Decided to try this place after passing by many times. So pleasantly surprised. Very nice, comfortable interior- nicely decorated and good noise level, that is , no crazy noise! Menu is Mediterranean. Tried one of the dips which was generous portion and great!! The pita- like bread was so fresh- tasted like home- made. Husband had short rib ragu with paparadell & I had one of the specials - grilled swordfish with roasted vegetables and cauliflower puree. Husband loved his dish ( I agree- had a taste) and my dish was wonderful also. It was a nice melange of onions, peppers, eggplant & zucchini. The puree was also very good. Prob the best swordfish I've ever had at a restaurant - nicely seasoned and not dried out. We didn't really check out desserts because we were too full. Soft drinks were available and it's BYO. Service also met our expectations. So glad we discovered Mezza because we already talked about going back! read more

Mezza Livingston has been a go-to spot for Middle Eastern food a few times a year. But our last two visits have been disappointing enough to prompt this review. Servers seemed disengaged, chatting among themselves instead of attending to tables promptly. When we asked questions about dishes during our last visit, the response was a curt "whatever it says on the menu," which felt unhelpful and dismissive. The food is still decent, but the unpleasant atmosphere makes dining there less enjoyable now. I hope management addresses this situation. Perhaps training could help, regardless of any broader challenges with workers. Frequent patrons like me notice the decline and hope it can be corrected. read more

Cute! Good hummus. Good lentil soup. Mediocre service. Unfortunate that our server, it seemed, to be the only one on the floor, which prevented him from checking in on our table at appropriate times, which resulted in receiving my soup late. read more

Mezza - Hummus. - Mediterranean Near Me - Livingston, New Jersey

Amazing. Came during lunch hour at work. Next time I'd allow myself longer to stay and enjoy. Restaurant is BYOB and crowd is mostly local folks it seems. Very traditional Mediterranean decor inside. Moderate prices ~$20/entree. Cute outdoor seating area as well. All the vegetables were very fresh. Hummus was just the right amount of oily. Definitely recommending to folks in the area! read more

Mezza - Halloumi Cigars - Mediterranean Near Me - Livingston, New Jersey

I come to Mezza solo upon completion of significant achievements to reflect and celebrate, given the beautiful decor and warm atmosphere. The wait staff is friendly, and if you go in the late afternoon, it isn't very busy inside. My personal favorite is the lamb kofta. I've had this dish from other places and I've never had any as good as Mezza's. They provide complimentary naan (pita?) bread with oil as a nice calm food before your actual order comes. They have a wide selection (vegan friendly!) and use fresh locally sourced ingredients, as per the host who I chatted with for a bit the last time I dined here. Cool guy. I have a degree in supply chain management, so I was particularly intrigued by the complicated logistics of their ingredients! They have sparkling and still water, as well as regular bottled water. I love sparkling water but I only order it here if I realllly want to splurge, given the sparkling seltzer is the kind served in a glass bottle and it is expensive. Highly recommend if you are looking for a solo dining spot, a date, a celebration dinner, etc. I believe I normally spend ~$45 including tip, which is reasonable, in my opinion, for the quality, quantity, stellar service and great food. read more

SUCH a disappointment. My family and I have been here more than once but Mother's Day dinner was an enormous failure. We made a reservation for a party of 5 and sat outside. First, our plates needed to be sent back TWICE because they were dirty. The appetizers were good but our main dishes were generally disappointing. We ordered two eggplant parm dishes and one of them barely had any sauce; the one which had sauce was disappointing because the sauce was too sweet. The short rib pappardelle appeared to have been missing the short rib itself. We have ordered this dish before but for some reason, this time around, the short rib was shredded and was barely present in the pasta. ONCE upon a time, there was a proper piece of short rib with the pasta - I guess they are rationing beef now. The side of brussel sprouts were a punishment - they tasted absolutely disgusting. Our waiter must have been completely new because he appeared to be clueless. Perhaps he should have been shadowing someone else with more experience but it was overall a massive disappointment. Sadly, will NOT be returning to Mezza in Livingston after this last let-down. read more

I gave this place another shot after my last experience. This time, we did a sit down dinner. We made a reservation in advance on the weekend which was much much needed. The place was wonderful and the service was great. The food was the same which was amazing, the best food. Everyone enjoyed the food and the vibes of this place. What an amazing experience, my only complaint was I didnt get to try everything on the menu! Looking forward to going back and trying new items! read more

When we walked into this strip mall based Mediterranean restaurant, Northern New Jersey slipped away at the door and we were enveloped in a wonderfully clean, inviting Middle Eastern-inspired space. The waiter was attentive and happy but quickly was overwhelmed by the lunch rush of people. We did not mind and told him as much so we were treated to a leisurely meal that did not disappoint. The grape leaves were warm and must have just been rolled. The falafel in the hummus bowl was crispy on the outside but the interior was soft and pillowy. I have never had such moist and flavorful lamb and beef kofta. We cannot wait to try Mezza for dinner! read more

Mezza - Lamb & Beef Kofta - Mediterranean Near Me - Livingston, New Jersey

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My colleagues and I are were in the area on a business trip and decided to have dinner at Mezza. We were greeted and seated immediately. The restaurant is quaint, with dim lighting, paintings on the wall and appeared very clean. Additionally, our server was attentive and knowledgeable of the menu. As we waited for our entrees we received a basket of fresh warm pita paired with oil.I decided to order the Long Island Duck. The menu describes the dish as duck pan seared over parsnip purée, served with pearl onions, roasted rainbow carrots, kale & sliced peaches, topped with Tamarind sauce. The flavors of the dish all complimented each other. My only gripe was that my dish was more on the warm side and not hot. The puree was cold and I'm not sure if that was intent. Overall, a good experience and I would recommend. read more

Mezza - Mediterranean Near Me - Livingston, New Jersey

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Met a friend while in town on Friday night for dinner at Mezza. Over the years this shopping center has added many different businesses and multiple restaurants and Mezza adds a Mediterranean option Restaurant is well laid out with plenty of room amongst tables as well as an outside eating option when staffed. Decor could be considered sophisticated casual but jeans are fine. Additionally its BYOB which considering today's cost of food allows you to bring your favorite drink at a realistic price We started with the Greek salad, plentynof tomatos and olives and feta cubes, enuff for two people to share as well we had the falafel. The falafel is served on a bed of hummus and the entire table is given warm pita with olive oil to enjoy Our entrees were the same, the bronzino special. Very nicely executed, de- boned , lightly stuffed and not overcooked it was a joy to have and a big portion Overall a nice dinner with sound noise just perfect to be able to speak with a friend I hadn't seen a long time..only knock is our waiter clearly wanted to turn the table and I had to tell him several times to come back as we were not ready and had been catching up read more

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For a $$ Mediterranean restaurant, the food was outstanding. Came for a late lunch and service was good, although there was only 1 other table due to the hour. Would love to try them for dinner sometime. Looking forward to it. read more

My work team meets at Mezza a few times a year, just about quarterly. We always discuss the notion of trying someplace else, to keep it fresh. Alas, we all land on the same place in keeping the tradition because we are all so pleased with the menu offerings. While it is Mediterranean fare, there is something on there for all of us. We start with a litany of appys, the most important being the humus. I believe we get three of those for our group of six, and there isn't much left believe me. I've eaten humus everywhere, and this is simply the best I've ever had in any venue. Super smooth, full of taste but the garlic nor any component are too prominent. Just perfect. Only complaint, they never give you enough pita to finish the dish. If you ask, they will supply more. We get the octopus, crispy cauliflower, matbucha, and strawberry mango salad and split across the table. Most occasions, there is nothing left in any dish...it's all so good! I had always stayed with the hanger steak in the past, which is perfectly cooked to order and served with a roasted type of potato and unbelievably good brussel sprouts. The last two times I was there, and with much praise from my cardiologist I am certain, I went with the pan seared salmon over couscous. It's so amazingly tasty, and the healthier alternative. Others at the table order a variety of the entree options, all look fantastic and I hear good reports. We've never had dessert, too much food and we're usually talked out after a 2 hour meal sitting....but one day we will try it. Service is prompt and very detail oriented. We bring wine, which they are quick to open and monitor for empty bottle and glass removal. Give this place a try if you like greek/med, you won't be disappointed. read more

Love this place! Extremely cozy environment. The food is always delicious and the staff is always welcoming and nice. read more

Food was good, service was great. Ambiance was much better than compatible local ones

The food was good. I could eat the octopus over again. I ordered the lamb as an entree. I wish it would have had a bit more salt. It was a little bland for my tasting. The babaganoush was ok. read more

Food was fresh, delicious and prepared with an excellent hand at balancing flavors. In particular the waiter, manager and chef were all very responsive to helping me make the safe choices in lieu of my fairly rare allergy to black pepper. In some restaurants I have wound up with a flavorless meal, but not at Mezza. I'm definitely returning! The ambiance was clean, comfortable and welcoming! Only really good things to say. read more

Delicious and great service. Should out to our server Michael who brought a very cool birthday cake to the table.

Love this place. Second time I have been here The staff and ambiance is very nice They are welcoming and the food is amazing read more

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Love this place, healthy and delicious. Grilled octopus, cauliflower, smoked eggplant, tzatziki, hummus, all excellent.

Some of the BEST Mediterranean food in NJ! As soon as you walked in, the atheistic is gorgeous. I loved how romantic it felt for like a date night. The menu has so many delicious sounding choices on it but we got the octopus, the Persian shrimp and the Moroccan cigars to start; all super delicious The Moroccan cigars were my favorite; they had a braised short rib inside that was so soft and flavorful and came with this excellent tahini dipping sauce. Then we ordered the lamb chops special and the skirt steak for our entrees. Both were delicious and cooked perfectly. The steak was so tender and smothered in this delicious sweet and smoky marinade. The lamb was a perfect medium and full of flavor, complimented really well by the silky rice The desserts were out of this world! The chocolate soufflé was a dessert special they have. Best soufflé I've ever had, hands down. Decadent beyond decadent with rich chocolate and a perfect amount of meringue on the side to help smooth the chocolate flavor. We also got the fritters that came in the most beautiful presentation, hanging off a rose gold tree! Perfectly fried and covered with delicious sugar with super complimenting raspberry and chocolate sauces The staff was absolutely wonderful and everything came out just as we asked! Cannot wait to go back and try the rest of their menu! read more

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Great choice for a nice dinner for a special occasion at home. Ordering was super easy through their website. For app, we enjoyed the Halloumi Cigars which are fried spring rolls with spinach, onions, and halloumi with a creamy cashew dipping. These were yummy but I would have liked to see big chunks of halloumi. The kids shared the Israeli Fish Tacos app, which had pieces of Branzino topped with a "salsa" and yogurt sauce. The kids liked the pita taco shells and the fish but ate them without the toppings. I tried with the toppings and it was delicious. Like the Mediterranean take on tacos. For entree, I highly rec the Braised Short Ribs Pappardelle. The ragu with the mushrooms and truffle oil was so satisfying. Also enjoyed the Seafood Couscous, which had a nice mix of shrimp, mussels, calamari, and salmon with a lovely broth. Big dishes were a hit with the kids too. We will definitely be returning and hopefully enjoy outdoor dining when weather gets warmer. read more

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The only thing saving this review from being a one star review is the food. The food itself is good. HOWEVER, the service is awful, and it takes forever to get your food. We waited for over an hour for our entrees and the server barely came over to our table to check on us. read more

Weekend dinner experience- outdoor seating. Overall good ambience and attentive service. Coming to food, it's average - didn't find much flavor - over indulgence of oil in the tabouleh, humus and everything for the matter. Lacked flavor and salt too for some of the things we tried. The server said chicken kebab was adana kebab, in-spite of me asking if it's minced chicken on skewers, so little disconnect. On plus, the bread was fresh. It's BYOB without any corking fees and wonderful semi-upscale ambience. Worth a try if you are in the area I guess ! read more

Mezza - Chicken Shish Kebab - Mediterranean Near Me - Livingston, New Jersey

Food was ok- service was terrible-sat outside which was nice. Also a little pricey. A skinny glass of soda was 3.50 & no free refills. When i went this was in the summer and haven't had a chance to review. Hopefully things have gotten better since. read more

Food: superb Value: costly but decent portions Hostess: nightmare Waitstaff: fantastic I rarely allow a hostess who seemed to snuff a bit too much privilege before her shift impact my rating but this woman was just unpleasant. My family arrives casually dressed (I mention this because I'm confident this was the trigger for this Miranda Priestly a la Devil Wears Prada movie minus the fancy wardrobe, just the air and attitude. Not a smile or pleasantry was expressed. Just pure preteen ambivalence. I would say it was around 5:15ish? She asked if we had a reservation which we did not and said she'd have to check first (cue visual of empty restaurant minus the one table occupied) all of this is monotone by the way. "Oh yes we can take you here" so we sit down at our table. Same displeased body language and face. We're greeted by a delightful waiter (michael? I forget his name unfortunately, younger and dark hair) all smiles and acknowledged us as humans yay! Even my children who were definitely frowned upon by Ms. Priestly. All that aside on to the food! Food was great we ordered: Apps: Octopus (5/5) outstanding flavor, textures and perfectly cooked Mango strawberry goat cheese salad (5/5) was refreshing and again great balance of crunch, sweet, and salt. They had these yummy crunchy goat cheese balls warm and paired perfectly with everything else. Portion was very big for an app Fish tacos (5/5) I didn't have any but my husband said they were great and the pita bread served as the sort of taco shell Halibut special ($38) (4/5) It was a smidge dry but if paired with the other elements on the plate like the purée and veggies it was great. Ample portions and the girls ate it all up! Overall food was pricy when looking at the menu but portions were plentiful so it balances out. I would definitely go back as long as we can avoid that hostess. Not the best way to "welcome" customers. On our way our not a bye smile or eye contact. I don't need applause here, but some humanity is always nice especially nowadays! Separately, I have been a hostess before for some pretty swanky places so I get the job isn't the best but you're the first face people see, chipper up or find another gig! read more

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This place is so so good. Service excellent and ambiance is great. The food was so flavorful and tasty. Loved the different types of menu options. I daydream of the shrimp orzo dish frequently! read more

The food was amazing, this is a go to for me and my family. The seafood Risotto is incredible. The portions are generous, and the staff is friendly. If you like Mediterranean food, this is a must. The ambiance is relaxing and welcoming. read more

Hosted a weeknight dinner here. It's a nice place - not too crowded or noisy, with tasteful decor and dim lights for dinner. Service was excellent - staff were polite and did their best to accommodate us. Heads up that they don't do individual checks and bill gets split evenly between up to 6 cards (unless you want to do the math). Appetizers were fantastic. We ordered 3 mezzas (hummus, tabbouleh, Turkish ezme) and the Crispy Cauliflower. I loved the cauliflower and the hummus (easily best I've ever had). I found my entrée (braised short rib pappardelle) a little underwhelming for the price - the pappardelle was the right texture, the short rib was tender, but the ragu was just too salty. I also noticed that one person elected not finish their seafood orzo but that could have been due to the generous portion size. Those who ordered the short rib special and the chicken kofta however had clean plates. Overall, I might come back for lunch instead of dinner, or just to try more appetizers/mezzas. read more

I met up with my friend to get dinner and I made reservations for 6:30pm. When I arrived I parked in the plaza parking lot. I walked into a cute restaurant. Omar was our server and he was nice. This place is byob. For dinner I needed some adjustments because I don't do dairy and Omar had some issues with the kitchen saying they couldn't do certain things. So another server came out and said they could make my orzo and shrimp with a marinara sauce so I went with that. When the food came out it was very tasty. My friend liked hers as well. The bill came to about $65. We had a good time and would return. read more

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This place had great, really fresh tasting food. My friend and i shared the falafel and halloumi cigar appetizers as well as tabbouleh and turkish ezme for our mezze. The pita was alright. The falafel were nice and large and crispy. Everything was good, but for me the highlight was the tabbouleh! It was super refreshing, and i loved the crunch from the nuts and pomegranate seeds, i think it was my fav tabbouleh i've ever had~ My only qualm was the price for the cigars - 13 bucks for two super small, mini-egg roll size bites! I'd definitely come back but maybe wouldn't order that again, just because of the price. read more

Mezza - Pita - Mediterranean Near Me - Livingston, New Jersey

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What a wonderful little spot nestled in a shopping center. The atmosphere and decor were very flattering. Great service with attentive workers. The pita was tasted super fresh and fluffy. The halloumi cigars were definitely the star! I could of had the whole plate to myself. I ordered the chicken kofta. I could of used a little more seasoning and moisture, but the refreshing salad underneath was an amazing touch. Flavors, texture, colors were all there. My friend ordered the short rib pappardelle and mentioning it be very good. Overall a nice experience, definitely wouldn't mind going back to try more things. Especially dessert next time! read more

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Fantastic Mediterranean "fusion", kinda "confusion", lots of influences mashed up. E.g gnocchi w/ olives, and other interesting creations. Eggplant parm was on the menu too. Get past all that, all good tho. We came for the med flavors. Did the four dip mix, all very delicious. The falafel were very good as well, served over a tzatziki of sorts. The hummus and baba ghanoush (smoky) were memorable. The crispy cauliflower is also a must order. Super loud in the restaurant, even on a Wednesday night. Although it is BYO and there was a table getting rowdy (which is usually my table, but not tonight). Inside is very well appointed. This restaurant has Yelp credibility earned, although they also were a sponsored result. Don't let that scare you. The fact that it popped right up top to my list made it easy to see it first and decide to try! read more

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For a birthday, we decided on a last minute lunch instead of cooking at home. The restaurant was busy without being crowded, and while they have a upscale interior, it was a beautiful day so we decided to eat outside. Mezze has nicely appointed tables with natural sun protection from the building. We opened with a three course mezze: hummus, roasted eggplant, and tabouleh. All were fresh and phenomenal, without being salty. Pita was fresh, spongy, and warm. These are not large portions, but high quality. We also had the lamb kafta and steak shishkebabs. I wish I had taken a picture for you guys, but the meats were seasoned and cooked perfectly, and presented elegantly. Meat Portions were generous, especially given inflation these days! However, the accompaniments were lighter in portion, but darn good quality. I know they get busy for dinner service, but their lunch service is less busy and they just hit home runs. (Service was awesome too) Hope everyone gets a good experience! read more

It's been about 3 years since I last dined at Mezza. I wanted to give it another try to see if anything has changed. It's pretty much status quo. The things that were less than favorable in my previous review still hold true. However, I will give props to the Pistachio Baklava. Delicious. But a strong desert isn't quite enough to move the needle. Mezza is just alright. Three and one half stars. I'll leave it at that. read more

Enjoyed a relaxing night at mezza! Great food and ambiance. We had the hummus, labne, and Turkish ezme with veggies and pita. Pita bread was fresh and warm! All of the dips we ordered were delicious but my favorite was the ezme- I've never had it before and it is my new favorite! We ordered grape leaves, charred octopus and the kale and quinoa salad. All were phenomenal! The kale and quinoa salad was so delicious and filling ! We saved some room for dessert - Halva Ice Cream and chocolate soufflé was amazing and a must try. I can't wait to go back again read more

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My review will be a tale of two cities. This was our first visit to Mezza. We had Hummus and Moroccan Cigars for appetizers. Love their hummus, very smooth and creamy. Bread was nice and puffy. 5 stars. Moroccan cigars were great too - some spice, nice and crispy with a tahini dipping sauce. 5 stars. Our entrees were not as good. I got the duck breast ordered med. It arrived med-rare and the skin was not crisp and did not appear to be rendered. Roasted carrots and kale were also undercooked. Flavor was good and it is a very complicated dish but I would not order again. My husband got the Braised Short Rib Pappardelle which he said had a sweet edge instead of super-savory which is what he expected from a short rib dish. Dessert - we tried Chocolate Soufflè which was really good - nice light and fluffy and cooked to order - 5 stars. I would try this restaurant again and try different entrees. read more

We love it here, both had the Israeli Kebab Pita today, excellent! Comes with fries or salad, fries are delicious! read more

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Went here to celebrate a friend's 50th and there were 22 of us. For a large group, we were well taken care of. The service staff was terrific. The menu is awesome -- so many great options. I went with the short rib pappardelle and it was delicious. This is also byob which is s bonus! Will definitely go back. Try and you won't be disappointed! read more

Mezza - Braised Short Rib Pappardelle - Mediterranean Near Me - Livingston, New Jersey

The food is always excellent! Only wish they had a bar. The service is very efficient and a pleasant atmosphere. We loved the back room.

We stopped in for a late lunch here and got the crispy cauliflower appetizer, sautéed branzino, and lamb and beef kofta. The Crispy Cauliflower had raisins and toasted pine nuts, with a tahini sauce. Overall it was tasty but we felt it was missing something. The cauliflower itself was pretty hard- maybe one more minute of cooking would have been helpful, and something else to give it a touch more flavor- a little spice, a little salt. The branzino was cooked perfectly and despite it being sautéed underneath - it was very crispy on top. They nailed the crispy skin. Unfortunately it lacked salt!! It needed a pinch of salt on top, all of the flavor came from the broth under it. Last, the kofta needed some salt and lamb fat but had a tasty green herby sauce and vegetable medley under it. The service was pretty non existent (as in.. we looked around for a bit and no one was around to help. I ate most of my meal before someone finally came out and it wasn't worth asking for a salt shaker at that point). I'm not counting service in this review, just the food. For food- I'd give it 4 stars. A few pinches of salt for each dish would have elevated it. Lastly I appreciate that they brought warm bread out, that detail of warming the bread is always smart and elevates an experience. Our dishes also came with a chicken orzo soup. The soup wasn't impressive, but it was fine. read more

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