Best Persian food I've had, and I don't say that loosely. Start with the cucumber mint drink. It sounds like a garnish and arrives like the point of the meal -- cold, clean, barely sweet, actual cucumber rather than syrup pretending to be one. I ordered a second before the food came out and a third before I left. The tachin is the reason to come back. Saffron rice baked into a crust that holds together on the fork, crisp on the outside and still tender underneath, with the yogurt and egg doing quiet work in the background. Most places serve tachin as an afterthought to the protein. Here it's the center of the plate and it earns it. The lamb is cooked to the point where it gives up without falling apart -- no gristle, no gaminess, seasoned with restraint so the meat still tastes like lamb. Paired against the tachin, it's the best bite on the menu. Fast service, no pretense, no inflated pricing. I'll be back within the month. read more

SHUT UP AND GO HERE!!! An absolute Inglewood gem. All the food is fresh, thoughtfully curated with beautiful flavors and great presentation. I dream about their saffron rose ice cream sandwich all the time it's so heavenly. A must stop before or after any concert or show if you're going to the forum or Sofi! A perfect pace to pick up dinner or to enjoy a lunch date. :) read more

Kuku Cafe - Middle Eastern Near Me - Inglewood, California

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My favorite café whenever I travel from Orange County to Los Angeles! I highly recommend this place for its delicious food, excellent quality, and great prices. My favorite dishes are the Baghali Polo with Lamb Shank and the Tahchin--both are absolutely amazing. We'll definitely be back again! read more

A must try for Persian food lovers! The tachin was fragrant and beautiful, with a rosewater aroma and filled with tender braised chicken. Cute covered patio, quick service, hospitable energy, dog friendly, and vibrant branding/packaging - 10/10 recommend. read more

Kuku Cafe - Tāchin - Crispy Saffron Rice with Braised Chicken - Tāhchīn - Middle Eastern Near Me - Inglewood, California

Great persian food! Cafe is outside seating only. I ordered the beef skewer with saffron rice and I saw the chef cook it so you know it's fresh! It was a good portion (rice is extra) with vegetables that also tasted fresh. Everything was seasoned well. Their sauces were very delicious too! I demolished the food. Very good! The cashier and chef were also very friendly and even gave us a small cup of their Persian black tea! The chef let us stay as they were closing and even came up to our table to ask if we enjoyed the food. This place is underrated! Come on over! read more

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Let me shout out from the rooftops!! If you're looking to support a local person in business, this is absolutely the spot to try. The owners are literally some of the kindest people I've ever encountered, I can honestly say I would come back just to see them again! But let's get into the actual food - originally I came looking for kenafeh (they don't have!) but stayed for the hospitality, and tried soooo many delicious items off the menu The falafels were absolutely divine and the eggplant dip was addicting. I'd never had it and I loved the crispy onion on top-- gave it a nice crunch. The pistachio baklava and tea was a nice way to end our meal -- not to sweet, light and flavorful read more

Kuku Cafe - Traditional Persian Black Tea - Middle Eastern Near Me - Inglewood, California

I've had Kuku Cafe twice. I'm Iranian and am a pretty harsh critic of Iranian restaurants (along with liking but never really craving Iranian food). Kuku Cafe place is excellent. Super fresh and not at all heavy like a lot of Persian food. I've had the baghali polo (fava-dill rice) and lamb shank, fesenjoon, tahchin, Kuku (plain and wrap), adassi (lentil soup). The baghali polo and lamb is my personal favorite but the fesenjoon and Kuku are also delicious. The Kuku wrap is very very good. I had it next day so the bread was soggy and it was still delicious. My only critique of the fesenjoon is that it's shredded chicken (breast?) which can dry out so I would prefer bone in chicken. The tahchin is honestly not my favorite but that's a personal preference as I don't like rose water in tahchin although that's a somewhat common preparation. The adassi also has a spice I'm not used to in it (cinnamon maybe?) so I'm not the biggest fan of that either but, again, that's a personal preference thing. I also enjoyed their orange blossom refresher with basil seeds quite a bit. The owner is the sweetest Iranian man and you can tell he loves it. When I went to pick up he was sweeping and immediately knew I was there for pickup and my order and ran back to grab it for me. Overall, I highly, highly recommend Kuku for authentic, home cooked, fresh, and delicious Persian food. read more

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This is a small restaurant right next to a car wash. They have a shaded outdoor seating area with a few tables. The service was honestly great! Our server was very friendly and welcoming. They started us off with small complimentary cups of tea. We ordered the kabob wrap, saffron mint lemonade, doogh and shole hard. The food was okay overall but the service definitely stood out the most. They also brought us some complimentary tahchin bites to try, which was really thoughtful, and they were actually pretty tasty. read more

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Such a cute spot. That staff was so sweet and continuously checked in and guiding me through ordering (couldn't decide what to get). The food tasted fresh and was a good portion size. read more

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I stopped by Kuku Cafe for a lunch while I was in Los Angeles for work. It's a pretty nondescript spot on a busy, industrial street. It's next to some auto body/tire shops. Seating is all outdoor so there are some traffic noises. That said, it was fairly quiet when I went (past the main lunch rush). The service was prompt and thoughtful. The staff were very kind! I ordered a Falafel rice bowl and the lemonade. The rice bowl had the dill rice. It was good! I think it didn't have enough salt, but I think that was a me problem and I added more afterwards. The falafel was crispy, but I think could have been a bit more flavorful. I'll note they give you a TON of food, so come hungry or share with someone else. The lemonade was amazing. Really, really good and would definitely recommend it with whatever you order. If I was a local, I would definitely come again! read more

Kuku Cafe - Mint Saffron Lemonade - Middle Eastern Near Me - Inglewood, California

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My good friend took me to KuKu cafe. He'd been wanting to try it for a long time after seeing it on TikTok. We live in the valley but will go pretty much anywhere for great food. When we arrived, I did not expect to eat outside but we went with the flow. He's Persian, so I let him order. Let me tell you the presentation was absolutely beautiful. We did not expect such adorableness. Ordering was easy with QR codes. Pay when we ordered. It was a bit pricier than I expected, but we were looking forward to it. The owners were lovely. It was easy to see that they pour their heart and soul into every part of this place. We started with a rice dish and a spinach and meat dish. The rice was amazing. Spinach dish was a bit over cooked for my taste. The presentation of the other two dishes were so beautiful that we went back and forth as to who was going to take the first scoops. Dessert was yummy rice pudding. If you're in the area, give this cute place a try. read more

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We are coo coo for Kuku Cafe. Ok, bad pun. But the food here is so delightful. Let's talk about it. The tachin with chicken and kuku wrap (herb frittata) stole the show. The flavors on those were homey, intentional, and delicious. The infusions from the sweet barberries, rose flavors, and fresh herbs and spices, stick out in both dishes. The meats? They're tender, melty, and homey as well. My wife is Persian, and this is the first Persian restaurant I've ordered from that tastes like her grandma's. Every bite reveals a lot of love and intention that goes into the meal. I can't speak about the dine-in experience since we ordered in. But pro tip: Order over $50 of food on their website, and the delivery fee is free. We will for sure order from Kuku Cafe again. Kuku is undeniably a 5-star spot! read more

Kuku Cafe - Tachin - Middle Eastern Near Me - Inglewood, California

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Wow. I'd been looking for a good Iranian restaurant for years. The ones on Westwood Blvd always seemed to be steeped in tomatoes, a food sensitivity of mine best avoided. While looking for a place to eat while seeing a movie in Inglewood, Yelp showed me Kuku Cafe. Immediately the pictures jumped out at me! No tomatoes!!!! Google Maps driving instructions are a bit tricky, you'll have to park on the street. Seating is only outdoors and covered. I ordered the Tāchin and the yogurt drink and both were exceptionally good. I thought I was just gonna eat half but it was delicious with the flavors hitting you and you instantly want more. I took a baklava to go and that was also excellent, perfect light sweetness and excellent use of saffron and rose water. One of the friendliest restaurants I've been to in forever I can't recommend this place enough. Next time I'm having the lamb and some black tea and rice pudding and that fava bean thing......... I also loved the artwork on the food wrapping, placemats and stickers! Actually peeled off the sticker on my meal to keep! Can't wait to go again. read more

Kuku Cafe - Wonderful graphic design. Would like to know more about it. - Middle Eastern Near Me - Inglewood, California

This place is absolutely incredible! I heard great things beforehand so I knew I had to stop by when I was in town. I ordered the tachin and also got kuku with bread. Parking was easy on a Friday afternoon with plenty of street parking nearby. I ordered at the counter outside and found a spot to enjoy the weather. Of note, it is only outdoor seating or takeout. While I was waiting for my meal, they brought me a cup of Persian tea which was delicious. It didn't take long for the food to arrive, and when it did, it was all presented so nicely. I particularly enjoyed the tachin. The seasoning was great and I enjoyed the hints of rosewater with every bite. The kuku with lavash wrap was also great. The mint saffron lemonade was very flavorful and refreshing on a warm day. I definitely want to come back to try their other dishes! read more

Kuku Cafe - Middle Eastern Near Me - Inglewood, California

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*Note: TDLR at the end of the review Crispy Saffron Rice Cake with Chicken & Barberries: 8/10 Of course the rice had a nice crunch to it and the chicken was well seasoned but subtle enough to where it's not overpowering. The barberries is what really pulled the entire dish together. Without them, I probably would have rated the dish a 6.8 out of 10. Eating a bit of everything, including the fried aromatics, altogether is what tasted best. Herb Beef Stew: 4/10 The meat was tender. Not the most flavorful dish to be completely transparent. Best way to describe this dish is that it has sort of a deep flavor, but at the same time it is a bit bland. I added some chili flakes and salt to the dish and it helped a bit. I wish there was some acidity to this dish as well. Service: 9.5/10 Everyone there was very very lovely. Didn't get to speak to them much, but they were very helpful. Only reason I give 0.5 off is because ordering was a bit confusing. I was seated for dine in and had to walk up to the front to order because no one was coming to my table to take orders. He took my order outside the door lol. There was only one other customer and they already had their food. Ambiance: 10/10 Honestly I absolutely adored the outside seating area. The packaging, design of the restaurant, and the music played in the background late at night was all I could really ask for. There's not a lot of seating, but it's very aesthetic and feels very homey! TDLR: Depending on what you order it can be hit or miss. I would be open to coming back and trying more dishes. Very cute date spot. Street parking only. Nice people working there. Outdoor dine-in seating. read more

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Kuku is way out of our normal adding bubble but we happened to in the area for a concert. However, we're glad we found this little gem. Upon arrival, the chef, and I'm guessing owner, came out to greet and explain how to order (easily and efficiently done on-line) and answer questions. Once we ordered, we were served a small cup of refreshing Persian black tea then our ordered food. Everything we ordered was well presented (in take away containers) and delicious. Their outdoor dining room was nice because the weather was mild and breezy. Had the weather been different, it would not have been as comfortable. However, the table and surrounding areas were immaculately cleaned and well kept. When we're in the area, we will definitely return. read more

Kuku Cafe - Ground Beef Skewer - Kbdeh - Middle Eastern Near Me - Inglewood, California

First time and Love everything! Very clean patio with family size tables and heaters. Mom & Pop, and son will help, everyone is genuinely courteous, great energy. Now I order a beef skewer wrap, delicious, specially with a hot sauce it came on the side. Got Nava rice, persian hummus and lavish bread. I will definitely come back to try all the dishes, Gracias! read more

Kuku Cafe - Beef wrap - Middle Eastern Near Me - Inglewood, California

The service and food are amazing . The vibe is great. I would recommend this place for people who want amazing food, service, and and amazing vibe. P.s. come here at night In summer for the best vibe and experience. read more

Great food and lovely people! We enjoyed a variety of dishes. Lamb shank and crispy rice were highlights. Convenient stop on the way to the airport. read more

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The food was absolutely amazing and delicious. I truly felt like I was being treated as a special guest. The kindness of the staff made the food even more valuable and elevated the entire experience. I really felt well taken care of. read more

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Their food is awesome, friendly staff , cozy sitting area. You should definitely try their Tahchin

If I could give this restaurant 1000 stars, I would. The owner and son make you feel like you're in your family's kitchen enjoying some of the best homemade food. All of the dishes and desserts (I stopped taking pictures cause I was so focused on eating) were SPECTACULAR. Can't wait to return read more

Kuku Cafe - Middle Eastern Near Me - Inglewood, California

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I went here before going to a show at the YouTube theater. It's all outdoor seating and we were a bit out of place but they were super nice to us (free tea samples!) as we ordered a bunch of different food to try. They were so nice to us, the owner/cook even came out to check on how we liked the food. And we did. It was all delicious: the lamb fell off the bone, the chicken was incredibly moist. Truly surprising because...it really is an order at the counter style place. I'm guessing they get mostly take out orders as being totally outdoor doesn't offer amazing ambiance but the ambiance provided by the service and the food made up for it. read more

We found this restaurant on yelp and boy were we happy we did. We were looking for a place to eat before our concert at the forum. It's Run by a lovely couple. The minute we sat down they came out with complementary hot tea. The food was delicious. We ordered the chicken kabob and the chicken Schwarma. Everything was very authentic and the pistachio baklava was so good. I cannot recommend this restaurant enough. read more

Kuku Cafe - Chicken kabob - Middle Eastern Near Me - Inglewood, California

What a cute Persian restaurant hidden in Inglewood! The couple who owns it and works here are so kind and want to ensure the best experience! The food is delicious, and I love that they've added a very modern twist to it. The plating and designs are also so fun! I love all the stickers. They have outdoor seating and no indoor seating, so this is a great way to have a casual, delicious dinner with some friends/family. I will definitely be back! read more

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Absolutely outstanding! We came to Kuku Restaurant in Inglewood and the Persian food was fantastic full of rich, authentic flavors that feel like home-cooked meals. We ordered five different dishes and every single one was incredibly delicious. The owner was so warm and welcoming, and even surprised us with Persian tea and Sholeh Zard as a gift. Such a thoughtful touch! Thank you for the amazing hospitality. We will definitely be coming back! read more

Kuku Cafe - Tachin - Middle Eastern Near Me - Inglewood, California

I am late to this party, admittedly. However, 100/10, no notes. We had Fesenjun and Kashke Bademjan. So very good and the service is the same. What a lovely place! We will be back. read more

Their tahchin was amazing! Their Kuku is ok. Their design is great and the garnishing is the best. Highly highly recommended read more

Kuku Cafe - Tahchin Loubia polo - Middle Eastern Near Me - Inglewood, California

Great food and super diligent team that made sure everything we ordered was in our bag thank you! We got it as takeout partly because we didn't realize there was seating there. The outdoor seating isn't a bad place to sit other than a little road noise. Next time we'll eat there! Overall the staples are the way to go here - the bread is fantastic - nice and light; the beef kabob was the best part by far and unfortunately we didn't like the chicken kebab at all-- it was kind of tough and a bit overcooked. The beef kabob was just so good though. The crispy rice thing was good but very herbal/flowery tasting. Quite different from what we expected. Good but wouldn't order again. The saffron rice is perfect and the lamb shank was very good as well. The salad was also fantastic. Overall I would order the lamb again, beef kebab, bread, normal rice, and salad. The eggplant was also very good as was the hummus. Go get it! read more

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Outdoor only but a little grassy area with large tables. Amazing food and service. Home cooked meals with art! The owner Reza and his partner were in the kitchen and came out to check on everyone. So kind and everyone eating there were sweet as well. The food and drinks were delicious and I highly recommend this place read more

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This place is a hidden secret. Well at least it seemed hidden to me since I drive past it all the time but never noticed. We stopped by for lunch, it was a nice day so we ate there, they have an outdoor eating area. When I arrived I was greeted and told to use the menu that's online and place my order there. I'm not sure but it seems that you can only order online. They served tea while we waited for our food. read more

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Guys!!! This place is amazing. The sweetest couple run it and every dish they serve is incredible. My favorites here are the fesenjoon, kuku sabzi, tahchin and baghali polo with lamb shank. I haven't found Persian food this good in LA. We are so lucky to have them!!! read more

The tahchin was amazing and authentic. I have tried different persian restaurants and none of them lived up to the hype, but kukus really took me by surprise. The owner was very welcoming and the staff were super friendly. The ambiance and presentation were truly remarkable! read more

Kuku Cafe - Tāchin - Crispy Saffron Rice with Braised Chicken - Tāhchīn Sumac Potato Fries - Middle Eastern Near Me - Inglewood, California

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Delicious Persian food. My Iranian dad says, "the food here tastes 99% like the way my mom would make it". Great service and ambiance as well. read more

We, the four of us, were looking for Mediterranean style food close to the Forum. This place was super casual and yet the food was tasty. We ordered a variety of items and none dissatisfied. The, what appeared to be husband and wife? (Mom & Pop) chef and spouse, did everything including the chef/husband coming out from the kitchen to see how everything was. A non descript place with parking only on the street and maybe 4 or 5 tables this place is almost a hole in the wall. We ate community style with another cordial individual setting up ship eating and working on his laptop. I would go back and try new and different things next time we're in the mood for this kind of food. read more

While you sacrifice ambience here you'll have a terrific meal made with obvious homemade care from the small team at this tiny, off the radar Inglewood gem. It's located next to a car wash on a busy strip, but the team turns out some of the best Persian cuisine I've had, in containers wrapped in their homeland's colors. Try the crispy saffron rice cake with chicken, or the kubideh, both excellent. Yogurt drink is excellent as well, as was the baklava. read more

Kuku Cafe - Crispy Saffron Rice Cake with Braised Chicken - Middle Eastern Near Me - Inglewood, California

These guys don't know how to make a simple Kuku which is a simple Persian appetizer and actually their brand also their koobieh was really bad never coming back this is not authentic Iranian food and who puts iceberg lettuce in a Persian salad lol read more

Came here for dinner on a Friday evening. We were the only patrons so we were served very quickly. We had some of the most friendly served we've ever experienced and were incredibly impressed at the setup! We were started with some free tea and the owner came by multiple times to see how we enjoyed our food. Can't emphasize enough how much of a personal touch they put on the experience This location caught my eye because I'd been wanting to try a Tahchin and saw it was one of their specials. One of the more unique dishes I've ever had, it is incredibly floral for a dish that is primarily rice and chicken. I'd certainly call it an acquired taste, but if that sounds interesting I'd consider giving it a try. There were a few other unique sounding dishes I'd love to come back and try There are also a lot of more standard middle eastern dishes that would be less surprising to an unfamiliar palette, so even for those with less adventurous tastes I'd definitely recommend. read more

Kuku Cafe - Crispy Saffron Rice Cake - Middle Eastern Near Me - Inglewood, California

Excellent dishes made very well and presented tastefully. similar to what your grand ma would feed you with original spices. I loved the Sumac fries but Tahchin and slow braised lamb were Rosie for! read more

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I came back and brought my Iranian neighbor with me. She also agreed that the flavors were good. We smelled and tasted the cinnamon and saffron in the tahchin. The chicken kabob is absolutely juicy and uncomplicated. It's a shame I live far away from Kuku or I'd be dining 2-3x a week! read more

Kuku Cafe - Middle Eastern Near Me - Inglewood, California