"45"^^ . "33"^^ . . . "Middle Eastern food on the strip! SLS players club offered $30 off of $60 during my birthday month so that made it a clear choice on a recent Monday night. It was packed at 8:30pm with quite a few people waiting outside. I'd suggest making a reservation. Being the middle ground between casual eateries at the resort (Umami) and high end (Bazaar Meat) makes it easy to see why Cleo is so popular.\n\nThe menu offered a lot to ponder over, but my mind was already set on one thing....falafel! It's not easy to find a good version of those deep fried balls of chickpea/fava bean heaven around these parts, but the ones they're serving up here are falawesome. The light crunch of the exterior went into delicious, warm legume center that was well spiced. My only regret was not ordering the side of hummus since the amount that arrived with the plate wasn't even enough for three balls let alone seven. \n\nA minor complaint was that while six of the balls were dark green on the inside, one was very pale green. It didn't taste much different...still... can you imagine if Robert DeNiro's character from the film \"Casino\" saw this? He would have ripped the chef a new one and then made sure he personally saw to every falafel that came out of the kitchen! \n\n\"Kibbeh Nayyeh\": chopped raw lamb accompanied with mint, bulgar and lebaneh, was my wife's favorite dish. It was unlike any other tartare I'd ever had. The creaminess of the lebaneh (Lebanese yogurt cheese) blended so well with the meat and the toasted parmesan crackers to spread it on.\n\nI found the shawarma portion to be very small for $8 and would definitely pay more for a full lamb entr\u00E9e or just get kebabs instead. The moussaka was below average and we didn't even bother finishing it before ordering the impressively rich and decadent sticky toffee dessert. \n\nThere are plenty of other menu items worth checking out on a repeat visit like grilled octopus, flatbreads, and multiple mezzes. I don't plan on being a stranger."^^ . "4"^^ . "26"^^ . . "2014-11-04T00:00:00"^^ .