Cafe Rita Hours: See Profile   755 Dairy Ashford St Houston TX 77079 281.493.9200 You might also be interested in these:     Lebanese Restaurants    ZIP 77079 Profile Description: Cafe Rita is a small restaurant owned by an Armenian couple George & Rita Sarikhanian. Rita cooks all the meals and George serves at the counter. Food is cooked fresh daily, we have daily specials as well as the items on the menu. If you have special requests, please let Rita know 2-3 days ahead of time. We also cater!!!   Add Review PROFILE     MY REVIEW: Cafe Rita is an amazing place! the place is very, very small, so either go early during the work week, like arrive around 11 to 11:10 or have a long wait and possibly have to sit with strangers. I went because a co-workers raves about this place. hes there every thursday like clockwork and that was the first place he wanted to eat when he returned from offshore. (thats how you know its THAT good) On Thursdays they serve lamb. i know, i said it too. Lamb, really? Im more of a burger gal... but NO! the lamb was so soft and tender, it loooked and felt like pot roast, simply melting in my mouth! it was placed on a bed of rice, not sure of the kind but the flavor was amazing. I joke around and call it ninja rice because i ate there, and thought, wow, that was good. then two weeks later, the HUNGER hit me and i was salavating for more of that Thursday special! all in all, you get a fouintian drink, an entree and two sides for about $10 and the helpings are very generous. i would and have recommended this place to friends and plan on catering from there for meetings. NAME: colettenvegas SUBMITTED: 8/13/2008   LAST VISIT WAS: July 24th FREQUENCY: Visited 2-3 times MY REVIEW: I've been visiting Rita's Cafe for some time now and I have to say it's great. The owners are wonderful people and the food it's delicious. My favorite's would have to be leg lamb, beef and chicken keba, and recently I tried the new chiken chipotle with bulgor and for dessert my favorite, chocolate baklava yum. I would recommend going to Rita's Cafe it's truly a great treat for your mouth. NAME: Talia SUBMITTED: 11/1/2007   LAST VISIT WAS: 10/26 FREQUENCY: Visited 2-3 times MY REVIEW: This was my first time to try Rita's and although I didn't know what to expect, it was DELICIOUS! Very fresh & very tasty! I had the beef schwarma sandwhich and the tabouli and they were fantastic. The prices were what you'd expect to pay for a decent lunch meal and the portions were very generous. George and Rita were both there and were very warm & friendly. I will certainly be back. NAME: Karey SUBMITTED: 10/1/2007   LAST VISIT WAS: 10/01/2007 FREQUENCY: Visited once MY REVIEW: My mouth waters every time I even think about Rita's. As a vegetarian, I can go there every day for 2 weeks and get something different each time. It's all so delicious and fresh. The couple who runs the place couldn't be any sweeter. They make you feel at home and even let us sample things that are "off the menu." So happy I stumbled upon it. NAME: mmmmmm SUBMITTED: 9/21/2007   LAST VISIT WAS: September 2007 FREQUENCY: Everybody here knows my name... MY REVIEW: I have to report that before trying Cafe Rita I had never had Lebanese food that I particularly enjoyed. If you try some of the other Lebanese places in town, you'll understand why ... some of those places get everything, literally everything, out of a can! My daughter is strict vegan. So, she discovered Cafe Rita back when she was in high school at Stratford, across the street. She took me there one time and that's all it took! I'm a practicing omnivore, so I tried several of the meat dishes my first few times here. They were excellent, but I've switched over to being strictly vegetarian now when I visit. I had no idea what to try on my first couple of visits. So, I just asked George to pick out a few things for me to sample. Now I just pick from the very wide variety of fresh, extremely, fresh salads, lentils, beans, hummus (try my favorite: the olive hummus!), tabouli, dolmas, baba gannoush, orzo, and some red spicy stuff that will fire you up! If you don't know what these items are, don't let that stop you. Like I said, just go in and ask George to make up a sampler so you can see what you like. George and Rita are just the nicest folks. But, Rita's food is so fresh and delicious! They have such a selection. It's a great place to experiment and try new things. I understand that, if you're an expert on Lebanese food, Rita's will quickly become your favorite Houston restaurant. I'm no expert but you don't have to be at Rita's. I have yet to have anything that was less than great. In fact, I'm hungry now. I think I'll swing back by there ... . Give it a try soon. You'll be very glad you did. NAME: Jim Edwards SUBMITTED: 6/19/2007   LAST VISIT WAS: June 2007 FREQUENCY: Visited 4-6 times MY REVIEW: In my view, this is a great, great restaurant; I have tried to get to all the middle-eastern type places I could in town, and of them, this is either #1 or #2 (a close tie with s*hish-kabob cafe), and in either case, it is exceptional. They have this corn salad that blows my mind- how can a vegetable taste that good?! I go there just craving this corn. The hummus is well above average, the tabouli is good as well. The portions are generous and filling. I used to be disappointed with the chicken and rice (dry), but it has actually gotten much, much better, especially in the shawarma. Rita and George are both friendly, nice people. I like the "hole in the wall" atmosphere, and the reasonable (mostly) prices. If you have a bad visit(or 2), this does not suprise me- I have gone a couple of times when the food just seemed off. Maybe Rita took the day off; i don't know. If they could just be truly, consistently excellent, this would be my favorite place in town, hands down. As it stands, they are of superior quality about 4/5 times I go there, and while not perfect, it's good enough for me. NAME: mike elliott SUBMITTED: 2/5/2007   LAST VISIT WAS: 12/2006 FREQUENCY: Everybody here knows my name... MY REVIEW: Wow, a bad review for Cafe Rita. I have never written a review, but I felt I should when I read the review on 11/20/06. I wonder what happened. I go there a few times a week, but never had a bad food experience. This is a Lebanese/Armenian food restaurant and nothing like Greek. I've had most of their sandwiches, plates and daily specials and the only complaint I have most of the time is that they give too much food. I especially love their shawerma sandwiches with the garlic sauce on the chicken and the tahini sauce on the beef. I feel bad for the person who didn't have a good experience and I suggest they talk to Rita, the cook, about it. NAME: Food Lover SUBMITTED: 11/25/2006   LAST VISIT WAS: 11/22/06 FREQUENCY: Everybody here knows my name... MY REVIEW: I have to admit I am disappointed, especially after all of these rave reviews! I love mediterranean food, and while Rita's may be authentic, I just don't think it tastes very good. The gyro and shwarma sandwiches were really dry, and skimpy considering they cost $5 and don't come with anything on the side (and barely anything inside!). I picked up a variety of sandwiches for the office, and one person told me they should have to pay HER $5 to eat that sandwich! I hate to write a bad review, but I feel obligated to after two very disappointing visits. My advice would be to try it once based on these other reviews... But if you hate it, don't be duped into thinking it will be better next time. Also, if you're looking for something similar to Greek food, this isn't it. NAME: Foodie SUBMITTED: 11/20/2006   LAST VISIT WAS: 11/2006 FREQUENCY: Visited 2-3 times MY REVIEW: I went to Cafe Rita from Beaumont, I found a mom and pop Armenian/Lebanese place. I had the Tuesday special chicken with a good bulgur pilaf and delicious cabbage rolls, creamy hummus and baba gannoush, and herby taboule. I saw fresh bean and other veggie salads. It was all good food and down home atmosphere. NAME: Jason SUBMITTED: 6/11/2006   LAST VISIT WAS: 05/30/2006 FREQUENCY: Visited once MY REVIEW: I absolutely love this place!!!! I have tried pretty much all the Lebanese/Middle-Eastern restaurants in town as well as other cities and nothing remotely comes close to this restaurant's authenticity. I've tried nearly all the meats/side dishes and they are all wonderful and worth trying. George is really sweet yet, like some people have already mentioned, he is really great at over-selling and if you're not careful you leave wondering how you spent as much as you did. The actual restaurant is rather dingy-looking but we always take out so it doesn't really matter. This place is a gem!!! NAME: Nelly SUBMITTED: 1/20/2006   LAST VISIT WAS: 01/20/2005 FREQUENCY: Everybody here knows my name... MY REVIEW: The genuine article. My wife is Lebanese and for twenty years I have eaten authentic Lebanese cuisine. George and Rita serve the real thing. I love everything I have eaten there and will return to try some more. NAME: Peter SUBMITTED: 12/13/2005   LAST VISIT WAS: December 2005 FREQUENCY: Visited 2-3 times MY REVIEW: This place is great. I've eaten there twice, got the veggie tray both times with different dishes each time. The hummus is yummy. The brussel sprouts are delicious, so are the grape leaves and eggplant. They have spinach inside of puff pastry, I forget what that's called, but it melts in your mouth. It's a very small place, but the owner is great and helps you find a place to sit. I'll be back as I still have many dishes to try. Always leave full and satisfied. NAME: lisa SUBMITTED: 8/5/2005   LAST VISIT WAS: 8/05 FREQUENCY: Visited 2-3 times MY REVIEW: This is one of my favorite lunch spots when I want to treat myself. I love all the little salads, especially the eggplant and the orzo. The meat and rice dishes are especially good with the really addictive garlic sauce, which seems to be nothing but garlic whipped with oil and salt. Ask for some, it's great. This really does taste like fresh home cooking - cooked by someone who loves onions, lemons, garlic, and salt. I have to say, it is on the salty side for my palate. And in fact I would go more often if it weren't for that. I actually prepare to go by drinking a couple of glasses of water first to hydrate myself, it's that salty. Still, after a while the memory of the strange yet titillating spice combinations of the eggplant and cranberry chicken beckons me back... And like someone else mentioned, I too have done doubletakes at my final bill. So watch what they charge you. NAME: yum yum SUBMITTED: 6/8/2005   LAST VISIT WAS: 3/05 FREQUENCY: Visited 4-6 times MY REVIEW: This is an excellent place to grab a hot lunch and ebjoy some very good food. I just had the special plate, cheese stuffed beef kabob with two sides for 7.95 and was very pleased. Served with great pita bread slices. The array of side dishes to select from is almost too big - hard to decide what to try. I have never tried an evening meal. I would enjoy wine with this food some evening, and George told me I was welcome to bring my own as he does not serve wine or beer. NAME: Wanderer SUBMITTED: 3/4/2005   LAST VISIT WAS: Feb 2005 FREQUENCY: Visited 4-6 times MY REVIEW: This is absolutely the best Lebanese restaurant in town. If you like, well actually LOVE baba ghanouj, shwarma, kippie, etc. mmmmm well this is the place to go. Friendly atmosphere, great price, casual. SOOOOOOOOO delicious. I love it. NAME: flygirl SUBMITTED: 2/11/2005   LAST VISIT WAS: 1/2005 FREQUENCY: Visited 4-6 times MY REVIEW: I am not normally a vegetarian, and I love all the middle eastern meat dishes but when I go to Cafe Rita I want to eat all the exquisite vegetables and legumes they have, that I don't have room for the meat dishes. My children love the meat dishes there but I just love their asparagus, egg plant, lima beans, lentils, tabouli, cabbage, potatoes, grape leaves, olives....uhmmm NAME: uhm medditeranean/middle east SUBMITTED: 5/27/2004   LAST VISIT WAS: 12/2003 FREQUENCY: Everybody here knows my name... MY REVIEW: Lizzie again. Still great, always great. Just like eating at home with mom and dad. Everything I've ever had here is absolutely THE BEST. I actually started doing a little dance in my chair the other day at lunch just as I took my first bite. Good stuff. NAME: Lizzie SUBMITTED: 5/19/2004   LAST VISIT WAS: May 2004 FREQUENCY: Everybody here knows my name... MY REVIEW: Rita's is always good and it's great to have such an "mom & pop" establishment serving such authentic food in the neighborhood. Be aware that going towards evening closing time doesn't always get you the freshest of pre-prepared items. While we love their hospitality be careful not to get carried away with it... before we learned better we often walked out wondering how the bill ended up so high from this "little no frills corner kitchen". After a few times we learned not to succumb to "trying some of this and some of that". What might seem like a "modest and inexpensive sampling" puts George's cash register into "jack pot mode". We've come out feeling better about the prices when we've stuck to the fixed price dinners. NAME: HoustonEatsOut SUBMITTED: 4/24/2004   LAST VISIT WAS: 04/04 FREQUENCY: Visited 4-6 times MY REVIEW: This place is the best Lebanes/Armenian cafe in town. My fave's are the chicken shwarma, lamb, stuffed cabbage rolls... there is seriously nothing that I have tried that was not truly excellent! George and Rita are very nice people also. Freshest food in town! NAME: M West SUBMITTED: 9/15/2003   LAST VISIT WAS: 9/2003 FREQUENCY: Everybody here knows my name... MY REVIEW: It was so GREAT. I hate to spread the rumor, as too many guests in that litlle restaurant might make it difficult for me to find a seat. But the owners need the recognitions for a truly fantastic dinner. NAME: Bugslayer SUBMITTED: 6/12/2003   LAST VISIT WAS: June 2003 FREQUENCY: Visited once MY REVIEW: If you want the best Lebanese food in Houston, this is the place you must go to. Besides authentic Lebanese dishes, you can also taste various Lebanese Armenian dishes. Most of the them are hand-made from scratch, that is literally! No canned souces, pastes or anything of that sort. NAME: B SUBMITTED: 4/4/2003   LAST VISIT WAS:  FREQUENCY: Visited once MY REVIEW: This is undoubtedly the very best Lebanese food I have ever eaten and I have been eating it all my life. Rita is a talented cook. Everything I have ever eaten here has been an explosion of flavor. George and Rita are the nicest people also. They always remember you and go out of their way to please everyone. NAME: Lizzie SUBMITTED: 12/27/2002   LAST VISIT WAS: December 2002 FREQUENCY: Everybody here knows my name... MY REVIEW: Family owned "Mom and Pop" restuarant with friendly family atmosphere. I started as a customer years ago and now I am almost family! George and Rita are from Lebanon and Rita is very particular about freshness. The food is excellent and includes all the Lebanonese favorites. Try the lamb on Thursday nights. Rita also specializes in pastry desserts. The place is small and simple and prices are good. You'll come back for the food and friendly service, not the ambiance. Lots of people do take-out. Sit down and talk to George and Rita. As you walk out the door call out, "We love you, George!" NAME: John G SUBMITTED: 11/19/2002   LAST VISIT WAS: 11/02 FREQUENCY: Everybody here knows my name... ©Copyright 1991 - 2008 B4-U-EAT.COM. All rights reserved. Design and database by B4-U-BUY