Arpi's Phoenicia Deli (Downtown)

Bread and Rolls Section

Salad and Olives Bar

Refrigerated Pre-made foods, including Hummus, Tabouli, other salads

Pita Bread Section


Desserts and Pastries

Line for warm foods, Chef's Corner






I was so excited about having lunch here, like a giddy school girl.  Walking in, I'm very pleased. It's so much bigger than I expected!  I'm absolutely in love, as I walk around, taking it all in.  I'm very excited to be here! 

I stand in line at Chef's Corner with Jay.  My typical staples for Mediterranean food are falafel (chick pea patty), hummus and tabouli with pita bread.  As I'm going through the line, I'm realizing my items aren't here except the falafel.  The lady tells me the hummus and tabouli are on the salad bar.  She doesn't look like she's very happy or excited about working.  I ask her if I can have two tzatziki sauce and she responds, "you can have one".  I'm sure I made a face and she responded, something about the owner being mean or a tight ass.  I walk off and go to the salad bar and the hummus and tabouli are nowhere to be found.  I ask an employee, he tells me he has no idea.  Frankly, I think it's the first time he's heard the name of these foods.  He says he'll ask someone, I walk around and find it in the refrigerated casing section.  I'm left standing there for a long time.  Nobody to greet me or say, one second, we'll be right with you.  There is one guy trying to work the weighing machine.  Another customer walks and and we stand there for a long time.  Then, another customer, and another customer.  I'm thinking, this place doesn't have their act together.  Finally someone helps me after 10-15 minutes. 

I'm wondering if either A. everyone is really unhappy to be working for this owner or this company or B. everybody just hates their job.  Either way, I promise, I found not one smiling or happy to help employee.  Everybody seemed so grumpy.  You know, it sounds like a small deal, but when Whole Foods Montrose opened, everybody was so excited, from the customers to the employees.  It was such a great experience.  Not so at Arpi's Phoencia Deli Downtown.  The employees and service was just so bad, I left totally deflated.

Also there was no water machine available, no free pita bread like at their west location, and the food wasn't very good either. The falafel was really hard.  It was Jay's first time at Phoenicia Deli all together.  He said he didn't think his food was very good.  I hated my entire experience!  But, I have to say, I still think the atmosphere was nice.  It was super big and had everything under the sun including fresh produce, zico coconut water and I'm sure whatever else you could think of.  One other plus, the food was really cheap.  My 3 falafel patties came out to $0.65!  My hummus and tabouli were both $2 something each, total around $6.  Definitely visit, but don't expect good service or nice, helpful, happy to be there employees.