We were in Thousand Oaks a few weekends ago for the state science fair. After our kid hung out with his poster for four hours, chatting with judges as they came by, we had a few hours before the awards ceremony to grab a late lunch. We picked Lava Kitchen since it was close to our hotel. There was a bit of a wait even at 2p, but we decided to stick with it due to the great Yelp reviews. Our meal did not disappoint. We had a refreshing quinoa salad (with tomatoes and cucumbers), crispy and filling samosas, and some amazing kebabs. The meat was flavorful and really tender, even the chicken breast kebab. Definitely worth the wait. Things were busy even for the late lunch, but our server was super nice and also expressed appreciation for us waiting for our table. Wrapped up right on time and we went to the science fair awards ceremony. No top 4 finish but we were proud of his effort, and a few days later he got an honorable mention! read more

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Great portions, flavorful and juicy meats. Split this among the family Lava combo with ground beef kebab Ground beef plate Consistent and was good to the point my daughter was the one who asked for it. read more

This Persian "mom and pop" neighborhood restaurant was a joy to find on Yelp. It has a few tables both inside and outside. Their take out business was booming when we were here. I had the pomegranate walnut chicken stew, which was unusual to my normal selection of food, but good. The chicken was tender and the pomegranates added a special taste to the stew. It was very filling. My wife had the Mediterranean bowl, which she enjoyed. We asked for containers to take some of each dish home as there was too much food to eat in one setting. Pegah, the hostess and server, was delightful. I would eat here again. read more

Was looking for a spot to eat after seeing a show out in Thousand Oaks and Lava Kitchen had so many great reviews we decided to give them a call last minute on a Saturday night to get a table for dinner. Luckily they had a table open. The cozy and cutely decorated spot has a friendly staff. The food was quite tasty and really enjoyed the beef and eggplant stew. The chicken kabob was some of the most moist I've ever had. Don't skip on dessert. The homemade baklava is lovely and not too sweet with a fragrant syrup. Would definitely go back if I'm in the area again. read more

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What a wonderful and quaint little restaurant serving amazing Mediterranean food. The menu is vast and the food is delicious. Sholeh was our amazing server and host. Sholeh was professional, kind and efficient. We started with the eggplant dip with flatbread which was so so good. My wife had the beef koobideh with saffron rice and I had the chicken koobideh with cherry rice. Both dishes were simply fantastic and the ambiance was so nice with soft pleasant music in the background. The restaurant appears to be a neighborhood favorite. Highly recommended read more

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So lovely! Great service and ambiance. Calming music. The hot tea they offered while waiting for my take out delicious. read more

Lava Kitchen - Came in for take out and they were so sweet to give me a delicious hot tea while waiting for my order. The ambiance here is lovely. - Mediterranean Near Me - Westlake Village, California

Excellent staff, fresh/authentic food, good portion size, and a great price A nice hidden gem and local neighborhood spot. Definitely going back soon! read more

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Ordered the lunch special chicken which comes with chicken, rice, pita bread and your choice of soup or salad. Food was really good and good lunch portion. Prices were typical for type and area we were in. Restaurant is small but really nice, modern and clean. Service was good; server was attentive. Would eat here again! read more

Lava Kitchen - Lunch special chicken - Mediterranean Near Me - Westlake Village, California

Great service! Delicious food! We ordered the Cava and it went very well with the family combo!

Located across from the Westlake golf course Eggplant appetizer was solid. The texture was a little one note for me, but the crispy garlic chips and sautéed shallots added an extra depth of flavor. Also had the Sultani. Ground beef was juicy & well seasoned. The filet was so tender, marinated to perfection, and cooked medium rare. Highly recommend! Service was solid for it being quite busy on a random Sunday lunch. But seating outside is also enjoyable! Ambiance is casual, family friendly as well. If you want homemade Persian food, this is the spot! Best place in town IMO. read more

Lava Kitchen - Sultani - Mediterranean Near Me - Westlake Village, California

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Wow. Im so impressed with how delicious the food is. The food was equally beautiful for the eye as it was tasty. Inside is simple but beautiful and the service was excellent. I love this place, 5 stars all the way. read more

I can confidently say that I no longer have to drive 42 miles (from Simi Valley) to Raffi's Place. This new benchmark for Persian food made a true impact. The flavors, freshness and juiciness of their kabobs are to die for! Oh, the basmati rice was the fluffiest! We got there early and sat right away. Inside was simple and modern. We had a feeling our server was the owner. She made us feel at home. Thank you for your great service and your food was exceptional! I had the Steak Kabob and my wife had the Lava Combo. Huge portions and we thought we'll have left overs but it was so good that we finished it. Every protein was super tender, savory, smokey and juicy. We never used our knives! That's how tender it was. Their iced tea was refreshing. We wished we had some room so we can try their desserts. Well, there's another great reason to go back and then some. Tummy were full and so as our smiles! read more

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Pega is one of the most amazing business owners I have had the pleasure of meeting. We are regulars! I call in an order, and she already knows what we want. it's quality business people that inspire me to get to work and spread the same vibes. Thank you, and can't wait to visit again. read more

Lava Kitchen - Beef Kabob & Basmati rice with the finest spices - Mediterranean Near Me - Westlake Village, California

I really wanted to love this place but the flavors wet not for me. The place is small but very cute. They staff is very friendly and the place is very clean. The vinaigrette they gave you with the salad was sour tasting. Like it had too much lemon. The chicken was cooked perfectly and it was juicy but the flavors also had too much of a lemon taste. The hummus was not good and the amount of hummus to bread was not good. The bread was also very dry. I'm not sure if maybe it was a bad day or what but based on the reviews I would have expected something absolutely delicious but unfortunately this was a miss for me. I would say give them a try and see if you like it, this was just in my opinion. read more

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Good healthy food, excellent hospitality & cozy ambiance!! This was our first visit to this place and we loved it overall..

Very tasty Mediterranean restaurant with excellent service The chicken was very flavorful and perfectly cooked and the accompanying sides were delicious read more

Incredible dining experience! Our party of 6 got Plate Four with the salmon substituted for a steak kabob and half cherry rice half green herb rice. We were the only ones in the small spot on a Sunday afternoon. The hostess was very attentive and catered to everyone's needs, she was wonderful. The ambiance is amazing and the restaurant feels very bright and spacious. The food: Everything was incredible. The hummus appetizer was delicious, but even with extra bread it was a little small. Also would have liked a little more salad with the family platter, the meat and rice servings were perfect for six though. Every kabob had a distinct flavor and each was well seasoned and succulent. My favorites were the steak, ground beef and ground chicken, they were all incredibly juicy and flavorful and the steak was perfectly tender. Both the cherry rice and green herb rice were incredible, and the salad had a delicious dressing. Everything was so good! Will definitely have to come back to try the salads and stews. read more

Lava Kitchen - Plate Four, Green Herb Rice, Cherry Rice - Mediterranean Near Me - Westlake Village, California

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Disgusting . Steak kabob smelled rancid . Hope I dont get food poisoning. No good flavor . How can they charge $30 for a plate that should be $12.99 . Massive compensating by giving you a half plate of rice. read more

Food - chicken kabob was very tender and flavorful (5/5!) Plenty for two people! Salad and olive tapenade tasty. Service- very friendly Ambience - a little bright for us inside; also a little noisy. There were a couple of tables outside - although the view would have been of the parking lot, if those tables had been set invitingly, we might have chosen those. read more

Amazing food! Shoreh was an incredible host and my family enjoyed everything! I am vegetarian so there were plenty of options to choose from. My family had family platter of chicken and beef! We will be back!!! read more

Stopped in for a quick lunch while visiting Thousand Oaks. It's a pretty small but cozy and well lit restaurant. Customer Service was top notch and I was greeted and assisted right away. I ordered the chicken skewers and the food was absolutely delicious. Highly recommend and would not hesitate to visit again. read more

A very good neighborhood restaurant. Delicious food and very good service. I was glad we tried it, after reading about it here on Yelp!

We enjoyed a delicious meal in this restaurant and it was made with perfectly. Service was outstanding with care and professionalism. Loved the ambiance, beautiful painting on wall and so clean , inviting. I can't wait to take my guests there to impress them! Five Star on every thing. read more

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Incredible service, I've seen the owner here many times. I came here first when this location opened and during its full duration the food quality and service has not dropped at all. They overload your plate in the best ways. I'll continue coming here read more

From the top! Shoreh welcomed us with genuine warmth - pleasant, sincere and so inviting. We went with option 2, which included boneless chicken, salmon and shish kebab. Every dish was delicious and paired beautifully with the herb rice. The salad was fresh and vibrant, nothing commercial about it at all. This is a great little spot: intimate, homey, clean and nicely appointed. You can really tell the food is made with quality ingredients. I'd even venture to say they source from an excellent food company or maybe even a farmer's market style supplier. Yum!!! read more

Fresh, wonderful food and amazing service by Shoreh! I had the Mediterranean salad with boneless chicken cooked to perfection and so incredibly tender. Thank you for a lovely lunch! read more

Lava Kitchen - Mediterranean salad and boneless chicken. - Mediterranean Near Me - Westlake Village, California

We stopped by this restaurant for the first time. Loved the food, service and the ambience. We will definitely visit it again. Loved the positive vibe here. read more

The lambs and rice are so amazing! The service is great, clean and nice, highly recommend. read more

Lava Kitchen - The lambs are great! - Mediterranean Near Me - Westlake Village, California

Great food. Great kababs! Amazing service. Haven't had a koobideh this good without any additional fillers in a long time at restaurants. Rice was puffy and great along with the stew. The place is a little too simple without any character. Wish looked a little more authentic and cozy but have to say it was very neat and clean. Recommend. read more

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This place is a gem! The food is really delicious- (we shared lentil salad, dip trio, and chicken kebab). Service is excellent and very friendly (thank you, Shareh!) The place is clean and welcoming-- As I said...a free gem read more

The kebabs were good and the service was nice. It is a cute and small restaurant and the style is more bohemian than Persian, but it is still nice. Only chicken breast kebabs were served, and it would be nice if they were chicken thighs as well on the menu. I also did not like how when I asked if I could get half rice half salad I was charged extra for the salad, which was simply some greens and a few veggies. read more

Lava Kitchen - Ground Beef Kabob Ground Chicken Kabob - Mediterranean Near Me - Westlake Village, California

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By far the best Persian restaurant in the area! It's easy to tell that they use high-quality ingredients rather than cutting corners with cheap alternatives. Everything tastes fresh and homemade. The ambiance is warm and welcoming, with attentive staff who truly know their menu and are happy to make recommendations. Portions are generous, and the presentation shows real attention to detail. You can tell this place values quality and customer satisfaction over quick profits. It's clear they take pride in their food and culture. A must-visit for anyone who appreciates genuine Persian cuisine! read more

I'm overjoyed with how much this area has grown in the last 10 years in respects to restaurants and ethnic cuisines. My family and I enjoyed our lunch here. It was well flavored, the place was clean, and the customer service was wonderful. I do wish this place would expand their menu and add more authentic Persian dishes such as baghali pullao, etc. etc. I think people would really love it and flock to this place for more! read more

Loved Lava Kitchen! Went here with my fiancée and my parents, and although we underestimated the portion sizes, the food tasted amazing. We got the Chef's plate, the eggplant and beef stew, and a garden salad I believe. The chef's plate and the stew come with a lot more rice than we expected, which isn't bad, since we just took the rest home, but just noting it. Would highly recommend! read more

The food was very fresh with a lovely presentation. Many options for vegans, vegetarians, and carnivores. Excellent service in a cute and bright space! read more

Small cozy spot but has great authentic Persian food! The fesenjan, in particular, was amazing! Highly recommended!

Amazing Persian inspired food! Really interesting twist on standard Mediterranean fare. Shorah was a great server. Very flexible to accommodate my keto diet. Everything came out on time, beautifully presented, and tasty. Don't want to miss this one.! read more

We went last week and had the pomegranate walnut stew which was divine and savory. It came with basmati rice topped with saffron rice and was a huge portion which enabled me to have it for both lunch and dinner. read more

Lava Kitchen is a charming hole-in-the-wall spot--small, cozy, and always bustling. The kubideh is absolutely delicious, cooked to perfection, and the basmati rice is seasoned just right. I also suspect they bake their own flatbread, which is wonderfully fresh and tasty. Customer service is great, and there's plenty of parking, making it even more convenient. Overall, I highly recommend Lava Kitchen if you're in the area--it's a hidden gem you don't want to miss! read more

This place is simply wonderful. It's like eating a homemade meal at a restaurant. We've been here many times and the Lava Kitchen never disappoints. read more