Grape Leaf Cafe and Grill

Id like to give this place one more shot, but based off of todays sundays experience. They close@4, it was clean, & quiet… I ordered the chicken kabob plate. The hummus&pita were mediocre but plentiful. Chicken and rice were pretty good. But nothing spectaculor. Prices were resonable. Maybe next time ill get a beef gyro. Seemed like the popular choice from to go orderers. Ill try again.

Owner was really nice, gave us some free samples because I know my middle eastern food pretty well since I was raised in an Arabic community back in MI. The prices are much higher here but that’s expected living in California. The taste of the food was ok, not like home but it will do. I had basic swharma chicken. It needed more garlic sauce in my opinion. I guess everyone makes there schwarma differently but all the restaurants back in Michigan was filling and full of flavor. I tasted more of the pita bread rather than the fillings. I will have the owner make it for me next time, not the other employees. I guess my taste buds are too authentic and scrupulous. I’ll give them another chance!

Authentic Lebanese food! Spent some time in the Middle East and this place nails it with Authenticity! Very friendly staff!

Food was excellent. We started with the Mixed Meza Platter, which is hummus, baba ganoush, grape leaves and tabouleh. The baba ganoush was my favorite, and the hummus was nice and creamy. We each had the kefta kebob with tahini, but were so full we only managed a few bites. It’ll be tomorrow’s lunch. Everything was fresh and delicious. Owner and counter staff were friendly. Suha, the owner, hails from Beirut, Lebanon. We’ll definitely be back.

The hummus plater was good a panda plentiful. The falafel sandwich is delicious and fresh. Will totally be eating here more

Grape Leaf Café and Grill is, in a word, wonderful. It’s family owned, small businesses like this that I really enjoy supporting, and hope they stay open for years to come. Ali, the owner, has got to be one of the sweetest people on earth. Seems truly happy, and his family and staff all have the same vibe. It’s a very welcoming place, and I can’t wait to bring more friends in.
The food is delicious. The lamb and beef shawarma is where it’s at. The falafel is moist in the middle and crunchy, fried perfection on the outside. The hummus is very good as well, and has a nice, creamy texture. They do a beet hummus that I’ve heard great things about, but I’ve never been fortunate enough to try it when I visit as it sells out quickly. The fattoush salad is awesome, same with the gyros. The babaganoush is great… it’s always so hard to chose what I want because it’s all so good! The pistachio and chocolate baklava are such a perfect ending to a most scrumptious meal. Pretty much everything I’ve tried is great, and they will let you sample stuff if you can’t decide or are curious to try something new. Way cool.
Check these guys out. An all around great experience every time I visit, so we’ve gotta do our part and keep this place open! Go dine at Grape Leaf. Do it now! :)

Chocolate cover BAKLAVA… need to say more? It’s a soft chocolate that they use to cover doughnuts with. I share mines and was tempted to get one for the road.
We split two wraps which was a chicken and a shaved beef wraps. I love the beef one better. I really like the beet salad I got also.
They have a huge wall of selections of drinks in the back to chosse from. The Lemonmint with strawberry was really good, that I bought one for the road and it’s locally made.
Parking: Own Lot. My friend, who lives there locally, said it’s a small size lot.
Payment: Cash or Card
Service: The guy was amazing and gave us samples. If you are in the area, go.

My girlfriend and I had been meaning to come here for weeks and stopped in over this past weekend. I was banking on them to be a «breath of fresh air» mediterranean food restaurant in Sonoma County and the Grape Leaf totally impressed! They have the rare combo of family style service, superior flavor, and great prices. The owner made us feel welcomed right away which left a big impression on us. We have officially made this place our go to mediterranean spot.

Absolutely loved the signage and name «Grape Leaf,» which brought us to this restaurant in the first place.
I had the Meza salad. I’m not a big fan of falafel, but this was delicious. Loved the tabouli and hummus and baba ganoush. And large helpings.
My husband had the beef/​lamb shwarma wrap and loved it.
The chocolate dipped baklava is a must for dessert.
The owner «Ali» is such a sweetheart and gave us a couple of samples to taste.
Can’t wait for our next visit to try something different.

This is a great experience in dining. we had the mixture of salads (every one was great), gyro, and Kofta (lamb/​beef) plate. The owner told us of his childhood in the context of the food. Lastly we were given a treat: Za’atar with sesame seeds on pita. Amazing flavor and hot out of the oven

By far the worst shawarma I’ve ever had. The meat had no flavor, itziki sauce was bland. The steak and lamb was a combined meatball like substance that tasted like someone pre-​chewed and rolled it into a meatball like substance. The tabuleh salad had way too much lemon but it was the only thing that tasted remotely good/​authentic. The bread wasn’t even a nice fluffy pita, it was more like a flat cracker like bread, a tortilla like substance.
Music too loud for such a small space.

Oh, I LOVE this place!
When I walked in with a friend, we were very warmly greeted by the staff behind the counter, who offered to let us sample anything, and were so warm and friendly. They have a deli case full of prepared hummuses and salads, plus kebabs, gyros, and more. I ended up with a falafel platter (the falafel are gluten free!) that included rice and a brussels sprouts salad, plus a sparkling water from their generously stocked beverage case. It was all SO delicious!
Really, what puts this place over the top is the staff. The friend I went with had been only once before, weeks ago, and the man behind the counter remembered her. The staff are so welcoming and kind, and really make you feel at home.
I will be a regular here for sure! Very worth a stop for delicious Lebanese food and superb service!

We stopped by on a whim. Mediterranean food is easy to find around this area, but let me say: this is the best. Each item on the menu has been thought through so carefully. I had the beef gyro with stuffed grape leafs. The gyro was simple, flavorful, well-​prepared. A stunning sandwich. The grape leafs are smaller than typical grape leafs with less filling which actually helped the flavor shine so brightly.
My partner had a plate of various sides. The hummus was rich and delicious, the teboulleh was herby and sumptuous. The falafel was crispy and well fried without being greasy.
To finish it off, chocolate dipped baklava. I was a little taken aback by the idea, but they’re incredible.
Service warm and friendly, atmosphere is inviting and the chef came and chatted with us. He clearly takes pride in his food as he should!
A fantastic addition to the amazing food opportunities in downtown Cotati.

WOW! This place is such an upgrade. I had the falafel sandwich and the pistachio baklava and both were supreme. This place has a casual and welcoming environment with excellent customer service to boot. I can’t wait to try the other menu offerings.

I was excited about this place, as I always enjoy good Mediterranean food, especially falafels. And it’s right by where I live. My partner and I got the falafel platter with greek salad and rice and the chicken shawarma platter with fries and tabbouleh and some hummus. All was very tasty. I was somewhat disappointed by the shawarma, only because I like mine thinly sliced, rather than in chucks. However, the flavor was pretty good. The falafels were awesome! I am pretty picky about falafels, and I loved the flavor. The hummus was great too (also something I’m picky about)!
The service was wonderful. Very attentive, friendly and engaging with their customers.
This seems like a family-​run joint and I enjoyed it, so I hope it goes well for them. I know they will continue to get my business, as I will definitely be going back again!

Hallelujah! Finally, Lebanese food in Sonoma County. The dolmas (stuffed grape leaves), tabouleh, hummus, zaatar and the freakishly good falafel (and that is usually my LEAST favorite) are all very fresh, authentic and healthy. Plenty of choices for vegetarians and meat lovers, too. Attractive and zen décor. Super delish!!! Get the word out!

Best falafel outside Israel.
Very friendly staff and great ambiance.
I feel lucky to have a place like this in the neighborhood.

Excellent! Gyro was really shawarma. No spits in view. But the fattoush was so authentic, fresh and delicious. Servings are not big. I do love it however!

Delicious food and service. Staff was incredibly friendly and helpful. The restaurant is new; everything looks clean, well put together and spacious.

Swung by here last week for a quick dinner and was definitely glad I did.
Small, family run Lebanese restaurant in a very convenient location in Cotati.
There’s no reason to return to the Falafel King by Oliver’s anymore (or whatever it’s called this week.)
I’ve actually been back three times now, sampling most of the menu items.
Here are the highlights:
Falafel is some of the best I’ve ever had. Pretty sure I saw the grandmother (?) feeding chick peas, onions, and spices through the grinder on our first visit. The falafel taste as good as I hoped they would. Had them all three times now, very consistent and tasty each and every time.
Hummus is also made in house. Regular, as well as flavored. The sun dried tomato was nice, but you can’t beat the original. Great hummus, on the same level as Real Donner in Petaluma.
Kofta Kebabs were also outstanding. They put the ones from Zankou Chicken in Los Angelese to shame. Very tasty and worth the wait while they’re cooked on the BBQ out front. Good mixture of beef and lamb, as they weren’t too gamey.
Chicken Kebabs were also delicious. Even better though is their garlic paste. Not sure if this is home made but I’m assuming so based on the freshness. People in Los Angeles go crazy over the garlic spread from Zankou Chicken. Pre-​packaged like a container of McNugget sauce… I was never impressed. But, one taste of the garlic paste here and I realized how delicious is can (and should) be.
Beef shawarma was tasty. They make a different skewer of shawarma every day. Sometimes beef. Sometimes chicken. The sandwich is a bit thin on the fillings, I’d suggest getting the platter unless you’re sharing or not so hungry.
Now, there are a few things that could be improved… or avoided from the menu.
The baked goods are held inside the deli case and suffer greatly because of it. The spinach and cheese pie was a bit old. And didn’t benefit from being microwaved prior to being served. Hopefully as business picks up and the baked goods have a higher turn over, this will become a thing of the past. However, I’d stick to the freshly prepared items for now to avoid any disappointment. Haven’t tried the little zataar manakish «pizzas» yet but wouldn’t unless they’re straight from the oven. Or reheated in a real oven.
And finally, the baklava is really good. Not sure where they source it from, but it’s fresh and full of crispy layers, as a good baklava should be. The wife makes their rice pudding in house as well. Very subtly sweetened and it contains rose water. Not bad by any means, but it not sweet by any means. If you have a sweet tooth, you’ll want to stick to the baklava to end your meal.
All in all, a great place, especially given the location. As I mentioned to the owner, my best hope is that their level of quality continues as they are in business. He assured me that they have a 15 year lease and do not wish to go anywhere.
Based on what I’ve seen in the three visits I’ve had, I can’t see them doing anything but being successful. They’re definitely one of our go-​to places now when we are looking for a place to eat!