Diners Love Ranoush's New Location

Ranoush in Kirkwood—the reiteration of the popular Syrian restaurant on The Loop—seems to be impressing patrons in its new digs on Kirkwood Road.

seems to be drawing rave reviews from restaurant critics and diners alike.

“We have to admit, we were skeptical when we first heard Ranoush was headed to Kirkwood,” Sidney Lewis wrote for Ladue News. “We weren’t sure how receptive local diners would be to Ranoush’s offerings, but we’re happy to say our concerns seem to be unfounded.”

Unfounded, indeed. Ranoush, named after owner Aboud Alhamid’s nickname for his wife, earns top scores from online restaurant sites, including Yelp, Foursquare and Trip Advisor.

“I would recommend this place to others without hesitation,” said Lyn Clarke, who lives in St. Louis but grew up in Boston eating kefta and pilaf with her Armenian and Lebanese neighbors. “There were several more items on the menu I wanted to try, and every time someone else’s order passed by my table, I wanted theirs, too.”

Emily B. from St. Louis said she barely knew where Syria was before trying the restaurant, which she ranked with five out of five stars.

“The taste reminded me of a combination of Greek and Indian food—flavorful and light, not too spicy, but definitely not bland,” she wrote on Yelp. “Plus, each item had a unique taste—which made for a nice varied palate.”

Reviewers loved the Arabic fries and falafel (“hard on the outside like I love it and perfectly spiced,” said Sarah S. on Yelp) for appetizers, lamb kebabs for a main course and baklava for dessert.

Alhamid wanted to open in Kirkwood long before his University City restaurant opened.

“I worked at Blue Water Grill (in Kirkwood, no longer open) and used to drive by and think, ‘This is the perfect location for my restaurant.’ I would get out of my car and look in the windows, dreaming of this place,” said . 

“I don’t get out to the County much,” Jessica C. wrote on Yelp, “but Ranoush is worth the trip.”