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Mediterranean food
Serious chonic cravings for falafel, hummus, and gyros have culminated in this list! Sampled across the Bay Area, LA, New York, and between.
29 Orte
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Deboras 4-Sterne-Beitrag: I am so sad to read that they are closed! Wow. Will be sorely missed. It was a great part of the neighborhood. -
Deboras 4-Sterne-Beitrag: Since living in Astoria, NY a few years ago my boy and I have been on a quest to replicate the awesome Greek food we experienced there; Babalou's came close. The breakdown... Parking: it's Walnut Creek, not SF... so for suburbia, parking here is pretty easy. A few parking garages close by. Street metered parking is free after 6/ on Sundays. Plus you can have "drive by pick up"... Service: 5+ stars. Wow, we got spoonful tastings of all the sides (which are Greek, like hummus, Lebanese, etc... the lentil-rice w/ caramelized onions - Mujdarra- is pretty good. They also serve tabbouleh, Greek salad with cucumbers, olive oil, and feta, & baba ganouj). But the guy at the counter was really quite helpful. It's a casual dine-in/ take-out place but they'll still bus your food for you. :) Food: We shared a lamb/ chicken shawerma plate, which was shaved off a rotisserie (yay) over a bed of white rice (meh) and stewed tomatoes. They went light on the white sauce, which is fine; in NY the white sauce is pretty heavy-handed. The two sides though small were quite filling. It came with a small white toasted pita & a very small dolma that was... a dolma. There's a decent array of bottled Armenian, Lebanese, and other Mediterranean beer, which was pretty cool. The food, while not astounding, was pretty solid. And surprisingly filling. Environment: Well, it's downtown Walnut Creek. Your clientele include a lot of babies & fashionable strollers, a mix of trendy teenagers in skinny jeans + moms and dads toting Crate and Barrel bags, and ... Asian people like us. Not a lot of other Mediterranean folk here, though. Other fun facts: Lots of vegetarian and vegan options, since it's Mediterranean. There's a veggie menu available online to browse. Also a kids menu, which is pretty nice. Indoor and outdoor seating available. Casual and relatively quick. Reasonable prices at about $7-10/ plate. Takes all form of money (except bartering, hah.) Overall, Surprisingly good Mediterranean food in downtown Walnut Creek of all places. -
Deboras 5-Sterne-Beitrag: Adorable local Mediterranean-style mom-and-pop restaurant with satisfying, home-cooked cuisine. When you eat here, you feel like you're being served by your yaya with her baba ganoush and roasted vegetables recipe passed down from the generations. We wanted a shawarma platter, which doesn't really exist on the menu but you can create it by combining the chicken and lamb shawarma appetizers. It comes on a very, very generous bed of hummus with sides of olive-oil roasted eggplant (delish) and refreshing baba ganoush. Lemon water is complimentary. Pita bread comes with the order (I think wheat is available, but white is default.) Definitely some of the best shawarma we've had here in the East Bay. Cozy, cute ambience and restaurant hours similar to the rest of Solano Ave (closed Mondays, open usu. 11-830p). Takes all major credit cards including AMEX. Can order food to go. Definitely affordable-- the plate was about $14 including tip. We will be back! This is another neighborhood gem! (As a side, the couple that was dining near us also ordered another entire meal to go-- the food was that good! Plus, the owner is Hungarian, and serves some Hungarian-inspired cuisine as well.) -
Deboras 5-Sterne-Beitrag: Sometimes I go to farmers markets just to get some bolani. This stuff is like crack, and the generous vendors dole samples out like Santa. Spinach bolani with hummus, butternut squash, and sweet jalapeno jelly? Yum! My favorite bolani is the spinach one, with the plain and pumpkin tying for second. They say it'd lo cal, vegan etc.... but it's really quite delicious, which is good enough. Sold mostly at farmers markets around the Bay Area (Grand Lake, Jack London, Temescal, multiple in SF, the South Bay, etc. And more) but I also saw a few for sale at Whole Foods in Berkeley ... -
Deboras 2-Sterne-Beitrag: This restaurant was moderately packed on 3pm on a Sunday, so my boyfriend and I took this as a good sign and thought we'd give it a shot: Food: The free bread was very thick and starchy, but served very warm. If it was served at room temperature, it probably would have been too "bready". It was quite filling on its own. We then shared a chicken, lamb, and beef domer platter. the chicken was the best out of the meat, but overall it was under-seasoned & sliced very thin. It came with salad and seasoned white rice, which were nothing remarkable. It is also served with tahini sauce, and hot sauce if you request it. Overall, it was mediocre. $9.60 for the plate. Service: As expected. Not super fast, but they didn't ignore us either. Parking: free parking on Sundays at the lot on Berkeley Way. Overall impression: Fair for a one-time meal, but I wouldn't go back. -
Deboras 3-Sterne-Beitrag: Boyfriend and I were determined to try this after seeing so many positive reviews on Yelp. Really, if it weren't for Yelp we wouldn't have even found it... the 79,874 U-turns we had to make in order to find Wally's almost had us heading back home. But, we finally found it (in a random alleyway by the Bank Club Cafe/ Bar, across from Pac N'Save aka ghetto Safeway). It's an open kitchen with bar seating around the kitchen in a rectangular U. It was pretty chill, casual, and the menu is really simple. The complementary lentil and wild rice soup was savory and simple, but nothing that said WOW. I got the falafel wrap, which was oddly wrapped in a white flour pita, not a tortilla. No whole wheat options (boo). And since it was wrapped, I had a lot of leftover pita which I had to peel away so I didn't get a mouthful of flour. The falafels were all right-- fried, bean-y, with tahini sauce and some chopped watery tomatoes. Honestly I'm spoiled-- I've had way better in Astoria and Manhattan when I lived in NY. But this was acceptable. The boyfriend got the shawarma chicken & beef plate, served over greek salad (decent) and some overly buttery rice. It was good, but not great-- kind of wished it was on the rotating cutting turnstyle rather than looking like stirfried meat. No free baklava :(. Cash only, but ATM is inside (I think they charge for that). That night we were both unusually stuffed. Was there extra butter in the food we weren't aware of? Plus I rarely eat dairy and/ or eggs, and judging by my indigestion, I bet my falafel wrap had plenty of both.... Meh, it was worth a shot. Not really worth a special trip out to try it out, IMO. -
Deboras 3-Sterne-Beitrag: In the quest for shawarma as good as NY (Astoria, Queens), my boyfriend and I scoped out Ayola the II for a FiDi lunchhour break. We got there right at 1215pm and man, it was already packed. We managed to squeeze two stools upstairs, but just barely. I got the combo plate for $7.95 which I thought was a better deal than getting any of the small dips alone ($3.75 each) or a falafel sandwich ($5-7.95). It came with 2 falafel balls (not over-fried, but a bit dry), 2 small dolmas (mediocre), salad (mediocre), baba ghanoush (apparently quite good but too olive-oily for me), hummus with an olive (best part of the dish) & 4 white-flour pitas. Complimentary items = hot sauce, tap water. I recommend scooping the falafel and hummus into the pita and eating it like a sandwich with the salad-- that was the best combination for me. Boyfriend's meat platter was just OK. Did not add up to the shawarma he was looking for-- didn't have that smoky finish or taste like anything special. -
Deboras 1-Stern-Beitrag: Dined here with a party of 10 on a Saturday night. It was not easy securing the reservation; we were told since it was holiday season, large reservations were going quickly. I guess we got lucky. Location: Right on the corner, close to the freeway. Convenient. Bar: There are two bar areas-- one to the right of the entrance, that is off to the side and more "private." We arrived early and thoroughly enjoyed a glass of wine while waiting for the rest of the party. The wine selection was easily the best part of the experience. Food: Forgettable. The rack of lamb, requested medium rare, was quite rare. The pizza was truly a cracker with vegetables, akin to an appetizer. The pastas were just okay, but overpriced for what they were. Food was not very flavorful; lacked salt, pepper, and herbs. Complimentary bread basket (with Italian country bread and ciabatta), while plentiful, was dry and flour-y. Service: We were seated about 10 minutes after our reservation at 7pm, and were seated by the door. The majority of our party complained that it was cold (perhaps a curtain, blocking the entrance, could help with this in the future). While the service was polite, it was slow; we waited 30+ minutes for our food, at least 10 minutes to flag down a waiter, and our dishes were brought out in rotations. I believe the prime rib and rack of lamb, ordered by my husband and father, were brought out after I had had my dish for about 10 minutes (and thus my dish was cold). My sister's ordered dessert was also forgotten. Total dining time, despite our flagging down waiters, was still TWO and a half hours. Atmosphere: Aside from being cold most of the evening, the restaurant was old-school classy (read: not trendy) and reasonably clean. It was quite dark, and due to the construction of the building it is hard to tune out background noise to hear your neighbor talk. In all, I wouldn't come back. I'm still reeling from the poor dining experience overall. -
Deboras 5-Sterne-Beitrag: Best Greek food I've had since I lived in Astoria (Queens, New York). And in LA of all places! Lamb gyro is a must have: perfectly seasoned with lemon, salt, and pepper and very tender. My husband is still daydreaming about it 4 days later. And tons of vegetarian and vegan options, since it's Greek food! I sampled the hummus, bean salad, and the housemade pitas really make the experience authentic. Did not try the falafel. Greek salad and roasted red potatoes (comes with many gyro plates) were fresh, and cooked perfectly. You can tell that Papa Cristo puts a lot of TLC in choosing the best ingredients. Portions are healthy (come hungry). We left stuffed for hours; this was the highlight meal of the day. We also tried the baklava, and a few other desserts: authentic, sweet (but not too), and walnut-ty. Just the way it should be! Bonus samples in the deli connected to the store, which were delicious. Loved the outdoor seating option (80 deg over Thanksgiving? Only in LA). Check in coupons on Yelp make this place a total bargain. They also take reservations, although when we came at 11am on a Sunday after Thanksgiving there was plenty of seats. -
Deboras 2-Sterne-Beitrag: Clean and quick, but location mildly ghetto (errr, why is there valet parking needed?) and food was altogether very dry. Hummus was standard. Falafel was reminiscent of cardboard. Such a disappointment. -
Deboras 5-Sterne-Beitrag: round 2! this is still a fantastic seafood restaurant. this time we ordered the swordfish to go. it was FABULOUS and still tasted wonderful the next day (you'll always have leftovers here), reheated. plus they gave us an ENTIRE loaf of bread with our order. total wait time was 20 minutes for our order. -
Deboras 4-Sterne-Beitrag: Came here with the Boyfriend the first week i moved out here. it was a balmy late June evening, and we wanted a nice dinner, so Avra looked like a good pick. We weren't disappointed-- the service was excellent, and the food was quite fresh. I was introduced to Greek wine, which complimented our meal perfectly, as advertised by the waitress. There was an impressive selection of fresh seafood (I don't know that many non-Chinese restaurants that let you go up and pick your fish out of the tank). We ordered the sliced portabello mushrooms as an appetizer, which was amazing! Sliced perfectly thin, and complimented with red pepper and olive oil... it was very, very fresh. For entrees, we went with the lathrini, which was all right (standard issue white fish) but not as special as advertised, and not worth the cost. However, it was prepared simply and the freshness of the fish really stood out. One fish is a small portion for two people, but adequate. The outdoor seating was definitely very nice (you're also shielded from the street by a very tall row of shrubbery). -
Deboras 5-Sterne-Beitrag: My boyfriend and I went here for a casual neighborhood dinner, and were very pleased with the service and food. He ordered the combination plate ($12)-- with beef gyros and chicken souvlaki-- and was easily the best gyro he's had. I had the greek pizza ($7), which is a pita with spinach+feta cheese, fresh tomato, and fresh melted mozzarella on a bed of fries. The food was definitely fresh, and a good deal for the money. Plus, they deliver for free! It's definitely my new go-to place for fast food Greek! -
Deboras 4-Sterne-Beitrag: if i were greek, i'd give it 5 stars... but being non-greek, i'm not sure i can justify that last star. i live right around the corner and pass by this very authentic greek cafe on the way to work every morning, since it's conveniently located across from the ditmars stop. the hours are great-- they're practically always open whenever i walk by, whether it's at 6 in the morning or 11pm at night. and there's always people sitting outside, enjoying a frappe and playing backgammon. so far, i've tried a number of pastries that i can't pronounce. the ones i can recognize, which probably aren't authentically greek, weren't so good (mostly muffins and danishes). but the greek pastries were phenomenal. if you come to astoria, you should definitely check it out. it's just part of the ditmars experience. -
Deboras 4-Sterne-Beitrag: With a huge selection of fresh deli items, totally tempting baked goods, and a sizeable produce section with fresh fruit and vegetables-- I'm glad this place is across the street from my office! I love to buy some seasonal fruit to snack on at Bryant park, across the street. I'm a regular here. Avoid lunchtimes; it gets pretty crowded and claustrophobic.
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Deboras 4-Sterne-Beitrag: My boyfriend and I came here for a last-minute late dinner on Valentine's day. I live in the area, and we wanted Mediterranean food, so this looked promising... We made reservations an hour beforehand, which in hindsight was probably unnecessary even on Valentine's day. We were seated immediately. I noticed that the interior decor was kind of weird: there were pictures of windows and scenery but no true windows. I felt like I was both indoors and outdoors at the same time. Also, the chairs were a bit wobbly, but not intolerable. What got my initial attention was the extensive menu. There were PAGES of dishes in tiny print, plus an additional menu with three specials of the day. There's choices of mezedes (group of tapas style appetizers meant to be shared), specials of the day (changes by day of week), platters, pita pockets... it all seemed like classic Greek/ Cypriot food focusing on seafood, but there was also a vegetarian section with at least 5 or 6 choices (I'm vegetarian, so this really matters to me). My boyfriend ended up ordering one of the fish specials. The waitress said the fish would be flaky, and although it wasn't, it was still pretty satisfying. Surprisingly, it was not too oily, over- or under-seasoned, and the flavors of the fish came through without tasting too "fishy." I ordered the char-grilled vegetables which were served on a humongous plate and came with very garlicky scordalia dip. We also had salads and soup which come with the entrees, complimentary warm pita bread and tzatziki (yum), a side of lemon potatoes which also came with the entree, and dessert. I believe all platters come with a salad, and your choice of Cyprus fries, lemon potatoes, or rice. We shared a slice of shamali (baked and spiced semolina flour) which seemed authentic (although I'm not Greek and can't say that with even 50% certainty). They also gave us a plate of grapes and orange slices in the end, which was surprising since I've only seen that at Chinese restaurants. Did I mention that there was a lot of food?? Honestly, there was so much food that I can't remember everything we ate. The portions were quite generous. Overall, the food was cooked simply and showcased all the natural flavors of the ingredients. And, even after such a large 3-course meal the two of us weren't feeling like we were going to die of heart attacks on Valentine's Day. This was a good thing. The service, however, was a slow. We had about a 10-15 minute wait per course -- and they forgot my boyfriend's glass of red wine -- but there was such an abundance of food that I didn't even realize the lag. So: four stars for this neighborhood gem with the large menu, ample food (come hungry!) and seemingly clean cooking. I think I'll be back ... Important notes: Free delivery (I think the delivery menu is different). Cash only - go the ATM beforehand. There aren't a lot of banks nearby. -
Deboras 5-Sterne-Beitrag: I love hummus, and ... wow. This is close to hummus perfection. Yum. My boyfriend and I came here after I finished a looooong, frustrating day at work. Instead of mopping up my beat-up emotions and listening to my endless string of complaints... we went for Israeli comfort food: warm, thick, silky hummus with wheat pita bread. Now, I have a soft spot for Mediterranean food... but even my boyfriend, who thinks hummus is "OK" really liked the hummus here. We shared a 3-hummus appetizer sampler ($8) with the hummus fava (fava beans, tahini, olive oil, spices), hummus masabacha (chickpeas, olive oil, spices), and mushroom hummus. The base hummus was the same for all three, but what differed was the center filling. So good! Apparently my boyfriend fell in love with while watching me eat! This might work for you, too! Even though the plates seemed small, the hummus was deceptively filling. Perhaps it was all the olive oil (and there's a lot) over each hummus plate. I know it wasn't the complimentary pickled olives, or the cilantro-based hot sauce (which is Perfect) that filled me up. Wow. Even writing this review is making me happy thinking about the food. If you like hummus-- you gotta try this! A few things to note: Pita bread costs extra (I think it's 75 cents a piece) The house red wine is Israeli and the taste isn't for everyone The service was pretty good, but this location is quite small. It's probably not great for large parties. -
Deboras 5-Sterne-Beitrag: Best Cheap Eat Ever. Rarely does a falafel sandwich leave such memorable imprints on a person's life. But, Mamoun and his falafel... will forever be remembered as one of my best meals in NY. $2.50 for a pita sandwich that has: 1 large flat falafel (that's evenly distributed throughout the sandwich), lettuce, tomatoes, and killer hot sauce (just spicy enough). Quick service. $1 canned sodas. Room to seat a total of 4 people so don't expect to "dine in." I think they also serve meat, but really, was here for the falafel only. Love. Thy name is falafel :) -
Deboras 3-Sterne-Beitrag: Fast service, reasonable prices; we were in and out in under 40 minutes without rushing to eat. Ordered two gyros and dolmas (see menu online). Pita bread is thick and reminds me of the pita bread I had in Astoria (New York). Veggie gyro was decent: large spears of zucchini with slices of grilled onion and mushrooms. Tzatiki was mild and gyro had large salty-tangy chunks of feta. However my husband's regular beef and lamb gyro was dry dry dry.... too bad! Otherwise it had promise. Be sure to check the specials; we looked too late and for an extra few bucks he probably would have gotten the combo plate with souvlaki instead. My favorite actually was our side of dolmas. $4 buys about 7 fresh well olive-y oiled dolmas. Slightly vinegary, wrapped well with a dense helping of yogurt dipping sauce. Actually refreshing and surprisingly filling! -
Deboras 4-Sterne-Beitrag: cheap prices, quick service, and decently sized portions. one of the better shawarma places in the area, although troy (both in alameda and down college ave) are better in my book. what makes this place awesome to me is the falafel!! lightly fried, somewhat flaky, well seasoned, somewhat dense (but not so), definitely not too "beany" and $4 for 6?? that's a steal. if you're just going to get one thing, get the falafel. -
Deboras 5-Sterne-Beitrag: Immediate outdoor seating with heat lamps, casual atmosphere, friendly prompt service (with rapid water refills), ample parking, dim suburban lounge atmosphere. Would not have found this place without Yelp! The icing on the cake was the affordable small-plates with a Spanish "influence" (although, that may be a bit far fetched): Patatas Bravas: huge plate of roasted potatoes with aioli sauce. Very filling. Stuffed dates with bacon, easily the best tapas we had. Four dates total. Lentils with vegetables: Just OK; prepped very "clean" without much oil. Warm spinach salad: again, just OK; tastes exactly how it sounds. Tomato soup with brie sandwich: not bad, the sandwich was rather plain but the soup was just right for a cool November evening. Sangria: surprisingly good; sparkling white wine with blueberries and mangoes. Starter: crusty baguette with garlic and honey butter. The honey butter really complimented; the baguette was just OK. Total bill, $48 + tip. If you care to venture off the strip, this place is definitely worth checking out. -
Deboras 1-Stern-Beitrag: Tried to stop by an hour ago for dinner; it was closed! ??!? -
Deboras 4-Sterne-Beitrag: Shares a lo with Jaffa's next door; that was closed inexplicably, so we went to Petra's instead. Solid choice! The minute we entered we were greeted with hot baked pita and offered to try one of the sauces. The red paprika sauce packed a little bit of heat and was our favorite. We also ordered a half lamb half chicken shawarma plate, a grilled veggie sandwich, and used the happy hour deals to get a Firestone double IPA for $2 (so cheap). Plus yelp check in deal for free pita and hummus and we had ourselves a feast. Friendly fast service, and reasonable portions. The grilled veggie sandwich came with tzatziki cucumber yogurt sauce that was decent. Grilled veggies (eggplant, bell peppers, onions, zucchini) was good, not too greasy, and the pita was lightly lined with hummus. The shawarma was also quite good; the chicken, in particular, was well seasoned and tender. That also came with hummus and tzatiki. The hummus itself was quite creamy and just OK; the pita bread to us tasted like pizza dough. Hm. Would come back; all that food and drink came to $16 total, and it was definitely satisfying (not incredible, but good enough). (PS for those of you from the East Bay, this place reminds me of Oasis Grill on Telegraph) -
Deboras 4-Sterne-Beitrag: Happened upon this humble, inviting restaurant as we were walking around the area and hungry. One glance at the menu and we decided to give it a try. Appetizers: ordered 1 regular falafel and 1 stuffed falafel to try; both were fried to perfection, dense and light, and the stuffing of pine nuts was a lovely addition. We also shared a chicken shawarma plate (can only do chicken or beef, not combo) which came ample sides: a full basket of warm white pita bread halves, pickled radishes and green olives, a tomato based sweet sauce (reminds me of salsa?), a green sauce, and then a generous helping of creamy beany hummus topped with a large pool of olive oil and paprika. We chose half hummus half saffron rice which was nice, and the chicken itself was very flavorful albeit not the standard Mediterranean style we were used to. Attentive service with plenty of veggie options as is standard for this type of ethnic food. A nice neighborhood find, but not worth traveling to. -
Deboras 4-Sterne-Beitrag: Super friendly and fast service, wonderful stuffed chicken schwarma wrap with lots of pickled veggies inside. Pita bread with hummus was standard, but the spices atop the hummus (from Jerusalem, we're told, bc American spices just don't make the cut) gave it an authentically smoky touch with a heavy tahini flavor. Two hot, fried, crisp falafel balls for $1.25 are a wonderful deal; they're the best falafel I've had around here. Solid Mediterranean joint, great for lunch. -
Deboras 4-Sterne-Beitrag: Pleasantly surprised that the gyros are fresh shaved meat, not re-packed like so many of the Mediterranean places around here. Food seemed more Middle Eastern to us than Mediterranean-- the tomato couscous and white rice with peas and carrots. Served with a sliced roll, not pita, which was curious. The Pine Street ale we ordered wasn't half bad either. Nice outdoor seating area. -
Deboras 4-Sterne-Beitrag: Although the service was just mediocre - we had to ask for everything, including the menus - what saved our dining experience was the pleasant outdoor seating, free lavash appetizer, and lamb gyros. Those features were outstanding. The all day happy hour is a nice touch, as it really encourages ordering $5 appetizers. I do wish the vegetarian offerings were more than vegetarian sandwich, angel hair vegetaria pasta and vegetarian pizza - which are actually about equivalent. -
Deboras 4-Sterne-Beitrag: Genuinely nice service and decent food. Side order of falafel came with 3 balls on a bed of shredded lettuce and bathed in tzaziki sauce. A little dry but ok. Combo plate had Kronos meat (also just ok) with salad, 1 slice of pita and the winner was actually the saffron rice and the 99cent baklava! Grand total under 20 bucks. Not too shabby for decent (but not bookmark worthy) Mediterranean food. -
Deboras 3-Sterne-Beitrag: Decent food, like that it's mom and pop owned, but wow the service was slow. Took us almost 35 minutes to get our two entrees. The potato cake was unique, it reminded me of a Greek shepherd's pie, but it wasn't that great. Pita bread was hard. Yelp led us astray with this one unfortunately.
