5 STARS
DESCRIPTION: This is the Gold Standard of Middle Eastern places. And in a city that has many restos doing this type of food. The mezza's are uniformly outstanding. And the main courses, mostly lamb in many forms are outstanding. Pass on the desserts. Not their strength. Prices are moderate and food is excellent. Staff willing. No attitude or big deal in any way. Thus a great value and a fine meal. I drive over 50 miles to get there, so you know it's got to be extra special.
DATE: 2002-06-17
FOODRATING : 10
SERVICERATING : 8
AMBIANCERATING : 6
OVERALLRATING : 10

Big Disappointment
DESCRIPTION: The whole experience started off at mediocre and it just got worse from there. The atmosphere left a lot to be desired-- just a glorified Denny's. Our melodramatic waiter brought out the appetizers in a very timely fashion, and they were ok. The second course, soup and salad, were a bit different than we expected, but at least they were edible. On the other hand, I ordered the swordfish kabobs as a main dish, and they were horrible--inedible! And I'm not a picky eater! We had high hopes for the live belly dancing, but that too was a disappointment. Three different staff members asked us if everything was ok, and when we mentioned the fish, their reactions were far from empathetic. The waitress even said, "That's how fish is." We're never going back again, and we recommend that you save your money and avoid this place!!
DATE: 2003-10-24
FOODRATING : 2
SERVICERATING : 4
AMBIANCERATING : 4
OVERALLRATING : 2
RECOMMENDED DISHES : baba ganoush

Horrible
DESCRIPTION: The service was bad; our waitress filled our water glasses and never came back. When she finally did 20 minutes later, she took our order, but then forgot to put it in, so we didn't get our food for another 20 minutes. The food was awful - almost inedible - and I am not a fussy person by any means. We ordered baklava for dessert and couldn't cut it. I then had to request a steak knife and still could not cut through the pastry dough. Who would have thought that baklava was so hard. Besides that, it tasted like I was licking sap off of a tree; it was awful. I would never eat there ever again. I would recommend that nobody should waste their time and money here.
DATE: 2006-02-25
FOODRATING : 4
SERVICERATING : 2
AMBIANCERATING : 4
OVERALLRATING : 2
RECOMMENDED DISHES : hummos appetizer

If Only They Could Ship It!!!!!
DESCRIPTION: I remember having to drag my husband into El Basha to try the food. It was a struggle, but he finally gave in. Every week thereafter for nearly a year (until we moved out of state) we made dining at El Basha a weekly affair. He was especially fond of the lentil soup, when it was "in season" which frustrated him as he craved it year-round. The chicken Port Saiid was another particular favorite of ours, as were the hommus blahmee and fassoulia. The service was good - the only time I ever remember waiting for a drink was when it was exceptionally busy.
DATE: 2003-04-30
FOODRATING : 10
SERVICERATING : 8
AMBIANCERATING : 6
OVERALLRATING : 8
RECOMMENDED DISHES : Seriously - I loved everything I tried. Go nuts.

Wonderful
DESCRIPTION: My husband and I have dinner last Friday night at El Basha. The food and service were wonderful. The fava bean salad, fallafel, kibbee and port saiid were all terrific
DATE: 2003-09-01
FOODRATING : 10
SERVICERATING : 10
AMBIANCERATING : 10
OVERALLRATING : 10
RECOMMENDED DISHES : kibbee & port saiid

El Basha! El Basha!
DESCRIPTION: We always love to eat the Middle Eastern food at this restaurant. Falafel, hommus with fresh pita bread, chicken port saiid, kabobs, stuffed grape leaves, salad and the rice pilaf are sure to please even the pickiest customer. It is fabulous food cooked to perfection and at the right portion and price for family dining!
DATE: 2004-01-04
FOODRATING : 10
SERVICERATING : 10
AMBIANCERATING : 6
OVERALLRATING : 10

Not Bad, but Not Great.
DESCRIPTION: Via Via is an outpost of a Rhode Island chain that bills itself as the state's "favorite" pizza. Now, I don't know how they determined a "favorite," but if the claim is true, it just shows the difference between "favorite" and "best." Not that the pizza is bad, but it's not really anything special either. In fact, the same could be said for the rest of the food, which has a more Middle Eastern slant than would be expected from a pizza spot. The prices are a little higher than for many pizza and sandwich places. On the positive side, they seem to use higher-quality ingredients than most places. On the negative side, the portions are somewhat small, and some of the more "creative" pizza options appear to have been created on paper -- with no one bothering to taste them before adding them to the menu. When they opened, the service was unbelievably slow (for example, a grill cook who couldn't manage more than one order at a time). While some wrinkles have been ironed out, and while the staff has been unfailingly friendly, they still maintain a slow pace. The atmosphere is somewhat nicer than for most counter-service restaurants. Before Via Via opened, the location was home to a number of sit-down establishments, and the decor appears to have been left over from Via Via's (fancier) predecessor. Overall, although the food is decent, and I really want to like the place because of the friendly staff, I always leave there feeling like I got just a little less than my money's worth.
DATE: 2003-02-27
FOODRATING : 4
SERVICERATING : 6
AMBIANCERATING : 6
OVERALLRATING : 4

Too Much Salt!
DESCRIPTION: I ate there last night. I had Angel Hair with chopped clams. It might have been very good if they hadn't used about 10 times as much salt as was necessary to flavor the dish.
DATE: 2003-10-09
FOODRATING : 2
SERVICERATING : 6
AMBIANCERATING : 6
OVERALLRATING : 2