Old Mediterranean Kitchen

Great Mediterranean place in Bellevue. 10/10 would recommend the Shish Tawook and Farmers Dish.

The food is amazing!!!

We had a reservation for 3, but they refused to seat us at a table for 4 and wanted to put us at a tiny table for 2 or outside for 4. They said they had a reservation for 4 so couldn't sit us inside. Why doesn't the reservation for 4 sit outside? This has happened multiple times before. And it turns out they had already sat the 4 party! Very unorganized and unprofessional.
Had the $27 steak. Super tough and chewy. Low quality meat.
Pita appeared to be some safeway quality.
They did help a homeless person with food which was nice.
Our server was nice and attentive.
Overall not a great experience and won't be returning.

I normally don't care too much about the service, but it was *interesting* at this place.
Everyone was moving basically a thousand miles an hour and talking super fast. I don't think this turned out well, as our server ended up missing a couple items.
My item also got delayed a bit

Speaking of what I got, it was the Shish Tawook, which are pieces of marinated chicken breast on top of a bed of yellow rice, along with hummus
Before that though, I thought it was cool that this place gives a couple free starters. We had some pita bread, which was ok, with a pretty good garlic vinaigrette. The soup was a little bit better. We also ordered the fried cauliflower as an appetizer - which was quite good. The sauce on it was a little bit inconsistent but fantastic when it was there

For the main dish, I mostly liked the kebab & rice meal.
The rice was especially very good. It was seasoned *really* well, felt slightly oily but not overly so, and was overall really flavorful. It was my favorite part of the meal. I quite liked combining it with the hummus, which was also super fluffy, and didn't feel too oil-forward. It tasted light, yet still had that nutty flavor that characterizes the food. There was actually a good amount of hummus on the side of this dish

As far as the chicken, I also really enjoyed it. Despite being chicken breast, which is pretty hard to get right, this chicken was super juicy and not overcooked at all. The crust on the outside was also excellent, and the level of marination really shined through.

The one small issue I have is the garlic sauce wasn't my favorite. It was too acidic - overindexing on the lemon juice too much. It was also thinner than you would expect. More fat in this sauce would've really taken this dish up another notch

The portion size here is incredible. From the massive amount of rice, decent helping of hummus, and large pieces of chicken - this easily lasted two meals. It is on the expensive side - the meal itself costs $24, coming out to around $30/person in total, so it loses a few points there, but altogether I like this deal

Overall, this place may be small and the service might be questionable, but I think their food is well-above average. 8.25/10

It's always a go to place twice a year and it has become a tradition for the last 10+ years, The first time a restaurant said you are ordering more for the number of people on the table and this is the customer service and not just looking at the way to sell stuff

TLDR: Mediocre, likely would not come back.
The appetizers are very good, with very generous portions. The main courses however are lacking -- the chicken shawarma for example tastes and resembles chicken fajitas more than it does shawarma (for example it is chunks of chicken vs thin strips).

Back in Bellevue after a four year stint caring for aging parents. My younger son and family took me out to dinner tonight and it was just as good as it has been since I started going forty years ago. Clark recognized me as I walked in and asked if my son and his family would be here shortly. The great food is exactly the way it’s always been. Clark didn’t even give me a menu as he knows that I love the food and know what I like. The new atmosphere is really nice and it’s all the same staff that has been serving our family for decades. Dine in or take out, you can’t miss if you enjoy great Mediterranean food. I’ll definitely be making up for lost time and visit more often now that I’m back in town. Thanks Clark for letting me remember all the great memories of your service and food to my family and friends who have enjoyed your hospitality

It is yummy🥰

Portion sizes are huge. Their soup and pita bread is a great starter. Their dip was good too. Their foul Mudamas dish is really good. The falafel could be softer with more spice. The grape leaves were okay. There was a bed of rice but the stuffed grape leaves had very little taste. The deserts were great!
The owner is cordial and welcoming. We enjoyed talking g to him.

I think a little more attention on the actual spices is needed and maybe portion sizes specifically the amount of rice can be reduced.

Absolutely wonderful, Never disappoints always consistent delectable tasty food. We drive hours to come here a couple times a year. Beautiful aromatic soup and tender shish tawook, My absolute favorite. The service is always on point with friendly and warm welcoming kindness. How anyone could give anything less than 5 stars is beyond me.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Such delicious food and great service. It's in a nondescript building in downtown Bellevue but don't let the vibe slow you down. Order an appetizer (cauliflower is great!), a bottle of wine, and then the shistawouk (sp.?) for your entree. You'll get a soup and some pita to go with it and the portions are huge. I've tried this dish elsewhere but nothing compares to theirs. And they are so consistent! If you don't have time to dine in, they do a lot of takeout as well. But you should take some friends and linger here!

Atmosphere: 3

Food: 5

Service: 5

This place is so good. Flavor is amazing. Portions are quite large also given the price 5/5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Shish Tawook

Amazing service and food.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

I first discovered this place 10 years ago and it is still consistent to this day! The Mezza Tray. Hummus, babak, Zahra, Labnie, hot pita is amazing! Full of good fats, low calories, and good fiber! Any leftovers keeps well in the fridge for days. Having just that with a side of their delicious and fresh tabouli is the best! I have lived in countries where this cuisine is often the daily diet, so I'm always looking for the authentic flavors. This place is is my FAVORITE! Also their fallafel...oh my goodness their falafel...it is the BEST Fala appetizer (vegetarian) I have ever had in this area! I dont want anywhere else! If you order any meat dish like the shish taouk or kibeh, you won't regret it. It is consistently juicy, flavorful, and has that authentic home cooked flavor. I also love the staff. They really love what they do and they’re all so friendly. They take pride in their dishes and it shows every time I go!

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 5

Service: 5

I ❤️ this restaurant! Food is so delicious, service is always excellent, atmosphere is so nice. We like to come here for birthdays in our family, it’s so special. We recently ordered takeout for 30 for my daughter’s 21st birthday and the food was exactly what we wanted and everyone loved it! Thank you Clark!

Vegetarian options: Falafel, mezza tray, lentil soup, dolmas, zahra, so much is vegetarian here!

Dietary restrictions: Easy to eat vegetarian, vegan, and gluten free here!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Lentil Soup, Garlic Dip, Falafel Plate, Falafil Middle Eastern Specialty, Mezze Platter