Sam’s Mediterranean Kabob Room

I hope this place did not close
I used to be a regular and always liked the food especially the shawerma
That guy (Sams son) Wesam makes one heck of a gyro !
There mom is very nice and Sam is a great guy too I hope the high rent in the neighborhood didn’t ruin a good thing
The food and service was very good

Not bad. We came here for lunch so that I could have a vegetarian option. The place was empty when we arrived and we weren’t sure whether to stay or not. We had to call the owner, Sam, to take our orders. He was waiting our table. After reviewing th menu we decided to give it a try.
I ordered the falafel plate and my boyfriend ordered the chicken schwarma (however it’s spelled) sandwich, and the zucchini frites with yogurt sauce for an appetizer. The appetizer came first and didn’t look exactly appealing. There were 4 large fried balls with the yogurt sauce and some garnish. The yogurt sauce was really good and I wished there was more. The zucchini balls were really good. I think the were made up of shredded zucchini with herbs and Greek yogurt. They were tangy and delicious.
Out entrees came soon after. Both beautifully prepared. I wish that I would’ve taken a photo! We could tell that both dishes were freshly prepared with fresh veggies. The humus on my falafel plate wasn’t the greatest… I actually make better humus. But the rice and falafel were delicious. My boyfriend’s chicken thing was really good too.
We didn’t realize til after we ordered that the place had been on Kitchen Nightmares. Despite this, we were really pleased with the quality of the food and will definitely be back.

Had the Buffet. I’ll just say this, there were flies landing on the food. The servers know about it too, witnessed by the server using a towel to fan them away from the food. The fruits at the buffet are not in any cooling device to maintain temperature, and no covers to keep the flies off the food. The meat choices were dry. the food was just overall a poor quality and unappetizing knowing that there were flies all over them.
Ramsay tried to fix this place, but laziness got the best of them.

This was my second time here. I came here before the Hell’s Kitchen visit, so this was my first time back. I’ll admit I wasn’t as impressed as I had hoped, but it was definitely better than the last time I was there.
They fixed up the décor and it’s much brighter and more open than before. They also have a buffet, which is kind of nice if you’re not sure what you want to order. The service was pretty attentive and overall very friendly. We were seated right away and got our drinks in a few minutes.
The buffet was full of the food options, but I was surprised that they did not have feta cheese in the salad options… I think that’s a pretty standard topping for greek food. It was also very warm in the restaurant and there were several flies buzzing around– luckily not on the food.
I probably wouldn’t come here too often, but it was very convenient on a Friday night while the Farmer’s Market was going on and all the restaurants in the area had a 45 + minute wait.

This was my first time at the restaurant since 2006. The décor is bright and modern, a drastic departure from the previous aesthetic. I ordered a gyro, and substituted rice for the standard fries. It was delivered swiftly and accurately.
The gyros meat was seasoned to perfection. It was a bit dry and crispy, but it was late and slow tonight, so I can only assume that the cuts I received had been rotating on the kebab for a while. The rice was very tasty. I will definitely be back, earlier in the evening next time.

fan of kabobs? wanna throw a party? want to eat somewhere roomy? sam’s mediterranean is the answer. sam’s mediterranean is semi famous as well. This place has been modified by Gordon Ramsay. Proof: go to the counter. there’s a picture of the owners and Mr. Ramsay himself. show: kitchen nightmares.
Cute décor. Pretty good service. No customers. Pretty dead for cinco de mayo. there’s tables and there’s benches.
Ordered:
*Shrimp Kabob [$ 13.99 for the combo] shrimp was peeled so thank goodness for that.
*Beef Kebob-​[$ 13.99]. overly cooked. a little on the burnt and chewy side.
*Rice, humus, and salad came with the combos. the rice tasted pretty good. it was better than the kabobs itself. friends really liked the dressing that was on the salad.
*lamb kabob [$ 13.99] was also just okay.
tips:
*cash and credit card accepted
*indoor and outdoor seating
*one TV
*tables and benches.
*huge water mugs.
*separated restrooms for males/​females
*simple and limited menu selections.
*street parking and parking lots within walking distance.
overall, portion size is small. especially since my bf and i don’t eat humus, pita, and salad. our friends thought the humus was good! the kabobs needed extra flavor and needs to be less burnt. the prices seemed a bit on the pricer side. service was good especially since we were the only ones there. my friends recommend lori’s which is only like a block down. they said the kabobs there taste better.

Since I’m in Old Towne, Monrovia a LOT… I really wanted to like the transformation of Sam’s post-​Kitchen Nightmares. Before, I kind of liked the funkiness of the atmosphere and the food was pretty good and on the inexpensive side.
I had a hankerin’ for a falafel sandwich so, after work, ordered one to go with a side of hummus and tabouli. It was around 8:00PM and the waitress looked like she wanted to be anywhere but the restaurant. She was aloof, to say the least, and it could have been interpreted as slightly rude. No matter… I’m just getting the food to go.
I was shocked when the food arrived and the bill was $ 22.00! Wow… REALLY expensive for what I got. The falafel sandwich was VERY dry and nearly tasteless. Very disappointing. It was served on a bed of, I guess, some kind of ringed (round) french fries that were badly undercooked and inedible. So the sandwich was a waste and I ended up tossing most of it. The hummus and tabouli were good but the pita bread that came along with it was slightly stale.
All in all, a very disappointing experience. Hard to believe that this would be considered an improvement.

So I was watching Kitchen Nightmares this past Friday and this was the place that was… well for lack of better words featured. Now I love watching food shows especially ones with Gordon Ramsay on it, but sometimes I find it unfulfilling because the featured places are usually away far from me. So when I saw this place was close I jumped at the opportunity to try it out and see the transformation with my own eyes.
The décor of this place was cozy, though I wasn’t as impressed as I was watching the show… I guess that’s the magic of television. Never the less it was surreal to be in an environment that I had only a few hours ago saw on my big screen. The owners and family which are the waiters were friendly and there were not arguing with each other which is good to see. I often wonder if these places actually change after getting a make over. Im happy to see that at least this one has.
Getting to the food. Who would miss an opportunity to taste something that Gordon Ramsay had once prepared and showed the cooks how to do? Not this guy. I had to try the lamb and chicken kabob. Both were very tender and flavorful and did not disappoint. We also got the gyro which was pretty tasty, but I dont think it was the best I have ever had. The plating was pleasing as well which was picture perfect from what I had seen the night before.
Over all it seems like this place as taken a turn for the better and I hope it continues its trend upwards. The only reason I give this place 4 stars is because the waitress gave my friend rice instead of the couscous and they were out of rice pudding at 1 pm in the afternoon.

I am IMPRESSED. A few friends and I had planned to have a late lunch at another Mediterranean restaurant in the area but when we arrived there they were closed (despite their Unilocal profile saying they were open. FAIL for them. But NOT for Sam’s) Luckily Sam’s was in walking distance and I was craving hummus.
We walked in and the first thing I noticed was IT WAS HUGE (yes, that is what she said.) Seriously it’s an amazing space. Second thing I noticed was… they have beer on tap! My mind started working overtime planning a mixer there but I figured I better try the food first.
It’s been pretty annoying eating out this past month as I have some dietary restrictions that make it really hard to find items to eat. I explained my restrictions to the waitress and she and the guy behind the counter (presumably the chef) told me some items that would work AND (even better) he said he would happily make me any of the items on the menu I wanted special to suit my needs if I asked! Are you kidding me??? Already I felt loved and cared for.
I ordered hummus and baba ganoush without bread (no gluten for this girl) and when the waitress brought it out, not only was it all delicious (especially that hummus. Mmmmmm) but she brought out a huge plate of chopped veggies for us to dip in it. I wasn’t expecting it at all and hadn’t asked for it but it was so amazing. There were carrot sticks, bell pepper strips, and cucumbers to dip. It was just what the doctor ordered. I also had the lamb kabob. This came with hummus as well and a choice of rice pilaf or mediterranean couscous. Neither of those choices worked so she substituted them for a salad dressed in olive oil and lemon. It was all very tasty.
I am all about good service and Sam’s had it in spades. Before I left I spoke to the owner to inquire about doing a mixer there for our local networking group and he was super accommodating, told me he would close off half of the restaurant for us and even offered to throw in some complimentary appetizers for our group. I will definitely be planning that event there.
And as a side note, I hear they were just featured on «Kitchen Nightmares» — I believe the episode even airs tonight. I have no clue what it was like before Chef Ramsey whipped them into shape but I can assure you that I have no complaints with the «after» show restaurant. I can’t wait to go back.

I got the chance to try this place during the last day of Kitchen Nightmares filming. It was the «Big Reveal» Day, so I have no idea how this place was before the revamp. However, reading the reviews and hearing from friends it wasn’t that great. I’d heard through word of mouth that the food wasn’t good and the inside was dingy.
Dingy it was NOT last night. The updated restaurant is bright and colorful. Sorry no pictures available because we weren’t allowed cell phones inside.
The food was okay, but I wish we got more food for the price I paid. And I guess I would have if they’d gotten the dish correctly. I ordered a Flank Steak Gyro which was to have steak, peppers, hummus, feta cheese, and some greens. It did have the meat and greens, but that’s about it. I understand, it’s a new menu and I’m sure the cook was nervous so he probably wasn’t getting everything right.
The red pepper hummus was okay, but I liked the regular hummus better. I recommend the regular hummus.
I ordered a Hef beer which I was expecting at the very most a $ 4.50 charge for (imported; domestics are $ 3.50). But I was charged $ 4.95. Not much extra, but I felt tricked.
They don’t itemize their bills/​receipts so be prepared for a bill with a bunch of items listed as «Dept. 01» and then the charge following. You’ll have a heck of a time trying to figure out if you’re being over/​under/​appropriately charged. Took us about 10 minutes to realize we were vastly overcharged, but they did fix it as soon as it was brought to their attention.
Be fair, give the place a try especially if you’ve been there before.
I hope they get their act together a bit more once it’s opened on a regular schedule. And I’d suggest updating the menus so things are accurate, and having a valid receipt/​form of charging so it’s not confusing.

Why 3 stars? Customer service is so-​so.
Food = 3.5 (with the potential of being 4) stars
Came here on the last day of filming, after Kitchen Nightmares redid the place and menu. It was quite an interesting experience, for obvious reasons and because the staff was a bit confused. Perhaps it was the nervousness of being under pressure and filming.
The meal itself was okay, but we felt kind of pricey for what we got. We ordered Kabob plates ($ 12), which came with one skewer of 5 pieces of meat with red peppers and onions. Along side the meat came a spoonful of couscous with cherry tomatoes and hummus. The hummus was delicious, and so were the cherry tomatoes. Just not worth $ 12.
Also ordered the red pepper hummus appetizer which was pretty good, and a nice appetizer to share ($ 5).
Another person in the party ordered the marinated flank steak gyro ($ 9), which according the menu was supposed to have hummus, red pepper, and feta cheese inside. It wasn’t until we were nearly done with the gyro that we realized the cheese, peppers, and hummus were left out. The waitress rectified this by bringing up a platter of hummus, peppers, and cheese. Which was actually all good by itself (maybe they should add it as an appetizer). The fries accompanying the gyro were good.
We ordered some beers, asked the waitress what kind of beers they had. She said she’d get us the drink menu which said «All domestic beer $ 3.50» and «All imported beer $ 4.50.» When asked what kind of beer they had she didn’t know. So we blurted out a common beer and received a nice large glass of it.
We waited 45 minutes for our bill, and when it came it showed we owed $ 100.00. Then we noticed we were charged for 8 beers rather than the 4 beers our party of 4 ordered. AND the beers were priced at $ 4.95 (which wasn’t anywhere on the menu, the prices I quoted earlier). So that was a little disappointing. The took the 4 extra beers of the bill, and it came out to just a little over $ 76 for four of us to eat, drink, and enjoy an appetizer.
I’d recommend trying the place out, but maybe wait a week or two until the staff gets used to the new changes.

The Kabob Room is located in Old Town Monrovia.
We decided to stop in one day and tried the falafel plate and chicken kabobs. Their hummus is delicious! It’s thick and full of flavor! Falafels were crispy, hot, and fluffy inside. The chicken was flavorful and moist as well.
We’ve eaten here twice and also tried their gyro. However, the beef kabob was dry compared to the chicken kabob.
Service both times was fast & friendly (re-​fills on drinks and even refilled our pita basket). You can tell a family runs the place. The interior & décor however could use some updating. A bit dark & very outdated inside.

I’ve lived in the area for decades and yet never tried this place until I saw it on Chef’s Ramsey’s show. It was Sunday March 3. The place was empty at lunch time, but got more foot traffic as we finished. Ordered the kabob combos (chicken and beef) with hummus, couscous, and pita bread. The chicken was flavorful and the beef was nice and juicy. LOVED rolling the meat with veggies and hummus into the pita. It was nice to eat in an environment where we can actually hear eachother’s conversation, unlike so many restaurants these days where the TV and/​or music is SO loud! I wonder if they cater??? We will definately be back! Great job guys! KEEP SMILING SAM!!!
PS: What’s with the numbers on every table???