My friend and I decided to meet for lunch, and she chose Lava Kitchen because of all the great reviews. I arrived a little early since she was limited on time, so I went ahead and ordered everything for us. I let our waitress know my friend was on a tight schedule, and she was so accommodating and made sure everything was timed perfectly so the food would come out once my friend arrived. I ordered the quinoa salad for my friend and the Greek salad for myself. We also shared the hummus and one ground beef kabob. Everything was very flavorful, fresh, and delicious. We really enjoyed everything we tried. The restaurant itself is extremely cute, bright, and inviting. When I first arrived, there was only one other person there, but by the time we were finished, every table except one was full--which definitely says something! The person who helped us was incredibly friendly and made the whole experience even better. This definitely sounds like a place we'll be coming back to! read more

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Lava Kitchen was very good overall, especially the kabobs. We tried two different meats, and the Shish Kabob was the clear winner for both of us. QUICK TAKE Get: Shish Kabob, Ground Beef Kabob, Creamy Cucumber Dip Skip: The salad dressing Know: Order a dip or sauce with your meal. Both of ours really needed one. Shish Kabob: Our favorite item. If you are choosing between the meats, this is the one I would recommend first. Ground Beef Kabob: Also very good and worth ordering. It came with a generous amount of basmati rice and a charbroiled tomato. Lava Special Salad with Shish Kabob: The salad had romaine, tomatoes, cucumbers, red onion, avocado, raisins and walnuts. It was good, but the meat made the meal. Without the Shish Kabob, the salad would have felt underwhelming. Creamy Cucumber Dip: Basically essential. We were very happy we ordered it because neither entrée came with much moisture or sauce of its own. My only real complaint was the homemade salad dressing. The oil tasted old, which was noticeable enough to take away from an otherwise fresh salad. Overall, we really liked Lava Kitchen and would gladly return for the kabobs. The Shish Kabob is the move, and do yourself a favor by adding the cucumber dip. read more

Lava Kitchen - Lava Special Salad with Shish Kebab - Mediterranean Near Me - Westlake Village, California

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What a cute place. Very small inside and limited seating could make it a hard place to get into on a weekend. I did see a lot of take out. Service was fantastic and the food was even better. Crispy saffron rice with lentil stew. Yummm! Beef and chicken kabobs were delicious. The chicken was moist and flavorful. Get the trio of dips! It's added to everything we ate. Definitely a place to try! read more

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Food is great! Super fresh. Great menu. Lots of choices. Would definitely come back. Discovered on chat. read more

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

A delicious small Mediterranean restaurant located in Westlake Village of Los Angeles, CA. It is family owned and ran; coming inside gave me a warm feel to it. I got take out because it was full inside and I wanted to sit with some quiet outside. There is some seating outside as well. I got the Lava combo with chicken and ground beef kabob, it came with balsamic rice and some onions, I asked for no tomato which it also usually comes with since I can't eat them. The food was so delicious and well priced for the quality. read more

Lava Kitchen - Mediterranean Near Me - Westlake Village, California

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My 2nd visit. The food is amazingly flavorful & fresh Persian/Mediterranean. The friendly & attentiveness of the front of the house staff was equally pleasing. It is a very small/quaint restaurant that is nicely (sparse) decorated. Will be putting Lava Kitchen on my list of local favorites. read more

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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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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I usually get the ground chicken kabob meal and it is delish!!! They also have a lunch special that is smaller and i get the lentil soup with it! soooo good! 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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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

Tiny place with big heart. Excellent Persian food. Comprehensive menu including fesenjan (walnut stew), many kabobs and tahdeg, the delicious " burnt" rice. Small but unexpectedly good wine list. Will definitely return. read more

An absolutely wonderful experience at Lava Kitchen! Located on Lakeview Canyon Road in Westlake Village, Lava Kitchen is truly a gem. From the moment we arrived, everything was perfect. The service was exceptional--friendly, attentive, professional, and welcoming. The food was absolutely above and beyond. Everything tasted fresh, flavorful, and beautifully prepared. The flavors were comforting and authentic, with that special homemade taste that makes you feel like you're enjoying a meal prepared with care and love at home. I highly recommend Lava Kitchen to anyone in Westlake Village or the surrounding area. It's definitely a place I would love to visit again! read more

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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Lava Kitchen was great! Hot, flavorful food . Friendly, quick service and a relaxed vibe. Will be back.

Tried this place and did not disappoint. We tried the chicken barg which on their menu is the chicken steak kabob. Chicken was juicy done perfect. The basmati rice was on point. The grilled tomato was great. We will go back for sure 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

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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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

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

Great Persian food. Good and friendly service. Quaint and hidden gem. Try the cherry rice! Yum!

Fabulous Service and the food is tasty and delicious and so so good. Ambience is so pleasant. The owner is awesome. read more

Lava Kitchen - Rice & kabobs - Mediterranean Near Me - Westlake Village, California

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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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

Best Persian food in Thousand Oaks. Very friendly staff. The restaurant is very clean, neat and I would highly recommend you stop here if you're nearby. I'll def 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

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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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

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

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

It was the first time in this cute little place and we were blown away by the food. It was so good and I'm still eating my leftovers. Salmon kebab with their special rice is divine. My sister got the chicken kebab. Can you place we also got the Samosa with the yummy sauce. Service was friendly and fabulous. read more

Amazing service ! the ambiance is peaceful and the food was quick,fresh and delicious read more

Lava Kitchen - Mediterranean Near Me - Westlake Village, California

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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

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

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

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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Love this place! We go about twice a month. Delicious food, great service, cozy and quiet. Pegah is the amazing chef and owner, Shohreh has served us many times with a warm smile and great memory about our favorites. :) I LOVE their salmon kabob sandwich. it's out of this world. Highly recommend Lava Kitchen. read more

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