iblock9 wrote:We carried out again tonite from Mizrahi Grill. The food delicious. I had a chance to ask the owner about the Shawarma and he said it was a lamb/turkey mix.

Unfortunately, the place was absolutely slaughtered and they could not keep up with the crowd. Orders were taking well over an hour and sometimes longer. Those people eating in the restaurant, lots of families, were clearly getting impatient. I hope they are able to sort out the problems getting the food into patrons hands because a meal that should have taken 5 minutes to prepare (one shawarma kabob, one felafel and a hummus to go) took well over an hour. Good luck Mizrahi Grill, ill probably stay away on sunday nights, which look to be there busiest, for the time being in the hopes they can get their act together.

iblock9, we stopped by on Sunday night and had a very similar experience. We ordered two sandwiches and two other things for takeout and it took us about hour to get them. Everyone we talked to was friendly and we liked the food, but the wait was long.

How was the wait when you went for dinner yesterday?

I am also wondering if anyone knows if they make pita in-house or if they buy them somewhere. I really liked those fluffy pitas.

eggplant wrote:How was the wait when you went for dinner yesterday?

5 Minutes...When I asked about Sunday night they told me it was Mother's Day and they were completely unprepared for the crowds

I had lunch there today. I arrived at 11:10 and was the second customer, and got the first slices off the new schwarma cone. I asked the guy to make it the way he liked it, but spicy, and he put in the eggplant, slaw, and israeli salad, as well as a fairly bland hot pepper concoction. Overall I thought it was very good, though not spicy enough. Next time I will have more spice and less eggplant. The meat, both lamb and turkey were very moist and tender, with the right amount of crispness. I agree with Ronnie about the acidity in a lot of the condiments, but the slaw had a nice vinegary tang. I had a cabbage/israeli salad combo on the side, and I added some of the slaw to the schwarma. I asked about business, and he told me that things were smoothing out, but early on they kept getting slammed.
One interesting note was that after I started eating, 2 of the employees got into an argument about whether it was appropriate to have a picture of a Rabbi on the wall behind the counter. One said that customers had been complaining about it.

-Will

I have to add my voice to the cheers for Mizrahi Grill - it is excellent - My personal favorit is I think called Mam's Grill - it is excellent - a home made sausage of corts - excellent! The shwarma and mixed grill are also very good - I have stuck with the sandwiches but am wanting to try the grilled items - definitely woth the trip.

EvA wrote:

ronnie_suburban wrote:IDF Eggplant Salad, which consists mainly of fried, chilled eggplant, was tasty but again, I found it a bit and lacking in acidity.

IDF as in Israeli Defense Forces

Affirmed.

Cathy2 wrote:

EvA wrote:

ronnie_suburban wrote:IDF Eggplant Salad, which consists mainly of fried, chilled eggplant, was tasty but again, I found it a bit and lacking in acidity.

IDF as in Israeli Defense Forces

Affirmed.

Thanks for inquiring, Cathy2! I wonder whether the dish is one particularly associated with the IDF in Israel or if it's just a patriotic gesture on the owners' part to give it that name. Now I will have to get up to Highland Park one of these days to try it.

EvA

Thanks for inquiring, Cathy2! I wonder whether the dish is one particularly associated with the IDF in Israel or if it's just a patriotic gesture on the owners' part to give it that name. Now I will have to get up to Highland Park one of these days to try it.

EvA[/quote]
I don't think it has anything to do with the IDF - it is a very common eggplant salad in israel, and while it is served in the army, it is also served everywhere else.

globetrotter wrote:

EvA wrote:Thanks for inquiring, Cathy2! I wonder whether the dish is one particularly associated with the IDF in Israel or if it's just a patriotic gesture on the owners' part to give it that name. Now I will have to get up to Highland Park one of these days to try it.

EvA

I don't think it has anything to do with the IDF - it is a very common eggplant salad in israel, and while it is served in the army, it is also served everywhere else.

I simply asked them what the IDF of IDF Eggplant meant. Seemingly reluctant they advised it was Israel Defense Force. When I asked a follow up query, "Was this a typical offering in the military?" I got a very unclear answer. Over time this will be made clear.

Yesterday, my friend Helen tried their Yemenite chicken soup with a curry undertone she liked very much.



We ordered sandwiches on their pita that is made on the premises, though they get the Laffa from an outside vendor. I ordered the falafel sandwich, which they began by smearing hummos inside followed by filling with falafel, then Jerusalem salad, cabbage and IDF eggplant. I really enjoy the mixture of vegetable salads. Once you get to the bottom of you sandwich, then all you have is hummos. I intend next time to them add vegetables first, followed by falafel and more vegetables. I really liked how they crowned the sandwich with a final falafel.



Helen had the Schawarma pita.



Both pita sandwiches were inserted into plastic triangular packets open at the top to contain the contents, we were assured came straight from Israel. Can anyone translate the Hebrew?



I used to go to Pita Inn, which has disappointed me over the last few years. While Mizrahi Grill is a pricier, it is a better product.

Regards,

Cathy2 wrote:

globetrotter wrote:

EvA wrote:Thanks for inquiring, Can anyone translate the Hebrew?

Regards,

Artistic wording at top says the equivalent of Bon Apitite / Thanks

Underneath says Thanks and (roughly translated) Till we see you again, or till next time...

We carried out lunch again today from Mizrahi and I enjoyed it more than I did the first time. This time, we arrived closer to noon than 11:30 and while the place was busier (half-full), the line was moving pretty decently.

I thought the hummus was significantly improved over the last time. It had a nice bite to it and a measured acidity that seemed to be absent last time. I tried the split pea soup, which is vegetarian and really tasty, in spite of that. This is normally a soup that lacks when not started with some rendered, smokey meat or amplified via the use of chicken stock. But the rendition I had today was enjoyable.

Instead of a sammich, I opted for an entree this time around and tried the Mom's Favorite Kabobs, which were similar to kefta kabobs I've had at other places. I'm not sure if they were 100% lamb or a lamb and beef blend but they were tasty, herbacious and aromatic with cumin, a note which chimed nicely in the aftertaste. They were a bit dry but we did carry out, so perhaps they would have been juicier if we'd eaten in the restaurant. I still like Al-Khaymeih's supremely juicey version better but these, I thought, were better than Pita Inn's version.

Entrees come with 2 sides and a salad. I chose rice and grilled vegetables as my sides and cabbage salad as my salad. None of the 3 really wowed me flavor-wise but the freshness and quality were obvious. The rice was fluffy, the veggies were fresh and the cabbage salad, which could have been mistaken for under-dressed cole slaw, was crunchy.

By coincidence, we'd had Pita Inn for lunch on Friday and a few leftover items remained in our fridge. For sake of comparison (and fun), we did a few side by sides and this is what I thought...

Hummus . . . like Pita Inn's slightly better. PI's texture was smoother and MG's had some very small, hard grains in it, which could be attributed to a number of things (perhaps skins, or slight under-reconstituting of the chickpeas). Babaganoush . . . PI's is firmer, a bit more salty and less smokey. It also contains more parsley. Mizrahi's baba is creamier, has a looser consistency and is a bit smokier. I'd call this item a draw. Hot and tahina sauces from Pita Inn are greatly preferable to me. PI's hot sauce has a much more rounded flavor and is more of a sauce than a paste. MG's version seems to be not much more than some mashed up chiles that deliver some heat but not much other flavor beyond that. PI's tahina is a bit more acidic and it is also more sauce-like. MG's version is almost like a cream or a paste and tends to be too thick for my taste.

In any event, I'm glad I returned to Mizrahi Grill because I did enjoy trip #2 more than trip #1. Lunch wasn't cheap, however. One entree, 3 sandwiches, 2 soups and 2 extra salads added up to $74. Still, the quality is there, the flavors are bold and distinctive. I still prefer Pita Inn but Mizrahi Grill certainly has its virtues.

=R=

Most of the posts in this thread seem to be about carry-out.... How is Mizrahi for dine-in?

It sounds like you order at the counter. Is the food then brought to your table, or do you pick it up yourself (ala Pita Inn)?

I'm going to be up that way next week and was thinking of giving it a try. Although the last time I was by there, I had a taste for eggs with chicken livers and ended up at Max's Deli. I am certainly not an expert on delis, but I thought the food at Max's was pretty good. Put me near a bowl of those dill pickles and I'm a happy camper! I also picked up a few things at their deli to take home, which were also good. Not what the people at Mizrahi want to hear, I'm afraid.

tarte tatin wrote:It sounds like you order at the counter. Is the food then brought to your table

Yes.

I am now completely addicted to their falafel sandwiches. That and the IDF salad is the way to go, IMO.

tarte tatin wrote:I'm going to be up that way next week and was thinking of giving it a try. Although the last time I was by there, I had a taste for eggs with chicken livers and ended up at Max's Deli. I am certainly not an expert on delis, but I thought the food at Max's was pretty good. Put me near a bowl of those dill pickles and I'm a happy camper! I also picked up a few things at their deli to take home, which were also good. Not what the people at Mizrahi want to hear, I'm afraid.

Hi,

I was wondering how a Kosher Israeli-style fastfood joint was going to fair within less than a stone's throw of a Jewish-American deli. Effectively there is no overlap in the menus. The Orthodox Kosher-observant Jew would find Max's effectively non-Kosher environment unacceptable. Fortunately Mizrahi Grill is Kosher with food that is really well prepared and fits a nitch market very well.

If one orders the falafel pita sandwich ($6) and a pop (rather expensive canned soda at $1.50), then the price for lunch is not unreasonable. Their salad side dishes at $6 with a four-choice combo at $10 is expensive. I get my fill of salads by having them stuff my pita until it wants to burst. If you take that approach, then it is a reasonable lunch.

Regards,

Cathy2 wrote:

tarte tatin wrote:I also picked up a few things at their deli to take home, which were also good. Not what the people at Mizrahi want to hear, I'm afraid.

I was wondering how a Kosher Israeli-style fastfood joint was going to fair within less than a stone's throw of a Jewish-American deli. Effectively there is no overlap in the menus. The Orthodox Kosher-observant Jew would find Max's effectively non-Kosher environment unacceptable. Fortunately Mizrahi Grill is Kosher with food that is really well prepared and fits a nitch market very well.

I agree with Cathy on this. Not only does Mizrahi's rabbinical supervision open the door to serving more observant Jews, there's really no overlap on the menus, other than soups.

I also agree that one can get an inexpensive lunch at Mizrahi Grill -- and even the more expensive choices are reasonably good values, given the quality offered. However, we normally pay about $50 at Pita Inn for the same amount of food that $74 bought us Monday at Mizrahi Grill and I do think that Pita Inn is tastier. But other than in a very general way, I'm not sure it's appropriate to compare the places (even though I did so upthread), because the styles are pretty disparate.

=R=

ronnie_suburban wrote:

Cathy2 wrote:

tarte tatin wrote:I also picked up a few things at their deli to take home, which were also good. Not what the people at Mizrahi want to hear, I'm afraid.

I was wondering how a Kosher Israeli-style fastfood joint was going to fair within less than a stone's throw of a Jewish-American deli. Effectively there is no overlap in the menus. The Orthodox Kosher-observant Jew would find Max's effectively non-Kosher environment unacceptable. Fortunately Mizrahi Grill is Kosher with food that is really well prepared and fits a nitch market very well.

I agree with Cathy on this. Not only does Mizrahi's rabbinical supervision open the door to serving more observant Jews, there's really no overlap on the menus, other than soups.

Oops! Sorry if it sounded like I was trying to compare the menus at the Kosher Mizrahi and the non-Kosher Max's.... I just meant that standing in the parking lot in front of both places while deciding where to eat, we chose Max's--and were very pleased with our choice.... while the people at Mizrahi might have preferred the decision to go the other way.

Took my son and mother to Mizrahi Thurs night. My mom was just back from Israel and was craving a falafel with french fries and cabbage salad. Luckily we now have a place nearby to satisfy this type of jones.

I noticed that the laffa bread was a lot thicker and less spongy then in the past, not really to my liking. The owner said that he has been unhappy with the laffa purveyor as they are inconsistent with their product. The excellent pita (and i mean excellent israeli-style pita) is made in house. I will be sticking with pita and foregoing the laffa until i get the high sign from my friend behind the counter. Otherwise, Mizrahi is starting to hit their stride and seem to be much better able to handle the crowds.

I stopped in and had the schwarma everything spicy. It was very good. I had the regular pita since they were out of laffa. Even the regular pita was very good. However, my schwarma was $8 not $6 that someone else posted. In fact the prices on just about every item was $8. I thought that price was steep considering places like the pita house it is a bit cheaper and you get no sides. If you get it as an entree it is $16 and includes 2 sides and a salad. Also, seems a bit steep for me. So even though I thought the food was excellent I think it is overpriced.

Tried it for the first time the other day. We brought the kids with us. I was actually a little disappointed that they had a kid's menu with "standard" kid's items -- chicken fingers, hot dog, hamburger etc. It made talking our kids into trying something new a little more difficult.

The service was very friendly. It was just before the lunch rush, so I was able to take my time and ask questions. We ended up ordering a plain schwarma for the kids, a dressed schwarma for me (tahini, hummos, Jerusalem salad), a falafel sandwich for my husband, pea soup, and an appetizer combo platter. The sandwiches were all good. The meat was a little dry on the plain sandwich, but we couldn't convince the kids to try any sauces. The pea soup was eaten by my daughter. I never knew she liked it. The appetizer combo was good. The hot, fresh falafel was wonderful.

Lunch for the four of us was a little pricey; $42 and change. I don't think I'd go back with my kids for a while, but for my husband and me it was nice. The food was fresh and hot and very filling.

We do live closer to Pita Inn, and that is still my choice for carry-out. It's also quite a bit less for more food. Typically, dinner for the four of is is closer to $30. And all of the meals come with rice.

FYI, any kosher restaurant will have higher-then-average prices than an equivalent non-kosher place, especially for kosher meat. This comes from a combination of food costs (kosher meat is much more expensive than non-kosher) and kosher certification costs.

But back to this place - we loved it. I am DEE-lighted to have a kosher meat restaurant close by that is reasonably priced and serves very fresh tasty food. There are only so many Ken-burgers I can handle.

I love this place...I go here 3 times a week for lunch...I need to try some other items though, because the only things I've ever had was the beef shwarma sandwich and the shwarma entree...

Mikeveli wrote:I love this place...I go here 3 times a week for lunch...I need to try some other items though, because the only things I've ever had was the beef shwarma sandwich and the shwarma entree...

I was told that the shawarma at Mizrahi, which is made in-house, is actually a combination of lamb and turkey. Do they also serve beef shawarma?

=R=

ronnie_suburban wrote:

Mikeveli wrote:I love this place...I go here 3 times a week for lunch...I need to try some other items though, because the only things I've ever had was the beef shwarma sandwich and the shwarma entree...

I was told that the shawarma at Mizrahi, which is made in-house, is actually a combination of lamb and turkey. Do they also serve beef shawarma?

=R=

Actually now that I think about it, I'm pretty sure it's not beef.

Mikeveli wrote:

ronnie_suburban wrote:

Mikeveli wrote:I love this place...I go here 3 times a week for lunch...I need to try some other items though, because the only things I've ever had was the beef shwarma sandwich and the shwarma entree...

I was told that the shawarma at Mizrahi, which is made in-house, is actually a combination of lamb and turkey. Do they also serve beef shawarma?

=R=

Actually now that I think about it, I'm pretty sure it's not beef.

I think I'm having lunch here tomorrow. If so, I will try to remember to ask.

=R=

When I asked I was told the schwarma was a turkey/lamb mix.

We continue to enjoy Mizrahi on a fairly regular basis. It is a go to takeout spot for us.

iblock9 wrote:When I asked I was told the schwarma was a turkey/lamb mix.

That was what I was told a while back and I posted it upthread some time ago. I did have lunch here today but, of course, I forgot to ask again about this. I think, though, that we have this fairly well covered. In any case, here's a shot of the menu board . . .


Menu Board

I really enjoyed my lunch today. Now, after a few visits, I know what to expect and I was very happy with my choices. I ordered the shawarma sandwich on laffa and it was, again, very tasty. Today, though, unlike on my previous visits, the meat was moist and juicy . . .


Shawarma sandwich on laffa, spicy

My wife ordered the Mom's Special Kabob sandwich, which was delicious and perfectly cooked. Again, the meat was flavorful and really moist. This was a show-stopper . . .


Mom's Special Kabob sandwich on laffa, spicy

Another person in our party ordered the falafel sandwich, super spicy. It was very tasty with and the falafels had a more uneven exterior than I'm used to, along with an exceptionally beautiful, light texture . . .


Falafel sandwich, super spicy

Another person ordered a 'deconstructed' falafel sandwich. As it turns out, she has a gluten intorerlance and the crew was happy to serve her the sandwich, minus the bread, on a plate . . .


Falafel sandwich on a plate



Falafel ball interior

As I predicted a few weeks ago, about an hour before lunch, I was beginning to crave this food and when I finally tore into it, it really scratched the itch. I love the quality here and the care that was put into the food today was nothing short of exceptional. I'm really glad Mizrahi Grill is open and I look forward to returning on a regular basis.

=R=

Interestingly enough, I also had lunch here today. I must have just missed you, Ronnie. I really enjoyed the falafel sandwich. The actual falafel was not as heavily herbed as I'm used to, but it was crunchy good, if a bit bland. The blandness was more than made up for by the hot sauce and all of the veggie accouterments. I still prefer the special falafel sandwich at GNR Winner Semiramis by a lot. It is more or less in the same add-some-veggies-for-texture-and-crunch school, but I'd certainly not hesitate to visit Mizrahi Grill again if I'm in the area. Next time, I'm going to try the schnitzel. I'm assuming it's turkey schnitzel like you would find in Israel.

LTH,

Cathy, Ronnie_S and I had the pleasure of being on the engaging Marge Howard's Highland Park Cable Access talk show, subject Barbecue, followed by lunch at Mizrahi Grill. I enjoyed the cable chat, Marge Howard is a treat, and found lunch enjoyable across the board.

While Mizrahi's physical space is utilitarian it is large, bright and spotlessly clean and to a man employees were outgoing, friendly and efficient.



Approximately 1/2 of restaurant, rest is seating



Falafel has crisp outer, moist inner and it was fun picking from the numerous options included add-ons, including multiple spicy options and french fries. Hot peppers were especially good, juicy with a nice clean bite, though bitter notes in the eggplant, one of my many add-ons, distracted from the overall sandwich.

Falafel Sandwich



I liked the shawarma, moist with a light note of spice, and the kebab on the Mom's Special had light char enhancing the meaty flavor. Though I am of the opinion the Mom's Special is a bit of a Mizrahi Grill double entendre as the way it's served emphasises the phallic aspect.

Mom's Special



I would be a regular, or at least semi regular, at Mizrahi Grill if not for the fact, in particular with Edens construction, it's well over an hour driving in each direction.

Enjoy,
Gary

Vital Information wrote:But the fries, how are the fries. I want my Israeli places to also have excelllent, non-frozen potato, fries. The verdict?

Anyways, I am anxious to try this place.

Yes how are the fries?

Well, funny you should ask. Yesterday, I had a late lunch here. A slight miscommunication* with the staff resulted in no fries on my shwarma sandwich. Doing what any sane person would do in the situation, I went and ordered a side of fries.

Fries may, at least could, be the sole reason for visiting Mizrahi. Really some of the best in the area. Fresh cut in an array of zigs and zags, resulting in the excuse everyone like me with poor knife skills likes to say, textural contrast. Here it is a key feature as the variety of tastes from Wiv crisp to fuller fluff helped make the dish. The other thing that made these fries wonderous was its fresh fried to order-ness. It is really worth it to get an order of fries when dining at Mizrahi.

*In my dual appearances at this place, I've twice struggled with my ordering. It seems that when they say "everything" they do not really mean everything. I want as many of those salads and pickles as I see, but the choices seem to come to a halt before they finish the line.

Hi,

The first time I went to Mizrahi, there was a guy who had them stuff salads on the bottom followed by falafel and more salad. When it was my time to order, I told them I didn't want it spicy and fill it as they usually would. They smear hummos on the interior, arranged the falafel, then added the salad and topped with a falafel. My problem was once you ate through the falafel, all you had was bread and hummos.

I now stand over the guy allowing them to smear the hummos, followed by salad, falafel, more salad, a squeeze of tahini and falafel on top. I pick out the salads, which I choose mostly: eggplant, cabbage, the Jerusalem salad. I noticed they have most, if not all salads, mirrored on both sides of the work space to allow them to have two people loading sandwiches. The comment I keep hearing from the sandwich assembler, "Your sandwich is going to burst from so much salad." I don't really care because the pita goes into the plastic sleeve that picks up the fall out.

Were you with Marge yesterday?

Regards,

Cathy2 wrote:Hi,

Were you with Marge yesterday?

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