Carousel Restaurant

(818) 246-7775

304 N Brand Blvd (California)
Glendale, CA 91203 34.1501 -118.2548

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Neighborhood: City Center

carouselrestaurant.com

Years in business

Established in 2003

Hours:

Tue-Thu 11:30am- 10pm

Fri 11:30am-1:30am

Sat 10:30am-1:30am

Sun 10:30am-8:30pm

Price:

$$

Last updated 8.16.11

Category:

Restaurants, Catering

Payment Methods:

American Express, Visa, Diners Club, Discover, MasterCard

Restaurant Special Features:

Local Favorite, Family-Friendly Dining, Late Night Dining, Lunch Spot, Date Spot, Dancing, Casual Date Spot, Special Occasion Dining, Outdoor Dining, Family Style Dining, Online Reservations, Group Dining, Live Music, Carry Out, Private Parties, Prix Fixe Menu

General Info:

Open 7 Days

Cuisine:

Lebanese, Middle Eastern, Armenian, Italian

Editor's Tips

What People Are Saying About Carousel Restaurant

Featured Review

Mar Yvette

Contributor

The Moorish facade on busy Brand Blvd is the first impression folks get of this bustling favorite known for its Lebanese, Greek and Armenian dishes. Inside, the oversized main room exudes an exotically splashy vibe with scenic frescoes, bronze platters, swashbuckling swords and other assorted artifacts lining the walls; the burbling fountain and various faux plants add a touch of bucolic design naivete. Well-dressed couples and celebratory groups forgo soft conversation on Friday and Saturday evenings, when the stage shimmies to life with belly dancers and (very loud) Middle Eastern musical…

Editor's Tips

Know Before You Go:
Make reservations or arrive early on the weekend to guarantee a table inside--the live entertainment is a heavy draw for nocturnal revelers.
What To Drink:
The wine list includes 46 selections, including three from Lebanon as well as 18 wines by the glass.
The Extras:
For an alfresco dining experience on a mild SoCal night, request a table on the outdoor patio, which is dotted with heat lamps. Sorry, smokers--you'll have to take your butts to the sidewalk.
ambiance
100.0% positive
  1. “Great upper end Middle Eatsern restaurant with wonderful ambiance.”
  2. “The atmosphere is quite nice, with Lebanese artifacts all about the interior, nicely lit (not too bright nor dark), and seating is adequate.”
  3. “the beautiful location on brand boulverad, reminding myself being back in lebanon and in a a lovely and very elegant re.”
  4. “My experience at Carousel hit all the marks - the energy was great, the atmosphere was beautiful, and the food was outstanding.”
  5. “On the other hand, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND the Hollywood location.”
  6. “it was a very comfortable atmospher with great service.”
  7. “Amazing food, atmosphere and shows!”
  8. “We were all impressed with the decor and attentive service when we arrived and our table was soon groaning with fabulous appetizers, including creamy hammos and tabbuleh.”
  9. “Great atmosphere!”
  10. “The food and atmosphere are great here.”
dessert
100.0% positive
  1. “To top of our wonderful evening, my birthday cake was brought out with a huge sparkler in it and our left-overs expertly boxed up and made into little "meals" for us to enjoy the next day.”
food quality
93.47999572753906% positive
  1. “People often ask me what my favorite restaurant is, or my favorite meal, and that's always hard to answer.”
  2. “The food is very good and the service is great.”
  3. “My friends thoroughly enjoyed their succulent meat kebabs, especially the juicy chicken.”
  4. “Great food, dazzling appetizers”
  5. “really enjoy the food here and you could taste that it is fresh made to order.”
  6. “would go to Carousel over and over again, they have very good food especially the Cheese Boreg and cheekofteh!”
  7. “The food was amazing, especially thier famous yogurt kebab.”
  8. “The food is so good with good sized portions.”
  9. “The service is friendly, fast and polite, the food is excellent and the price is honest.”
  10. “and then would have to go to the atm and pick up my cold food?”
  11. “The food and service was not bad, although the place was so over crowded!”
  12. “The food and atmosphere are great here.”
  13. “Although the food is great, you will wait for hours before they sit you so RSVP before you go and if they tell you to just come in, make them RSVP you anyway.”
  14. “The whole restaurant with its theme and authentic food transforms you to the middle east.”
  15. “It was extremely authentic Middle Eastern food.”
  16. “While the lentils were my favorite, everything was very fresh and flavorful.”
  17. “The take-out menu is a bit different than the sit-down menu, which doesn't include my favorite dish, the chicken kabab sandwich.”
  18. “Wonderful Middle Eastern food -- one of the best in the LA area.”
  19. “The food is remarkably good, and it sticks to its Mediterranean roots.”
  20. “Amazing food, atmosphere and shows!”
  21. “As we are not all middle easterns, we all enjoyed the food.”
  22. “My experience at Carousel hit all the marks - the energy was great, the atmosphere was beautiful, and the food was outstanding.”
  23. “It's good diet food too, minus the garlic sauce unfortunately.”
menu variety
50.0% positive
  1. “The take-out menu is a bit different than the sit-down menu, which doesn't include my favorite dish, the chicken kabab sandwich.”
overall
87.5% positive
  1. “what a nice place.”
  2. “Very nice restaurant all up, a very ethnic place to eat.”
  3. “People often ask me what my favorite restaurant is, or my favorite meal, and that's always hard to answer.”
  4. “While I won't call this my favorite restaurant, this was definitely one of the best meals I've had in L.A., and I've been raving about it ever since I left.”
service
100.0% positive
  1. “The service is friendly, fast and polite, the food is excellent and the price is honest.”
  2. “The food is very good and the service is great.”
  3. “The food and service was not bad, although the place was so over crowded!”
  4. “The place was very happening with all kinds of cool, classy people dancing and having a good time.”
  5. “it was a very comfortable atmospher with great service.”
  6. “Service is great, very attentive.”
  7. “Our waiter was excellent and timed our dinner out perfectly so we could get up and dance with the band.”
  8. “We were all impressed with the decor and attentive service when we arrived and our table was soon groaning with fabulous appetizers, including creamy hammos and tabbuleh.”
value
100.0% positive
  1. “The food is so good with good sized portions.”
  2. “To top of our wonderful evening, my birthday cake was brought out with a huge sparkler in it and our left-overs expertly boxed up and made into little "meals" for us to enjoy the next day.”
  3. “The service is friendly, fast and polite, the food is excellent and the price is honest.”
5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

03/05/10

One of the best meals I've had in L.A.

by ecovegangal

People often ask me what my favorite restaurant is, or my favorite meal, and that's always hard to answer. To me, eating is all about the energy - who you're dining with, how the staff treats you, the strangers in the restaurant, and how you feel during and after consuming the food.

My experience at Carousel hit all the marks - the energy was great, the atmosphere was beautiful, and the food was outstanding. While I won't call this my favorite restaurant, this was definitely one of the best meals I've had in L.A., and I've been raving about it ever since I left.

Coincidentally, that very day the owner (Mike) of the restaurant was working on the vegan menu, so he brought us out a ton of food to try. While the lentils were my favorite, everything was very fresh and flavorful. The falafel was the best I've ever had - crispy on the outside and moist on the inside. The Mousaaka (eggplant) was also fantastic. It was extremely authentic Middle Eastern food.

My feast included:

Hammos

Tabbuleh

Mutabbal (Baba Rannuj)

Sarma (grape leaves)

Lentil soup

Falafel

Mousaaka (eggplant)

Kebbeh Aadas (red lentils)

  • Pros: authentic, beautiful atmosphere, great service
  • Cons: parking
5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

10/21/09

Wow! Bellydancing and Good Food!

by JAG099

Carousel has been a place Ive enjoyed for years. with friends, family, special events, anytime you go it hits the spot. Try a little Sambooka with the mezza platters then move onto some cravings for kabob and more kabob! Dont think it's over... come 10pm the show begins.. Belly dancing and Salsa dancing shows then live music by some of the most well known Arabic and Armenian singers! It will make you feel like youve left Los Angeles and traveled to far lands.. but mostly it will make you smile, feel satisfied and so happy!

5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

10/08/09

I Cannot Wait!

by Nazratred

I have not been to this restaurant in 10 years since I moved out of state. I am coming down in December and this is my first stop! I remember how wonderful it was and I crave their food. The Fatayers (Cheese Boregs) are to die for. Love their kabobs especially their Lula. Love taking the pita bread, spreading their absolutely addicting Garlic sauce on it, putting rice on and then the meat from the Kabob and make a sort of Gyro out of it.. I can't wait..I am so drooling right now.

  • Pros: Their Food and Service!
  • Cons: None yet
2 Star Rating: Below Average

05/23/08

ALWAYS OUT OF FOOD ON MENU

by Armen58

One of my two favorite things on the menu are the lamb chops and lentil soup. I seems like everytime I go to Carousel for dinner they are out of those two items. They should be taken off the menu if they only sometimes have them.

1 Star Rating: Poor

05/19/08

Horrible Experience

by JJ91011

I would not recommend this restaurant to anyone. I brought my family in on Sat. this past weekend for the set dinner and show. My son had a school pesentation to do for his school on other cultures. It was our first time and most likely our last. The food and service was not bad, although the place was so over crowded! You could not get up and move from your table, and it was so hot my wife and I could not even enjoy our dinner . We left before the belly dancers began. We were very disapointed for the money we spent. No parking, overcrowded , and extremely hot.

The Details on Carousel Restaurant

Place Categories:

  • great middle eastern food
  • great service
  • great atmosphere
  • great culinary experience
  • very nice carousel restaurant
  • all liked everything
  • very nice ethnic place
  • best meals
  • not recommend restaurant
  • great dazzling appetizers
  • good kabobs
  • famous yogurt kebab
  • beautiful hollywood location
  • rude snooty service
  • not favorite dish
  • amazing shows
  • love look
  • great taste
  • perfect ouzolike lebanese liquor
  • juicy chicken
  • great energy
  • excellent waiter
  • very comfortable atmospher
  • cool classy people
  • fantastic mousaaka

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