UPDATE *****Now Closed for Business

Zabari Mediterranean Grill is a casual order at the counter restaurant. Zabari M.G. offers an Israeli Spin on Mediterranean Food and is also certified Glatt Kosher. That’s means kosher plus no diseased animals are used. This restaurant has been on my list for a long time and I just wasn’t sure about trying it out…With maybe a good reason…after-all I’ve dined at the AMAZING multi award winning Zahav Restaurant in Philadelphia (modern Israeli Style Restaurant)….By multi James Beard Award winning Chef Michael Solomonov (also 2017 James Beard outstanding Chef Award). I kept thinking this little restaurant can’t compare…..but after reading a glowing review by the Phoenix New Times I changed my mind and I’m glad I did because it’s pretty downright special!

We decided to order two entrees. A falafel platter and a Meat Sampler Platter that they call the Zabari Mix (Grilled Chicken, Chicken Shawarma, Kabob, Beef Shish Kabob. Each platter also comes with THREE SIDES and they give us pickled mango sauce, really HOT green shrug sauce, FORKING HOT Red shrug sauce, tahini sauce and fresh baked pita bread.

ALL THIS FOOD IS TWO ENTREES!

 

Rice, Chickpea Falafels, Matbucha (tomato & pepper salad), seasoned carrots, Israeli Salad, Eggplant, Babaganush and Hummus.

Zabari Mix – Grilled Chicken, Chicken Shawarma (chicken thighs with zesty spices, broiled on a vertical skewer), ground beef kabob, marinated and flame broiled tri tip Kabob, rice and pita breads.

WOW! It’s a whole table of food!  where do I start?

I start with the Falafel.

It’s a super fluffy crunchy and also flavorful falafel. Very very good indeed. It also seems grease free…I like that very much. Babaganush is very creamy with lots of eggplant that’s almost sweet. Very little smoke to it. Hummus is creamy. The Eggplant salad is very tasty….it has nice flavors to it.

Moving on to more vegetables…..

The Israeli Salad is fresh and light with crunchy cucumber and tomato. The Carrots are very tasty. I know I taste a little cumin…whatever they did it’s very delicious. BUT THE TOMATO PEPPER Salad called MATBUCHA is Forking YUMMO! WOW they should sell it in all the supermarkets. I have to attempt to recreate this one….It’s so delicious…The tomatoes are concentrated, I taste a delicious roasted red pepper kind of taste but I also get some spicy pepper….but not too spicy.

Now to the meats…..

Grilled white meat chicken is nicely seasoned. Some pieces are very tender and a few are not.  The Grilled chicken taste extra great with the pickled mango sauce. Ground beef kabob is moist and tasty, Tri Tip Shish Kabob has more flavor than the Ground Beef Kabob. The CHICKEN SHAWARMA is the way to go! It has crispy caramelized ends and is full of juice and flavors. It outshines the other meats by leaps and bounds. I think it’s the FORKING BEST CHICKEN SHAWARMA I EVER HAD ANYWHERE!

The Chef’s son was working the counter on our visit. He was very kind and helpful explaining the food to us. He also offered us some tasting samples and also served us our platters and checked on us too.

All the food was good but the Falafels, Chicken Shawarma, Matbucha, Eggplant, Carrots and nifty sauces will make us come back for more!

P.S. Portions were very large. We had plenty of leftovers to bring home.

Zabari Mediterranean Grill is Worth a Fork!

www.ZabariGrill.com

The Forking Truth is that EVERYTHING is subject to change and your experience may or may not differ.