I think the Phoenicia Cafe really tries, but it does not always quite succeed. For example, the chicken kabob was tasty but two of the pieces were raw in the middle. The pita bread was thin and like cardboard. And the baklava had little honey and almost no flavor except a bitter tang (?).
On the other hand, the kibbee were fantastic (so says my wife who is a kibbee pro), and the portion large for the cost despite being called an appetizer. The lentil soup was a cut above average, and the side sauces excelled.
I know this is a neighborhood ethnic restaurant and so I tolerate the odd layout, the cheap tables and chairs, the lack of decor, and the waitress who didn't really communicate well with us. But I guess we won't be back. Inconsistency in food preparation kills as far as a restaurant is concerned.