My stars...(5=epic "best of")(4=really tasty and want to go again and again)(3=good and will go back once in a while)(2=fair, might return for a visit if there was some glimmer of hope)(1=avoid at all costs) (I want to give the place a 3.5, it's just shy of a true 4) My wife and I just hit up Fanoos for our second visit last night. And our thoughts are exactly the same as our first visit. The place is good! It was my wife's first experience with Persian cuisine and only my second. For those unfamiliar with the food, it has some great similarities to some Mediterranean cuisine, Greek, and Moroccan...although truly unique. Fanoos is a small local restaurant that's similar in size to a small Wahoo's or Baja Fresh. You can order at the counter or the host will bring menus. But you do pay after your meal at the register. The place is super casual and usually has a good number of folks dining. We didn't order anything to drink, and I' don't believe alcohol is served there. Dinner: My wife ordered the ground beef and ground chicken kabob combo. I had the chicken thigh kabob. The combos come with a side salad, 1/2 pits bread, rice and a grille jalapeno. It's really a good amount of food. We found have plenty of leftovers! The ground beef kabob was just slightly better than the chicken. The seasoning and juiciness was just a bit better. It seems like it could use some sauce (similar to a gyro), but it was still very tasty! The chicken thigh kabobs were super tasty and moist. It went really well with the rice and pita. Their rice is surprisingly fully and excellent! It didn't seem heavy at all. I loved the grilled jalapeno, but I like spicy food! Thankfully, my wife doesn't, and I got hers as well! Service: The service is extremely friendly! The host is very nice and accommodating. He asked if we had any allergies or dislikes. It's nice that they are on top of that! The food comes out fairly slow. This isn't a fast food place, even though you might think it is by the casual look. But nothing took that long to remotely be bothersome. Note that you must pay at the register and get your bill there as well. So, if you're ready to go, don't be shy! Approach the counter and take care of business! Overall, Fanoos is a real nice casual Persian food establishment. The food is very tasty and the service is good. So if you're looking for something out of the ordinary, Fanoos just may be what you're looking for. read more

To start off - very small. Excellent service... But be prepared to wait. The good is good, not great. LA has way too many options for this place to be at the too of the list - but if you aren't in the mood to drive into LA proper, this can get the job done. read more

Very delicious! Had their lunch menu Chicken Kebab and also Sirloin Kebab. Both were amazingly delicious. Yummy, aromatic rice, fresh salad and juicy, tender meat. Nice, small, clean place, attentive and friendly service, good portions. Let's go back soon! read more

I've only really gotten take out and I only get the beef koobideh plate lunch special, but I really love it! Comes w rice (I usually ask to sub the rice for the one w barberries - I think there's crispy/ caramelized onions too but I love that), salad, roasted tomatoes and pita. The total comes out to around $12 but mines a little more since I get the other rice. I'm not Persian but I have had a lot of home cooked Persian cuisine and I can't taste much of a difference. I usually call in about 10 minutes before I wanna pick it up, and it's ALWAYS been ready. Maybe I call when it's not too busy .. Some of the other reviews seem to have a problem but if u call at peak hours, you have to assume that it's going to take a little longer. Have a little patience people! It's not McDonalds. The manager/ owner who is always there is also very friendly and efficient. The place itself is a bit small and it's not fancy or anything. Wouldn't recommend for really large groups. Parking is never a problem. read more

We walked past Fanoos Grill many times on our way to Curry Kabob without going in. This week, on date night, we decided to try it out. We were delighted with great service and great food. We got the mixed side dish platter and split a lamb shank dish. Servings were large and tasty. We will be back. Oh, the eggplant was off the chart good! read more

Very slow service! One wait staff trying to do all the work from helping with to go orders and waiting tables. Management needs to start assisting with helping the wait staff. First time and last time at this place. Not worth the hassle for the price. read more

Holla! or can I say Halal?! This place is another most common speed dialed number for our workplace list. Food is amazingly good. Their eggplant appetizer and hummus is addictive and their pita bread is thick and pliable. Love, love, love their beef schwarma, which is filet mignon skewered with onions and peppers and served on a bed of soft, buttery rice next to a garden salad and charbroiled tomato. The yogurt sauce that comes with the meal is so tangy and delicious that I just usually pour the whole thing over everything and all tastes even more phenomenal! Portions are righteous, delivery service is quick, the actual location is small but clean, the service guys look intimidating but been very nice in person and over the phone. A must try! read more

Parking: Enough. Its a small complex with a ton of shops around there. Food: Pretty tasty. I cant remember what I ordered anymore. Prices: Pretty good. About $11- $15 per dish. Service: Very small restaurant so I would recommend take home unless you really want to eat there. read more

The food here is pretty good! I like the sandwiches and the koobideh. Always good service and a pleasant visit read more

My favorite lunch spot. Best Middle eastern food I know of in the South Bay. The owner is so very kind and the service is awesome, it's generally him. Couldn't recommend this place enough read more

This place is by far the best I have been to. Any dish that I try is always good and the service is always good. The place is kind of like a semi service restaruant and you can order at the counter or sit and someone will get your order. The beef koobideh has super good flavor and chicken kabob is the most tender with again, the best flavor. The cutlet sandwich is also a killer. The extra purple spices that is on the table is to die for. The grilled tomatos mixed with the rice adds extra flavor. Top it off with the yogurt base salad dressing and you are in heaven. read more

The best Persian food in the south coast area hands down. The customer service at this location and the care the business owner puts in taking care of his store and his customers is pure perfect execution and genuine care and it shows in the quality and taste of the food. It's absolutely mouth watering food. You cannot go wrong with anything. I got the kabob koobindeh and it was amazing. I will come back here again and again and again. Thank you. read more

Fanoos Grill - Koooooobideh - Middle Eastern Near Me - Torrance, California

Hubby and I Tried this place for the 1st time after a co-worker recommended the place and good yelp reviews. Having never tried Persian food before, it was really tasty. Reminded me a lot of Greek food with kabobs and pitas. We got the combo #5 for 2 people and it was a great price. $24 for 4 kabobs: lamb, chicken breast, chicken thighs, and steak kabobs. Platter also had roasted peppers, onions and 2 roasted large Roma tomatoes! Combo included 2 individual plates of saffron rice, salad and pita and yogurt taziki sauce. We love Greek food and Persian food is now on our favorite list too! Service was good and the server was good at recommending popular items. My only concern was that we witnessed the upset customer who left the most current yelp review besides this one. The server didn't handle the situation very well. I think they could have been a little nicer to the customer especially since they got his order wrong. read more

Fanoos Grill - Combo #5 for 2 people. We already started eating and I almost for to take a pic! Most of it is still there - Middle Eastern Near Me - Torrance, California

Try the white meat chicken shish! This is one of my fave dishes ever and it's only $12 for a huge portion even for lunch. It comes with a small salad as well. The beef dishes weren't as impressive as my bf had ordered it. The hummus wasn't too great either but we both agreed the chicken was good. It's even better as leftovers (if you aren't Asian, try it with sriracha sauce when you get home). The place is small. If you dine in, just find a seat and they'll come wait on you otherwise go to the counter to order. The service is good, the place clean, and meals are priced fairly. read more

We devoured Fanoos during a catered graduation party and the food sure was gratifying! I am now a big fan of zereshk polo and have had shekar polo before but was amazingly impressed with fanoos's rendition! The lamb kabobs were tender and dewy and the chicken kabobs were lusciously flawless! For those of us on the Atkins diet this dynamite combination of flesh is sublime :-) The Mast-o Khiar was righteously appetizing & the shirazi was refreshing! The nan-e barbari would have "had me at hello" but we insufficiently heated it and was a wee bit cold :-(. I will certainly visit this restaurant in person to further explore my possibilities :-) read more

The quality of the food is outstanding. The price is higher than you might expect since it isn't a fancy place like a lot of Persian restaurants, but the food it worth it. We've had, and enjoyed, chicken koobideh (in plate and sandwich forms), beef soltani, adas polo with lamb - it's all good. Their sandwiches are great for picnics too. But you might want to get your drinks somewhere cheaper. And the guy who runs the place is super nice. read more

The food is delicious and not over priced, great background music to enjoy your dish with. I tried the Lamb Shank with a side of Humus both were awsome. I highly recommend this eatery, two thumbs up. Oh, final note they have glass bottled Coke and Fanta which tastes so much better than plastic bottled sodas, overall good eating. read more

The food is excellent, the service not so much. The restaurant closes at random times during open business hours, they don't want to accept card on occasion, and you just never know what to expect from them. Good food, inconvenient personnel & operation. read more

Really enjoyed our food, we got the big combo meal and all the proteins were delicious. Tons of flavor, juicy not dry. Would like to see some hummus as part of the meal, but overall, very good food. read more

I ordered a grilled chicken wrap and grilled eggplant appetizer. The chicken wrap was was one of the most tasteless wraps i've ever had. The chicken was completely uninspiring with barely any hint of spice at all. This was combined with grilled onions and carrots that were equally boring. In addition, they add a type of pickle to this which while it may be authentic, is very different than an equivalent wrap from say the Mediterranean. I can't comment on whether traditional persian cuisine includes pickle / gherkins inside , but this taste was not for me. I absolutely love pickles just not in this style. The flavors just get lost and don't go anywhere . In addition, they included a salad for my meal for takeout and it included just a pile of greens with no type of dressing at all. Just disappointing. I had to drown the entire wrap in Sriracha to make the meal taste like something. On the plus side, my coworkers commented that the food "smelled good", so there's that. read more

In my experience, the staff and owners are friendly. But, I'm sorry to say that the Barg was dry and not so flavorful. The Barg is also more costly than other Persian restaurants I've tried before. Please work on making your kabobs more juicy and flavorful. What I enjoyed was the rice and saffron tea. read more

Came here with our friends Jeff and Janice Ng for Sunday lunch after church. First time here for lunch. Amir is a wonderful host. He gave us an off menu crunchy rice with Ghimeh chicken and bean stew and Ghimeh Bademjan spinach and herbs in tomato sauce. Crunchy like Chinese sizzling rice. Flavorful stews. I had a Gyro sandwich special with two flatbread pita like sandwiches and salad. Their version of Tadzhiki, Maust Khiar is very tasty. We will return soon to try their other dishes. I forget the names of the combo dishes the others had. Over all a good casual dining experience. read more

Fanoos Grill - Pickles and dolmeh with Maust Khiar - Middle Eastern Near Me - Torrance, California

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This place is great. I always see the same guy running the place. My favorite dish has to be any choice of the shish kabobs. It comes with a rice and salad with dressing that's amazing. the basmati rice topped with the saffron is amazing also. A nice casual sit down with amazing service or you can take it to go. This place is even good for lunch. read more

Fanoos Grill - The Combo #2 Beef shish kabob made with filet mignon. Chicken shish kabob. Basmati rice topped with saffron. My favorite dish - Middle Eastern Near Me - Torrance, California

I have been coming for lunch or dinner with friends /family for a few years; so far no complaints, food is great, portions are huge, service is always friendly. Love their hot tea, and how our cups get refilled through out the meal. read more

Warning, food can be super slow, so come on a day when you don't have shit to do cus the food is worth the wait. I love their combo kabob plates. My favorite is the lamb and I'll special order chicken thigh (the chicken breast is just a bit too dry and tough for my preference). Everything tastes super fresh and super good. I love their saffron rice... it's soft, perfect texture and has a nice, light flavor. The veggies are all grilled perfectly - juicy and flavorful. Salad that it comes with is always fresh. Reason for the 3 stars, I said, the food can take forever... and when you're in a rush, it can really feel like eternity. Also, depending on what you order, the meat can sometimes be tough and dry, but overall, still a yummy place. read more

I was craving for lamb tonight and thanks to our yelpers here, I found this gem! The lamb shrank just fell off the bone and melt in your mouth. The portion was huge and the herb flavor of the rice was just right. Their soup Ashe Reshteh was nothing I have ever had. It looks like curry but tasted like a thick herb soup. Def worth coming back again. read more

DIned in.. the tables were sticky. ordered: BEEF/CHICKEN KOOBIDEH: The Chicken was so much better than the beef. CHICKEN/LAMB COMBO: Didn't care for the lamb bc of the bones. Chicken was ok. The salad that it came with was a little too sweet for me. I'm so used to having a small side of sauce to eat with it.. they didn't have it here like they do for fiesta grill. If I come back, I would order the Chicken Koobideh TO GO. read more

The menu is confusing and way to many pictures. We ordered the family meal good for 5 people. You don't get a lof of rice nor bread. The beef taste was gamey but the chicken was delicious. You do get unlimited tea which is a plus. Overall its a grill and price is very fair. The basmati rice needs some work and the beef needs some to overall i loved the good n the service. read more

Fanoos Grill - New menu - Middle Eastern Near Me - Torrance, California

Pretty good Persian foods at a decent price! Was craving Persian so decided to pick some up on my way to the bf's for dinner. This was one of the closer restaurants to his place. Thank goodness for whoever took a pic of their menu since they don't have an online site with menu for me to browse. I ordered the Combo #5 but asked to substitute the boneless chicken kabob with the chicken koobideh. I love koobideh, and the boneless stuff tends to be really dry at most persian places. The guy on the phone said it would be an extra $1.95 to substitute, which was fine with me. Their prices are cheaper than Javan, which is my favorite Persian restaurant. When I got to the plaza to pick up the foods, it took me a bit to find the restaurant. They are kind of in an obscure section of the plaza. The cashier's attitude, and probably was the same guy on the phone, was indifferent at best, slightly cold. Whatevs, I just want my foods. So the food itself is not bad, I like the salad and chicken koobideh the most, their lamb kabob following close behind. They're a little stingy with their sumac, I asked if I could get a small container of it at the restaurant and the guy said there was already a pack in the bag and wouldn't give me another one. That packet was tiny! Everything else is good, but nothing to wow me. I think Javan is still better, but if I were in the area and needed my Persian fix, I'd come here again. And probably pour sumac all over everything before I go. read more

Full Disclosure I'm the food Photographer for this wonderful establishment & also designed their menu. I've been coming to Fanoos Grill for a long time, first to offer my services then as a customer, (I definitely wish I lived closer.) I've come to befriend the Owener Amir, whom I now consider close. A family man who works like he means it. Selfless in his desire to provide for his family, works long hours, then works some more. All with a great disposition. He greets every customer as if they were old friends, treats each one with the humble view of knowing the customer deserves to enjoy the meal they are about to partake. So why do I speak about the person? Well knowing a little about the background of the cook, will help you now understand the reason the dishes you will get at Fanoos Grill are so well prepared and seasoned! There are no corners cut here! Prepared with the highest attention to detail, Sumptuous delicacies from family recipes of long ago. Each morsel of grilled meat is perfection. Soups, stews, different types of rice prepared to order. The menu is extensive and you will definitely want to come back and try them all. I wish I could add some stars but five is all they allow. Please visit Fanoos Grill ask for Amir, he'll take care of you. read more

People seem to forget that owning a business, any business, means one is in the customer service business. So when it becomes difficult to order or you only accept cash, there are many other easier choices.... So no thanks! read more

The service and food was impeccable, I regret that I did not get the gentleman's name who served us but he was very professional and fast. He also made excellent suggestions on what food to order. The food was delicious. My husband ordered the juicy chicken kabob and I had a falafel with a side of hummus. We both enjoyed our meals and look forward to returning soon! Thanks for the great food and service. Nice combo! read more

AMAZING food and service. I'm a usual here and love the food. The server, Amu is very kind and attentive. Definitely a must try. Best Mediterranean spot in southern california! Thanks Amu! read more

One of my favorite restaurants! I especially love the Gheimeh Bademjan, , the lamb chop kabob and all the kabobs are delicious!

Surprised on the quality. Quite high in my opinion. We had kabobs (upgraded the rice to have dates and raisins in it) and they didn't disappoint. I would say that for the price/quality ratio, it's pretty decent. Service is pretty good also. If you're looking for a place that feels like you're getting a good value and the food is fresh, I would recommend a visit. read more

Very delicious Persian food- super tasty. We enjoyed everything we ate and want to come back and try other items. We had kabobs, rice, and salad. One of the most tasty middle eastern style restaurants in the Torrance area. read more

Best Persian food in the south bay, and arguably the Greater LA area. EXCELLENT customer service. I have been eating here for the past 7 years and their high quality has remained unchanged. Even when the owners are not present, the staff are hardworking and courteous and take pride in their work. Their vegetarian and vegan options are also delicious and definitely worth a try. Baklavas are delivered fresh daily. We have used them for catering to over a 100 people and it was a great success. The catered food tasted as great as the restaurant, if not better. read more

I wish I had found this place sooner! It is a quaint, clean, smaller casual place. We split a meal of Kabobs and it was a great sampler. We also upscaled the rice to adas rice. It had lentils, raisins and ever so pleasant pieces of dates. The Kabob sampler had lamb, beef, chicken breast and chicken thighs. All were seasoned perfectly. A small salad also came as a side. It was a great healthy well balanced meal. Can't wait to go back! PS The staff was also really nice! read more

Everything was prepared with a lot of care and the respective ingredients' "true" taste really came out - in other words: FRESH. Beginners of Middle-Eastern food would enjoy the food here, as well. The portions were generous. Excellent cost-performance. read more

Food is not bad. Somewhat bland. They don't have sauces to add flavor. Quite pricey.