not accepted on Fridays (which this was on a Friday). I showed her the coupon's fine print and even showed her the website where it does not say anything about not using the coupon on weekends. I asked to speak with a manager, and when the manager came out she was nothing short of straight-up rude. I explained to her the situation and she said "no coupon on Friday. Restaurant.com does not make rule, I make rule" and said "what are you going to do about it?" Okay, WORST MANAGER EVER. Whatever happened to customer service? Then, she proceeded to hover directly over top of me for the last ten minutes of our stay. I told her she needs to update her posting on Restaurant.com to specify that they don't take coupons on weekends. At this point, we just wanted to leave, so we asked to split the bill on two cards. Apparently this is again difficult for them to do. When she brought the cards back she had split the bill but charged only the one card twice! We told her but she didn't understand and "couldn't fix it." Whatever. Horrible horrible service, do not recommend this place.
(1)
Chanell V.
The service was good.. Not really a fan of the food my appetizer tasted as if it had been reheated and if I wanted microwaved food I would've stayed home... And to top it all off they force you to leave a 20% tip
(2)
Fatima Z.
Today was my very first time in this restaurant but let me tell you that it felt just like home. (Note that I am very picky)The owner is fantastic, very nice and welcoming. The decor is very authentic as well as the food. I do not have anything but good things to say: the food was delicious and the service amazing. I ordered the chicken shawarma. It is a nice little cozy area to dine and converse. I can see it being ideal for a engagement party etc. kudos to the owner. I will be back and you should too! You won't regret it!!
(5)
Ali H.
Food is good but the mood is quickly ruined as the owner/manger/chef tells you that your restaurant.com certificate is not valid despite the fact that there is no fine print written on the certificate other than having to spend more than $50. The owner/manager/chef tells me that I should follow the rules. I can't follow rules that you make up on the spot. Classic bait-and-switch. Please avoid.
(1)
Evan B.
Favorite restaurant in the city of Philadelphia. Owner is a great guy and always is passionate about pleasing his customers. All food is prepared by one lady who has traveled all over the world and can make you all kinds of middle eastern dishes. Flavor is key in every dish you order here. So much so that you won't be able to handle all the different taste buds you didn't know we're their when your munchin out. I usually start with the eggplant avocado dip or hummus. And I will get one of their Entrees in a sandwich form. Their are big portions for a good price Never leave hear hungry or dissatisfied. Have eaten here at least 12 times in the past 3 years and will continue to support them. I get King Tut Tea every time I come in here. If the king himself drank it I guarantee you will be satisfied. It's the best tea I've ever been introduced too, it's hibiscus leaves, which they may sell to you if your nice. King bite is delicious, or the fish platter. Eat here and you won't be disappointed.
(5)
Mary F.
YUM! Beyond delicious. Fab appetizers for five of us, out of this world pita to go with the hummus, baba ganoush etc. a beautiful vegetarian salad perfumed with mint and really great olive oil. Two of us shared an amazing entree I couldn't begin to pronounce, but it was chicken, mushrooms, rice, cheese and other vegetables in a puff pastry. Wonderful. The owner was cordial and the service great, we even got to compliment the chef. Loved it and will return.
(5)
tia g.
This place is friggin CRAZY GOOD food. anyone who say different is out of their minds! The place is run by a sweet old couple, and yea, sometimes service is slow because the wife is cooking and the husband is in lalaland. But ok, so don't go there if you're in a rush! Just go there if you have time! Seriously, I feel sad for the couple that some of these reviews are so negitive just based on the service being kinda slow sometimes. To me, the food is so delicious and the man is so well-meaning, I can't imagine ever writing a negitive thing about them. Please go. You won't regret it. :)
(5)
Will O.
Bad food and service. Was he cooking or reheating? Even worse, he (owner) said he could not honor the mobile version of my Restaurant.com certificate, yet it was marked as used. Dirty. Speaking of, Hookah was probably the worst I ever had and it wasn't smoking properly at first. Go to Effie's or anywhere else.
(1)
Waleed A.
It was the best experience i ever had... They are toooo friendly and kind.., The serve delightful food,,, I am sure that i am going to visit it again Thanks a a lot Abo shady ;)
(5)
Joanna H.
I want to give 3.5 stars. 4 stars for the food and service but the ending was shady on the owners side. We bought a yelp deal and he refused to take it because "it takes time for the purchase to get processed". Also, when he gave us the check, he requested for cash only because the machines are down. If this was true, the owner should tell us beforehand. Anyways, the food was great. It was my first experience trying Egyptian food. I let the owner know and he made the effort to explain each dish and its ingredients, how the spice level works and how spicy the authentic food would taste. My friend and I ordered the Mashawi which comes as a dish for two ppl. It was good portion for a guy and a girl. It's a dish of ground beef (or maybe lamb..), and chunks of lamb (or maybe beef..) and chicken slices with grilled veggies together. The ground lamb was so delish and a hint of spice made it unique. The chunk was on the harder side to chew but I guess things like pork chops are usually hard. The chicken was so soft. But this isn't it. It also comes with a hot salad, a cold salad, rice and bread. WOW. Idk what the name of the pita-like bread is but it was so obvious they literally baked the bread out of the oven. It was so chewy and steamy I could not stop eating it before, during and after the entree. The salads were SO fresh and balanced well with the meat. It cleaned the meatiness away inside your mouth. Plus, Byob!! Even though the ending was kind of shady, I liked my overall experience at king tut and the owner was very kind. He explained how to each the dish. I will come back soon!
(4)
Jon Z.
I was looking forward to a new BYOB in the neighborhood but this place was extremely underwhelming! Environment: 4/5 very quaint but also very crowded like many BYOBS, there 4 person table in the middle of the restaurant is so packed that only one person can physically get out of the seating area plus you have to physically maneuver the table at an awkward angle Service: 3/5 The servers are very friendly and also VERY SLOW. I went at 7pm on a weekend and most of the customers looked very hungry with empty tables awaiting their food. We had to ask for the bill multiple times and this was after the waiter walked by our finished plates twice while serving other parties. Food: 1/5 you can get much better and cheaper food at the chicken and rice cart down the street on 11th and walnut or the Egyptian restaurant on 13th and Chestnut. I wanted to get the Lamb sandwich but conveniently they don't serve the $8 sandwiches during dinner when I tried to order them. There was no mention of it in the menu anywhere. The lamb plate is $18 and for the extra $10 you get a scoop of rice and a handful of salad greens. My lamb was overcooked and I had to spit out half of the meat because it was filled with tendon and/or fat. It seems like they used very low quality meats here. The pita that was supposed with our dinner never came and we had to remind the servers. They came back with 4 half slices of pita for 4 adults. We wanted to ask for more but didn't bother because it would be another 15 minutes of waiting. Drinks: a plus here is they are BYOB so can't beat that Overall, I would not recommend this restaurant. They are many other BYOBs in the neighborhood with higher quality food and more attentive service.
(1)
Sweta S.
I loved the food. Pita bread is always soft and fresh. Hummus is very tasty! Food is flavorful!
(4)
Jeff H.
WARNING! READ BEFORE GOING. OK, you've been warned. My wife and I have a lot of restaurant.com coupons, and found this place on their website. We figured give it a shot, but I called first to make sure they honored the coupon and they did (some places won't). Before I go more into what brought down our experience, let me comment on what everybody always asks about. FOOD: The food was very very good here. We ordered Hummus, Falafal, and a shared platter, and a "special surprise" for desert (really just rice pudding and baklava). I'd eat the food here again without batting an eye. SERVICE: Very slow. Even with the restaurant being partially empty, there really isn't a waiter/waitress. Only the owner/man who works the front. He is friendly and stopped to talk with many of the people there, but it made everything go very slow. AMBIANCE: It is a small, corner spot, with only about 20 tables. The place seemed clean and neat. A young man with a keyboard setup shop about halfway through out meal and started playing very nice, soft music. I found out later that every Saturday night they have live music. OK so lets talk about specifics: We walk in and the place is very empty for a Saturday night (only has about 10 tables and 7 were open) and an older man who we now assumed is the owner told us to seat wherever we liked. We had to spend a certain amount to use our coupon, which we told him about when we ordered. After ordering he asked for the coupon and we gave it to him. When we asked for the check, he brought back over the coupon we had, and had written on there that the bill was $60, the coupon was $25, and we owed $35. The bill was not itemized and seemed high to us, but we were anxious to leave because of how slow service was. After reading the other reviews and getting ready to give him 5 STARS, I did what I should have done previously. I looked at the menu, added up what our meals where, and discovered that he ADDED 20% to the total without telling us! And WE TIPPED ON TOP OF THAT!! We always give 20%, but HE ADDED THIS WITHOUT TELLING US!! Another fact is he turned down a table of 6 during our meal because they had a few bottles of wine with them. We heard him telling another table that "I could have seated them but they just wanted a place to get drunk and not order a lot." You brag about refusing paying clients? I signed on today to give him 5 stars and say I'll go back, but now after realizing he duped me and my wife I will give him 1 star, tell everybody that he is a crook, and tell you to not go here.
(1)
Ali N.
Went here with a bud a few nights ago. From the outside it doesnt look like much but the decor inside was nice. Food was delicious; I had the King Bite and my friend had the lamb shawarma sandwich. They both looked and tasted awesome. Also got the hummus (mild) which was very good, and the bread was warm and delicious. The owner/server, Fatima, was also very kind to us the entire time. Will definitely be coming back here again.
(4)
Jessica Y.
So I usually don't write bad reviews unless I REALLY believe that no one else should go through what my friend and I experienced. 1. There were ice chips in my Chicken Shawarma. Pulled out a piece of ice after my third bite, with the first two bites being "mhm what the heck is this?" Owner was nice about it at first and made another one, but still unpleasant experience regardless. 2. I redeemed a Yelp Deal of $15 for $20 for a meal of about $30 for 2 people, the owner who served us automated a 20% tip for himself. I asked him why because we didn't order that much and was only a table of 2, and he argued that YELP GIVES HIM PERMISSION TO DO THAT. I found nothing in the fine prints about it but I guess I'll get an answer from customer service. 3. Owner - "What's the complaint about." Me - "I just wasn't going to tip that much because I ate ice chips and wasn't happy with the service." Owner - "Well I cooked you a new Shwarma!" ...aren't you suppose to do that when there's ice in my food? 4. My friends came a previous time with a voucher for $25 or something, but toward the end the owner was being shady and said they had to spend over 37 bucks for the voucher to be redeemable and their bill was only $36...Again nothing in the fine prints and he refused to let them order more so that they could hit the $37 mark. WHO DOES THAT?? After reading previous reviews, it seems like the owner/server of the restaurant has a history of not honoring these deals and vouchers, so just know that the food is pricy with or without them. And I think some of the food from the chicken and rice trucks are just as good if not better and much cheaper. Cheers.
(1)
Amy N.
How often do you walk into a BYOB only to have the owner say, "Don't bother bringing your own wine next time -- I'm making some on the premises that I'd love for you to try?" Try never - except for at King Tut Restaurant and Hookah Bar, apparently... We ate here on a Sunday afternoon between a marathon day of Angels In America Parts 1 & 2 at the Wilma, and were worried we might not have enough time for a sit down dinner. Luckily, we were the first of the dinner crowd to arrive and had prompt service. We were kept in water, offered complimentary wine by the owner, and drank from our own supply - and the staff loved how one of our party was great on pronunciation of the dishes & had some knowledge of the cooking style. I had the Hawache, which was pretty good lamb, and couldn't resist ordering a Vegetable Samosa from the Indian Cuisine section of the menu. We also had the hummus, which was very tasty. Overall we had a great experience, and loved finding a BYOB with great prices in such a central location downtown - so I would definitely go back!
(3)
Rami M.
Bad food and service. The place is so tiny too. Never going there again. It took me almost an hour to find a parking spot.
(1)
Sarah S.
Delicious! Shared hummus, felafel, grape leaves, and baba ganouj. All genuine and tasty. Bread was airy and warm. Wonderfully nice staff. Will definitely return.
(4)
Jennifer M.
What a nice surprise! It was a chilly Sunday evening, and the place was pretty empty. This did not matter since our group of girls can be a bit loud :) Our table ordered the avocado and tahini appetizer to share, and three of us ordered the grilled kafta sandwich (it came highly recommended!), while the other ordered the falafel sandwich. We were offered water (infused with cucumber and rosewater! Very refreshing!) and olives. If you come here, you absolutely MUST order the avocado+tahini dip. We wiped that bowl clean with the warm pita bread that accompanied it. Amazing, amazing, amazing! Emphasis on the amazing. My grilled kafta (lamb, chopped onion, spices) did not disappoint either, and the combination of flavors worked. Nicely done, King Tut! Since their credit card machine was down, it was cash only. No biggie, since there was a coffee place across the street with an ATM. Our meal was a grand total of $12 per person. What a steal! Glad we were able to satisfy our hunger with some cash to spare!
(4)
Jason K.
This is without a doubt my new favorite spot in Philadelphia. We got avocado tahini, the vegetarian platter, and chicken shwarma (sp?). ALL AMAZING. Perfect atmosphere, the owner Richard made us feel at home. The bonus is that it's sooo incredibly affordable. Almost like an oversight it feels like a secret I shouldn't share but they deserve it. You won't be disappointed. 100% highly recommended.
(5)
Kelsey G.
King tut seems like a nice family owned establishment. When I came in for takeout the owner? greeted me upon arrival and was super sweet. He was the only one working, except for a cook in the back (his wife?) the service was slow, but the food was good. When I came in, I asked for the falafel sandwich, but the owner ended up talking me into the falafel platter. I went with it, but I wish I hadn't. The falafel platter is basically a falafel sandwich dissected (a nice helping of hummus, shredded lettuce & tomatoes, and a measly 4 falafel balls all in a plastic takeaway container). This came to 13$ which was a lot for what it was, considering the sandwich was about 5$. I'm not sure if he was trying to rip me off, because he seemed nice, but definitely not worth 13$. I'm not sure if I'll come back, but if I do, I'll DEFINITELY go with the sandwich.
(3)
Luke D.
Healthy food that tasted great. The owner was very nice and had knowledge and experience to share.
(5)
Schuyler L.
Owner: "It's expired" *Points to date purchased* Me: "That's the date I purchased the gift certificate. It can't expire before I buy it." Owner: "We file our taxes to the IRS every three months, it's been longer than three months so we can't take it. It's expired." Us: "It says right here "This gift certificate does not expire."" Owner: "Free glass of wine?" We got up, left never to return and I encourage you to never eat at a place which cannot honor it's obligations. I've eaten here before but it really didn't leave much of an impression.
(1)
Christina W.
I came here with a group of 8. The restaurant was small and rather intimate, with beautiful decor both on the walls and under a clear surface on the table. It was fun with the group but would probably be more fun on a date or friend date. The owner was extremely friendly and engaged with us a lot. I shared an order of hummus with two other people and ordered a lamb shwarma for myself. The hummus was delicious! Highly recommend. The lamb shwarma was very tasty and came with a small side salad and rice. Portion size for the shwarma was decent, but I still felt $17 was a hefty price for it. The meat was very tender when it was hot but much drier and tougher once it cooled. I tried my friend's tilapia special which was awesome, and very large (two people shared it). Charming find with solid food, but the entree prices could be a little lower.
(3)
Sydney C.
I came here on a whim with 9 of my other girlfriends, bottles of wine in hand (it's BYOB). We made reservations, but they weren't really necessary as there was only one other couple inside. There were what looked to be like family members sitting near the kitchen watching tv, but once we open the wine, we didn't notice them. Our waitress/owner of the restaurant (she even lived upstairs) was extremely nice and very helpful in explaining what all of the dishes were and what were the best ones. We were very happy that she did because the food was delicious! We definitely ordered way too much since we shared a lot, but I'm glad we got to try so many different things. The only issue that I had, (that I've noticed other reviewers had as well) was after we had taken time to calculate what everyone owed and wrote down card numbers, etc., they informed us that their card machines weren't working and they could only accept cash. I was the only one that had enough cash to cover all 10 of us, thankfully, since it was in the winter and the closest ATM wasn't too close. It was also a pain in the ass to have everyone pay me back. Besides that one setback, the night was a success and I will definitely be returning!
(4)
Shereen C.
Cozy BYOB. Service was a little strange with the wine but the people were really nice. Food was okay. Avocado spread was interesting -- not bad. Meat was tough, overcooked -- disappointing. Fish was all right -- not bad but not amazing either. I feel bad because they're so nice, but I wouldn't want to go back. There's better food to be had.
(2)
Mitchi E.
My husband and I loved this charming little spot, with its welcoming owner who treats you like a guest in his home. We brought our own bottle, and we suggest a good, bold red wine to go with their bold and flavorful dishes. We highly suggest the King Mazzeh to get a sampling of their popular dips, and a mixed grill platter. Unfortunately, while the platter is supposed to be for two people, the smallish portion left us hanging a bit. Aside from that, the decor is beautiful with its brightly tiled mural, and because of its lighting and small size, it is very intimate.
(4)
M B.
I went here for dinner recently with two of my close friends - we were in the mood for a "divey, ethnic BYO" and reviews of King Tut suggested that it would fit the bill. Reasons to go are that it's extremely affordable, it's cute and cozy in its own divey way, and the owner is an extremely nice, charming Middle Eastern gentleman who was extremely warm and made us laugh. Our experience was good overall but there were some drawbacks. The big one was that the place smelled distinctly like a litter box (confirmed with my friends that we all noticed it). I'm guessing they have a cat somewhere on the premises to help them with pest control and I'm fine with that but they've got to do something about the smell. Another was that the food was sort of 'meh'... I thought the hummus that we split as an appetizer had some interesting spice and texture (and I *loved* the warm pita bread!) but my falafel platter was just okay ...not bad but nothing to write home about. When I go to a dive, I'm looking for "so good no one cares if our place is a dump" -level deliciousness. Unfortunately, King Tut did not quite satisfy that criterion. Other things to mention: it's definitely a good place to go if you want to linger with a bottle (or two) of wine on a weeknight as you definitely will not be rushed (although, for the same reason, maybe not a great place to go if you're in a hurry); I noticed that another reviewer mentioned that they are cash only but it would seem that this is no longer the case - we all paid on cards.
(3)
S S.
This is the most authentic Egyptian food I've had in the US. Extremely friendly service, and allowed us to (unintentionally) stay half an hour late to enjoy. Thank you! Will definitely be back.
(5)
Brad P.
This is an exceptional Mediterranean restaurant with a random smattering of Indian dishes and some other wackiness that I didn't recognize. They also have excellent pita that is served with the meal. I'm serious. This is really excellent pita bread. It beats every other restaurant in King Tut's price range that I've ever been to. They have an interesting avocado/hummus appetizer that is worth mentioning. I liked it. I had a shrimp dish with tomato that has a name I can't remember and got to sample a few other entrees. King Tut does very good okra, Indian chicken, and shrimp. Oh yeah, in case you forgot about my opening paragraph, the pita is great. The King's favorite is a great sendoff for your meal(better than the baklava). It is a great rice pudding with some cake or something on top. On the action-movie-parallel-satisfaction-scale, this place is The Rock.
(4)
Laura S.
If you like a low key BYO with fantastic cuisine and family owned...you have to try this place. Take your time and enjoy!
(5)
Ling N.
TERRIBLE! 1. Owner lusted over his TV rather than serving us; we stood around awkwardly for ~10mins before being noticed [there was only one table occupied at the time]. 2. Food was mediocre, service was the worst. He spent all of his time talking to guests and paid no attention to anyone else. 3. Added a MANDATORY 20% gratuity onto the bill. We would have not tipped him anywhere near that. 4. Ordered ONE baklava to go and he charged/gave us TWO; this would have been fine because I love baklava but BOTH pieces of baklava were BURNT and dried out- absolutely disgusting and inedible! Pretty sure he just did this because we wouldn't notice since it was to-go. 5. The bathroom is disgusting. Smells of mold. Absolutely awful place. Please do not go. I haven't felt this strongly negative about a restaurant in awhile.
(1)
Andrew W.
Good, but a little too pricey for the fare. I ordered take out so I can't speak to the service issues that seem to be regularly plaguing this place.... in my case it arrived on time with no issues. I can't really complain about anything, the schwarma was good, the side salad was a touch over dressed but still tasted fresh, the app platter we ordered had pretty much everything in it... the falafel was very good and hummus was fine... I can't speak to the grape leaves (I can't eat them after a friend commented how they look like a moth's cocoon) but they were said to be good.
(4)
Matthew T.
4 stars for the food, 1 star for the service. I give the food more weight, so 3 stars it is. I've been here twice. I realize this place isn't the French Laundry, but the service, although friendly, needs work. I walk in. Nobody is there to greet me, but they tell me from across the room to seat myself. So I seat myself. There's no silverware on the table. The waitress gives me the menu, then takes my order a few minutes later. I order a diet Pepsi and a shawarma platter. No bread or water is ever offered or brought to the table. The waitress brings out a can of diet Pepsi and a plastic cup with no ice. A few minutes later she gives me some cheap silverware wrapped in a paper napkin. The food comes out in a reasonable amount of time. It's a pretty large portion of lamb shawarma, served over rice and with a lettuce/tomato/onion salad. It's delicious. After I finish, the waitress clears the table and drops off the check - she doesn't ask if I'd like anything else and no coffee or dessert is offered. The bill for a can of diet Pepsi and a shawarma platter is $21 before tip. Thankfully, they take American Express. For the quality of the food it's worth it, but the service needs to improve. I would go back because the food is good and I happen to live in the neighborhood.
(3)
Brian S.
Tried to go there one Saturday 15 minutes after scheduled opening time but found the door locked. The only signs of life were two workers seated at a table with a pile of napkins and a spray bottle of some sort. They didn't seem to be in a hurry so we didn't rush back...
(1)
David W.
I ate here about a month ago but just started Yelping recently. Anyway I was here because of Restaurant.com gift card. I never had Middle Eastern Food but thought I would give it a shot. The guy was very nice but unfortunately was not a great server and it was obvious that he couldn't handle a busy restaurant. He was in the weeds from the second we walked in, it took about fifteen minutes for him to get our drink orders. I asked for a glass of water and it tasted filmy and had a residue on the top so I got a can of coke. I got the spinach pie and it was rubbish, it was undercooked on the pastry and tasted reheated instead of fresh. Then I got the King Bite/Lamb Meshwi, I love lamb but this was the toughest lamb I have ever eaten with no flavor. I was so disappointed with this restaurant and I will never eat here again. I feel bad because the owners seem like really nice people but it is not enough to be nice people when it comes to good food. So I hope that King Tut makes a drastic change in the way they operate and the biggest thing I would say is hire a decent server!
(1)
Sarah P.
I went here for my birthday dinner with about 13 people. Pros: -Vegan-friendly food -Very attentive waitress -Awesome falafel Cons: -Lost my reservation, but I was able to make a new one -The hookahs we ordered were harsh -The waitress didn't know how much an appetizer plate would cost if they made it big enough for 13 people. Overall: -I liked it and would definitely come back, but maybe for lunch instead of dinner.
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : 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 Wi-Fi : No Has TV : No Waiter Service : Yes Caters : No
Naomi N.
Was craving Mediterranean and the hubs and I stumbled upon this place! Small but nice, the gentleman who waited on is may have been the owner not sure, but anyways the service was really good. He was very helpful with the menu selections. Also an added bonus they have hookah!! Very nice selection and quality, lasted a while. Great place to lounge with a date or some friends bring a bottle, grab a bite to eat and hookah.
(4)Brandon C.
I love this restaurant for both the food and the experience. The food is not your run of the mill kabob/humus middle eastern food. It brings together Egyptian, Greek, Lebanese, even Indian flavors. The owner is great. He goes out of his way to make guests feel welcome and have an authentic experience.
(5)Sara G.
Delivery was just not worth it. With tip, $25 two unheated sandwiches that had to be eaten platter-style because they were falling apart. My minced lamb looked quite unappetizing. It was 3 logs of ground lamb that I had to break apart on my own. Meh.
(2)Kelly L.
Love this restaurant! Boss is very friendly. Nice ambience for a chilled night with hookah and food. BYOB!
(4)Jess L.
I had an appointment today that took me by King Tut and I still regretted not having their baklava, so I stopped in again and felt compelled to write another review after my lunch there. Not only did I have a falafel sandwich on pita with hummus and feta which was A) nearly the size of my head and B) near perfection but C) the sandwich was $3.50. Huge, tasty, amazing lunch for $3.50? Plus baklava and a superlative turkish coffee (you could taste the cardamom--drool) which only put it at about $8 for the whole thing? (The baklava was a cheese baklava, which I've never had. It was really interesting--very delicate and light, dusted with a little honey and a sprinkling of pistachios. Perfect for a lunchtime dessert.) Plus, the server remembered exactly who I was. I had to come back and adjust my rating to five stars. Their dinnertime menu is delicious and fairly priced, but their lunchtime menu is an outrageous steal. I'll definitely be back for both!
(5)Danielle S.
LOVE King Tut! It's impossible to find authentic Middle Eastern food in Philly, so King Tut fills a great niche. My favorite dishes are the avocado tehina (imagine a creamy, bursting with flavor guacamole) and the Israeli lentil soup. I'm not a huge chummus fan, but the chummus is great. I'm an event planner for a living, and King Tut's owner Ibrkhaim was so, so accommodating with a recent event I had. He shut the whole restaurant down for us, customized a special menu, and made everyone feel at home the entire night. It's BYOB, so bring a bottle and enjoy!
(5)Jenna M.
If I had to nominate one restaurant for "Hidden Gem Only the Locals Know", King Tut would be it. King Tut looks pretty unassuming from the outside, but the food... oh wow. Let's start with the Best Falafel in Philadelphia. This isn't your typical bland, dry, masquerading-as-health-food falafel. The King serves up meaty, savory, manly falafel. It's like the filet mignon of falafel. Another standout dish is the King's meze, a shared appetizer platter with some familiar favorites (like that perfect smoky baba ganoush), and some you might never have tried but will soon crave at random hours of the day (the spicy red pepper dip). Be sure to order extra pita... delicious, fluffy, beautiful pita. The owner told us he ships the pita in from Israel. I get the sense he's kind of a perfectionist. The neat thing about the King is the recipe is a little different every time, but always delicious. In an era of focus group-tested menus, King Tut really makes hand-crafted dishes. It's like attending a dinner party hosted by a high-end chef.
(5)Sarah F.
A friend and I went here this past Wednesday because we had a restaurant.com gift card. Our server accepted it without a problem. Before you go, know that the portions are huge. We shared a vegetable samosa, which was really yummy, but cold in the middle. The sauce it comes with is very spicy. After the samosa, it took a long while for our entrees to be served, but since we had nowhere to be it didn't matter. After awhile, a girl came from the kitchen and asked if we wanted her to bring the chicken entree because it would be another 10 minutes for the fish. We were sharing so it worked out nicely, actually. By the time we actually got to the fish we were already so full from the chicken. The fish comes whole, and the server was happy to remove the bones for us. The fish (Wed Special) was great and I wish it had come out first, however it was my first time eating bone-in fish and it was a little bit difficult. We were too full to finish, and declined to take home leftovers because we were heading somewhere else, and fish isnt the greatest reheated anyway. The server seemed kind of offended that we didn't want to take it with us, and I felt like I had to reassure him that we liked the food. I recommend this place if you are not in a big rush to go anywhere afterwards, and definitely if you have a giftcertificate.
(4)Aileen K.
Great food! Great service!
(4)Regina F.
King Tut offers all the wackiness and adventure of trekking to the other side of the globe without actually leaving Philadelphia. The menu is a surprisingly cohesive pantheon of Middle Eastern, Mediterranean and Indian cuisines. The okra dish - ask for it extra spicy, and assure them you're Asian, even if you're not - is saucy, spicy and succulent. It differs from traditional bhindi masala in that there's plenty of chili sauce to sop up with your absurdly fat, warm fluffy pita bread. Basically, you've got okra swimming in chili coulis. The avocado hummus is like somebody bred guacamole and hummus and made some sort of perfect, quintessentially smooth offspring. Oh yeah, and the baklava with its creamy undertone was definitely worth taking a diphenhydramine (prior to eating at a BYO) to suppress that pesky histine reaction before indulging in its honey pistachio goodness...
(4)Jenna E.
My boyfriend and I will definitely be back! We did not know what to expect and we were pleasantly surprised. The food was delectable and the service was wonderful. The owner treated us like family and was kind and genuine. Highly recommend!
(5)Rob W.
I went here for a friend's birthday party and I was utterly surprised. I want to be clear right off the bat, the only reason I didn't give this place 5 stars is because it's not a 5 star restaurant. They don't serve dry aged beef or lobster mac and cheese, what they do serve is some of the best middle eastern cuisine I've had to date in Philadelphia. I think we payed $25 per person and the amount of food they gave us was unreal, not to mention DELICIOUS! After dinner the owner rolled out a few hookas and we really all relaxed... I really do love this place and can't wait to bring my parents!
(4)Kimberly S.
Love this place. The owner is friendly and the food is great. Service could be on the slower side, but why rush out anyway.
(5)Rand H.
Delightful little gem of a place. I've had several dishes. Fantastic garlicky babaghanoush (I'm sure I've spelled that wrong), good chicken dishes and this week tried the rabbit which was on special. Pita bread hot out of the oven. Owner is wonderfully friendly without being solicitous. I only get to Philly once or twice a year but I like to try to get a meal here when I am in town.
(4)Charles P.
Great food, great service, well executed dishes. I had the falafel as an app - strong dish well seasoned. The Lamb kabob dish I had was perfectly cooked and the Tahini sauce was great. I recommend going while its still new and doesn't have a crazy wait. Trust me, if you wait too long to try it you will be waiting.
(4)Teresa K.
We went there for takeout last week. The online menu looked like it had a great variety of food, including seafood, so we were surprised when they gave us the menu. The only seafood was a fish of the day. The girl said they lost the password and couldn't update the online menu. Anyway, my friend ordered the lentil soup and she loved it. I also loved the avocado and tahini dip. It was good, way too much oil floating around in it, but still good. My friend ordered the koshari which she said was quite good. There was a lot of it, she still had some the next day. I ordered the Eggplant Moussaka. I have to say I was terribly disappointed. 2 small slices of eggplant, 2 small pieces of tomato, a few, maybe 4 pieces of onion, a couple garlic cloves, and a ton of rice. For 12.95 or 13.95, I forget which, it was NOT worth it. It didn't taste bad, but I didn't want the rice, so it took me like 2 seconds to eat. The worst part of the whole place, though, was I had to use the rest room while I was there. It's downstairs, and kind of smells mildewy. But it gets even worse. There's a sign that says "Don't put toilet paper or paper towels in the toilet." Yes, that's right. Your toilet paper goes in the trash can. Actually I'm surprised I didn't just walk out right then. That has to be unsanitary. All in all, I can say it wasn't worth the long walk from my office building to get there and I will not be back. I forgot to add that it took over 30 minutes for us to get our food.
(2)Ben P.
Good food. Great service. Cozy atmosphere. It's a little pricey, for what it is. First time we eating there, so we ordered apps, platters, etc. We went big. Wanted to give them their due. They came through in a major way. Food is great and authentic. Portions are sizeable and they even threw in a 4th item on a plate that normally comes with 3. It's a family-run joint and the service feels like it, which is nice. We we absolutely be back. Probably more likely to do a lot of take-out from them, sandwiches, etc., because as I said, they menu can get it bit expensive.
(4)Michael G.
Amazing food, amazing service such a fun place to go with a group.
(5)Sean H.
Although the hookah took forever, it was nice when it did come out. And my friends really enjoyed their food. I'd already eaten, so I just nibbled on some pita while they dined on kebabs and all the trimmings. It looked lovely. The place itself was rather unassuming and pretty dead, neither of which are things I mind in the slightest.
(4)Kyle K.
Off the beaten path but definitely worth stopping in. Went in late on a Saturday night. One of the few byob places I'll return to. The food was tasty and the portions are generous. I wanted to try more of their menu offerings but was stuffed after appetizers. The pita and hummus could be lunch by itself.The stuffed grape leaves were on point as well as the meat lovers platter( don't recall the actual name). Some of the best middle-eastern food I've had including my travels abroad. The server was was enjoyable and was very helpful. I enjoyed the mixed berry hookah with my meal and a mint tea. All the patrons were locals and seemed familiar with the staff. Next time I think I'll enjoy the outside seating as the restaurant is a little on the "intimate" side. If you enjoy making new friends you'll love it. Get a few friends and a bottle and enjoy. Its also a great location to just sit and people-watch.
(4)Cat P.
I was dying to trying this place out. We got there and it was pretty crowded, but we were seated right away. It took them over 10 minutes to come out and give us water/ask for our order. We figured it was no big deal. After we ordered, they brought us out silverware, plates, and a pita bread basket, of which my date and I each took a piece and put it on our plates. The waiter then came back, grabbed the pitas off our plates, and insisted the basket and silverware was for another table who had been waiting longer than us. He then gave them our stuff even though we had kinda used it (no joke). The table next to us left and as the bus boy was cleaning it, he offered us a glass of wine from that table! He seemed shocked when we said no, but of course we didn't want it! The bus boy was wearing gloves, but didn't change them the entire night. He even brought out our food and plates using the same gloves that he had been using to clean up other tables. Halfway through our dinner, they burned something in the kitchen, so the entire restaurant filled with smoke. As our dinner was winding down, we asked for boxes. The waiter didn't think I had put enough of my dinner in the box, so he opened it, touched my food with his hands, dumped the rest of my plate in, closed it, and gave it back to me. I know that things like this probably happen in the kitchen, but I didn't want the guy touching my food right in front of me. Needless to say, that went in the trash as soon as we got home. I wish I was making this all up. It's a shame because the food was decent and the staff was friendly, but I was so appalled by the lack of cleanliness and the bizarre service that I will never go back there!
(1)Cindy K.
Cozy little restaurant with an array of food to be had. I like that it was BYOB. I was with a friend and we were planning to go elsewhere which was closed. This place was opened. My friend had been there before. The food was very flavorful. I had the Addas Bihamod black lentil sauteed with garlic, green and red peppers, lemon juice and olive oil. The pita bread that came with it was awesome, freshly made and a nice garlic taste to it. We also had the King Tut Tea - Karkadeh which was a fruity hot tea. This was very flavorful. The service was very nice. We closed out the place and they didn't mind at all. The food came out very quickly. The staff (mother and daughter) were sooo nice. I highly recommend this place.
(4)Madeleine S.
The chicken curry here is the best I've had in years, and the pita is thick and fluffy, like naan, but denser and even tastier. I came alone right after they'd opened, and the owners were incredibly kind and attentive. One even came over and had me put the sugar in my iced coffee before he made it so it was exactly as sweet as I wanted it, which I REALLY appreciated. Wonderful place, will be back a million times.
(5)Nikki L.
People walk by this place all the time and don't realize how good it really is. BYOB, amazing pita and hummus, cheap plates, and fantastically priced hookah?! What more could you ask for? And out waitress Shariheen (I know I just completely butchered the spelling) was one of the coolest waitresses I've ever met. She even had to play a medic when a woman was passing out in the table next to us while her loser asshole friends just sat there and did nothing. I have found my new fav local spot.
(4)Lindsay T.
We are in the midst of a falafel crawl at work and so far we've King of Falafel, Crisp, The Crazy (in a good way) Falafel Guy on 20th and Market and we've decided that King Tut's falafel is the best yet! We ate there so that may have helped their rating as the falafel was perfectly cooked - crispy and warm without being overly soggy. In addition to the falafel sandwich (which I got with hummus and feta) we split the fattoush salad - awesome - and the lentil soup - even more tasty. The salad was chopped so that the herbs and veggies melded together perfectly with the light dressing. And the lentil soup was pureed which I ended up really liking with the perfect touch of seasonings. The food didn't come flying out - which I didn't mind- but take note if you are in a rush. ALSO is a BYOB.
(4)Christina W.
my friend&I where looking for a hookah spot one night and we came across this spot one word "FABOLOUS" the food is delicious and the gyros Mmmmmm!!!the lamb was so tender the Veggies where fresh I loved it not to mention the falaful I never had it before but its one of my favorite appetizer.The hookahs where smooth to taste and they have great flavors the owner and his wife are welcoming and the places is gorgeous and well kept.word of advise if youre ever in the mood for good times and good people king tuts is the place to be
(5)Clifford Q.
Great Food - Local Haven - Wandered in Friday night after 3 other places in the area that were packed - Was a little leery as there were only a few folks inside. We eat out almost 5 nights a week and it is always fun to try a new place. Food was incredible - Tastier then other local places that serve same cuisine - Nice portions - Nice family owned and run business - Mom was in the kitchen cooking away with a broken ankel and dad and daughter taking care of the front - great food - great service and great prices. I think it wil be come a regular
(4)Maxim K.
Great food - server with a smile - unique decor. Did I mention the food. It's gentle Egyptian tempered with the smells of the Mediterranean sea
(5)Katherine S.
First time trying King Tut was a large take-out/delivery order. It arrived promptly by the promised time. The menu is rather interesting - mostly vegetarian, mostly Middle Eastern but some Indian. The only meat dish we ordered was the mixed grill, which was uninspiring - even my meat-a-tarian husband agreed the next time we patronize King Tut (which will be soon) we'll stick with the veg dishes which were absolutely fantastic. The lentil soup was to die for - I don't even really like traditional lentil soup - this was full of fresh herbs and spices - the next time I have a cold and don't want my usual cure of Pho this will be my go-to soup. Also followed others' recommendations and got the okra and baba ganoush which were delicious. Roasted eggplant and tomato/potato vegetarian platter was a close second, as was the mixed appetizer platter with various spreads and falafel. Obviously I cannot comment on the ambiance and in-restaurant service but at minimum we'll be doing take out again without hesitation - a decent value for a healthy delicious meal.
(4)Janna R.
This place is awesome! True Mediterranean homemade food cooked by the owner and his wife. It tastes unbelievable! They are both incredibly friendly and fun. Real Arabic coffee and delicious tea. Great hookahs and belly dancing music in the background. I am totally going back there again at the next available opportunity. We celebrated a friend's birthday and just took over the whole place, stayed past closing hours and danced the night away with the owners! Fun fun fun!!!!
(5)Bruce W.
Wonderful food and atmosphere, run by husband and wife team. Thanks to Kham X for the advise on handing the coupon in first like it says in the I reactions. We had no problems with ours. Make sure to ask for spicy. (911). If you wan anything beyond very mild. The Avacado eggplant was superb along with the spinach pie and shrimp. Well be back!!
(5)Burgle K.
I have now been to King Tut twice and its been a blast both times. The food is so good and the owner is hilarious. After handing me my lamb curry (which was so so good) he told me not to get curried away. My girlfriend and I got the babaganoush and this lentil dish to start and I had the lamb curry and she had some lamb pita sandwich thing. The total was $40. Please do yourself a favor and try this place out.
(5)Kham X.
Food wasn't bad but the waiter lied about not being able to rerun my credit card with the certificate amount taken off. When we paid for the check we presented a certificate which enticed us to try the place out. The waiter ran the full amount of the check "by accident" and said he couldn't void and rerun the charge. He then began to blame us for not telling him we were using a certificate and that the food was worth paying full price for anyways. Not the best way to keep customers when there are lots of restaurants to choose from.
(1)Tracey C.
I was in Philly for the weekend and all I could say is WOW! The food was amazing. The server was genuine and friendly. We went his recommendation and everything was delicious. We had the egyptian foods-- i can't remember all that we had. We did have two appetizers, two main courses and the farina dessert. He answered any questions we had. The owner came out to also ask about our meal. The food was so intricately and well spiced; we both said we would come again from NYC just to go here. The Byob made it very reasonable. The place is a foodies dream find!
(5)Mary F.
My friends and I were very excited to try this restaurant. The food at least has had glowing reviews. So we made reservations for Saturday night at 7pm. When we arrived they didn't have a table for us. There were a few empty two seat tables but they were spread out around the restaurant. The owner asked us if we wanted to split the party up and sit at two different tables. We declined and were asked to wait, he would figure something out. We waited for another 20 minuets or so with no progress on the seating arrangements. It was clear that they had not referred to or plan around their reservations when seating other customers. The food did smell and look wonderful, but the service is abysmal. Will go back during the week to see if we can get a table but will never go back on a weekend.
(2)Abbe F.
We had a horrible experience at King Tut on a Saturday night. The service was impossibly slow. Our salad never came and the proprietor/waiter argued with us about whether we ordered it after he had recommended a specific salad. Two of the entrees we ordered (one at his urging) weren't available. The entrees took more than an hour to be served, and when we complained, he dared us to leave. Two of the dishes -- the Egyptian lentil soup and the Kushari -- were delicious, but the rest of the food was forgettable, and the nasty service left a lasting impression. We won't be back.
(1)Erin R.
Israeli salad, the falafel, the lamb kabob, and baba were pretty good. Service was average, as they have only the owner waiting tables. Try it during the week or a Sunday night. I'd go back for the food, but it's not the fanciest place to eat. BYOB.
(3)D L.
food was tasty, very cheap. owner is chatty, but harmless. they are slow here, but the food is worth it
(4)Jeff B.
I went to King Tut the other night with my wife and some of our friends after we had walked by a few days prior and thought it looked interesting. It was a great time, and I look forward to going back. The restaurant has a great comfortable and casual feeling to it, and the staff was very welcoming. They even offered to clear a table for us so we could have the window seat when there were other tables they could have sat us at. The avocado tahini was really exceptional.
(4)Sari A.
I had nearly eaten here a couple of times in the past, I loved the Bamiya and Kushari entree the most there. Now as the atmosphere, there are a couple of drawbacks -- like the religious conflicts fueled by politics which is usually brought up by the overly talkative waiters. Serisouly? not smart talk!! I understand that they are trying to be friendly with the customers, however, there is a fine line between being courteous and being intrusive. Since it is a hookah bar, I had to give it a try, and compared to other hookah spots, It wasn't the best thing nor the worst. To my knowledge, this is the only restaurants serving Egyptian cuisine in the city, and whenever my cravings gets uncontrollable for good Egyptian Bamiya or Kushari, I will go ahead and order it either to go or delivery! Three and half Yelps!
(3)Drew L.
I have been passing by King Tut for two years always wanted to come in to eat And today was perfect chance, the food was every thing I thought it would be! I am fan of middle eastern food I recommend king tut!
(5)Ali C.
We stopped in here after walking around a street festival, where we found nothing to eat. The falafel was great, service was fast. Hope to return to try more!
(4)Stephanie K.
Small place, there was a tv in the back but it seems like only for the owner to watch since it wasn't on the wall but that didn't really bother me since I don't like watching tv. Service was nice, the hummus came with a spice that you can mix in it and boy oh boy, one little taste of that by itself, you would need a whole bucket of water. I love spicy but that was like wow lol the wife owner who I think is the cook gave me lemon juice with sugar to cool my mouth down which was very sweet of her. When it was time to pay, she recommend that we should take the hummus home and she will give us two extra pitas to go and have it for lunch tmrr. She was very sweet ! The food was very good. Pita was so soft and fluffy. I have to try out their hookah next time !
(4)Chris S.
I have been coming to King Tut with my boyfriend for nearly five years. The food has always been excellent. My favorite is the Egyptian Lentil Soup. Their hummus is fantastic too. And the owners/chef and staff have always been very kind and welcoming. After coming back after a bit of an absence the owner was concerned and said that we were missed. I will always enjoy coming here and their excellent food and welcoming atmosphere.
(5)Steven G.
After a very pleasant and tasty meal (we had the lamb stuffed Ouzi, Avacodo/tahini, and baklava) we showed the waiter/owner our Restaurant.com gift certificate on my cell phone. He quickly said, oh yes, please validate it and I'll be right back with your bill. I did as the man told me to do and he returned with a pen and paper asking me for the validation code. I said I already closed it, so I reopened the electronic gift certificate to show him the certificate number. He said that I have to hit validate so he can take down that number instead. I said, I already validated it, so I cannot validate it again. He said, if you already used it, then you cannot use it twice. I said, I validated it less than 10 minutes ago, that is why its saying I used it. He said without the validation code we cannot use it. He then took off the $11 included gratuity and said please just pay the remaining and you do not have to tip as I was looking up Restaurant.com customer service. Honestly we were warned from a Google review that after showing a coupon, King Tut added a $14.50 corking fee. plus.google.com/u/0/1156… WARNING, use a paper Restaurant.com gift certificate and not electronic.
(2)Marie C.
Stumbled upon this place trying to kill time and omg SO glad I did. Fatima is probably the sweetest person I've ever encountered (and I frequent sweet people). It's BYOB since they don't serve alcohol, but that's even better to avoid high prices. Quiet and intimate, and Fatima was perfectly attentive. Not annoying, but around just enough so that our water glass was always full and we never had to ask for more coals. In fact she brought us extra coals so we could switch them as we please. I didn't try the food, but it looked good. Hookah was good, service was 10 stars and walking distance from our hotel. Will absolutely be back!! Thank you, Fatima!!!!
(5)Simone A.
Went for a large birthday party and was so happy about the entire experience. I mean a party of 14 plus people each accompanied by a bottle of booze at a small Egyptian BYO, things could get messy - but the owner was so great with us. We did a sort of price fixed deal which was also fantastic because again with a large party throwing back drinks for 2 hours ... It was just easier. I think we might have ordered every possible option on the menu and each dish was filling and delicious. I lost track of what was what, but I know the hummus and chicken shawarma were favorites. I think we might have ordered every possible option and I lost track of what was what, but I know it was all delicious and the service was some of the best I've ever had. I can't wait to go back.
(5)Kayla U.
First off, I should have read the yelp reviews before purchasing a Restaurant.com gift card. It was supposed to be a minimum of $50 order and you get $25 off of this. I went to King Tut with my boyfriend tonight and we ordered more food than we usually would so we could hit the $50 mark. We told our (very slow and inattentive waitress who couldn't even offer us more water when the place wasn't that full) that we had the coupon during our meal and she said that it was not accepted on Fridays (which this was on a Friday). I showed her the coupon's fine print and even showed her the website where it does not say anything about not using the coupon on weekends. I asked to speak with a manager, and when the manager came out she was nothing short of straight-up rude. I explained to her the situation and she said "no coupon on Friday. Restaurant.com does not make rule, I make rule" and said "what are you going to do about it?" Okay, WORST MANAGER EVER. Whatever happened to customer service? Then, she proceeded to hover directly over top of me for the last ten minutes of our stay. I told her she needs to update her posting on Restaurant.com to specify that they don't take coupons on weekends. At this point, we just wanted to leave, so we asked to split the bill on two cards. Apparently this is again difficult for them to do. When she brought the cards back she had split the bill but charged only the one card twice! We told her but she didn't understand and "couldn't fix it." Whatever. Horrible horrible service, do not recommend this place.
(1)Chanell V.
The service was good.. Not really a fan of the food my appetizer tasted as if it had been reheated and if I wanted microwaved food I would've stayed home... And to top it all off they force you to leave a 20% tip
(2)Fatima Z.
Today was my very first time in this restaurant but let me tell you that it felt just like home. (Note that I am very picky)The owner is fantastic, very nice and welcoming. The decor is very authentic as well as the food. I do not have anything but good things to say: the food was delicious and the service amazing. I ordered the chicken shawarma. It is a nice little cozy area to dine and converse. I can see it being ideal for a engagement party etc. kudos to the owner. I will be back and you should too! You won't regret it!!
(5)Ali H.
Food is good but the mood is quickly ruined as the owner/manger/chef tells you that your restaurant.com certificate is not valid despite the fact that there is no fine print written on the certificate other than having to spend more than $50. The owner/manager/chef tells me that I should follow the rules. I can't follow rules that you make up on the spot. Classic bait-and-switch. Please avoid.
(1)Evan B.
Favorite restaurant in the city of Philadelphia. Owner is a great guy and always is passionate about pleasing his customers. All food is prepared by one lady who has traveled all over the world and can make you all kinds of middle eastern dishes. Flavor is key in every dish you order here. So much so that you won't be able to handle all the different taste buds you didn't know we're their when your munchin out. I usually start with the eggplant avocado dip or hummus. And I will get one of their Entrees in a sandwich form. Their are big portions for a good price Never leave hear hungry or dissatisfied. Have eaten here at least 12 times in the past 3 years and will continue to support them. I get King Tut Tea every time I come in here. If the king himself drank it I guarantee you will be satisfied. It's the best tea I've ever been introduced too, it's hibiscus leaves, which they may sell to you if your nice. King bite is delicious, or the fish platter. Eat here and you won't be disappointed.
(5)Mary F.
YUM! Beyond delicious. Fab appetizers for five of us, out of this world pita to go with the hummus, baba ganoush etc. a beautiful vegetarian salad perfumed with mint and really great olive oil. Two of us shared an amazing entree I couldn't begin to pronounce, but it was chicken, mushrooms, rice, cheese and other vegetables in a puff pastry. Wonderful. The owner was cordial and the service great, we even got to compliment the chef. Loved it and will return.
(5)tia g.
This place is friggin CRAZY GOOD food. anyone who say different is out of their minds! The place is run by a sweet old couple, and yea, sometimes service is slow because the wife is cooking and the husband is in lalaland. But ok, so don't go there if you're in a rush! Just go there if you have time! Seriously, I feel sad for the couple that some of these reviews are so negitive just based on the service being kinda slow sometimes. To me, the food is so delicious and the man is so well-meaning, I can't imagine ever writing a negitive thing about them. Please go. You won't regret it. :)
(5)Will O.
Bad food and service. Was he cooking or reheating? Even worse, he (owner) said he could not honor the mobile version of my Restaurant.com certificate, yet it was marked as used. Dirty. Speaking of, Hookah was probably the worst I ever had and it wasn't smoking properly at first. Go to Effie's or anywhere else.
(1)Waleed A.
It was the best experience i ever had... They are toooo friendly and kind.., The serve delightful food,,, I am sure that i am going to visit it again Thanks a a lot Abo shady ;)
(5)Joanna H.
I want to give 3.5 stars. 4 stars for the food and service but the ending was shady on the owners side. We bought a yelp deal and he refused to take it because "it takes time for the purchase to get processed". Also, when he gave us the check, he requested for cash only because the machines are down. If this was true, the owner should tell us beforehand. Anyways, the food was great. It was my first experience trying Egyptian food. I let the owner know and he made the effort to explain each dish and its ingredients, how the spice level works and how spicy the authentic food would taste. My friend and I ordered the Mashawi which comes as a dish for two ppl. It was good portion for a guy and a girl. It's a dish of ground beef (or maybe lamb..), and chunks of lamb (or maybe beef..) and chicken slices with grilled veggies together. The ground lamb was so delish and a hint of spice made it unique. The chunk was on the harder side to chew but I guess things like pork chops are usually hard. The chicken was so soft. But this isn't it. It also comes with a hot salad, a cold salad, rice and bread. WOW. Idk what the name of the pita-like bread is but it was so obvious they literally baked the bread out of the oven. It was so chewy and steamy I could not stop eating it before, during and after the entree. The salads were SO fresh and balanced well with the meat. It cleaned the meatiness away inside your mouth. Plus, Byob!! Even though the ending was kind of shady, I liked my overall experience at king tut and the owner was very kind. He explained how to each the dish. I will come back soon!
(4)Jon Z.
I was looking forward to a new BYOB in the neighborhood but this place was extremely underwhelming! Environment: 4/5 very quaint but also very crowded like many BYOBS, there 4 person table in the middle of the restaurant is so packed that only one person can physically get out of the seating area plus you have to physically maneuver the table at an awkward angle Service: 3/5 The servers are very friendly and also VERY SLOW. I went at 7pm on a weekend and most of the customers looked very hungry with empty tables awaiting their food. We had to ask for the bill multiple times and this was after the waiter walked by our finished plates twice while serving other parties. Food: 1/5 you can get much better and cheaper food at the chicken and rice cart down the street on 11th and walnut or the Egyptian restaurant on 13th and Chestnut. I wanted to get the Lamb sandwich but conveniently they don't serve the $8 sandwiches during dinner when I tried to order them. There was no mention of it in the menu anywhere. The lamb plate is $18 and for the extra $10 you get a scoop of rice and a handful of salad greens. My lamb was overcooked and I had to spit out half of the meat because it was filled with tendon and/or fat. It seems like they used very low quality meats here. The pita that was supposed with our dinner never came and we had to remind the servers. They came back with 4 half slices of pita for 4 adults. We wanted to ask for more but didn't bother because it would be another 15 minutes of waiting. Drinks: a plus here is they are BYOB so can't beat that Overall, I would not recommend this restaurant. They are many other BYOBs in the neighborhood with higher quality food and more attentive service.
(1)Sweta S.
I loved the food. Pita bread is always soft and fresh. Hummus is very tasty! Food is flavorful!
(4)Jeff H.
WARNING! READ BEFORE GOING. OK, you've been warned. My wife and I have a lot of restaurant.com coupons, and found this place on their website. We figured give it a shot, but I called first to make sure they honored the coupon and they did (some places won't). Before I go more into what brought down our experience, let me comment on what everybody always asks about. FOOD: The food was very very good here. We ordered Hummus, Falafal, and a shared platter, and a "special surprise" for desert (really just rice pudding and baklava). I'd eat the food here again without batting an eye. SERVICE: Very slow. Even with the restaurant being partially empty, there really isn't a waiter/waitress. Only the owner/man who works the front. He is friendly and stopped to talk with many of the people there, but it made everything go very slow. AMBIANCE: It is a small, corner spot, with only about 20 tables. The place seemed clean and neat. A young man with a keyboard setup shop about halfway through out meal and started playing very nice, soft music. I found out later that every Saturday night they have live music. OK so lets talk about specifics: We walk in and the place is very empty for a Saturday night (only has about 10 tables and 7 were open) and an older man who we now assumed is the owner told us to seat wherever we liked. We had to spend a certain amount to use our coupon, which we told him about when we ordered. After ordering he asked for the coupon and we gave it to him. When we asked for the check, he brought back over the coupon we had, and had written on there that the bill was $60, the coupon was $25, and we owed $35. The bill was not itemized and seemed high to us, but we were anxious to leave because of how slow service was. After reading the other reviews and getting ready to give him 5 STARS, I did what I should have done previously. I looked at the menu, added up what our meals where, and discovered that he ADDED 20% to the total without telling us! And WE TIPPED ON TOP OF THAT!! We always give 20%, but HE ADDED THIS WITHOUT TELLING US!! Another fact is he turned down a table of 6 during our meal because they had a few bottles of wine with them. We heard him telling another table that "I could have seated them but they just wanted a place to get drunk and not order a lot." You brag about refusing paying clients? I signed on today to give him 5 stars and say I'll go back, but now after realizing he duped me and my wife I will give him 1 star, tell everybody that he is a crook, and tell you to not go here.
(1)Ali N.
Went here with a bud a few nights ago. From the outside it doesnt look like much but the decor inside was nice. Food was delicious; I had the King Bite and my friend had the lamb shawarma sandwich. They both looked and tasted awesome. Also got the hummus (mild) which was very good, and the bread was warm and delicious. The owner/server, Fatima, was also very kind to us the entire time. Will definitely be coming back here again.
(4)Jessica Y.
So I usually don't write bad reviews unless I REALLY believe that no one else should go through what my friend and I experienced. 1. There were ice chips in my Chicken Shawarma. Pulled out a piece of ice after my third bite, with the first two bites being "mhm what the heck is this?" Owner was nice about it at first and made another one, but still unpleasant experience regardless. 2. I redeemed a Yelp Deal of $15 for $20 for a meal of about $30 for 2 people, the owner who served us automated a 20% tip for himself. I asked him why because we didn't order that much and was only a table of 2, and he argued that YELP GIVES HIM PERMISSION TO DO THAT. I found nothing in the fine prints about it but I guess I'll get an answer from customer service. 3. Owner - "What's the complaint about." Me - "I just wasn't going to tip that much because I ate ice chips and wasn't happy with the service." Owner - "Well I cooked you a new Shwarma!" ...aren't you suppose to do that when there's ice in my food? 4. My friends came a previous time with a voucher for $25 or something, but toward the end the owner was being shady and said they had to spend over 37 bucks for the voucher to be redeemable and their bill was only $36...Again nothing in the fine prints and he refused to let them order more so that they could hit the $37 mark. WHO DOES THAT?? After reading previous reviews, it seems like the owner/server of the restaurant has a history of not honoring these deals and vouchers, so just know that the food is pricy with or without them. And I think some of the food from the chicken and rice trucks are just as good if not better and much cheaper. Cheers.
(1)Amy N.
How often do you walk into a BYOB only to have the owner say, "Don't bother bringing your own wine next time -- I'm making some on the premises that I'd love for you to try?" Try never - except for at King Tut Restaurant and Hookah Bar, apparently... We ate here on a Sunday afternoon between a marathon day of Angels In America Parts 1 & 2 at the Wilma, and were worried we might not have enough time for a sit down dinner. Luckily, we were the first of the dinner crowd to arrive and had prompt service. We were kept in water, offered complimentary wine by the owner, and drank from our own supply - and the staff loved how one of our party was great on pronunciation of the dishes & had some knowledge of the cooking style. I had the Hawache, which was pretty good lamb, and couldn't resist ordering a Vegetable Samosa from the Indian Cuisine section of the menu. We also had the hummus, which was very tasty. Overall we had a great experience, and loved finding a BYOB with great prices in such a central location downtown - so I would definitely go back!
(3)Rami M.
Bad food and service. The place is so tiny too. Never going there again. It took me almost an hour to find a parking spot.
(1)Sarah S.
Delicious! Shared hummus, felafel, grape leaves, and baba ganouj. All genuine and tasty. Bread was airy and warm. Wonderfully nice staff. Will definitely return.
(4)Jennifer M.
What a nice surprise! It was a chilly Sunday evening, and the place was pretty empty. This did not matter since our group of girls can be a bit loud :) Our table ordered the avocado and tahini appetizer to share, and three of us ordered the grilled kafta sandwich (it came highly recommended!), while the other ordered the falafel sandwich. We were offered water (infused with cucumber and rosewater! Very refreshing!) and olives. If you come here, you absolutely MUST order the avocado+tahini dip. We wiped that bowl clean with the warm pita bread that accompanied it. Amazing, amazing, amazing! Emphasis on the amazing. My grilled kafta (lamb, chopped onion, spices) did not disappoint either, and the combination of flavors worked. Nicely done, King Tut! Since their credit card machine was down, it was cash only. No biggie, since there was a coffee place across the street with an ATM. Our meal was a grand total of $12 per person. What a steal! Glad we were able to satisfy our hunger with some cash to spare!
(4)Jason K.
This is without a doubt my new favorite spot in Philadelphia. We got avocado tahini, the vegetarian platter, and chicken shwarma (sp?). ALL AMAZING. Perfect atmosphere, the owner Richard made us feel at home. The bonus is that it's sooo incredibly affordable. Almost like an oversight it feels like a secret I shouldn't share but they deserve it. You won't be disappointed. 100% highly recommended.
(5)Kelsey G.
King tut seems like a nice family owned establishment. When I came in for takeout the owner? greeted me upon arrival and was super sweet. He was the only one working, except for a cook in the back (his wife?) the service was slow, but the food was good. When I came in, I asked for the falafel sandwich, but the owner ended up talking me into the falafel platter. I went with it, but I wish I hadn't. The falafel platter is basically a falafel sandwich dissected (a nice helping of hummus, shredded lettuce & tomatoes, and a measly 4 falafel balls all in a plastic takeaway container). This came to 13$ which was a lot for what it was, considering the sandwich was about 5$. I'm not sure if he was trying to rip me off, because he seemed nice, but definitely not worth 13$. I'm not sure if I'll come back, but if I do, I'll DEFINITELY go with the sandwich.
(3)Luke D.
Healthy food that tasted great. The owner was very nice and had knowledge and experience to share.
(5)Schuyler L.
Owner: "It's expired" *Points to date purchased* Me: "That's the date I purchased the gift certificate. It can't expire before I buy it." Owner: "We file our taxes to the IRS every three months, it's been longer than three months so we can't take it. It's expired." Us: "It says right here "This gift certificate does not expire."" Owner: "Free glass of wine?" We got up, left never to return and I encourage you to never eat at a place which cannot honor it's obligations. I've eaten here before but it really didn't leave much of an impression.
(1)Christina W.
I came here with a group of 8. The restaurant was small and rather intimate, with beautiful decor both on the walls and under a clear surface on the table. It was fun with the group but would probably be more fun on a date or friend date. The owner was extremely friendly and engaged with us a lot. I shared an order of hummus with two other people and ordered a lamb shwarma for myself. The hummus was delicious! Highly recommend. The lamb shwarma was very tasty and came with a small side salad and rice. Portion size for the shwarma was decent, but I still felt $17 was a hefty price for it. The meat was very tender when it was hot but much drier and tougher once it cooled. I tried my friend's tilapia special which was awesome, and very large (two people shared it). Charming find with solid food, but the entree prices could be a little lower.
(3)Sydney C.
I came here on a whim with 9 of my other girlfriends, bottles of wine in hand (it's BYOB). We made reservations, but they weren't really necessary as there was only one other couple inside. There were what looked to be like family members sitting near the kitchen watching tv, but once we open the wine, we didn't notice them. Our waitress/owner of the restaurant (she even lived upstairs) was extremely nice and very helpful in explaining what all of the dishes were and what were the best ones. We were very happy that she did because the food was delicious! We definitely ordered way too much since we shared a lot, but I'm glad we got to try so many different things. The only issue that I had, (that I've noticed other reviewers had as well) was after we had taken time to calculate what everyone owed and wrote down card numbers, etc., they informed us that their card machines weren't working and they could only accept cash. I was the only one that had enough cash to cover all 10 of us, thankfully, since it was in the winter and the closest ATM wasn't too close. It was also a pain in the ass to have everyone pay me back. Besides that one setback, the night was a success and I will definitely be returning!
(4)Shereen C.
Cozy BYOB. Service was a little strange with the wine but the people were really nice. Food was okay. Avocado spread was interesting -- not bad. Meat was tough, overcooked -- disappointing. Fish was all right -- not bad but not amazing either. I feel bad because they're so nice, but I wouldn't want to go back. There's better food to be had.
(2)Mitchi E.
My husband and I loved this charming little spot, with its welcoming owner who treats you like a guest in his home. We brought our own bottle, and we suggest a good, bold red wine to go with their bold and flavorful dishes. We highly suggest the King Mazzeh to get a sampling of their popular dips, and a mixed grill platter. Unfortunately, while the platter is supposed to be for two people, the smallish portion left us hanging a bit. Aside from that, the decor is beautiful with its brightly tiled mural, and because of its lighting and small size, it is very intimate.
(4)M B.
I went here for dinner recently with two of my close friends - we were in the mood for a "divey, ethnic BYO" and reviews of King Tut suggested that it would fit the bill. Reasons to go are that it's extremely affordable, it's cute and cozy in its own divey way, and the owner is an extremely nice, charming Middle Eastern gentleman who was extremely warm and made us laugh. Our experience was good overall but there were some drawbacks. The big one was that the place smelled distinctly like a litter box (confirmed with my friends that we all noticed it). I'm guessing they have a cat somewhere on the premises to help them with pest control and I'm fine with that but they've got to do something about the smell. Another was that the food was sort of 'meh'... I thought the hummus that we split as an appetizer had some interesting spice and texture (and I *loved* the warm pita bread!) but my falafel platter was just okay ...not bad but nothing to write home about. When I go to a dive, I'm looking for "so good no one cares if our place is a dump" -level deliciousness. Unfortunately, King Tut did not quite satisfy that criterion. Other things to mention: it's definitely a good place to go if you want to linger with a bottle (or two) of wine on a weeknight as you definitely will not be rushed (although, for the same reason, maybe not a great place to go if you're in a hurry); I noticed that another reviewer mentioned that they are cash only but it would seem that this is no longer the case - we all paid on cards.
(3)S S.
This is the most authentic Egyptian food I've had in the US. Extremely friendly service, and allowed us to (unintentionally) stay half an hour late to enjoy. Thank you! Will definitely be back.
(5)Brad P.
This is an exceptional Mediterranean restaurant with a random smattering of Indian dishes and some other wackiness that I didn't recognize. They also have excellent pita that is served with the meal. I'm serious. This is really excellent pita bread. It beats every other restaurant in King Tut's price range that I've ever been to. They have an interesting avocado/hummus appetizer that is worth mentioning. I liked it. I had a shrimp dish with tomato that has a name I can't remember and got to sample a few other entrees. King Tut does very good okra, Indian chicken, and shrimp. Oh yeah, in case you forgot about my opening paragraph, the pita is great. The King's favorite is a great sendoff for your meal(better than the baklava). It is a great rice pudding with some cake or something on top. On the action-movie-parallel-satisfaction-scale, this place is The Rock.
(4)Laura S.
If you like a low key BYO with fantastic cuisine and family owned...you have to try this place. Take your time and enjoy!
(5)Ling N.
TERRIBLE! 1. Owner lusted over his TV rather than serving us; we stood around awkwardly for ~10mins before being noticed [there was only one table occupied at the time]. 2. Food was mediocre, service was the worst. He spent all of his time talking to guests and paid no attention to anyone else. 3. Added a MANDATORY 20% gratuity onto the bill. We would have not tipped him anywhere near that. 4. Ordered ONE baklava to go and he charged/gave us TWO; this would have been fine because I love baklava but BOTH pieces of baklava were BURNT and dried out- absolutely disgusting and inedible! Pretty sure he just did this because we wouldn't notice since it was to-go. 5. The bathroom is disgusting. Smells of mold. Absolutely awful place. Please do not go. I haven't felt this strongly negative about a restaurant in awhile.
(1)Andrew W.
Good, but a little too pricey for the fare. I ordered take out so I can't speak to the service issues that seem to be regularly plaguing this place.... in my case it arrived on time with no issues. I can't really complain about anything, the schwarma was good, the side salad was a touch over dressed but still tasted fresh, the app platter we ordered had pretty much everything in it... the falafel was very good and hummus was fine... I can't speak to the grape leaves (I can't eat them after a friend commented how they look like a moth's cocoon) but they were said to be good.
(4)Matthew T.
4 stars for the food, 1 star for the service. I give the food more weight, so 3 stars it is. I've been here twice. I realize this place isn't the French Laundry, but the service, although friendly, needs work. I walk in. Nobody is there to greet me, but they tell me from across the room to seat myself. So I seat myself. There's no silverware on the table. The waitress gives me the menu, then takes my order a few minutes later. I order a diet Pepsi and a shawarma platter. No bread or water is ever offered or brought to the table. The waitress brings out a can of diet Pepsi and a plastic cup with no ice. A few minutes later she gives me some cheap silverware wrapped in a paper napkin. The food comes out in a reasonable amount of time. It's a pretty large portion of lamb shawarma, served over rice and with a lettuce/tomato/onion salad. It's delicious. After I finish, the waitress clears the table and drops off the check - she doesn't ask if I'd like anything else and no coffee or dessert is offered. The bill for a can of diet Pepsi and a shawarma platter is $21 before tip. Thankfully, they take American Express. For the quality of the food it's worth it, but the service needs to improve. I would go back because the food is good and I happen to live in the neighborhood.
(3)Brian S.
Tried to go there one Saturday 15 minutes after scheduled opening time but found the door locked. The only signs of life were two workers seated at a table with a pile of napkins and a spray bottle of some sort. They didn't seem to be in a hurry so we didn't rush back...
(1)David W.
I ate here about a month ago but just started Yelping recently. Anyway I was here because of Restaurant.com gift card. I never had Middle Eastern Food but thought I would give it a shot. The guy was very nice but unfortunately was not a great server and it was obvious that he couldn't handle a busy restaurant. He was in the weeds from the second we walked in, it took about fifteen minutes for him to get our drink orders. I asked for a glass of water and it tasted filmy and had a residue on the top so I got a can of coke. I got the spinach pie and it was rubbish, it was undercooked on the pastry and tasted reheated instead of fresh. Then I got the King Bite/Lamb Meshwi, I love lamb but this was the toughest lamb I have ever eaten with no flavor. I was so disappointed with this restaurant and I will never eat here again. I feel bad because the owners seem like really nice people but it is not enough to be nice people when it comes to good food. So I hope that King Tut makes a drastic change in the way they operate and the biggest thing I would say is hire a decent server!
(1)Sarah P.
I went here for my birthday dinner with about 13 people. Pros: -Vegan-friendly food -Very attentive waitress -Awesome falafel Cons: -Lost my reservation, but I was able to make a new one -The hookahs we ordered were harsh -The waitress didn't know how much an appetizer plate would cost if they made it big enough for 13 people. Overall: -I liked it and would definitely come back, but maybe for lunch instead of dinner.
(4)