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Alcazar Restaurant
Categories: Restaurants Middle Eastern Restaurants Mediterranean Middle Eastern, Mediterranean [Edit]
17239 Ventura BlvdEncino, CA 91316
Neighborhood: Encino
(818) 789-0991
- Hours:
Tue-Thu 11:30 pm - 10 pm
Fri 11:30 pm - 12 am
Sat 11:30 pm - 2 am
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Classy
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
Janneke v. said: "Visited House Of Pita twice now. First time I was solo looking for a quick healthy meal and I was happily surprised. Had the soup and the falafel. Second time I dragged my date with me, we shared a meat dish and the falafel. We shared…" read more »
44 reviews for Alcazar Restaurant
Review Highlights
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"...coming back for the baba ghannouj and shish tawook." In 3 reviews -
"I substituted the baba ghannouj and grape leaves for the..." In 3 reviews -
"...chicken schwarma and the BEST garlic paste on the planet." In 3 reviews
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44 reviews in English
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Review from Ali I.
Los Angeles, CA
3/21/2012
Simply the best Lebanese food in the USA! Seriously, very authentic tastes. The salads are tangy and the cold and hot appetizers are simply right on. Great job!
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Review from Casey E.
Los Angeles, CA
1/29/2012
The service is horrible here! It took them 20 minutes to bring out two waters another 10 for them to take our order and almost 45 minutes for them to bring out our food. The food was not worth the wait. It was DISGUSTING. The chicken was dry and the veggies are those ones you can buy in a package and heat up in the microwave. I was pissed about how they treated us here and to top it off, a large group, that obviously was friends or relatives to the owner, got seated right away and served...BEFORE US! and they came in long after us. We waited 25 minutes for them to bring out the check, they never did. We got up and had to find someone to help us. The place wasn't even packed. I will always stick to my beloved Ali Baba in Granada Hills.
Oh, and the entire time the people who own it had a little 3 year old that was screaming his head off.
Save your money and time. -
Review from Marisol A.
Los Angeles, CA
3/12/2012 1 Check-in Here
Food is usually very good with a few misses. Hallumi in bread is not worth price. Service can be a bit slow but not as bad as in the past. Babbaganoush is to die for! It's honestly hit or miss here in terms of service. Review id a combination of food and sevice.
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Review from Steph C.
7/10/2011
I've lived around five minutes from Alcazar for as long as it's been open, and I'd been itching to check it out ever since I saw it listed in Jonathan Gold's 99. Small hitch - my family never goes for Middle Eastern food. I finally got my taste about a month ago, and I regret that the rest of my clan will never make Alcazar a regular spot.
I went with one of my girlfriends and had a great lunch. The place was pretty empty, and we took a seat on the patio. Be warned that the sun in the valley can be killer, and that it will move while you eat. Still, not a bad spot, and the service was on point, friendly and efficient. I'm sure we could have moved if we weren't feeling lazy.
We both went straight for the lunch menu, which had full meals priced at $9.95. Both of our meals came with a salad and a choice of hummus or baba ganoush. The salad was really refreshing, very zippy and full of vinegary pucker. It came with lettuce, tomato, cucumber, tarragon, and a generous douse of dressing. We both opted for the hummus and the kitchen combined our orders into one big bowl of thick, oily, nutty hummus. It was very good hummus, and the complimentary pita was not super fresh, but it was tasty with a nice chew. We also got a little dish of olive, radish, and jalapeño pickles that I really liked.
For our mains, I got the shewarma with beef, and my friend got the chicken kabab. The shewarma came with rice, roasted tomato, red onions, and a tangy white sauce. The beef was decent, if a little bit on the dry side, and I liked the fragrant rice. The better entree, though, was the chicken kabab. The chicken was superb - moist and flavorful, and served with a side of addictive garlic dipping sauce. Next time I come for lunch, I'll be getting the chicken.
Lunch ended with a cookie-like version of baklava, sweet, nutty, and not too sticky. It was a pleasant last bite. I hope to come back to Alcazar some time soon - I don't want my second visit to be as overdue as my first, anyway. It's a great place with a tantalizing menu, and next time anyone is up for Middle Eastern in the valley, I will lobby heavily for Alcazar.Listed in: Chipping away at Gold's 99
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Review from Claudia B.
Simi Valley, CA
7/24/2011 3 photos
For our first time experience here, we came for lunch, and it wasn't bad. I've had better...both in terms of food and service, but it really wasn't bad. I'd definitely go back again and give them another try, and I would watch out for some things that were issues today. Restaurant was pleasantly decorated, and there was a set-up for live music at night..
One thing I didn't like is that some of their specials were for certain times of the day or week, and I was annoyed by it. A lunch special is a lunch special......why can't I get it on a Saturday or Sunday? So, we had to pay full price and order off the main menu.....because it's a weekend. That's dumb, but those are their rules.
My husband ordered the vegetarian plate, which included some hummus, tabbouleh, stuffed grape leaves and babba ghanoush. While I have no use for the grape leaves, the other items were VERY good. The first batch of middle eastern bread was cold and boring, but the second batch was quite warm and soft, which rather "woke up" the flavors of the bread, and thus, made it even more interesting for dipping in the various vegetarian dips. I really enjoyed the hummus and babba ghanoush. His meal also came with falafel, as well, and they were also with great flavor and came with a lovely tahini sauce, which had some chopped up raw tomato and onion in it. I really liked it.
The chicken schawerma was quite flavorful, as was the basmati rice, but they were both WAY TOO DRY. The meat felt like it had been cooked forever, and I always take issue with food that is either too dried out and/or has no sauce to help it along.......this was the case today. I had shared the sandwich with my husband, and he refused to finish it for that reason. I ended up using the leftover tahini sauce and poured it all over the chicken, and that really seemed to help the dryness factor. I ate more of my dish than my husband did, but I only stopped because I got full. It really tasted good, just too dry.....so I ate carefully and slowly.
Service was weird. There were several waitresses with not many patrons, so really, there was no reason for any of them to be MIA......but they were. Also, our food came out at weird times. They brought my husband's dish (the vegetarian foods), but not mine.......and they didn't even bring out all of his.....just the cold foods. The falafel didn't show until my chicken came out, and he really had wanted to eat them all together........and not be virtually done eating by the time mine came out. While we shared whatever we got, it was still weird, and he was slightly miffed about it.
So here I've separated out what the issues are/were, and you may be wondering why I'd bother again. I don't know......it seems like it has potential.....but I'd sure have to keep on my toes with what they do / how they do it. They get one more chance from me because I'm such a sucker for Mediterranean / Middle Eastern food, otherwise........Listed in: What's Hot in the SFV, Around the World in 80…
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Review from Victoria M.
Northridge, Los Angeles, CA
1/15/2012
Alcazar is amazing. The food is absolutely delicious! The entertainment is incredible with DJ's, live music and belly dancers. I have been many times and have never been less then completely happy. We've hosted and attended many parties there as well and it never disappoints. If you are also looking for someone to cater your next event, look to Alcazar!
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Review from Bambi H.
Agoura, CA
1/25/2012 2 Check-ins Here
This place rocks! The food is wonderful, the service is exceptional and the entertainment is bar none. Great kind of place to throw a party that is REALLY fun. I can't wait to go back.
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Review from Jennifer G.
Los Angeles, CA
12/30/2011
Just tried this place for the first time and LOVED it! This is my new fave persian food. The meat was so flavorful and I got big portions. Will definitely recommend and will return very very soon!
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Review from Denis S.
12/14/2010
We sat down, placed our order for hummus and chicken shawerma, and got our basket of pita bread. Took the pita, dipped it in the hummus and CRUNCH. Why is this pita so hard? Tap, tap, tap. Why does it make that sound when I hit it against my plate?
We ask the waitress for softer pita (i.e. fresh) and she happy obliges. Takes our basket away and comes out in about 3 minutes with a new basket of warm and soft pita. We finish that off but still have plenty of chicken and hummus left, so we ask for more.
Another 3 minutes, another basket. Another dip and... CRUNCH. It's hard again. The girl is convinced that she just reheated our original basket. I'm less cynical and think that they just have far too much stale old pita. Either way, not good.
We finish most of our food (even though the chicken wasn't that good either) and the waitress asks if we want dessert.
Us: Nope, we're all done
Waitress: Tea, coffee?
Us: Nope
Waitress: Ok (and leaves).
Waitress doesn't come back. We're just sitting there. At least 10 minutes pass before I finally flag her down and get our check. Is there a rule that you're supposed to ask for your check? When we're done eating and not asking for anything else, isn't it pretty obvious we're ready for the check?
You might think they were busy, but you'd be wrong. Besides us their was one other couple in the place. The staff outnumbered the customers 3-1... oh well. -
Review from Fernando H.
Sylmar, CA
4/20/2011
Amazing!
Their falafel, tabbouleh, babahanoush and hummus (killed the spelling) were all great!
I got a taste of my boyfriend's Shish Tavook and rice, and I must say I was quite envious that I didn't order that.
Could someone please explain to me what is up with the pickled olives and pickled "pinkish" thing at the beginning? :D
You really must come here, the only thing is that I felt so out of place everyone else was getting superb service while we NEVER had anyone come over and ask if we needed more of anything. NOT once.
Everyone else was getting amazing service. :/ They are really very lucky that their food made up for their crappy service. -
Review from Vickie C.
12/26/2010 1 Check-in Here
I came here for lunch with my coworkers. One of them is Armenian and recommended this place as a delicious Armenian restaurant.
I have been here twice for lunch and the restaurant has been empty both times. I guess they are more busy during dinner hours. They set up some drums and a keyboard in the middle of the restaurant. I assume there are musical performances at night.
Once you sit down, they provide you with a basket of pita bread and pita chips. Hummus and baba ganoush must be ordered separately, but is included if you order the lunch specials.
They have lunch specials during lunch. I ordered the Shish Tawook, which is broiled chicken breast. The chicken is juicy and tender. It comes with a salad, rice, and pita bread that has some sort of spice rub on it. You also get to choose between hummus or baba ganoush.
Because everyone ordered lunch specials, they brought out the hummus and baba ganoush in big bowls for everyone to share. Both were delicious!
I will definitely be coming back again!
Parking: A huge parking lot in the back for the entire plaza.Listed in: Jonathan Gold's 99 Essential…
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Review from Teri L.
Northridge, CA
3/19/2011
This place RAWKS! EXCELLENT chicken schwarma and the BEST garlic paste on the planet!!
REALLY nice people, great drinks, all in all a really COOL place! -
Review from C L.
Valencia, CA
3/16/2008
On my Bucket List: Must learn to belly-dance.
Before I get into that I have to talk about the food. Alcazar knows how I like to eat, and they surely exceeded by expectations. I can make a meal out of appetizers, and at Alcazar it's all about Mezzas. If you choose their prix fix dinner, you will enjoy up to 10 cold/hot mezza including various versions of hummus, tabbouleh, baba ghanouj, a yogurt/mint dip, stuffed grape leaves, meat pies, falafel, etc.-- all served with warm lavosh and pita. I was in a culinary Lebanese heaven!
You would think that with all of the small plates offered you wouldn't have room for the main course. Better make room, because their kabob plates were delectable. I only had room for the beef kabob which was outstanding, and served with an herbed rice that I wish I could have taken home with me it was so savory. The final course was a light dessert of a creamy yogurt like cheese with honey and crushed pistachios. I would have preferred something with chocolate, but I was so satisfied by the rest of the dishes, I hardly missed the option.
The owner of the restaurant (Vatche) deftly manages double duty as the chef and the entertainment. Vatche is an international musician who gets on stage around 10:00 to perform ballads and other popular international music. He has quite a following and is a superbly talented artist (both culinary and musical). He also plays a mean guitar, and his accompanying drummer and keyboardist were great too, so after the first song the dance floor was packed! They even had a DJ who seamlessly transitioned into Arabic dance music between sets.
Then the bellydancer came out to entertain the crowd after the first set. Wow! She had skills, if only I could make that a second career!
I highly recommend the prix-fix at $45.00, and I definitely suggest staying for the entertainment, on Friday nights! This is popular Armenian spot, so expect all ages, families and folks dressed to the nines and ready to dance the night away (I don't suggest jeans). Reservations are highly recommended. Also, they have a lovely outdoor patio with Hookas for those of you who smoke. I cannot wait for my return to Alcazar! -
Review from Gregory H.
Los Angeles, CA
12/10/2008
It was at Alcazar that I delved into zombie cuisine: a sizzling platter of pan fried brains. And before you squeamish folks scrunch up your face into the semblance of a prune, let me tell you, you're missing out on a dish that would surprise you with a most pleasant of tastes and textures once you get over the same psychological barrier most of us put aside when we eat a cocktail weenie or hot dog. N'Khaat is not like how I imagined eating the thinking cap of a bovine would be; the organ is divided into bite size pieces, breaded, coated with herbs, fried, then served sitting in a tangy pool of minced garlic, lemon and dressing. What started off as a tentative "I'm curious, so I'm gonna try it bite" quickly turned into a "grab the whole plate and ask for more pita to accompany it" deal.
Everything else we tried that evening was quite satsifying, including the house hummus, which diverges a bit from traditional offerings, and partners the garbanzos with fool mudammas and chili peppers. I ordered a K'bbeh Nayye' Ourfali, the middle eastern equivalent of beef tartar, and it was almost too rich for my taste (I say "almost", admitting I finished 3/4 of a plate by myself). My vegetarian girlfriend raved about the olive-laden zeitoon salad, which was quite delicious, but I was too busy eating brains and raw beef to really acknowledge vegetable matter that evening. Throw in their cheese plate and we had a most memorable meal (also being my birthday supper) and we're sure to come back to try all the other options we reluctantly had to pass up on our first visit.
Note: if you read of a Los Angeles man dying from Mad Cow Disease four years from now (the time the disease takes to manifest itself), you might be right in guessing it's me. But damn if it wasn't worth it. -
Review from Z Z.
Los Angeles, CA
2/11/2008
Seven of us dined at Alcazar on Saturday night and it was quite good. Yes indeed, this is yet another falafel review for Nicole R! Alcazar is really great but make sure you go there early on Friday or Saturday evenings to avoid the pre-fixed menu. (unless of course you are interested in that) We got there early enough so that we did not have to deal with the pre-fixed menu so that was nice!
It was funny, the two items that I was the most excited to try (well aside from the falafel!) were the two that let me down. First, I was so excited to try the Sajj Bread which is made to order on weekends. It is lavash bread that is prepared over an open flame outside and topped with cheese. I couldn't wait to try it but......the woman who makes it wasn't there yet! That was a bummer. The other item that bummed me out was the muhammara which has pomegranate, roasted red peppers, walnuts, and other assorted spices. Man oh man was that insanely hot. I could barely eat a couple mouthfuls. Paul loves spicy food normally but he didn't really like it either and neither did his sister or mom.
Everything else was fantastic. I got the vegetarian combo which normally has hummus, falafel, baba ghannouj, grape leaves and tabouli. I substituted the baba ghannouj and grape leaves for the muhammara and the fattoosh salad. They give you so much food! The hummus was good, it had a nice spiciness to it and I enjoyed the dollop of EVOO on the top of it. The falafel was sweet, had a nice crunch to it, and wasn't greasy at all. The fattoosh salad was good too, very fresh, although it had way too much dressing on it. That was kind of a bummer. Oh, and the tabouli was great too. It had a nice sweet taste to it and was quite fresh tasting.
And just because I can't eat any meal at all without cheese I just had to order the shanklish which was fabulous. It was seriously delicious. It had spicy cheese mixed with onions, peppers, tomatoes and EVOO. Man oh man that was so good.
Everyone else liked what they ordered too. Most everyone got a mixture of kabobs and loved it. We all loved the olives that they give you when you first sit down and the big baskets of warm pita bread.
Really good food! I actually think it is worth driving to the Valley to check it out! The portions are so big, I had tons of food leftover....although the shanklish didn't stay around for very long!Listed in: The falafel list
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Review from Daniel A.
San Francisco, CA
4/24/2008
Everything rocks at Alcazar. If you don't know much about Lebanese just close your eyes and point somewhere on the menu; I promise you'll end up with something delicious.
I couldn't agree more with C L that it's all about the mezzas, which are roughly the Arab equivalent of tapas. Alcazar's menu has a whole two pages (one page for cold, one for hot) of these fascinatingly complex, gastronomically adventurous little plates. They'll range in familiarity from hummus with fun toppings to lamb fries with sumac and lemon (if you've ever toyed with the prospect of trying testicle this is a great place to finally go for it).
But for those born without the food-thrill-seeker complex, Alcazar does a fantastic job on the Lebanese staples, too. Perfectly textured falafel, triumphantly tasty shawarma and ground meat kebabs, and some of my favorite hummus around.
To boot, there's an outdoor area for smoking hookah... and of course you can just sit inside if that's not your thing.Listed in: Ventura Boulevard: The Little…
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Review from Rosie D.
Sherman Oaks, Los Angeles, CA
6/22/2008
The food is fricken fantastic!!! A friend recommended this place last year, I just got around to trying it last week. We went on a Friday night hopping to catch the belly dancing. We didn't... too early. But we got the food, that was most important. Man, what a treat! We did ordered the prix dinner. SOOO much food and all so damn good. The hummus was like sex on a plate. The yogurt, the grape leaves, the baba ghanouj. My husband and I were moaning to each other-- (relax...we had our clothes on)
We had leftovers.
The dessert was kinda cool, I think I liked it. It was this creamy mushy thing with honey and almonds. Seriously, my first bite, I thought it was disgusting. The 2nd bite was more forgiving. By the 3rd bite, I was gobbling the stuff down.
I didn't give them the last star because the server was bitchy. We had made reservations for 7:30. When we got there, there were 2 other tables occupied, yet we were facing the bathrooms. So, we asked to move. She didn't like that. The whole time, she had the attitude of " You need me, I'll service you when I feel like it" She sucked.
Secondly, the coffee tasted like Folders that had been sitting on a heating element for hours. eh. Steer clear.
Oh man, we will be back though! -
Review from Tom T.
Sherman Oaks, CA
9/13/2006
I really like mediterrean food, but I know that I'm normally ordering the "typical" hummus, babagannoush, chicken shawarma, falafel, etc at places like Pita Kitchen, Zankou, Med Cafe, Burger Continental, etc - these places all serve tasty food for cheap - but I knew there had to be more variety somewhere...
So tonight, I tried Alcazar for the first time. It's run by Lebanese people, and they emphasize appetizers - they have way more cold and hot appetizers (mezza) than they do entrees - for example, they have 5 different types of hummus.
Since this was my first time, I can only comment on what I ordered - the appetizer sampler platter for 2. For $35, you get the following:
hummus, baba ghannouj, tabbooleh, grape leaves, falafel, fattoosh (tasty salad w/ crispy pita and a pomegranate dressing), labneh b toom (yogurt cream), shanklish (aged spiced cheese salad), fool mudammas (fava bean stew w/ garbonzos), and fatayer (hot spinach filled pastry)
Normally, I'm a carnivore, but I definitely got my fill eating the above.
I really liked the falafel - it tasted different from most places - not at all greasy - actually sort of "light" on the inside while having a very nice crispy/crunchy outer layer.
Healthy, tasty, fresh (they say they prepare everything from scratch)!
Note: I found this place after it was written up in last week's (9/6/06) LA Times food section - on the best hummus shops in LA. -
Review from Sharon B.
Panorama City, CA
10/21/2009 2 photos
A great lunch spot with good food and almost never busy! Came here with my coworkers last week (was my first time but everyone else had been coming for years). I was a little disappointed in the bread/pita being a store bought type and not freshly made.
A little pricey $12 lunch special, but includes salad, hummos or baba ghannouj, and dessert. A lot of food for the price so it's worth it. It was my first time having baba ghannouj and I am a FAN! If only it was more available in other establishments. I ordered the Shish Tawook (marinated chicken breast) and it was yum yum yum! Very flavorful , tender, and moist. The rice was also flavorful. The dish came with more of the pita type bread but this time had a little sauce on top. Dessert was just some place pieces of baklava. It was tasty but I'm not too big of a fan of baklava. Everyone also tried the yogurt drink... SAL-TYYYY is all I have to say. Good for the experience but will not be ordering again.
Service was good. It helps that it wasn't busy when we got there. I think only one other table, but when we left there was probably 4 other tables. It's a big space and I'm assuming there's some type of live music on the weekends? I saw the instruments and there's a dance floor all set up and ready to go! I think they also dub as a hookah lounge? The patio is a good size and I saw hookahs lined up against the bar area.
I'm definitely coming back for the baba ghannouj and shish tawook... now just gotta work on that in house pita bread... -
Review from Libby A.
Van Nuys, CA
8/14/2011
First time and last time ever going to this terrible place.
Worst service I have ever experienced .They sat us with no menus first of all, then finally brought a glass of water, which we then asked the stupid lady for one , and she said "yeah " ok, then my fiancé got his dinner first as I sat like an ass n watched him eat , I told him to eat it so It wouldnt get cold . So to make a long story short, I asked to speak to who was in charge , and no one can answer me .
I told our waiter this is so rude that you bring one plate out first and not mine! I was still waiting , and no one seemed to give a damn .
I said I deserved at least my dinner to be free since they ruined our evening, and he said I gave u free iced teas. BIG Shit! This place sucks and I will tell all my friends and my Armenian friends in my community t not step foot in here ever! Do not go here guys , if u wanna be mistreated go for it ! -
Review from Amy K.
2/12/2007 2 photos
My mom insisted the family go here after she went with some friends, and way to go, Mom. It's gotta be a testament to deliciousness that I had to run and get the leftovers after writing that first sentence.
Alcazar is a great place for people like me, who like to nibble a little of everything instead of having a defined meal. Our server told us that most people order a bunch of appetizers and share; the selection of entrees is actually fairly small in comparison. The menu includes loads of dips and spreads, some salads (veg*ns, this is a wonderful place for you, so much to choose from!), and a bunch of warm meat and/or cheese appetizers. While some of the dishes are what you'd find in your average Mediterranean restaurant - hummus (granted, there are five varieties), yogurt dip, falafel - some of the stuff is incredibly unique, such as Muhammara: a dip made of crushed walnuts, mixed with roasted red pepper, pomegranate paste and spices. Friggin' delicious. Also, out back is a woman making lavash fresh on some sort of stone. I bet she gets lonely.
The desserts are traditional (not that my knowledge of Lebanese desserts is extensive) and for the most part, involve Ashta, which is some sort of heavy clotted cream, and rosewater. There are more on the in-house menu than on the website. The Ashta is very thick and heavy, so you will definitely want to share.
Alcazar's atmosphere is unusual in that the restaurant is very long, and many of the tables were put together to accommodate large parties. While the indoor space is reasonable, the restaurant doubles in size due to an outdoor patio. We were told that normally the plastic sheeting was up to make it actually outdoorsy, but due to the chilly evening, it was almost completely down. I wouldn't have cared, other than that because the patio was exposed to SOME air, people were allowed to smoke out there (you can actually rent hookahs on the weekends). There's a big sliding door that can separate the indoor and outdoor parts, but they said they can't close it, so if you're sensitive to/don't like cigarette smoke, ask to sit near the front.
Damn, I wish this place wasn't in the Valley. Peep the website for the comprehensive menu along with pictures. And don't forget to allow for leftovers! -
Review from H Y.
Woodland Hills, CA
5/2/2008
I guess I am in the minority here. This place was decent, not bad but not mindblowing. However, I am no expert in Middle Eastern food either.
The Hummos Alcazar was tasty, but I wish it had more garlic in it. The chicken wings appetizer was okay, but not enough taste. The potatos in spicy cilantro and garlic sauce was really good. The beef kabobs were decent but not mind blowing. -
Review from Taylor G.
Los Angeles, CA
4/25/2008
Even a weekly visit isn't enough.
I grew up pretty close to this gem and never knew about it until some co-workers took me there for lunch one day. I was totally blown away by the quality and taste. I almost always get the Shish Tawook (chicken breast skewer) with fareek (a grain in the brown rice family, soooo good). The hummos is unreal, I've never had anywhere else come close. And DEFINITELY get a side of the garlic spread. Unlike Zankou Chicken which uses butter to make their spread, Alcazar uses olive oil so its a much healthier alternative and tastes AMAZING!! I put it on everything; pita, chicken, rice...if its on my plate its getting dunked in garlic!
The lunch specials are the best deals, about $11 for a TON of food. My fareek substitution costs an extra $2 but is well worth it to me. My only gripe at all is that quite often it takes a long time to pay. In tradition with a 'relaxed' lunch they don't push you to leave but quite the opposite, we handed off our credit cards and waited 20 minutes once for the receipts to sign, and we were the only table the waitress had! But I won't deduct stars for it, I would give Alcazar 6 stars if I could so a full 5 is still an honest score :) -
Review from Rockit O.
Thousand Oaks, CA
4/19/2009
Excellent fresh food!
Middle eastern food in So Cal is very generic. Greek is not the same as Persian and is not the same as Lebanese or Afghan, etc...etc.
Alcazar is Lebanese.
We started off with Babaganoush which is very different than a Persian style. It was more like a Tahini humous with olive oil. It was delicious.
We also tried the "Mezzas":
Fried cheese
Potatoes cubed in spices and pan fried
Dark Purple raw tomatoes with spice
On to the Kabobs, I had a mixed plate, Chicken, Ground Beef, and Lamb. All cooked to perfection, tender and tasty.
One other side we tried was the Farik. It is a roasted wheat dish that is like rice. Very Very good and a great change from rice.
I really enjoyed the food here and you could taste that it was Fresh made to order.
Best Lebanese food in the so cal area.
If you want to taste real good Persian food try Shiraz and you will see the difference between Persian and Lebanese. http://www.yelp.com/bi... -
Review from Brooke S.
Biddeford, ME
12/4/2008
I've had this placed bookmarked for a while, based mostly on the good reviews.
Well, I have to say that I was definitely underwhemled. There were 4 people upfront behind the counter area (where the host check-in is) and it took 5 minutes for anyone to even acknowldege our presence. Service was slow and apathetic all night - we had to ask for drink refills when needed - and we were the only people there outside of another table that was just finishing up! Not to mention that when we finished ordering the waiter looked at my husband and said, "That's it?". We ordered an entree each and an appetizer - how much do they expect us to eat?
Firstly, they need to narrow down their menu somewhat. They have 4 times as many appetizers as they do actual entrees. I'll get to the quality of the food in a moment, but they need to pare it down to only what they do exceptionally well, if such a thing exists.
On to the food quality, as promised... Mediocre. I ordered the Beef Kabob done medium. What I got was between medium-well and well and was dry and chewy. The roasted tomato and rice were almost cold. My husband had the Combination Kabob and his was the same.
It was OK - but that's all. I certainly won't be going back, considering that Darband is in the same area, closer to my house, and the same price, with food and service that blows this place away. -
Review from Mark S.
Encino, CA
1/5/2012
This place is the poster child for "average" . Went for lunch.... Waited 25 minutes for the main course .... Service average, the food was average with a couple items being good and a couple not so good .... It looked like the owner was there and seemed to be pushy with the staff .... Not again, thanks .....
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Review from Carla B.
9/19/2007
Ever since Tempo losed, I've been at a loss for where to have middle eastern for lunch. Thanks again to my fellow yelpers and all the positive reviews of Alcazar, decided to give it a try. It was most excellent - for $10.95, I got chicken kabob, which was incredibly moist, tender and flavorful, a salad, hummous, rice and Lebanese bread which is similiar to pita, but has some tomato and onion thing happening with it.
Highly recommend. -
Review from Nerisa L.
5/20/2009
The food is amazing, but you may need to flag down the service if you need to be acknowledged! I'm a stickler for customer service especially if you are in the restaurant business.
I could have just ordered the food and brought it home if I was going to be ignored. -
Review from Tamar V.
Santa Monica, CA
3/22/2010
Mediocre at best, its one of those places people ask "shall we go there?" and the response is sort of an "eh" noise. I have generally only been here for lunch, and its over priced, and doesnt taste good. Plus even when its empty the service leaves something to be desired, you may want to eat something before you stop here for a meal. it is the only restaurant where you literally have to ask every time you call whether they will deliver, because half the time they tell you they don't have a car. They do have outdoor seating, its not the best outdoor seating in the area, but at least you're not looking at traffic.
If you do decide to try this place, whatever you do, Don't Get the Fish. -
Review from Jason R.
Los Angeles, CA
2/21/2011
We get there at 8:30 for our reservation, waited ONE HOUR to be seated because they were overbooked. Finally they sat us near the entrance and nowhere ear the main dining hall. Took TWO HOURS for our main course to arrive. The fish was still frozen and smelled horrible. After complaining they just left us there and didn't come back. No apologies, no credit, nothing. Still charged us 18% gratuity (even though it wasn't mentioned anywhere). Very rude staff. Needless to say, never eating here again.
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Review from F. R.
Los Angeles, CA
2/21/2011
Terrible Service, plain rip off for $35 set menu and entertainment, not to mention 18% service charge for the service never received. I wonder how many people with great remarks about this place are their friends and family!!!!!
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Review from Maribel H.
WOODLAND HLS, CA
10/5/2011
I love the food and the people amazing!!!
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Review from elle u.
Los Angeles, CA
2/23/2009
i was initially turned off by the notion of swarma.. and food in general...
looking back maybe it was because i had literally been inside my car for 8 hours driving all over southern california... and couldn't think, let alone pick a place to eat... neverthess, my bf wanted to eat there.
cons: 45 dollars for entertainment, not including dinner, and the people that hang there can appear a bit on the Sopranos/ Wire (if you've ever seen the Greek) side.
pros: they will accomodate you so that you don't have to pay for it... which can be bad for business... i know... but i didn't go for the entertainment... and yet... the singer was quite great...
they stay open late... though it's somewhere you can dress up to, it's open in relation to attire...
the service was superb, everyone was super helpful and very nice.
the food was delish.... especially the marinades and garlic sauces,
and they have hookah!!!!
for as crappy as my day was, it made it all worth it.
so if you ever find your way into the Valley and are craving Middle Eastern food... this is one of many places to stop and look over. -
Review from Jamel I.
San Francisco, CA
1/28/2011
Ok service, great food. Nice tent-covered patio in the back.
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Review from Anne A.
Encino, CA
8/20/2010 1 Check-in Here
The experience is not the same as before. The chicken is salty and is not the same before they closed down. The staff didn't know what sumac or garlic paste was and one employees that rang us up and was not friendly at all with us. They gave us our order in a used Smart and Final bag and our utensils and pita bread in a ziploc bag which seemed unusual for a restaurant.
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Review from Jen M.
San Fernando Valley, CA
9/1/2010
Alcazar just opened back up! They have this chicken sandwich that is chicken tomato's pickles and garlic paste all wrapped in a pita. All the girls at my salon ( Epic) love this chicken sandwich. It is reasonable priced.
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Review from Peggy C.
Van Nuys, CA
8/6/2011
Very nice service. They really go above and beyond to make sure you are comfortable and get what you need. Good food. You can easily miss the restaurant. So drive slow and look for the green tarp. The dance floor is small but the entertainment is very lively and engaging. Worth the $45 ticket price. Unending appetizers, well cooked meat, and even dessert! You will have a good time for sure.
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Review from Bryan W.
4/19/2009
Had lunch at Alcazar after reading a review in LA Weekly. Yummy Kebab. I really owe it to Alcazar to go back to dinner and consider if I should up my rating to 4 stars.
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Review from Lorie B.
Los Angeles, CA
4/4/2011
If I could, I would it rate it -5. Awful service. If you want to be taken care of this is not the place for you. If you want a nice dining experience, not the place for you. If you want to have delicious mediterranean food, THIS is not the place. For starters, we didn't get everything we ordered but still had to pay for it, um what? The portions are small but the prices are not! And don't get me started on the quality. Ugh. Don't waste your time or money.
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Review from Larry G.
Los Angeles, CA
3/14/2011
Agree with others, they have terrible service. Waited about an hour for a kebab. The place was empty, with only 3 or 4 other tables, so there was absolutely no excuse for it. The food also has gone downhill. You'd be so much better off going a couple of doors down to Itzik Hagadol, which had far superior food, service and atmosphere. Sure wise we would have.
