Finding Mediterranean cuisine anywhere can be difficult, but having such fine Mediterranean food right in the heart of Lancaster is nearly unbelievable. This place has a name and an exterior that hides what it really is--an understated place with massive Mediterranean flavor and quality. Tonight my wife and I came in around 7 or so on a Saturday night, an hour before they closed and with a show going on at the Lancaster Grand across the street. We were their second to last customer for the night. The place was packed when we got in, with close to 10 parties seated. One was a very large group. Working was the owner at the grill, his wife on apps and plating, and one young man waiting tables and bussing. We overheard that their second waiter had called in that night--naturally your help calls in on your busiest nights. It is likely for this reason that the lady below left her unsavory review about the wait time. She was probably hungry and they probably had somebody call in, and they went to their show hungry so she took it out on this restaurant's page on Yelp. I'd say that blame falls on her lacking perspective more than this restaurant lacking quality. Some folks from the area may not be accustomed to food like this, and it may not hit them right. But folks who know good food will love this place, as we heard multiple other patrons raving about how good their food was. Ours was no exception. I got the three kabob shawarma platter which was excellent (though the "market price" for it ended up being an astounding $46. The idea must be to share it among two or three folks.) My wife really enjoyed her hummus with chopped up chicken shawarma and roasted almonds, just superb with the pita chips and pita bread served alongside. Y'all, the hummus is special here. The food options in Lancaster are limited. You've got your standard bbq spots, the little pasta place around the corner in the Lancaster square which I've reviewed separately, your token Mexican restaurant, and then your fast food chains. This spot is a real hole in the wall that outshines all of them when it comes to flavor, while putting on no airs. Just be prepared to sit back, wait patiently to be served, and maybe inquire as to what the "market price" is if you (like me) weren't intending to come away spending $75 after tip (having ordered waters to drink). read more

East La Grill - Three kabob dinner with the supreme hummus appetizer. - American Near Me - Lancaster, Kentucky

We had been wanting to try East La Grill and so we decided to give them a try last night. We were told to seat ourselves when we arrived. We saw a man and a woman fixing food and three wait staff in the restaurant. The place seemed pretty busy, too, which we took as a good sign. We placed an order for two shawarma plates and a hummus appetizer. Then we sat. We heard a man sitting at the bar say he had been waiting for his food for over half an hour. Uh oh. We heard the lady behind the counter fixing food yelling at the wait staff for the back up of orders. We asked about our appetizer two times when the staff came to check on us. We had been there over half an hour, and once we heard the lady tell them she would fix it but she never did. As we had plans to catch a show at Grand, we finally got up and left after sitting there for about an hour with no food coming out to us. Unfortunately, no matter how good the food might be, with service like this we do not plan to visit again. read more

After hearing good things about East LA Grill, we drove to Lancaster for lunch. I had the chicken Kabob, served with rice, salad, hummus, pita bread and chips, pickled veg and garlic sauce. All good. One of my friends had the beef Schwarma gyro. Sean, the owner couldn't have been nicer. He even gave us a pot of Turkish coffee gratis. 100% recommended. 29 read more

East La Grill - Chicken Kabob - American Near Me - Lancaster, Kentucky

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Amazing food and even better owners. We felt welcomed immediately. Very accommodating and service was great. The food... ugh! So GOOD!! Brought me back to my trip to Samos Greece and Turkey. We will definitely be back! read more

East La Grill - Reminded me of my trip to Samoa Greece and Turkey! Amazing food and the people there were even better. We will definitely be back! - American Near Me - Lancaster, Kentucky

Overall we had a good dining experience here. Out waitress was sweet even though I had a LOT of questions. All of the food was good. The service was accommodating. She was really nice and took good care of us. It was pretty clear that she was a little shy, and not super experienced at serving, so if you are a demanding jerk, maybe just stay home. Things we loved: The shawarma pizza was fantastic. It is not something we have seen before, and it was really delicious. I would go back just for this dish. Kabobs, rice, hummus, all very solid, no complaints! And the Turkish coffee was made fresh, the way it should be. We have seen other places that make up batches and try to keep it warm, but this was good, fresh, and had excellent foam. Things we didn't love: I'm glad they had garlic sauce, but I prefer mine thicker, and heavier garlic. Seems like maybe this is mixed with some milk or something? It was still good. Im just obsessed with garlic sauce and like for it to hurt my belly. They mentioned that sometimes they use corn chips on the fattoush. We requested pita chips, so we never actually tried the corn chips. They could potentially be really good. But we have never ever seen that anywhere else. There were also a lot of flies. It was a pretty warm day, in a pretty old building. Me personally, Ill swat them away and keep going for good food, but if you can't hand that, it may not be the place for you! Overall it was not the cleanest looking place but there was nothing that stood out as gross. No mold, no smells, no obvious uncleanliness. Just a little down home place. Pricing: Overall, I would say a good deal. The shawarma sandwiches with a side were considerable amount of food for about $12 4 soft drinks was $10-- so even a little less than average nowadays The PIZZA, omg the PIZZA was less than $17 and 2 people could have gorged themselves on that alone. I think the pot of coffee was about $7 and we got about 5 servings out of it. The one pricing that was a little out there was that the 3 kabob meal was I think $41. Now, it was a lot of food, and it was beautifully displayed, and it was good. But that 3 kebab mixed grill meal for 2 in Lexington runs an average of $25-$30. In addition, in Lexington restaurants if there is an upcharge for lamb it is usually $3-$5. Here, it was $10.50. (I imagine getting halal lamb in Lancaster is a hard thing to do) These particular prices are not listed on the menu, and were not quoted when ordering. Which is okay for me. We were out for a special dinner, and even if I didn't know the price I knew that I was probably ordering the most expensive thing on the menu, and I didn't ask the price. Rumor has it: I read a lot on here and other places about the owners and the workers. And I feel like I read as much good as bad. In person, I didn't really interact with the owners, but it was a slow time in the restaurant, and they seemed to be enjoying themselves with their employees. Another thing I saw customers questioning was whether or not the meat is halal. The owner says it is, and I know it can be gotten. There are halal butchers in Dearborn that deliver to Lexington several times a week. Its expensive, but it's out there. However, when our waitress was listing off the meats for the kebabs the first time, she listed pork, which of course, can't be halal. I THINK she probably just misspoke. Next time, I asking. And if it is on the menu, I'm ordering it. Overall takeaway: Food was good. It's better than some we have had, less good than others. If you just want kebabs and shawarma, i might drive from Berea or Richmond, but not Lexington. There is honestly just better Middle Eastern food at better prices in Lex. BUT I would 100% drive from Lex for that Shawarma Pizza! And if you are already out there in the backwoods of central KY, what are you even waiting for? I know you don't have anything better to eat! Oh, and if it matters to you, cause it matters to me, my platter did include a pickle bowl, and there were pickled turnips. #IYKYK read more

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Ventured in today in search of local, non-franchised restaurant food in Lancaster. The exterior is pretty bland and could use some "window dressing" to encourage more traffic, interior is basic but welcoming. The food was a fantastic surprise. My Aunt had a cheeseburger that was huge, well dressed, and perfectly prepared at the perfect temp. I had the chicken shawarma wrap. It was a generous portion and the chicken was juicy and very flavorful. The chef owner is a colorful character with a wry sense of humor supported by his funny and tolerant wife. Prices are reasonable. We are looking forward to making this a regular place to dine. read more

The food was EXCELLENT. I had the East LA Bowl with chicken. My brother had the Philly Cheese. His only comment was the only thing that would take it from great to excellent would be some A1 which they were out of on our visit. My husband had the Shawarma and fries and they took were excellent. We will definitely be back to try more items. Server was friendly & attentive. Friendly atmosphere read more

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Delicious food, love the falafel. The meats are always tender and well seasoned, and the owner is quite a character.

Excellent,. Excellent, Excellent! Really impressed with the flavor of the food we ordered. I ordered a gyro and my wife ordered a chicken kabob lunch special and an extra steak kabob on the side. The parmesan garlic wings tasted amazing. The French Fries were perfect. The chocolate mousse for dessert was delicious. The owners and wait staff were friendly. Saw someone else order a cheeseburger that looks delicious. Definitely eating here on a regular basis. read more

East La Grill - Chicken Kabob meal with a steak kabob added on. - American Near Me - Lancaster, Kentucky

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These are the best lamb chops I've ever had, including anything from Lexington or Louisville. I like mine med rare which was spot on and the spices used are unusual and oh so delicious. read more

Absolutely utterly amazing food. I have eaten at 5 star restaurants around the world and this stands a shot against ANY of them. I never leave reviews but here I am. The owner/chef is a great man with a great story. Support this joint. read more

East La Grill - Lamb Chops - American Near Me - Lancaster, Kentucky

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They have amazing food. With a completely open kitchen where you get to watch everything. So you know where they cook is just as nice and clean as the dinning area. The service is great. I absolutely love stopping in when I get a chance. read more

East La Grill - Best Lamb chops I ever had. - American Near Me - Lancaster, Kentucky

Fabulous food. I've had the chicken, beef, and pork kabobs. Sean and Nisreen are friendly, lovely people and great cooks.

Lunch was so good today thank you! Hit the spot for our little patient and the most he has eaten in a while!! He enjoyed his little notes as well! read more

My favorite restaurant! We order all the time. The chef is amazing! I have yet to have a meal I didn't think was short of excellent. If you like Middle Eastern food, this is your place. If you like steak and lamb chops, this is the place. Hamburgers and a variety of salads, varieties of sandwiches, and sides, all great. Everyone is very friendly and the service is fast. You will enjoy this place, whether you stay or get a to-go order. My favorite indeed! read more

This place is a little gem ... stopped in for takeout and was greeted by a pleasant woman who took my order and helpfully suggested some different menu items based on what I wanted but they were out of. I even got into some entertaining and seemingly requisite banter with the cook/dad/owner. Aside from being a fine chef, this guy is also a hoot with a big heart and totally worth chatting up! The food has a dang tasty middle eastern/Mediterranean vibe which I enjoy. The beef Turkish kebab plate was very good and I highly recommend the hummus and the lamb chops, both delicious. The chops were cooked perfectly to order medium rare and the spices were on point. The hummus was super creamy and their spices and olive oil drizzle on top completed the dish. The pickled and fresh veggies served with it were chilled and refreshing. Their salad offerings are also varied and tempting; my husband inhaled his Mediterranean salad option filled with all the right tasty bits and some excellent grilled chicken. Y'all should try this place out, seriously! read more

Stopped in because I heard the food was very good, but the owner/cook was apparently overworked and so he started hollering about needing to close because he's "not a slave". He kept saying ugly things to the other employees and maybe me? ... was hard to tell who he was verbally abusing. I walked out... the food couldn't be good enough to put up with that whiny abusive crybaby. read more

Great food - hand pattied burger, best gyro I've had in a long time! Good service. We will most definitely be back! read more

East La Grill - Beef gyro and hummus - American Near Me - Lancaster, Kentucky

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Didn't expect to find a terrific kabob in Lancaster, but here we are. The Turkish kabob with Indian rice was absolutely delicious. My son had a hamburger that he devoured. We were there for a soccer match and now I'm trying to figure out how to go back! read more

Really nice hole in the wall treat. My food came out impressively fast, staff is very passionate about what they do, and the quality of ingredients and taste really shined through. read more

Delicious! The service was excellent and the owner stopped by our table to check on us. Definitely will be back

Great people. Food is authentic and awesome. Downtown Lancaster location setting is ideal.

We ordered mushroom burgers. It tasted odd and was so dry and greasy it was not edible. The fries were soggy and so greasy they were just nasty. I will never go back. read more

Great food. Friendly staff. Service was great. It's great to see someone come to the square in Lancaster, with a different outlook. Very pleasant atmosphere. read more

Some of the best Mediterranean food I've ever had, hands down. Everything is prepared fresh and cooked to order, the owners are friendly and provide excellent recommendations. Small town atmosphere with big city 5-star restaurant flavor. read more