3 decades of loyal dining at the Old Mediterranean proves how amazing the food is here. OK, when I need a blast of garlic throughout my body the Mediterranean Kitchen is my pit stop... A friendly greeting as I walk into the establishment which is always welcome. A bowl of hot soup comes quickly after taking a seat... Pondering through the menu which I know by heart I order either the Shish Tawook, which is charbroiled tenderized chicken served over rice with a garlic sauce, YUM. However if that's not grabbing me I get the Kafta Kabob served over Yellow Rice, Hummus, Salad and Pita Bread to scoop up all those flavors. Occasionally I have the best of all world plate which is The Combination Plate featuring the Kabob Kafta kabob, Shish Tawook and lamb kabob charbroiled with tomatoes and onions. Now if that does not excite you nothing will... The place can get a rocking loud cause it's not huge but it has all the comforts of a big loud family meal. Parking is limited so be patient but the food is worth it 1000%.... And bring some mints cause it's a garlic night out... read more

Old Mediterranean Kitchen - Greek Near Me - Bellevue, Washington

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The stars on this place is spot on! Man it was so close to perfect. First the service is really good. I think the owner honestly loves the food that gets served and that translate to really good food. I was amazed at the flavor profile. I loved the vibrant taste and extravagant use of garlic in al the dishes. We even brought our 1 year old here and she loved a lot of the food even some of the more flavorful ones. I think I can echo that some of the grilled meat can be a little dry or rough. I do think that might just be the cut of meat that is used and maybe that's how it might taste? But I have faith that with some different meat cuts those can come out a lot juicier. Even at 4 stars, I do suggest anyone reading this to go check this place out. Its definitely a party of flavors. read more

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What an awesome find! I asked for recommendations from my vegan friend and he suggested this place. It did not disappoint! They have an entire vegan section on the menu. My friend always gets 1 thing though... the falafel. He said its one of the best he's ever had and I agree. They do a fantastic job. To start, they give you some pita and some tangy dressing to dip it in. Sounds weird but it was fantastic! The dressing sort of reminds me of a thick italian dressing. They also give you some lentil soup which was good as well. Lamb Shawarma (5): Since I'm no longer vegan, I went with the Lamb Shawarma. It was delicious! I honestly feel that any of the other shawarma varieties would be equally as good. The sauce they use mixed with the caramalized onions and veggies just make this a winner. Perfect to throw in a pita or eat it straight with the rice. One of the best shawarma's I've had! I have to mention their portion size. It's amazing and should fill any human being. All of us took to-go boxes and feel that it will be good for another entire meal. If you don't like to take things to-go, its great for sharing. Overall, we liked everything that we tried and I feel confident in exploring the menu. Smallish dining area but it wasn't crowded at all during lunch and staff was friendly. We'll definitely be back! read more

Old Mediterranean Kitchen - Lamb Shawarma - Greek Near Me - Bellevue, Washington

Generous amount of food for what you pay for. The workers are very friendly and the food is very flavorful - lots of garlicky flavors and bursts of flavor that hit your tongue. read more

I enjoyed the complimentary lentil soup, pita, and garlic vinaigrette. We split the chicken shawarma between two people and finished it. The portions are BIG, a really good price for what you get. The dish also looked and tasted great. We also went on a weekend and found that it fills up pretty quick in a pretty small space. read more

Old Mediterranean Kitchen - Chicken Shawarma - Dinner - Greek Near Me - Bellevue, Washington

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Not the same as the Mediterranean Kitchen of Old...Thus the name change. Sad that the classic recipes over decades are no more. Food is still good but new owners have taken a five star place down to 3 or so. Kamal I miss you. read more

Still solid, and even better now. The only thing I didn't really enjoy here was the previous versions of tumeric rice, the grains were too large, sometimes too chewy and/or dry. It used to be a chore to finish the rice (not the type that likes to waste food). Those issues are completely gone now (at least in the last 3 visits). A thing I always really look forward to is one of the most basic things. The salad dressing, might be my top 3 favorite of alltime. Also, their veggies always are crisp and fresh to the bite. Hummus is always tasty, soup thick with lentil. But yea...having the simple side salad is a requirement for any meal here. The meats are good, the seasoning great. Not much inflation in pricing is also appreciated. The restaurant has always been quaint, and now with table lighting adds a bit more romance to it all. Love it. read more

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Oh how the great have fallen. This spot used to be the pinnacle of Mediterranean food back in the day, but after my last visit things just aren't the same. Restaurant interior somewhat small and quant, and I can imagine on a Friday/Saturday night it can get relatively packed quickly. Takeout seems to be very popular here. The good: -Shish tawook and kafta kabob are both very tasty -Strong portion size -Service is very friendly and attentive The not so good: -Lamb shish kabob was unbelievably dry - to the point where no one wanted to finish it or box it for home. -Veggie lover dish was extremely uneventful, and primarily sautéed onions read more

4.5 stars awesome food and service with reasonable price . We had beef shawarma which is very flavorful and fragrant of the spices. The portion is large. Combination kabob is a mixed of grilled chicken, grilled ground beef stick and lamb. Love the smokiness of the kabob. Hummus served with the kabob dish is one of the best I've had. Highly recommend. read more

Old Mediterranean Kitchen - Beef shawarma - Greek Near Me - Bellevue, Washington

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I've been coming to old Meridian kitchen on for close to 10 years now. I used to absolutely love their vegan dishes and my family used to love their dishes as well. I recall my vegan dish having more diversity of vegetables and better sauce/flavor. These last two times that I've came my vegan dish the most expensive vegan one at over $20 a plate. comes with sautéed vegetables that reminds me of fajitas however, of the vegetables 60% is onion. And the rice is I don't know? It's yellow maybe like a pilof? I think the dish would be better served with basmati or a jasmine lentil blend maybe even brown rice.As for the sauce that they drizzle on top of the vegetables, it seems to have gotten worse overtime. I feel like it used to be a creamy tahini garlic and now it's like a runny watery zest. As much as I've loved this place, as nice as the service was, as cute as the restaurant is, I just can't give it a good rating because you go there for food and the food was disappointing in every single way. Even The pitas were not good. They weren't soft warm and fluffy. It didn't come with any hummus. It came with this salad dressing. the family members were not pleased with their lamb Shawarma or beef Shawarma either. all stating they were dry and same complaint with the veggies, not diverse, mostly onions. I'm sad to write this disappointing review. All I can say is that if you love onions, you should probably come here otherwise might as well go across the street to garlic crush. My recommendation to the owners is to please revamp your menu. read more

Old Mediterranean Kitchen - Swish tawook - Greek Near Me - Bellevue, Washington

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I dined in today for a date night on a weekday evening, and I usually don't write day-of reviews unless I'm very impressed with a restaurant (which, spoiler alert, this is my new favorite Mediterranean place by far). I didn't know this place was here until a couple months ago, and I wish I had found it earlier because wow, was it super good. I really liked the vibes of the restaurant, and this is a great place for casual and incredibly tasty dining. We were greeted and seated immediately, and after we sat down, we got some delicious lentil soup and pita bread with a dipping sauce. I've been wanting soup for the past couple of weeks, and this lentil soup definitely hit the spot. The flavor was so good, and I tried some of the pita bread with the soup and the dipping sauce (and couldn't decide which I liked better because they were both so good). I ordered the Beef Noodle after struggling to decide which dish to get. This was my first time trying Mediterranean noodles and I was definitely missing out before. The dish was also jam packed with flavor, and each bite did not disappoint. I loved all the spices, and the portion size was also huge. We got four pitas over the course of the meal, and when we were requesting boxes to take our leftovers to go, they asked us if we wanted a couple additional pitas to go. I was floored by their generosity; I've never been able to take home food that wasn't already on my plate. I'm already planning what food I'll order the next time I come here. Until then, I'm excited to finish my leftovers (two full portion sizes' worth of leftovers). read more

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1 star for the waiter...as I had to get the restaurant menu myself, and they poured still water in my glass of Pellegrino (tried to stop him but too late), table didn't seem that clean either. 1 star for the food, I have had lentil soup at the Four Seasons Lebanese restaurant in Cairo and the version here is EXTREMELY watery, it is not good which I guess is the reason that it's complementary. Other food items continued on the sub par level. I suppose if I didn't know any better then this place would be ok, not awesome but not awful either. Unfortunately, I experienced really good Lebanese and Mediterranean while traveling in that region so it just feels disappointing that Old Mediterranean Kitchen is not what I was expecting. read more

Some I needed a place to connect with old friends and we stumbled upon this fantastic Mediterranean delight. The service was outstanding, the food was amazing, wonderful fusion of flavors and cooked to perfection. Highly recommend. read more

Old Mediterranean Kitchen - Lip smacking Mediterranean chicken. - Greek Near Me - Bellevue, Washington

The restaurant interior was a bit run down but overall in a good location right in the heart of downtown Bellevue. I know it's been here forever and you get the vibes it's run by someone who really cares. I thought the food was okay though. Overall the lentil soup tasted much too strongly of cumin and the chicken plates were both alright. The garlic sauce was so incredibly garlicky it was hard to taste anything else and it lingered for a long time. Service was fine, no issues there. Relatively place for a weekend night and was fairly noisy inside. read more

Delicious! My favorite place to get Mediterranean food. I always get the shish tawook. I can eat quite a bit but I generally have left overs. The complementary soup and hummus is very nice. The only downside is there is a charge split a dish. Servers are alway tentative. Very small inside but worth the wait. I never leave hungry. read more

If you can navigate a good parking spot, hit this casually hip little restaurant for lunch. Sparkling service by an old savvy local of Italian stock with a treasury of Lebanese region recipes. Expect to get a bowl of soup plopped down in front of you with fresh pita bread and garlic oil dip before you can get your coat off. The dip started originally as a salad dressing but was so popular and addicting that it's graduated up. No doubt a blender of fresh garlic with vinegar and seasonings. Cold Lebanese Pilsner to go with hard charred chicken and... that dip. read more

Old Mediterranean Kitchen - good rice - Greek Near Me - Bellevue, Washington

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Fav Lebanon cuisine in Bellevue! They give free pita with dipping sauce and soup! The proportion is large they said the signature recipe is over 100 years! read more

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Second time here so I knew what to expect and once again had a delicious meal. Fast friendly service with huge portions looking forward to coming back again soon. read more

Old Mediterranean Kitchen - Greek Near Me - Bellevue, Washington

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This is one of my long time favorite restaurants and I wish I got here more often. Years ago when a fast food version came closer to my house I was ecstatic and started visiting there more frequently, sadly that one has been closed now for many years. There's a similar branch in Kirkland, but that is also not that close to me, but I'd love to stop there more often too, especially since it has a parking lot. That leaves me with this sit down option and with so much good food in Bellevue I don't make it here as often as I like, but every time I do I dream of coming back. When I do though it always seems like a special meal and I am happy that I chose it. I absolutely love the bread and garlic dip they give you. I could make a meal out of just this, but even better you get soup too. The soup is different on my most recent visit from what I remember, but still quite tasty. I also am happy to see that vegan items are now listed on the menu, this makes dining so much easier and I feel more relaxed not having to ask questions or worry about sauces. I opted for the Fool Moudamas on my last two visits, but there are so many things I want to eat. As I have probably mentioned before this place is for people who enjoy strong flavors, if you are not a garlic lover you might want to stay away. The portions are also huge which makes food seem more reasonable in today's world of high prices. I always end up with leftovers which make for an excellent meal again the next day. Service is good, everyone is friendly. The Ambiance has a classy feel, but not so overwhelming that you feel like you need to dress up or can't bring kids. I hope this place is around forever and I really want to go back again already. The website could use some updating though and I do seem to only get email ads about the Kirkland location, I'd appreciate some for here too. read more

Old Mediterranean Kitchen - Vegan dishes - Greek Near Me - Bellevue, Washington

In the middle of downtown Bellevue where rent is high, it's hard to find a place that has good food and reasonable prices. Mediterranean Kitchen has managed to accomplish both. I had my birthday party here this past month and made reservations for 10 people ahead of time. I called a few days before and it took less than a minute for them to take my information. I was very impressed by the efficient customer service. When we arrived, we already had a table setup for us in the corner of the room. It was a little tight, but definitely manageable. My friends who had eaten here previously said that the dishes were gigantic and that we should just order six dishes to share family-style. We thus ended up ordering two BEEF SHAWARMA, two LAMB SHAWARMA, and two DAJAJ MISHWI - HALAL (charbroiled, boneless chicken thighs marinated in spices served with garlic sauce). I'm glad that we didn't order more than six dishes, because even with three hungry guys, we still had an entire dish leftover- we could've ordered five dishes and been more than fine. Even so, everyone was shocked by the final bill total (which included tax plus 20% gratuity for large parties) which came to just a little over $150. Split among nine people, it was just under $17 per person - which is ridiculously cheap for Bellevue, considering the amount of food we had as well. The BEEF SHAWARMA and the LAMB SHAWARMA were very tasty, lean, and well-spiced. They honestly looked and tasted alike, except that the lamb had a gamier flavor as expected. The DAJAJ MISHWI had a slightly different taste as it was served with garlic sauce (versus Tzatziki sauce) and was very moist. All dishes came with lots of yellow rice (which I assume is turmeric), onions, and peppers. Given that the dishes all tasted relatively similar to each other, I would consider getting a vegetarian dish (like spanakopita) or something to mix up the flavors next time. Service was excellent. They served as complimentary pita bread and lentil soup right away. And even though we took up a fifth of their restaurant, they were in no rush for us to leave and so we ended up staying almost 3 hours. The downside of this place is the limited parking. Their lot (which they share with Hokkaido Ramen, Indigo Cow, and Whale Tea) is extremely small and tight. You're much better off looking for street parking or parking at Bellevue Downtown park and walking over. In terms of atmosphere, the place isn't fancy by any means. It's basically just a square room painted in maroon red with some paintings on the wall. Their website suggests dressing business casual, but there were definitely people eating there who were dressed casually. read more

Old Mediterranean Kitchen - Lentil Soup (complimentary) - Greek Near Me - Bellevue, Washington

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There is street parking only and it can be limited. The restaurant is small so depending on when you go, you might need a reservation. The service is friendly, efficient and great with recommendations. The lentil soup is really yummy. The bread and the sauce (you could kill a vampire with your very garlicky breathe) but it's yummy. The portion size is large so be prepared to have left overs. The food is really good, we didn't have a long wait for the food to come to our table once we ordered. The flavor is there, we all enjoyed it. read more

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This place is awesome! We usually get take-out and portions have always been generous; the dishes usually give us our dinner and lunch for the next day. We love the Chicken and Lamb Shish Kabobs, both are delish! Staff is always prompt and friendly after several take-out nights over the years. read more

We've been here a few times for dinner now and it's always a hit! The ambiance is great for a cozy dinner. They serve complimentary pita and hummus and a lentil soup as appetizers. My go to entree is the shish tawook, a lemony grilled chicken entree that comes with rice and hummus. The portions are huge so bring an appetite or prepare for delicious leftovers. Overall, I'll be back for more! Happy eating! read more

Old Mediterranean Kitchen - Shish Tawook - Greek Near Me - Bellevue, Washington

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We have been coming here for almost 20 years. Whenever we're in the area, we find an excuse to come here, because it's so good every time. Food is delish, portions generous, service good. Always get a mezze and a shish tawouk, and have lunch the next day. Love the sweet mint iced tea and the salad dressing/dip. read more

Okay, so let's get some things straight from these past reviews. I was scared of coming here because of the negative reviews saying the kitchen is skimping on meat, too much onions, and quality has gone down. It made me sad because I've been coming here since I was a kid and always loved the big portion sizes and food. I came in with a party of 4 and the new manager explained to me that the reviews that were written were people who came on literally the busiest days like Mother's Day etc where the restaurant was packed. He explained the proteins are proportioned out per order, but if you have 10 orders, they all get mixed in together and when it's served onto the plate, it's hard to divide evenly the proteins. I was reassured that there would be plenty of protein for my shawarma. Not only did they come through with quantity size, the food was excellent. Wonderful spices and flavors and not overly heavy. The lentil soup was amazing, garlic dip excellent with the pita and the mezza tray has fresh ingredients and never fails. We finished off with traditional Turkish coffee which had a hint of cardamon in it? It was so refreshing. I can't give anything less than 5 stars. My husband and I split an entree and STILL had leftovers. So lesson learned? Don't always believe the reviews. Give this place a try and have a conversation with the manager. I love this place!!! read more

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Let's start with an amazing warm service from the kitchen and the waiter, the place is elegant, but not too elegant, and the prices are very fair. The punchline for me was the list of wines that they couldn't resist, read more

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Fantastic food and service! A true Downtown Bellevue gem! Don't miss the cauliflower appetizer. I have dreams of this dish. Highly recommend. read more

Old Mediterranean Kitchen - Zahrah So delicious. - Greek Near Me - Bellevue, Washington

This is one of my all-time favorite restaurants in the Seattle/Bellevue area. First, the food is fabulous. The portions are generous. The service is second to none. The prices are actually reasonable. Total this up and it is a first-rate value. Outstanding is the best single word I can find to describe the Old Mediterranean Kitchen. read more

I have been eating here for the past 10-ish years. The food quality has been consistently good. Clark who manages the place is one of the friendliest guys have I met and the service is always great. They recently updated the decor so it feels more modern. I keep bringing friends and colleagues here for lunches and everyone has liked the food. Foul Moudamas - is a hidden gem. The mezze and the zahrah (fried cauliflower) is especially good. read more

The food was good, the restaurant was very cold, but the staff were nice. Big portions but the beef was a bit dry. Not a bad place, just not my favorite. read more

I miss eating here on a regular. We moved away 7 yrs ago and always come here at least once when we visit. Been coming here for 25 years or more. read more

A great spot. Huge portions, quiet atmosphere. There was, comically, an entire onion served whole with the lamb couscous. But overall, it was excellent. They also gave every table a rose since it was Valentine's Day, so that was really sweet. read more

Old Mediterranean Kitchen - Lamb Couscous - Greek Near Me - Bellevue, Washington

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I've tried Mediterranean food at many places, but this spot truly stands out as the best I've ever had! Coszy Ambiance If you're looking for authentic, flavorful, and unforgettable Mediterranean cuisine, this is THE place to go. Highly recommend it, and I'll definitely be coming back for more! Loved the Service & the Staff too. read more

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We had a delicious lunch at this restaurant. The food is very generous and fresh. Alexander and AJ are really good servers. They're super friendly and efficient. We will be back. read more

LAMB SHISH KABOB - 2/5 Ordering through Grubhub is $20, but ordering takeout through phone or in person is $30. That's weird. It's a decent portion, but the meat quality is very poor and dry and almost unchewable in certain parts. PITA BREAD - 2/5 The lamb shish kabob comes with a some pita bread. It's just warmed up store bought ones. Don't expect anything special. read more

Old Mediterranean Kitchen - Lamb Shish Kabob - Greek Near Me - Bellevue, Washington

I haven't been there for a while but I love their food, my favorite falafel hands down

This is a Mediterranean place in central Bellevue. Lots of options on the menu. Welcoming and low key vibe. - lentil soup: appetizing and flavorful - chicken shawarma - farmers dish: lots of chicken wings in the flavorful sauce All portions were huge and we had leftovers. They serve wines as well. Service was super friendly and we had a nice brief conversation about the restaurant. read more

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- not for us - We've passed by this place multiple times and it seems full every single time, so we decided to order something to try at home. We got Shish Tawook and combination kabob. Both of them come with lentil soup, rice, pita bread (2 piece each), and hummus. There was only one group dining in since it was still early (around 5pm), so we waited 15 minutes to get our food. The restaurant is actually much smaller than what I imagined.. they really can't fit that many people there. The dishes weren't cheap, they ended up being around $52ish together. Lentil soup: quite salty for us. I'm also not a big fan of lentil soup though. Rice: the rice reminds me of my high school lunch meals.. the mushy ones.. not a fan again, but they give you a ton of rice that's enough for two. Shish Tawook: I got this since it's the most popular dish there. However, the grilled chicken was alright but the sauce was too sour for us. I'm not a fan. Combination kabob: the lamb kabob for as good, but yeah the sauce is sour here as well. The conclusion is that while I'm glad I've finally tried this place, I won't order from them again as their dishes are too salty and sour for our liking. read more

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The food is absolutely delicious, we ordered two orders of the combination plate and the manager was able to get it in before closing thank you so much! For always giving us a great experience here whether it be taking it to go or dining in! We appreciate all of you at the old Mediterranean kitchen! read more

We have been coming here 2-4 times a month for 15 years...and it remains consistently mouthwatering with great service. No matter who we take here, they love it. It is NOT like other mediterranean food or "Greek food" you have had. The flavors are amazing. And the portions are very generous. You will have leftovers!! There is something for everyone - the gluten-free and dairy-free person like myself, the vegetarian, the meat eater, the seafood eater, etc. You will start with delicious soup, and pita bread with an amazing dip before you get your meal. Then once you get your meal, you will want to also try everyone else's so you know what else you may want next time, because yes, there will be a next time since you will be craving it! What to order? It is honestly ALL good. Everyone we take gets something different and they all love it. Our favorite is the Chicken Schwarma. read more