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AJ's Armenian Cuisine
Category: Restaurants Mediterranean Mediterranean [Edit]
5048 N Maroa AveFresno, CA 93704
(559) 225-4580
- Hours:
Mon-Sat 11 am - 2 pm
Mon-Thu 5 pm - 9 pm
Fri-Sat 5 pm - 9:30 pm
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street, Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Dogs Allowed:
- No
16 reviews for AJ's Armenian Cuisine
Review Highlights
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"I could only finish one big slab of the lulu." In 4 reviews -
"...is my favorite, with half rice pilaf and half bulgar pilaf." In 4 reviews -
"I had the chicken and lamb combo and was delighted with the..." In 4 reviews
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16 reviews in English
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Review from Gomez A.
Caruthers, CA
5/5/2012
I have not been to all of the kabob places in the area but I have been to several of them and, so far, AJ's is my favorite by a good margin. I almost always get their lamb kabob and it is REALLY good ! The best I have had around here actually. I have also had the lulu and it is very good too. The decor is not spectacular or particularly elegant but the place is decently clean and the food is definitely good. They often get very busy at lunch time so it's a good idea to go early if you can.
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Review from Georgia A.
Fresno, CA
2/8/2012
went here with the in laws and hubby, the food is really good and this place gets packed. i can only describe this place as somewhere between a hole in the wall and a nice dining place..nothing fancy but is still very cozy. decor is a little outdated but honestly, who cares since the food is so good?
had the chicken kebob and lulu combo plate with half rice and half bulgar rice (sorry if i butchered the spelling ) the chicken was really flavorful and moist and the lulu was was substantial. the rice was cooked perfectly and the bulgar rice was very buttery and flavorful just the way i like it.
luckily we had room for dessert and were able to try a few items. the cheesecake was really delicious. its not freshly made (i can usually come to this conclusion by the icicles around the cheesecake) but it wasn't a typical new york cheesecake either..it was flavored with some fruit..i forget since it was awhile ago. the baklava was really good too but it was super chewy and ...i don't want to say plastic-y but that is the only way i can think of describing it....plasticy or not it was delicious none the less and i regret not ordering one more to take home. -
Review from Mr. B.
Fresno, CA
5/24/2011
Good stuff and enough for seconds. I am pretty inexperienced in Armenian cuisine but I liked it. Furthermore, this place was packed so I assume they are doing something right.
The menu is small, which I think is usually a good thing. I ordered the Lulu Kebab. I had not tried lulu (beef/lamb mixture) before but I liked this. It had kind of a melt in your mouth quality that I can't really figure out or place.
Only problem was it was a little heavy on the onions. Not sure if that's how it's supposed to be or what. You get two big slabs of it with your bulgur/pilaf and vegetables. The vegetables were good, mostly squash. Grilled but still nice and crisp. Kebab plates cost about 12 bucks. There are a few fancier expensive dishes but we all got kebabs.
I could only finish one big slab of the lulu. It didn't make for the best leftovers because of the heavy onion taste.
What was the biggest hit was the babaganush and hummus appetizers. I hadn't tried this eggplant dip before and it was really good and different.
The lentil soup wasn't anything special but did the trick. The salads looked very fresh and tasty. Wife ordered chicken kebab which was very good and flavorful. Also had a bite of the pork ribs which were also pretty darn good and cooked just right.
Not sure I'd go back often but it was a fine experience and good food. -
Review from adam b.
7/25/2011
The lamb kabob (not shank) was impressive. I was expecting much lower quality given the level of the restaurant and it was better than some very expensive restaurants outside of Fresno. The alad was good but nothing special.
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Review from Wesley S.
3/29/2009
AJ's is a restaurant that has great food, but is not so great on service. The last time we went, our meals were fantastic, but our server was not at all friendly, and didn't do the greatest job of taking care of us.
We all had lamb shish kabobs, and everyone agreed that they were delicious, and prior to that we had the cheese baregs which were also quite delicious. (They remind me of the ones my grandmother used to make.)
The big downside to the food was that they used store bought rice pilaf, which being Armenian, myself, makes absolutely no sense to me. They also did not have any wheat bulgar rice which was dissapointing, but most would never notice this omission.
If I were to base the restaurant soley on the merit of the food, I would have given it a 4, even with the store bought pilaf. But taking the service in to account, I feel compelled to give it a 3. -
Review from Ian M.
Davis, CA
10/2/2009
This place was okay. Everything seemed fairly mediocre. I'll now list the pluses and minuses of the restaurant.
Pluses
The lulu kabob was amazing. The meat is bursting with a host of flavors and it just melts in your mouth. This was definitely the standout dish of the evening.
The eggplant dip was very nice.
Tan (yogurt drink) is great and I'm pretty sure that it's homemade.
Minuses
The grape leaves were canned.
The rice pilaf was definitely out of a box and covered in butter.
Yeah, this place is fairly mediocre, but what can you do? It was still a nice experience, but I'm not sure if I'd be running back for more anytime soon. -
Review from Kate M.
Rancho Cucamonga, CA
1/15/2012
I eat here every time I go to Fresno. Food is superb! Last night my friend got the shrimp and ingot the lamb kabob ( which is what I always get). Both dishes were incredible! I also especially liken their dinner salads and their grape leaves. We also took our own bottle of wine. The corkage fee is $6.00-- can't beat that price!
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Review from Gina J.
Fresno, CA
2/14/2011
If you want good Armenian food, this is where you should go. It's a neighborhood type of restaurant, so nothing too fancy, but if you want legitimate, traditional Armenian food, go hungry because this is the best in Fresno! Everything is fresh & authentic.
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Review from Greg N.
Brentwood, CA
6/2/2011 3 photos
Great place for Armenian Grub. A bit ethnic (decor is kind of FOBy) I thought and the two girls working the front (I assume relatives of the owner) need to be more friendly. However, that's not why I went there. The food is awesome. We had a group of 20 from the SF come in there and everyone was satisfied. We were all starving and by the end of the evening it was all great. To top it off I had great Armenian Coffee and Baklava and it was wonderful. Price was very reasonable too. I recommend this place for anyone who wants to try Armenian food.
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Review from Christy T.
Fresno-High, CA
7/30/2009
This is the closest I can find to my mother-in-law's cooking. Sooooo, so good.
The Lulu kabob is my favorite, with half rice pilaf and half bulgar pilaf. We also order a side of Lebni (thick yogurt). Mmm... I'm getting hungry!
The guy who opened up this place used to be the cook at the Armenian Club downtown (by the Armenian church), incase anyone was wondering :) -
Review from Yuly M.
Sacramento, CA
6/23/2011
An unexpected culinary delight tucked away in one of the many strip malls in Fresno. Don't let the outwardly appearance fool you, the food is fresh and very tasty.
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Review from Steve X.
Los Angeles, CA
7/19/2010
These guys are pretty friendly and the food was very fresh...loved it.
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Review from Bret M.
Playa del Rey, CA
5/17/2009 1 photo
You may not be impressed by the decore but the food is great! The service seemed a bit slow but I think that they were just waiting for the rest of our party to show. I had the chicken and lamb combo and was delighted with the moistness of the chicken and the lightly seasoned lamb. The rice pilaf that came on the side was also tasty. One of the best Armenian restaurants I've been to.
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Review from Dale N.
Fresno, CA
8/18/2009
Have eaten at AJ's several times from being a single to a group of six. Food and service has always been very satisfactory. Probabley one of the best flavored Armenian food in Fresno.
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Review from Matthew C.
Fresno, CA
3/5/2010
This is the closest thing to having Grandma make all my favorite foods! The service is just so-so but the food more than makes up for it. My favorite is the monte but the kufta and moussaka are great as well. If you like Armenian food you'll like this place.
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Review from Joe Y.
Fresno, CA
4/9/2011
In my opinion, overall, the best Armenian food in town. Little pricey, but the plates are enormous. Lulu is outstanding.
