If you're looking for authentic, fresh Mediterranean food near Disneyland, Zait Zataar is…read moreabsolutely worth the stop! It's only about 7 minutes from the parks, making it the perfect lunch or dinner spot if you're craving something flavorful that won't leave you feeling heavy. Everything we ordered was incredibly fresh and full of flavor. The spinach pastry was hands down my favorite, perfectly flaky with a delicious savory filling. The potato pastry was a close second and just as satisfying. If you visit, don't skip the pastries! We also tried the steak and chicken kebab combo plate, and both were cooked perfectly. The chicken was especially tender, juicy, and seasoned beautifully. You can actually watch the meat being cooked fresh in the back, which made the whole experience feel even more authentic. I ordered the veggie plate with falafel, baba ganoush, tabbouleh, hummus, and tahini sauce, and every single item was delicious. The falafel really stood out. It had a perfectly seasoned, crispy exterior with a soft, flavorful center. Dipping it into the baba ganoush, hummus, and tahini made every bite even better. One of my favorite things was that the meal was incredibly satisfying without feeling greasy or overly heavy. It was fresh, filling, and packed with flavor, but I still felt great afterward. The staff was warm, welcoming, and genuinely friendly, and the service was impressively fast. They also have a great selection of Mediterranean spices if you want to bring some of those incredible flavors home. Huge compliments to the chef and the entire team. Between the fresh ingredients, authentic flavors, generous portions, and excellent service, Zait Zataar has definitely earned a spot on my list of favorite Mediterranean restaurants. I'll absolutely be coming back!

I've always enjoyed Zait & Zaatar, their plates, wraps, sandwiches, and pastries are consistently…read moregood. Unfortunately, today's experience was frustrating. I placed an online order for the baked fish plate around 12:45 PM and expected a bit of a wait since it was fish. After waiting about 25 minutes, I called and was told it would be another 10-15 minutes. The restaurant was busy, so I understood. However, after waiting longer and checking inside twice, my order still wasn't ready and there seemed to be confusion about its status. In total, I waited close to an hour for an order that was placed online in advance. What bothered me most was seeing customers who ordered in person receive their food before me. It felt like my online order had been overlooked. If online ordering is offered, those orders should be monitored and fulfilled properly, especially during busy times. The food itself was good, but the plate could have been put together better. The fries were placed directly on top of the fish, which made them soggy and took away from the presentation. It would make much more sense to serve the fries on the side. Overall, the food is still good, but the long wait, confusion with the online order, and lack of attention to presentation make me hesitant to rely on the online ordering system again.

I can't believe it took me this long to try Open Sesame! I'm a CSULB alumni and walked past this…read morecharming restaurant so many times. So glad I finally got to stop by many years later for dinner! Parking was easy (on a weeknight). Plenty of street parking and many open meters but I can see it being very difficult on weekends. Bake in some time to find parking! There's both indoor and outdoor seating at this location. This inside is cozy and there's a second room for additional seating. I went on a Thursday night and it was slammed. They do not take reservations but they do have a waitlist via toast that you can join while you walk around and wait for your table. Plenty to do and see on 2nd street. We ordered the party platter for 4 people! It was the perfect amount of food with leftovers to take home. Everything was cooked to PERFECTION. Our beef was a textbook medium rare and was so juicy and tender, as was the rest of the meat. The chicken was so moist and flavorful, as was all the shawarma. All meats were seasoned beautifully. The rice underneath was stunning as well and really caught all the juices from the meat on top. The roasted tomatoes, onions, and pickles were the perfect compliments to help freshen up the palette during the meal. The sauces were amazing and there was a clear favorite (the garlic sauce) which was annihilated by all four of us. Service was friendly! It was very packed so it was slow at times but understandably so. They come by and give you orange blossom water for your hands post meal - what a treat! We smelled amazing! NO NOTES FOR OPEN SESAME! I have to come back with more friends! We did have an issue but it was with another patron who had the audacity to yell at my table (while I was in the restroom) for "having too much fun"?!?! This is a public restaurant and it was loud as hell in there because it's tight and everyone talks over each other, not to mention the open kitchen. The energy in the restaurant is exciting and frenetic. If you want a quiet dinner f*cking STAY HOME and leave the streets to those of us who have had a WEEK and want to enjoy a fun dinner with friends. We will be back and we will have even MORE FUN, xoxo.

We stopped by here on a weekday because it was one of the dog-friendly restaurants near Rosie's Dog…read moreBeach. They have multiple outside seating areas where you can sit with your doggo. Ambiance (5/5): Although we didn't sit inside, it was super cute, with classy boho vibes. The restroom was clean and well-decorated (although, not gonna lie, I don't know how I felt about the big mirror facing the toilet). The outside patio area was airy, and although right by the street, I didn't find it unpleasant. Service (3/5): It was just so-so. They sat us down quickly, gave us our menus and checked on us maybe twice. It wasn't super busy, but we had to wait to ask for things like extra plates and water for our dog. Food Overall (5/5): Food was delicious. We got the beef shawarma lunch special and got fries for the side (extra charge) and also the chicken shawarma lunch special with the hummus side. Beef Shawarma (4/5): It had a nice toasty flavor, perhaps from the spices, and the pickled veggies really complemented it. My only complaint was that I wish it had a bit more of the white sauce (maybe adding more hummus would have helped). It was also strangely a bit watery, maybe from the veggies. Overall, it was still a yummy wrap. Chicken Shawarma (5/5): The chicken shawarma tasted more balanced to me overall. I don't recall the meat being dry, although I did also slather it with a bit of hummus. I thoroughly enjoyed this wrap. Fries side (5/5): Their fries are made in house and it tastes so fresh. It was crispy on the outside yet still gooey and moist on the inside. I'm not sure if they make their own ketchup too, as it looked clumpier and tasted really fresh too. The kids gobbled this up. Hummus and pita (5/5): It came with a generous amount of both hummus and pita. The hummus was well flavored and blended, and it really complemented everything on the table. The pocket pita bread was not what I had in mind (I'm used to thicker ones), but the kids really loved it overall. Ice cream (4.5/5): We ordered two scoops from the dessert menu. They were both really thick, creamy and almost chewy like liquidized mochi. It was a very interesting texture but nonetheless a nice tasty treat on a hot day. I much preferred the vanilla bean, as the pistachio tasted and looked rather artificial (and I'm a pistachio ice cream lover). This place had so many to-go orders during the afternoon we were there. I can see why. Food is super fresh and tasty. I think we will be back the next time we are visiting.

Awesome service and great food! 10 stars. Delicious vegetarian options. Will be back for sure.read more

Shish Taouk is a small, family run Lebanese shawarma spot that is a pure labor of love. Bilal is an…read moreexcellent guy and the service was outstanding. The beef and lamb combo was generous, flavorful and fresh. All of the vegetables were crisp and the pita bread tasted homemade. I told him it was my first time and he treated me incredibly well. I sampled some of the grilled veggies and a divine falafel. Definitely going to be my go to for a nice and quick work lunch.

Had an awesome experience here! The food was delicious, the service was outstanding, and the hookah…read morehad amazing flavor and was nice and strong. Everything was well worth the price. As well as the overall vibe inside is so fun. A special shoutout to Tommy, he provided excellent service and made the experience even better. I highly recommend this place to anyone looking for great food, great hookah, and top notch service. Definitely ask for Tommy!

Came in on a Saturday night, we didn't have reservations but were greeted kindly and they were able…read moreto accommodate us and have our party of 6 seated in about 20 mins. We waited about 15 mins for someone to come and offer us menus or beverages but it seemed as though we had been forgotten. It felt like we were an inconvenience. My husband ended up calling over a waiter and asked if we could order as we had looked up the menu's online. Our waiter, George, was phenomenal! Super kind, apologetic and kept us updated throughout the night. He understood that we were not having the best experience, and was trying his best to make us feel comfortable and welcomed. We had a baby with us so we asked that we be seated away from any hookah, and they really honored that request and made sure nobody near us was smoking. The food was decent, well seasoned and tasty, but nothing mindblowing. Slow to arrive but it seemed like this evening in particular was just a new kind of busy for the restaurant. In any case, I think if you've got time to sit and chat and wait for food and service, you won't feel it as much, but we had a baby, and a group of hungry adults who felt every minute of the waiting. I'd probably come back on a weeknight and try it out again; hoping that we don't get forgotten about by our first waitress.

Just had an incredible lunch with my co-workers and we loved everything about this place…read more Great food in a great atmosphere. Ate outside in the patio area as it was a beautiful day and the food was just fantastic. It was our first time here, so Sam let us know some of the popular dishes and recommended recommended some items, which my co workers loved. I would up getting the chicken shawarma which was A+, along with some of the best hummus I've ever had. Definitely would recommend and plan on coming out again soon.

Food was very basic. Nothing stood out. Had the beef with hummus, chicken and beef platter and…read morechicken wraps. We were Really looking forward to this based on the reviews. But pretty disappointed. The portions are also pretty small for the price. Their hot sauce was bomb though.

Interesting their name has "Restaurant" but it's more of a to-go shop than a dine-in place…read more Picking up my food was an interesting experience. No one at the counter. Turns out multiple food shops occupy this location. You'll have to ring the Ring doorbell of the shop you ordered from. Likes: + Yummy food. I liked the variety of flavors and textures in my order. + Pleasant, modern ambience. . The shop will seem like it's in the middle of nowhere, but rest assured, your food is at Ste F. Non-likes: - Somewhat expensive. I don't think the cup of simple-looking lentil soup was worth $6. - Very limited seating. - Inconveniently located in the middle of nowhere. I had: $6 Crushed lentil cup + $19.55 Kafta plate + tax - 1-time ChowNow discount = 24.77

I absolutely love Lebanese food even more so than my native Persian cuisine, so when I heard about…read morean authentic Lebanese spot in Irvine, I knew I had to give it a try. Before you visit, keep these things in mind: 1. This is a ghost kitchen, not a full-service restaurant. It's best for takeout and delivery. There are only a few chairs outside--just four in total. 2. Ordering is entirely self-service via a digital kiosk, with no staff on hand to assist you. 3. There are no bathrooms available anywhere on-site. Regarding the food, it was just okay-- a bit underwhelming, especially given that Lebanese cuisine is typically so flavorful. The chicken was dry, the hummus lacked depth, and the rice was bland. That said, the fattoush salad, one of my favorites, was very good, with a delicious dressing. Overall, I can't say I'd return. The prices were quite high for the portions, and the quality didn't meet my expectations. If you're looking for a quick Lebanese meal, this place is a decent option, but don't expect much more than that.

Dizzy Bird is located inside the Mission Viejo Mall food court. It is one of the first places…read moreyou'll see in this food hall. We came on a Monday afternoon. The service could've been a little more friendly. The young guy working at the register didn't say much and didn't seem to really promote the menu, even after I told him it was my first time there. I was really excited to try the food here with my friend. I was in the mood for whole pieces of chicken and I'm so glad I chose the half chicken plate. The plate comes with two sides and there were a few options to choose from. I selected a side salad and roasted lemon garlic potatoes. I was trying to be a little more healthy. Otherwise, I probably would've chosen the french fries. The dressing on the salad was really good and all of the ingredients were fresh. I really liked the pickled red onions that came with the salad. The potatoes were alright. The plate also comes with a large soft pita. And the garlic sauce was just right with everything . The star of the show was the juicy and flavorful chicken.I enjoyed this lunch so much. I can't wait to come back!

I've been to this location multiple times. The Classic Bird is my go to. The wrap is filled with…read moretender pulled chicken, garlic sauce and their own DB sauce. The garlic sauce is scrumptious! FYI Dizzy Bird is located in the food court of the Mission Viejo Mall, second floor.