Gaby's Mediterranean

09/11/09

horrendous service and meal

by SWYGUH at Citysearch

back in the day, gaby's used to be a great place to have dinner and chill. however, the service these days is ridiculously crappy. it took half an hour to get our drink and appetizer order in...another 20 minutes passed before drinks came. side dishes came with appetizers 25 minutes before the actual entrees; these weren't any better as they were cold and overcooked. never returning to this poor excuse of a restaurant.

• Pros: being outdoors in nice weather
• Cons: service and food

07/23/09

Delicious. But are they all the same?

by BBELA at Citysearch

Here are my views on “Mediterranean” food. Prepare to be astounded.

I enjoy Mediterranean food immensely. I just don’t see how one place is any different than the other.

The Kabob Express is just like the Falafel Emporium which is just like the House of Hummus.

Rarely do I see a fluctuation in a menu. Perhaps the shwarma at one place is a bit juicier, or the falafel might be a bit drier but they all seem to have the same recipes and the same dishes. They are all quite uniform and there doesn’t seem to be such a thing as Mediterranean Fusion.

Which I’m totally fine with. I love all that stuff, and when I crave it, I don’t want to wonder what I’m getting.

Which brings me to Gaby’s, located on a nondescript section of Venice blvd…actually .isn’t all of Venice blvd nondescript??

I just deleted a whole paragraph of boring description of the place. Who cares? The food is good, you’re not coming here for the ambience.

I ordered the Vegetarian special, I got a little hummus, baba ghanoush, tabouli, dolmas, falafel, garlic sauce and pita. What, what? Yum, yum.

I’m amused that these places exotically call themselves “Mediterranean” to steer the customers against what they really are: Middle Eastern joints.

You walk in and you aren’t quite sure where you’re supposed to be. Are those faded photos in bad frames of Greece? Is the olive skinned waitress from Spain? Those are places in the Mediterranean.

No. You are most likely in a Lebanese restaurant that thinks you will not come to a Middle Eastern food establishment. And sadly, in the case of some folks, they’re probably right.

FOR MORE HONEST REVIEWS, PLEASE LOOK UP:

BUN BOY EATS LA

08/05/08

Great food

by sedagive at Citysearch

I've been coming to Gaby's for about 5 or 6 years now and I've never been disappointed. When Gaby is working, he always comes over to say hi and gives me a hug. He's a very nice man. The food is wonderful. The hummus is the best I've ever had and they will bring you as much pita as you want at no extra charge. My favorite dish is the lemon chicken and I order it almost every time I visit. The salad that comes with the chicken is delicious. Yes, the service is very slow, but I think it's more of a cultural thing than anything else. The Middle Eastern people who eat here tend to stay for hours, playing backgammon and smoking hookahs. No one seems to be in a hurry and I kind of like it. Meals should be relaxed, not rushed. This place is nothing fancy, just great food and friendly employees. I keep telling Gaby he should raise his prices, but he won't hear of it. He's just that kind of guy. I can't say enough good things about Gaby's. It's one of my favorite places and I drive from South Orange County (about 50 miles each way) just for the food.

• Pros: Food, friendly staff
• Cons: Too far away from my home

04/23/08

BEST "fast food" mediterranean cafe on Washington Blvd.

by manazad at Citysearch

I LOVE "Gaby's Express" on Washington Blvd. I can't tell you how happy I am that I finally decided to stop by this place a couple months ago and now I order lunch from there practically every day. The salads are so fresh and crisp. My favorite is "Leon's Fattoush Salad". The chicken is delicious and so reasonably priced for everything that comes with it including rice, salad and hummus. The service is good. They are usually busy so I like to call in my order in advance. I don't eat red meat so I can't vouch for the shawerma but the falafel is great and all their appetizers (at least most that I have tried) are priced well and quite good. This is my favorite place for lunch. I hope they never move as they are so close to my work.

• Pros: Excellent healthy food
• Cons: Can be a bit too busy depending on the time you go but I would not let that stop me

02/21/08

Awful Service

by justagirlgettinby at Citysearch

This is a story about the Gaby's on Washington . . . Went there with a date, okay, so not the best atmosphere but they had kibbeh. Boy was I excited. We ordered the mezze platter. Okay this is not a pricey place, but it was one of the more expensive things on the menu; when we were finally able to put in our order (the waitress was very busy with her friends at a nearby table) it arrived with no kibbeh, no baba ganoush, just extra falafel and hummus - no explanation, same price. We were finally able to flag our server down ( if you saw the size of the place you would get the joke) and apparently they had run out of almost everything listed on the mezze platter and just made random substitutions, no consulting, nothing.

this was the first time in my life I left a 10% tip . . .

01/03/08

CLOSED FOR RENNOVATIONS

by nswolf at Citysearch

The restaurant on Venice Blvd. has been closed for major rennovations for a few months now. Call before making the drive or visit one of their other two locations on Washington Blvd. Not sure when this location will reopen, but it will as this is just a rennovation of the restaurant. The newest location is on Washington Blvd. just west of Lincoln Blvd.

Food is usually fresh and tasty so looking forward to the Venice Blvd. location reopening.

• Pros: Good food, great salads
• Cons: Smoking allowed

11/19/07

Favorite stop after a good day at the beach.

by raphaely at Citysearch

I love stopping in for falafels or chicken kabobs at this great BYOB after a day on the beach. Staff has always been nice, and the food selection is great for those who want more than just a kabob. Stop by the liquor store across the street, or bring you favorite bottle of wine and enjoy eating on the front patio. Good people watching as well.

• Pros: Great food, BYOB.
• Cons: May have to wait a little for a table.

11/16/07

Deeeeeeeeeeeellicious and dirty

by chappaquagirl at Citysearch

My husband and I live in the neighborhood and just love Gabys - its cheap, its fast, its easy take out - we almost get it every sunday. BEST hummus in TOWN!! As much as we love Gabys - this is a note to the ower, if he reads this - we just wish the restaurant itself wasn't so run down and dirty looking. Its just so unattractive and in a shady parking lot. How about knocking down that disgusting liquor store and build a cute little restaurant in that shopping center - I bet you would triple the amount of people coming in because they are usually turned off by how the location looks. OR at least do a major fix-me-up to that tent... I am saying this as a HUGE fan - we love your food - but the place needs a make over!!

• Pros: delicious food, cheap, fast
• Cons: ambience, doesn't look clean, creepy parking lot

07/26/07

Love this place

by lebmike at Citysearch

I eat at Gaby's almost three times a week... Everything on the menu is real good... The Leon Salad is my favorite... Must admit, the service has greatly improved. It's good to feel welcomed.

• Pros: Great value

05/21/07

awesome food, hookas, attentive staff, rude waitress

by moveagain at Citysearch

The food here is amazing and inexpensive. You can BYOB for a $5.50 corkage fee and they don't seem to charge for more than 2 bottles of wine anyway. The staff is very attentive (the people who bring out the food, get charcoal for the hookah etc.). The waitress was rude. She tried to push a "group menu" on us and didn't even bother getting us the full menu until I asked for it. The hostess and the other people were very nice. I'd definitely go there again.