I have passed several times in front of Food Style, but never ever felt that push to step in. It's weird how some places give off the wrong impression, just by looking at its name, logo or colors... The name of the place, to start with, never did anything for me... I thought it was a food channel or a food manufacturing company... I don't know, but this is how I felt every time...
Eventually I thought to myself, I must walk in and see or let's say understand, what the place was all about... and boy was I happily mistaken.
The first impression is very good:
- Pop music plays in the background
- Beautiful photos of food fill the walls and menu
- Red, blue and white are the colors, which fit perfectly for a diner
- The place looks neat and clean, making you want to order more
- They have their own TV channel and music station with no ads
The menu:
- Starters (14 choices)
- Salads (13 choices)
- Potatoes (5 choices)
- Kid's meals (2 choices)
- Burgers (12 choices)
- Sandwiches (9 choices)
- Cold cuts (5 choices)
- Panini style (4 choices)
- Clubs (3 choices)
- Platters (11 choices)
- Pastas (5 choices)
- Desserts (9 choices)
Several branches around town, I passed by Hamra branch, which was very good... Something I was not expecting at all.
Food Style demonstrates its quest for innovation and perfection with quality American food, friendly employees, and new existing products appealing to the increasingly mobile and time-conscious consumers. Food Style has introduced a harmonious mix of a casual, cozy interior with an elegant ambiance, in which the stylish casual sitting helps relax and enjoy dinner, along with a menu consisting of various gourmet dishes served with a touch of originality.
The details to look for on the menu:
- Low calories items
- Light items
- Spicy items
- Everything is halal
We ordered:
- Nachos: A round plate where a dozen triangular nachos are set around the borders, topped with a mix of yellow and white cheese with jalapeño slices and three dips in the middle; sour cream, diced tomatoes and guacamole. The nachos are made in-house, lightly crunchy and the cheese is melting. I didn't like the dips, the sour cream is too condensed and heavy and the guacamole feels like melted avocado ice cream, it needs to be lighter and have some texture.
- Quesadilla: That's very nice. A fresh, toasted wrap filled with juicy ingredients. Moist chicken, melting cheese, tomato sauce and black olives. Bravo.
- Grilled steak: Don't expect tender angus beef or a piece of meat that melts like butter, but more of a diner meat that's rich in flavor, intense in texture, full bodied and really satisfying. I loved the sound of the knife while it cuts into it. The French fries are very tasty, crunchy and fresh, as well as the perfectly cooked vegetables and the flavorful sauce.
- Food Style pasta: Perfectly cooked for a diner, pasta generously filling the plate with tender, moist grilled chicken, all ready to melt under the teeth. The only thing that bothered me was the strong tomato taste the sauce contained; too strong and a bit unpleasant. Other than that, the pasta and chicken quality impressed me.
- Food Style steak sandwich: A fluffy bun without sesame on top and filled with thin slices of steak with melting Swiss cheese, mushroom sauce and rocket leaves. As good as you'd expect.
Wow! Desserts are a must try!
- The Oreo cake is made of three layers, spongy dough, a cheesecake heart and cream. A chocolate sponge cake topped with cheesecake, Oreo cream and caramel chocolate mousse. No really, didn't expect it at all. The mix of layers, textures and tastes are really great for a diner, for fast food. I couldn't stop at a single bite.
- The Hershey's cake is also a huge success. Chocolate cheesecake, caramel chocolate mousse and Hershey's chocolate chips, three thick layers of chocolate, moist and tender and, most importantly, not too sweet. I left amazed!
Honestly, I was impressed... A diner serving flavorful food that's simple and not heavy. A diner, the real American way where every bite has a meaning and comes in beautifully decorated plates that are clean and neat.
Food Style managed to combine a good selection of plates made famous by Roadster, Crepaway, Chili's and Subway all in one place. 2015's Best Diners of Lebanon list welcomes a new restaurant, at least new to me.
