I forgot to take photos of the food before my family and I started eating. I have forgotten how good the food is here. I don't come here often because there is not a location near me. We ordered the Family Meal which included one rotisserie chicken, pita bread, pickled turnips, and choice of two sides (we had cucumber salad and rice.). Also we ordered one combo kabob plate which includes one chicken kabob and one Lule Kabob (ground beef). This combo also comes with two small sides (we had hummus and cucumber salad). Everything was delicious. Everything tasted fresh and seasoned well. The only thing I did not cared for was the picked turnip. I wish we could substitute the turnip for something else. The two sauces we had: Garlic sauce and Tahini sauce were excellent. They go well with all the meat items adding more flavor to it . read more

Here's a cleaner, more polished version you can use: I've had mixed experiences at this Zankou Chicken location in Pasadena, but today was especially frustrating. It was 12:09 and the restaurant was empty when I ordered a chicken sandwich with no tomato and no onion. My order was made incorrectly, and to make matters worse, two customers who came in after me and ordered full and half chickens received their food well before I did. I also paid for an extra side of pickles, which was completely left out of my order. Meanwhile, several employees were just standing around talking. Overall, really disappointing service today. read more

I've been to Zankou many times, but my most recent visit was standout thanks to Rachel at the front register. Even with the restaurant being absolutely slammed, Rachel's enthusiasm was infectious. It's rare to see someone maintain that level of positive energy with customers requesting help from all sides of the counter. She handled every guest with a genuine smile and a can do attitude. She went above and beyond to ensure I had everything I needed, It's clear she truly cares about the guest experience. If you're lucky enough to have her take your order, you're in great hands. Give this girl a raise!" read more

Zankou Chicken - Mediterranean Near Me - Pasadena, California

whaaat Mediterranean in fast food form? Not sure what I expected but it definitely exceeded, I got the chicken kebab plate and it was really good! Good bang for your buck, tasty and quick. I'd definitely go back! 5/5 food 5/5 service - quick and easy! 5/5 vibes - classic vibes read more

Zankou Chicken - Chicken Kabob Plate - Mediterranean Near Me - Pasadena, California

Pretty sure this is an LA chain since there are so many, but I've only seen them in the LA area. This is such a great food deal though. The falafel, rice, hummus, and pita are all delicious and made perfectly. Will continue going for more plates and wraps! read more

Zankou Chicken - Plate - Mediterranean Near Me - Pasadena, California

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I been here twice, and each time was a good experience. I tried the chicken kebab and chicken tarna plate, and both times the chicken was delicious. The hummus was delicious, same with their garden and cucumber salad, and their garlic sauce is like crack. The tahini sauce that comes with the tarna is pretty good as well. The pita bread seems like supermarket quality, but it gets the job done when dipping into the hummus or combining it with the meat and salad. Zankou is definitely a classic Mediterranean spot in Pasadena. read more

Zankou Chicken - Mediterranean Near Me - Pasadena, California

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I remember when Zankou Chicken was a dependable gyro place, though arguably this location in the chain is one of the sketchier ones. Had a hankering for a beef and chicken schwarma pita wrap with falafel, so stopped by. Didn't realize the prices had gotten so steep at this place. Even worse, didn't realize that come early dinner time they have about 1000 doordash orders coming in, so you better be prepared to wait awhile to even order let alone get your food. After not having eaten here in the last few years, I found all the food to be wildly bland and rather flavorless. I had to douse it in garlic and tahini sauce to feel anything. Even worse is their rip off basmati rice. I'm sorry but, I paid $7 for like Uncle Ben's. This was NOT basmati rice. What a waste of money. There are better new mediterranean places around the area to still try. I doubt I'll be coming back to this skeezy worn down place. read more

This is a little bit of a sad one for me. I'm nostalgic about Zankou Falafel wraps and thus Zankou. I was a vegetarian for many years, and these wraps were a staple of mine. They ARE still good, although (see photo) this one came broken into many pieces, so difficult to roll and eat. The falafel is delicious and tender, not dry, but they skimped on tahini sauce and the tomato, which took away some of the flavors, moisture, and texture I remembered. And then the broken up pita. And what was really sad was how the neighborhood has deteriorated. Not Zankou's fault, but it does affect the experience of parking and walking in when you pass people using drugs in the doorway next to the entrance. And the young woman who served me rung up the plate rather than wrap and when I was confused by the price and asked, she seemed annoyed, so I ended up apologizing because it just seemed like someone needed to...even though I had ordered the wrap. My apology for her mistake, didn't even prompt her to do the same. So even though their falafel is very good, all in all, it was an overall so-so experience that I wouldn't go out of my way for again. Added: Thank you Pedro, I very much appreciate the thoughtful message. I will make it a point to go by again sometime soon and assume it was just an off day. read more

Zankou Chicken - Good falafel but broken pita and not much tahini or tomato. - Mediterranean Near Me - Pasadena, California

Love Zankou Chicken. Got the combo steak and chicken with rice and hummus and cucumber salad with the garlic dip and harissa sauce. This is a pretty substantial meal and very filling. Delivery was smooth and easy. read more

Zankou Chicken - Mediterranean Near Me - Pasadena, California

This place has been around forever. I haven't been here in a while. I got the roasted chicken wrap. It's a delicious, but, the pita was cracked, broken & messy to eat. It was not like this over 10 years ago. Pass on any of the wraps. The plates they have are much better to eat. If you have a big vehicle, forget about parking in the small parking lot. Either park where McDonalds is at(park at your own risk) or park on the street like me. read more

Zankou Chicken - Roasted chicken wrap. The pita was broken & the chicken, tomatoes & romaine salad fell out & made a mess in my car. - Mediterranean Near Me - Pasadena, California

Ordered before 7pm early new year's eve closing! Was delicious whole chicken two sides plus pickle radish! Pita humus white rice and garlic spread & hot sauce (is this new?) Delicioys meal loved my plate at home. Happy New Year!!! read more

Zankou Chicken - Mediterranean Near Me - Pasadena, California

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Stopped by Zankou Chicken and had a mixed but overall pleasant experience. The roasted chicken tasted like good quality meat, clean and well prepared, though it was a bit lighter on flavor than I expected. The falafels, however, were excellent. Crispy, flavorful, and really the standout of the meal. Solid spot overall, and I'd happily come back for the falafels again. read more

Tri tip Shawarma was so so good esp with the garlic sauce. My whole family loved the wraps. The 1/2 chicken was super juicy & came w 2 pita wraps. Service was quick and wait was average. I usually get my food to go, but there are several tables available to sit down & dine. read more

Order at the counter pick up your food and grab a table or take it home. Combo comes with meat. Rice , hummus. Salad, 2 large pita breads and garlic spread. Chicken is juicy and flavorful. Garlic is amazing. read more

Zankou Chicken - Garlic spread - Mediterranean Near Me - Pasadena, California

I came here for the first time, and let me tell you from the start: the customer service is excellent--very helpful, welcoming, and always with a smile. I went with her recommendation, and it did not disappoint. Everything was fresh, flavorful, and perfectly tender. The only thing missing... a nice espresso shot to complete the experience. read more

I love this place because it's a quick dinner take out option for my family. I love their family pack with a whole chicken, two sides, pickled veggies and a bag of pita. Nutritious and delicious! We also love their hummus and steak skewers, their salads. Really everything is delicious. Their garlic paste? To die for! However I do advise inspecting your food. Our recent take out had moldy pita . Unfortunately we didn't realize until we go home and had eaten some ! It was very upsetting. We did call the restaurant and they did the right thing but still pretty upsetting so please check your food! Other than that, we still love Zankou and will continue to include it in our meal rotations! read more

I have been going to Zankou Chicken regularly for at least 25 years, and have been a customer at various locations - mostly the one near downtown L.A., Burbank and Pasadena. The food is consistent and flavorful. For me everything is an excuse to eat more of that addictive toum/garlic sauce. One of the best every. I am a big fan of roasted chicken, so I usually either get that or the shawerma or kefta wrap. Between the pickled veggies, jalapenos, tahini and garlic sauce, it all satisfies. The sides are great. I love the baba ganouj and tabouleh the most. I've tried the baklava a few times and it is delicious. My only request is that they heat the pitas if you eat in instead of serving them right out of the bag. Recently I stopped there during the Eaton Fire. They were one of the few people open and it was so comforting to chat with the staff and just eat out of the house for a bit. read more

Zankou Chicken - shawerma wrap presentation, with garlic sauce and pickles - Mediterranean Near Me - Pasadena, California

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Delicious! Definitely one of la's best local gems. Their garlic paste sauce is a must try. Their service is relatively fast even during busy days. The atmosphere is very fast paced, like a fast food chain. Their shwarma chicken is super juicy and delicious, you can't go wrong with any of their chicken dishes. Also a good price for the portion. -street parking / back lot parking -fast paced -food and soft drinks read more

Outside: They have limited parking in the front. They have some parking in the back. No outdoor seating. Inside: Very clean, had a worker walking around the whole time cleaning and making sure everything was clean and wiped down! They have restrooms inside. Food: This is our second time coming here and it's one of our favorite place's. It's so good! All the food comes out fresh and hot! The falafel is amazing and crispy. Definitely one of my favorites. Service: They had some customers that needed help bringing the food to the table and the workers were absolutely so kind to them helping them out. The one who took our order could've been more friendly he was very rushed and short with us. read more

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So delicious. Zankou Chicken never disappoints. This was my first visit to a Zankou Chicken in years, and I'll have to be sure to come back more regularly. It's too bad I don't live closer. The skin on the chicken is the right amount of crispy rather than soggy, and it's well seasoned. The garlic sauce is famous for a reason. One of the guys working there brought me extra garlic sauce and pita bread after checking in on me. That was super nice. I ordered the half chicken with mutabbal and tzatziki, the falafel special, and the small baklava. I dined in but had plenty to take home. Everything was so good. It's understandable that they had a steady stream of people coming in and out. There are a good number of tables if you want to dine in, but many got take out. The furnishings remind me of old school fast food places. Parking is street. Highly recommend. read more

Zankou Chicken - Half Chicken Plate Baklava Falafel Special Tzatziki Mutabbal - Mediterranean Near Me - Pasadena, California

I come here a lot and the 1 gal name Melanie is so gracious and helpful with orders! Melanine provided excellent customer service! read more

Zankou needs no introduction. It has been a staple of Pasadena for nearly 30 years and it is still consistently putting out good food. Best garlic sauce you can find. Staff is helpful. Vibe is like a time capsule. Great stop if you're looking for good food, good taste, and some amazing garlic sauce. read more

Zankou Chicken - Mediterranean Near Me - Pasadena, California

Best fast food Mediterranean option out there. Chicken and tri tip are tender and flavorful. A good serving of basmati rice in an order. Garlic sauce is amazing here and ties everything together. I enjoyed their cucumber salad and tzatziki. read more

Zankou Chicken - Mediterranean Near Me - Pasadena, California

Food is always good. Service appears to get worse.! Ordered at 10.30am for delivery at 12.05. Arrived at 12.10 and they had not even started. Could not be bothered.. waited 30mins. Attitude was sorry we are too busy!! Wait? read more

So your faithful and favorite Yelp correspondent was trekking home in rush hour traffic when, empretzled in my car seat from my alarming bladder, I exited the 210 FWY East in search of a restroom. Bladder sated, I pivoted towards quenching my hungee. Right away the unctuous, garlicky scents of slow rotisserie-spit roasted greeted me. As is my custom when sampling new restaurants, I ordered the company's moneymaker- A half chicken platter plus a two-piece baklava for fressert¹. The mood at Zankou is bustling, teeming with a steady, unceasing queue of PCC students, Door Dashers and couples on date night. Zankou's staff works in operatic brilliance- My order was surprisingly ready within three mins of paying for my order. The caliber of the food was good but not necessarily cartwheel-inducing. The flavor and texture of Zankou's signature chicken is comparable to Juan Pollo's chicken, only with subtle Lebanese flavors (as opposed to the more dramatic flavor wallop that a well made bite of Juan Pollo yields). For a more apples-to-apples comparison of Mediterranean restaurant chicken, I'd label Zankou as #2 in its space, trailing DonerG and their wondrous, super juicy chicken but clearly eclipsing Georgie's Mediterranean for the silver medal. The baklava/hummus and garlic sauce were all serviceable. Ditto for the cleanliness of the restroom. I was dismayed at thr cost- My order was $27.43 for 1/2 chicken platter (4 pieces), fountain drink, dessert and tax + tip. For two Jacksons, you can feed two people the same vast spread at any DonerG. ¹ Fressert- When you consciously eat your dessert first because you've still another 70mins of logjammed traffic between you and home. read more

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Wow this was terrible food, my felafel was disgusting it was a peta with some old lettuce and something that resembled a tube made out of chickpeas it was mostly pita bread something tasted old. My partners dish was also terrible. The Lula kebab was grey, and it also tasted old in his cucumber salad. Look like it had been sitting there all day.. and for this catastrophe, we paid $35 read more

Chicken breast was on the dry side, but that's to be expected. The mutabbal har an off flavor and I couldn't finish it. I would probably try the beef skewer next time. read more

Zankou Chicken - Mediterranean Near Me - Pasadena, California

The food here just hits the spot. The chicken Tarna is full of flavor and tender. The garlic sauce is a can't-miss accompaniment for it. I also love the refreshing cabbage salad and smoky mutabbal. Their bowls offer a nice balance of sides and protein. Service is quick and friendly. The ambiance is pretty basic. They have ample seating, as it's a spacious restaurant. read more

Zankou Chicken - Chicken - Tarna bowl with cabbage salad and mutabbal - Mediterranean Near Me - Pasadena, California

I started coming to Zankou Pasadena when my favorite dish, the Kabob Combo Plate was $12.99, its now $19.99. I still come here once a week despite the significant rise in price of the food. And why? Because Zankou did not changes a darn thing to their food, just the price, which is understandable due to inflation. Zankou's food is still delicious and their portions are generous. read more

Ordered thru Postmates and food was pretty good. It did take awhile and my combo kebab was cold when I got it. I asked for tabbouleh salad and they gave me cucumber salad instead. My partner got double hummus and they gave him double rice instead. read more

Zankou Chicken - Mediterranean Near Me - Pasadena, California

The chicken here is always juicy, the garlic sauce is basically crack (I could literally eat it with everything), and the portions are solid. Nothing fancy, no surprises, just good food and quick service. We ordered the half chicken plate and the falafel roll, both were amazing and quite filling. Parking sucks sometimes, but honestly, whatever. Worth it. I'd park across town if it meant getting that garlic sauce again. read more

Zankou Chicken what happened???? Food that was supposed to be cold was hot and vice versa. Service was rude and guest in line were all complaining. This establishment has plenty of room for improvement. Ambiance is nothing special and has greasy floors. Ordered falafel special. Shows a salad and tahini? That's not what it comes with. False advertising. Chicken was dry and malnourished. Hot hummus? I've never eaten hot hummus before. If somebody opened up something similar in this area Zankou would definitely go about things differently. Sorry, I expected more from an establishment that has been around for so long and prides itself on service and reputation. Things need to change. Way way way too expensive for what you get. Some people love it. Im not sure if I would go back after this last experience. read more

Zankou Chicken is a must every time I come to LA -- right up there with In-N-Out for me. The garlic spread? I don't even have words. It's that good. Creamy, bold, addictive... I dream about it between visits. The chicken is always juicy and perfectly seasoned. The tabbouleh is fresh and vibrant -- one of the best I've had. And the portions? So generous for the price. You get a ton of food for not a lot of money. If you've never been, you're missing out. Highly recommend! read more

Zankou Chicken - Mediterranean Near Me - Pasadena, California

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Whenever I'm in LA, I must eat at Zankou! I always get the half chicken plate with hummus and tabouli. Everything here is delicious read more

Zankou Chicken - Half Chicken Plate - Mediterranean Near Me - Pasadena, California

Why oh why do I keep giving this place a chance when I could just go to Glendale .......... Horrendous service and a complete lack of organization. Good sits on the top and gets cold for ages !!!!! read more

Had their falafel bowl and it was delicious!! I thought the portions were very generous and the falafel was not dry.

Love the shawarma wraps here. Anytime I'm in Pasadena I crave Zankou. Place is clean for the most part. The workers are nice from what I've seen. read more

Came by Zankou Chicken in Pasadena and had the shawarma -- so good! The meat was tender and packed with flavor, and of course the garlic sauce takes it to another level. Portions are big enough to fill you up, and the service is fast. Definitely one of my go-to spots when I'm craving something quick and tasty. read more

Terrible Customer Service I had one of the worst customer service experiences at the Zankou Chicken on Colorado in Pasadena. When I politely asked the front desk for a cover, the woman working there completely ignored me and refused to even respond. She was extremely rude and impolite, acting as if I wasn't even standing there. I was shocked by how unprofessional she was. I ended up having to ask another employee just to get basic service. This location seriously needs to train their staff on how to treat customers with respect. Very disappointing and unacceptable. read more

My only reference for this food is when my nephew travels from Glendale see his mom and me in the IE. So my review is based on the fact that it traveled over an hour before I ate it. And it was STILL FANTASTIC!!! He has brought the half chicken plate with hummus, and pickled salad the last three times and the flavor is incredible. The combination of spices on the chicken skin with the hummus inside a pita, with the garlic sauce checks all the boxes. I can't wait to go to your location and sit down and eat fresh read more