Amazing food at East L.A. grill - we had the shawarma pizza , the 3 skewers and the gyro last night for dinner- AMAZING! The shawarma pizza is unlike anything I have had before and I can’t wait to try it again. The skewers were soooo good and huge! The owners are so nice and it was such a pleasure to talk with them. we will be back soon and often!
Crystal Bradley Faulkner
Great food. Friendly people!
Pamela Miller
Delicious chicken & steak kabobs, so tasty… seasoned to perfection. Hummus and salad had so much flavor. I definitely recommend East L.A.Grill. Our first time joining you. The owners are a delight and the service is magnificent. Thank you.
John Ball
Excellent food and great service!
Eric Moghadamian
Sean’s food was amazing. Can’t believe we haven’t been there sooner but will definitely be back. Outstanding.
Jonita Horn
Overall we had a good dining experience here. Out waitress was sweet even though I had a LOT of questions. All of the food was good.
The service was accommodating. She was really nice and took good care of us. It was pretty clear that she was a little shy, and not super experienced at serving, so if you are a demanding jerk, maybe just stay home.
Things we loved:
The shawarma pizza was fantastic. It is not something we have seen before, and it was really delicious. I would go back just for this dish.
Kabobs, rice, hummus, all very solid, no complaints!
And the Turkish coffee was made fresh, the way it should be. We have seen other places that make up batches and try to keep it warm, but this was good, fresh, and had excellent foam.
Things we didn't love:
I'm glad they had garlic sauce, but I prefer mine thicker, and heavier garlic. Seems like maybe this is mixed with some milk or something? It was still good. Im just obsessed with garlic sauce and like for it to hurt my belly.
They mentioned that sometimes they use corn chips on the fattoush. We requested pita chips, so we never actually tried the corn chips. They could potentially be really good. But we have never ever seen that anywhere else.
There were also a lot of flies. It was a pretty warm day, in a pretty old building. Me personally, Ill swat them away and keep going for good food, but if you can't hand that, it may not be the place for you!
Overall it was not the cleanest looking place but there was nothing that stood out as gross. No mold, no smells, no obvious uncleanliness. Just a little down home place.
Pricing:
Overall, I would say a good deal.
The shawarma sandwiches with a side were considerable amount of food for about $12
4 soft drinks was $10-- so even a little less than average nowadays
The PIZZA, omg the PIZZA was less than $17 and 2 people could have gorged themselves on that alone.
I think the pot of coffee was about $7 and we got about 5 servings out of it.
The one pricing that was a little out there was that the 3 kabob meal was I think $41. Now, it was a lot of food, and it was beautifully displayed, and it was good. But that 3 kebab mixed grill meal for 2 in Lexington runs an average of $25-$30. In addition, in Lexington restaurants if there is an upcharge for lamb it is usually $3-$5. Here, it was $10.50. (I imagine getting halal lamb in Lancaster is a hard thing to do) These particular prices are not listed on the menu, and were not quoted when ordering. Which is okay for me. We were out for a special dinner, and even if I didn't know the price I knew that I was probably ordering the most expensive thing on the menu, and I didn't ask the price.
Rumor has it:
I read a lot on here and other places about the owners and the workers. And I feel like I read as much good as bad. In person, I didn't really interact with the owners, but it was a slow time in the restaurant, and they seemed to be enjoying themselves with their employees.
Another thing I saw customers questioning was whether or not the meat is halal. The owner says it is, and I know it can be gotten. There are halal butchers in Dearborn that deliver to Lexington several times a week. Its expensive, but it's out there.
However, when our waitress was listing off the meats for the kebabs the first time, she listed pork, which of course, can't be halal. I THINK she probably just misspoke. Next time, I asking. And if it is on the menu, I'm ordering it.
Overall takeaway:
Food was good. It's better than some we have had, less good than others. If you just want kebabs and shawarma, i might drive from Berea or Richmond, but not Lexington. There is honestly just better Middle Eastern food at better prices in Lex. BUT I would 100% drive from Lex for that Shawarma Pizza! And if you are already out there in the backwoods of central KY, what are you even waiting for? I know you don't have anything better to eat!
Oh, and if it matters to you, cause it matters to me, my platter did include a pickle bowl, and there were pickled tu
Kyle 'Goop' Walls
First time trying middle eastern food and it didn’t disappoint! I had the beef shawarma and my wife had a steak and it was all delicious. We will definitely be back
Taty West
Absolutely 💯 excellent Middle Eastern food.
Brought me back with those exotic and delightful flavors
Amanda Young
Delicious food! We love this place!
Neysa Cordial
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
East LA Grill in Lancaster, KY is a hidden gem for authentic Mediterranean food! The flavors are exceptional, and the presentation of every dish is top-notch. The hospitality? Absolutely amazing! After our meal, the owner and main chef came over to chat with us—he was so friendly and informative, sharing his impressive chef background. The unexpected star of the show was the Mediterranean fries—hands down one of the best things we’ve ever eaten! If you’re within a 50-mile radius, make plans to visit tomorrow—you won’t regret it! They also offer some great American options for picky eaters. Highly recommend!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Steak Shawarma over Rice, Hummus Dip, Gyro
Food is always great, Friendly atmosphere, waitress needs a little more training, but over all 100/100 ***PSA***UPDATE*** Once again the owners showed out for my party of 10, excellent service, excellent food. Thank you so much for your hard work today that you put in to make your customers happy and full of delicious food. Keep up the amazing work y'all do, it's very appreciated. My peeps traveled from out of town, 1½ hours away to try y'all's delicious food and once again y'all showed out. Hey Kentucky this is a hidden treasure come try their food at East LA grill.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
John Peterson
Avoid this place at all costs. Me wife myself and our son wen tin for some food just a few days ago and I watched the cook touch beef then straight to raw chicken then straight to veggies he out on someone’s plate all with NO gloves or anything. When I asked if he always does that the lady upfront tried to get defensive which let me know they know exactly what they are doing is wrong then gave me the dumb excuse that he washes his hands lol. What an idiot. This place should be shut down. It’s ok though because of there rudeness they will be receiving a visit this week from health department
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 1
Service: 1
George Johnson
This is an incredible restaurant in a surprising setting. When you eat here you will receive every plate perfectly cooked, and beautifully and carefully plated. It is clear the owners have a passion for their food.
It is an unexpected experience. In a past life a diner, the menu is an odd mix, with items like deep-dish pizza mixed with colorful, eastern Mediterranean platters including grilled and spice-crusted rack of lamb and pork tenderloin.
We have only been for dinner, and only ordered the Mediterranean dishes, but the experience is insane. The falafel is the best my wife and I have ever had. It is incredibly spiced, seasoned, and crispy. Every meat protein is amazing. The rice is excellently seasoned and aromatic. The plating is absolutely beautiful. Honestly, the experience dances on the line of fine-dining, but in a humble KY town diner. The prices you pay are very reasonable, especially for the quality and care they put into their food. It is accessible, yet elevated.
The salads are also a standout, the shawarma wraps are incredible, and the owners are charming. We loved introducing family to this place. Eat here.
I am NEVER disappointed when I visit East LA Grill! Hands down the best falafel I’ve ever had. Owners and staff are friendly and make you feel like part of the family.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Ryan Edwards
Really tasty food! Very authentic flavors. I will definitely be back!
Amazing food at East L.A. grill - we had the shawarma pizza , the 3 skewers and the gyro last night for dinner- AMAZING! The shawarma pizza is unlike anything I have had before and I can’t wait to try it again. The skewers were soooo good and huge! The owners are so nice and it was such a pleasure to talk with them. we will be back soon and often!
Great food. Friendly people!
Delicious chicken & steak kabobs, so tasty… seasoned to perfection. Hummus and salad had so much flavor. I definitely recommend East L.A.Grill. Our first time joining you. The owners are a delight and the service is magnificent. Thank you.
Excellent food and great service!
Sean’s food was amazing. Can’t believe we haven’t been there sooner but will definitely be back. Outstanding.
Overall we had a good dining experience here. Out waitress was sweet even though I had a LOT of questions. All of the food was good. The service was accommodating. She was really nice and took good care of us. It was pretty clear that she was a little shy, and not super experienced at serving, so if you are a demanding jerk, maybe just stay home. Things we loved: The shawarma pizza was fantastic. It is not something we have seen before, and it was really delicious. I would go back just for this dish. Kabobs, rice, hummus, all very solid, no complaints! And the Turkish coffee was made fresh, the way it should be. We have seen other places that make up batches and try to keep it warm, but this was good, fresh, and had excellent foam. Things we didn't love: I'm glad they had garlic sauce, but I prefer mine thicker, and heavier garlic. Seems like maybe this is mixed with some milk or something? It was still good. Im just obsessed with garlic sauce and like for it to hurt my belly. They mentioned that sometimes they use corn chips on the fattoush. We requested pita chips, so we never actually tried the corn chips. They could potentially be really good. But we have never ever seen that anywhere else. There were also a lot of flies. It was a pretty warm day, in a pretty old building. Me personally, Ill swat them away and keep going for good food, but if you can't hand that, it may not be the place for you! Overall it was not the cleanest looking place but there was nothing that stood out as gross. No mold, no smells, no obvious uncleanliness. Just a little down home place. Pricing: Overall, I would say a good deal. The shawarma sandwiches with a side were considerable amount of food for about $12 4 soft drinks was $10-- so even a little less than average nowadays The PIZZA, omg the PIZZA was less than $17 and 2 people could have gorged themselves on that alone. I think the pot of coffee was about $7 and we got about 5 servings out of it. The one pricing that was a little out there was that the 3 kabob meal was I think $41. Now, it was a lot of food, and it was beautifully displayed, and it was good. But that 3 kebab mixed grill meal for 2 in Lexington runs an average of $25-$30. In addition, in Lexington restaurants if there is an upcharge for lamb it is usually $3-$5. Here, it was $10.50. (I imagine getting halal lamb in Lancaster is a hard thing to do) These particular prices are not listed on the menu, and were not quoted when ordering. Which is okay for me. We were out for a special dinner, and even if I didn't know the price I knew that I was probably ordering the most expensive thing on the menu, and I didn't ask the price. Rumor has it: I read a lot on here and other places about the owners and the workers. And I feel like I read as much good as bad. In person, I didn't really interact with the owners, but it was a slow time in the restaurant, and they seemed to be enjoying themselves with their employees. Another thing I saw customers questioning was whether or not the meat is halal. The owner says it is, and I know it can be gotten. There are halal butchers in Dearborn that deliver to Lexington several times a week. Its expensive, but it's out there. However, when our waitress was listing off the meats for the kebabs the first time, she listed pork, which of course, can't be halal. I THINK she probably just misspoke. Next time, I asking. And if it is on the menu, I'm ordering it. Overall takeaway: Food was good. It's better than some we have had, less good than others. If you just want kebabs and shawarma, i might drive from Berea or Richmond, but not Lexington. There is honestly just better Middle Eastern food at better prices in Lex. BUT I would 100% drive from Lex for that Shawarma Pizza! And if you are already out there in the backwoods of central KY, what are you even waiting for? I know you don't have anything better to eat! Oh, and if it matters to you, cause it matters to me, my platter did include a pickle bowl, and there were pickled tu
First time trying middle eastern food and it didn’t disappoint! I had the beef shawarma and my wife had a steak and it was all delicious. We will definitely be back
Absolutely 💯 excellent Middle Eastern food. Brought me back with those exotic and delightful flavors
Delicious food! We love this place!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
East LA Grill in Lancaster, KY is a hidden gem for authentic Mediterranean food! The flavors are exceptional, and the presentation of every dish is top-notch. The hospitality? Absolutely amazing! After our meal, the owner and main chef came over to chat with us—he was so friendly and informative, sharing his impressive chef background. The unexpected star of the show was the Mediterranean fries—hands down one of the best things we’ve ever eaten! If you’re within a 50-mile radius, make plans to visit tomorrow—you won’t regret it! They also offer some great American options for picky eaters. Highly recommend!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Steak Shawarma over Rice, Hummus Dip, Gyro
Restaurantji Recommends
Food is always great, Friendly atmosphere, waitress needs a little more training, but over all 100/100
***PSA***UPDATE***
Once again the owners showed out for my party of 10, excellent service, excellent food. Thank you so much for your hard work today that you put in to make your customers happy and full of delicious food. Keep up the amazing work y'all do, it's very appreciated. My peeps traveled from out of town, 1½ hours away to try y'all's delicious food and once again y'all showed out. Hey Kentucky this is a hidden treasure come try their food at East LA grill.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Avoid this place at all costs. Me wife myself and our son wen tin for some food just a few days ago and I watched the cook touch beef then straight to raw chicken then straight to veggies he out on someone’s plate all with NO gloves or anything. When I asked if he always does that the lady upfront tried to get defensive which let me know they know exactly what they are doing is wrong then gave me the dumb excuse that he washes his hands lol. What an idiot. This place should be shut down. It’s ok though because of there rudeness they will be receiving a visit this week from health department
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 1
Service: 1
This is an incredible restaurant in a surprising setting. When you eat here you will receive every plate perfectly cooked, and beautifully and carefully plated. It is clear the owners have a passion for their food.
It is an unexpected experience. In a past life a diner, the menu is an odd mix, with items like deep-dish pizza mixed with colorful, eastern Mediterranean platters including grilled and spice-crusted rack of lamb and pork tenderloin.
We have only been for dinner, and only ordered the Mediterranean dishes, but the experience is insane. The falafel is the best my wife and I have ever had. It is incredibly spiced, seasoned, and crispy. Every meat protein is amazing. The rice is excellently seasoned and aromatic. The plating is absolutely beautiful. Honestly, the experience dances on the line of fine-dining, but in a humble KY town diner. The prices you pay are very reasonable, especially for the quality and care they put into their food. It is accessible, yet elevated.
The salads are also a standout, the shawarma wraps are incredible, and the owners are charming. We loved introducing family to this place. Eat here.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Turkish Kabob Meal, Steak Shawarma over Rice, Shawarma Chicken-Steak, Falafel, Lahvosh Wrap Chicken-Steak
I am NEVER disappointed when I visit East LA Grill! Hands down the best falafel I’ve ever had. Owners and staff are friendly and make you feel like part of the family.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Really tasty food! Very authentic flavors. I will definitely be back!
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