My friends thought their meals were dry and underseasoned. Most of our food, especially the falafel and rice, were served lukewarm and didn't taste super fresh. I was hoping the leftover falafel would taste better the next day, but sadly, it didn't. Chicken and beef kabob were decent. Kinda bummed how they didn't have some sort of combo bowl. You'd have to buy extra meat if you wanted to try different meats together. The extras and sides were quite pricey, too. We also tried a variety of flatbreads. The spinach and cheese was our favorite. We liked the zataar one, and the meat with jalapenos was just ok. The thick creamy garlic sauce went well with the thin, crispy flatbreads, while the runny white sauce tasted bland and slightly bitter (unpleasant with everything, to be honest). Overall, the food is fine, but I wouldn't go again. A few tables were available inside the small, simple-looking shop, but it felt a bit awkward eating there. Staff were not very attentive, but once we got their attention, they were helpful. read more

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A great local spot, everything made to order. I've been here twice and ordered the falafel bowl and tabbouleh both times. The tabbouleh is awesome - this is pretty much identical to mine so of course I would love it. The first time I came, I got the spicy falafel; The second time I got the regular. Just based on those two visits, I would recommend the regular. The spicy wasn't actually really spicy, and the patties were almost burnt. It tells you how good everything was that I still came back though. Second visit I got the regular patties and I really really enjoyed the bowl. Every ingredient is fresh and delicious, tahini is great, and there's a shaker of zataar for seasoning on the counter. Great prices, great owner, great food. Big thumbs up. Gotta try one of the fresh made flatbreads or wraps next time. read more

Barbonzai Lebanese Eatery - Falafel Bowl - Lebanese Near Me - Lake Forest, California

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Owner was very kind and our food was made fresh to order. Good value for a decent amount of food. read more

Barbonzai Lebanese Eatery - Steak Kabob Platter - Lebanese Near Me - Lake Forest, California

I was craving chicken schwarma and was recommended this place with online research. I got the popular items of the flatbread with zaatar and chicken plate. The thin flatbread was beautifully spiced! I enjoyed the texture and flavors as well as the yogurt dip. Maybe I'm not familiar with Lebanese food all that much but I felt that the chicken was not flavored. It was like basic chicken breast. The only thing that made up for it were the sauces which paired well. I also have to hand it to them for the fresh pita--usually, you get storebought ones from restaurants. The sides of the pickles and garbanzo beans and tabbouli were just okay. They give you too much rice for the chicken platter. read more

Barbonzai Lebanese Eatery - Zaatar Flatbread - Lebanese Near Me - Lake Forest, California

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Co Worker and I found this restaurant in a plaza that we frequent often, and decided to try it out. The restaurant is a bit small, but spacey and cozy. The server greeted us as soon as we walked in and was very friendly. There were so many yummy options, we were having a hard time deciding! Finally, we settled on the bowls at Barbonzai. I opted for the Kafta Bowl and my co worker opted for the Chicken Bowl. We couldn't decide on spinach, lettuce or rice for our side, so the server was nice enough to give us all 3 without any additional charge. When we got our bowls, they were much bigger than we expected! & at $13.95 for the bowl - I feel that was a huge steal. Oh right, I also got their Zaatar flatbread, which came with a side of labneh (yogurt) and was really tasty too. The only thing is that I wish they had used a bit more of the Zaatar, but that may be just my personal preference. Overall, it was a great experience and I'm happy to have found another restaurant near work to enjoy for lunch. read more

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I think that I tried most of the items on the menu. Everything was amazing. My go to was the spinach pie with chicken bowl and greens. If anyone finds comparable food please post in reviews. Barbonzai will be missed read more

Really good baked falafel here, a solid lunch option for Lake Forest office people. A lunch plate here will run you $10-$15 and service is a little slow, so order online for pickup because sitting inside is really not necessary. I dined in here for lunch and it was completely empty with some ESPN horse racing on a TV in the corner. They could play some music in there! read more

Ordered from here yesterday for dinner w my family. Got two chicken bowls & a falafel bowl. Food was ready ahead of time, prepped to perfection. The chicken is healthy, not doused in oil -- the falafel is baked , just really clean flavors. And I'm pretty sure they make their own pita -- it was incredible. Highly recommend this location. Would return. Shoutout to the team for the great service read more

Barbonzai Lebanese Eatery - Lebanese Near Me - Lake Forest, California

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Excellent food. They have tables but it is more for take out. Definitely must try and highly recommend. read more

Nice casual Lebanese food spot! Perfect for my weekday dinners in the area. The white garlic dip sauce is freakin amazing. Garlic lovers dream. Chicken plate is a must. Pretty standard item but they did it well, and that airy bread was so good with the sauces. The Lebanese style pizza with the jalapeños was a perfect side dish/app and you have to try one of those pocket meat pies. Omg I forget the name but that was so flavorful and it was so fresh, still steaming hot out of the oven and so good. Looks family owned and they're very pleasant and service is great. read more

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The food especially for the price is so delicious. About the same price as a cava bowl, but the food is made 100% fresh, with way better kofta&chicken&cheese&pita. Also they use real olive oil, no blends. I always get the kofta bowl here and it fills me up each time. Staff is super nice & will answer any question you ask while the restaurant itself is clean & quiet. The perfect spot for a quick, relaxing & refreshing bite to eat. read more

Barbonzai Lebanese Eatery - Kofta - Lebanese Near Me - Lake Forest, California

This restaurant just closed and it was one of my favorites! They had the best baba ghanoush anywhere. I am heartbroken. There is another Lebanese style restaurant in its former location, which I haven't been in yet. I hope it's owned by the same owner, but I fear that it's not. read more

Very well made Lebanese food. In an area with so many "Mediterranean cuisine" spots, Barbonzai does their menu well. Falafel wraps are good Chicken bowl was great If you ask, they can make cheese and zaatar flatbread (it's just not listed on the menu). read more

Barbonzai Lebanese Eatery - Gas oven for flatbreads cooked to order - Lebanese Near Me - Lake Forest, California

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Ordered Uber Eats here this evening, and it was delicious. We had the chicken wrap and the Lebanese version of pizza with herbs and cheese. The food was very good and they used fresh ingredients. The delivery service was prompt and efficient as well. Of course, the ambiance of our home was comfy and peaceful as we are under the weather. Highly recommended and will definitely be back. read more

I tell everyone about this place. The food is fresh and so very flavorful. I always get the chicken platter which comes with a garbanzo salad, green salad, pickles, chicken, rice, grilled onion/tomato, garlic yogurt and freshly baked pita bread. This food makes me happy I LOVE the Labneh with the pita bread. I could eat the entire bowl by myself! read more

Barbonzai Lebanese Eatery - My carry out chicken platter at home - Lebanese Near Me - Lake Forest, California

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I found this place by driving by, I ordered the Kafta Bowl it was the best Kafta it comes with Brown rice tested Amazin, side of hummus and fresh pita bread. Staff are very friendly, and prices are very reasonable to what you get. I really recommend this place for Mediterranean food. read more

Barbonzai Lebanese Eatery - Lobby - Lebanese Near Me - Lake Forest, California

Love this place! Great Mediterranean menu with lots of different options. Food is really good. Service is attentive and they are efficient getting the food. The restaurant is on the smaller side but great overall. Definitely recommend this restaurant! Their flatbreads are definitely worth a try! read more

My son has a swim meet at El Toro HS and I was looking for a healthy spot for late lunch and came across this place! I am so glad that I came! I ordered a chicken bowl and my husband ordered chicken plate. They were so good! The chicken is moist and tender and overflowing the bowl filled with rice and salad on the bottom. We also order the zattar? Flatbread? Very good... my son loves it! I definitely will return to try different items in the near future! read more

They never have fries. It's honestly enough to make me want to never come again. I always eat my wraps with fries. Every time I come I ask if they have fries and they just don't. I ask, what about any kind of potato??? But nope. I keep hoping and it never happens. Why do I keep coming back? Because of the dang Tesla charger. Otherwise I'd never come here again. The wraps are not good enough to stand on their own. I would also say it's a little on the pricey side. I only ever get their chicken wraps. Maybe I need to try to order something else. Am I really this upset over fries? Yes. I am. Am I the only one where not having fries or any potato side is a deal breaker??? read more

The chicken bowl is delicious. I love the garlic sauce that comes with it. Everything tasted freshly made. The service was nice and friendly. We ate there. Small place with a few tables but nice and clean. read more

This is the first time I have gotten food from this takeout middle eastern fast food place. Over 1 year ago I visited their store in Costa Mesa. The establishment was unimpressive & not suitable for eating in & having a conversation so I never partook of their food. Today, however, we ordered out for dinner including a Zatar flat bread pizza, Spinach flatbread pizza & tabbouleh salad. All of them were very tasty, filling & enough for two meals. We also took home a dozen 1/2 pitas for our upcoming Memorial Day bbq. They look outstanding but have yet to be tasted. The environment is nothing to speak about but it is just a counter takeout place with several tables & chairs. I'd recommend this place for fast & good simple Mediterranean food to eat at home. I note that NOTHING about food is cheap or even inexpensive anymore! read more

Beef was dry and chewy, chicken seemed to have been boiled in water and then dry spices were placed on top. The salad that comes with the food was good, hummus was okay, rice was pretty plain which is absolutely okay if the meats had flavor. Pita bread was amazing and service was great. May possibly try their flatbread but the chicken and the beef platters were a huge disappointment read more

Barbonzai Lebanese Eatery - Lebanese Near Me - Lake Forest, California

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I love their bread... always partial to restaurants that bake their own breads... The zataar wrap was delicious. Kebabs were also good. Chicken was pretty good, had a prominent cumin flavor. Gonna come back to try their falafel wrap! read more

This place is great if you're looking for healthy food that is still filling. We ordered the chicken bowl and the kafta bowl. Both were very flavorful and had plenty of food. I loved the chicken bowl. It came with spinach, lettuce, rice, garbanzo, seasoned chicken, pickles, tomatoes, and a side of their delicious sauce. The cashier was very friendly and helpful. The place was clean and organized. I would stop by again when looking for a healthy option. read more

Barbonzai Lebanese Eatery - Chicken Bowl. - Lebanese Near Me - Lake Forest, California

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I have ordered through Doordash chicken bowl with lettuce, the lettuce and tomato was wilted, slimy, and clearly rotten. I couldn't even eat it, and it completely ruined the dish for me. So disappointing read more

Veggies options and food tastes fresh. The halloumi wrap was kinda dry but I just got a side of labneh to balance it out and it was great. The guy who always works there is super friendly. read more

Super super un happy with my last experience, placed my order and waited over 25 minutes before I asked the guy behind the counter and he instantly shrugged me off, had to get his attention again and then was met with attitude "ill get to your order when I can" like i get the guy was alone but thats not the way to treat customers. I will not be returning read more

Barbonzai Lebanese Eatery - Chicken bowl - Lebanese Near Me - Lake Forest, California

Delicious fresh food. Small place with around 5 tables. Friendly owner. Nice to support small business. read more

Barbonzai Lebanese Eatery - Chicken bowl - Lebanese Near Me - Lake Forest, California

Very friendly staff. Food came out fast. Reasonable priced. The Kafka bowl was tasty. The tomatoes was extremely bitter. So next time I will get no tomatoes. Definitely a new weekly work lunch spot for me! read more

Barbonzai Lebanese Eatery - Kafta Bowl - Lebanese Near Me - Lake Forest, California

So mad!! It's the day before July 4th and I came to your restaurant to order literally hundreds of dollars worth of product to bring to a July 4th party. It was somewhere between 4:00 and 5:00 p.m.. you're supposed to be open until 8:00 p.m. You lost out on a lot of business!!! Your loss. read more

Maybe I didn't order the right thing but the chicken platter seemed very mediocre. Just some plain grilled chicken with a dusting of Za'atar seasoing and a salad that consisted of a handful of lettuce leaves with some tomatoes. The fresh oita was excellent though as was the garlic yogurt dip. read more

I love this place. Their food is generally very healthy and the quality is consistent. Support your local businesses.

This place was absolutely fantastic. The bowls are amazing. All the different meats are great. The flatbreads are ridiculous. The workers are super nice and helpful. Will come back often. Inside is clean and reasonable for a strip mall place. read more

Not planned but decided to try this restaurant and happy I did. Delicious falafel and Baba ghanoush I'll be back read more

I like their customer service they are great. Been there a few times never had a bad experience. Good food, good service, and plenty of parking. read more

Very clean and super fresh! Feels like the owner himself makes every sandwich and order with care. Falafel and tabbouleh were fresh with good portions--just if falafel was more crispy and more olive oil/dressing on tabbolueh would make it perfect. Will definitely return! read more

Small little restaurant that exceeded my expectations! Great price that includes lots of food. I think the platter is a better bang for your buck as compared to other items. It includes the entree, a variety of sides, and a large piece of pita bread. I couldn't finish all of it! read more

Barbonzai Lebanese Eatery - Kafta Platter - Lebanese Near Me - Lake Forest, California

Look at how colorful and healthy! The house salad came out first, so fresh and crunchy. Everything tasted delicious. Look at that pillowy fresh flat bread. The flavor of baba ganoush is Smokey like the one I made at home by roasting eggplants on the grill. So so yummy! I usually don't like beans but the garbanzo beans were tasty! Pickles are fresh and crunchy. Meats were good and garlic sauce I want to drink. Overall super yummy, quick and healthy lunch. I would come again and recommend! read more

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Delicious, fresh food for reasonable prices. The falafel wrap and the tabouleh salad are absolutely amazing!

Can't imagine why this place has to try reviews ordered the chicken platter. The chicken was dry and the equivalent of half of a breast of chicken so the portion was incredibly small and I thought that was crazy because it's almost a $20 platter. I will say that the zaatar flatbread was good and that's why I'm giving it one star read more