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Categories: Middle Eastern, Persian/Iranian
Neighborhood: GlendaleMon-Sun. 11:30 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
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It's Wednesday and I'm still stuffed! Oy.
Raffi's is equivalent to Claim Jumper and Versailles but Persian. So much food, super fast service and great prices!
I've been trying to get to Raffi's for the longest time and we were in the area so we went for it. So glad we did!
We got there about 3ish on Saturday. The weather was nice so we requested a table outside. The restaurant is very airy and relaxing and pretty busy for that time of day. I even enjoyed the size of the table for 2. Most restaurants tables for 2 are hella cramped and really annoying. Good looking out Raffi!
I had the beef Koobideh and FH had the Beef Soltani. Both were so tasty and tender. The portions are huge! We could have easily shared one plate (we'll do that next time). We also had the Shirazi Salad and Hummos. Everything was so good and to die for!!
Will definitely return! Good stuff.
P.S. The bathrooms are super CLEAN!! And the a/c works so good in there! No stuffy nasty bathrooms here ladies! Phew!
The Rice, the Chicken koobideh, the portions..everything..yummm yummm yumm...definitely one of my favoriteeee places for armenian/persian food...been to other places and this place definitely tops my chart.
Greattt for group settings came here for my birthday with a bunch of co workers..I really like their outdoor setting.
Very generous on food portions and for starters they give you the appetizer the bread and the other good stuff.
Definitely would recommend this place!!!!
It's one thing to be arrogant about your restaurant IF the food is good....but this place? I don't know what all you 4 and 5 star people think kebab is but this place isn't.
The food is mediocre at best...the meat is pretty low quality crap....don't believe me? Take some home and try and eat it the next day...it'll make you hurl it's so greasy and fatty...and poor cut. What's their excuse when charging an arm and leg for their dishes? Oh that's right...someone's got to pay for their mansion at the top of the hill.
The service...oh the service. There's a saying in Armenian...people become very smug and arrogant when their stomach is full. The owners of this place are just that.
They got quite lucky with the success of this place...I know because we know the original owner of this place (who's name was Raffi....at the time, had a VERY hard time getting it off the ground. These idiots role in, buy the place, and somehow the place takes off. I ate at the original joint and it was truly good..homemade feel and taste.
This place...the service is patchy at best (depending on the mood of the owner's wife), the food is terrible relative to other less expensive joints, the people who come there are complete wannabe seen d$$chebags.
If you like that sort of thing, you'll fit right in...Lord knows, as an Armenian myself I know too well how shallow and pretentious and judgmental Armenians can be...and "Raffi's Place" is a perfect breeding ground for that...it ain't the food they come for, it's the attention they seek...where everyone is looking at each other and sizing each other up. Quite pathetic.
If you want better Armenian kebab, try Carousel, try Helena's, try Olive Branch....save your hard earned money and skip this place...it's junk
Be careful they don't F(*&(ck with your bill at the end. If you're with a big group, they try to slip in couple of extra beers here and there.
I think they should include feta cheese with the butter, onions, radish and bread that they bring at the beginning. That would make it more of an Armenian meal.
The food is good, but this shouldn't be considered Armenian/Persian BBQ. It's Only Persian. Armenian BBQ has totally different spices and taste. They're both good in their own ways.
Good Armenian and Persian food! That's all I can say.
Already tons of reviews for this place...so I'll add in my two pesos:
MmmmmmMMMMmmmmmmMMMmmmmmmmmm
Great food, good service...............AMAZING KABOB! I like how they set up the outside, but I definitely wouldn't want to sit inside.
I love this place. I am Persian so I eat kabob all the time and I have tried the best of the best restaurants (even the as far as the OC). If you do not like the food here then you should not try any other restaurant for kabob.
The yogurt with the shallots are number one in addition to being a great appetizer. The onions and fresh herbs are excellent. Soltani (beef) is awesome and the rice that comes with is nice with its butter flavor. Try the yogurt drink with mint.
The price here is decent for great kabob but sometimes there can be a wait on Sundays for lunch.
I have been going to Raffi's for at least 10 years and never have been disappointed!! Best Armenian/Perisan food i have ever had. So i fugured i stop searching. Plus there portoins are HUGH. I don't care for the Humas so much but there egplant dip is really good. I have noticed there prices keep creeping up from time to time but what can you expect. As a customer never please about that. If you do not like crowds do not go on weekends, they have hugh middle eastern familys that decide dine there and they are loud as hell in there own language. Parking sucks but they do have valet. Service is ok but what do you expect when the place is usually packed....still afer all that i love there food!!
awesome basmati rice!!!!
went here for my birthday with a group of 20. the servings here are huge so one order can definitely feed 2 people. you can ask them to split the plate and even then, it was still a LOT of food!
i split the soltani plate (number 1 think) with a friend. it was filet mignon and ground beef i think. the eggplant dip was also tasty. they serve unlimited warm pita bread and that alone was very filling. hehe.
overall it was a nice simple restaurant serving delicious food. now i know where to go if i'm craving for kabob and basmati rice!
I had some great lamb at this place. The service was good. I don't go to Glendale very often but this is a good spot.
Came here for lunch with a group of coworkers. I tried the lamb shank with the special dill rice with lima beans. The lamb shank was tender, but bland. The dry and cold lavash bread left me longing for the warm pita they serve at Carousel or Elena's. The rice was pretty good, but for me, Armenian is all about the meat and spice. They didn't have a lunch menu and everything was on the slightly pricey side. Perhaps I've been spoiled by Elena's or maybe it was my choice of entrees, but I didn't think Raffi's lived up to all of the fuss. Sure you get a pile of food, but it's a pile of lackluster food.
Nice place and good service.
best persian food i've ever had. my boyfriend and i got there at the perfect time cause when we were leaving we saw so many people waiting for a table. the service was ok but the food was amazing. my boyfriend got the chicken kabob as usual and i got barg and koobideh. it had so much flavor. and the meat was perfect.
Great food and good portions. It's been a long established place in Glendale so they must be doing something right.
Cute outdoor seating and very family friendly but also a good place to take a date (candles, fountain and wine/cocktails). Ladies, who cares if you polish off the plate!
Raffi's is a great place for persian food. Great location, great ambience, parking not so great. But what do you want? It's Glendale. We olways order the barg kabob with the rice. It's sooo good. Great for take-out but call ahead so you don't have to wait too long. They are always super busy. A must try, if you're ever in Glendale.
Bomb food, great staff.
Best Armenian food in Glendale hands down!
They have very traditional dishes and the beef bbq is the best :)
First resturant where the outside is nicer than the inside, with wonderful paintings on the walls, tea lights, and a water fountain! Short wait!
nice atmosphere,hummus & yogurt with cucumber was as good as anywhere else.
the mahi mahi Kabab was overcooked & chewy
I've eaten better
don't think I'll be back for a while
We came here for lunch yesterday ... the food was fantastic.
But lets back up a little... I heard this place was good from my friend but I didn't know that to expect...we walked down this alley in Glendale... and you could smell this savory scent...
We were sat out on the patio the day was nice and warm w/ a breeze perfect for dining outdoors in the shade.
2 friends and I went family style route since my friend had been here before she warned us the serving were huge... we got the Chicken Soltanti the season in the Koobideh was so good ... nothing was over season... I wish I didn't have to share!
The chicken barg was good also but a little dry... but I'm not a big fan of chicken breast meat... but it was good flavor wise.
We also got:
Yogurt and cucumbers it was good- chilled just the right amount if dill .. but nothing special
Tabule so so - it was better then the tabule I have had at other places.. it wasn't overly sour... but I could do without it
Hommus- mmmm thumbs up! This one was great... nice and cream... plenty of garlic favor... not too much vinegar... sooo good...
Eggplant... it wasn't what I think of when I think baba ganosh but sooo good and flavorful I wanted to lick my plate to get all of it!!! Unlike the eggplant I have had in the past at Mediterranean places it wasn't a brownish beige or cream colored this was a bright orangy red... but still tastie!!!
Last but the winner by far was the rice I know I know it's just rice how good can it be... I really can't explain it I could have eaten a whole plate of just the rice even w/o adding the butter!!!
So if this place was soo good why didn't it get 4 stars? The service was just so so... they were kind and friendly... but I never got a refill on my ice tea... perhaps they were under staffed... I don't know... but it took a while for them to take our order... no refills, forever to get our check... this is not a place to go if you need to be back in the office...
I have no doubt I'll be coming back here on the weekends =)
All you have to do to find this place is drive to the city of Glendale, exit Brand, then roll your window down and ask anyone, where is Raffi's Place located? Anyone! And they will tell you. Then when you try their beautifully prepared, " fluffy, pearly white basmati rice" you will know what heavens clouds are made of, and will never again ask, but instead you will tell.
Now, only a few restaurants can give you the full experience, and this is one of them. Not only do you feel like you have stepped into one of Italy's beautiful alleyway cafes having a delightful laugh, but also out of the jungles of LA.......
Though all of their food items along with their appetizers are greaaat! There is one that is the raining King of them all. The All Mighty "Luleh plate". To least describe it is to say, after you have tasted the succulent ground beef, that the temptation is of Adam and Eve's sin of eating the forbidden fruit, the great part is there is no punishment for this sin only pure gratification after you have licked your fingers clean.......... Amman!
Take 1:
I walked in and then everyone just turned around and stared at me. FUCK!!!! I forgot my pants! I'm just wearing boxers so I ran back to my car and put some pants.
Take 2:
I walked in with my long jet black hair flowing with the wind and everyone just stopped and stared at me for 5 seconds. Everyone got confused and i feel a lil bit cold damn i forgot my shirt!
Take 3:
I drove in to the alley for valet and i walked to the front realizing that i should have entered from the back no wonder most people eating just stared at me. I look confused and I was looking for my friend. As usual i didn't bring my cellphone with me so i was just looking around. And there she was.
"table for two please"
yaddaH YADDAH BLah BLAh blahhhh
blah blah blah yaddah yaddah
uhuh!
yeah!
really?
oh sure!
yaddah yaddah...
waiter: "can i get you anything to drinK?"
"yeah! sure, water and iced tea!"
blah blah blah
yaddah yaddah yaddah
waiter: " are you guys ready to order?"
Y: Oh yeah! Can I get a grilled dog with cat on the side?
X: And can i have a Cougar baked with mac and cheese?
So we got a Shish Kabob and a Koobideh.
Yaddah yaddah blah blah blah X 100
BAM!!!!
We got our food its freaking GINORMOUS!!!! Well the rice serving but for the Koobideh for 12 bucks you get two skewers of that meat! That's an awesome deal!!!! The shish kabob was good! Too bad i'm still full from eating dumpling earlier that day so TO GO box is always my savior, i hate wasting food.
yaddah yaddah blah bleh woot woot
I like this place but i don't know when i will be back...
maybe i'll see you tomorrow!
and its freaking affordable too!!!
This place definitely gets my attention. It reminds me of Reza's back home in Chicago. Not only is this place SUPER accomodating for large groups, but the portions are so generous that it's a great meal to share with a friend! My friend and I split the filet and beef dish...plus that yogurt with cucumber....YUM. I left nice and full...and a doggy bag to enjoy the next day. I'm not big on leftovers, but this wasn't too bad...I even brought home some of the pita wraps and just stuffed it with my left overs. DELISH!
The good:
The best Persian food in SoCal
Great atmosphere(decent inside very charming outside seating)
Very large portions
Smartly priced
The not as good:
Too far from the west side and not quite worth the drive - although not many places are.
You can find another Persian restaurant that will satisfy your meat and rice cravings but it wont be as good.
Cute intimate little restaurant tucked away. It is definitely easy to miss. I like the fact that outdoor as well as indoor seating is available and you're not really missing out by picking either. both still serve great ambiance for dining.
The garlic hummus is delish!
I ordered and split the beef kabobs w/steak. It comes w/grilled vegetables and rice. The prices are kinda steep but they serve huge portions that are plenty for two. The meat was tender, juicy, and very flavorful. The ground beef was very very soft. And everything on my plate went so well together - the juicy, slightly spicy meat w/the soft rice and savory grilled vegetables. I was stuffing my face and each bite felt heavenly.
One star gets taken away for the price.. $9 for freshly squeezed juice..
Baba Ghanoush (bä-b-g-nüsh) noun
1. an appetizer or spread made chiefly of eggplant, tahini, garlic, olive oil, and lemon
2. Raffi's Place Restaurant (holy shit!)
what should i say this is the best kabab place. its the best mediteranian food everrrrrrrrrr, nice a juicy!
i always get the koobideh and barg you cant go wrong with those two mhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh i cant wait to go back again!
i wish i could give them a 10 star instead of five.
WooHoo, I've found my new favorite Middle-eastern restaurant..
The food is delicious, the service was average; but the prices were just RIGHT.. $12 - $20 per entree, and the sides are like $5 each, (the way they should be). A full bar that offers their specialty martini's and hometown beers.
They have a large outside patio that is highly recommended in the summer time, and a nice indoor area that is best for a date, and/or dinner. You won't regret this even though the Americana is nearly caddy corner..
I've lived in Glendale all my life and finally got a chance to eat at Raffi's last night. I was very excited. Maybe it had to do with the fact that my boyfriend is Armenian, but either way, the food here is delicious. I got the barg kebab for $17.95, and my boyfriend got the lamb kebab plate for $19.95. A little pricy but it's worth it for the amount of food you get.
Barg kebab is a large, grilled piece of fillet mignon, not in chunks but still "filleted" so you can cut away easily. Lamb was very juicy and good. I'm not a huge fan of lamb, but I liked it. Wrap it with the lavash bread, grilled veggies, onions and radish...heaven!
But seriously watch out for the massive mountain of rice. It's really fluffy and tasty, but at the end of my meal, I still had a good amount of rice left. With the amount of rice, I think I ate for a small family of 3.
Also, watch out for the green pepper if you are NOT a fan of spicy foods. I thought it was a regular ol' green pepper, but for a person who already has a liking for spicy foods, this one was so damn hot! I felt so bad for the table next to us, where the first thing the man did was bite into the pepper before eating anything else. He had to go get candies, gulp down cups of water but was so angry, he and his lady left with their food still there barely touched.
Overall, it was a nice experience. I like the large outdoor seating area when you enter, where there's enough heat lamps to feel warm. I'll be coming here again for sure.
I never really appreciated rice until I had it at Raffi's, where it's so pure and fluffy that any meat on your plate becomes just the supporting character. I also like the courtyard seating, which is comfy, perfect for big families and bathed in a flattering light. But the portions here are just WAY. TOO. HUGE. It's fun to be able to bring leftovers home that will last you for another three meals, but I'd much prefer they just give a more sensible portion and charge less.
Best Kubedeh and Barg in town, served with real Persian Basil (Rehan), great hot tea, quick services and lovely environment. For some reason, food taste much better in the restaurant than to go. Free parking structure is a big plus in Glendale area.
Went for lunch. Large portions of basic dishes done right.
Raffi's Place......not the most creative or unique name for a restaurant.....but dude is this place goooooooood
free parking for 90 mins @ the parking garage on maryland
cross the street and go east on broadway a little bit and you are at the back door/patio area of the restaurant......it happened to be unusually cold in socal but they had plenty of heat lamps to keep the patio area nice and cozy
once seated, the menu options are pretty simple
beef, chicken, lamb
ended up ordering the shish kabob and my wife got the boneless chicken kabob......the yogurt and shallot dip is a MUST!!!!! they bring plenty of onions, cilantro, radish, and basil leaves to compliment the lavash bread
i also tried the kotayk gold beer......i was told its a popular armenian beer.....not bad not bad
and the portions......one word: ginormous!!!!!!!!!!
they brought the food out fast......mountain of fluffy rice......two grilled tomatoes and a grilled pepper.......the filet was surprisingly tender and moist......there was nothing left to do except GRUB!!!!!!
amazingly, i polished off my entire plate.......veggies and all.......im not sure about the proper etiquette on eating armenian cuisine, but i just used my hands and wrapped up the meat with all the accompanying veggies and dipped away in the delicious yogurt dip.......
by the time we were done, the table looked like a battlefield with bits of onions, cilantro, stems, rice flakes, and bread crumbs all over the place......
we even asked for a "to go" box and piled in my wife's rice, veggies, and chicken......the box literally looked like a full meal in itself!!!!!!
kabobs range from about 12-18 dollars, appetizers around 5 bucks, beers around 5
total damage was only 50 bucks = 2 dinners + 2 leftover-shared-lunch for the next day
i was too full to drive home, so i tossed my wife the keys, and i lay comatose riding shotgun
will definitely return to this fine establishment.......even though it has such a generic name
JYEAH!!!!!!!!!
This type of restaurant is a rarity to my usual outings. I've been threatened by a former acquaintance that I have to give this a 4 star, even though it's more of a 3 star. Again, I didn't get to try anything as the dork refuses to share. To that selfish person..."Sharing is caring" Anyway, I don't eat egg plant..but their egg plant dip is pretty good as an appetizer. I was pleasantly surprised that I enjoyed it. I had the lamb kabob and it was mighty tasty. I wish the grilled chilli would be a bit more spicy. I mean.. come on. Why be called a chilli and not be spicy at all. What a disgrace to your chilli ancestors !!! I finished almost everything except for the rice. I know I know.. Asians are supposed to love rice. Call me a trailor..but I don't. The ambience was relaxing and casual. Out door patio with eye pleasing mural paintings on the wall help enhance final touches of your dining experience.
After working in Glendale for over two years...why did I just get introduced to this gem at my going away party? That is just straight up evil in my eyes.
For starters we had the hummus..Trader Joe's hummus ain't got nothin' on this. The eggplant caviar was a little scary when one of my friends suggested it, but honestly, you must try it--it's not really caviar. The majority of our party ordered the shish kabob (#3 on the menu). A couple people ordered the rack of lamb which was surprisingly very tasty and I'm not a fan of lamb. I had the Soltani (#1 on the menu) which was a filet mignon kabob and ground beef kabob--YUM! The filet mignon was so tender and paired with the flat bread, basil and a dash of salt-it's a party in your mouth.
I would highly suggest sharing because the portions are ginormous! It's probably enough for three meals depending on how hungry you are. Each meal comes with a plate full of basmati rice, grilled tomato and pepper and meat of choice.
The outside patio is the place to be. It's a covered patio with dim lighting, heat lamps all over to keep you warm and a cute little fountain. We had a huge party of 15 and the service was superb. They got all of our orders right with no hassles when some asked for specific requests. We were all stuffed from dinner and didn't have a chance to try the deserts, but best believe when I come back I'm gonna have some of that Spumoni.
I'm Middle Eastern and, thus far, this is the best Middle Eastern place at which I've eaten in the United States. It's expensive, unfortunately, but if you're looking for good cuisine from that neck of the woods, this place is it.
When I went I tasted the fish (mahi mahi), ground chicken link (which, now that I think about it, I actually didn't like but to be fair, I never like that), the lamb chops (DELISH!) and the beef kabobs. The meats were cooked just right, their rice was seasoned pretty much perfectly (it's basmati with saffron--that orange stuff on top) and their tomatoes and bell peppers (the latter definitely has a kick, watch out) were grilled just right (skin was black and starting to peel off).
Don't bother with the garlic torshee (ick) and, if you like traditional torshee, you'll find that it's lacking on carrots (the best part in my opinion). The hummus was so-so; if you don't have a particularly discerning Middle Eastern eye then you'll prolly think it's not bad, lol.
Sweets? Couldn't tell 'ya. I was so full by the end I couldn't bring myself to put one more thing in my mouth.
Service? Average. Just average.
One of the best things I noticed was that it was full of all sorts of people! There were Hispanics, Asians, Whites, Blacks; everyone on planet Earth was in there. It made me appreciate living in L.A.; it's delightful to see people of other cultures enjoying something about my own.
It's worth noting that the ambiance is nice here. This is a good date place, guys. It's dark, romantic...you know, bleh bleh bleh...and, before I forget, there's a pretty neat patio area. Even more romantic!
In this economy, unless if you're splurging or just absolutely MUST have Middle Eastern food, I'd probably hold off. It's good but will definitely put a dent in your wallet. You can get plenty of groceries with the money you'd spend here.
Fantastic, attentive service and huge portions. Another reviewer described this as the "Claim Jumper" of Persian restaurants. This is my first experience with true Persian food, but I found everything tasty and well prepared.
Raffi's is GOOD STUFF!!!!!!!
The place is really welcoming. You feel like home, when you enter the place. It's a place that you can either go with family, group of friends or your honey. (not for first date though, w/ you're long time love).
I love all the types of Kabob they have, I usually get the combo of chicken and beef Kabob with the rise and bbq tomatoes. Oh Zeus! it's heavenly.
But before you get all excited while ordering the main plate, definitely start with appetizers with lavash bread.
1. Jajekh aka tzatziki (in greek) (yoghurt deep with cucumbers and some persian herbs in it)
2. Eggplant deep
3. Salad (tomato+cucumber and other stuff) refreshing while ur kabob is being made.
4.hummus, mutabal... they're good too
Next step, ( if my memory is not mistaken) once you sit, they bring you some type of green leafs with white onion, you definitely don't know why! I knew it! THAT IS FOR YOUR KABOB! DON'T eat it immediately.
The secret way of eating it is with Lavash bread, you put some of the green leafs and two to three onion layers and then you put some of your kabob in it and make it a twist and ENJOY that heavenly meaty devour.
You will remember me when you try it that way! I guarantee you.
Keep me updated if you eat it with the secret way (which is revealed to you by now)
ciao
Went here for dinner last night with a few friends and we had a good time. I liked how they decorated the place and the service was really nice, albeit slow at times.
We ordered two appetizers and three meat dishes to share family style:
-- For appetizers, we got the eggplant (eggplant, tomato sauce, garlic) and the tabule. The tabule was pretty okay, but the eggplant was SO good! It was so delicious--LOVED IT.
-- They also give you a ton of complimentary lavash bread. I think it would have been nicer if they warmed it up, but it was still pretty good (and free!).
-- For our meat dishes we ordered beef soltani, chicken barg, and some lamb dish (don't remember what it was; I don't eat lamb so I didn't pay attention). They were both good! And they came on a "fluffy bed" of basmati rice with saffron. Good stuff! I also liked the grilled tomatoes that came with it. Everything came together to be yummy in my tummy.
Everything was good and delicious, but it was all a bit pricey and I wasn't totally WOWed by the place. But apart from that, I can't complain. The area has parking lots that offer free 90 minute parking (no validation necessary), so that made it really convenient to go to.
the food was great. we received complimentary pita bread along with radishes, onions, and greens. i had the grounded chicken kabobs for $11.95 and also sampled the beef filet kabob and grounded beef kabob. all of the meat were all flavorful and sat on a huge bed of fluffy as a pillow basmati rice. while it was somewhat pricey but it's worth it because 1 plate will last you 3 days (for some 2 days).
wait service was very attentive and we had no problems finding seating. the place is deceptively big. there's valet in the back for only $2.50. pretty good since parking around the area did not seem plentiful.
Neighborhood: Glendale
Category: Middle Eastern
Neighborhood: Glendale
Category: Middle Eastern
Neighborhood: Glendale
Category: Middle Eastern
Neighborhood: Glendale
Category: Greek
Neighborhood: Glendale
Category: Middle Eastern
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