LOVE family-owned restaurants that serve food as fresh as the warm and comforting food that comes out of a family kitchen. You can just taste the care and pride behind their cooking. It was a Saturday evening and parking is a bit difficult in the area so our food was to go. Which was too bad because walking into the restaurant as a first time patron, it felt inviting. I can picture a quiet dinner out or a larger group gathering. I was welcomed further into the restaurant by a nice woman as I stood by the hostess podium by the door not knowing where to pickup my order. Have you ever met someone with kind eyes and a warm smile? Well, that was her. The food didn't make it home as the smell of food steaming out of its container was too much to resist. We had the kabob grilk mix and oh...was every piece of chicken, beef and kafta so tender and yummy that we just pulled over mid-way home, savored every piece of kabob, grilled , warm rice, with a scoop of what I believe was Yakhni(?) and enjoyed the clear night view over the hill. DEFINITELY going back for a sit down on a more parking friendly night. And, baklava is our end game. Update coming soon! *no food pic included for obvious reasons read more

Ordered take out for my family, and the food was delicious. However, we ordered the chef recommendation mezza combo, and the picture shows two each of the grape leaves, falafel and cheese rolls but we only received one of each. Then we ordered another item, Na'anek, and they didn't have it so they charged us an additional cost and gave us something else, Kebbeh, that we didn't want. They also left out my husband's entree from the bag, and he had to drive back to pick it up (to be fair, they offered to deliver it, but he had already left to get it; it was 20 minutes round trip so we were done eating by the time he returned). We were a little frustrated by this take out experience. read more

Had dinner here with my girlfriends and had a very pleasant experience! We came on a weekday around 6pm and the restaurant was completely empty. There wasn't even any music or anyone inside to greet us so it felt a little awkward. Luckily, a nice hostess came out shortly and gave us a nice seat by the window. We ordered the cheese boruk as an appetizer and the chicken and garlic as my entree. The cheese boruk was fresh and crispy on the outside. The chicken and garlic was also very good! The chicken was nicely cooked and I liked the garlic sauce (definitely on the stronger side!) and potato wedges. I wish the chicken was a little more grilled for some extra char, but I still enjoyed it nonetheless. Overall, good food and pleasant dining experience! Hope this restaurant gets more attention! read more

Tannourine - Chicken & Garlic - Mediterranean Near Me - San Mateo, California

Omg! Haven't been in a few years. Shame on us. Excellent food and service!!!!! Great value and great food! Coming back soon and often! Chicken and garlic excellent meal!!!!!!!!! So happy to have returned to this restaurant! read more

The appetizer is pita bread with yogurt, olive oil, herbs and sesame seed. Had to take out what was left cause there was a lot of food. We ordered chicken caesar salad, it was fresh with romaine lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber and other greens. The lamb shank was cooked so tender and fall off the bone perfection. The spice is just enough so you won't taste the gaminess of the meat. I would recommend to those who wanna try and appreciate meditterran food to check it out. When we went there, there were about three tables occupied, the service was just right on time and ambiance is good for medium size family gathering or party. The place cam accomodate maybe 40-50 people. read more

Quiet weeknight dinner spot along 25th. I met up with my sister in the area and we decided on Tannourine for dinner. The place had just two other parties dining inside, so service was prompt and well-paced. Before we placed our order, we received a basket of warm pita bread and a yogurt dip which was a nice start to the meal. We got a few small plates to share -- bourak (fried halloumi), babaganoush, and hummus with chicken shawarma. All the mezze/appetizers tasted great! Everything was fresh and flavorful and enough for leftovers between two diners. Ask for a side of hot sauce to complement your dishes or add a little kick. My favorite item was the hummus which was topped with a good portion of chicken shawarma and white sauce. Overall, I would definitely go back to try an entree or wrap based on the quality of all the food! read more

Tannourine - Mediterranean Near Me - San Mateo, California

4.5 stars overall. Service was good even though the whole street is dead and closed on Sundays. We were the only people at the restaurant at 2:30 PM. A few people stop by to pick up some food. I think they are bigger on catering. I'll be on probably dancing, because I have the ceiling lights for that but again Sunday afternoon the whole street is dead. Mezze was five out of five, except for the Kibby 3/5 Lamb shank 5/5 Parking is two hours free in the street you can walk 50 m or 20 m to make it. Bread was hot, but it was the thick bread and I don't like it because it's too much gluten. But the side was crunchy and thin. I will come back and and order either Mazzy or lamb shank because it's too much for two people, unless you are me , 25 years ago haha. read more

Tannourine - Lamb is a bomb spicy, but not hot - Mediterranean Near Me - San Mateo, California

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I can't believe I never did a review! Tannourine is a wonderful restaurant and a staple in the area. We've enjoyed many dinners and even hosted hubby's 50th there. Amazing food, lovely staff, and the belly dancing is gorgeous. Do not miss! read more

What a great place. Comfortable seating, very friendly service. We had the lamb shanks and stuffed eggplant. Both were delicious. I've seen this place for years and don't know why I never tried it. Just excellent! read more

My rating is for their reservation system; I really want to try this place, since I've heard such good things about it. Unfortunately their reservation system is...dysfunctional at best. I put in a reservation request last week to see if there was an open table for lunch on Sunday, and I received a confirmation that it had been received, and that someone would get back to me confirming if there is a spot or not. (Not sure why they can't do a normal reservation system where you can see table availability, but oh well.) I didn't hear anything back after a day or so, so I tried calling several times to see if I could get a confirmation. It must have been outside their business hours because the phone rang and rang, and never was picked up, nor went to any sort of voicemail. I gave up, and ended up going to a different restaurant. However, at 5:30 on Sunday, I received an email back that my reservation for 12PM was cancelled. Not the most helpful to hear back 5.5 hours after the reservation that it had to be cancelled. read more

Came by for dinner the other night and it was a decent experience. Made a reservation from the website and the reservation has been stuck on "pending" for the last 2 weeks. Yelp reservations are available only the day of, or the following day... Parking was available on the street. Meat started off with complimentary pita bread with some dipping sauce. Started off with the cheese bourak which were phenomenal. Super light cheese in a phyllo dough pastry. The kafta entree was also decent. 3 pieces of flavorful and tender meatballs along with a huge bed of white rice along with a side of vegetables. The dining room is more of an older luxury model, including the bathroom. ~$33/head after tax and gratuity for dinner. read more

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10 years and a Groupon ago, I visited and indulged in some delicious Lebanese food at Tannourine...apparently, I failed to write a review then so writing a well-deserved 5 star one now. :) Recently visited on a Friday around 7:15 pm with plenty of seating...only 1 other table of 6. Immediately welcomed and seated by the window upon request, given menus and water...menu has a variety of traditional Lebanese items with lamb, chicken along with vegetarian dishes to choose from :: Complimentary yogurt with olive oil, Zatar and sesame seeds with freshly made pita - 5/5 :: Meze Combo platter: tabbouleh, nicely smoked eggplant, hummus. | with 3 hot items - one of each: we add another set for additional $4 * Kebbeh - similar texture to falafel but mixed with ground beef/lamb * Cheese burak - Haloumi cheese, fresh mint wrapped in layers of filo dough - flaky with lightly salted, warm cheese * Sambousek - Dough stuffed w/ ground beef, onions, pine nuts and spices - flaky crust, nice filling - 4/5 - pastry was melt in your mouth, but didn't taste any pine nuts The mezze platter was mostly vegetarian with the addition of hot items with 2 having meat. :: Stewed lamb shanks in a tomato sauce, bell peppers, onions, and garlic. Served with rice - tender, flavorful and delicious - 4/5 (some parts seemed salty) :: Stewed cubes of tender lamb with vegetables (carrots, potatoes, zucchini) in a tomato sauce. Served with couscous. 4/5 With the complimentary pita and yogurt and ordering the mezze combo was very filling....sampled the entrees but took most of it to go as we were pretty full. All wonderful flavors and textures with variety of menu options to try in the future. Only dessert option is baklava but finished off with a hot tea. Will definitely return and not wait so long...great food and hospitality at this family-run business. Price/person including tax/tip: $41 (2 non-alcoholic drinks) Plenty of free street parking. By 8:45 pm, there were 4 other tables and 1 large party of 10 read more

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I would definitely come back to Tannourine. Im surprised the place wasnt that busy for such amazing food! Service was great and the waitress was very attentive. The food was brought out pretty quick. Cool vibe. read more

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Absolutely delicious food and great service. Recommend the Veggie combo mazza and beef schwarma. Plenty for 2. read more

This is my first time trying Lebanese food. I've had Mediterranean food, but not specifically Lebanese before. I arrived today which is a Wednesday at 5:15pm. At the time, the restaurant was empty and we were seated immediately. I asked for any recommendations which was the kebab plate. We also ordered a chicken shawarma. The entrees came about 20 minutes after we ordered. The complimentary bread with yogurt was really good. It reminds me of cream cheese. The yogurt was just slightly sour, but it wasn't overpowering. Quite mouthwatering, for sure! I had to stop myself from accidentally eating too much, incase I didn't have enough room for the entrees! Both entrees were tasty but my favorite would be the beef in the kebab plate. You can view ur in the second photo. It's the meat in the middle. Also, the rice on the plates isn't plain rice. It reminds me of coconut rice, but it wasn't sweet. The rice is flavorful and savory. I wish I could describe it better, but it's a new flavor to me. After the meal, we were asked if we would like coffee and dessert. Unfortunately, I didn't save enough room but I would definitely like some next time. I really like baklava and I saw they have it in their photos as well. Good spot to try out if you haven't yet! read more

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Great yummy food Being there felt like being home great owner friendly and the prices are very affordable for the quality Will be celebrating my daughters graduation there soon read more

Amazing food. Great service. I recommend this place. Try going on days when there is Bellydance read more

Tannourine - Mediterranean Near Me - San Mateo, California

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The food was exquisite! Very Authentic Lebanese cuisine in the best way, the service excellent and the prices very reasonable. We highly recommend Tannourine. We drove in from San Francisco, well worth the drive. read more

My now husband and I hired Paul/Tannourine as our wedding caterer and it was one of the best decisions we made in our wedding! Throughout the planning process Paul was so easy and great to work with. He was always there to answer questions and was very flexible. The most frequent compliments we got from our wedding was how incredible and delicious the dinner was! We are still getting texts from friends and family raving about it. Whether you are considering coming to Tannourine for a meal at the restaurant or catering for an event I cannot recommend them enough!!!! We can't wait to cater with them for all future events! read more

Ordered on their website they charged my credit card. Went there to pick it up. It says "closed for private party"on a sign. They refuse to come to the door and won't answer the phone. read more

We had a business networking hosted in this restaurant. It's in my neighborhood and my frosty time here. It did not disappoint me ! Food was great ! I especially love the eggplant dip. It is delicious ! I will definitely come back again with my friends. Highly recommended. read more

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I ordered DELIVERY directly from their website. Immediately after the order was placed, the restaurant called me to confess they had no driver available. I drove to the restaurant to pick up my order and was refunded the $5 delivery fee. It wasn't until I got home that I discovered that Tannourine forgot the fries and pickles the menu stated would be included with both wraps. To make matters worse, there was no yogurt sauce on either wrap! Yes, dry wraps were served. Such a disappointing experience. Explains why this restaurant was completely empty at prime dinner time. read more

Amazing food. Recommend the mix grill. Awesome service as well. Good clean tables and nice atmosphere.

I've been excited to try Tannourine for a couple months now. I was recommended their restaurant by a Lebanese restaurant owner when I explained I was having trouble finding authentic Lebanese food in the Bay Area. The establishment itself can definitely use a revamp - very old-school; white tablecloth, red carpet, old decorations etc. We had a Reservation for 5 o'clock and showed up at 5:15, door was locked and I got really worried that the establishment was closed because we had just driven an hour from SF to get there; but they were in fact just in the back prepping. So call if this happens to you! We were the only ones in the restaurant for a while but around seven it started picking up. The food was fantastic though the chicken was pretty dry on the shawarma. The tabbouleh was my favorite, super refreshing and perfectly dressed. Both of the hummus we got were delicious the moussaka was also very hearty. The grape leaves needed work, pretty dry in the inside and Lacked the tomato ratio. They serve Almaza which is equally awesome - best Pilsner there is! Wish they played some Lebanese music instead of the weird classical stuff. Overall would return or get takeout if I were in the area, but I think my hunt still continues. Food authenticity was an 8/10, vibe 6/10, service 8/10. read more

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Food is fantastic. The staff is super attentive and provides great suggestions on items to try. Lamb shanks are awesome. This is a straightforward experience and memorable. I highly recommend. read more

Groupon brought us here for a prefixed two-person meal for $36. It came with warm pita, hummus, Baba Ghannouge, an appetizer plate (kebbeh, cheese bourak, sambousek), mixed grill shish kabab (chicken, beef, kafta, veggies), rice, and baklava for dessert. The meat was super tender and their portions were very generous, left with enough for another meal. Service was great and they kept the hot pita comin! Would highly recommend and would like to return to try their other menu items. read more

Tannourine - Hummus, Baba Ghannouge, appetizer platter - Mediterranean Near Me - San Mateo, California

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The restaurant is very nice with white tablecloths. The food is excellent and it's a shame there weren't more customers there on a Saturday night. It was quiet which is nice when we want to talk with each other. The service is also very good. I had the lamb stew with couscous and carrots, very filling and had enough to take home for another meal. I would definitely recommend this place. read more

Spectacular gimme 14 of them right now.... No joke, best middle eastern food in the Bay Area. Don't miss out!

Delicious! My hubby is a vegetarian; i'm an omnivore. Tasty Dishes for us both. Labna dip with pita was delicious, same with their baklava! If you haven't been here yet, you'll find it's a nice treat! read more

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One of my favorite middle eastern restaurants , I had my baby shower and graduation party here . Everyone loved the food and atmosphere, the customer service was amazing I definitely recommend it to anyone read more

Very rude staff, antiquated ordering system. I placed an order for delivery to my home in SF, got an email confirmation saying they had received the order. I called the restaurant around the time the order was supposed to arrive as I hadn't received any updates. They said they "don't deliver to SF". As a result I had to find a last-minute alternative to feed my kids. They could have: 1. Said on the website they don't deliver to SF. 2. Not accepted my order when I entered my SF address. 3. Contacted me well in advance of the delivery time to let me know (I placed the order more than 2 hours in advance). 4. Apologized when I called (when I gave them the chance to the lady I spoke to said "why should I apologize?"). It's 2024, time to update that ordering system perhaps? read more

We've been to the restaurant several times we like the food but when I tried to take my mom there it was closed for private party. Ok. I get it. Next time I called in advance. I have been told that they will be open. When we came the door was locked and it said "Private party". Lesson learned No more coming to Tannourin for us. read more

Let me preface my review by emphasizing that Lebanese is a hard cuisine to come by in the bay. I stopped in for an early dinner - the hours for this place are great! The restaurant was about half full and buzzing. They serve complimentary (warm) pita and a labneh-esk yogurt dip with olive oil and herbs. The Baba Ghannouge was by far my favorite dish I ordered. It was smoky and buttery - arguably one of the best in the bay. Mixed kabob platter was also yummy but nothing mind blowing. Staff is very friendly but a little slow. The pace didn't bother me (or anyone else in the restaurant for that matter) but If you're in a rush, you may end up feeling stressed in this more laissez faire setting. It's a great restaurant to take your time sipping tea and taking in the flavors of Lebanese cuisine. read more

Tannourine - Baba Ghannouge (left) and complimentary yogurt dip (right) - Mediterranean Near Me - San Mateo, California

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This is a review for takeout. I ordered the mix grill and a lentil soup. The food was good and very healthy tasting. It did need a bit of salt but the spices were good. The portion of the rice was way too small though. The kafta was the real star and i loved all the grill marks and sumac on top really put it over the top. I will eat here again because i enjoy the high quality of the food but I will be dining in due to small takeout portions read more

first time i've tried this place.. staff is extremely kind and friendly and efficient in their service, giving you enough attention so you don't feel ignored or forgotten. I was incentivized by a Groupon offer, but even without that this restaurant will satisfy. The dinner was a "prix fixe", a 3 course set with dessert. Dont ask me what it was, I can't remember but the elements in it great started with warm pita with a yogurt/olive oil sesame seed dipping sauce. then came the appetizer plate which had hummus, eggplant baba ganoush, falafel, cheese filled fried rolls, another falafel type fried item that had a meat filling. I was afraid i'd be full before the entrees came. the main consisted of 3 types of meat... chunks of chicken (one kabob), another red meat (kabob) which i wasn't sure of the meat --beef or lamb--- but flavorful just the same... and one ground meat patty (another kabob) which was a mixture of beef and lamb and topped with sumac. there was a smallish kabob of grilled vegetables (but i would have liked larger pieces of the vegetables) and a side of rice. they had removed the sticks from the kabobs so the chunks were loose on the plate. having the sticks would have been "funner"... but oh well. a real topper, and i mean it, is the garlic "paste" they bring you to be smeared at your pleasure over everything.. you must do this... it's good for you and the flavor bomb that it is should not be missed. I'll come back to try their other offerings. read more

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Great place! My daddy bought the Groupon, which was a predetermined meal for four or more. So much food!!! Great deal. We recommend checking this place out. Best part was the food was good. We got tons of appetizers and the bread was cooked really well. Yogurt was food. The cheese eggroll thing was good. All good stuff. WISH I knew exactly the names of the food, but if you get the Groupon deal...they do it all for you. And you get two pieces of baklava at the end! There was also a good atmosphere. It was quiet and not too hectic. The space was also clean and nice. We did get a dirty cup, but they apologized and have us an extra dessert at the end so good customer service. Check it out! Free two hour parking on the street. read more

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There's nothing like some good Turkish coffee and hummus to pick me up. For all of you who dont know this already, I'm super shy and introverted so it's hard for me to approach people I don't know. So when I was at Hillsdale mall and saw this stunning girl who worked there I asked if she had a boyfriend? Maybe we can grab some coffee? She answered "No, I'm single but I'm not interested in you." I give her props for being straight forward but man the burn and embarrassment I felt was so bad that I called a friend to meet me for lunch. So Tannorine has this really great Greek yogurt starter with olive oil and spices and pita bread that I could eat for days. Their lamb kabobs are eggplant and hummus are some of the best I've had in the area. Good enough to get my mind off of being rejected which never gets easier as I get older. Guess I'll avoid the mall for awhile, and I'll spend more time having lunch at Tannorine. read more

Tannourine - Mediterranean Near Me - San Mateo, California

Don't let the pictures I have uploaded fool you. The food here is mediocre and the service is even worse. Also if you had the misfortune of buying a Groupon - It is not worth what they claimed on the deal and (as other reviewers have said) it is a set menu, you have no choice in what you get served, Sadly, my Husband and I visited before a lot of the most recent Groupon users reviews. Firstly, when I called to make a reservation I made sure to ask that I was able to get the Labna B'Khyar as part of my meal and was assured I was. Upon entering the first thing we were asked was if we had a Groupon or Coupon. Strange thing to ask but as making a reservation was part of the deal terms I told her yes so we were seated without menu. After a few minutes the server came back and informed us that it was a set menu and then told me I could not substitute despite calling in advance. Of course I was a little disappointed at this and even contemplated leaving and getting a refund on the deal but they agree'd on the one substitution anyway. The rest of the set menu sounded ok with the exception of the Baba Ghannouge which I told them to not even bother bringing out as we would not eat it, they brought it anyway. We got some Bread and Yogurt Dip to start which was good, the Yogurt anyway. The Bread was cold and a little chewy (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/tannourine-restaurant-and-catering-san-mateo?select=AgrKQDHN5PBcrdaoLlmvpw#H6e3aDvADfY0U3yFyrqP7A & http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/tannourine-restaurant-and-catering-san-mateo?select=AgrKQDHN5PBcrdaoLlmvpw#I2MZemGu1btF0W62Xu9cCQ) Appetizers we got one plate of the 3 items (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/tannourine-restaurant-and-catering-san-mateo?select=NtnERWLFFyWCuFft12ajdQ#NLTkPMRId33plnVSKDscvw) - Cheese Bourak, Kebbeh and Fatayer. The Kebbeh was tasty and nicely seasoned but the rest neither my Husband nor I were impressed with as they were very bland. The issue I had with this plate was that the Groupon stated 3 hot mezzes up to a value of $7.50 each. What we actually got was a third of a portion of each (less than a third of a portion of the Cheese Bourak) so they inflated the ''value'' of the deal greatly. Of course, we also got our Labna B'Khyar (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/tannourine-restaurant-and-catering-san-mateo?select=NtnERWLFFyWCuFft12ajdQ#S5fHJbvwd9kbL77R5l_97A) which was tasty, you really can't go wrong with Yogurt dip. For our entree we got one Combination Kebab to share (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/tannourine-restaurant-and-catering-san-mateo?select=NtnERWLFFyWCuFft12ajdQ#5lBY-UfDldIKqYOYQ6DZYQ) the portion was a reasonable size for one person but split between 2 was very stingy, had we got the 3 hot messes advertised it would have been enough for the 2 of us to share. A lot of the meats were overcooked, the grilled Tomato and tiny bit of Rice we got was tasty. We were severely let down by the entire food experience so really didn't expect much from our Baklava Dessert (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/tannourine-restaurant-and-catering-san-mateo?select=NtnERWLFFyWCuFft12ajdQ#JySZZo7WI3m4KMPc6Klmpw) yet were amazed. It was delicious! Flaky pastry, not too sweet and perfect balance. It was by far the best part of the meal and I actually suspect it was purchased from Oasis Baklava in Belmont. The service in which we experienced was also nonexistent. It took 27 minutes (yes, my Husband timed it) to get a refill on his soda and that was only because he had to flag our server down and ask for it, no check backs were made in regards to the food and we waited way too long for our check for the drinks. Also upon receiving the check we were told that as it was under $10 they could not take card payment. Neither my Husband nor I carry carry much cash so scraping together enough to pay for the drinks was a task and as a result they also done themselves out of a decent tip. Value they claimed the Groupon was worth = $60:50. Actual value of our meal = $37:50. Disappointing experience and won't be going back. read more

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Loved everything we ate, and the service was top-notch! Particularly loved the Halloumi Cheese Boruk and the Dolma. Not the most extensive vegetarian options but we definitely had plenty of options to choose from. read more

Tannourine - Mediterranean Near Me - San Mateo, California

At first glance this place has a very nice dining room and the service was great while I was the only one in there, but after a few customers came in after me.... no follow up, and I had to flag down the two wait staff just to get a box, and then again I had to flag them down to get the bill. Not impressed with the service at all!! So now for the food. Over the years I have learned to enjoy Mediterranean, but honestly it isn't my favorite type of cruise. There are a few things I enjoy, hummus and meat, so of course that is what I ordered. I wasn't impressed with the quality or flavor of the meat. The meat had some really fatty pieces and other pieces were a bit on the dry side. The hummus was average. Prices are okay. Parking can be difficult as there is limited parking on 25th, but there is a parking garage in the alley way just south of 25th Ave! read more

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