Really good. I wasn't sure what to expect, but this seems to be a very small independent restaurant…read morecrammed into an old pizza joint space. The space is small, so takeout is really the best option. The menu is an interesting fusion of pizza and classic Mediterranean fare. The staff were exceptionally friendly and helpful, despite our limited interactions. It feels like they're trying to deliver on a vision, and I'm here for it. We ordered takeout, and the food was generally good. The house salad was fine. Crisp vegetables, but not overwhelming. The choban salad was good, and as expected. The grape leaves were good. The roasted red pepper dip (ezme) was great. Nice roasted red pepper flavor, with some pomegranate sweetness. The stuffed flatbread (gozleme) was really exceptional, with the tomato and pickle accompaniment really adding an additional layer. The hummus bowl and rice bowl options were good. Nice combination of textures and flavors. The pita was phenomenal. It really felt like some love was put into preparing it. All told, this was a nice destination. It seems like they're trying to fill the space of "pizza joint in a university environment" while still trying to establish the add-on of Mediterranean cuisine. I'm here for it. I think the Mediterranean beat works, and is more interesting than the pizza. Hopefully others feel the same way.

Went back here for a weekday takeout lunch during work, which is only a short walk away. Quick…read moreservice and no wait. I got the falafel rice bowl, which was ginormous. Left me not needing much food for the rest of the day! The falafels were very dense and yummy. The bowl had a bit of salad, hummus, and some chick peas mixed in. All tasty though I think they could stand to use a bit less of the orange sauce that covered much of the bowl. The shop is small with no seating, so it's best for takeout. Luckily it was a nice day and Schenley Plaza is not too far away. Make sure to ask for napkins, which they forgot for my lunch.

Deceptive menu pics and descriptions + nothing Turkish here and it is unreasonably expensive for…read morewhat you get: --Unlike the menu claims, what they serve as Adana Kebab is NOT lamb + flavor was not remotely Turkish. Not authentic at all. -- What they call Turkish rice can't even be called decent rice -- Persian menu items however were good -- Lentil soup was a good soup but it was not an authentic lentil soup at all. Don't expect the traditional flavor -- Unlike the pics, salad mix in your Adana will arrive in a tiny, disposable clear plastic -- You will eat at tables covered with sticky, clear nylon table "cloths" -- Your water will be served in disposable plastic cups -- Your food will be served in acrylic-plastic cups, including the hot soup -- Now the value: Soup is $10, Adana is $22, Kobideh is $25, a cup of Cay / hot tea is $3.50 (almost all Persian/Turkish restaurants serve this as a complimentary item -- Lastly they will charge you an extra 3% for paying by card Decision is yours... We will not go there again.

Nice find. Some items on the menu were better than others, but the overall quality was very good…read more We ordered takeout, and the online ordering process was fairly straightforward (though it didn't accept PayPal or Apple Pay). The space is tiny and unassuming, and the restaurant seems to be a family run operation. The interior is much more nicely kept than you might guess based on the outside of the building. The staff were very friendly, and all of our food was well packaged. I strongly suggest taking a look at the "Persian Cuisine" section of the menu; in many cases, that section is more interesting than the Turkish grill. In terms of food, things ranged from excellent to pretty good. The hummus was good and nicely textured, but not exceptional. The kashke ve bademjan was excellent, particularly when paired with the nicely toasted flatbread it arrived with. The Mediterranean salad and Tabouli salad were both nicely done, with a nice level of lemon acidity and some shredded cheese on the side. The veggie kebap was fine, but generally flat in flavor: it really needed some of the sides and some hot sauce to fill things out. The red lentil soup was simple with a subtle spicing but ultimately deeply flavorful. The ash reshteh (noodle soup with beans and spinach) was generally good but would have benefited from toppings that would have probably been provided in a dine-in environment. All told, this was a nice little establishment with some excellent Mediterranean and Persian style cuisine. They seem to churn out some high quality food from what seems like a very small kitchen. I could imagine eating in or ordering takeout, but note that the interior space is fairly small with a limited capacity.

Beautiful dining room and delightful, friendly service. As if that were not enough, the food is on…read morepar with some of the best Turkish food I've ever eaten. The potato salad, served cold, has lots of herb and scallion flavor. The shish kabob portion is very generous, well cooked and well seasoned. It comes with a tomato, cucumber and parsley salad, grilled peppers and tomatoes, and white rich. For dessert they have a super-creamy, sweet rice pudding. All made for an exceptional dining experience on their open-air terrace. A real gem in Shadyside.

The scene was set, a cold crisp Christmas Eve night. I had called ahead days in advance to make…read moresure the restaurant was open for the highly anticipated date night. It was my return to the dating scene after a few years in hiatus, would I be ready? Could things actually go right? Why did we pick this night to go out for the first time? Am I going to completely lose my mind? Well, the original plan was Tacayo and it was closed, but we strolled past it into this establishment with me not even knowing that we were in a totally different restaurant. I looked at the menu, this doesn't look like taco's at all, what is happening here? We called Tacayo to make sure in case they were open and we could still eat there. Nope, they were certainly closed. You know what? I took it in stride and said, "what the heck, I like mediterranean food." We were waited on and placed our orders, things seemed to be moving along nicely. The only problem being we had both ordered the falafel platter and my date calmly tells me that in the past she thinks she had an allergic reaction after she ate chick peas. I was like, well we better just inform our waiter and get something else. She says, no, that's o.k. I don't want to waste food. Ummm....you want to risk your own health so as not to waste food? As it turns out she at the falafel and was completely fine. So, truth be told I have had way better Middle Eastern food. You can tell that they are trying and they make the effort to please the customer, but the food that comes out is just o.k. For a date night it wasn't terrible, but it wasn't stellar. Am I single again? Of course I am. Did I have a good time? Absolutely. I wrote this back in January, but never published it till now. Hope you enjoyed reading it. Cheers, and here's to your health

Solid take-out meal from this place last night. We opted to pick it up so it was far hotter/fresher…read morethan using a delivery service. Our fave foodie neighbor recommended this over highly-rated Med Table (still haven't tried that place yet, so our verdict is out!). Overall, our meal was really good (not great). Appetizers: hummus & baba gannouj were tasty. We opted for their "regular" size which has given us plenty of leftovers! (Other options: small & large). Hummus was the fave; I've definitely had more flavorful baba. We opted to toast all the mounds of huge pita that came with the meal, though. We're not fans of cold, "raw" pita with dips. Entrees: I got the Genie's combo plate - a couple of interestingly spiced , though somewhat dry chicken thighs (spice called "mishwi" - seemed almost like a Berbere-type seasoning w/ cinnamon in the profile) on a bed of basmati & a helping of tasty, crunchy pickled turnips & Lebanese salata (like Mediterranean pico de gallo). The standout item on this place - far and away - was the roasted, spiced cauliflower. I would have that ALONE - no chicken. I liked the dish, overall, but it didn't knock my socks off. I would look for solo-cauliflower next time. Hubs got the Shish Tawook rolled pita - he really enjoyed the grilled chicken with pickled turnip and excellent homemade garlic sauce. He said he'd def reorder. Top tip - get that garlic sauce (if u like garlic). It's AMAZING. No dessert for us, though what an impressive list they have! We'll definitely return to try some other options.

We ordered a few dishes from their catering menu at the last minute. We got a hummus with beef…read moreplatter, a Greek salad and baba ganoush. It was all served with alot of pita, the thinner flat lavish type pita. The beef had an odd purple hue, but tasted great. The baba ganoush was very smokey and quite delish. The salad was also a hit with the dressing set on the side so everyone could add their desired amounts. Loved the food and appreciated they were able to accommodate our last minute order.

One of my favorite spots for lunch in Oakland, with a central location in Schenley Plaza. The line…read moreis never too long and the food is ready quickly. Lots of nice places nearby to sit outside on a warm day. Based on a customer I overheard on a recent visit, they also offer order-ahead if you're in a hurry. Their shawarma wraps are just the right size for lunch (and also under $10). They offer several sides; I've tried the hummus (not too salty, like many hummuses, but a touch bland) and grape leaf wraps (large portion). One time I upgraded my wrap to a platter with rice and pita and it was way too much food (a mountain of rice). I've seen their platters with fries instead of rice and they are also ginormous due to the mountain of fries.

The cook whipes his nose and head a lot and coughs while handling food. Fresh Baklava was $7.49…read morefor 4 very small pieces.

Back for another fantastic meal at the forge. They have a summer drink menu, I got the Lemongrass…read moreis greener. Super delicious, nice ginger flavor. We shared the rainbow platter, shawarma hummus, gambas al ajillo, labneh, and a peach! Pizza. The shawarma hummus had a delicious flavor. The pickled veggies had a nice kick.

I'm confused about why this place is so beloved; but knowing Pittsburghers, I have a small clue…read more Upon walking in you realize it's just as small and cozy as many other establishments on Butler in Lawrenceville. It's cute but crowded with plush seating. I can't imagine being here on a busy night, it must feel like there's no breathing room. Service was fine. Our order was correct and servers were friendly. The best part about this place is the cocktails but don't expect them to be strong. My drink was absolutely delicious but with the mood effects of a mocktail, meaning nothing. I ordered two because why is this almost $20 with no buzz in sight, are we not a lounge? The menu was plentiful though I think the chef may be a little off about the origins of some of the menu items- just be Greek, friend, it'll be okay. I didn't try the pizza, which is almost half of the menu because I wasn't impressed by the small plates. How can you get pickled cauliflower wrong in Pittsburgh. That should be a sin. The hummus was okay but could use a little more ancient influence... like maybe 4,000 years worth, idk. Overall, I wouldn't be back and wouldn't recommend. It's trendy in it's ambience but doesn't deliver anything better than 25 other spots along the same street. AVVA in Aspinwall is a better option. I came here based on reviews by Elite's and this place was incredibly misrepresented.

Very nice Mediterranean restaurant. I visited this place on the day before Mother's Day, and it was…read moresurprisingly not super packed. It's got a nice location on the central road in Squirrel Hill, but it's a bit hard to find parking. When I got there, I got to try their shish tawouk (chicken kabob), mujadara, salad with feta, and iced mint tea. The tea was pretty alright. Refreshing and a nice mint flavor; I think they might make the blend in house. They also brought out some nice pita before we started the meal. For my main course, I ordered the shish tawouk. You usually get this meal with the rice pilaf, but they were out, so I got to try the mujadara. I'm actually quite glad! The chicken was tender, and the portion was very fair. They served it with a nice tomato sauce, but I also asked for some garlic sauce on the side. The sauces both seem to be homemade, and definitely go well with the chicken. The mujadara was surprisingly delicious. They top the dish with crispy sweet onions. It's a mix of lentils and some other grain. Very good! One thing to mention generally is this place closes quite early, usually around 8 or 8:30 PM, so do keep it in mind. It is also very clearly a family endeavor, with the mom managing most of the tables and the kids always helping out. Very nice place!

Mediterranean Grill continues to be outstanding. Great middle eastern comfort food! Tried a new…read morechicken dish that was delicious.