Local Business Wednesday: Cedar Garden

Local eatery Cedar Garden has been a St. Clair Shores fixture since around 1996 and if you haven’t eaten here, you’re missing the best Lebanese food in the area.  It does come with a couple mild drawbacks, so let’s get that out of the way right off the bat.

First, the interior is drab and either the tables are heavily waxed or they are rarely cleaned with soap.  Whatever the case, they’re sticky.  Though I’ve been eating here since 2006 I can honestly say I’ve never had a case of food poisoning (unlike every visit I’ve had to Wendy’s), so that’s something.

And if you’re expecting service that will cheer your day and make you skip out the door when you’re finished, forget about it.  The most you’ll get is a straight-to-the-point service approach and even through the years, my visits have only been elevated to a mild-enthusiasm and most of that is for my five year old daughter who simply brings joy out of people.

So, if you’re not expecting to be wowed by the interior or thrilled with the service, you should expect to be impressed by the food.  I’d say they do well much more often than they don’t.  The homemade pita are usually soft, made fresh and the toum (garlic sauce), oh my, if I could live on the stuff, I would.  Let me say this again, their garlic sauce is incredible!  If you order take-out, you won’t get the fresh pita so weight that decision carefully. 

The shish combo that comes with shish kabob, shish tawook and shish kafta, rice and a salad is by itself, delicious and enough for two people.  It’s usually sparse on the veggies, but I don’t mind.  If you do, make sure to tell them and they’ll take care of you.  

Sometimes I get the chicken fattoush shawarma salad when I’m feeling like something different and it’s never failed to satisfy me.  Definitely get any salad with the dressing on the side.  Their dressing tastes great but is heavy on the oil, so control your own destiny with it.

Finally, they have a children’s menu but my five year old won’t even look at it she loves their food so much.  Oh, their fresh lemonade is fantastic, just like a slushy and their raw-juices are healthy, fantastic and reasonably priced all things considered. 

Verdict: Worth the visit.

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