Quick tips!
1. A very slight parking issue, but you can park in the streets running adjacent to Cafe Bravo and in front of Cafe Bravo. I'm not sure if you're allowed to park in the lot that includes the KFC.
2. There are tons of things on their menu to try, for beginners I would suggest the Chicken Breast kabob plate with a side of Ikra (eggplant) and Hummus. For those who don't like chicken, try the standard beef kabob.
3. There are also vegetarian options and for the carb/calorie conscious every plate with rice can be substituted with garden salad.
4. I recommend the extra skewer option on most plates, not because you get more meat but because you can try something else! Feel free to mix and match on kabob plates.
5. For people who do order the salad, you can only add 1 skewer of meat!
6. Each a la carte order of meat comes with a pita!
One of the things that is surprising to me is finding a new place that I cannot help but fall in love with. Cafe Bravo is exactly that! This place came very well recommended from my dad's coworker who lives in the area.
Anyways, Cafe Bravo has a fast food vibe to it, but that is immediately defeated when you see that they are actually freshly grilling the kabobs right in front of you and also scooping up their sides. We've tried almost all the meats that they've got and most of them are phenomenal.
Cafe Bravo's chicken breast is incredibly juicy even when confronted by the fact that chicken breast is usually a very dry cut of meat. Furthermore, there is tons of flavor that penetrates deep into the middle of the cut. The portion of the chicken breast is also really, really reasonable. They actually give you one skewer full of meat.
Their chicken kabob, or their chicken thigh kabob, is not as great as their chicken breast. For myself, I love dark meat rather than white meat when it comes to chicken.
As mentioned by the many reviews here, the beef kabobs are pretty phenomenal too. They are also bursting with flavor and incredibly tender. As noted by a friend who has reviewed this place, it seems suspect how tender the beef kabobs are as though they used an abnormal amount of meat tenderizer. Anyways, these kabobs are cooked usually medium to medium rare. Beware for those who are really into well done pieces of beet!
We haven't had the chance to try the chicken shawarma, but we have had the chance to try the tri-tip beef shawarma. It is very flavorful, but some pieces can be a bit tough. One of the things that is awesome is the tahini sauce that comes with the shawarma. So intensely garlicky that I had a garlic overload, but an awesome compliment to the beef shawarma. Overall, I really recommend it!
Lastly, among the meats, I've tried the Chicken and Beef lule kabobs. This kabob goes by various other names like kubideh. This kabob is extraordinarily juicy and can be best described as grilled meatballs. I recommend the beef lule over the chicken, because the beef just has a better and bolder flavor. The chicken lule is a little drier too.
Unfortunately, I'm not as well versed in the many different (and surely delicious) sides that Bravo has. I can, however, recommend that you grab the Ikra or eggplant dip and hummus. The Ikra is a little more watery than normal and does include white onions, which is also a little different than how I've had it, but it still tastes great! The hummus, on the other hand, is very velvety smooth and one of the best I've ever had. I've tried their stuffed grape leaves--which are vegetarian--and I wasn't so impressed
I couldn't complete this review without talking about the plate configurations. A kabob plate order includes rice, a pita, and the choice of two sides. On top of all of that, you can add one extra skewer of meat for the extra skewer price. When you order a shawarma plate, you get a choice between rice or garden salad, tahini sauce, and a side of hummus. You can substitute the tahini and hummus for a different side. Lastly, when you order a garden salad, you can add a skewer of meat. The salad comes with its own salad dressing, which I do not think is really that great. Lastly, the a la carte order or the "hidden" deal. If you order an a la carte kabob, they give you a pita for each a la carte order that you order. This means you could have lunch for as low as $4.00!
In the restaurant, there are several sauces in the back including one of the new age touch screen soda machines with tons of different flavors/selections.
You might wonder since I'm gushing why I've given this place only 4 stars. The service here can sometimes be a little poor. I've had orders that have certain things missing or had orders forgotten. Otherwise, they are pretty polite and the food is good! Too bad I have to travel so far to get here. :) read more