Family dining easy and affordable
Yala Kol
3200 N. Holland Sylvania Rd.
Mon. – Sat. 11AM-9PM | Sun. closed
Yalakol.com
Celebrations during the COVID-19 pandemic certainly look different, but one thing remains the same: I do not enjoy cooking large meals for groups. So when our bubble group asked to celebrate a birthday with us, I had the answer: A Yala platter of hummus, fattoush, falafel, grape leaves, fried kibbie, shish kabob, shish tawook, shish kafta, chicken shawarma, rice and fries. Besides providing more than enough food for our crew, they deliver for only $2, consistently arriving on time.
While the four kids were not overly enthusiastic about Mediterranean food, I popped some chicken nuggets in the oven for them, cut up some apples, and they enjoyed the fries and rice from Yala Kol. We ordered the platter for 4-5 people for $49.99, and it provided meals for four adults, sides for four kids, and plenty of leftovers for the following day.
Something for everyone and
generous portions
Born in a rural village in the mountains of Palestine, Ata Abdel, one of the owners of Yala Kol, “grew to appreciate all the little things in life,” including the cuisine of the Mediterranean region. The family emigrated to the United States in 1999 and began working in the restaurant industry. Having lived in both LA and Jerusalem, they are now happy to call the Toledo area their home.
The Abdel family began by operating the Al Saher Diner on Central Ave near King Rd., and now own and operate three Yala Kol locations in Sylvania, Rossford and Bedford. “Yala kol” translates to “let’s eat” in Arabic, and that’s exactly what we said as we peeled back the foil from our delivered platter!
Our self-professed picky eater kept it simple with chicken shawarma, rice and fries. Kenny, Alex and I took a little bit of everything…and Kenny and I loaded up on the garlic sauce, much to the dismay of our partners. Everything was satisfying, and when I went for seconds, I had a tough time narrowing it down to just one more item (I opted for the kafta). Tiara told me the next day that they were craving leftovers; they loved it all as much as we did.
The platter has something for everyone. Even if you aren’t a fan of Middle Eastern food, almost everyone likes chicken, fries and rice. For those who regularly enjoy the Middle Eastern restaurants and markets in our area, Yala Kol has all of the favorites like grape leaves, shawarma, tawook and fried kibbie and kafta. And for the garlic lovers: order a small bowl of garlic sauce. A bowl, people! You can dip everything in garlic sauce and still have leftovers for days.
Ata Abdel, part of the Yala Kol family, explains, “We have good food; lots of people love it. We have big portions, and my mom is the one cooking in the back.”
Inside dining is currently closed due to the pandemic, but Abdel says he hopes to open soon. They took the opportunity the pandemic provided and updated the indoor dining areas. Abdel shares, “We hope to open in May for indoor dining. We remodeled during COVID and now (in the Sylvania restaurant) we have a water fountain in the middle of the restaurant, a pool table and more.”
What about picky kid eaters?
Choose an item from the kids menu, (all of which come with a soft drink and fries): chicken nuggets, cheeseburger or grilled cheese. Always a winner with my kids, smoothies are another option, including tropical, mango, limonana and strawberry.
Bottom Line:
Yala Kol delivers on their promise to “bring all the authentic and great-tasting food of the Middle East to you.” The Yala platter for 4-5 ($49.99) is a generous tray with a variety of options. The picky eaters and Mediterranean food aficionados will both be more than pleased.
The Short Course
1. Outdoor dining: No.
2. Online ordering: Yes.
3. Carryout: Yes.
4. Delivery: Yes, $2.
5. Kids’ Menu? Yes.
