Tony M.

We wanted to try Georgian (or Armenian) food and stopped in while passing through Glendale. We tried the following dishes: Khinkali - Armenian dumplings, we tried half of them boiled and half of them fried. Prefer the fried ones, which can be eaten with sour cream. The boiled ones were rather bland and could benefit from some condiment sauce. They are often mentioned as the Armenian version the Chinese Xiao Long Bau. Chakapuli - Lamb soup with Georgian spices. Menu said it is served on a hot clay plate, but our dish came in a regular plastic bowl. The bread that came with the soup was very good, it is on the firm side, but softens up when dipped in the soup and is very filling. We also tried the tarragon infused lemonade called Lemonade Kazbegi, this was very flavorful and a nice contrast to the bland food. Ambiance is basic, with standard restaurant tables and chairs, and several private cubicle like sections to the right if you want some additional privacy. We were the only customers there (2 persons), and after taking our orders and delivering the food, we never saw our waiter again until we asked for the bill. When the check arrived, it automatically added a surcharge of $2+ to the bill. I am not a fan of this practice.

Lissa L.

Prices went up significantly (that's understandable) BUT the portions got smaller. The assorted khpali were not this small eight months ago. And the beef kebab ($28) was very tender back then. Today after the drive home from Glendale, there was barely any moisture in it. And the beef pieces were smaller and they provided a lot less tomato sauce with it. Very sad. The khachapuri was great. I popped it into the oven for a few minutes and it came out the way it did when it was freshly baked. The savici was a much smaller portion too - but don't get me wrong, that walnut sauce is life. For the assorted khpali appetizers, beef kebab, savici and khachapuri, I was charged $96 (should've been $92 but they included a card charge). I wish I could say it was worth it but I can't lie. The experience of eating their food was lacking this time around. Not even their super cool, super nice waitress whom we love could make up for it.

Alex G.

Always great to be there if I wanan satisfy my soul with comfort food of Armenia or Georgia. Everything's is always fresh, made just for you, great taste. The place itself is like truth authentic place, tables are isolated from each other and always glass for wine is ready for you. People are eating and drinking to celebrate life!

OMG, what an amazing dinner! I ordered way too much food because I wanted to try different things. I was not disappointed. The Chikmeruli (Cornish hen) was savory with garlic and Georgian spices. The mushrooms were out of this world. Nothing compares to the Khachapuri though. Life changing! I also had the Georgian wine which was delicious. Can't wait to come back and bring people so I can try more dishes.

Shanelle S.

Authentic Georgian restaurant that serves my two favorite dishes: khachapuri and khinkalis. It's located in a strip mall with a small parking lot, but there's street parking along the block as well. They do accept credit cards, but I'd suggest paying cash as the credit card machine was finicky when I went and I was accidentally double charged. To their credit, once I reached out about the issue the restaurant promptly rectified the issue when I went back in, so I appreciated that. They're open for indoor dine-in (no outdoor options) but they have dividers between tables. Food wise, everything we ordered was tasty. You can't go wrong with a plate of khinkalis (soup dumplings). They come boiled with piping hot soup/beef inside. The khachapuri was more like a pizza in terms of its size, and was super filling. We got the version without the cheese on top, and I think we had more than enough. The sausage came with two pieces and had a lot of red onions, with pomegranate arils mixed in. Scott Conant wouldn't have been happy, but I do like the bite of onions so I enjoyed it.

Yule S.

The name of the restaurant is Havlabar which is the Armenian spelling of the word Avlabari. It is a city in Georgia, now we read it as the state of Georgia. The pronunciation of the county of Georgia should be its Russian name Gruziya, so it's not the same pronunciation as the state of Georgia. I was introduced by a friend who referred to this as a Libernan restaurant, but we eventually found that it's a Georgian family restaurant. The waitresses come from the mid-east, they are so beautiful with dark eyes and dark hair. Danny and I arrive around 2 pm, fortunately, they are still open. It looks like Danny is very familiar with the restaurant and the waitress. He told me that the yogurt and bread is very good, and it looks like both yogurt and bread are made by the restaurant instead of purchased from the market. I do not know Libernan food, as Danny first mentioned, nor Georgian Food. As Danny ordered a set of Beef Lule Kabab, I mentioned that I want to try some single dish. The waitress recommend the OSTRI, and we also ordered two Khinkali, one boiled and one fried, it looks so like a Chinese dumpling called sui mai. The juice of the Beef Lule Kebab was much beyond my imagination, it was so soft and juicy. The best kebab I ever had. I only shared half piece of Beef Lule Kebab from Danny, I have to say this one is worth 5 stars. The Beef Lule Kebab is served with grilled tomato, you will smash it and mix it with the rice, it is sour and can reduce the oily of the meat. I was supposed to order lamb chop or other dishes, but the waitress recommend OSTRI. The dish is soooo goood it's stewed beef with tomato, onion, and spices but mixed so well. No matter eat with rice, pancake, or bread, they are all good. It's sour and tasty, I definitely will copycat it.

Elena P.

Love this place! Good selection, authentic taste, reasonable pricing. Service is not typical for US, which makes it even more authentic.

Iris Y.

The worst place in my entire life! We were there with friends, but now I will not advise anyone. I don't know who got paid there for good comments. First, the service is disgusting. We ordered food and they brought us something else, as they said that the waiter did not understand what we ordered. When the waiter was changing the plates, her jacket went into the ketchup plate for the child and after that she dropped it altogether, took napkins from our table and wiped it, smearing it on the floor. In parallel with this, the waiters run to smoke every 10 minutes. We were about to leave, gave the card for payment and waited for it to be returned to us for about 20 minutes, they had already forgotten about it, but they didn't forget to run a smoke. Food - you will not find traditional khachapuri or Georgian wine here. The price is too high for this quality and service. I do not advise anyone!

Jonathan L.

I wasn't sure what to expect, but was pleasantly surprised to find some very traditional Armenian dishes. The soups take a long time to cook so they are only available at certain times or through advance orders

Prairie S.

I have to preface this review by noting that perhaps because the restaurant has just launched there are demonstrable kinks they still seem to have to sort out. Also, that I have traveled in Georgia and being a fan of the cuisine, own a cookbook which I read like a gourmand, have prepared recipes myself, have attended feasts prepared by Georgian friends, and have tried Georgian restaurants in Europe and in Washington DC. So it is with regret that I must inform the Yelp checker that this establishment, in comparison with my previous experience, is astoundingly disappointing. The room itself is plain and sparsely decorated, but oddly reminiscent of some former-Soviet-satellite spartan-ism so I let that slide. The menu seems oddly overpriced for such a no-frills place. While the menu covers the highlights of Georgian cuisine including khachapuri, cooked stews featuring lamb, cooked sturgeon, salads, phkali, and rinkali (the dumplings), it's oddly arranged. A typical Georgian meal is served with multiple dishes on the table, usually savored in courses but really fine when combined together. Here, the menu has cordoned items into "appetizers" and "mains" in a manner that seems unfairly priced. Phkali, a vegetable dish that is eaten alongside a meat dish, with a bread item, and a salad, is found in the appetizers section and priced at $16. Mains are priced at around $24. You cannot therefore order what in Georgia would typically be served together at a table--as a "combo" for example-- unless you drop around $20 for each item. This place is using what feels like a false-fit model that doesn't correspond to the Georgian style of plating. They ought to figure out appropriately-scaled pricing or "combination" plates that represent their plating without breaking the bank. The phkali I ordered was proffered as three different vegetables-- beet greens, eggplant, and spinach. What came out (without apologies) was spinach (twice) and eggplant. Yet, as their ONLY customer, they didn't try to offer me a discount for providing only 2/3 of what was advertised in their menu, nor did they offer me the compensation of some other sample of their menu (a cup of soup?). A dry cut of bread accompanied the Phkali balls. The balls themselves were dry and didn't have enough red wine vinegar in the mix to make it adequately sour. I've made Phkali many times and I know the tricks. It felt sad that despite having only ONE customer, they couldn't pull off the caliber of generous hospitality that one associates with Georgia. Once in America you operate like an unfeeling capitalist? What a sad reflection of cultural misdirection. I felt like I spent $21 on three slices of egg plant and a fistful of spinach, inadequately prepared. They don't have a liquor license to be able to serve the famed Georgian wines. I also thought the service was rather dour and unprofessional. I ordered a lemonade so they opened a bottle, served me a glass and kept the bottle. I had to request the left over drink in the bottle! Later, I walked a few steps down towards the bustling and friendly (Armenian) Lahmajune Factory and bought a perfect Lahmajune for $1.50 to remove the slightly dry aftertaste of this so far stumbling restaurant. I might go back innocuously though, in a few months to try some of their other mains, just for my own cook's curiosity about their renditions of Georgian items. Until then, general public be warned.

Sash A.

Great surprise for me and all Georgian , Armenian Caucasican food lovers, simply amazing , anything you order just so good , well prepared food, very good, right tasting, and nice people,all my friends just loved it , coming back for more takeouts soon! Thanks! Don't forget to have with it good red wine, otherwise you waisting the food;))