Honestly, the best Lebanese/Mediterranean restaurant I've been to. The dining room is small and space is a bit tight, so you may want to opt for the patio if it's a nice day. The food is exceptional. Everything we ordered was very good-- portions are relatively good sized and you will leave full! read more

Open Sesame - Foul M'Damas w Veg Plate vn gf - Mediterranean Near Me - Long Beach, California

I loved my experience at open sesame. Starting off strong with the food. It's divine and I really love that not only is it tasty but after I eat it I don't feel slow and sluggish. Which indicates to me they use good ingredients and put some love into the food. The service is amazing and everyone is sweet and accommodating. I really like the ambiance as well. The environment is very welcoming not only do I like ordering out but sitting in this restaurant to eat is great as well. Thank you for the wonderful food open sesame :). read more

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Absolutely incredible order from start to finish * The hummus was smooth, fresh, and perfectly seasoned * Yogurt cucumber dip was super refreshing and balanced * Labne was rich, creamy, and next level * Falafel patties were crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, and full of flavor * Baba ghannouj had that perfect smoky depth * Marinated olives were the perfect finishing touch Everything tasted fresh, high quality, and made with care Huge shoutout to the team working on Easter... you guys are absolutely killing it and it shows in every bite read more

The ingredients they use are incredibly fresh, it's 100 percent worth the price. The service is usually pretty awful, we've had multiple different servers be rude and dismissive to our various sized parties over the past few weeks of trying this place out (our parties range from 2-7), and the service continually disappoints. However... The food and drinks are insane. INCREDIBLE. Everything we have ever ordered has been astounding and beyond my expectations. The food never takes too long to come out, and the jalab is absolutely amazing. I've had every non alcoholic drink on the menu and they are all amazing and well balanced in flavor. The atmosphere is cramped but manages not to feel stuffy (we will see how it goes with summer coming) and the decor is beautiful and not gaudy. read more

DISCLAIMER: FOOD WAS AMAZING. Everything came out flavorful and fresh. I really enjoyed the Zaatar and the open sesame combo plate. The three stars is for the service. I came in today (2/25/26) and the male server was just rushing whenever he would speak. First, we were served our pizza without any utensils but it was fine because it was just pizza after we finished it, the main dishes came and we still weren't given utensils hahaha anyway that would have been super minor if the server was less rushing. Maybe it was a hectic day for him but I noticed that the table next to us also felt the same way because they were trying to figure out what he said. Anyway we still left the place happy because the food was so good we just ignored how the inattentive the server was. read more

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Still the best baba ganoush I have ever tasted. The cauliflower pita is superb. And the garlic spicy potatoes are devine. There, you have my order. Trust me, it will be worth it. read more

Wow, I don't understand how this place is only at a 4.2 I'm a big fan of high quality culturally authentic cuisine. I've had my fair share of good mediterranean food, and the meal I had here might be the best I've ever had of its kind. I got the Open Sesame combo and every part of the dish was truly excellent. It even looked like a work of art. I appreciate hummus...I'm not usually THE biggest fan of it, but this spicy hummus that came with it, like other parts of the dish, excelled beyond any expectations I could have had. Same, if not even more so for the garlic mash. When I got my dish I didn't even touch the meat and rice until like the 7th or 8th bite because I couldn't believe how good the spicy hummus and garlic mash were, and then I had to see if it held true for the salad, which it did. Anyone who knows me well knows that means something. I'm a meathead. Each item was like a dollop of color on an easel. Each dish was unique and nuanced and delicious on its own, but mixing them together to make the perfect bites was really an elevated experience for me, which is why I'm here. So good. The beef and chicken were both very delicately flavored and a pleasure to compose each bite with. I love those flavors with sumac and yogurt. The whole dish was delicious and nutritious. The service was very high quality. The staff rotates around and supports each other well. Each person that serviced our table was professional with their communication and sharp with their service. The ambiance was also excellent. Our table was street side so we got to take in the activity of people going about their day unfolding. Soft lighting, vibrant decor, and live music in the form street performers who were as good as professionals across the street. The heaters gave a comfy feel. They even had a noticeably nice mixture of patrons, including a group of younger service members who came in behind us, having fun but also praying thanks for their blessings. God bless America. If you're looking for somewhere outside of the norms that will exceed all expectations, based upon my experience, this is where it's at. ON TOP of all of that, my entree was only $27 and it was large enough to make 2 meals out of it. How do you beat that? read more

Open Sesame - Open Sesame combo with cucumber yogurt (added sumac) on the side with 1 piece of dad's shrimp - Mediterranean Near Me - Long Beach, California

My takeout order of the FRENCH CUT LAMB CHOPS was FANTASTIC. They were, quite possibly, the best-tasting lamb chops I've had in Long Beach, easily surpassing the competing Greek restaurant across the street. The accompanying side of BABA GHANNOUJ was also superb--creamy, and well-made. This is a solid, must-try selection for anyone looking for high-quality lamb. On my dine-in visit with a friend, we were seated inside. The interior is visually engaging, filled with unique portraits and art hanging on the walls. My favorite was the centerpiece art featuring a middle-aged man wearing a red fez, reminiscent of Apu from Aladdin. The service was both nice and fast. I ordered the LAMB KABOB PITA SANDWICH, which was good and perfectly acceptable for a dish priced UNDER $20. We requested extra fresh garlic paste to dip the sandwich. My only minor critique was the SPICY GARLIC POTATOES. While they were good, they were NOT SPICY AT ALL. It's always disappointing when a restaurant labels a dish as "spicy" and it falls short of expectations. read more

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A welcoming & colorful spot to enjoy lunch. The weather was so nice (in December no less!) we dined on their charming patio. Our server was quite friendly & helpful with our questions. We were pleased they offered splits of Proseco which we each ordered. I loved both of the hummus's on my plate. One was traditional and so creamy and the other one had a nice spicy kick to it. I only wish that there was more falafel balls on my plate. They were crispy and delicious but only two small ones- I could've eaten much more! The prices were quite reasonable. read more

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Stopped by on a Saturday afternoon to have lunch with a friend, and was greeted by one of the best waitresses I've ever had! Yes, you Dalya!! I've been here several times before, but decided to change it up this time. The entire order was recommended by Dalya who did a phenomenal job! We ordered the lamb kabssa + hummus and the baklawa ice cream for dessert! Reminded me why I used to come here so often back in college. Dalya also helped us feel at home and even gave us a good laugh throughout the meal! Great ambience as always and just a great dining experience! read more

Open Sesame - Mediterranean Near Me - Long Beach, California

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What's up: Meeting up with a friend for lunch in Long Beach. Since he's familiar with the area, I left the lunch plans to him and he suggested Open Sesame! Parking: Metered street parking. Might have to drive around to find an open spot. Environment: They have indoor and patio seating available. Since it was a bright and super sunny day, we decided to sit indoors. Dilyn took care of us and he was such a friendly person. He came by often to check up on us and refill our drinks; also very chill. He took our order and the food came out quick! The Women's restrooms are located on the other side of the main restaurant, beyond the archway; Dilyn was nice enough to walk me over to it. The Men's are located elsewhere on the opposite side. At the end of the meal, mint candies are offered as well as a bit of rose water to make your hands feel soft, refreshing and lightly scented. Kinda cool. What was ordered: - Spicy Garlic Potatoes (yummy. Cubes of potatoes with a tangy and spicy flavor) - Chicken Tawook (with salad and hummus and pita bread. Very flavorful) - Iced Moroccan Green Tea (the mint leaves made it refreshing) Yay/Nay/Meh: This was a nice experience. My friend loves this place and I can see why. The service was great and Dilyn and the other staff members were super friendly and attentive; we felt well taken care of. Not to mention, the food was also yummy and the splash of rose water in the end made it a bit of a unique experience. Credit cards are accepted. read more

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In this case I have to upgrade my review to a solid 5 stars. Excellent service great and fresh food. Tried he habanero dip for the first time ..absolutely excellent. I had the chicken Schwarma with tahini and the open sesame salad. Wow!! Totally delicious. Very fresh and clean and just so good. I will definitely come back more often after this experience. Highly recommend. Now I understand why it is always so crowded. Way to go open sesame!! read more

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Stopped in for lunch with a few family members recently. A bustling afternoon in Long Beach and many of the sit-down restaurants were packed. Seated quickly here, indoors, but there is an outdoor area of tables for those of you wishing to take in the sights and the weather. Not really big on Mediterranean food, so I chose the Open Sesame salad. Nice sized portion with a tasty dressing. Think of a spring mix blend you buy at the grocery store, throw in a few extras and add dressing. This is what this salad was, so the dressing definitely made it unique. Flash Fried Cauliflower was ordered by another family member: I would definitely recommend that. Tasted a piece and it was really, really good. Don't miss out on this one - if was certainly memorable. Service was pleasant, attentive and prompt when needed. A decent spot to stop. read more

This is our go-to for Mediterranean food. We've been coming here for 20+ years. Is consistent, fresh and the service is always spot on. Depending on where you sit, it can be loud...but we always enjoy the energetic vibe. read more

Open Sesame - Baba Ghannouj vn gf and Spicy Garlic Potatoes vn gf - Mediterranean Near Me - Long Beach, California

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Superb food and vibes. The decor was so cool & pretty, the servers nice too. We got the garlic potato's & garlic sauce, vegan entree, and falafel pita sandwich. Everything was so flavorful & falafels were so crispy. Would def come back & highly recommend. We had a birthday & they sang & gave a baklawa which was nice. It was not very sweet tho read more

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Service was great (thus they get 2 stars) but food was not good. Only reason I ate it was because I was hungry. No flavor. Hummus was bland. Will never go back. Too bad. read more

Food is tasty here!! Everything comes out super fresh. I ordered the grilled shrimp plate, baba ganush, salad and rice. $28 One extra chicken Kebob $13 (kind of pricey for the Amt) Service is excellent. They are located in the heart of 2nd street of Belmont shores. Good location, quiet for a Monday but still busy. read more

Open Sesame - Mediterranean Near Me - Long Beach, California

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The food was delicious good, served hot. The service was fast and our server named Michele was very helful and friendly. The wait is long but worth to wait. The ambiance was average! read more

Open Sesame - Party Platter - Mediterranean Near Me - Long Beach, California

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This place was honestly so good. I went to Open Sesame in Long Beach and everything I had was amazing. I got beef shawarma with tzatziki, plus hummus and rice, and it all hit. The beef was super tender and flavorful, the tzatziki was fresh and creamy, and the hummus was smooth and really good. Everything tasted fresh and well made, not dry or bland at all. The portions were solid too, so I left full. The vibe of the place was nice and the service was chill and friendly. Definitely coming back, this spot is really worth it. read more

Open Sesame - Open Sesame vg - Mediterranean Near Me - Long Beach, California

I'm not even going to lie -- I've never really been big on Mediterranean food like that... but Open Sesame in Long Beach just converted me. I usually stay away from chicken dishes when I'm out because I'm more of a steak or "give me the meat" type of guy, but this spot got recommended to me for lunch and I'm glad I listened. The plate came out super fresh with a side of greens and this insanely good hummus that I could not stop dipping into with their warm pita bread. Seriously... they kept bringing pita out and it was gone within minutes every time. The chicken was crazy juicy and had this fire-pit grilled taste that made it feel way more legit than your typical "healthy lunch" spot. Everything tasted clean without being bland, which I didn't expect at all. Usually when I'm on Second Street I'm grabbing a beer and some bar food, but this was a nice switch up that didn't leave me feeling heavy after. Definitely coming back. read more

Was my first time trying this restaurant and I heard so many great things about the place. Tbh, it didn't exceed my expectations but the food and service was good. I really enjoyed the design of the restaurant and how nice the servers were. We wanted to change our spots and they were very accommodating. We ordered two different kebob dishes and both tasted yummy and the ingredients tasted fresh. Will be going back read more

Open Sesame - Flash Fried Cauliflower Hummus vn gf - Mediterranean Near Me - Long Beach, California

Great place for Mediterranean food! The party platter was able to feed 11 of us, along with two extra entrees and hummus on the side. The pita could be better and wish it was fluffier. Also I felt that the spicy potato was quite sour, so depends on . Location wise- the place is pretty small so max could sit 8 comfortably. Waitlist is available so would recommend to do that especially over the weekend! read more

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Come prepared. Go early. Park on the street and expect to walk a few short blocks. Will get crowded in evenings. Worth it!

Coming back to this restaurant again. Parking is hard especially on wknds. It's always packed but service is excellent. Our waiter was wonderful. Ambiance is great just people sitting really close to each other. Food is what keeps me coming back! read more

Open Sesame - Sultan Combo - Mediterranean Near Me - Long Beach, California

The best Mediterranean food in LA! Definitely get the potatoes -- they're THE BEST! All the meat is great, but I'm especially a fan of the lamb. I love the vibes here and have never had an issue with the service. read more

Open Sesame - Mediterranean Near Me - Long Beach, California

We sat inside for the first time and the vibes are so much different than the outside patio. You can enjoy the hustle and bustle of the staff and the spectacular interior decors. My friend and I love this place! The food is fresh and tasty. We leave feeling satisfied and not overstuffed. We almost always have leftovers too because the portions are huge! We tried the strawberry golden ale with our meals and discovered that the Belmont shore brewery is down the street from this restaurant. The beer was so light and crisp. Perfect for a warm summer evening. The staff is always so attentive and nice! Love coming here :) read more

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Finally tried this place after sooo many people recommended it!! Definitely get on the waitlist online especially on a weeknight as there will usually be a wait for dinner. We tried the spicy hummus and spicy garlic potatoes which both were delicious. Got the falafel wrap and cauliflower wrap for our mains. The falafel was great and crispy throughout the wrap. Next time I'd skip the cauliflower and go straight for falafel. Loved the ambiance and the staff was really great. Would absolutely come back!! read more

We love Open Sesame and don't get to these parts too often and it's a shame because the food, service and ambiance are wonderful. My family and I came to OS for lunch last weekend and were seated right away at 12:15 in the best seat in the house, the nice big booth at the back on the left side of the restaurant. My son ordered the Jalab ($6 - rose water drink with a bunch of slivered almonds) and it was amazing. Beers were $8 and chardonnay $13, very reasonable. We ordered the yogurt dip ($10), chicken shawarma with spicy hummus & tabouleh ($23), 1 Rocca Salad with chicken shawarma ($18 + $12) and a Kebab Plate with Chicken Tawook & Lamb ($29). Everything was absolutely delicious and our friendly and attentive server, Julian K., was fantastic. I even had the leftover salad and chicken shawarma a few days later and it all was great, especially that salad. For a lunch, perhaps $29 for 2 kebabs and $30 for the salad is a bit steep but that didn't take away too much from what a great meal it was. read more

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Our server Dilyn was awesome. That set the tone for our meal. We had a bottle of wine, my friend ordered the grilled tiger shrimp with labne and I had the kabsaa special. Everything was delicious, nice sized portions and very tasty. Definitely recommend this spot! read more

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Parking: street parking from what I know. 2nd street does get busy during meal times. Service: does get packed. Put our names down and waited 30 mins at 8pm before getting seated on a Friday. The whole phone system to contact you when the table is ready is not the best maintained as we were inside and eating already when they called to see if we still wanted a table with them. Food: amazing! The humus is delish. The meat is well seasoned. I wouldn't get the fries again. It's cut too thick and under-seasoned. It felt more like eating a hot baked potato rather than fries. But overall, super pleased with the food. Excited to come back and try more read more

Open Sesame continues to be consistent in their food. I always bring people here that are from out of town when we're looking for a small and cute place with good food. Portions are great. service is good. Had my New Year's lunch there with friends. read more

Open Sesame - Open Sesame combo with beef and beef Kafta - Mediterranean Near Me - Long Beach, California

This review is long overdue! I've been a regular here for a while now, both solo and with friends, and the service is consistently excellent. My go-to is the Open Sesame Combo: a generous spread of chicken tawook, beef kabob, and kafta over fragrant basmati rice. The garlic sauce, parsley, and sumac add the perfect finish. The portions are massive, but if you arrive hungry, it's a challenge worth taking! I love the versatility of the space. The outdoor seating is ideal for people-watching, but sitting at the bar is a real treat to watch the chefs grill the kabobs right in front of you. Lunch is usually quick with no wait, though dinner gets busy. Even during the rush, the staff is efficient and kind. The owner is incredibly warm, and that hospitality clearly extends to the whole team. The facility is spotless (including the restrooms), and while you might have to hunt for street parking, the meal is well worth the effort. read more

Quick recap: - Food: Excellent! - Portion size: Average - Service: Good - Environment: Nice outdoor patio - $: Average - Perks: Outdoor patio Overall? Excellent food, good service. Highly recommend. More details: We have been looking for a Lebanese restaurant in Los Angeles. A firend recommended this place. We went for lunch during the week and the patio was full. Good sign. We ordered the labneh ($10), to start, followed by a fattoush ($15) and a shish taouk ($23, +$2 if you add rice). The pita is PROPER lebanese bread - aka very thin. I was delighted. Everything was delicious. The labneh was the right consistency and tasty, the chicken was tender, the fattoush had the right lemony dressing, etc. We will definitely be back read more

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Oh man another location that I'm shocked I'm barely doing a review for I started coming here in like 2007 when I uses to work in Long Beach and me and my group would come here many times a month We saw it grow we saw different ownership over the years but let me Just say this place still rocks and is still delicious!!! The garlic sauce the potato's the labne the everything omg sooo yummy and delicious I don't think I've had anything bad here Eating is both inside and not just outside on the patio but also on the curb too The servers and mgmt are friendly and nice I can't wait to go back read more

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Located on second street within the neighborhood of Belmont shore, you will find this Lebanese restaurant that has been opened for a long time- over 25 years. This restaurant offers seating both indoors and outdoors, on a covered patio, as well as the extended patio along the street. During our visit, we had a pleasant lunch due to the great service provided by Dillon and the food offered at this restaurant. For lunch, we had humus, baba Gannouji, Saturday lamb special, falafel and a salad. All of the food items tasted fresh with excellent flavoring. Beyond these dishes you will find other staple dishes like shawarma, tawook, and more. The only challenge about visiting this place- is that the area is very busy, especially during the summertime and weekends. You can get on the online waitlist. Also look for parking off second street, on one of the side streets you will have a better chance to find a spot. Note the restaurant only offers wine and beer for alcoholic drinks. Enjoy your meal! read more

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Ohhhh Delicious food and a wonderful atmosphere. I like it .... Good service I will come back again read more

Outstanding food and service. Knew this place would be good prior to coming but was pretty blown away at the quality and taste here. Every item we ordered was top notch, and also reasonably priced given the quality. Place is also decorated beautifully inside. Would highly recommend and one of my favorites in long beach. read more

Open Sesame - Spicy Hummus, combination plate, Skewers - Mediterranean Near Me - Long Beach, California

Still the same after all these years!! Always nice to come back and experience the same quality and hospitality of this place. Nothing beats this place. Still a Belmont Shore favorite! Trust!! read more

Humus is delicious. Garlic spicy potatoes aren't that spicy - they're scrumptious! Group of 6 sat outside easily. read more

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It's scratches that itch if you're craving Arabic/Mediterranean food. The food is always fresh and the staff is great. I like how they have a strong local presence. I always seem to come back! read more