Raffi’s Catering and Banquet

Downgrading from a long standing 5 stars to 2. FIVE STARS! I hope you are reading this Raffi’s!
In short, Raffi’s undertook a build-​out of their space, the portions got smaller and the food less good. I hope it was an off night because I used to Iove this place had them cater events, and went there because it was a reliably good meal of filet mignon kebab, or lule kebab, flavorful smoky baba ghanoush, it just goes on.
Even the most basic dish – falafel had been acceptable, but now I’d avoid it: small, bland like something you’d get from a quick serve food court. My good ol’ vegetarian combo now are just desultory blobs of food on the place with big spaces in between. A few shreds of lettuce passed for a salad and I ate the tabbouli in like two bites.
I won’t complain about the service. It’s the same goofy kid in tennis shoes with glasses, the sole staff on the floor. We always forgave the wait and weird dynamic of the place because the food was soooooooo good. No longer. Sorry Raffi’s. Please come back.

Great Mediterranean food! Nice place to have a party. The banquet room has recently been remodeled.

Raffi always takes care of us. Whenever we have a party we get catering from Raffi’s. The food is always delicious. The steak kebabs melt your mouth. The appetizers are also very good! We love it!

Love Raffi’s! Great Mediterranean food and high quality meats! They are very friendly and always come through for us!

The chicken kebab here is really moist and tasty. Perhaps the best in pasadena. The hummus is really good as well. The food is great but ambiance isn’t up to par. I wouldn’t eat there and probably only order to go.

Come to Raffi’s for the food. Pure and simple. Everything here tastes fresh. I have enjoyed their beef kebabs, chicken kebabs, fallafel, salads… I have not had one bad thing here.
I often call ahead for pickup. The dining room is split between a dining area and banquet room. The dining room décor is sparse, and feels very much an after thought. The banquet room can get loud with birthday parties and other festivities. But I like that rowdy atmosphere. The restaurant gave me a piece of birthday cake form the banquet room once, and I felt part of the celebration.
The food alone would get 5 stars. But if they continue to evolve and invest in the space, my overall rating would improve as well.

Love love love Raffi’s chicken kebabs. Marinated and grilled to perfection. Like to keep on hand for deliciously healthy, quick and easy protein snack.

Yeah, it’s good. I have had on several occasions.

Review based on banquet food only, not take out:
I’ve been here twice. It’s simple Middle Eastern food and it’s excellent here.
Chicken and beef kabobs are moist and flavorful. The rice and salad are tasty too. The baklava is great because it’s not drenched in honey and is just sweet enough, not over the top gooey.
The banquet area is undergoing a makeover, and already it looks a lot brighter. The service is great too.
If I happen to be back in the area, I would stop by again.

Great food and good fast service my new favorite. Thanks to my dentist who endorsed this place.

Great food and amazing banquet hall.

I’ll keep this short, great food very bad customer service.
The lady who takes in the phone orders should not be answering the calls

The best middle eastern food in town! Don’t be fooled by the sparsely decorated restaurant. I’ve used their catering services several times and I’ve always been impressed by how timely they are. Their portions are generous. The food is authentic and very flavorful!

I am between a 2.5 and 3 for Raffi’s, so I will round it up. Maybe I’m just not down with Persian food, but I seem to recall a place I went to in Beverly Hills many moons ago that was Persian and very, very good. I remember exotic, warm, spicys, fluffy bread, flavorful rice with cherries, amazing sweet tea…
This food was just kind of boring. I mean, the hummus and eggplant appetizer were good, but then the white creamy stuff was like plain sour cream, do you just eat it like that? and what’s with the basil, raw onion and radish? Do you just eat the raw onion? Not a good breath option for sure, and not appetizing to me in the least.
We had the saffron rice, meh, a meat stew dish with greens, maybe lamb? And the kebabs, chicken, grilled vegetables, and beef. There was also a sausage-​y thing that was pretty tasty, but nothing really wowed us. It all rather tasted similar and nothing was super delicious or crave-​worthy.
Maybe I should try another place? Or different dishes? Suggestions welcome!

Based off of a birthday party they catered for family last night the food was pretty impressive grilled on the spot and not pre-​warmed.
Not sure about pricing details or anything like that. Reviews based on food quality and freshness. A+
Employees worked pretty hard too.
Good food.

Good to go food made to order, sometimes takes a while but it’s freshly made.
Their main business is catering but also have an area used for catered affairs where you can sit if it’s not being used.

I threw a surprise birthday for my friend this past weekend and called and ordered food for 15 people! The lady I spoke to on the phone was just so sweet. She made sure I knew what was coming with my order, which included 3 meats, rice, hummus, tabbouleh, and pickles. They are generous with their portions and we even had left overs for the next day! The beef kabob and chicken kabob was delicious! I will definitely be ordering from her for any future parties from now on! Thank you!

This place is a little scary when you 1^st drive up, old strip mall, stuck in the 70 ‘s kinda place. But the taste of the food was amazing! Great variety, portions, & prices! Staff was super friendly & welcoming! My new favorite Mediterranean fix!

I’m not gonna lie, I’d give Raffi’s just one star for ambiance. But for food and service… 6 stars if they let me!
Best lamb kabob ever! The lule kabob is really nicely seasoned. Combo appetizer for two is enough to have as a meal and the ingredients were very fresh. Service was friendly and attentive. The prices are great too.
But maybe I’ll just carry out next time…

Looks kinda shady coming in to a sparse, bare restaurant w just six tables but don’t let it deter you from trying out their foods. I had the vegetarian plate which included dolmas, tabbouleh, baba ganoush, hummus, n falafel. Soo good… evident by the clean plate afterward.
We also got the falafel wrap, lamb plate and tongue sandwich: thumbs up from everybody.