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Categories: Middle Eastern, Mediterranean
Neighborhood: GlendaleOct & Nov Fridays: mention YELP and get 35% off Dinner, Live Entertainment & Show Menu
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Tue-Thu. 11:30 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Fri-Sat. 11:30 a.m. - 1:30 a.m.
"This place is the hidden gem of Glendale. Their portions are hearty, quality beef and chicken that are well-seasoned, refreshing pickled…" read more »
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Found myself out in glendale for a lunch meeting and our guest suggested carousel.
The menu looked really good and our server asked if we wanted to just do a family style meal (Hafleh Beiruti).
Boy was that a good decision. Plate after plate of amazing dishes came out. There were six of us but easily enough food for ten. There wasn't a thing I didn't like.
the falafel, montes, all the mezze, kebabs, everything was delicious, but the steak tartar was a particular standout.
I highly recommend it, and I'll definitely be back.
Pop quiz hotshot. It's 10pm on a Saturday night and you just finished watching the Pacquiao fight at a friend of a friend of a friend's house in Arcadia. You aren't familiar with the area. You are hungry for... shawarma. You are on a search for the best restaurant in LA that serves... shawarma. What do you do? WHAT DO YOU DO???
Well, what I did was I called a friend who enjoys Mediterranean food and lives in Glendale and asked him for a recommendation. He recommended Carousel. I've heard about Carousel, but I never make it out to Glendale... so I figured it was worth a shot. Kitchen was closing at 10:45, so had to step on it.
Arrived without getting a ticket. There was valet parking in back (a good thing because finding parking on Brand SUCKS), but instead I got lucky and found a spot right out front. Score.
Inside? Was amazing. By far the fanciest Lebanese restaurant into which I've ventured (although you can really wear whatever, no dress code per se), and I've hit quite a few in my day... I consider myself somewhat of a connoisseur of Lebanese cuisine. We were relegated to a small room off of the entrance due to the fact that they had a banquet dinner going in the main dining hall, a $43 per person affair that I will definitely come back to experience myself -- multiple courses, big parties, live music and dancing. We could still hear the music (which was blaring) through the closed french doors, however, and it sounded like a lively bunch to say the least.
Since the kitchen was getting ready to close, we were forced to make hasty decisions. Me and the girl ordered a chicken shawarma plate and a beef shawarma plate to share ($15 each). They were generous portions... not the biggest I've ever seen, but certainly plenty even for an eater of my stature.
While we were eagerly awaiting our food (the restaurant came highly recommended), our very friendly server brought out a plate of Lebanese pickles, cucumbers, olives, and excellent Lebanese white cheese to nosh on. Perfect to whet the appetite. Warm pita (store-bought) was standard, nothing special. They also brought out two small salads, although the dressing had a bit too much vinegar for my taste.
Then came the food. The chicken shawarma plate came with hummus and salad with tahini sauce over it along with a side of garlic sauce. The beef shawarma also came with hummus on the side, but was accompanied by the standard marinated onions and tahini sauce. The flavors were very good, and the meat quality was great. Our only concerns were that the chicken was a bit dry, and the beef was way too salty. It is possible that these issues arose from the fact that it was so late (right before closing). The hummus, however, was among the best I've had... better than any I can think of aside from Sunnin. Homemade and creamy, with just the right amount of extra virgin olive oil and paprika.
After the meal, we perused the menu more thoroughly... and found out that we hadn't even hit on the specialties of the house. First off, the beginning of the menu is three entire pages of appetizers... all of the traditional Lebanese options, and some that were a little more avant-garde. It also appeared as though kabobs were the restaurant's focus as opposed to shawarma... oops.
The best-looking options were the family-style dinners. Bring a big group, get a bunch of different courses, and dig in. I will be back for this type of an atmosphere, which I appreciate because it really embodies what is at the heart of Lebanese cuisine: community. When you eat together, you are family.
Despite the mediocre shawarma, I'm going to give Carousel 4 stars. The service was superb, the food quality was high, and the menu was diverse. I will not dock the restaurant points for showing up late and ordering the wrong thing. I will definitely be back, even though it's pretty far from home... I want to give it another shot, and next time I will certainly bring friends. I guess that they can be my family for the night.
I love this place the food, the dance performance, the service, and the restaurant itself was very clean and well decorated with the middlle eastern items on the wall. This is recommended for a big party of 10 or more although two of us had a great meal and fun watching the show during our diner.
The cold appitizers about 7 dishes were plenty to eat and we were full by the time the main dishes came which were kabobs of lamb, chicken, and beef.
They were all good. There was not one dish that I didn't like from their family style meal. We did finished our meal with the turkish coffee with a sweet pistachio dessert that hit the spot. bam!
It was my first time at Carousel and my first time trying Mediterranean food! I came with a party of 7 on a Thursday night (so it was pretty quiet, no live entertainment like on the weekends). We got the Hafleh Beiruti which is a family style meal that's $23.95 per person. Our waiter, Fadie HIGHLY recommended it so we took his advice, and I'm so glad we did!
It was great for a first-time experience of having Mediterranean food because it came with a little of everything! Get this if this is your first time but otherwise, I wouldn't recommend it because it's a LOT of food!
The first course came with pita bread, hammos (delicious!), mutabbal (hammos with eggplant; very smoky!), tabbuleh (chopped parsley, tomatoes, onion, lemon juice), muhammara (spicy dip with crushed walnuts and pomegranate juice), sarma (stuffed grape leaves), pickled turnips, olives, cheese, cabbage salad, kofta (spiced ground beef), fatayer (cheese boreg. mmm this was good too), chi-kofta (steak tartar! tastes better than you'd think!), and soujuk flambe (sausages on fire! this was really cool AND my fave of the night).
Entrees were 3 kinds of shish kebabs: chicken breast, lula, and filet (my favorite was the chicken. The filet was a little on the tough side), as well as rice and bulgur pilaf! And all this was more than enough for everyone! We had so much food leftover!
Overall, I think the food was 4 stars. But what makes this a 5-star review is the service here was AMAZING! Fadie was such an attentive, friendly, knowledgeable waiter. What really blew me away was that he told me that I overtipped! I didn't know gratuity was already included and I accidentally added tip on top of that, and he was honest enough to tell me that!! WOW! I was truly blown away. He could have easily just taken the money and I would have never known (like most Asian places would. ha!). This place is awesome! 5 stars!!
The first time I went here, I enjoyed the food, but was kind of pissed at the service because they were trying to force us out even though we were there an hour before the restaurant closed.
I decided to give them a second chance since the food was really good and this time the service was 110%! Our server was Ara and he was just the greatest. He's a smart, charming guy. He made great suggestions AND saved us some money. We had ordered the following:
- Veggie's Delight
- Chicken Shawarma
- Beef Shawarma
- Moussaka
- Falafel
It was all so good and we were stuffed. Yum!
This restaurant is a good corporate citizen and a great friend to the city of Glendale. On behalf of the Kiwanis Club of Glendale I'd like to thenk you for all of your support with our Kiwanis Incredible Duck Splash.
We will be sure and mention you at our event on October 24th, 2009. For those interested get the details at http://duckrace.com/Ad...
I have heard of this place a long time ago because a top LA bellydance troupe performs here in the weekends. We went there for a lovely dinner and the ambiance is exquisite. The food is one of the best middle eastern foods I have tried. The mezzas are great and you definitely have to try the lamb. This is a great place to have birthdays or special dinners. Parking in the back.
The food was rich in flavor and texture, our waitress, Kerrie, was extremely attentive to our needs, the interior decor had a lively atmosphere, and of course, it was incredibly satisfying. Upon birthdayboy's recommendation, we ventured to Carousel Restaurant at Brand Blvd., as we could never go wrong with any food establishments in Glendale. The yogurt drink (tun) I ordered wasn't as strong and acidic as I expected, however it did suffice my thirst for this beverage for the longest time. It may be possible that I was used to drinking doogh (the Persian equivalent). Its taste was akin to liquid mozzarella cheese with ice.
Soon after we placed our orders, we started off with cabbage salad with assorted vegetables and other non-meat items served on a plate. Shortly, a basketful of warm pita bread accompanied our appetizers. In no time, the main entrée arrived. The aesthetics and appeal of my main course, Vegetarian's Delight, was absolutely astounding. A sundry of hummus, mutabbal, a small side of tabbuleh, sama, and muhammara bombarded my palate's sense to no end. However, being the pig that I am, the overloading of my sensory unfortunately ended a lot quicker than I expected. The highlight was the savory muhammara, which was a bit spicy, but yet the intensity of the spiciness was not overwhelming to other items on my plate.
I treated myself to engorge their baklava, while the rest of the minions chose to devour other delectable sweets in their dessert menu. This meal had indeed derailed my dieting streak. I will get on track to lose that 5 pounds I gained from last night's dinner at Carousel. Lastly, I will end this review now, because the more I write about it, the more my stomach growls for last night's unforgettable experience.
Swanky, Arabian look. I sit down, get a menu, open it up and there's a ROACH. Ewww. Then, the waiter and manager act likes its my fault. Oh yes, I drove all the way here with a roach rolling around in my wallet so I could secretly open it up and dump it on your menu. Rudeza!
I love the other Carousel in Hollywood and have gone there for years. Much cooler vibe. The Glendale decor is better, but the staff, service, and cleanliness were sewer level. Who knows where else that roach hung out?
Top notch Armenian food in Glendale. Strong variety on the menu. Food service is good, management can be stuffy. I suggest making your way through the appetizers and various grilled meats on a stick - everything is pretty darn good.
I have to give it three stars - I work in the area and they have a very high limit for credit cards making a quick pick-up on a no cash day impossible!
A great place for a group! We ordered several appetizers and shared several entrees.... Most everything was superdelicious! My favorite dishes included a yogurt sauce... and I highly recommend getting the yogurt upgrade to your kebab plate - Mmmmm with a pile of crispy pita chips too!
I did find the lamb a little chewy and the lemon martini a little sweet, but other than that, I thoroughly enjoyed the food. Perhaps I should have ordered a more traditional alcoholic drink. The beef lula was so awesome, as was the lentil soup, and all of the appetizers. The cabbage salad was good - but i was craving my friend's salad of green lettuce, tomato & pita chips more.
If you, like me, don't know much about Middle Eastern food, past hummus, pita and Zankou Chicken, this is a wonderful place to expand your palate - our waitress was friendly and knowledgeable. It always helps to bring a few friends to recommend dishes too....
We went on a Sunday so we didn't see the show, but the place is lovely inside, with clean bathrooms. Definitely a must-return for me!
Good food, great chukufte, but pricey! Very pricey!
If you're looking for a night of live music, belly dancing (dancing can be better), and full range of entertainment, then it's worth the price.
They have Arabic breakfast on Sunday mornings, which most places don't offer. Don't miss!
This is, hands down, the best lebanese food in southern cali, and there are many places to choose from. I am Lebanese, and when my family is visiting from anywhere else in the U.S., this is the first stop on their agenda. For the best option, order the Beirut Party Platter which comes with a sampling of all the important mezzas (appetizer plates). Just when you've had your fill of food, the real meal arrives, a combination kabab plate with two types of rice. If you're not into a HUGE feast, then skip the combo platter and order Monte (an armenian specialty of ground meat pastries baked in a tomato sauce) or quail. The frog legs are also pretty f'ing good :)
This place has entertainment at night, with belly dancers etc. It is VERY LOUD. For those who like LOUD, this is a good choice. For the rest of us, I recommend coming weeknights or daytime during the weekends.
TIP: switch the regular salad for FATTOUSH (pronounced fat toosh, lol). There's a nominal fee, but this salad is far superior, combining different greens and pita bread croutons.
TIP #2: Porto's bakery across the street is an excellent choice for desert afterwards, but closes early, so this tip is for the lunch crowd only.
SERVICE: do not expect good service if you are not of Armenian/Lebanese origin. Don't be offended, the good news is that the food will flow immediately after you order it, and the server is merely there to take your drink order.
I love meat. In fact, my college roommate (who was a vegan) nicknamed me "meatboy." I would defrost steak in our fridge and have blood drop all over her food. But I could go vegetarian for a long time in Carousel. Their vegetarian's delight was a colorful palette of deliciousness. It has the freshest tabbuleh I've ever tasted. Their Mutabbal (eggplant dip) was just garlicky enough. The best was Muhammara (spicy walnut dip) - walnut and red pepper paste. My friend had the beef shawarma with the pilaf (which tasted a little cinnamon-y). It comes with a great tahini sauce. I said, I COULD be a vegetarian. The food might be salty for some people, but the pita helps. And the waiters are always nice.
This was a great find! Love the authentic atmosphere, traditional music, traditional and DELICIOUS menu choices. Considering all the food we had - the price wasn't all that bad. 4 people, 2 apps, 4 entrees, no drinks - $25 each!
Had the kebabs - lamb, ground beef, and beef filet - tri kebab combo. The lamb was awesome - fresh and not gamey. The ground beef was good. The beef filet was ok. I would stick to lamb here. They told me the lamb chops is the best thing on the menu - I would tend to agree after having the lamb kebab. The wheat rice is awesome too. They cook their rice in chicken broth and it is good. I would definitely come here if you are a fan of lamb. The prices are average - i've paid a lot more for a lot worse food. Parking sucks.
I've been here multiple times and this is one of my favorite places in Glendale and I always order the meza because I can never decide what I want. Only problem is that it's just too much food for me.
They do have a belly dance show on the weekends but you can avoid it as well as the additional charge by sitting on the patio or side room. If you go during the week it isn't crowded and the service is very quick.
Anything you order will be delicious.
I took a good friend of mine here for her birthday. As many of you know I day dream often about ice cream, and dark chocolate. My friend, she dreams of a world filled with colorful balloons. In which the sky is not blue, it's lined with a colorful rainbow of free floating marbles and streamers.
But, before I get too side tracked let me tell you about the food. Their Chicken Kebab Platter is very good, the meat was tender juicy and not overcooked. I didn't try all of the skewers on my friends combination platter but the lamb was awesome. I felt the Filet Mignon was a bit on the chewy side. Carousel also offers a decent selection of wines, and mixed drinks.
So back to what I was saying, my favorite thing about dinner at Carousel was..... not the food. It was that my slightly drunk friend got up from our table in the middle of dinner, while I was rambling on about something with her steak knife in her right hand. To my horror she began stumbling towards a kids party at a nearby table.... My jaw dropped as she swaggered across the banquet room towards a departing party of children, with a death grip on her deadly utensil. This scene all happened in slow motion, it was similar to a blurry scene in a horror movie. The birthday party of 20 or so kids was just leaving the table as she arrived, but that didn't stop her..... She proceeded to cut down every single balloon, one by one she collected them.... and swaggered back over to our table with about 15 in her left hand smiling ear to ear as if she was 5 again.. :) The staff was nice... no one said anything, maybe they didn't see this whole scene unfold!
If you haven't been, and love middle eastern food Carousel is a definite destination for a formal meal. Although it is a bit stuffy the food is over all excellent. I think it's an especially nice destination for older folks, or families.
Los Angeles is frankly a very large city with very mediocre food at best. My wife and I started are day by going to another lebanese Restaurant named Hagop which wasn't very desirable so we left without eating and reluctantly went to Carousel. WOW!
First, this is a professionally run restaurant. The place is beautiful and tastefully decorated without being overbearing and it's very clean. In fact, after visiting the men's room to wash my hands before eating I was shocked by how clean and nice it was and then told my wife upon returning that as a treat....she should visit the ladies room (i know how to show a lady a good time).
I wasn't hungry so my I just had a falafal plate and my wife had the lamb kababs, which come with a small dinner salad.
Again, what an experience, even the dishes are very nice. The salads came out after we were served a small plate of olives, cheese, pickled cumumbers and something else: very good though. Then the salad's came out and my wife was floored. The salad is a lebanese type very acidic but enjoyable.
Now for the entree. I have had falafal a million times but this was the best I've ever had! The taste was actually full of additional delicate flavors that I never expected. It made this usually prefunctary, street dish into something much more; absolutely excellent. The tahini (spelled incorrectly) was also fantastic: I washed my tomato seasoned pita bread with the remanders.
Finally, I was stuffed beyond comfort. We all know that feeling, but I had few regrets. However, I did want to try the coffee there so I asked for the Lebanese coffee only expecting a cup of thick coffee grinds. When it came out it was served in a beautiful coffee kettle that was poured and left on my table. I used to live in Italy and have lived in Argentina, new york etc. This was the best coffee I can remember. It was semi-thick but not course and not bitter at all. It was smooth and even and I believe that they mixed it with sugar before it arrived. It was a treat. Furthermore, there was enough for a second and a third cup left in the kettle.
This is probably the best run sit down dining restaurant that I have ever visited. You could spend a lot more but why?
My family went here for my sister's graduation dinner, and it definitely was a crowd-pleaser. There was a full bar for my vodka-lovin' grandmother, a cute waiter for my vodka-lovin' grandmother, family-style menu options to suit our party of 8, and the place was spacious so it wasn't too noisy (you know, for a certain boozy elder).
We got waaaaay too much food even though our waiter told us we were ordering the smaller of the family options, but everything was great, really fresh, and we had leftovers for days. Even the hummus was much better than typical restaurant hummus. My sister said it tasted like "firey mountains."
Pros: Deeeelicious food, great for large parties, very accommodating
Cons: Slow service
I came for the belly dancers, stayed for the food!
Very good Lebanese food, great outdoor atmosphere and extremely friendly, fun and helpful waitress. We're going back this Friday for the bellydancing. If this is any indication of the quality of the place, I think my coworker and I were the only customers not speaking Arabic or French. I feel like I took a trip overseas, not just across the country.
What can I say, beef 'n lamb makes the world go round, spices and contrasting flavors cause the friction, and yogurt is the lube. The Lebanese/Armenian communities have had centuries to perfect it. Now I get sit there and enjoy the results. The Mezzas (appetizers) are enough to fill you up, so you really have to gauge yourselves here.
Here's a sampling of my faves:
- Appetizer dish of pickled radish, carrots, cucumbers, olives, and feta cheese always hits the initial spot. (However, I have always had trouble in them giving us seconds on this free appetizer.)
- Hammos, haven't met a hammos I didn't like.
- Labneh Khaleejhi (Yogurt cheese mixed with garlic), smooth and thick.
-Kebbeh Orfaliyeh (Armenian steak tartar), seriously if you get over the mad cow thing, it's pretty awesome - this probably contributes to why I write the way I do now - whooaa-haaa-haaa!
- Tabbouleh, Ahh - freshens the breath and sizzles the pallet with freshly squeezed lemon juice.
- Fattoush Salad, a favorite of mine consisting of cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, bell pepper, mint, parsley, and spices.
- Sarama (stuffed grape leaves), had better, but still get it.
- Beef Shawarma, tender minced filet which is spiced in such a way that the combination of the Hammos dip makes it a dynamic duo.
- Khash-Khash Kebab (Lula kebab), this is always my favorite beef dish.
So as you can see, I only go for the food... The atmosphere inside is like you're entering a grand banquet hall - a huge open room with chandlers and water fountains. You have your pick of indoor or (limited) outdoor seating.
But as a side note: The service is a real hit or miss. The past couple of times, we got waiters that just weren't very friendly or attentative. One was too focused on talking to another table about Depeche Mode, and of course, he got our orders wrong. Another time the waiter had some attitude issues - almost wondering why we were there? Whatever, just gimme my meat! And, refill my iced-tea! That's all I ask of you! Service can be quite slow at times.
They do have a dress code at night during the weekend entertainment hours. Jacket required - The Armenian dress-to-impress syndrome is alive and well in this establishment.
Still haven't found my favorite Middle Eastern spot yet - mainly because I'm having too much fun eating and selecting from an endless supply of Tabbouleh in the Glendale/Pasadena area. This is a solid 4.25 in my book. So my quest continues...
I had high expectations of this place because all my co-workers hyped it up. We went in a group of 20-30 people. I only saw 3-4 tables with groups of less than 6. Definitely a group gathering type of restaurant. Expect dinner to be a 4-5 event if you want the whole experience. I arrived there around 8 and did not leave until 12am. There is live music and belly dancers! You can get up and dance too if you're willing to shake what your mama gave you.
Food:
The food was not impressive as I expected...and for $50 a person I expected more meat! I had better Armenian/Mediterranean Good Pita Kitchen in Pasadena for 1/5 of the price.
Service:
The waitress looked really lost. Our drink orders did not come in a timely fashion. The food took a loooong time.
Environment:
I guess if you come here you pay for the ambience. Definitely a fun active environment.
Price:
A bit pricey for what it is. I'd look for alternatives.
Food: 3
Service: 3
Environment: 5
Price: 2
If you have the patience, MUST TRY THE QUAIL... the marinade for this appetizer is the best. It is so mouth watering. I usually order this as an entree sometimes with other little appetizers on the side. The bill can add up quick but it's worth it ; ].
Now why 4 stars? Because the kabob's aren't the best. The amount of meat is very petite. Just avoid getting that and you'll be good to go!
An Armenian Moses parted the seas and told me to go to Carousel and since then I've been getting my trousers twisted trying to come here. Finally it happened.
They have a secret DineLa menu. The unpublished kind, and not copyrighted. It goes like this: You get POUNDED with food for $26.
For appetizers, all this:
1. Hummus
2. Tabbouleh
3. Armenian cabbage salad
4. Armenian Steak tar-tare (I was too scared to eat raw beef, but my DP grew up in Saudi Arabia and went to town on it like a sicko)
5. Flambe soujok (spicy Armenian sausage lit on fire)
6. Baba Gannuj (mashed garlicky eggplant dish)
7. Muhammara (walnuts, red pepper paste, pomegranate juice dip)
8. Sarma (stuffed grape leaves)
9. Feta Cheese dish with cucumbers, tomatoes, olives
10. I'M NOT JOKING, THERE'S MORE
11. Fatayer (cheese pie)
12. Mante (meat pie)
Bring over another table because there's not enough room and loosen up my bottoms, baby. It's time for the mains.
1. Beef Shwarma
2. Chicken Kebabs (extra juicy and tender)
3. Beef Kebabs
4. Bulgar wheat pilaf
5. Another kind of cracked grain/rice with pine nuts galore.
We're not finished yet. The best part was dessert. I'm still dreaming about the rose water scented syrup, cream and pistachios. They won my heart over, especially the syrup.
1. Osmanlieh (cream filling with the phyllo hairs on top drizzled with rose water syrup and pistachios)
2. Halaweh B'Jheben - (double cream roll cut in pieces with more pistachios and that syrup I want to bathe in).
All this and you get to leave with two boxes full of leftovers and that much more IN with the Armenians.
Yummy! So tasty!
I went to this place already 4 times. Love it.
I didn't know anything about Armenian food, so the pre-fixed menu was great and introduced me to the flavors. I think they do have great variety, the food is very tasty, and is a lot!
We tried the Saturday night with the show and I rather go other day, less people, faster service and less expensive.
Sunday lunch is the best, not too crowded and perfect opportunity to go for some baklava in the bakeries in the area.
Ate here for the first time exactly two weeks ago. No joke guys, this is the best Armenian/Mediterranean restaurant I've ever been to. Their chicken kebab, beautifully bathed in yogurt, is sinfully delicious. Their menu has a lot to offer and their portions are extremely generous! Carnivores and vegetarians will be satisfied alike!
ATTENTION coffee connoisseurs, you MUST try the Arabic coffee (And find someone who can "read" the coffee grinds at the base of your cup when you're done. The crap they find is outrageous!). Not to be mistaken for Turkish Coffee... check yourself.
Was brought here by an Armenian Co-worker trying to show me some of her native food. Although I believe that it is more Armenian and Persian, but def a mix of Middle Eastern. We started off by ordering a mix of about 4 appetizers. Here is my ranking:
Hummos: Great 5/5
Babaganoj: 4/5
Stuffed Grape Leaves: 4/5
Muhammara: Off the charts 5/5
All of the appetizers were good. The Muhammara was outstanding. I searched for it on Wiki and found that it is from Syria. It consists of pomegranite, almonds, and various spices blended. This is great for digging pita in. One of my new pita dips, rivaling, if not beating, hummos altogether.
I oredered the lamb and chicken kababs and loved them. Perfectly tender and full of flavor. The rice was well cooked and flavorful as well. I also tried the yogurt drink. Surprisingly, it taste like, you guessed it---unflavored yogurt. It will take a while before I get used to this one. Def an aquired taste but now bad by any measure.
Id come here again for the Muhammara. I practically licked the plate clean
Steak tartar....don't do it.
Went during DineLA week. The waiter was very helpful and told us about great deals, and hooked us up with waaaaay too much food. Everything tasted great, and we stuffed ourselves to the max cause we just kept wanting to eat.
Highly recommended. Very lively atmosphere, amazingly savory food.
Best Lebanese food I've had in Los Angeles. The food is fresh, prepared quickly, and is worth going back for time & time again. Reminded me a bit of Hasir in Berlin in terms of quality (Hasir is Turkish, but there's a great crossover in food styles).
Lunchtime is a great time to visit with coworkers, as it's usually a bit more quiet.
Weekend (Fri, Sat) nights can be overwhelming. The restaurant can get filled to capacity, especially if there's a large party celebrating in the main room, but the staff will work to accommodate.
Do try the Fatteh Oberjhin... it's terrific.
EXCEPTIONAL! Carousel is five star all the way. The food, the service, the atmosphere, everything is perfect done with the greatest care and attention to detail. The staff is well trained and very professional. If you go on a Friday or Saturday night, the show is something you'll never forget. I've eaten here countless times for lunch and dinner.
I was even lucky enough to have my wedding reception at Carousel. Michell took care of everything for us! So for special events also, there is no other place I would ever have a party for my friends, family or workmates.
We stumbled upon this place by accident.
We were on our way back from a weekend trip up to Kern River. On our way back, we stop by Porto's Bakery to have lunch. But it was so busy, that we couldn't get a table for all ten of us.
So we yelped for a location, and this restaurant popped up... and it was right across the street... AND it had 4-1/2 STARS!
Absolutely wonderful.
Instead of ordering everything separately, We ordered a family style meal on the recombination of our waitress.
Everything that came out were fresh, vibrant with flavors and it was abundant!
Recommend, recommend, recommend!!! I can't wait to go back there again~
I went to a wedding last week, and the food was cold! the only thing that was at a correct temperature was the hummus.
Really, for a catered wedding, i would expect hot food!
4.5 Stars
This place is excellent. I asked for what was best and was told the chicken kabob and the lamb chops. I tried both and of the two the chicken was more impressive. The seasoning on the chicken goes down as one of the best I have ever had. The fries were perfectly cooked. Overall, for the price, value, and taste, this place is a sold choice.
The best beef kabobs/shawarma i've ever had, ever. These sticks of charred meat are so incredibly impressive that you're left wondering why everything else isn't just as awesome. the chicken kabobs are good, the lamb is solid, but when you compare them to the beef kabobs, it's like comparing a Boxter to a Carrera. Picture a lightly charred, herb crusted exterior and a moist, tender interior. the texture and flavors just come together perfectly. whatever carousel does to the beef, they need to do to everything.
i enjoyed most of their appetizers, the baba gannuj/hammos/mutabbal/muhammara (godlike) was surprisingly delicious, the pine nuts were toasted wonderfully. i particularly enjoyed the kebbeh orfaliyeh and mousakka.
unfortunately, their desserts blow asshole. and not just some of them, but all of them. the ice cream/sorbet was too cold, to the point it was ice-like. the basma was so stale it was like chewing through shoe-strings. the only passable dessert is the tiramisu, and even then it's a very, very heavy take on tiramisu. but considering that the average epicurean never quite makes it past the mountain of appetizer plates, i don't blame carousel.
parking is a cinch, the prices are mediocre, the ambiance/decor is comfortable, and the service is great. this is a great place to dine casually.
I've been coming here for YEARS and Carousel never fails.
The mezze (appetizers) are so good they can totally make a meal....and often do!
For a well-rounded Middle Eastern / Armenian dining experience this is the place to go.
I remember hearing a long time ago that Carousel was frequented by everyone's favorite Armenian American band, System of a Down. When I went, Serj, Daron, Shavo, and John weren't in the house, but a lively group of belly dancers were doing their thing in the main hall.
Quality, QUALITY Mediterranean food- kebabs, kofta, baba ghanouj, shawarma, falafel, and flavorful pilafs... the menu is the most extensive I've seen for a Mediterranean place, so you can basically eat like a king here! Once you sit down and place your orders, they bring you this nice starter of pita bread with cheese, pickles, cucumbers, olives, and carrots to whet your appetite.
What stuck out in particular was the drink I ordered, Jallab (a drink made from rose water, dates, with pine nuts on top), and the tasty appetizers. I suggest ordering hammos (had no idea there were multiple ways to spell it) with sausage (ground sausage pieces to flavor your dip), kofta (balls of ground meat), boeregs (fried turnovers with meat inside), and fatayer (fried turnovers with cheese).
Interestingly, Carousel DOES have a dress code (shoes, slacks, and collared shirt, I believe?), but if you're a little under-dressed (we were in sandals and jeans) they have this little sideroom next to the main hall for you to eat at... I know, it's kinda like being forced to sit at the kid's table, but at least you get to eat!
I would also recommend asking for the sideroom if you (or the people you came with) are the shy and/or conservative type... the belly dancers will not bother you here.
I hadn't eaten Carousel in a while and ohh boy! was there Chicken Kebab to DIE FOR! it was excellent and the cheese boregs just put the icing on the cake! I strongly recommend Carousel for anyone who's craving a MIddle Eastern meal! Oh yeah, and the service kicked ass too!
Neighborhood: Glendale
Category: Middle Eastern
Neighborhood: Hollywood
Category: Middle Eastern
Neighborhood: Glendale
Category: Middle Eastern
Neighborhood: Glendale
Category: Greek
Neighborhood: Glendale
Category: Middle Eastern
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