This is not the best Armenian restaurant in the world. It is also not the most glamorous, the most…read moretrendy, nor the most ambitious. But it is without question the most important Armenian restaurant in the world. Armenians are simultaneously a diaspora people, a people of the book, and an old country people. Therefore, odd as it may seem, it is entirely appropriate that the most important Armenian restaurant in the world should not be located in Armenia at all, but should serve a diaspora community in a way that makes them feel connected to home, both interns of cuisine and in terms of communal warmth. Technically, this is more of a Lebanese restaurant than an Armenian restaurant, but that hardly matters. It's a place of celebration, merriment, laughter, and tears. In short, it is THE gathering place for Armenians in Southern California. Because of its fame and importance, the thing that is consistently overlooked about this restaurant is just how excellent the food is. Bring a Lebanese expat here and you will invariably hear them say after the first bite of hummus that it doesn't compare to the hummus they used to enjoy in Beirut. By the middle of the bowl, they will say that it actually is not as bad as they first thought. By the end of the bowl they will declare that this hummus ranks among the greatest they have ever tasted. Carousel does not overwhelm you. It seduces you. And you'll be back.

The party lunch is a must-try! You need to be at least 2 people to enjoy this delicious and…read moregenerous meal.Drinks are yummy Salad Rice Hummus & Mutabbal Tabbouleh Cheese Fresh vegetables Chicken Filet Bulgur pilaf ...and so much more! The flavors are absolutely delicious, the music is delightful, and the ambiance is warm, welcoming, and friendly. The servers are also wonderful and attentive. Great food, great atmosphere, and a great experience. Highly recommended!

This was genuinely one of the best meals I've ever had. Raffi's has been on my list of spots to try…read morefor years, and I can't believe it took me so long to finally come here! My friend and I shared the Shirazi salad, Hummus, and Koobideh, all of which were absolutely delicious and are great portion sizes. The koobideh was tender and paired amazing with the buttery rice, hummus was blended so smoothly and we had it with the soft lavash, and the shirazi salad was a refreshing bite in between. I will 1000% be returning soon to try new dishes. The wait was about an hour on a weekend dinner, but there are areas to walk around nearby to pass the time, so it doesn't feel too long. Additionally, parking isn't difficult to find since there's a structure to the side. It was such a scrumptious meal, and I'd absolutely recommend it to anyone, the drive is worth it!

The restaurant has a lot of seating, and the service was okay, but we didn't have anyone checking…read moreon us during the meal to see if we needed anything. We ordered the Soltani kabab, which is a combination of koobideh and Barg kabab. The koobideh was okay but a little too fatty for my taste, while the barg was much better. We also ordered fesenjoon with albaloo polo. The fesenjoon was good, but the albaloo polo was much sweeter than I expected. I was hoping for the more traditional sour/tart flavor, so I didn't really enjoy it. The portions are generous. We also tried the homemade doogh, which was okay, although I prefer it with mint. The complimentary bread and vegetables were good, but I wish they came with feta cheese as well. Overall, the food was decent, but I think my expectations were a little higher going in.

That's some real Lebanese food. Delicious chicken & steak kabobs. The meat is so soft, juicy, &…read moreflavorful. You rlly can't top this. The salad is so underrated. The falafel has that true authentic taste. Literally everything was a hit. HIGHLY RECOMMEND.

I was very disappointed by the way we were treated during our recent visit. I had invited several…read moreguests to this restaurant, and I paid the bill at the end of our meal. We were among the last customers, and the staff had already started mopping and bleaching the floors while we were finishing up. As we were leaving, the woman at the cashier--whether she was the owner or an employee, I'm not sure--stopped me in front of all of my guests and said, "You didn't pay for the tip." My guests immediately turned toward me, and the situation was extremely embarrassing and uncomfortable. A tip is discretionary and is based on the customer's experience and what they choose to give. It should not be demanded or called out publicly, especially in front of someone's guests. If a restaurant has a service charge or other mandatory fee, that is different and should be clearly stated on the bill. Regardless of how much someone chooses to tip, customers should be treated respectfully and privately. Unfortunately, the way this was handled completely overshadowed our meal and left a very negative impression.

We had a great breakfast with my amazing friends. Our hostess, cashier, server and guest service…read morewas a wonderful young lady named Nareh. She was so sweet, hardworking, friendly and very efficient. Food as always very fresh and authentic Lebanese food. Location is very nice and open concept kitchen.

We had a wonderful breakfast experience with our amazing friends. Our hostess, cashier, server, and…read moreguest service representative, Nareh, was absolutely delightful. She was sweet, hardworking, friendly, and incredibly efficient throughout our visit. The food was, as always, fresh, authentic, and full of delicious Lebanese flavors. The location is beautiful, with a spacious open-concept kitchen that adds to the overall atmosphere. We truly enjoyed our time here and look forward to coming back.

Disappointing that there are so many bad reviews, a lot of them having to do with management and…read morecleanliness. I hope the owner pays attention and improves the experience. I had a very good experience here. There were 5 of us, and we landed in Burbank after a delayed flight and were hungry. Our regular middle eastern restaurants were closed, so we came here. The staff was nice, particularly our host Sako. Although the kitchen was closing, they accommodated us. The food was fantastic. Everything we ate was delicious. Sako was respectful, energetic (at 10:30pm!), experienced, and prompt. I hope things turn around for them, because the ambience and location are nice.

This restaurant used to be one of my favorites, but my recent visit was very disappointing. Despite…read morehaving a reservation, we were ignored for over 15 minutes while guests who arrived after us were seated, served drinks, and received appetizers first. When I brought the issue to the manager, Tony, his response was dismissive and unprofessional. Throughout the meal, service was poor and we constantly had to get the staff's attention. The food was delicious and the ambiance was nice, but unfortunately the service completely overshadowed the experience.

It was my first time going to a Lebanese restaurant and Hayat's Kitchen was spectacular!…read more Hayat's Kitchen located in the center corner of a mini shopping center on the corner of Vineland Avenue & Burbank Boulevard in North Hollywood. Beautifully shaded outdoor patio with lush green astroturf carpeting. The outdoor seating area is dog friendly. The tables are decorated with beautiful placemats, plates and rolled up silverware. The waiter was friendly, placed a basket of pita bread for the table and helped describe some of the Lebanese dishes for me. Ordered an iced tea, fries and a chicken wrap. Went inside of the restaurant to use the restroom and on my way I saw the amazing desserts station, vintage serving trays & gold coffee pots, some classic framed photos of Lebanon on the walls, the kitchen and the indoor dining area. This was an amazing lunch and will come back to try more of the delicious food!

We really enjoyed the food here! The meat especially was really cooked to perfection. They…read moreliterally cook it outside when you're walking in, and our mouths were watering so much haha. We ended up getting the feast for 2 because it was a great deal to try the meats and get 2 dips. It was all so delicious, with the exception of the pitas that came in a store bought bag. We really loved everything except the pitas. Would have been nice if they were warmed up at least. Everyone was very helpful in the restaurant and we also loved the lemonade with rose water and dessert. They even gave us some ladyfingers on the house. Would definitely return!

Sooo so delicious! I ordered the beef tongue baguette and the manti. WOW! Definitely exceeded my…read moreexpectations. The beef tongue was super tender and you can taste each spice and herb it was cooked in. Super flavorful! The baguette itself was crisp but soft and coated with garlic sauce and garnished with juicy pickle slices!! Very great quality. The manti was crisp and buttery! They were stuffed with a fragrant spiced minced beef and the garlicky yogurt really brought it together with sumac!! I paired it with a pineapple Bonjus and also a minty yogurt drink. I am so happy they're here and so close to home as well. I can't wait to go back and try out more items. I hope they continue to thrive!! Unfortunately I did not dine in so I didn't get the full experience but I did order for delivery and the food arrived nice and hot!!

We really wanted to love this place but sadly it just didn't live up to the hype or expectation…read more Stopped by on a weekday around 1pm and ordered three wraps. The place is pretty small and hard to navigate around the seating. The best and our favorite of the three wraps was the tongue wrap. This was seriously outstanding and one of the best I've had. It was juicy, lemony, cooked well and flavorful. After that, things went downhill. The vegetable wrap was greasy, almost slimey, and falling apart. The vegetables were all soggy and there wasn't much flavor. The chicken shawarma panini was the biggest disappointment. This was so salty and had a bad taste like the chicken was rancid. It was dry and just not good at all. On the way out we spoke to the owner and mentioned how salty it was, to which he said he knows about it and people complain about it often. So why isn't there a change? Sadly not a place I would return to

I haven't been here in over 10 years because I don't live in Glendale anymore, but I had to revisit…read morefor my favorite bread and cheese dish booo-wreck- mmmmm The first time I ever had boo-wreck was at this bakery Saipan over 20* years ago - been a fan of boo-wreck ever since. I've tried this egg dish a couple years ago, but this place takes the trophy Needed a quick breakfast with a nice balance of protein. And. on the very first bite, I get a dopamine hit from the cheese and the texture of the bread where I rip a little piece and dip it in this delicious yellow yolk. And what a compliment, adding a Tapatio sauce -- Super nice staff - really good customer service And the ambience is very calm and peaceful Super good energy in here

I love living in Phoenix but I do miss the Armenian diaspora communities that California has. I do…read morenot want to go down memory lane of places because I will get too hungry and sad, but one of the places I surely miss from L.A. Is Sipan Bakery. Their falafel tacos are genius. The bread is so good, their fries are amazing. The falafel is so good, and paired with a bottle of Mexican Coke, perfect. My Lenten fast would've been miserable without this place. Everything tastes fresh when I visit Los Angeles (or Glendale specifically) I make it point to come here. It's in a strip mall off of Glenoaks, parking is so-so but not the usual Glendale crazy parking that will make you rip your hair out, and I think you can park around the corner on the street it's worth the walk.

Best place for Mediterranean food. Absolutely amazing Mediterranean restaurant in Glendale! The…read morefood was fresh, flavorful, and beautifully prepared, with authentic flavors that made every bite enjoyable. What really stood out, though, was the exceptional customer service. The staff were incredibly friendly, attentive, and welcoming from the moment we walked in. They genuinely made us feel valued and went above and beyond to make sure we had a great experience. The atmosphere was wonderful, the food was delicious, and the service was truly outstanding. I highly recommend this place to anyone looking for great Mediterranean food and top-notch customer service in Glendale. I will definitely be coming back!

I saw this place on TikTok so I figured we could give it a try. Google says they close at 7pm but…read moreit is not even 6pm. The sign on their door says they close at 6:30pm. They are closed and the guy is cleaning up inside. Very disappointed. Foodies, always call to make sure places are open. We drove almost an hour to get here.

The food here was great but what really stands out is the service. I've seen some reviews mention…read morelong waits but luckily for us, that wasn't the case. We were immediately greeted by the owner who excels at friendly banter and salesmanship (not in a pushy way - he clearly loves what he does and wants people to enjoy good food, so he happily gave some recommendations). We got the lule with a sparkling water and a salad, then were surprised with an extra side of rice so we could try the ghee and another sparkling water, courtesy of the owner. The chicken was incredibly moist and flavorful and I loved the added bonus of the onions that we could pull together into a wrap. I can't complain about the price either because between the 2 of us, we were satisfyingly full with just one order. Excellent spot for a casual lunch or takeout. I absolutely will come back to try the chicken Cesar.

I was looking forward to trying Mini Kabob for so long, but due to my schedule and their hours, it…read moredidn't work out so easily. But at last! Yesterday we finally had time to come by and it was just okay. I love to see them thriving and see how supportive their client base is. Personally, I was underwhelmed. I have Armenian, Persian, Middle Eastern, and all similar foods ALL the time (and I am Armenian). The Luleh didn't look appealing, but it was actually good. I liked that it wasn't over-seasoned like most places. The chicken kabob was just okay. Nothing really stood out about it, except that it was a little undercooked in the middle, yet still charred on the outside. The flavor of the rice was alright, but the consistency was too watery/ mushy. I liked the humus - the flavors weren't overbearing. Overall, it was okay. The portion was good but the place in general is a little overpriced. Service was alright, the girl taking our order was nice but nothing stood out. PS - no trash cans. When you're done, you have to walk over to a large dumpster to throw your trash in.