Mediterranean Garden Grill

Overview:  is a family owned restaurant that’s been in the same location for the past 13 years. Their Lebanese-Armenian dishes are made from scratch from old family recipes, and the atmosphere gets lively with belly dancing and musical entertainment on Friday and Saturday nights. In addition to a full bar, the restaurant also offers hookahs filled with aromatic flavored tobacco for adult patrons to smoke.

Décor:  The dining area offers semi-open air seating in an enclosed patio, and features yellow and white tablecloths and a ceiling covered with ivy and grape decorations. Open windows often bring in pleasant breezes, and the restaurant’s Mediterranean feel is exemplified by large paintings of picturesque Lebanese ruins and seascapes.

Drinks:  The restaurant has a full bar and offers a variety of beverages in the range of $7.99-$9.99, including Mai Tais, Mojitos, Martinis, Margaritas and more.  Brandy & Grape Neutral Spirits distilled with aniseed imported from Lebanon are available in three sized bottles or by the shot. Ask your server for their fine selection of Scotch Whiskeys and imported Arak. Beers include Almaza, Heineken, Corona, and Kilikia. House wine, including Merlot, Carbernet Sauvignon, White Zinfandel, and Pinot Grigio, is available by the glass, and a variety of Chilean wines are available by the glass or bottle; ask the server for the selection.

Non-Alcoholic drinks are $2 or less and include Armenian Coffee, American Coffee, Sodas, Iced Tea,  Bottled Water, Lemonade, Tahn (Yogurt Drink), and Tarragon Soda.             

Cold Appetizers and Sides: Hummus ($4.50) made of whipped chick peas, sesame paste, olive oil and special seasoning, is one of the most requested appetizers. Other cold dishes in the range of $4.99 to $12  include the Hummus Special with sauteed, marinated, diced beef or lamb topping,  Baba-Ghanouj, Grape Leaves stuffed with seasoned rice, Kibbeh Neyeh (an authentic Lebanese dish with ground raw meat, cracked wheat and seasoning), Mousakaah with onions, bell peppers and ripe tomatoes,  Mouhamara (chopped walnuts with spicy red pepper and pomegranate juice), Tabbouleh,  Jajike (yogurt and cucumber salad with garlic and mint), and the Lebni Plate, consisting of drained yogurt and olive oil, with or without garlic and jalapenos.  Other offerings include Selected Olives ($2.50) Feta Cheese Plate ($6) served with tomatoes and cucumber, and a Pickle Platter ($2.50) with assorted homemade pickles. The Appetizer Sampler  ($19.99) comes with Hummus, Tabbouleh, Baba-Ghanouj, Feta Cheese, Grape Leaves and Pickles.           

Hot Appetizers and Sides:  Hot dishes in the range of $4-$7 include Falafel, Chicken Taratoor,  Makanek (small Lebanese sausage stuffed with lemon juice, Soujouk (spicy Armenian Sausage sauteed with fresh Tomatoes), Fried Kibbeh, Halloum (pan grilled Greek cheese served with fresh tomatoes and olives, Cheese Boregs (thin fillo dough filled and rolled with mild white cheese), Mediterranean Spinach (fresh Spinach sauteed with red onions, spices, olive oil and lemon juice, and French Fries.  Selections of a variety of hot and cold appetizers are also available.

Soup and Salad:  Soups include Chicken or Beef Vegetable Soup ($6.99) and the tangy and lemony Swiss Chard Lentil Soup ($5.99) is a favorite.  Salads in the range of $5.50-$9.99 include the ever popular Fattoush Salad (a mix of lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, onions and fresh mint tossed with toasted pita chips in sumac, olive oil and lemon juice),  Greek Salad, Chicken Salad, and Armenian Salad, with Romaine, tomatoes, cucumber, onions and special dressing. For $2.50-$6.99, you can add Feta, Chicken Skewer, Beef Skewer, Lamb Skewer, Salmon Filet, or Shrimp.     

Entrees:  The always popular kebab plates range from $8.99-$19.99 and include Chicken, Beef, Lamb, and Lule Kebabs, which are lean ground beef mixed with onions and spices, seasoned, skewered and grilled. The Kebab Combo for two offers Chicken, Beef and Lule Kebabs. All kebab dishes are served with rice pilaf, grilled vegetables and pita bread.  Chicken or Beef Shawarma ($8.99), come with tahini sauce, rice pilaf, and hummus.  Other Popular entrées include the Baby New Zealand Lamb Chops ($22.99) seasoned and marinated in red wine, butterflied and grilled, and Marinated Filet of Salmon, Halibut or Mahi-Mahi ($14.99), pan flamed with olive oil, lemon juice and chardonnay, served with rice pilaf and grilled vegetables. Falafel ($7.99) is seasoned with seven spices, garlic, onions, jalapenos, and covered in a Tahini Sauce and served with Hummus on the side. Other specialties include a Whole Fresh Fish of the Day at market price, Sauteed Frog Legs ($22.00), Sauteed Quails ($22.00) and Jumbo Shrimp Scampi ($19.99).

Sandwiches in the range of $6-$7 include Chicken Kebab, Falafel, Beef Kebab, Chicken Shawarma, Lamb Kebab, Beef Shawarma, and Lule Kebab. Sandwiches are rolled in Pita Bread with lettuce and tomatoes and served with a side of Hummus and Pickles.

Desserts:  Popular desserts include Baklava ($1.50) and Ashta ($4 per person) which comes with Sheramoya fruit, whipped cream, rose water, crushed pistachios, honey, and fresh sliced bananas. They also offer ice cream for $3.99 in Strawberry, Chocolate, Ashta, Blackberry Mango and Pistachio flavors, and a large fruit platter for $12.

Hookah: Mediterranean Garden Grill offers a selection of imported hookahs for patrons who are 18 or older. Hookah rentals are $10 and Tobacco refills are $5. According to their menu:

“The hookah filters the smoke from heated flavored tobacco through water. Unlike most cigarette tobacco, our hookah tobacco is organically grown and contains no added chemicals. The flavor of the smoke comes from dipping the tobacco in honey and fruit molasses. When heated, the molasses and honey steam, creating a delightfully fragrant and aromatic smoking experience.”

They offer about 40 different flavors of tobacco. The most popular and well-known is Double Apple. Other flavors include Cherry, Rose, Strawberry, Grape, Banana, Pomegranate, Apricot, Cappucino, Chocolate Mint, Vanilla, Margarita, Pina Colada, and a variety of Berry, Citrus and Tropical flavors

Service:  A server will seat you. Sometimes there is a wait on the weekends; reservations are recommended.

Signature Dishes:  Lamb, Kebab, Hummus, Falafel

Chef:  Sossie Tomasian

335 W. Foothill Blvd.

Monrovia, CA 91016

626-301-0555