This is a cute little house on the northern cusp of Madison's strip of businesses. It is a small restaurant with seating for ~40 or so diners. Think about beverages before you go. I was traveling with a group for business and none of us are from the area. We were surprised that the restaurant was BYOB! So, be sure to bring your own bottle of wine for the adults who imbibe and/or sippie cups of juice for the little ones. The beverage options appeared to be tea, coffee, soda, sparkling or still water. The service was friendly and attentive. We tried a variety of appetizers including the large combo platter of dips that were a crowd pleaser. They were served alongside dense, warm, fresh rounds of yeasted bread. They used sliced carrots as little barricades between the dips on the large combo platter which worked very well (We would have loved an option to have a platter of fresh veggies like cucumbers and carrots to scoop up the dips. The bread was much more dense than pitas and flatbreads we'd had before but, it was delicious nonetheless) We ordered an array of kebabs for dinner. Everything was delicious and juicy. The crispy shaved lamb was the best thing on the table but the beef and chicken dishes were also delicious. The rice is very moist and cooked with caramelized onions. There were some delicious roasted vegetables and tzatziki served with the meats that further enhanced everyone's enjoyment. We wrapped it up with baklava that was served warm and perfectly cut into Shareable squares. This is a great Mediterranean spot and we all would return again if we find ourselves in the area. read more

This is our favorite restaurant period. One of the very few restaurants where you can hear each other. Relaxed atmosphere and excellent food. Best Shepherd's salad of any restaurant and the lamb chops were fantastic. In addition the bread and baklava were also very good. In this age of noisy equates to popular equates to good Grillera is a throwback to a time when people could talk to each other over a good meal. read more

Some of the best chicken kebab I've ever had. Meat was cooked perfectly and not dried out. Friendly staff.

Authentic, delicious Mediterranean food served in a lovely, spacious dining room. It seems like a real family place, & the service is excellent, attentive & friendly. read more

Absolutely dreadful in every way possible. Food was absolutely terrible, small tiny portions with no seasoning at all. The rice was soggy and not fresh....The bread was undercooked and doughy in texture and taste. Server never bothered to pay any attention to us, yet we were only the second table with people in the whole restaurant. We had to walk up and pay as the check was never coming..... This place used to be so good, it has nosedived now and I'll never return. I could cook better than this at home..... read more

This is a very interesting meditation restaurant . If you like meditation /Lebanese food this place is for you . The small mixed app starter is a good way to try a few different apps. Nicely presented and very tasty. The lamb shish chicken shish very good. The stuffed cabbage also very tasty and nicely presented. We didn't have dessert but the coffee is flavorful and earthy. read more

Had this first at a friends house and they had the food catered in. Have now had take out twice. Really good food that different from anything around. Satisfying those falafel cravings. read more

Solid BYOB spot for Greek/Mediterranean food. The menu is quite lamb heavy so those who enjoy the meat (I do) will appreciate the place. The starters are the gems with the hummus, ezne, stuffed grapes and Greek salad almost filling our dining group up even before our mains. The lamb and chicken shish were solid though the okra with lamb was especially good. For dessert the baklava was not too sweet or overly honey soaked so still had a nice crisp, while the flan-like kazandibi was also a hit. Service was nice and efficient as one would expect a family run restaurant. The place had its own parking lot though street parking is also quite easy to get. read more

The service is excellent and the food is freshly prepared ~ delicious!! Grillera is sure to please a range of gastronomy palates. It's a favorite place to go for a stellar dining experience!! Our foursome shared this beautiful appetizer plate last night. read more

Grillera Mediterranean Cuisine - Small Mixed Appetizer Platter - Mediterranean Near Me - Madison, New Jersey

Found this spot on Yelp. Happy to say the food was absolutely delicious! Will be back! read more

Grillera Mediterranean Cuisine - Small Mixed Appetizer Platter - Mediterranean Near Me - Madison, New Jersey

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Though the decor is a little dated looking, the food and service are great ! Five stars for friendly and attentive host/manager and waitress. My kids shared a chicken kebab entree and the meat was very juicy, they loved the rice too which is better than your ordinary white rice. We enjoyed the lamb kebabs, the meat though bordering tough - was cooked medium rare just like we asked, and was flavorful. All of the dips and salads were well executed- the smoky eggplant babaganoush, hummus and a spicier tomato dip with nuts I don't recall the name of. All yummy and served with warm bread. Don't skip the backlava! We also had a creamy dessert with the consistency of flan and cinnamon on top. It was not too sweet which I liked, but not everyone likes the flan texture. If you like flan or custard you will like the cream dessert. read more

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First time eating at Grillera. Highly attentive service, yet not overbearing. Our group loved the mixed appetizer platter and the outstanding, warm home-baked rolls. We ordered lamb shish, chicken shish, and grilled shrimp. All tasty and generous portions. I'll be back. read more

Very good atmosphere Food was tasty Stayed on the appetizer menu due to it being early on a Wednesday. Staff was helpful and informative on the menu read more

The food quality is excellent and the service was friendly. We came for lunch and got the lamb shish kebab lunch special with lentil soup and the chicken shish kebab lunch special with shepherd salad. The lamb was very tender and the rice was tasty. We were blown away at the massive portions for lunch special but later found out they accidentally served us dinner portions. The lunch specials also come with coffee, tea, and soda. Overall, $13-14 is a steal for their lunch special and the fine dining ambiance. The complimentary bread was also baked fresh and served hot and was one of the best and freshest breads I've ever had. Overall, a little lighter on flavor than I prefer but the quality of the foods was excellent and we had a great experience. read more

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Started with the Arugula salad. Maybe I should've known from the description on the menu, but there's no dressing on the salad. Just arugula sprinkled with feta and walnut pieces. I've never eaten a completely dry salad before; it was strange and very off-putting. For the main, I ordered the Iskender kebab, one of my favorite dishes. But while the menu describes it having the traditional tomato sauce, Grillera's version didn't taste like tomatoes at all. It was bitter, and more like an enchilada sauce. It was also strange and unappetizing. We tried the kunefe for dessert, another go-to for us at mediterranean restaurants. It was just OK. read more

We've been here twice now, and the meat is always on point. Chicken shish kebab - 5/5 - moist, well seasoned, large portion. Comes with a tasty side of rice. Lamb shish kebab - 5/5 - always comes a perfect medium rare (if you ask for it done like that, as you should). A little tough, but to be expected for the price (having it perfectly cooked helps). It's a lot of lamb for $26. The side of rice was tasty. Baba ganoush - 4/5 - very tasty, though I prefer it smokier. A few pomegranate seeds would have helped brighten it up. But otherwise, a good showing. Humus - 4.5/5 - clearly homemade or purchased from someone who knows what he's doing. Shepard salad - 5/5 - meditarian, well seasoned, salad. I would take the feta cheese on the side. The pricing is not insane for the quality and consistency of what you get. I hear good things about their lunch special as well. read more

It's difficult to find well prepared Lamb for med style cuisine. But, this place does admiral job with great marinated seasonings. The Eggplant (and tomato) salad is the best I've had. It's my only hope they keep up the quality and generous serving portions. read more

Great food ! Very nice relaxing atmosphere. The place is byob and a non rushed relaxing dining experience we started out with stuffed grape leaves and babaganoush . The stuffed grape leaves were fresh and worth the trip ! I could have ate another plate of them ! The Babaganoush was awesome as well. For our dinners I had the Donar plate and my wife had the kofta (see pictures They are so tasty and a safe place to start if you never had Mediterranean food before . I look forward to coming back! read more

Grillera Mediterranean Cuisine - Mediterranean Near Me - Madison, New Jersey

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Food 4.5 stars: hummus is outstanding. Greek salad with feta is outstanding. Zucchini pancakes are great. Service: 4 stars. Very fast and pleasant but not outstanding. Ambiance 3 stars. It's fine, and clean. But it's tired looking. read more

Great food and service. Simply decorated interior that has truly excellent food. Served hot, appropriately spiced and timely spaced. Staff knew the menu and the food. Polite and handled themselves and the food appropriately. read more

Great experience for New Years. Tasty food, reasonably priced, byob, nice owners. We did samplers to try all the different appetizers and meats - was great option. Dessert went with baklava- to die for !!!! read more

Yummy lunch lamb special! A quiet spot for lunch. I would go again and recommend to all!

Perfectly grilled lamb and chicken, delightful vegetarian appetizers like hummus & baba ganoush, quiet dining room perfect for adult conversation with white table clothes too, good service, fair prices and bring your own. I'm a new fan of Grillera! Four of us started with the small mixed appetizer plate, $20, that included the thick yogurt called labni, kidney beans with tomatoes, spinach, a spicy vegetable mix, eggplant and a basket of delightfully warm small pita breads. I could've moved straight to dessert after that LOL. If you upgrade to the size large they add tabouli. We sampled for dinner the lamb chops, lamb shish kebabs, chicken shish kebabs, and the sliced lamb called donor kebab. All dinner entrées are basically meat with meat and rice, not really any veg sides served there. My Iskender (sliced lamb with tomato sauce and slabs of yogurt) was great but the buttered small chunks of bread hiding beneath didn't do it for me, a hot crusty pita would have been better. Vegetarian rating is weak 3 stars: one for the many veg apps, one for the single veg entree, one for the veg flatbread. Far fewer options than you might expect at a Turkish place. The kitchen was quite slow when we visited on a Tuesday, dining room half full, that was fine because we wanted to catch up with the people we brought. But if you're in a hurry you might leave with a very different opinion. I was here when it was broccolini, then it was a different Middle Eastern restaurant, this may be the best variation yet. I quibble a bit with their name "doner kebeb", I'm used to that being basically a gyro, the meat served in a pita with a nice tzatziki sauce on top, but whatever. read more

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Average place. Good for the area but if you travel more south there's better mediterranean places. Came on a weekend night and there were plenty of seating inside. Small outside parking lot though. Btw it is BYOB. Service was friendly. 1. Chicken yogurt - Felt the yogurt was not that creamy and the chicken was not too spiced. Slightly below average for me. 2. Babaganoush - Good, garlicky. On par with most other places. Overall, I'd try this place once but that's it for me personally. read more

Went there on Valentine's Day. The decor was nice and the servers were attentive. The bread was really good (warm and soft). We had the stuff cabbage and the combination platter. The lamb was great, I don't usually like chicken but it was very tender and flavorful read more

Grillera Mediterranean Cuisine - Mediterranean Near Me - Madison, New Jersey

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Only ordered take out food. Enjoyed every bite. Worth the trip for take out or eat in.

This is hands down the best Mediterranean restaurant that I've had in New Jersey. The bread is fresh baked and to die for. Pairs well with the mezze platter which is generous and more than enough for four people. The mezze is made with obviously fresh ingredients and has been crafted with scale. The flavors and the seasoning were spot on. I've also had the chicken kebab here which is moist and flavored well. Last time I tried the lamb shish and it was just OK. The lamb itself was a big gamey and a little bit tough. I think next time I would stick with the chicken. My wife had the vegetable entrée, Which to be honest was overcooked and lacking in flavor. We would not order this again and likely opt for falafel. We finish the night off with the baklava which was delicious. read more

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Simple, authentic, delicious, friendly, and never ones to rush your table. It's one of our favorite places for delicious and well priced Mediterranean. So glad for this spot! The app sampler is one of the best things on the menu. And the chef always delivers with the stuffed cabbage. Yum! read more

Great place for a Sunday lunch, tasty food and very nice service level! The bread was delicious, the main dishes as expected and the Turkish coffee perfect! read more

Grillera Mediterranean Cuisine - To start with... - Mediterranean Near Me - Madison, New Jersey

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They're just ok. Portions are small. Price is a little high. The menu has a lot of it. Parking right in front.

This is probably a perfect spot for eating healthy and on a budget for lunch. The prices were great and the inside is very classy but warm. The hostess greeted me at the door and I was seated shortly after. Our waiter was very patient with taking our order since he had to come back a couple times. My friend and I, did the lunch special and ordered The fish and cabbage rolls. Both came with house salad (cucumber & tomatoes). Salad was very tasty and on flavors, I haven't tried before. The cabbage rolls were cooked perfectly and the meal was well proportioned. I was very full at the end of my meal, it may seem small but the stuffed cabbage roll fills you up. The teaaaaaa!!! If you are a tea lover, i definitely recommend trying the tea . I was very impressed on the fact that every meal was cooked clean and perfectly measured. My fitness and clean eater foodies, this is the place for you! Enjoy J. read more

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Grillera is always great. We order the mixed appetizer platter every time. It's gotten a lot smaller, but that means there's more room for entrees. Also ordered the Shepherd salad and the mixed kabobs. Enough food for six people. read more

Wow, I barely made a dent in my meal! I got the combo dish so that I could try all the different types and flavors of meats. The combo had the kebab, ground chicken, ground lamb, lamb shish, and chicken shish. All were great and tender. None of them were dry. Each had its own flavor. My favorite was the kabob. My least favorite was the ground lamb, but I still ate it anyways, so I guess it wasn't that bad! :) Definitely enjoyed my meal and had 2-3 extra meals for leftovers. Huge portions but I may have ordered a combo plate meant for 2-3 people. Prices were a bit high for my usual liking but the flavors made up for it. Combo plate was $33. Other dishes ranged from $18-22. I assume huge portions too. The decor and vibe were cute and modern. Very sophisticated restaurant and I enjoyed my meal there. I sat near the front with a great huge window out to the street so I could people watch. It was at 5pm when I came in so no customers, but that only made my service quicker and nicer. I liked my server a lot and he was very concerned when I went for the combo dish warning me it was huge. He wasn't wrong. read more

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First time here for food for lunch. The service and food were good. We have combo, chicken with yogurt, and grilled shrimp. The portion was good. The bread was fresh and warm. Would come back again. read more

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I love this place and wish I could give it 5 stars. Taking a star off because the food is always cold. We've asked the nice gentleman that works there to please bring the food out while it's still hot but we are disappointed every time. We'll probably be back though. The appetizer platter is definitely a must try. It's so good! read more

I found this restaurant by searching in Yelp. I was on my way from the Newark AP to Parsippany for work. I found the restaurant to be very neat and clean. The menu is pretty large and offered some great options. I started with a "small" Greek Salad which wasn't small. The taste was fresh and very flavorful. I also order an appetizer of hummus and it was a large portion just like my salad. By the time I finished the salad and the hummus I was full. The hummus was vey fresh and is probably one of the best hummus dishes that I eaten. I hate that I didn't get a chance to eat any protein, but I will be back. If the food that I ate is any sign of how good the proteins are, then I am excited to sample the meat dishes. If you haven't eaten here you should. I will be back! read more

Most delicious Mediterranean / Turkish. The portions from the appetizers to the main course were very generous. The was extensive and a variety that included meat and vegetarian choices. The services were extremely good and helpful with the menu choices. The desserts and Turkish coffee topped off a read more

Took family for a pre-Christmas dinner based on reviews. Cute place on outskirts of Madison...simple decor, warm environment. Started with the falafel appetizer. Small, over cooked and dense filling that Mrs Paul could have done. Zucchini pancakes interesting but perhaps they need to change the oil it's fried in. Had Shepherds salad which initially was very salty but we added olive oil to cut the salt. Lamb shish was good chunky bits of lamb just a bit overdone from medium requested, but still very good. Chicken Shish less so...seemed a few pieces were undercooked. Stuffed cabbage with ground beef with a tasty red sauce was very good. The cinnamon topped milk pudding dessert was very tasty and a nice finish to the meal. May have to go back to give them a second try. read more

First time visitor due to the many options available int he Madison area. They did not disappoint. Plenty of private parking, easy location to drive to (easier than the main st madness). It does have a very quaint outdoor seating covered by a pergola with grape vines on top of it. Inside was clean and formal for lunch hour. The staff was friendly and attentive. We ordered the lentil soup (good size and delicious flavor), Babagannush (was spot on, just the right amount of smokey flavor and not overpowering, Tabuleh (made just right, not soggy), Lubnehe (it's hard to get this one wrong, but it was great) as apps. For main meals we ordered the stuffed cabbage, chicken and lamb dishes. Portions were perfect in size, not too small, but not big at all so don't be afraid to try an app in fear of not being able to finish the main meal, they are perfectly sized. Did not have dinner at this restaurant to be able to compare their lunch portions vs dinner. Dessert, we had baklavah, it was delicious. I am glad we discovered this spot, will be back again! My only complaint is the mandatory tip on the bill (20%). I normally tip 20%, for this type of service I would've but I think it's poor taste to demand it, especially 20%. I would give them 4 1/2 instead of five but unable to due to Yelp limitations. Again, will not be a factor for me coming back, I just hope the service doesn't take a turn for the worst. read more

Great restaurant! My work came for a birthday lunch and the food was so clean and fresh, service was great, staff was super friendly. Halal food was a plus, will definitely visit again! Want to try all the menu items, they have a lunch special from 1130a with many options read more