Sunnin Lebanese Cafe
Soul-satisfying Lebanese faves fuel this bustling local hangout.
(323) 617-3068
1779 Westwood Blvd
(at S Santa Monica Boulevard)
West Los Angeles,
CA
90024
34.0502
-118.4375
Neighborhoods: Westwood, West LA
Reviews & Ratings for Sunnin Lebanese Cafe
20 reviews
What users are saying:
Showing 1-10 of 20 reviews
Rich & Flavorful by Lisa C. at InsiderPages
Contributor
February 10, 2009
If you like to eat rich flavorful food, then you must try this place. If you like middle eastern food then I think you will be equally impressed at how good their food is. Everything i've had i've really enjoyed and at reasonable prices. There is no parking and a very small dining room. But then again, that's got nothing to do with the food.
delicious!!
by joliesaralee
November 26, 2008
i love it! the food is great no matter what you try. i go at least once a month. not too expensive and the owners are friendly.
- Pros: the food
- Cons: parking's kinda difficult but inot too bad
Great kebobs
by famousblueraincoat
November 14, 2007
combo plate is very good. the meat is very flavorful, more cooked than i like but still very good. even the chicken breast wasn't too dry. comes with hummus, rice and salad for $13.95 or so. Skip the appetizer veggie sampler. Grape leaves were too salty, falafel too dry, phyllos were good but too phyllo-y--not enough filling. Baba ghanoush was good but at almost $4 a bit pricey. I'd say grab to go. Not a lot of seating. Fast service.
- Pros: great kebobs, good hummus
- Cons: veggie platter not good, somewhat pricey
Lebanese Food that tastes just like home!!! Authentic and Delicious!
by montrealgirl
August 07, 2007
I have been coming to Sunnin for the last 6 years. I have tried every Lebanese restaurant in the city and this is the best one, hands down. It is home cooking at it's best.
It is a small little whole in the wall but do not let that fool you!
My mother is father is Lebanese and I grew eating this food so when I discovere Sunnin years ago, I was a very happy girl!
I still love to cook my own Lebanese food but it is very time consuming to make so this place always hits the spot when I am not in the mood to cook.
The tabouleh, mujadara, babaganoush and kibbeh are always delicious but
the daily menu is always my favorite! I always calls ahead for the choices of the day....
My all time favorites: the Yabra and Cousa combo (stuffed grape leaves and stuffed zucchini)
For desert, the bakleweh (often confused with it's greek counterpart ~ Baklava) is good but mine is better:)
One of my favourite neighbourhood places...
- Pros: AUTHENTIC Lebanese food, quality food, generous portions, inexpensive
- Cons: Always full, a little cramped
My mouth is watering just thinking about this place
by jp90291
July 06, 2007
I've been going here for years and still love everything on the menu. It's a bit crowded and the parking is not easy, but it's worth it. It's family-run and definitely feels like your sitting in a family's/friend's kitchen. Everyone is super nice and once they know you and you know them, you can start ordering off the menu! I think the appetizers are the best and often just a few of those instead of an entree. I've brought some Lebanese friends there and they all think it's the best they've tasted outside of Lebanon.
- Pros: appetizers, friendly service
- Cons: parking
Sunnin Lebanese *terrible service AND ripping off homeless people!
by banquisha
January 16, 2007
Used to go all the time and always had the same server... a very friendly chubby man.
Last trip there, I saw a Lebanese man order the spicy kefta kebab. I read the menu description and it sounded good. Catch was although the menu specifically states the kebab is grilled, it is actually sauteed. The man who ordered the plate asked that the kebab be grilled. He seemed like he knew what he was doing and I wanted to try it.
A younger tall male who looked fit waited on me tonight. He took my order for the spicy kefta kebab and I asked him to make sure it was grilled. He said SURE!
I saw a a spicy kefta kebab dish being prepared but, didn't think t was for me bc it wasn't grilled. After awhile, I realized that the it was for me since there weren't any other ones cooking. To prevent further delay, I alerted my waiter and told him that the kebabs were not grilled. He proceeds to argue with me that, "they usually make it like that," and "it tastes the same." Grilled obviosuly doesn't taste the same as sauteed. Instead of fixing it OR apologizing he then tells me that they're "too busy" to grill the kebab. Too busy? There SEVERAL OTHER kefta kebabs on the grill!
If they couldn't do it then don't bring me the food prepared incorrectly and proceed to tell me that they couldn't after the fact.
Another thing I saw the last time (from the same guy that was waiting on me tonight) was that he was about to charge this homeless guy *extra* money for his order of fries. I was right there next to the cash register when he ordered the fries. Total for the fries came out to be about $2.7-something. In fact, the words he uttered to him were, "I'll just take $3 for that" AS IF he were cutting him a deal! I would not have found out that the fries were less than $3 had I not offered to add his order to my tab. I really thought that the guy was giving the homeless guy a break!
I can't believe I went back tonight after witnessing that. I guess it served me right!
- Pros: good quick food
- Cons: parking
Wonderful, affordable Lebanese fare.
by bette1stl
November 28, 2006
This westside hole-in-the-wall should not be missed. Everything at Sunnin is wonderful, and the owner will personally (if not immodestly) tell you so. You'll have UCLA students feasting to your left and a westside 40-something couple out before a movie to your right. If you're smart you'll order the fried cauliflower as an appetizer. What doesn't sound like much (reccommended by the owner) turns out to be a golden brown hot, freshly fried florets that you'll gobble up ferociously and that go divinely in their perfectly tangy dipping tahini sauce. Great entrees include falafel and mixed grill.
- Pros: Great food, great prices.
- Cons: Small, so not a lot of seating.
very good middle eastern fare
by jscrapple
November 11, 2006
We noticed sunnin while eating at ambala dhaba next door, and after seeing how crowded it was, we vowed to try it. There is no ambiance here, just a fluorescent-lit white room packed with people chowing down on their tasty lebanese food. I wouldn't call the food transcendental, but it is better than most middle eastern places in west LA. The hummus, with a little pool of olive oil and spices on top, was excellent. My wife's falafel and my shawarma plate were very tasty and fresh. The staff were extremely busy, and had a kind of gruff exterior, but were friendly when we talked with them a bit... overall, a really nice experience for very little money.
- Pros: great food, fast, bustling
- Cons: no ambiance at all
Modest and Good, But Short of Stellar.
by hajesterha
September 24, 2006
After reading the profile, I rather expected to food to take me on a magic carpet ride of deliciousness. And while it was good, it didn't qualify as amazing. Seasoned and flavorful without being overly greasy, I've had comparable schwerma and hummus from plenty of Middle Eastern restaurants across LA and the valley. The place gains praise then from the fact that it doesn't look or act like it's anything too special, so the decent food becomes an unexpected surprise. The location is very small and easily crowded with fluorescent lights and the kind aged dingy-ness that no amount of bleach will really wash away. The locals return faithfully because of Sunnins smaller charmsa menu with quadruple the variety of a Zankous dishes (numbered to avoid pronunciation faux pas) and a lone waitress who will berate the cook for forgetting your tea in several languages.
- Pros: Cheap, Quick, Decent food
- Cons: Little seating, Current reviews would set expectation too high
best hole in the wall place
by stambouli
August 22, 2006
great food, great service. Our favorite place in LA, we go as often as we can. Great value for money. Go with lots of people so you can order family style as many dishes as possible. Only con is that the place is too small and they don't deliver.
- Pros: value, service, food
- Cons: too small, difficult to park
