Decided to come here one day after my dentist appointment. I ordered the chicken shawarma wrap for…read morepick up. It's a good size for the price, the chicken is very tasty and I really liked the garlicky sauce thing that came with it. Would definitely come back here the next time I'm craving another shawarma. Service was friendly too!

I've been disappointed both times I've eaten here--not necessarily because the food is bad, but…read morebecause the overall experience hasn't felt worth the price. My first visit was in person. I tried the mini chicken shawarma and liked it enough that, since I was still hungry, I ordered the lamb as well with pickles and toum. Unfortunately, the pickles and toum were left off, which I didn't realize until I got home. The falafel were also surprisingly tiny. Yes, they're only 65 cents each, but a good falafel should still have that contrast between a crisp exterior and a fluffy interior. These were mostly crust, with very little soft center. I also didn't feel particularly welcomed. I mentioned that it was my first time there, and there wasn't much warmth or effort to make the experience feel inviting. Today I ordered through DoorDash using a credit. I paid for two additional sides of toum, and the fries were also described as coming with toum. The extra sides I paid for arrived, but the toum that was supposed to come with the fries did not. Is it a small thing? Sure. But when restaurant prices are already high--and delivery adds an additional markup--I expect to receive everything that is included in the order. I also found the chicken pita quite small for the price. I understand the chef has an excellent reputation, and I'm not questioning anyone's talent. But both experiences have left me feeling shortchanged. It's the accumulation of things: small portions, missing items, and customer service that didn't feel particularly welcoming. At this point, I'd rather make my own falafel and shawarma at home. I genuinely enjoy cooking, and lately I've found that restaurant prices keep climbing while portion size, attention to detail, and service don't always rise with them.

Went to Lazeez kitchen for lunch after reading all the good reviews…read more The restaurant was empty with one family before me ordering. I ordered the lamb and beef platter. It took like 25 mins only to find out they made it for Togo and it's just sitting there, not a problem mistakes happen. The meat was juicy and flavorful, the salad had lettuce , onion and one baby tomatoes but a lot of olives. Maybe they do it this way. The place is clean and tidy. I will try this place again sometime

Catering services has always been a pleasure with online ordering and call ahead for large groups…read more Love the falafels and the sharma chicken and rice. Salads are always a hit with arugula only my favorite or mixed greens. Large party trays with chicken, beef and falafels. Cannot do without the falafels some of the best. Beware for those who are spice sensitive the garlic yogurt is very spicy or just me lol. Definitely give a try and support local businesses!

I reserved their beautiful private room for a luncheon for my non-profit. The owner couldn't have…read morebeen more cooperative and anxious to please, providing an amazing mouthwatering menu with the variety and pricing that met our needs. Our guests were delighted by the warmth and hospitality of the owner, who came into our room to tell us about the meal he was preparing. He also told us about his background in Afghanistan, where his businesses trained and supported dozens of women and their families, providing them with childcare and fair wages for their services. This was more than a delicious meal - it was a rare opportunity to experience the true richness of the Afghan culture and the bounty of its culinary repertoire.

open concept with a slightly below street level view of College Ave... warm, inviting. and…read morecomfortable, slightly sprawling spot with plenty of seating. Very well-prepared, seasoned and served mix of afghan and mediterranean foods... the aushak dumplings and eggplant qorma were highlights. We'd happily return when in the area.

Amazeballs. So well thought of. From the sauces to the desserts…read more The cheese stuffed falafels are the best I've ever had. The Chicken Tagine is soulful and generous in its portioning. We had the lamb burrito thing and it was so soulful and delicious. Drinks all get a thumbs up and the space itself is warm and inviting. We had them cater a memorial this last weekend and the falafel balls were the hit. Thank you guys.

Counter service with open seating concept indoor and outdoor. Service was friendly and helpful…read more Food was delicious and fresh! The hummus in particular was amazing! Great place go eat in a nice day as the indoor dining is still pretty open. It was busy but not noisy. I'm leaving this reviewing having noticed that they have unfortunately closed! My hope is they find a new location and keep the same menu!

All the things I could say…read more.. We love this spot, and it has become our go to when visiting the area (though I do also LOVE Zachary's). Most recently, we dropped in before going to a show at the Ivy Room (another favorite). We got there early so we we could enjoy a leisurely meal. We were e seated in the bar, which worked well as we had great service and I personally like the higher bar tables. We tried the mezzo plate, kofta, a fantastic halumi salad, and the phyllo chicken pie. Everything we had was delicious! Cocktails and wine options were also outstanding. We finished with halva topped scoop of ice cream and delightful coffee! Great spot? Great food! Great service! We love this place!

We've always liked Zaytoon for the ambiance, tasty food, and affordability. And the service is…read moregreat: attentive and professional. We came here last night and found everything to our liking--the generous appetizer of roasted Brussels sprouts (though we couldn't detect the pomegranate syrup), Maklouba and Bamia, both of which featured melt-in-your-mouth lamb. We'd give it 5 stars except that the Maklouba and Bamia seemed too heavily salted -- maybe because we're OGs and have to watch our salt intake, we don't salt our food at home.

The food was juicy and flavorful. I would definitely go back again 10 out of 10 recommendread more

I ordered a Chicken & Beef Shawarma Combo for takeout…read more I was trying to find the best mediterranean eatery in the last several weeks in the east bay and I might've found the winner. Absolute hole in the wall banger. It's great value for the pricing and it did well for my mediterranean diet. I would recommend ordering online for takeout ahead of time because sometimes it does get busy. Chicken & Beef Shawarma Combo 5/5 Like I said absolute banger for flavor and value. The combo plate comes with nicely baked Flat Bread, Lentil Soup and a Salad. The sauces are delicious and a great compliment to the protein. The chicken and beef are so tender that you can easily devour everything is minutes. Portion size is huge and you could definitely feed 2 people with one order. I only ate half and saved the rest for the next day. I'm definitely coming back as a regular. Highly recommend getting your shawarma fix here.

I've been here several times and the food is always delicious, warm, and fresh…read more The Chicken and Lamb Shawerma are my favorites. Sweets are delicious as well. Enjoy!

My husband and I have been to this place more than four or five times now, and we absolutely love…read moreit! The chicken shawarma and beef dishes are always super tasty, and their koobideh kebab is perfectly cooked every time. It's honestly the only restaurant that I'd say is worth visiting at least once a month the prices are fair, the portions are generous, and the food quality is consistently great. Every time we go, everything is just excellent!

The chicken and rice are awesome. Chicken was juicy and so flavorful…read more Yogurt and chive appetizer was great. The waitress recommended it and it was way better than I was anticipating. Tachin was something completely different. So many different flavors and textures. Great change up. Wouldn't be my go to. But once in a while I could enjoy it.

We walked in and tried to get a table for 2. And the owner asked us if we had reservations. But…read morethere was plenty of seating inside and outside. Funny part is, no one walked in after us. We were then seated, the first girl asked if we wanted anything to drink which we did but we never got our drinks til another waitress came and asked us 20mins later. We told her we were ready to order and we had to wait another 10mins for another waiter to order. We got the chive/shallot yogurt, lollipop lamb chops, Koobideh and Joojeh Kabob. The kabeb dishes came with grilled tomato, grilled pepper, rice with tadig on top. They also make this pink butter to put on the rice. Food is good and everything was seasoned well and not over cooked. I want to give this place a try again but they need to work on their customer service. They catered more to other tables and we didn't even get offered the dessert menu like the other tables around us. Also, we had to ask for the check and no one even came to check if we were ready to pay we had to go up there.

Enjoyed a nice family lunch at Kamdesh. The restaurant is large but we were one of two diners on a…read moreSaturday. The restaurant was pretty warm from the oven and no ac was on, there is a fan near the door. We ordered many appetizers, the best was the potato bolani, and eggplant borani. Unfortunately there was no pakora but they had samosas, which were ok. For mian dishes, we had a variety of meat and vegetables. For veg, I recommend the sabzi challow and green beans. And heard the lamb chops were good. Food came out hot and delicious but it did come out slowly. There was only one cook in the kitchen. Service was friendly, they allowed us to eat an outside cake in the restaurant. Would come back to eat again, maybe take out!

Recently I hosted a multi-day work event in Downtown Oakland where I was offering lunch each day,…read moreso instead of big chain restaurants or Doordash or EZ Cater, I actually called restaurants and spoke to managers/someone who could work with me on catering orders (talked on the phone? wow, shocking! But working with them directly helps them earn more than when it's through one of the delivery sites). I've always liked Kamdesh, sometimes during a busy lunch rush I've had to wait a little bit, but I felt like getting them a shot. I worked out a menu for a buffet lunch with different items and they delivered to my office in downtown. We had folks with dietary restrictions, and the person I talked to was able to walk me through some options. There were able to work within my price range per person and I could choose different items like kebabs, borani, etc. and they included cooked veggies, saffron rice and salad. It probably ended up being too much food but that's a good problem to have. Everyone enjoyed the meal, and we had leftovers in the fridge for a couple days.

Eating at La Mediterranee is like eating in the Mediterranean…read more Food is impeccable. A quiet restaurant to eat inside or outside. Big tables for Family style yum.

This is my absolute favorite Mediterranean restaurant of all time! No other Mediterranean…read morerestaurant has items like La Mediterranee. I highly recommend getting the lunch plate or for dinnertime, getting the Middle Eastern plate, so you can try a variety of dishes. The levant sandwiches are especially heavenly with very soft bread and a yogurt-like filling; so refreshing! The chicken pomegranate is so tender and tasty too and I love the Armenian potato salad. There is complimentary pita bread as well. Portion sizes are generous. The restaurant has nice theming and has plenty of indoor and outdoor seating. Came on a weekday lunch at 12:30 and was seated with no wait. Paid parking is available in the lot on Russell.