I thought it might be worth adding a few more notes: * Samir's has one of the highest health department ratings in the U-District. I've eaten here at least once a week for 3 years and always feel fantastic afterwards. * The sandwiches are good, but not the specialty. For the money, it's a great value, but the reason I give this place five stars are the details of the other dishes. For example, Samir's salads, tahini, baba ghanoush, vegan yogurt, hot sauces, etc. with vegetables and felafel (and a meat if you like) combine to make one of the healthiest, and delicious meals on the ave. For the money, it's probably the highest ratio of vegetables, healthy fats and proteins versus empty carbs on the ave. This place kept me alive through grad school. Each time I order 'the same dish', Samir makes it slightly different. The food is always great, and I'm never bored by it. * Samir and his family are great - It's always fun to visit and chat as the meal is prepared. Service is the best. The atmosphere is very casual, but in a comfortable way. * While I still believe his felafel is the best I've had in Washington, it's still a tricky beast. Felafel can be hit and miss because of the cooking time and sitting time. I've never had a bad felafel here, but I've had some that were just ok, and many great. Be patient and give it another shot if your first felafel was 'good', but not great. read more

Lovely spot with amazing service and food!! They have a bunch of vegetarian & vegan options. Definitely recommend coming here :)

Loved my lunch here today. I ordered the vegetarian combination plate. Pretty much a sampling of all things tasty. The guy at the shop was super friendly and inviting. As I was sitting there I notice a lot regulars coming in which is a great sign. Haven't tried the other Mediterranean places on the ave but this place was good enough to keep me coming back read more

Samir's Mediterranean Grill - Vegetarian plate - Mediterranean Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Good food, with a warm family atmosphere. If you want an escape from "the Seattle chill", this is the place

When I use to live on 42nd and 8th, I use to walk by Samir's. I would occasionally stop by for a quick gyro ( soooooooooooooo yummy!!!). It was the best damn thing since sandwiches! His yogurt sauce is amazing, and everything else he serves. Samir and his employees are friendly and fast! I use to say good morning to him a lot when i was headed to school and would stop by the window for a quick lunch. Thanks Samir! :) I owe you a visit soon!!! read more

One of the cheapest and tastiest meals you can get on the ave is the gyro sandwich here. It's less than $5 on its own and with a drink and fries is still less than $8. Plus Samir is so so nice and will make you feel well taken care of! read more

May be my new favorite spot on the ave! The owner is extremely friendly and was very good with taking care of my gluten and nut allergies. He made me a seasoned chicken salad with veggies and tahini and garlic sauce on the side that was so yummy. Quick service and great food! read more

Samir's Mediterranean Grill - Mediterranean Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Samir is an institution near UW. Soft spoken and friendly guy. Always welcome. A true gem in the community. And the food is freshly prepared and excellent including at a reasonable price point. read more

Samir is the delightful owner of the restaurant, so gracious and kind. My daughter and I shared the lamb plate and fries which was pretty good and plenty of food for the 2 of us. Would like to come back and try a gyro and other items on the menu. read more

I got some take out from Samirs today and I was very disappointed. As a black man I'am tired of substandard service. I requested and paid for extra garlic sauce. When I received my takeout order I asked if he added the extra garlic sauce. He looked me straight in the eye and said yes. However when I got home I discovered that he not only lied about the extra sauce the food was really dry m, tasteless and was also missing garlic sauce. When I called to inform him of his mistake he hung up the phone on me. I would strong discourage any patronizing his establishment. read more

The owner charged me $20 for 2 baklavas and a soda felt like a rip off at least the baklavas were alright

Reasonably priced but unfortunately not very good Mediterranean food.... Have only had the Falafel but it is MUCH better at Cedars across the street Kind of sad because the guy working there is really friendly :-( read more

We were looking for an early lunch and this was one of the few places open at 10:30am. The staff greeted us personally and were friendly. The lamb kabobs platter and gyro with fries were both very tasty. Definitely a mom-and-pop/hole-in-the-wall shop with tasty food. I recommend coming here for a quick bite! read more

Samir's Mediterranean Grill catered my daughter's 1st birthday. It's impressive both the food and service. They told me they'd be at my house 10 mins. before 2:00 PM (party time) and the door bell rang at 1:50-on the dot. Can you believe that? They also added extra tray of Salad for free. Everybody loves the food and the pretty sweet fruit platter. (Uploaded some pics.) Great! Thanks! read more

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Visiting Seattle this week with my husband, who grew up here. And as a UW Alum, he wanted to show me his old stomping grounds, which needed to include a trip to his FAVORITE lunch spot, Samir's Mediterranean Grill. I'm not a huge fan of Falafel, I usually find it very greasy and on the heavier side, however my husband convinced me to try it, as did Samir (did I mention that the owner and chef is Samir himself?). So glad they convinced me, because my Falafel sandwich was delicious and fresh, not heavy like other places I've tried. The tomatoes and lettuce were crisp and fresh as well, and the tahini sauce was incredible. Samir told me one of the reasons its not greasy, is because he is careful about the oil he uses and pays special attention to his Vegan and Vegetarian guests (ie: he only cooks the Falafel in oil for Falafel, not for meats, etc.). Samir also makes his own sauces, he's famous for a special hot sauce, but I'm a wimp, so i did not try that! If you're a student at UW, or in the University District visiting, i highly recommend Samir's. You'll get a delicious sandwich and a whole lot of charm from the kind and generous owner who treats his guests like family :) read more

Samir's Mediterranean Grill - Mediterranean Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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Great food and wonderful people, try the lamb and the kalawa! Really fresh stuff and big portions

I really enjoyed this place. The owner, Samir, is SUPER FRIENDLY. Has a great smile and positive energy throughout the day. The reason I gave it 4 stars and not 5 is that the chicken plate I got was a bit dry. It's not bad or anything, maybe some people like the chicken that way. But to me, was just a bit dry. But the rice, veggies, and other sides were really tasty. He is also very fast, only took 6-8 mins for my dish to be made! I would definitely recommend others to come try it out! Personally, next time I would want to try out the gyros plate, cuz my gf had the lamb and it tasted so good!! read more

With every bite of shawarma you will have to wipe your lips. Juicy meats, lettuce, onions, tomatoes, and tahini. Is your mouth watering now?? The burst of flavors that explode in your mouth is your taste buds having a party. Great Cheap eats. My buddy chris likes to have dinner here. A whole Lamb Shank with the fixings is $10. It includes a salad and drink. samir tells us he slow cooks it for 6 hours . I tell you the meat just falls off the bone. In the summers we sit outside on the side walk and enjoy the weather. There is nothing like feasting on a leg of lamb looking like King Henry. Samir has been feeding the U-District for years. Stop by and have one of is handmade marvels. Your taste buds will thank you for it. read more

This is almost like the book "Like Water for Chocolate," however instead of Tita's tears in a wedding cake and making everybody cry involuntarily, its Samir's smiles in a gyro that makes everybody spontaneously happy. What sets this place apart from other gyro sandwich stores on the Ave is that Samir adds a secret ingredient to his food. It's... JOY. I always come out of this restaurant smiling because Samir has this positive energy about him that just uplifts your spirit (but of course the food helps a lot too cause I can be crabby when I'm hungry...) I highly recommend the Gyro Sandwich or the Shawarma Sandwich if you're grabbing it on the go, but if you have time to stick around then order the Baba Ghanoush or perhaps even upgrade your sandwich to a platter. Everything is good here especially since Samir will tailor your food to your liking by asking if you like onions, spices, and etc. Since he makes it front of you, it is guaranteed your food will always be piping hot. Samir takes very good care of you here and he makes sure that you are completely satisfied with your meal... he wouldn't have it otherwise. You can get a nice sandwich, a nice conversation with Samir, and a high dose of joy all for less than $5... hence why I keep coming back. P.S. He has the best shirt EVER. read more

Quick, hearty, delicious, and cheap! I had my first falafel "sandwich" experience at Samir's. When you walk the first things you see in the menu on the wall. There are combo plates(all with pita), "sandwiches", sides, etc. I also noticed a few dessert- unadvertised- on the counter. There are more than a few places to sit, and the interior is decorated in a cozy Ave sort of hole in the wall way. The owner was the only one working and was very pleasant. He took my falafel order, with a laugh at my indecision when I walked in, and quickly got to work assembling the meal. It was under $4- if I wanted fries it would have been $6.50. My "sandwich" was actually a pita- wrapped burrito style- with fresh! lettuce shreds, tomato, a very light taziki dressing, and about 4+ large falafel balls. The balls were crisp on the outside, but the tasted freshly homemade. They also had a good spice and were quite addicting. Fyi's~ *$5 is enough to get quite a stomach full of food * The sandwiches are wrapped so that the sauce doesn't get all over- eat it like a wrapped burrito * They have pop, snapple, juice, and water for purchase * The falafel sandwich was really good! read more

I had the delight to have spare time on my hands waiting for a movie. I came here. So many delicious choices. All cuustomers eating, chatting happily. I chose a vegie lentil rice sandwich. I liked it . Lots of lettuce, an d a good amount of lettuce. I was offered to go yet decided to eat there. I chose to nto get fries with mine, that old diet thing, but next time I shall. They looked crisp, ok and plain old yummy. read more

I love this place! They provide generous portions of healthy food, prepared briskly, and at student-friendly prices. You can tell that Samir loves his work. The service is authentic and warm-hearted; he always leaves you feeling welcomed. Once I came by to ask for a vegan lunch box for a long train trip the following day. Samir asked a few questions, and then assembled an off-menu collection of items, packed meticulously. And it was indeed delicious the next day. As a Jewish person, I also appreciate that I'm not surrounded by anti-Israeli political propaganda when I come here, unlike some other places on the Ave. read more

Man I have been finding all these great places as of late and here is one more so I was up on the Ave I had to go and see if I could find a magazine, for my partner at bulldog and I was hungry, and I thinking a Shawarma sounded good but no I am at the wrong end of the Ave for that, but then as I am walking back to my motorcycle I see the sign for Samir's, not one is this place here but there is a second place right across the street so its kinda like Dueling Gyros so I had to try his Lamb Shawarma as see how he faired as that is quickly becoming my new favorite sammich, and he didn't fail me the sammich was wonderfully juicy and oh so full of flavor, I got a second one to go for my partner, and he has Orange Crush in a glass bottle that rocks read more

Samir's rules! The place rules. The man rules. I asked him for a spicy falafel wrap and he asked me "if I wanted to dance?" Fantastic. Oh and the garlic fries were truly killer. Lastly, check out the ON promo pic. Best falafel joint. read more

This place is amazing! Completely exceeded my expectations. They have been around for a long time, but I have steered away all these years because it looked sketchy (to me) from the outside. I finally went with some classmates yesterday for a quick lunch. I got the safe-bet gyros plate which was decent, but then my friends ordered lamb shanks which blew my mind! Super tasty. Must return for more. Samir and son's suggestion is to call ahead for the lamb shank (because it takes 20 minutes to prepare). read more

You cannot go wrong here. The place is uberfriendly, the food good and plentiful and the prices very reasonable for good, from scratch fare. This is not gourmet dining (the sald is simple romaine, not fatoush like the guys across the street) but it is well executed and presented with love. The highlight of the meal is when Samir puts it down in front of you and says emphatically "please enjoy EVERY bite". read more

Very nice owner. He seems like a really, really nice guy. However. I did not appreciate pulling a very long hair out of my shawarma. I had to rip the pita open down the middle to get it out. Kinda takes the enthusiasm out of eating my sandwich. If this wasn't my first visit (and first impression), I probably wouldn't have minded so much. read more

4 stars for the food- Hummus, kafta, falafel sharwarma, veggie combo plates are all delicious! Also, if you like spicy , order spicy, you will not be dissapointed. Get some baklava to go and let it sit for a day or two- it gets better over time. The iced tea is also kinda spicy and very refreshing. 1 extra star for Samir. It is obvious he enjoys what he does. His personality is awesome along with his service. read more

The best food i have had in years. Falafel was authentic and the gyros was the best i have ever had. The service was the best service in most other places. also the Lamb shank special was tender and made the night a lot better. very good and well priced menu($4-$10) and really fills you up. i want everyone to enjoy the food and have real authentic Mediterranean food. All in all THE BEST read more

Four stars for the price....$3.50 for a falafal sandwich is freaking awesome. Bang for your broke-ass buck. Service is always excellent. Three stars for the taste. Like many of the places in the U-district, it's solid, cheap, but not great. There's an identical Mediterranean restaurant across the street with slightly better food. Same prices and nearly identical menu. Spy vs. Spy scenario...there can be only ONE! read more

It's a hole in the wall, parking is a pain, and the food is fresh and reasonably priced and delicious and the people are polite and helpful. What are you waiting for? Aren't you hungry for a gyro now? read more

For a welcome to the group, my colleagues and I went to Samir's for lunch a couple weeks ago. A member of my work group is a regular at Samir's. They greeted him like an old friend. I was a little surprised to see them essentially kick out two women from a table so they could collect it into a larger collection for our big group. It was nice for us, but I would not have wanted to be one of them. I had a gyro and fries. I've had a lot of gyros a lot of places. Seattle is chock-ful of Mediterranean and Greek restaurants. This is probably one of the worst ones I've had. I ordered it special and when it came not right, I asked for a correction to which I was told "It is how you ordered it." It was not. Seriously. Not an okay way to treat a customer. The fries were edible, but nothing special at all. Most of my colleagues seemed to enjoy their meal. I couldn't really say. I found the service awful, the food just edible. I'll go if I'm with a group of people who want to go there, but otherwise I'll pick one of the many other choices in Seattle (and even on that street.) read more

Super friendly service. Precise preparation. Good prices. Very casual but clean; a carefree date venue. I'm going here for all future Mediterranean on the Ave. Only 4 stars because (a) the taste wasn't "OMG you have to try this!" but it was good and (b) they're not open late at night, so I have to settle for Aladdin's during my studies. read more

Delicious dinner for my birthday. I can taste the amazing spices in my vegetarian meal. I hear the lamb and chicken were great. Thank you Samir. read more

Samir has NEVER failed me. I started coming to this restaurant way before it became Samirs. I started coming when it was a sub shop, then Samir converted it to his Mediterranean Grill in Spring of '06. I would say that his $3.50 sandwiches are the BEST BANG FOR THE BUCK. Not only are these things tasty, spicy, and fullfilling, but for $3.50 these things are damn near a steal. I honestly wouldn't be surprised if Samir decides up the price for them soon. As far as the plates go, they are fullfilling yet light! I never thought I could eat a full meal, yet feel soo good about what I was eating. A nice salad, the right amount of rice and meat, side of pita bread, and you got yourself a meal. I absolutely love Samirs service. Always tells the server, to bring me a 7up(remember I'm a regular, or according to Samir, "Boss".) He is quick on the getting the food prepared, cooked, and ready to eat. If he isn't there, his sons and wife know how to pick up the slack and make sandwiches and plates just the way Samir does.:) read more

My wife and I stopped here whenever we get the chance. the food is excellent. My wife is lebanese and she tells me this is the closest to authentic lebanese as it gets and we have been to many restaraunts. Pros: Great food, so juicy and mouth watering Price is so so Great service from a great guy. Cons: well nothing go and eat there now! read more

I decided to try this place after walking to class from work. Being a small, Lebanese-owned, Ave, hole-in-the-wall restaurant, I was warmly welcomed by the restaurant owner himself as he fixed me up a (halal, and he assured me it was halal) lamb and beef gyro with extra spicy sauce and no onions. It was nice to have gone back a second time a few days later, with the owner remembering what I liked to order. Since then, he has remembered my "regular" order. Shows off some of that good-old old-school personal customer servicemanship! Food is delicious, prices are broke-college-kid-friendly, and service is as personal and friendly as I would imagine one to find from a small town vendor in Lebanon. read more

I was in a happy and grateful mood when I went here a few days ago, and the guy behind the counter (who surely must be the owner!) sure seemed to be in the same mood, himself. He seemed to really love his work. I sure wish I'd seen R.H.'s review before I went, as those hot sauces might have made this a 5 star review, but - now we'll never know! As it was, my food was good (I had the falafel plate), but not that exciting. read more

Falalfel and lamb sandwiches....so juicy! One of best and flavorful ones I've had! One man running the show. I

My friends and I came here for lunch/dinner. I wish I had come here 5 years ago doing my undergraduate career. This place has the best lamb and beef around for the price that you cannot beat. I ordered the $10 huge dinner Gyro plate and it was phenomenal!! The lamb and beef were so soft that I felt like it just melted in my mouth. My friends ordered the $5 sandwiches and loved it. I will absolutely come back here in the future for quick, cheap and YUMMY food. If you want to get your money's worth and are short on time, this is the place for you!! The service on the other hand was fair. We got our waters filled once when there were a total of 5 people all together in the restaurant. But the waiter was so funny I couldn't help but feel happy regardless. read more