Very friendly service, the staff was willing to explain the menu. I got the beef and lamb plate, portion size was good. Agree with other reviews that food is slightly pricy, but food tasted fresh. Would come here again. read more

I had the original chicken shawarma and it just melts in my mouth! Every bite is so good. It's like I already realized how good it was but then I take another bite and gahhhh I love it all over again. Plus the service is excellent and the staff is very friendly! Very nice looking place as well. I will definitely visit again when I'm in town. read more

Olives Branch Express - Original Chicken Shawarma with fries - Mediterranean Near Me - Irvine, California

Ordered Filet Mignon wrap, Kafta plate and Chicken Shwarma plate. The Filet Mignon was super tender. The flavor for all three items was really good. They get a bit busy during dinner time, so might be worth ordering beforehand. read more

This is my favorite spot for sure , I have had a lot of Mediterranean food (Lebanese food ) through out my life. The owner Omar is a hard working diligent and thorough person. At the end of the day what you taste in his food is love and dedication. Family owned business with tabouli to die for . My favorite is the Beirut Plate and can't forget the mint lemonade. The Tabouli taste so good you want to smack someone. Glad he has not lost the authenticity of the herbs and spices and most of all the people. Most def got to come hear don't sleep on this spot . ... read more

Again in the mood for Mediterranean, we have walked by this place a few time and they were not opened yet. So when we found out they were opened we decide to stop in. We were welcomed by a gentlemen named Omar. The restaurant was bright and clean. It has a small amount of tables inside, but you could sit outside in the common area. My wife and I both had the Beirut plate, which gave us a variety of items on their menu. Everything was tasty. The meats were not cut from gyro type cooker, instead it was in a steaming table. All in all, the meats were delish and everything was fresh. Enjoyed the tabouli, falafel and loved the pickle turnips. Now their garlic whip was the way it should be fluffy and garlicky. They also have a hot sauce that they make in house that I would recommend. We enjoyed our meals and will be going back again. Will need to definitely try their full service restaurant in San Juan Capo. read more

I came here for the first time today. Didn't have a clue what to order. Both gentlemen were very helpful; guided me to Beef and Lamb Kafta, rice, salad and hummus. All delicious. I'm telling you, I don't care for hummus but I LOVE their hummus. Will definitely return, and often. Everything is extremely fresh, and seems "homemade" as in made at the restaurant. Very reasonably priced. GO!!!!!!!!!! read more

Olives Branch Express - Mediterranean Near Me - Irvine, California

I've now eaten here twice and enjoyed everything. On m6 first visit a few months ago, I enjoyed the chicken plate with hummus. The chicken was flavorful and moist, the hummus had great taste and texture. Tonight had a falafel sandwich. The falafel was freshly made for me and very tasty. The tahini (dressing) really made the sandwich. And the veggies were all fresh and tasty. I need to remember to eat here far more often! read more

I loved the food, the owner of the restaurant is so warm and welcoming. He had great suggestions and we loved everything we ordered! Def will be back again! read more

Tried The Olives Branch Express for dinner last night, and I am going to second the previous comment - it was one of the slowest experiences getting my plate built. I understand the presentation aspect was being considered, but I was dropping in to grab some good food quickly. It's okay for my plate to be a bit messy, as long as the food is good. This is the "express", after all. Also, portions were a bit skimpy. In all, my meal was $12+ dollars for a plate and a drink, which isn't too bad. A little extra love on the shawarma serving size would have been appreciated, especially compared to similar restaurants. Also, chicken shawarma was almost gone at 5:45pm...hopefully they were just waiting on more form the kitchen. The staff, although very slow, were all extremely gracious and friendly. The food was very good, but I hope it to be significantly faster the next time - I will be going back to give them a second chance. read more

Unfortunately Olives Branch is not the same anymore. We have stopped eating here due to an issue that occurred a few weeks ago. We ordered our food in person (brand new staff members, as always.) and my entire order was incorrect. It also took about 25 minutes for our food to be ready. I even paid for extra chicken so I could share with my daughter and I was given the same tiny portion anyone would receive. There was salad dressing on everything, when I specifically requested no salad. I didn't see this until we got home to eat, and unfortunately I didn't have time to go back to the restaurant to fix it because we were late for a meeting. I called, and the girl on the phone told me she didn't know how to resolve the issue and that she would call me back after speaking with her manager. I never received a call back. Wasted money, wasted time. We'll have to find chicken shawarma elsewhere :( read more

Love this place, delicious food and very friendly staff. I ordered the chicken kabob plate and love the garlic dip they have. Highly recommend for a great lunch! read more

Definitely my go to for Mediterranean food when in the area. I get the Beirut Plate every time, AMAZING!! . The tabouli is the freshest, tastiest salad in Irvine.. read more

I had to work double shift on Friday, and after work I was so hungry and craving something tasty and healthy, so I took my mom and kids to olive Branch, great service, the employees are very helpful with a smile on there face, which nowadays that's rare you feel most employees don't bother to acknowledge you, the food was freshly cooked, big quantities everyone ordered different plate so we can try it all. And everything was beyond good. The bad part I had no room to try the baklava ice cream. Next time for sure. I advice everyone to try olive branch :) read more

Great Mediterranean restaurant in Irvine! It's very hard to find a good food spot in Irvine. I am Lebanese and very picky when it comes to Mediterranean restaurant. I order the Taouk plate and Tripoli wrap and they both hit the spot. Really good quality meat and great taste. Would definitely come back again soon. read more

Yummy lentil soup! Food is very flavorful. Lotta meat with the steak shwarma plate but kinda dry. The spicy labneh is so addicting!

Came here at what I assumed would be peak lunch hour (12 pm) but it's a ghost town. Even though I'm the only customer, I still wait over 15 minutes to get my food, which is a chicken tawook plate. It is a little weird because the workers kind of do their own thing without acknowledgement, and I'm just standing here awkwardly wondering why it's taking so long, despite being the only customer in the eatery. When adding sides, they don't really tell you whats going on. The entire process was just very drawn out. Portions are smaller than other cheaper Mediterranean places that are about 5 minutes away. I most likely will not be returning here, which is unfortunate because they seem lacking in business.. read more

Best Arab food in the area in terms of quality and taste. Not bland at all and the meat cuts are juicy and not full of fat/cartilage. Food is halal and service is fantastic. read more

Ordered the family meal. Want to try different meat. Staff made suggestions. Food was delicious! Portion is decent. Wish it was just a bit more. Will need to order at least one may be 2 more skewers. read more

Amazing Toum (garlic paste). To die for Mint Lemonade. The French fries...YUM! Perfectly pickled turnips. Really smooth tahini sauce. Crisp, flavorful, well-dressed salads. And hummus that makes my husband drool. The flavors are definitely Middle Eastern (not Greek or Persian). You have something for everyone (carnivore or herbivore) here: Falafel. Veggie plate. Well-seasoned meats. Rice. Soup. Appetizers. Wraps. Really HUGE meals. Desert. Be prepared to leave FULL and HAPPY. read more

What can I say? The food is delicious! They care about quality and customer service. Very nice and friendly staff. The food is always fresh and you MUST try the baklava ice cream. They make it in-house and it's amazing. read more

Yummy food! Kind staff! I'll definitely come back. I had a chicken kabob wrap and it was the perfect ratio of meat/veggie/wrap.

I tried their $5.99 special wrap + fries today. The taste is very good. The wrap is medium size. I think good deal. The best part of course the taste, it was amazing!!!!!! read more

Not what I expected. This place really let me down. The food was not very appealing in presentation and lacked authentic flavor in tasting it. read more

This is one of the better Mediterranean food places. The service was nice and friendly. Restaurant was clean. Food portions are good for price. Recommend the No 15 Vegan plate or No 13 Falafel plate during lent. read more

We ordered food to go. Got multiple wraps. Soup. Grape leaves. Potatoes. Falafel. Every single item had multiple pieces of HUMAN hair in it. I'm so disgusted I dont know what to say. Never again. read more

I'm eating their excuse for a gyro. It's gross. Take a bite out of a scented pine cone and there you have it. I'll heat a frozen burrito before I take another bite if this. $12 for something I'm giving to the dog. Appreciate it. read more

Great, quick meal. We had a late soccer game at Great Park and looking for something healthy and quick for dinner. Usually not synonymous with soccer weekend meals. I ordered the Chicken Tawook Wrap and my husband ordered the chicken shawarma wrap. We both loved our meals. The chicken in my wrap was prepared fresh and cooked perfectly. The garlic sauce, cabbage slaw and pickles complemented the grilled chicken and the freshly grilled pita very well. Highly recommend Olives Branch Express!! read more

Visited this place twice. Loved the juicy Kofta kabobs and the chicken kabobs. Will go there again.

Amazing food! I crave it all the time, unfortunately it's a bit out of my budget for a casual after work dinner. The owner is very nice, he let me try all the sauces. It's usually a bit of a wait, even if you order ahead, but I don't mind it since I know my food fresh and made to order. read more

Service - Nice Food - Blah Steak Shawarma Plate - Essentially, this was Subway for Mediterranean food. The meats were pre-cooked and in a warmer with tons of liquid. The steak was bland and chewy. Also, I watched as the lady assembling the plate pull something out of the meat with her bare hands and throw it in a trash can. Then she continued to scoop the meat out. Lovely. read more

Chicken kbob, salad, hummus. Very good. Fresh. Generous portions. Except only half a piece of pita bread without option to purchase extra pieces. read more

This place is so delicious! I ordered the falafel sandwich & a side of grape leaves. Both were so tasty. I love their topping options! I will definitely be back! read more

This place is amazing! We usually go to Zankau Chicken but who has time to drive up to LA every time you want epic shwarma? This place is local and has it all. Get the plate or the wrap and you won't be disappointed. Staff is friendly and gets to know you on a first name basis. 5 stars for sure! read more