Floyd's Restaurant

I popped into this place in search of a gyro, only to find they didn’t have any.  I was sad, but the woman inside was so sweet, I decided to get lunch there anyway.  She recommended the chicken so I went with it.  Chose hummus (which was hummos on their menu) and rice.  The hummus came with half a pita.  Later, I realized this was an odd combo, but in the moment, I was just keeping the party going.  I got it to go, was just trying to get outside and see some sunshine.

Great chicken but order ahead or they may run out before you get yours.

I met up with fellow food-bloggers Liz and Heather at Floyd's in Clifton for a fun evening of food and laughter, both of which we had in abundance. I hadn't been to Floyd's in donkey's yonks, but the food is still as good as it was all those years ago, and the prices still seem locked somewhere in the mid-1990s, making it a very affordable place to try lots and lots of dishes, which we did.

The restaurant is unassuming from the street and is fairly basic inside, with formica tables and sparse décor. They do not serve alcohol but are quite happy to let you bring your own, which the table near us had done. Their hours are somewhat weird: open Tues-Fri from 11 a.m.-9 p.m. but closed between 2:30-5 p.m. each day, and Saturday from 5-9:30 p.m. They are closed on Sundays and Mondays.

Mediterranean fare is always very veggie-friendly, and Floyd's takes good care of their vegetarian customers with a large number of non-meat dishes and sides. All ten of their side dishes are vegetarian, and they offer musakaa (baked eggplant with rice), spanaopita (spinach and feta pie), and stuffed green peppers as main entrées. You will also find vegetarian lentil soup and a falafel sandwich on the menu.

Everything is made fresh daily and when they run out, that's it for the day. I really wanted to try their falafel sandwich, but the popular dish had already sold out. Boo! Instead, I opted for the stuffed peppers and a variety of sides, which included a Greek salad, pickled vegetables and lima beans, which I had been told were something of a specialty. My mother would be very surprised to learn that I had not only ordered lima beans, but had eaten every bite and contemplated ordering another lot. Prepared with garlic, lemon, olive oil and parsley, they were deliciously comforting and a far cry from the southern-style "butter beans" my mom tried to force on me as a kid. Floyd's has made me reconsider the lima bean in a completely new, yummy light.

By far my favorite side dish of the evening was the pickled veggies. It is a restaurant specialty and the beets, garlic, carrots and cauliflower were crunchy with a pleasantly puckering tang. I'd order it again in a heartbeat.

We all sampled each other's dishes (except of course I didn't try their much-raved about half chicken - which needs to be ordered several hours in advance) and I have to say that the tabouli Liz ordered was some of the best I think I've ever tried - heavy on the parsley and onion, with bright hints of lemon. The homemade hummus and freshly baked pita bread were good too - the hummus creamy and simple, with a puddle of olive oil in the middle, and the bread fluffy yet firm. YUM.

Of course we did dessert - Liz and I both ordered the pistachio baklava, while Heather got the Lebanese pancakes. We felt the baklava was a bit too dry, but oh those pancakes! Stuffed with crème fraiche and pistachios and swimming in simple syrup, they were just sweet enough without being sickly so.

Floyd's is obviously doing it right or they wouldn't be such a Clifton mainstay, but I would like to offer them one little suggestion - offer a sampler platter! I calculated up what it would cost me to order each of their side dishes and that is the only thing that prevented me from splurging on one of everything. Seriously - I was disappointed that I wasn't able to also try their baba ganouje, dolma vines and green beans, but I guess that's what next times are for.

Went there last night, my niece and I, for the first time, with my sister who has been there many times. Everything was so delicious! It was the best baba I’ve EVER tasted (and I’ve eaten A LOT of baba and have even made my own!) We tried a little bit of everything and NOTHING disappointed! Everything was FRESH and the flavors were amazing. We were sharing all that we ordered, with the intention of bringing leftovers to the niece left at home, and ended up having to order CarryOut because we gobbled everything up! In fact, when we heard another diner trying to decide if they would be able to even eat the half chicken and wondering if they could get a box if they couldn’t finish it, we looked at the small piles of polished bones on our plates and began to chuckle. The chicken was incredible, moist and tender; I don’t normally care for thighs or the skin, but I ate EVERY bit of it! The skin was crisp and the herbs and spices were delicious! (My mouth is watering now just remembering it!) We had the hummus, baba, tabouli, dolma, Greek Salad, the half chicken (we had two and took another home), basmati rice, lentil soup, and the fixings for the chicken sandwiches. We also had the Lima beans and the Italian beans, which were nothing like we’d ever tasted before; the flavors were surprising AND delicious!!! I didn’t get the lovely owner’s name, but she was charming and funny and treated us like family! The young woman who kept our plates and glasses full was a delight as well. They made Turkish coffee for my niece to try, which she loved, though we were able to convince her to share a bit. It was a delicious and delightful experience and we can’t wait to go again...this time with the entire family!

My lady took me here for my birthday and it was a great experience. The service was great and they were very kind people. I was really happy to support such a nice family who make such incredible food! Half Chicken!!!!

Oh my! This is the best Mediterranean food I’ve ever had. We ate the spit roasted chicken sandwich with the freshly made hummus, falafel (the best!!!), and baklava! We will totally make this a regular place we eat!

Literally the best food I've ever had. Every person is so kind. It's all homemade freshly every day. I wish I could eat here everyday.

Fantastic Lebanese food. Voted Best Chicken by Cincinnati Magazine. The exterior doesn't look like much, but the food completely compensates!