Friends introduced me to this place for the first time tonight and I genuinely loved it. I had seen some negative reviews, which honestly surprised me. A lot of people I trust have raved about it, and I'm glad I gave it a shot. Our server, Leyla, was great. She took orders for 6 people entirely from memory without a single mistake, all while staying kind, attentive, and composed during a busy service. The food was excellent. The tahdig was crispy, and the stews were rich and homemade, easily some of the best I've had. The koobideh kabob was flavorful and cooked very well, and the chicken barg was equally good. For dessert, the faloodeh had a good balance of rose water, and the Persian ice cream was just as good. I really enjoyed everything about this place and will absolutely be back. read more

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Nice ambiance with many families dining together one a Sunday - I enjoyed that. Some food was a hit and others not so much. The beef shish-kabob I recommend. Service took a hit. Inconsistent with multiple waiters approaching for the same orders then long blocks of time of no one dropping by within the vicinity when I needed something. One waitress struggled to understand or communicate well. Another waiter, male, was short, dry and aggressive-like. Drink selection is below mid-range as well. 3 stars is not bad, but there are far too many better options out there that encompass better food service value. Therefore, I will not be returning. If you're close by, this will do. But don't go out of your way to try this. read more

Working staff is super friendly as is the supporting staff. Either the owner or management can probably use some etiquette training. When my wife tried to order catering, she was rushed and felt as is she was annoying then by giving them business. As I said staff who works the lunch and dinner shift are great Their food portions are generous. Food is tasty and good selection to choose from. Tried their soup and it was very tasty. Ambience is nothing to write home about. Little bare but I don't think the owners are aiming for atmosphere. They just serve good food w large portions. I would visit again read more

Great value Persian restaurant with big portions and delicious meat. Came for a group lunch and got the platter and an extra skewer, and it was more than enough for 4 people. All of the different meat options were juicy and tender, and packed with flavor. Very friendly and helpful staff in a big ope environment. read more

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One of my friends suggested this place so we decided to give try...The ambiance was cozy with persian calligraphy images on the wall..We ordered lamb soltani (koobideh-barg) each $40with dough (yogurt drink) each $5and mast moosir $10. The food was ok...I'll be honest it didnt taste persian for me. My koobideh was raw and even in the picture that It's visible. The tomatoes were raw in both kabab and salad. It didnt taste ok! The meat quality wasnt there...Barg is made of slice tender of beef or lamb and should be tender which it wasnt. It wasnt juicy and flavorful...The out side if Persian kabab should be golden brown and while staying tender inside...Persian cuisine is all about taste and flavor and i didnt get there...I didnt even smell the Saffron from my chelo (persian saffron rice)...Persian food should smell persian but it didnt smell like it...There werent no fresh herbs or onions (the most important thing next to chelo kabab). The customer service was ok eventhough they didnt open the yogurt drink when they brought and just imagine opening a persian yogurt....Normally its very fermented and carbonation built inside the bottle so whenever we ordered before most of the time they opened and brought to the table so we didnt struggle to open it... The parking was packed and it took us 20 min to be able find a parking spot. Overall, it was ok but not real persian chelo kabab for me. Maybe the koobideh wasnt raw and the tomatoes werent like this i had better experience... read more

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This is a nice hidden restaurant tucked in the corner of Quail Hill shopping center. They offer more authentic dishes than most Persian and Mediterranean restaurants. I decided to be adventurous and try Fensenjan for the first time. It was sweet and savory as I expected, but it wasn't satisfying. The chicken inside was not sliced and it was dry. It was hard to eat in front of coworkers. I would eat this as a side dish but would not have it as my main dish. I should have stuck to my usual "safe" favorites like chicken kabob. read more

Irvine Grill - Fesenjan - Mediterranean Near Me - Irvine, California

We visited the restaurant for lunch on Mother's day 2026. There were plenty of seats available but we were left unattended for 15 minutes or so, just stood there with our little baby and the hostess and other staff ignored us. After we were finally seated they forgot to bring us any utensils even after the appetizer arrived. We ordered 2 sultani and one had 2 long pieces of hair intertwined within the koobide kabab which was disgusting. We showed the hostess and she just nodded her head. She made no apologies nor any offers to change the plate or make things right and at the end we were charged the entire amount. This was such a disappointing dining experience on mother's day. The restaurant staff and hosts/hostesses definitely need training on basic customer service. The food is delicious but the service and attitude need huge improvement. read more

One of the best beef and chicken Koobedei in town! Want to know, you got to try, and once you try, you're gonna like! read more

Irvine Grill - Koobedei combo (beef and chicken) excellent @IrvineGrill - Mediterranean Near Me - Irvine, California

All right, buckle up! we're heading to Irvine Grill! Just a minute off the 405 freeway, this place is tucked into a bustling shopping center, so prepare yourself for a little parking treasure hunt. On a weekday afternoon, it was like the place was hosting a local celebrity event. It was super busy, but clearly a neighborhood fave. This was my first time visiting, and I could tell it's a hot spot. They've got a weekly special they post every week. I mean, they say it's special, but the price stayed the same, so maybe it's a secret special? Who knows! They do serve branzino fish (fancy!) and different variety of Persian soup called Aush. I was feeling cultured, even if I wasn't sure what was so "special" about it. I dove into the beef soltani: a combo of shish kebab and koobideh (ground beef), and I threw in a chicken kebab with no bones, just all the goodness with rice and salad. And let me tell you, it was tasty! Not the best Persian food I've ever had, but it definitely hit the spot. It was solid enough to come back for round two. I also got a side of Borani which is made of yogurt with eggplant but oof, it was a bit of a letdown. Instead of the rich, savory borani I was dreaming of, it was just eggplant with a sweet yogurt. Not what I signed up for, so I'll skip that next time. The staff here are super friendly. They always smiling, always ready to help you decode the menu (or just answer your random food curiosities). And despite the crowd, our server kept swinging by, making sure we were all set. Prices were reasonable, the restaurant is clean (despite the crowd), and bonus, they do catering! So if you need Persian vibes for your next party, they've got you covered. For dessert, we tried some zolbia (crispy sweet treats) and baklava. Good, but not the best I've ever had. It was fresh though, and a nice way to end the meal. And don't skip the tea afterward perfect little finale. I'm giving Irvine Grill a solid 4 stars, not the Persian food holy grail, but definitely a good reason to come back for another round! read more

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We ordered a combo plate with filet mignon, koobideh chicken and beef with the lobia rice and shirazi salad. All of the proteins were great but the star is the filet mignon- which was very tender, the chicken was juicy and soft and beef was what you'd expect. I was pleasantly surprised by the lobia rice which is made with tomatoes also elevates the flavors of the dish. The shirazi salad was also enjoyable if you like citrus and texture and a bite. The restaurant was cozy and the servers were great. read more

Irvine Grill - Mediterranean Near Me - Irvine, California

A friend suggested that we meet at Irvine Grill for a late lunch to cheer someone in our friend group on as he prepared for a big examination tomorrow. Parking was easy in the large lot. The restaurant itself is large with both indoor and outdoor seating, and is gorgeous. Service was attentive and friendly throughout the meal with several employees checking on us. Since we had a party of 6, an 18% gratuity was automatically added to our bill. The menu was extensive and I personally love Persian food. While prices were on the slightly higher side, the portions are massive so it's actually quite a good value. The plates themselves are pretty too. My husband and I ordered fesenjan (pomegranate stew with chicken) with sour cherry rice, as well as lamb shank which came with dill fava bean rice. Both dishes were excellent, and even though I am usually not a big fan of lamb the Persian version of lamb shank is never too gamey for me. Our table also ordered the Irvine Grill Platter as appetizer to share, which consisted of two types of eggplant plus yogurt. We ended with tea, coffee, and baklava, and enjoyed some pleasant conversation. Overall, Irvine Grill was a great dining experience and an excellent option for tasty Persian food. read more

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Came here for date night and honestly... elite choice. We started with the mashed eggplant and they brought it out with fresh out of the oven pita. Warm, fluffy, slightly crisp on the outside. You can literally feel the steam when you tear into it. The eggplant with olive oil was rich, creamy, and so comforting. For mains, we ordered the chicken kebabs with rice and the lamb shank with rice. The portions are generous generous. Like you're not leaving hungry. The rice was fragrant with saffron and perfectly fluffy. The meats were tender, juicy, and full of flavor. No dryness. No shortcuts. Just real authentic Persian food done right. And the saffron ice cream for dessert? I think about it daily. The saffron flavor was so beautifully incorporated. Not overpowering, just smooth and aromatic. It tasted luxurious but still nostalgic at the same time. Perfect spot for a cozy date night. Definitely coming back. read more

Irvine Grill - Mediterranean Near Me - Irvine, California

This Persian restaurant is highly rated by my friends, and though I think the food is good & the service & servers are top notch, I, personally, can't differentiate this place from the multitude of other Persian food purveyors in the surrounding community. The menu is comprehensive but not different from elsewhere. I would rate them as a 3 1/2 overall but that's what I would rate the others as well. The community seems to like them since they are always busy. It is comfortable to be there with a seemingly happy clientele but I have no reason to choose them over closer establishments. read more

We all know Southern California is Persian cuisine heaven, and of course I had to try this spot in Irvine! I think the Mast O Khiar was one of the best I've ever had. Not too watery and not too thick, it was just right. I ended up ordering the koobideh and chicken kabob combo plate with rice and salad. It was humongous! Definitely two or three portions of food. The service was great and server was very knowledgeable of the menu. The weather was beautiful so I sat outside. I overheard people say it was cold and me living in Chicago I laughed at them haha. They even had heat lamps. Overall I'd definitely go back and try more of their dishes! read more

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After working up an appetite enjoying the pumpkin patch at Tanaka Farms, we were hungry! Ended up at Irvine Grill to get our grub on for Mediterranean food. The restaurant was easy to find however parking was full. Probably because it was after 6pm on a Friday. The restaurant was busy and it took a while for a server to finally come up to us but we were seated within 10 mins. The atmosphere was bright, loved the blue velvety chairs. Bathrooms were clean. Our waiter was chill, gave us some great pointers and was patient with us. Food was exceptionally delicious! Everything we ordered was prepared perfectly and we had no complaints. We will definitely come back. read more

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Awesome experience here at Irvine grill! We came for a late dinner so no wait (we also had a Resy reservation). Plenty of parking. The staff were very friendly and attentive. Clean restaurant. Food was excellent. We ordered the beef and chicken koobideh combo and the branzino. Not gonna lie the fish was an interesting menu choice but it was definitely the highlight of the meal! With that plum sauce? Exquisite! If you can, upgrade the rice! We got the albaloo and adas and both were legit. The complimentary bread was also good, especially because it was warm and butter smooth. Would definitely come back! read more

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So naturally as my friends and I were enjoying our morning matches we started talking about the best food around towns. This place became a hot topic so we couldn't resist. As the rumor stated, the food was good. It was the four of us and three of us ended up ordering the New Zealand Lamb Shank and Baghali Polo which was delicious. Essentially it is a slowly cooked lamb shank with a plate of baghali polo, the latter which is a rice dish with fava beans, dill and saffron. Super pretty and delicious. It's also served with a side of broth that they used to cook the lamb shank which you pour over the meat and rice before serving. Very good. One of other friends had the beef kebab which the rest of us had little interest in but apparently delicious. Definitely coming back for some more. Second visit here with a foodie friend. Tried a couple more of their dishes and they were even better than the lamb shank I had before. 1. Boneless Chicken Combo: perfectly cooked grilled boneless chicken skewer and grilled beef koobideh with a generous amount of Greek salad (usually comes with house salad but chose the Greek salad) and rice. Of course had to sprinkle loads of SUMAC to give it the kick. 2. Sample platter of 3 Stews: Fesenjan-my absolute favorite. Thick chicken stew with pomegranate sauce (gives it the perfect sweetness; didn't think I would love it but it just works) and ground walnuts. Chef's kiss. Gheymeh- coming in second. Made with slow cooked beef shank in saffron tomato sauce, yellow split pea, and topped with crispy fried onions. Very very good. Ghorme Sabzi-Slwo cooked beef shank with kidney beans, parsley, cilantro and chive. Was good but lot my favorite. Again really good food. Lots of variety. Great service. And close to home read more

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Been craving for a good and flavorful "koobideh" ground beef kabob. We ordered "soltani" that contains a skewer of flat beef and a skewer of ground beef $37.00. We also ordered boneless chicken kabob. My husband loves barbecued onions and yogurt with musir,special shallots. We also ordered their yogurt drink and tea. Their ground beef was not seasoned with fresh onions and was brought to us almost when we were done eating and one roasted onion with oh maybe half of a bell pepper ($8.00) were roasted on the edges but totally raw and not cooked. I told the waiter I will not pay for grilled onions. A very aggressive lady (maybe the owner) rushed to our table and confronted us very aggressively asking "why didn't you tell us before you eat it, we would have replaced it for you, you ate it right?!" I answered calmly "no ma'am I couldn't chew on it since it was raw and firm"! I mean we paid at least $100. You would think she would have had a bit of class and grace not to embarrass herself in front of other customers around us! But no such thing. I've tried at least three places for ground beef kabob "koobideh" and it seems they don't season with fresh onions anymore and the taste is very unflavorful. This place was the same as others! Didn't like our waitress, we had to flag others to come to our table. The ambiance was just very ordinary. Not going back. read more

Same owners of Aria Kitchen. Right off the bat, the service here is pretty terrible. When we walked in the waitress asked "how many?" To which I responded, two. She then grabs menus and just starts walking away? Once we got our food, the waitress never checked on us the entire meal and waited about 5 mins to ask for a box and check. Food is decent and at a good price but that is pretty much the only good thing about this place. I'd recommend any other Mediterranean place in the area. Likely will never come back. read more

Service: Really disappointing. I wanted to like this place. It took them over an hour to finally get the food out, which was room temperature upon eating. My guess is that instead of bringing it out one by one they waited until it was all ready... so in turn the food wasn't even hot anymore! What kind of restaurant even does that (other than this one)? I ordered lamb koobideh. After waiting for over an hour a waitress came out to tell us they ran out of lamb...? Very weird, but instead they brought out beef koobideh as a substitute. After finishing the food maybe 45 minutes later we found out that they were actually not out of lamb, the kitchen just didn't want to make it... huh?? So I ended up getting the lamb in addition to the beef but by that time I was already full from the rest of the food. Food: The food itself was meh, not very seasoned and way too expensive for the quality and portion size received. There are faster and more authentic Persian restaurants around this area for sure. Ambiance & environment: pretty loud. The chairs were dirty with deep stains and they weren't very comfortable either. The restaurant felt kind of cramped too. Overall, don't waste your money on this place. read more

My Birthday lunch at Irvine Grill. This place is truly a gem. The food is fresh, hot and tasty. Ali was our amazing server. We started with the Kashke Bademjan appetizer with flatbread. I had ice tea with lemon and my wife had the hot Persian tea. The ambiance is very upbeat and joyful as the place is quite popular. We ordered the koobideh combos. My wife had the rice and half salad and I had no rice and just salad. Trying to minimize carb intake. The food, service and people are fantastic. Highly recommended read more

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Garbage. Gave them 3 chances. Undercooked chicken barg when asked well done. I guess they don't comprehend much. Stale rice. Horrific. Never again read more

Really delicious Persian cuisine. My team and I enjoyed the variety of flavors with some really unique stuff. We loved the crispy rice, the olives (with a sweet sauce), the dips and bread. The whole branzino was huge and really yummy. The restaurant has a nice outdoor patio area which was perfect on a summer evening. The staff kept our water cups full and kept bringing over more food. read more

One of the best Persian restaurants in OC! Love the location too! Service is always excellent and love all the kind Persian employees here. The outside patio is perfect for a relaxing and casual dinner and I prefer it over sitting inside. Can't go wrong with the food, especially the koobidehs! read more

Irvine Grill - Tahdig and Stews, Mast O' Mousir, and Salad Shirazi - Mediterranean Near Me - Irvine, California

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We got the beef barg, beef soltani, and the Irvine grill plater. Along with tahdig and the stews. The food was delicious. It was very fresh and served very hot. I love the food, I usually order Togo but this time we sat in their outdoor area. They play nice music and they have heaters for when it gets cold. Only downside is the service could be better...I had to order my drink twice before I got it, we asked for full rice but got half rice and half salad. It wasn't anything crazy but it could be better. Love the food tho! read more

Irvine Grill - Beef Barg - Mediterranean Near Me - Irvine, California

I had high expectations of the restaurant. The food was of mixed quality. Much of it undercooked. Worse yet nearly the entire staff were unresponsive and clearly didn't care. Frankly I was shocked by their lack of concern. The prices are high. Take out might be ok. You can always finish cooking the meal at home. I don't like producing a negative review but if you want a good Persian meal I would look elsewhere. read more

Food: Cold, with no seasoning. Service: Awful. Got orders wrong, took them two hours to bring a COLD food to us. After the two hours, they come out and say they are out of lamb? How is that even possible? Ambiance: Loud, awful music, uncomfortable and dirty seats. Overall: 0/10 experience. Save your time and money and go to a proper place. read more

My favorite Persian Food in Irvine.Everything is delicious, my favorite is the Barg / Sultan Kebap made with Fillet Mingon

Great food and good prices for the lunch specials. We were surprised at how filling the portions were. Our server was friendly and the food came out fast. Definitely recommend the chicken koobideh. read more

Irvine Grill - Chicken Koobideh (2 skewers) - Mediterranean Near Me - Irvine, California

This place very quickly went from "There is this great Persian cuisine place in Irvine" to one of the biggest disappointment. Service - terrible, some waiters don't come for an hour to refill the water, ask for anything you might need, or sometimes they just come an hour later to tell you that the food is coming and bringing you cold food. Clearly we were forgotten. The fact that there are at least 7 waiters were working tonight tells me that it's just highly disorganized. It was not like this 1 year ago. Food - the food quality and size portion became so much smaller. The food taste overall went down a bit too and really far away from being "that good old place". Sizes are very small. Business like this is highly dependent on the word of mouth, especially in Irvine, especially for Persian cuisine. You cannot just expect that if everything was bad that ppl would still tip you. I hope this feedback is heard and taken into consideration. read more

Unforgettable Persian Hospitality Today, my family and friends had lunch at Irvine Grill, and it was an amazing experience. We have eaten Persian food many times, all across Southern California. But this place is truly special. The food quality was excellent. The portions were generous. Everything was fresh, flavorful, and made with care. The prices are very fair. After COVID, many restaurants reduced quality just to save money. This restaurant did the opposite. They kept the quality high and the portions generous. That truly changed my mindset and earned my respect. The location is great, clean, and welcoming. But what really touched us was the hospitality. The owner and manager, Maliheh joon, is kind, warm, and professional. You can feel her heart in the restaurant. Our server, Mr. Alireza, was respectful, attentive, and friendly. After COVID, we honestly have not experienced this level of service and generosity anywhere. On the way home, we kept talking about how grateful we felt and how to say thank you. This restaurant is not just about food. It is about respect, care, and real Persian hospitality. Highly recommended. We will absolutely come back. read more

I had the Boneless Lamb Kabob. The lamb was exquisite: perfectly cooked, gratifying, and flavorful. As you will note in the photo below, this plate was very substantial. My wife couldn't decide which stew to order so she selected the Three Stew Combination (which I sampled). The "sample" of three stews turned out to be quite a bit larger than expected. Each of the stews had different ingredients and each was savory and superb. Service was very good and prices were reasonable (especially considering the portions served). Altogether, it was an exceptionally good dining experience. read more

Irvine Grill - Three Stew Combination - Mediterranean Near Me - Irvine, California

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Really great Mediterranean food and a stylish surrounding. Portions were large, but more importantly quality was on Key. My friend and I had rack of lambs each with gorgeous salads and small side, dishes of cucumber and yogurt. If you have a taste for a Mediterranean food, you will not be disappointed. The service except for one screaming child in the whole restaurant was a spot on and for the most part, it was a quiet, peaceful place to have a nice romantic dinner. Happy hour and lunch specials that are the price of going for a sandwich and believe me the quality of those food will never disappoint. read more

The food was good, but the service was completely unacceptable. I arrived for a dine-in experience, and the waitress directed me to place an order at the cashier. She then apologized and assured me she would switch my order to dine-in. I waited nearly 30 minutes at the table without any offer of an appetizer, drink, or any assistance. When I inquired about my order, a waitress brought out the food in a takeout box, tossing them onto the table without apology or checking if I needed anything. I took my food and left immediately. This place feels extremely unwelcoming and disorganized, and one of the male waiters was blatantly rude. read more

Very disappointed with our experience at Irvine Grill today. I ordered koobideh kebab, and unfortunately found a hair in the food. The kebab had an unpleasant smell and taste, the rice was cold, and even the kids didn't enjoy their meals. Overall, it was not a satisfying experience." read more

Restaurant is beautiful with plenty of seating. Waiter was very nice. Tried the ghorme sabzi been wanting to try it. Wow it was delicious definitely want to come back try more food from here! read more

Irvine Grill - Mediterranean Near Me - Irvine, California

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We had really high hopes and were looking forward to trying Irvine Grill. Our first dining experience left us quite underwhelmed. Starting with what bothered us the most: Service: From the front desk to our server they were all very scattered and unattractive. Our server did not come back to our table once the food was served that included refilling our drinks. We were missing items from our food and even after asking two different ppl I had to go inside by the kitchen, couldn't get help so grabbed the front desk lady to help us get missing food items. By the time I got back to our table my food was all cold and I didn't enjoy eating cold kabob. Then we were done with food for a long time and our server never showed up to give us the check. I had to go inside again to grab him. So overall very disappointing. Food: food was ok but not great, our beef koobideh lacked flavor. Rice was hot and cooked to perfection. Salad was fresh, but they did not give us salad dressing. Tahdig and three stews: this was really bad, the tahdig was burnt and extremely hard, drenched in oil. You could spoon out the oil from the plate. Our jaw/teeth could not handle chewing the hard tahdig. The Fesenjan stew was great! Really good taste and consistency. Gheymeh was really bad, very watery and only tasted like cinnamon, ghormeh sabzi was good consistency but lacked flavor. Portions were very good. Ambiance: we sat outside, location of our table was not very desirable so the atmosphere was nothing noteworthy. Overall, it wasn't the best experience for us to come back. Clearly they have enough patrons to keep the business going but we are big on service so I don't think we'll be back. read more

Irvine Grill - Mediterranean Near Me - Irvine, California

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I like this place. The service was good and the lamb was excellent. The portions are large, and there are many choices of meats and vegetarian items. Some of the highlights are the Persian tea along with Baclava for dessert. I had barbecue lamb on a skewer. It is big enough to share. It comes with rice and tomato and small salad. Everything is excellent. Our waiter was fantastic. He was attentive and made sure we were comfortable in all ways. The atmosphere is excellent. I recommend Irvine Grill. read more

Irvine Grill - Interior - Mediterranean Near Me - Irvine, California

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I reallyyyyy wanted to like this place because right when you walk in it smells SO good. And then you get your food it looks SO good. And then you get your food and it is SO disappointing. The plate looked amazing and what a large portion, but completely missing on flavor. The chicken was absolutely flavorless and a little rubbery. The salad came drenched with dressing for me and my friend that we had to reorder and get new salad because it was so soggy. Most places usually ask or tell you it comes fully drenched in dressing. We were thinking about ordering catering from but we will not be back. Servers were interesting to say the least. read more

Irvine Grill - Chicken Shish Kabob - Mediterranean Near Me - Irvine, California

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I ordered take out at this restaurant and it was great. The meat was tasty and the rice was good too. I even ordered baklava for dessert and that was nice as well. The takeout line was a bit slow, but luckily when I got to the front my food was hot and ready. A bit on the pricey side for take out, but i imagine it would be good as a sit down meal. Maybe next time I try the table service. read more