The Grape Leaf

We had grape leaves, lamb stew with couscous, vegetarian moussaka with greens, salmon, and the lamb chop. All the sides are amazing. Delicious flavors, excellent quality, good size portions. I do frequent this restaurant often and would recommend the food. They have an outdoor patio that I’m excited to visit in the summer. The interior needs some love. If that ever gets updated It would be a huge bonus.

Great food and reasonable pricing. The hummus was excellent. We also had the gyro and briani, both very good. We went late and food/​service was really good and fresh.

I love Mediterranean food and whenever I’m in Louisville I have to eat it from at least one place during a visit. We placed an order over the phone for pick up. We ordered 2 chicken gyros and were pleasantly surprised to each get 2 sides with the meal. We also ordered hummus as an appetizer.
There was SO much food. For $ 26 I was shocked by the ginormous side serving of rice, a huge gyro with plenty tsaziki sauce, and my «side» salad. The salad was so big that I saved it for lunch today. Overall everything was hit and fresh. I have no complaints about flavor. I feel like the chicken breast in the gyro wasn’t 100% fresh but I ate the entire thing regardless. We were really happy with the meal.

The Grape Leaf has grown up. (I on the other hand, have gotten old AF.)
Instead of a divey vibe, the restaurant is more upscale casual. Everything from the menu to the décor is more polished and the space is much larger.
Thankfully one thing that hasn’t changed is the deliciousness of the food. The Hummus continues to rock and although the Veggie Samosas are now shaped like little egg rolls instead of triangles, they tasted great especially when dunked in the mustard sauce ($ 8 /​$ 12.25). The lamb burger got a thumbs up from J ($ 12).
Unsurprisingly, prices have gone up over the years. Instead of having two sides included with your meal (rice & salad), dishes now include one side and $ 2 for any additional sides. The balsamic dressing on the Greek Salad was flavorful and the Lentil Soup continues to be a favorite.
Well, at least one of us is aging gracefully!

Exceptional Mediterranean food! We started with hummus, delicious! Fresh and had a small amount of mild heat pepper as a relish. Nice kick, we had the warm pita with it. My wife had a Greek salad, and vegetarian samosas. The salad was great, cranberries and lots of fresh veg and tons of feta. The samosas were crisp and hot. I had gyro with feta and tomato only. Diced tomato was. Nice touch, the meat was not cutoff the cone but still tasty. Service was fast and friendly. We will be back!

Yum! Another of Louisville’s very rare taste treats.
Out for a Sunday stroll on The Avenue (ugh, what a pretentious marketing idea), we happened upon the Grape Leaf at the intersection of hunger and need for rest. We found authentic Mediterranean delights. The menu was delightfully deep! Not just the 31 flavors of hummus often passed off as Mediterranean (or Greek) food.
We were seated outside. The vines climbing on the wrought iron fencing provided the perfect buffer against traffic on The Avenue (sheesh). This a comfortable, welcoming place with perfect amenities: lightly decorated, music tuned to encourage conversation, perfect-​touch service and deeply satisfying food.
We ordered two appetizers:
— Crushed Avocado — Avocado chunks, garlic, onion, and tomato served with tortilla chips (but we chose pita instead). So refreshing. I will try to duplicate this at home but Iml expecting failure.
— Mezza Sampler — Your choice of three from a list including hummus, baba ghanouge, grape leaves, avocado dip, fava bean dip, and spanakopita. We had baba ghanouge, grape leaves, and spanakopita. All but the grape leaves were sprinkled with ground sumac. You can over-​do this spice but The Grape Leaf held back on it to perfection. Wow. A side of tzatziki was served with the grape leaves — I admit to solo consumption. It’s really just yogurt but this is a yogurt you’d die for!
Our server was very polite and efficient. But … too shy. I wish she had been more confident in her knowledge of the menu so as to strongly suggest selections for us. Who knows what we missed.
We’ll go back for dinner.

Love!!! I have been eating here for at least 15 years whenever I have a chance and have never had a bad experience. Great salads, falafel, humus, samosas. In fact I’ve had most menu items and loved them all. Also awesome tea. The patio seating is always quiet and relaxing on a nice day. I know how to cook so I can be picky and these guys have never let me down.

The Grape Leaf was recommended to me, and when my closest girlfriend came into town, we decided to check it out. We split the Mezza Sampler (hummus, baba ghanouge, spanakopita) and the Lamb Burger with house fries. We couldn’t get enough of the hummus and baba ghanouge, and still managed to have room to devour our burger. Asking them to add feta cheese to the burger was an incredible, last minute decision. We most definitely cleared our plates, and plan to return in the future.

Sunday I had lunch with my friends at this wonderful place. Two of us shared our meals so we could have a taste of more then just a little and I’m glad we did. We had the fatoush salad which was the best I’ve had in a long time. It was fresh, light and minty. The only thing missing on it was the Sumac which is commonly found on fatoush, but it was awesome! The falfel was crispy on the outside and nutty flavorful on the inside, again the best. The spiced Cous Cous with vegetables was delicious. We had so much food I had to have a to go box for home. The samlpe dish I got came with spanakotpita, very flavorful, not to cheesy, not to salty, just right. I will most definitely go back and soon.

Exceptional food here! I tried the Grape Leaf for the first time last week, and I was incredibly satisfied. I came with my sister, as she highly recommended the place, and we sat outside on the patio.
The food here was flavorful. Each entrée comes with two sides, which is such a good deal (my meal was only $ 10.25). I got the samosas with a side of pearl cous cous with vegetables and house fries. I was overwhelmingly pleased with every component of my meal. The samosas had a delectable taste with a tiny bit of spice and the cous cous was appetizing as well. The house fries were divine — think a higher-​end version of Rally’s fries. My sister got the falafel sandwich. lets just say, I had to utilize extreme self-​control to not completely engulf her entire sandwich when she offered me a bite.
Overall I was really pleased with my experience at the Grape Leaf. The only con I could note was the inside of the restaurant. Although we ate outside, we briefly walked through the interior of the restaurant which seemed a bit sad.

I have been coming to The Grape Leaf for quite some time. My last visit was very disappointing. The hummus is still delicious thank goodness and was my favorite part of the meal. My Greek salad was not good. They used to serve it with fresh fruit (melon, watermelon, pineapple) and a yummy vinaigrette dressing. This time I had one (yes one) piece of fruit which was a grape and it came with balsamic vinaigrette dressing (Greek salads come with Greek dressing. It’s common sense). My mom’s salad had NO fruit. What in the world!!! Our waitress assured us it was the same salad but we knew better. She explained the lack of fruit was because the restaurant was trying to cut costs. It’s funny how the price was still the same. The gyro was acceptable but nothing special and the tzatziki sauce tasted a bit off. What a shame. This restaurant used to be so so good.
Another reason I’m only giving The Grape Leaf two stars is because as we were finishing up our dinner one of the waitresses dropped a glass in between the patio and the doorway leading to the sidewalk. I would say 20 more minutes went by in between us paying our bill and leaving. The broken glass was still there! After 20 stinking minutes. That was an accident waiting to happen. Cleaning up the glass should have been top priority.
Also on a side note. They no longer have the BYOB option which was so awesome! They also don’t have a liquor license so if you want a glass of wine or a beer with dinner you’re out of luck!
I miss Zaytun so much! It was my favorite and a definite go-​to. Since I won’t be back to The Grape Leaf it looks like I’m going to have to find a new Mediterranean place to enjoy.

I am a Grape Leaf fan. My mom’s family is Lebanese, so I grew up eating lots of Mediterranean food. While at times I feel that the food could be a little more flavorful, it is still really good. The hummus appetizer is a must for every visit! The Gyro, Kofta plate, Greek salad, avocado wrap, lentil soup, pomegranate balsamic chicken, and chicken sumac are all great! I was left wanting more flavor where their green beans and saffron cauliflower basmati rice were concerned (both are sides). The service can be hit or miss as far as awkwardness goes… The last time we went our waiter acted very nervous and awkward, but I chocked it up to him most likely being new, and I’ve had one other awkward-​waiter experience. I still love the Grape Leaf, their food is quite good, just not as good as my grandma’s or mom’s of course!

I always get excited at the thought of having Mediterranean food. Grape Leaf is in my neighborhood, they have lots of vegetarian options, and it is so convenient.
However, my excitement is usually tamed by the food. It’s ok. It’s not great. My favorite thing is the avocado wrap. It always a good mix of flavors. The sides you get with it are good for what they are. They don’t necessarily feel they go with all the flavors, but it works, I guess. I like going to Grape Leaf if I’m with a group. If I’m on my own, I’ll head somewhere else for Mediterranean food.

I visited this restaurant last Saturday and was very disappointed. They use to have the BEST Greek salad in Louisville w/​real Greek dressing. My salad this time came with field greens and balsamic vinaigrette but was labeled a greek salad. It did have feta cheese and a few kalamata olives but that does not make a greek salad. They also said they serve fruit that is in season, my daughter received 1 grape in her salad and I had none. When we left, there was still a broken glass at the exit door that was dropped approx 20 min prior to leaving. I won’t be back. It’s too bad…

This was my 3^rd visit to The Grape Leaf and I think things have just gone downhill. A friend and I went for lunch and ordered sandwiches with a Greek salad, and beverage. Bill was $ 25 before tip. Salad came out the same time as sandwich. And my gyro sandwich was the thin strips of lamb/​beef you get in frozen food aisle (not off the spit). Seriously? Doubt I will be back. Which is a bummer because I love Greek/​Mediterranean food.

This chicken kabob was delicious tender and moist. Hummus was prepared and scrumptiously amazing. Love the grape leaves and spinach pastry!

One of my favorite things about The Grape Leaf is that the don’t serve alcohol so you can BYOB! We always bring our own bottle of wine and the server just hands us the opener and glasses and we are all set. It saves a lot of money bringing your own. I highly suggest stopping by The Wine Rack just down the street on Frankfort Ave and having them suggest a bottle that pairs well with your dinner.
I like to start with the hummus and pita bread or the baba ghanouge– which is pureed egg plant– So tasty! With an entrée you get to choose between the house or Greek salad– I picked the house and it was delicious. My husband had the Greek and it was also very good. They are very similiar. The only real difference I noticed was the dressing and nuts. For the main dish I had pomegranate balsamic chicken with garlic, onion, mushroom, extra virgin olive oil, and tzatziki on top of saffron cauliflower basmati rice. Tender, flavorful chicken and the rice was spot on. My husband had the lamb gyro and he must have loved it because I didn’t even get a bite.
Our server was polite and attentive and the atmosphere quiet and relaxing. They do have a really nice outdoor space for the warmer months. We will be back soon!

The food was pretty delicious. My friend and I shared the appetizer sampler and I really enjoyed the baba ganoush. I had the scramble for my meal. It was quite a bit of food and very tasty. Service was pretty good too.
The one problem was there were stinkbugs that kept showing up around the table… napkins were cloth so I didn’t particularly feel like squishing them with the cloth napkins were good… not disposable enough.
I am lukewarm about my visit. The bugs were a real… ech!

If you like Mediterranean flavors, check this place out. If not… Eh. I love Mediterranean so I enjoyed the avocado dip with fresh peppers on top served with warm pita. I also had the balsamic chicken, served with a spicy mustard and pita. My boyfriend however is not a fan of the flavors. He ordered the house salad with smoked salmon, and didn’t like the herb balsamic dressing or the seasoned pita and hummus on the side. I gladly took the hummus off his hands and I thought it was delicious!
Service can be slow, it’s right down the street from my office and I had a hard time keeping the lunch at an hour.

The Grape Leaf has a very loyal local following, and I welcome the opportunity to dine at one of its tables.
But the meals haven’t lived up to the hype for me, though I’m hoping upcoming visits to this restaurant will change my mind for the better.
On my recent visits, I’ve found the food not as flavorful as I would hope a Mediterranean meal would be.
I got the chicken shawarma sandwich most recently, and the best way to describe it was meh. I’ve definitely had better, including at Safier’s and Yafa Café downtown.
Don’t get me wrong, the sandwich was OK, but maybe the tahini wasn’t bitter or nutty enough. Or the chicken was bland. It’s hard to put my finger on it, but the sandwich didn’t impress.
But I really want to like Grape Leaf. I would love to change my review.