Mediterranean Kabob now open
Look for this sign to find Mediterranean Kabob.
If you’ve been missing Mediterranean cuisine since The Isaacs restaurant in Grandin Village closed, you might be able to get your fix at a new place on Williamson Road.
Mediterranean Kabob is located in the same building that houses the Mediterranean Goods Market at 3324 Williamson Road, across from Oakland Intermediate School. The market and kabob stand are both owned by Muhsen Al-Sahlan, a native of Iraq. The kabob stand is a humble little walk-up window inside the store, but the menu is rather large. As of now, everything is carryout only, but Al-Sahlan said he is working on setting up an area with tables and chairs so diners can eat there.
Menu items include:
Kibbi – a dish made with ground meat and various flavorings. There are several varieties at Mediterranean Kabob
Tabbouleh – bulghur wheat mixed with tomatoes, onion, parsley, lemon juice
Spinach pie
Fattoush – a bread salad
Lahm bi ajeen - a Lebanese meat pie
Sambousa – a pastry usually stuffed with meat and nuts
Samak maskouf – open fish spiced and cooked over charcoal
Farrouj meshwi – a grilled garlic chicken
Chicken, beef, goat biryani – a rice dish
A variety of different kabobs, including chicken and beef
One detail of great significance is that all of the meats used at Mediterranean Kabob are halal, so if you follow a halal diet or have friends or guests who do, this would be a good place to go. The fact that Al-Sahlan drives to D.C. every week or so to get halal meats may be what makes the prices a bit higher than one would expect at a carryout stand. I will attach a copy of the menu (clidk “read more”) so you can see for yourself.
Speaking of Mediterranean food, an alert reader has told me there’s a sign in the window of what used to be Ernie’s Grill in Salem that says: Abrakababra – gyros – falafel. I’ve made a call on that to see what’s up but haven’t heard back yet. I’ll keep you guys posted.
Mediterranean Kabob wall menu
October 26, 2012 - 9:57 AM
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We actually ordered from here last week. We had the chicken kabobs, which were very tasty and seasoned well. We also got the Farrouj meshwi, which after we put it back in the oven to cook for another hour because it wasn’t cooked through, was good. The downside and reason we didn’t take the chicken back, is that my husband had to wait an hour after ordering for our food. We also got a grilled chicken salad (I know, a lot of food, we were ordering for four!) and the salad was good as well. All came with a side of pickled vegetables, which were also very tasty. I would say, give it a try, but definitely allow ample time for your food and check your chicken to make sure it isn’t raw!
Any info on hours/days? My SO had a craving for gyros/shawarma this weekend, and as far as I can tell there are *no* Mediterranean places in town that are open on Sunday?
I will have to go over there are check that out as soon as my car is fixed. I would love to try the goat biryani but I couldn’t move myself to pay $13 for a meal… I will probably try some of the cheaper options
Is there no falafel or am I just not seeing it.
Kristen, falafel is on the pink poster.
I will get the hours, Mark, and add those to the blog entry.
Oh I can’t wait to try this! It’s not far from Jerusalem, which I had high hopes for but has turned out to be pretty much Italian takeout. So yum for more falafel-tabbouleh-shwarmaliciousness on my alternate commute home!
Oh sorry Lindsey there it is under kafta.
If you’re going to charge $15 for a kebab at a humble carry-out place, your stuff had better be pretty friggen good.
I agree, Kristen. I’ll be interested to hear what others think of this restaurant.
Thanks so much for the heads up, Lindsey! I will def be checking it out. My son and I went into the store several months ago, long before you announced the kabob stand. Lots of interesting stuff in there. I’m excited to try the food!
I got beef shawarma there today for lunch. The beef was a little tough but very tasty, and the wrap was stuffed with green peppers, tomatoes, onions, and lettuce in a tangy sauce. My only complaint is that he used a tortilla for a wrap (rather than pita), and the tortilla was dry, so the whole thing fell apart as soon as I started to eat it. It was worth $5.75, though, and I’ll be back to try one of their chicken dishes soon.