I just finished another great lunch at Olive Branch. My family and I have been dining here for almost 20 years and it is always consistently good. My husband is Iranian, so he is a little picky when it comes to going out to eat Middle Eastern cuisine because his own cooking is so good. This is probably his favorite restaurant for Middle Eastern cusine in the area. I love it too because everything is fresh and there are plenty of dishes to choose from. We usually order the kebabs, but all of the traditional stews are great too. At least one stew is served daily. The appetizers and salads are very tasty. The Igra and Kaskk-e-Bademjan are our favorites, as well as well as the Dolme (stuffed grape leaves). It is a little expensive for lunch, but it is worth it. I haven't been here for dinner in ages, but they used to have live music. Not sure if they still do, but the musician used to take requests which my sons enjoys doing. There weren't too many patrons in there for lunch which is most likely a sign of the economy. Hopefully, this restaurant will stay in business. read more

The Hummus is fabulous. The Filet kebab and the Chicken Thigh Kebab are delicious and you always get more than enough food. A little more than other places but well worth it as it is always cooked fresh, you won't be disappointed. A little treasure in La Crescenta! GReat combo meals on weekends. read more

Great Koobideh and Ghormeh Sabzi! This is my favorite Persian restaurant in the LA area. Not fancy but the food is excellent. Service is good prices are affordable! What more can you ask for? I'd ask for an Olive Branch in the Bay Area... Excellent value especially at lunch. Much better than Shamshiri especially in the food flavor and prices! Try it!!! read more

This place is either hit or miss. I used to work two blocks away from here and it was the only Middle Eastern restaurant in La Crescenta. I always get the ground beef kabob which sometimes is moist and flavorful, or could be very dry and lacking. The service is great! read more

The parking is awful but once you get in the place and bite into that fresh warm pita bread, it's all worth it. Great little Persian restaurant. read more

3 of us went on a Saturday evening. The food was pretty good, great appetizers and main dishes were tasty. My biggest complaint and why I would not go back is the waitress. She was just plain unpleasant, threw salads on our table, never said hello or goodbye, did not check on refilling anything, never offered us more beer/wine. Also, one of the 3 menus handed us had old lower pricing, that was a bit strange. So, food was ok but the non friendly help was the pits. Also, as an earlier poster wrote..... Do not sit near the front counter as that is where lots of takeout activity is taking place. read more

Will Drive Far For This Place. I work in downtown and live in San Gabriel. The fact that I will still go to this place for takeout says a great deal considering we have so many good Middle Eastern restaurants in Monrovia and Alhambra. I like that this place provides herbs, since some do not. The cucumber and yogurt is awesome. Chicken and Beef kabobs are some of the best I have had. read more

This is my go to location for some kabobs in La Crescenta and Tujunga neighborhoods. I've been dining here for about 8 years now. Their quality has been consistent and they delivery as well. read more

I love this place! Everything I have ordered from here has been excellent! I have also ordered take out to cater a dinner as well. The food is great, the service is usually great too. Sometimes when you eat in, they kind of ignore you ... but the food is good so I don't care about that. read more

Hands down this is the BEST Middle Eastern food you will find in the area. Service can be slow because they generally have one server only, they have a small kitchen and they make everything from SCRATCH!!!!! So it is absolutely FRESH and Delicious. If I had to describe the food there I would say it is old world style. Made fresh, with fresh meat and herbs etc. Parking on street also in back of building and most people never see there is a second level parking just below the first. Is it worth the wait? YES!!! After ten years eating there I recommend the following and you cant go wrong I promise. Start with the soup its always a choice of barley or Lentil, I generally dislike barley and lentil but for some reason I love there lentil and recommend it. Barley is good also. If you don't like soup then you can get salad but its pretty basic. The soup has fresh herbs and no msg etc, where do you ever get that these days? Appetizer Love the Hummus, it is super fresh, tasty and in my opinion the best to be had anywhere... You will get warm pita bread, fresh radishes, giant fresh onion slices and some pads of butter. WAIT!!!! Order some hummus and mix a chunk of onion with the hummus on your pita bread, who would have known, It be so delicious!!! Lunch is always cheaper then dinner about $8 and a dam good deal. Portions are big! Dinner is about $12 on average and even bigger portions, you wont leave hungry. You get meat, Basmati Rice perfection and a fire roasted tomatoes and pepper warning the pepper can be dam spicy also. I always get Ground chicken or beef kabob. Its lean and fresh and the perfect mix of fresh herbs and spices and it super delicious. My other choice is always chicken breast kabob or beef. Its big portions and look delicious when served and it's Always juicy. I am not a fish eater but will add that the salmon has blown away my friends. They all say its moist and not oily at all. It is also quite beautiful to see when served. I always get a full carafe of Ice tea when I am there but they general serve it by the glass. The tea is fresh brewed on the spot! And is amazing. Oh and I am addicted to berry rice and ask for it to be substituted for plain rice I mix it with my hummus. Ask for it, you will not be disappointed!!!! Warning, if you are price conscious I am sure there are extra fee's for changes to the menu but they are minimal at best and remember they do make it fresh not from a can etc. Down side: Like I said service can be slow, they have a minimal staff but the trade off is super fresh and I understand they are a small mom and pop outfit and probably can't afford a big staff. Tables, chairs and general atmosphere could use a remodel. Bathroom also. Cheesy music live on weekends but it's cultural and they stick to their roots you can taste it in the food. Bottom line. If you want homemade food that's super delicious at a great price this is the place! read more

The food was ok-ish... Small portions and VERY overpriced. I ordered the vegetarian combo plate and my falafel was so hard that it hurt to eat. The service started out great, we got seated right away then it all went downhill from there. When we got our food we needed more bread and drink refills that never came. A couple next to us had complained about getting the wrong order so the server visited their table at least five times without asking if we were ok even once. My husband had to go to the counter to ask for refills. When the server returned with the bread she apologized and said that it had been "so busy" but there were only 3 tables of people dining in. We will definitely not be returning. Don't waste your time or money when there are plenty of better choices nearby. read more

This was my first real taste and appreciation for Mediterranean food and I have yet to find a "beef barg" that can match what they offer here. My mouth melts for meat every time. The best best BEST part of the meal is the wonderful rice covered in flakes of sumac. I haven't been able to find a more generous restaurant in terms of this spice. Some places don't even offer it which I think is terrible! Husband loves to get the fesenjan. The appetizers are great, dolmeh, hummus - they give you pitas and onion as the starter bread. I'm not a fan of raw onion, makes you unkissable for the rest of the day. I surely miss this place, the small restaurant charm and almost unfriendly service is definitely hard to forget of a favorite spot. Great for take out as well, the food doesn't get terrible on the drive home! read more

We have been there once now for dinner and the restaurant is pretty good..I have had better middle eastern food though. The restaurant is clean and confortable. it is very well lit. Good service and friendly staff. I would go there again, but overall I think I prefer Carousol restaurant in Glendale over Olive Branch...the food is much better. read more

Olive Branch - Middle Eastern Near Me - La Crescenta, California

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The food is delish. When I go there I can't stop eating the pita. I love the eggplant dip, and grilled Salmon dish. If I live closer, I would be there at least once a week. It's a great treat to be able to sneek a trip in when I'm in the area for classes. If you are in a hurry, I would call ahead and get your food started during rush hour. They have a lot of take out orders during dinner time, even if the restaurant isn't pack yet. There is a small shared parking lot in the back. I usually almost always find parking on the street in front of the restaurant. The staff has always been top notch. read more

The lady over the phone was sweet. The food was wayyy too oily. The lentil soup was flavorless. The beef in the stew tasted good. It said eggplant stew but all i got was 4 or 5 cooked tomatoes. No eggplant. read more

DELICIOUS food and superb workers. The menu is full of flavorful cuisine. From the sauces, the grape leaves, the orange peel rice, the olive branch special with chicken, beef, and lamb. Everything was worth it. They even have live music being played. The owner who took out order, recommended us get a certain plate instead of ordering separately to save money. My boyfriend and I both love this place and will be returning! read more

Ok, so I'll start off by saying I USED to enjoy this place, but after this weekend I will NEVER eat there again, and if I could give ZERO starts I would! So for over a week my wife and I have been conversing with Olive Branch regarding a very large order for Saturday afternoon for my infant sons baptismal party. Friday night we confirmed the order once more, gave a credit card deposit and confirmed the delivery time for the food for the umpteenth time. So imagine my surprise when the delivery time come and goes and no food. When I called, they straight lied to me... "we called you ten times (zero missed calls) and since you never confirmed, (which we did the night before by providing a credit card) we haven't started your order (it is non noon and we were supposed to have everything delivered by 1130). So at this point I had almost no options and said ok whatever just get it here. 5 minutes later we get a call back... "how are you paying? Cash or card?!?" - we gave you a card the night before, so did you lose my credit card info? At this point we lost it and cancelled the whole order. Thankfully, we found Panini Grill down on Brand... extremely professional, we told them what happened, they had trays of food ready for me in 25 minutes! Their staff was professional, courteous and amazing, do yourself a favor, skip Olive Branch and go to Panini Grill. I will never be returning to Olive Branch , ever! They almost ruined what was supposed to be a joyous event for our family and friends and they didn't seem to care one bit. Maybe try actually training your people in customer service and how to conduct a business properly and you won't be empty every single night! read more

We went today for Mother's Day early dinner. Again, delicious food, excellent service. The food and service is sooo consistent. Even their complimentary mint leaves so fresh as if they just picked from there backyard. I have yet seen a withered leaves. Bread always warm. Even when you ask for more, the ladies always bring with a smile. The owner must be a wonderful person since all their employees are always so polite and nice and cheerful Thank you again for the delicious food. read more

My son and his Persian friend visited over Christmas and it just so happened I have never been to Olive Branch so we all agreed to try it on a Saturday for early afternoon dinner. I am a total nut case when it comes to Fessenjan and I love that their version of it was at least as good as Darya's in Santa Monica. The tartness and sweetness of the dish and tenderness of the chicken was great. Several people tried the berry rice and kebab which I tasted.. Definitely a new taste sensation for me. My son's friend enjoyed the Persian food so we knew we had gone to the right place. The sampler dish with dolma grape leaves was excellent too. The 3 boys devoured their Koobide like a tornado. We hardly had anything to take home. Service was very helpful with our questions and quick to deliver. I am giving this cafe 3 stars knowing I will be returning often to try other things. read more

This place is my go-to middle eastern restaurant. I have tried practically everything on the menu, and have never disliked my food. Though I usually order take out, the ambiance of the restaurant is great. The employees are nothing but kind and provide you with the best service. I used to work across the street and became a regular, and the employees knew me by name and would know my order when I called in. I love eating middle eastern food, and I am a definite foodie so I have tried places all over Los Angeles, but nothing compares to this place. Recently, I had them cater for relatives that were visiting from the middle east for about 3 months, and they said that it was the first time they ate food that made them feel they were at home! The delivery was made on time, and the best part? the pricing is AMAZING. read more

I really like the food and the attention you get from the staff but it seems its empty a lot, maybe I go to eat to early, great location. read more

Olive Branch - Middle Eastern Near Me - La Crescenta, California

We ordered using the Eat24 app it was around 8 pm. An hour later the food was at our house and smelled amazing. We had just come back from a long road trip and this just hit the spot. We've always wanted to visit the location but never had the time. The Bark Kebob was really good. We also had beef Kebob and chicken Kebob. Great portions and priced well. Can't wait to order again and can't wait to visit location to have a sit down dinner... This place gets an A+ in my book FYI I'm a shish Kebob BBQ nut I normally do my own cook outs. read more

Love this place ..,the food the music.,the waitresses there are awesome definitely i will keep coming back

Came here with my boyfriend, and the food was DELICIOUS! We went on a Saturday around 1:00 pm. It was relatively empty which was exciting because we were so hungry. Unfortunately, the service wasn't the best, but I won't take a star off because there was only one server. Feedback for the restaurant: the owner should step in if there's only one server. We had to ask him for a refill, and he did so happily but it would have been nice if he offered from the start. Try this place y'all! It's the best I've had in a while!! read more

Delicious food. Pita bread is utterly yummy. Go go go go go!

Definitely the owner checks out yelp reviews, the restaurant must have hired new waitresses. Lots of to-gos. I'd rank it third in my neighborhood, after Mini Kitchen and Raffi's in Glendale. Kabab is served with lots of rice and pita. Had to order hummus seperately. Not worth $5.50. read more

Olive Branch - Salmon kabab and Olive Branch Combo. Comes with choice of salad or soup-dine in only. Don't order combo. - Middle Eastern Near Me - La Crescenta, California

My favorite dish are lam shank, they cook it for 8h, it melt in your mouth! It is the best lam shank I have ever gotten. Also, my another favorite are Kabab, Dorma and rice with fruits. Chicken kabab is my least favorite. Service is always excellent as well. read more

Great kabab. I had lamb with rice, my friend had beef with veggies. Nicely seared. Wonderful marinade flavors. Generous portions; plus price includes a salad & drink, even at lunch. Try the rose water flavored rice pudding for dessert. Courteous and friendly service. I'll come back. read more

I have ordered from here several times and never get disappointed. It is the BEST kabob I have ever had and I have tried a lot of different places. Can recommend to anyone!! read more

Went to this place with my mom and it was so good. The food was so yummy and the service was great. The portions are LARGE and everything came hot! read more

A lovely little place. Kind attentive service. And the food is not only consistently fresh and delicious, It is presented beautifully too! You would expect to pay a lot more than you do. Everyone that I have recommend this place to have raved about it. Especially the lamb dishes. read more

Small quiet restaurant ; great food ! I ordered the kabob plate with a side of hummus for $20 bucks or so . Kabob was delicious meat just perfect . read more

Olive Branch - Middle Eastern Near Me - La Crescenta, California

Great place for kabobs. Not as good as that other place in Glendale but much closer but much better than garden grill.

Delicious kabobs. Their beef barg is awesome so is the chicken one. The yogurt cucumber, yogurt shallot, egg plant dishes and their salads are awesome! read more

Olive branch is one of the best kebabs in the area. We typically order takeout or sometimes delivery. It's so convenient and they're always providing us with consistently delicious meals. We usually order for catering too when we have dinner parties. Ask them about their specials. read more

The service is amazing , food is so delicious , defiantly going back , the staff very friendly and nice the place is so clean, parking is good . Recommending to every body to try. read more

One of the best Mediterranean restaurants in Southern California we travel 30 miles for this fantastic food tonight we had lamb shank that was incredible and lamb kebab both being fantastic recommend this to anyone who enjoys Mediterranean food read more

Olive Branch - This has to be one of the largest lamb shanks I have ever seen. It was so tender and tasty. May even drive the 30+ miles. - Middle Eastern Near Me - La Crescenta, California

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Had lunch today with my wife. The server was very friendly, and spent time with us, even though they were getting ready for two large groups. I had one of the exotic rice dishes, lamb shank with lima bean rice, and my wife had the chicken with barberries and saffron rice. The lamb was quite tasty, but the chicken was absolutely perfect. As I noted previously, the prices are a bit high, but the portions are huge. We each took home over half the plate. Our only complaint is that the table cloths are a bit dirty. We will definitely be back. read more

Great Kabobs, hummus, and the Orange zest rice is to die for. So much you will definitely have a lot to take. My favorites kabobs are the chicken breast and the shrimp. Prices are reasonable. Wine and beer, teas and sodas go well with the kabobs. I think you will enjoy it. read more

They started our lunch with bringing us a lovely family style salad, yummy bread and dips along with fresh cut onion and radishes. I had the roasted vegetables with yummy raisin rice. VERY generous portions. Had enough for 2 more lunches the next day. Look forward to my next visit. read more