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Categories: Greek, Mediterranean, Middle Eastern
Neighborhood: Midtown
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Man this place is so close to getting 5 stars from me. Today I went again and got the combination plate with the Shish Kabob (beef tenderloin), the Kufta Kobab (grilled ground beef infused with house spices), and gyro slices served with salad rice and pita bread. I'll be honest. This is one of the few times I've gotten full from JUST the entree, the combination plate had that much food.
The food was delicious, except for one exception, which is what is keeping med grill from getting 5 stars.
Lets break the meat down, the Kufta kabob was my favorite by far. it looks kinda like a homemade burned sausage which made me hesitate, but when i bit into it. OMG. my mouth exploded with flavor. Whatever they are mixing into the ground beef, i definitely want some of that. Even though it looked burned, it had plenty of moisture. Also, it was not greasy at all. They might use 93-7 beef, or it may be because they make them over the grill, but there definitely wasnt that greasy feeling that you get when you eat ground been made with 80-10 or even 85-15. and if you want to make a ghetto greek hot dog , you can also put this with a gyro.
The gyro meat was also very good. they give you A TON of it. and its flavorful and moist. i really like to use them with the pita bread to basically make my own gyros with the taziki sauce and salad thrown in. And once you run out of pita bread, you can eat it with the rice.
The only disappointing thing about the dish was the shish kabob. it was just cooked too much. With such a small piece of beef it should really only be cooked till medium rare, but they definitely cooked it till medium. It also wasnt seasoned very well. so it was the most plain of all the meats, and it was also the dryest.
All they need to do is make the beef less dry, i wonder if i can ask for the beef kabob medium rare, then it would definitely be a 5 star dish. BUT NOW I REALLY WANT TO GET THE KUFTA KABOB plate. !!!
and this place probably has my favorite side salad of ANY restaurant ive been to.
I'll be the first to admit, I'm not the most familiar with Mediterranean food beyond the gyro… Read more »
There are plenty of Mediterranean places around town, and this is one of the worst. I've been here twice, and did not have a good experience on either occasion.
Today I got the Kufta Plate (spiced lamb with rice and salad), which was very disappointing. The rice was yellow and bland, and the meat was dry and overcooked. The "salad" was just some romaine lettuce and tomato slices, and the tahini they serve on the side is thin and tasteless. Not to mention the pita, which was dry and not fresh at all.
I also found the service unpleasant. Basically nothing was good here.
Don't go here.
It's not good.
As an alleged hipster, loving on a place like The Mediterranean Grill is tantamount to admitting I DVR Dancing with the Stars. Which, for the record, I don't do. Anymore at least. Hey, my wife made me record it! I feel your judging eyes on me, staring, unblinkingly, judging. OK, fine, I once watched an entire season of DWTS (that's what the fans call it) because I wanted to see how good a dancer Emmitt Smith was. I did that. I'll cop to it, just like I'll cop to eating at TMG.
It's not the best Mediterranean food in town, but it's by far not the worst, especially when you factor in the price. In fact, when I used to live in the Poncey Highlands, I used to drive to Emory to partake. Then I moved from the Poncey Highlands and they opened a store off of Monroe to prove that I continue to live my life like some half-assed O. Henry story.
The gyro meat isn't as good as Nick's To Go. It can be dry sometimes. However, the kabob meat has never disappointed me and that applies to both the shish and the kufta. It's some good stuff and comes as part of the "business lunch combo." At less than $7, it's a good deal. (By the way, I seem to remember them calling this combo the far less politically correct "businessman lunch combo." Now either they changed the name or I'm imagining it wrong, which may say more about me than anything else.)
Anyway, this place isn't perfect. The rice could use some work. It tastes waxy. Oh and TMG has counter service or as they say in the biz, "fast casual." Now I wouldn't call it "fast" per se. Sometimes they are, other times it's more like "bring a good book casual." Interestingly, they're usually faster when they're backed up. I think the guys at the grill need the visual of tons of waiting people to kick it into gear.
Despite some of these problems, I'm going to grant TMG a solid four stars especially for the kabobs. As I said, I like this place and it's a welcome respite to the many, many burgers I tend to consume.
Interestingly cool dressing for the Greek salad. I got the chicken kabob sandwich since it's not often that you see one. Thumbs up for that, but then again every time I get something besides a gyro at a Mediterranean place I always end up wishing I got a gyro. Chicken kabab sandwich was good, just too dry for my taste. The wrap itself is pretty dry; the sauce helps but the feta crumbles from the salad is what I really loved adding.
On one hand I don't really mind if a place has plasticware instead of silverware, but in this case it was hard to get at the Greek potatoes. Which were 1) not really traditionally done but 2) crispy and delicious.
All in all good food at an inexpensive price. Can't complain. Will be back for lunch soon.
I love their falafels. The service is very good here and the price cant be beat
Med Grill is by far one of my favorite places to eat and I can probably be found there once or twice a week. They always get me by with great fresh food that tastes great and dependable service.
The prices are always enticing. I have introduced many of my friends (and my parents from Charlotte) to this place and everyone loves it.
I recommend the gyro or chicken plate or wrap those are my favorites with the Greek salad. They are always very friendly and food comes out hot and quickly.
Ive gone here a number of times in a pinch looking for a quick lunch, Medi Grill has always come through on the few times I have visited.
I definitely recommend the gyro sandwich, its super cheap. Like 4 bucks I think and its really good, one of the best gyros I have had in Atlanta but thats not saying much since I can count on one hand all the greek places ive been too.
Also, surprisingly enough try the Calimari, we thought it was really good.
The Mediterranean Grill on Monroe Drive is a bit hard to find. I had to find it initially during the daytime and on foot. It is in a little strip mall, well back from the road. You actually have to turn off Monroe to see it, and figuring where to turn is a trick if you haven't done it.
The food is very good, the service is friendly, and the prices are very affordable. I mostly eat a vegetarian diet, and I have purchased the vegetarian plate both times I've been there, so I cannot speak for other items on the menu.
I've had better falafel. Theirs is cooked too hard for my taste. It is dense too. I've eaten places where the falafel was lighter and not so hard and enjoyed it more. Maybe you like it hard and dense. If so, you'll love it.
The tabbouleh salad is very good...not too oily as I've had it elsewhere. The hummus is smooth with excellent balance of ingredients. The green salad was good...nothing out of the ordinary though. The baba ganoush doesn't have the smoky flavor that I've enjoyed elsewhere, but it is good.
I was spoiled years ago by very good pita bread, at a mom and pop cafe in another state. The Mediterranean Grill's pita bread is passable, but gets no raves from me.
You order at the counter, get your own drink and utensils, find a seat, and someone brings your food. It seems to be customary to bus your own table before you leave, so I have done so both times.
If the falafel and pita bread were better, I would have given this place 5 stars because Mediterranean food is one of my personal favorites. They have another location in Decatur and are opening one in Cobb County (I think) in 2009.
I have a mixed review about this place. The food was good and I was there with a huge group for Sunday lunch (about 15 of us) and there was not problem pulling tables together so we could converse.
But I don't like the way you have to pick up your food from the counter and they don't have it on a tray. Some of us were not given a receipt so we didn't know what our order numbers were. Orders were put on the counter and were not being picked up and it got confusing trying to figure out who's was who's. I suggest they develop a better system.
But overall, the food was fresh and tasted great.
ATMOSPHERE: Very casual with table and booth seating. Order at counter and pick up at end of counter. Self serve drinks.
FOOD: Very large serving sizes on the food!
1. Vegetarian platter - hummus and babaganoush were very good. Falafel was ok in flavor consistency was good being slightly dense. Also came with a side salad with vinaigrette was standard but good.
2. Turkish coffee - very dark but good flavor as is without any milk or sweetener.
SERVICE: Order at counter and pick up at end of counter. Fast and efficient. No complaints.
PARKING: Crowded lot but able to find parking.
CONCLUSION: Casual place with good solid, cheap Mediterranean food and lots of it. Would come back again!
This is one of those places I feel compelled to like for some reason. Nothing is truly stand-out, there is better Mediterranean food out there, and the place itself is pretty small and can get crowded. Yet somehow I'm always drawn to return and I find myself dishing out 4 stars. But hell, I guess that's what restaurant owners strive for: The kind of place people like "just because"
I usually get a gyro with feta added and a Greek salad. Again, not the best gyro I've ever had or anything, but still delicious. Actually, the Greek salad is one of the better ones I've had. I'm partial to the tangy dressing. Good tzatziki too. Gyros are useless without good tzatziki! Probably the thing that makes Mediterranean Grill worthy of 4 stars is that all of this good food is cheap! I think the Gyros run 4-5 bucks and the combos 6-7 bucks.
All in all, the perfect place to drop by for a quick lunch or dinner.
I thought this place was H O R R I B L E. Yuck. Cannot understand why so many people were packed in there!
I got the grilled shrimp plate served with weird lemony flavored rice and a very basic salad. The shrimp were florescent green in some areas (newfangled marinade, perhaps?) and looked like they had been cooked---make that CREMATED---in a seven alarm house fire. They were freaking charred black and completely dry/gross/nasty as a result.
The hummus reminded me of baby food. It had little flavor and had been pureed til it had zero texture. The flatbread was...flat. Boring and dry as dirt also come to mind...
Sidenote: After eating at this dirt hole I feel like I owe an apology to my buddy Al who owns Cafe Agora on East Paces Ferry. He's one hell of a guy and I wholeheartedly believe Al offers the best, most fresh and intensely flavorful Mediterranean food in Atlanta. This is the third or fourth time I've "cheated" on him and I've been disappointed every time! I will never stray again, Al !!
My wife and I went here for dinner tonight. The sweet tea is very good, as others have mentioned (tastes like there's some rose syrup in there, maybe). The falafel was very impressive -- crunchy and browned on the outside, with great chickpea-herb dough inside. The hot sauce really was hot, and she reports that the grilled chicken kebabs were tasty. We managed to finish an order of the oven potatoes between us -- not for any fault in the food (to the contrary, they were little nuggets of soft creamy potato jacketed in thin crispy exteriors), but because you get so darn much of it for $2.29!
Our cat turned her nose up at the one piece of leftover chicken kebab, but cats are like that.
I hate going to Greek or Mediterranean restaurants and just ordering a gyro plate. Maybe it was the afternoon rain that zapped my curiosity, but that is what I did at Mediterranean Grill. The place has that great little neighborhood feel to it, just southeast of Piedmont Park. There was something going on there that weekend, like most weekends, which the rain spoiled, so people were scurrying here and there to wait out the weather and enjoy a meal and talk. My gyro plate was very good, served with rice pilaf, pita, Tzasiki sauce and salad. My beautiful dining companion dove into a plate of chicken kabobs which were nicely charred. Apparently everything is made fresh to order, given the amount of time it took to get our food out, which was fine. Afterall, it was a lazy, rainy afternoon in the ATL.
There are times that I go through my Male PMS (I like to call it my E-phases...you'll have to ask me about it!) and one of the phases is hungr-E which is pretty much food cravings! Sometimes its a type of food like Greek or Indian or it could be a specific food item like Cheeseburgers or Enchiladas. Now, I have to get it satisfied or I become a "Bridezilla!" Anyways, yesterday was definitely a Greek craving night and I had to find it fast for the sake of my boyfriend! Thank goodness for Mediterranean Grill!
I luuuuuuuv this place! It's definitely the fast food of Greek restaurants!
If you are looking for a good, healthy and fairly inexpensive dinner check this place out! The staff is very friendly and it's nice to see that they grill the meats when you order and everything taste very fresh. I ordered the Shish Kabob Plate and a small hummus. The steak was very lean and marinated perfectly and the hummus was oh so good! They have a large selection of items that you can get either as a plate (comes with Greek salad and rice) or as a sandwich (can get chips, salad, or potatoes). The prices are very reasonable and you get a lot of food!
***Update: Came here after the yelp! party and the Kufta was amazing! David had the Greek Sampler Platter and was very very happy. Adding an additional star...5 stars...woo-hoo!
Every time I go in here, it's always 100 degrees in there. I look around and people are wiping their foreheads with napkins...when was Greek food spicy?! The Mexican cooks must be on the sauce.
The food is Greek-esque...but it ain't grotesque. For a simple fast food type Greek resto, it sure takes a long time to get the food out...especially when half the plate is chopped romain lettuce.
The gyro meat is decent but a bit dry. The pita bread was your plastic bag type...even Mr. T doesn't have enough pity. I thought the tzatziki sauce was made by Dannon...I kept stirring but I didn't find any fruit on the bottom.
The Greek potatoes are tasty but isn't it just home fries without lemon juice and oregano?
The Greek rice pilaf was a San Francisco treat...but my dog liked it a lot. Two paws up from him.
Spanakopita was cold and tasted like sag paneer. The dining room is 100 degrees but this appetizer was colder than my drink.
Overall, it's a decent place to grab a bite once in while. The service and organization is their Achilles Heel. Watch out for the soda fountain b/c the CO2 tank is at full blast...enough to regrow the grass at Piedmont park. There's still hope for the festivals!
2.5 Stars.
I agree with most of the other people; while M Grill is not stellar compared to all med restaurants, they are cheap and the food is consistently good. I like that the falafels are crispy in the falafel sandwich. I don't like the pita they use and wish they would get some better bread. I love the Greek salads, and the potatoes are awesome, perfectly crunchy outside, while melty hot inside. Bonus: sandwich and potatoes or sandwich and salad costs about $5.50. You can't beat that at all.
I tell everyone I meet about this place. This is so subjective, I know, but I truly believe that they have the BEST hummus, tzatziki sauce, and greek salad around. The low price is, of course, an added bonus. And I love their sweet tea! I think the secret got out because it gets a lot busier now compared to even a year ago - but I'm happy for them because if they went out of business I would be inconsolable.
Good quick mediterranean food. I get the vegetarian platter (falafel, hummous, tabouleh salad, and baba ghanuj with bread) then I add two pieces of grilled chicken with it. PERFECT combo!!
Not sure why Sarah B would order a shrimp plate at a middle eastern restaurant ; ) Blech.
She messed up my friend....wrong order.
I just discovered this place in December 2008 and love it. Have been back 3 times, which is saying a lot since it's not that close to my house. I get the Vegetarian Wrap which is Hummus, Falafel, Taboli, and Jerusalem salad served with lettuce. You can add a greek salad or fries plus a drink for a steal of $6.50. The salad is good. I always make the husband order the fries w/ his meal because they are delish. This place is pretty low on ambiance, but for some reason I'm addicted to the food right now. Mmmm, now that I think of it, I may have to go tonight!
This is one of my favorite spots in the city. I love Gyro's and there is nothing better than seeing all that lamb meat on a spit fresh, yum. The Tatziki is usually spot on with the flavor and the greek potatos are seriously good. I used to live within walking distance and would go once a week but now I live in Buckhead but still will make a special trip just to get my Lamb fix or coordinate my evening visting friends in Midtown to get my dinner there.
It does take a bit for the take out service so I try to call ahead and have waiting, Also am a fiend for sweet tea and I think they brew the best in the city,
I have been there many times and I have never had any bad experience. Food is very consistent and good. Especially lunch combo is the best food tou can get for that price! $6.49 can buy drink, rice,salad,two kufta kebab,gyro meat and shish kebab.
Awesome!
The Mediterranean Diet is esteemed for favoring fresh vegetables, olive oil, fish, and red wine.
Uh huh.
Do NOT pull a Subway Jared and eat here twice a day to lose those extra hundred pounds.
This is greasy stuff. It's like fast food (hello delicious Greek potatoes!), but pretty good.
Many friends are really into this place. I would probably like it more if I was into gyros. The huge stump of meat that they shave for them creeps me out, however.
The Med Grill across from Piedmont Park does hold a special place in my heart. Last year at the raucous outdoor St. Patty's party in the park (tongue twister?) there was an alarming lack of bathroom facilities. Most of the time we just walk into Park Tavern like we own the place, problem solved. However, St. Patty's meant tight security against bums like myself.
My friend had bought some Med Grill early that day, so any time a member of our group needed to, we'd greet the employees with a "I ordered here earlier!" and they happily accommodated us.
Way to be, Med Grill.
THIS IS FOR THE NEW LOCATION IN EAST COBB: after wallowing in the east cobb lunchtime mediocrity, i finally found a place that's reasonably priced and good. real good. my personal fav is the all encompassing veggie wrap (hummus, falafel, jerusalem salad (looks like greek to me), feta). also the owner has been present since the opening, making sure the mystery thigh is hot and turning, i assume. they make their tahini, tzakiki, and hot sauce all homemade. the lamb shank is in my cross-hairs....oh, and go at an off time if possible; word has spread quickly and the small dining room fills up at lunch.
At this place where I went to college, the Mediterranean restaurant there would sell you falafel by the piece for forty-nine cents.
Mediterranean Grill won't. But being the closest and cheapest place I can get a feta cheese or grape leaf fix, I look past their refusal to sell me an individual falafel. The Midtown location is the second location (the first being near Emory University) and is across the street from Piedmont Park, making this a good place to grab something to go for a picnic at the park or a quick dinner. Parking is also easy.
And just say 'yesssss!' to the Greek potatoes.
A friend referred me to the Mediterranean Grill near Piedmont Park. Since I first tried it, I go once a week. Parking may be a bit tight sometimes, but this place is worth it.
They offer a "Businessman Lunch" special for $5.95 which has salad, gyro, kabob and more with rice. Affordable and very good. Their hummus is the best I've had. It is fresh and has a wonderful toasted nutty flavor.
Worth trying it.
I visited Mediterranean Grill recently on a tip that it has 'the best falafel in Atlanta,' a fact backed up by having won Best in Atlanta for 2006, I believe. It's located in a tiny strip mall right across from Piedmont Park, which I'd drive past a billion times and never really thought of visiting. The place wasn't crowded by any means, so the food was ready quickly. It's counter service, which was a plus, considering that the cashier (a college-aged Greek girl) spent literally the entire time after we ordered walking around the place with a bottle of Windex and her cell phone, rattling on in a no-he-didn't! conversation with one of her girlfriends. She rolled her eyes when we asked for extra sauce, and seemed very peeved that we were delaying her from finding out who did what with whom last night at the Club.
Despite the wretched service, the food was quite good. Not the #1 falafel in Atlanta, I think, but still worth the price (about $4.25 for a wrap). The hummus, on the other hand, was some of the best I've had, fresh and flavorful. Though it didn't look like a lot of food, I was very full when I was finished.
The restaurant's atmosphere isn't much to speak of. It's basically a hole in the wall with foreign dance music, so definitely casual.
Overall, I'd say stop in if you're in the area and really want Greek food, just bring your earmuffs and maybe a slingshot.
Ordered chicken kabobs, combo platter, hummus, baba ganouj, and falafel plate. Falafels were really good, everything was so-so. Oh, the rice which came with the orders was good. If I ever go again I will try a gyro and order the falafel again.
My boyfriend frequently goes here for the super affordable business lunch on week days. He finally got me to go with on a Saturday afternoon late lunch. I had the (pause for website blurb):
Kufta Kabob Sandwich - Charbroiled ground sirloin kabob, parsley, onion, seasoned with a blend of spices, and served in heated pita with fresh lettuce, tomatoes, Tahini sauce.
Really delicious!
They have more traditional gyros and falafels and such, too.
I am glad this place is in my neighborhood because it's not too easy to find Greek and Middle Eastern food around Atlanta. I have found the service to be very friendly and fast - maybe not "fast food" fast, but I certainly did not feel like I was waiting for a long time.
I stick to chicken here (just because I am not really a meat-eater) and it has been pretty good. It's not my favorite chicken kabob or gyro I have ever tasted but it certainly satisfies my craving. I have tried both the chicken kabob plate and the chicken kabob sandwich. I enjoyed the sandwich more than the plate simply because the plate comes with salad and the sandwich combo comes with potatoes (or salad) and I think the potatoes are a better choice. The side salad on the plate was a little boring. Also, I make my plate into little chicken kabob sandwiches, anyway, so it's just easier to order the sandwich already made. I also tried the falafel as a side and it was good, too - a nice little snack. My only complaint about the food here is that they maybe have made things a little blander than they need to be - they are just not as full of strong flavors as I would prefer. But, it is still a good choice.
The prices are reasonable and they also have a nice, clean bathroom. It can get a little crowded in the parking lot at lunch time but, if you are craving this sort of food, it's worth the trouble.
Great place for some quick food! I had the falafel sandwich. It was very good. I enjoyed the three sauces that came with it. I like that I had variety. I also enjoyed the potatoes. They had a nice light flavor and a crisp outside and soft inside. My boyfriend got the gyro. He can be picky about gyros. He said it was very good. The baklava was not very good but not bad. The sweet tea was tasty as well.
I finally stopped in here today to get take out. The atmosphere was much nicer than I expected it to be after reading everyone's reviews about it. It was cute and clean inside with maybe around 10 or 12 (?) tables. We got a falafel plate and a vegetarian plate and took them over to Piedmont Park to eat. Both were good, but I like the vegetarian plate better, b/c it had falafel plus baba, hummus, and my favorite, tabbouleh. We would definitely go back. I was bummed we forgot to order desert. They have baklava and rice pudding!
In my world, there could never be too many hummus and falafel places. For one, there are so many subtle variations of both among the hummus and falafel eating nations. This week, I stopped by the midtown branch of the Mediterranean grill to experience their take on these good eats. Besides hummus I was also tempted to get some baba ghanoush (photos at http://livetonibble.bl...). Both the hummus and the baba ghanoush were delightfully creamy. I could taste in the hummus much richness from the good dose of tahini. It was right up my alley as I love tahini's unparalleled smoothness. The baba gahnoush, while containing no tahini, nonetheless achieved a level of wonderful creaminess from the blended eggplants. I loved both.
What was disappointing was the pita. While I gave MG credit for warming up the pita, the doughy stuff was not at all fluffy and began to harden into crackly sheets almost as soon as I got them. Note to self, I must secure my own pita the next time I order here.
Also disappointing was the single falafel I bought for a taste. My heart sank when I saw the dark color. And sure enough, it was dry, dry, dry. I'll just stick to the enjoyable spreads the next time.
Not much to say here. . . the place was pretty great. The food was delicious and I was craving falafel. For some reason the Diet Coke tasted like root beer though. . .
Face it, there arent many greek/mediterranean options in the city. There isn't a Greektown in Atlanta like some other cities and definitely not a Greektown Casino like Detroit (though i wish there were). But i don't think you can beat this place for bang for the buck quick mediterranean food. This is a staple in my diet when i need a quick falafel or qyro fix. And with two locations equi-distant from me, i am going to stay a regular.
Hands down my favorite place to eat in midtown. The value is unbelievable... I always get the combination feast which is a ton of delicious food for 8.99.
On my search to find the best Greek food in Atlanta I stopped by this place today. I ordered the chicken plate which came with pita bread, salad, and rice pilaf for 7.63(pictured) I also got the sweet tea which was really good. I went hoping that the rice pilaf would be just that...fluffy, tasty, yellow rice unlike that at Gilbert's Cafe. I finally got my food after about 10 min and was excited to see the yellow rice (yes!). The chicken was sooo good....the rice and salad were really good. I had problem with the pita bread. It was absolutely nasty, bland, boring and not tasty at all. I definitely could have lived without it. Nevertheless I will definitely make that my go to restaurant when i'm in the mood for greek food. The parking lot is cool but that might be because it was a saturday. THey have the best ethnic greek food awards all over their walls. They've definitely earned that title.
Counter service spot convenient to Virginia Highlands. I had the gyro, which was very tasty and fairly cheap...good stuff.
I previously lived in DC where good Mediterranean food was easy to find...not the case in the ATL...so I was psyched when I finally found the Med Grill in midtown. The food is fantastic and the price is very reasonable. This place serves up Value with a capital V. I will admit, get the same plate every time...Chicken Kabob platter....can't beat it. It comes with rice and a nice side salad. The service is excellent. If you call before you leave your house..the food will be ready by the time you get there.
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