Magic Skewers Restaurant

best ever!!! been going there since over a decade and a half… never had anything like it… been to other middle eastern restaurants all over los angeles county and «magic skewers» is truly one of a kind, a diamond in the rough… took my soon to be wife there on our first date 5 years ago, she loves it so much she wants «magic skewers» to cater our wedding party… everybody i have brought there loved it and they continue to bring their friends and family aswell…
but… its sad to see that «magic skewers» is now closed… amir, is the owners name… he is a very good man… he became a good friend to me and my family… i wish i was able to see him before he closed his doors… thank you amir for your expertise… hope all works out for you and your family… thank you again…

The windows and doors are boarded up! Guess they are closed for business!!!
still sells coupons for here so buyers beware.

I don’t understand the 4 – 5 star reviews. I think they are paid off. The food and service were horrible. Will never go here again. I don’t understand how this place stays in business.

Awesome food. Had the chicken and lamb skewers! If you’re eating with 2, get the deal: it’s cheaper. Comes with awesome mushroom and shrimp, the rice is awesome too. The owner is super cool and gave us a coupon for buy 1 get 1 free worth 7 uses. Plus, when we asked for a Togo box, h e brought it filled with hot food from the grill for free!
Super #1!

First off, the food here is delicious.
I called before going to the restaurant to make sure the owner is honoring the groupon for 4. He advised me that he is accepting it, but we must order 2 of the meal for 2. (Which I was fine with, because that is what I wanted to order anyway)
So we ordered 2 of those meals for 2 ($ 54.95×2) and ordered a bottle of wine.
All in all, we had a good night. The owner was very nice and attentive.
I would definitely go back if I had another deal. I think without a deal, it’s a tad pricey.
I do understand that small business owners need to stay afloat. And the owner tries very hard to run his business.

I went here because of the Groupon special my sister had the Chicken and myself I picked the Steak was actually pretty good it was tender and flavorful. However the rice was a bit dull it could use some work.
Our server David did a pretty good job taking care of us. Amir the owner was pretty cool gave some good suggestions as well. Another knock on the place was the interior it could really use some improvements and the lighting of the restaurant as well, I frankly wouldn’t mind paying for what they charge if the atmosphere was a bit nicer but for the price so that was another star deduction right there. I can totally understand many of the mixed reviews here it’s either you love or hate the place.

I actually haven’t eaten here, but I did make an attempt to eat here. I value good service and will always let managers know when I get good service, but when the owner of the restaurant answers the phone and tells you to F off because you have a
coupon, it’s just appalling. Literally, the restaurant owner answered the phone, told me how great his food was, and then told me «my mom is an asshole,» because I let him know I had a
gift certificate. I assume that he doesn’t make much money off of those certificates, based on his reaction. But if it is his restaurant, why wouldn’t he just cancel the certificates on their website.
Worst owner ever. Not only told me to F off but told me my mom is an asshole. Who is this person? The next soup natzi?

Amir, the owner/​chef/​server, seems like a really nice guy who cares about his business. I wish I hadn’t gone in there with a book I really wanted to finish; next time I’ll engage him in more chatter, especially about his OJ book. The menu isn’t real extensive but it doesn’t need to be. I got the (mild) chicken curry and it was very, very good. It’s not Indian, Thai or Japanese curry; it’s just brown and delicious! Maybe next time I’ll try it spicy. The rice is yellow and yummy too.
Note: I’m pretty sure he’s closed from 3 — 5 every day.

Interesting place… I can see why the reviews are mixed… I’ve never seen a restaurant with such a variety of good and bad reviews.
We went there tonight… and I liked it. Group On deal tonight… My wife was not a big fan of the place…
The food was good… if you like a strong flavored meat dish… and I do… needed the rice for sure because it was packed with flavor. We got the steak kabob and the chicken curry. Both good.
The owner is super cool and nice… he suggested I get the steak tonight and not the pork… he said that the pork was not up to par tonight…
Service? Not so great… I agree with the other reviews on this one.
Go there if you like this type of food…
One more thing… the tables are flimsy… kinda funny… they were about to fall over… the owner needs to fix his tables !

Disclaimer: I’m extremely bitter about this place.
Guys, everyone who’s been putting up 5 stars is padding the place. To whoever that’s padding the place: Stop, all of you are some of the worst bullshitters ever.
This was probably my worst experience at a restaurant. This is coming from a son of a father who owned a restaurant, and a nephew of a woman who’s successfully running hers. I’ve done it all, so I’m extremely patient when it comes to mom-​and-​pop businesses, but this… this was horrid.
Like mentioned before, there’s one person who’s running the joint. It’s the owner, and he’s quite the character.
I can describe about how mediocre/​poor the food was, or how the Groupon for this place is worthless, or how the place had signs claiming that it was «Open», only to have the owner give us crap for coming during closed hours.
Instead, I’m going to talk about how not only did this owner force an 18% tip upon my parents and I, but when my father contested, the owner asked how his credit is. Really, my dude? You spend almost an hour cooking our meals, forgetting our silverware, telling us that you’re out of most of your menu, and you’re going to disrespect my fam like that?
Terrible place, the owner constantly tells customers about how he’s closing his business, blaming it on «big business». No. Your place is whack as hell, your chicken is subpar, your shrimp tastes frozen, and I pray to God somebody helps you on your steak. How’s your credit?

It really is Magic! I honestly believe they make this food with love. You are just not going to find better food anywhere! I have been eating at Magic Skewer for nearly 18 years now. It’s still the same delicious food as it was the first time I tried it. I no longer live close by but I still drive for over 30 minutes to go pick up my order.
If you are looking for great food in the Southbay and want to try something different give them a call. So maybe the restaurant isn’t exactly fine dining but I will take great food over pretty tables any day! Oh and be prepared to be full! The portions are very generous! God bless Amir Pourtemour and his family who always treat us like family when we visit.

Came here for lunch every week during my internship in Manhattan Beach over summer.
Amir (the owner) was extremely friendly and we always had great conversations over heaping portions of their steak kabobs, rice and mushrooms. All the food I had was delicious, fresh and satisfying. After coming in a few times he even started to give me some discounts on my meals.
While the food might not be the cheapest around, I always left magic skewers more than satisfied with my experience, especially given the large portion sizes. Order the steak kabob with mushrooms. You will not be disappointed!

The kabobs really were amazing, however the accompaniments and prices (If you don’t have a coupon) leave something to be desired.
The gentleman serving us was friendly and helpful, and had good recommendations for us as first time guests.
Despite being in a dense area, they have a small (mostly full) lot in the back, and there does seem to be street parking. The restaurant was clean, but the tables and other fixtures looked pretty rickety.
Overall, if you want amazing kabobs, but you might think about a to-​go order

I dined at Magic Skewers a few days ago despite having read the reviews for this restaurant. I did not go to this restaurant for elegant dining but, rather, for good food and that’s exactly what my guest and I received.
The owner (Amir Pourtemour) and staff treated us like valuable customers. The food had an excellent presentation and great flavor. I look forward to going there again.

I wanted to give this a 4-​star and I feel like I’m being too generous giving this place 2 stars… shall I begin?
I bought a Groupon for this place but before I did, I checked on Unilocal to see a 4-​star rating for this place.
So I bought the Groupon and decided to bring my mom, dad, brother, and his girlfriend here. The place was nice and cozy. We kind of just waited by the door for awhile. We saw other people sitting at the booths already. One lady peered out her booth and said «I guess you can sit anywhere» Which raised some eye-​brows, but we took a booth as well.
After some short conversations at our table, we realized no one had came to ask us if we needed anything to drink. Someone at another booth had to get up and yell into the kitchen to ask for more soda. At that point a small guy came out and gave him a soda. We all looked at each other and decided it was time to leave.
We’ve never done that. Service being so slow and crummy that 5 of us gets up to walk out of an establishment? We took our business elsewhere.
Fast forward several months later to the day before my Groupon is meant to expire… I get here and there’s a short line. Every ten minutes I inch my way closer to the front. I finally just see one guy and their cook taking orders, delivering food, cleaning up, etc. Basically, the worst case scenario for being short-​staffed.
Finally the guy in a tie comes and apologizes for the wait and that there will be another 30 – 40 minute wait time and that he’d honor any Groupon after the expiration date. Sooo… of course I leave and decided to come back later.
Fast forward one week later. I get here with my ex-​gf on Sunday around 6 PM. The place is empty. There’s a big loud friendly guy running this place now. He immediately helps us, grabs us drinks, etc.
He goes on to say that he is quitting. He’s the owner, and he liked how his business was running. Then his sons became involved. He didn’t wanna say it, but they basically shit all over their dads business.
I have a feeling that this place, like many others, are amazing cause of word of mouth: Enter his sons. Tech-​savvy and decide to exponentially grow business and sell several hundred Groupons to increase profit. The problem? Too much demand, not enough supply.
I think they ended up selling all 1,000 Groupons which must have put a strain on everyone working here.
The father went on to say that yes, he made money, but it made another employee quit and pushed him to the brink.
The food was great, we got the dinner special for two which came out to about $ 58 with drinks. Unfortunately, as we finished our meal, we felt like the food was over-​priced. We should’ve only paid ½ of that, $ 10-​$ 15 less… at the most.
So there you have it, folks. Maybe some of you that stuck with my story now understand why I gave 2-​stars. 3 visits and only once did I actually eat here?
Come on, now.

The owner is such a sweetheart! He kept attending us at our table, and even showed me this book he wrote about the OJ Simpson trial LOL. i didn’t know what to say to that… was he trying to sell it to me?
I came here with a groupon, but at the end of our meal he still gave me the discount but told me to keep it, to use another day! I’m pretty sure it was a marketing technique to just get us back there, but i still thought it was a nice gesture nonetheless :)
we ordered the «Best of Magic Skewers,» a special for two. we got the beef and chicken kabob, and it came with two order of Magic Mushrooms (not the fun-​loving kinds) and shrimp in special sauce
the rice was slightly flavored, and came with a side of salad (the italian dressing was in a little glass vial on the table)
Beef: tender and marinaded just perfectly
Chicken: more tender than i’ve had in a kabob-​form, soo delicious!
Shrimp: not overcooked, sauce was not too salty
Mushrooms: not bad, still pretty good
One reason i’d come back here is because the service is superb! Prices are kind of overpriced, but that’s what i usually expect with mediterranean. Plus, i still have two more groupons to put to use!

Magic skewer has the BEST FOOD and SERVICE! Amir, the owner is engaging, funny, and makes the overall dining experience that much more pleasurable.
We ordered the steak kabob and boy was it tender and juicy. Melted in my mouth. Listen, if your not going to this place you’re missing out. This place is the best!
Thank you Amir for the good food and laughs. I’ll be telling everyone about this place.

Weird place.
4 stars? He must have reviewers on payroll. lol
I was thinking about getting a Groupon for this place so friends and I tried it for lunch, one of my friends lives nearby so he knew where it was and shared he never sees anyone in there! Sure enough when the 3 of us get there just 2 other people are there.
Menu seems kinda pricey but what the heck we’ll give it a go, a friendly guy bring us menus and all seems good… Til I try to order the pork loin skewer… I guess this guy was the cook, he smiles at me while shaking off my order, «Okay, I’ll have the chicken.», «Good choice sir, and have the mushrooms.» I share that I don’t want mushrooms but he insists, «You’ll love them!». Fine. All of us got upcharged $ 2 for these mushrooms.
Our plates come out in good time and all looks good, one of my friends offers me a sample of steak (they both ordered steak skewers) and I slip them both samples of chicken and we all agree the chicken is good. There is a lettuce and carrot salad with dressing at the table to add, I like that it came in a dish so as not to be mixed with the hot food, there is also a wedge of tomato.
I think our bill was close to $ 70 if not more, whew! And I understand that the place is cash only, good thing we all had cash. My friend went to pay and he came back chuckling, he said how well can you trust a guy who pulls out a wad of cash from his pocket? Apparently the register is in pieces.
Not getting the Groupon, probably won’t come back, I give it 2 stars for the chicken for sure. I guess if you like walking into a place and say feed me go here.

So the boyfriend and I dined here last night after I picked him up from LAX. It was Friday night and parking was easy and located behind the restaurant. It’s located on the corner where there’s like only a few other business. Once we walked in there were two other parties were seated. We were greeted instantly by I think the owner. Really nice guy and I appreciated that.
We decided to go for the dinner for two special which included 2 kabobs, 2 orders of mushrooms, and 14 shrimp. I had the steak and the boyfriend had the lamb. Each of our kabobs came with a salad, rice with the shrimp on top, pita bread, roasted tomato, and onion. And I guess mushrooms to share?
Salad was simple, but the pieces were huge. Rice was really good and the sauce from the shrimp was flavorful. Pita bread was a little hard for my taste. I wish there was more roasted tomato instead of one slice and that the onion was roasted (it was really just raw).Sad to say I didn’t really like my steak. The steak was a little tough for me. BUT I did like his. The lamb was just really flavorful and moist. The mushrooms had a little too much oil for me. But the boyfriend did like it. Also the iced tea is pretty good too.
I do like this place because the lamb was good. Even with the GROUPON now deal it came out to $ 45 with tip. Which is okay. I’d probably be more okay with it if the steak was cooked properly.
Overall we’ll probably come back the next time the boyfriend comes back from a business trip. We have a BOGO card… but I think I’ll go for the safe choice and get the lamb. Hmm but I am curious about the chicken… I guess we’ll see.
Also it as stated from other Unilocalers… BRING CASH.