Stop. Take a moment, and let me paint you a picture of this: Lamb Shank. What is it?Why its the joint in the leg of the lamb. Peasant food really, one of the cheapest meals on the menu. But in the hands of the Mediterranean Grill OH. MY. GOD. Think of your mother's best pot roast, then add real mint (not the crappy neon green mint jelly we Americans put on our lamb), a delicious thin sauce that if you refrigerate it firms up like only the best broth does, and a squeeze of lemon juice that elevates the thing and literally makes the plate glow in glorious splendor. You do not know food this good. I do not know food this good (I blackout from the overwhelmingly delicious flavor of the thing). There's enough meat there to get a heavenly second meal out of the next day if you somehow manage to put down the fork before devouring it all. You need this lamb shank. You want to go there now, to sit in the tiny hole in the wall of a place with the copper topped tables. Don't bother with anything else on the menu, I've never had anything that would compare before I found this dish. I will never eat anything else now that I've found it. Go find the lamb shank, and know ecstasy for a brief while. Happy eating.
(5)
Twana C.
From the time we got there until the time we left the atmosphere in this place is not happy. Everyone seem as if they could have been somewhere else. The food was tasteless and plain. At the time of the visit there was about 20 patrons in the place about 4 inside and the remainder on the patio. The servers were very uncaring if you were there or not. When our drink glasses were empty no refills were brought or offered. Actually, once our food was served we had no other visit to our table. If the food could have made up for the glum surrounding I would have rated this as 2-stars but 1-star is my way of being nice.
(1)
Kevin C.
I've seen some pretty lame bad reviews for this place like a lady getting pissed about a lipstick stain and upset about an apology. Maybe she just wanted a free meal. I'm from San Diego California and Mediterranean food is everywhere there. There's good places and bad places there, but I know Mediterranean food and this place was amazing. Their pita bread is amazing, their hummus is amazing, their grape leaves are amazing and their deserts are amazing. Service was great and the atmosphere was great too. I don't have one bad thing to say about this place. I'll definitely be going back here and I would suggest it to anyone I met.
(5)
Richard J.
Had the Beef Gyro, the steak was tender and the pita bread was fresh and tasty. The service is always good here. The servers are knowledgable and friendly. I would recommend this restaurant to everyone.
(5)
Jill E.
Everything tonight was wonderful. As fresh as could be -- elevated home cooking, lovely service, a delicious bottle of wine. One of the rare restaurants that does a good job with vegetables, it's a reliable favorite for our family.
(5)
Carol F.
Gyros didn't come with shaved lamb. Filled with chunks of meat that was said to be lamb but had no flavor. Waitress meant well but other than that I was very disappointed and will not return or suggest this place to anyone.
(1)
Blake H.
This place is absolutely amazing in every way possible. From extremely friendly service, to the appetizers, dips, entrees, and even desserts. This restaurant is smaller and in my belief, very underrated. My favorite menu items are the tiroslata, gyro, gyro salad, and the shish kabobs. Portions are definitely shareable and prices are on point. I've honestly never had a single bad experience and each server is unique in their own way. Whenever I come to Frederick, I always want to stop by. It is also an awesome place to eat lunch by yourself or with the family.
(5)
Dana R.
The appetizer was awesome which was the Athens sampler. However, my husband and I ordered two different kabobs and they were both extremely tasteless. The wait staff was friendly and helpful.
(4)
Emily L.
When your Syrian-born friend recommends a Middle Eastern restaurant as authentic, you pay attention. And I'm so glad I let him steer me to this place! [Side note: truly, "steer" is an accurate description, considering how buried it is in the middle of a shopping center. Tip: park near the movie theaters, stand at the door and walk straight ahead, then a little to the right. You'll see it right in front of you. There is, however, no way to see it from the street.] The atmosphere inside is surprising, given the strip-mall exterior: copper-sheathed tables, artsy photographs of sun-soaked villas and picturesque coastlines, and a pleasantly muted soundtrack (Spanish guitar, followed by Greek pop.) It's delightfully sophisticated, but casual enough that you're not too intimidated to enter in jeans. The food was absolutely delightful. First we had fattoush salad, which was full of fresh vegetables, crispy pita and a wonderful lemony vinaigrette. We tried both the vegetarian and traditional kibbeh, and though I love the cinnamon-spiced ground beef, the spinach-and-walnut version was really amazing too: perfectly fried with not a bit of greasiness, just a crispy exterior and steamy, tender filling. The sambousek were also delicious, even though pastries are not usually high on my list of preferences -- the shell was very thin and the filling perfectly seasoned, both vegetarian and meat versions. Tzatziki was thick, creamy and perfect as a dip for their pita, which they brought in abundance. The only missteps: the spicy kifta meatballs were not quite as spicy as I would have liked, and seemed a little tough; the dolmades were dry and pretty bland. With all the other amazing things to eat, however, we easily forgave those small problems. As you can probably tell, it seems to be a requirement of my Middle Eastern friends to order way too much food, and this meal was no exception. We took home two very full boxes and my husband ate leftovers for dinner, and then I finished the rest for lunch the next day. And actually, they only got better with time and refrigeration. Service was a little slow, but very friendly, and they get points for being extremely accommodating to my friend who is on a very restrictive diet (no salt, no sugar, limited carbs.) Next time I return (and I am sure there will be a next time!) I would love to try one of their entrees. With their authenticity and attention to detail, I'm sure the shwarma and swordfish would be noteworthy as well.
(4)
Erika S.
Great customer service , and the food is delicious. My favorite dish is the chicken tandoori and for appetizer the fatayer with cheese.
(5)
Samantha L.
It was just ok. My husband had the lamb shawarma and he was not too thrilled with the meat. I had the Zahlah platter. The tabouleh was very good. I also enjoyed the hummus. But the rest was just meh. Was very disappointed in the falafel and the meat sambousek. Very little flavor. The service was again ok. Unfortunately my stomach has been bothering me the entire afternoon after eating there so something just didn't sit well.
(3)
Patrick D.
Stay away from this place. Food is gross, tiny portions for high price, service is despicable. I tried to give this place another try today because my family was in the mood for some kabobs and we used GrubHub to order since we didn't want to go though the hassle of loading up the van and driving in. Giving MG another chance was a horrible $100 mistake. First of all, I use GrubHub often and have had minimal issues with other restaurants I've ordered from. This is the second time having similar issues with MG, this time was much worse than before. 30 minutes after the promised delivery window, I called into the restaurant to ask when I should expect the food to be delivered. I was rudely asked for my name before being put on hold. Once the lady came back on the phone, she sassily told me that it would be delivered in less than 10 minutes and promptly hung up before I had a chance to say anything. Food didn't arrive for another 17 minutes. I wouldn't be as annoyed if the food was still warm when it came but it was cold, tough, and soggy. Obviously it was sitting around for a long time before I got it. On top of the temperature and consistency, the food was tasteless and overall gross. Because of the rude treatment I received when I called the restaurant, I decided to go to GrubHub's website to complain. GrubHub called the restaurant to voice my concerns and they refused to do anything to mend the situation. GrubHub, being the upstanding company they are, offered me an apology and gave some promotional cash to use towards my next order through them. They also recommended that I leave a review of MG. Here it is - gross food, small expensive portions, and lowly service. I cannot stress enough how far you should stay away from this dingy kitchen.
(1)
Leilani R.
I used to frequent this place often. Even though management/staff shortage/changes, the food is just as delicious. Not sure if under new management since I was last here but the service was better. More waiter/waitresses. Due to past experiences I expected a long wait time for both service and food. This time the service was prompt and the food came about the time I expected. We waited about 15-20 minutes but I have no complaints. Even in the past when I wasn't in a rush to get anywhere, I didn't mind. You know why? THE FOOD IS DELICIOUS! This time around I ordered the shawarma with spicy chicken (which is a new addition since the last time I was there...spicy chicken meat) and he had the chicken souvlaki. We both had the side of basmati. rice with vermicelli. Let me say that we cleaned our plates. I recommend. Come here for a meal before or date a movie! If coming before, do allot some extra time. The food is worth it.
(4)
Mavis T.
We always love their food but today, I found there's a lipstick stain on my glass! It's not mine cuz I didn't use a lipstick today. That's so gross! I told the waitress and she said they're really sorry. And That's All! Just one apology. Nothing more. Really disappointed and again that's so gross!
(1)
Nick M.
The food was pretty good. My wife had a lentil soup and a mezze (dip) sampler of hummus, baba ganouj, and taziki. I had a "Turkish meat pizza" which resembled four gravy boats made of bread filled with mestizo sauce. All of it was really tasty. The service, however, was underwhelming. The interactions were fine, but for an uncrowded restaurant on a drizzly Monday we seemed to have to wait longer than was necessary. Perhaps they were understaffed on a holiday? We will go back for more of the delicious pickings from the menu and hopefully better service.
(3)
Roberta M.
The falafel is wonderful as well as the gyros and salads. Veggie paninie is the best. Quick service and they also have a children's menu.
(5)
Beata K.
Very average medeterriean food. The vegetarian sampler was pretty good although I wasn't a huge fan of the hummus, the taziki, falafel, etc. we're good. For an entree I got the chicken shwarma which was definitely not shwarma; it looked like fried eggs and was nowhere near what it should taste like. We also got the kefta which wasn't bad and the basmati rice was pretty good.
(3)
Sondra K.
My husband and I eat here all the time. Its the best main stream Mediterranean food in Frederick that you can get. The prices are pretty reasonable, portions are good, and the staff is friendly. It doesn't have that real authentic feel, but it's definitely worth a try. You won't be disappointed.
(4)
Keith W.
If you have a lot of time to kill, this is your place. Service is exceptionally slow, which would have been tolerable if my gyro was above average.
(2)
Thomas V.
Perfect before or after the movies. Can do samplers of Messe or soups. Good selections of wines. Friendly staff who can help on selections.
(4)
Paul M.
The food was good good, BUT the service was the slowest I ever went to any restaurant! Only one waitress for the entire restaurant while the other waitress just 'hung out' in the bar being 'lazy'. For example, soup should be served first before the salad, but never brought and forgot to bring to our table. Waitresses need more training with on time of pacing.
(3)
Laith H.
Hands down the best Lebanese food in the Frederick area. The food is fresh and delicious. There salads are great and you can add a protein to any of them. There mezze (appetizer) samplers are an excellent way to try out the menu. The fresh baked pita bread and tizaki (cucumber dip) are a personal favorite. This restaurant is not a chain and is family owned. Service may vary as the waitstaff tends to be young but this has never been a major issue in my experience. Beer and wine is sold.
(5)
Michele H.
One of our favorite restaurants in Frederick. Loved the Spicy Brochette appetizer. The lamb chops with pesto was amazing. Topped it off with Tiramisu and a Snickers Martini. Will definitely come back!
(5)
Kendall D.
I came to the restaurant during a weekday lunch. The restaurant was quiet and not busy. The waiters were friendly and attentive. The Greek salad was disappointment. I never had a Greek salad where the salad dressing was just merely olive oil drizzled on top. The gyro was good (the shaved lamb melted in your mouth) but the pita was subpar (too soft and chewy). It was fairly priced for a lunch special ( $10 for a small salad and gyro).
(2)
Corey W.
Food is authentic and addicting. The food can take longer than normal to come out (keep that in mind if you are headed to the movies next door), but why be in a rush with good food and good company. Grab a glass of wine or a beer and relax for a bit.
(5)
Cynthia L.
I don't understand the lukewarm rating for this place. I've been here many times over the years, and ordered a variety of dishes, and I've never had a bad meal here. Everything has been at least good, and sometimes spectacular. The most recent time was, as usual, delicious. I ordered the falafel sandwich, which I've never had here, and a greek salad. The falafel was excellent--nice and crispy, but not greasy, and spiced well, with the usual accompaniments of tomato, lettuce, onion, and tsatziki sauce, plus some delicious beets. The greek salad was good, with real greek olives, but could have used more feta. My companion ordered the chicken shish kebab plate. He remarked on how much he liked the rice, he liked the texture and it was flavored well. The grilled items he also liked (finished the entire plate) and, though I didn't try any, they looked like they were grilled nicely and presented well. Our server was very friendly and took our orders accurately, though he could have been maybe a tad faster. One of my favorite things to do when coming here with a multiple people is get one of the appetizer combinations and share. I do plan to come here again at some point and do that. To address a couple of the complaints I've seen in other reviews: I don't find this place to be overpriced. Each of our lunch specials cost $10. For good-sized portions of freshly-prepared delicious food, this is to me a reasonable price. I also saw mention that "they charge you a dollar for 4 toasted cut outs of a small piece of a pita bread they did not make." Maybe they've changed the way they do things (I hadn't been here for a couple years probably), but today we were given pita bread and dipping sauce free of charge and without asking.
(5)
Neil T.
Simply the best, freshest food. Take your time and enjoy. The Hummus is wonderful as is every dish. Give yourself time or carry out works well.
(5)
Tony T.
One of the best Mediterranean Resturant I have ever visited, the freshness is all over your plate.
(5)
Madison M.
this restaurant had excellent food and wonderful dessert. the costumer service was okay and the wait for the food was lengthy.
(3)
Greg W.
Highly recommend, their hummus is the best we have had in the area.
(5)
Anup D.
Wow I can't believe this place doesn't have atleast 4 stars overall, this is one of my favourite restaurants in Frederick ( Well I am strongly biased towards Middle eastern food,neverthless!). The food is always fresh and prepared with care. For appetizers the mezza dips are good and so is the lentil soup. For the main course my go to is the Mediterranean Cobb salad (Loaded with Avocado, Tomatoes, Boiled Eggs and olives) topped with Spicy Chicken Shawarma.. I've tried the salmon salad as well which is pretty good and couple of chef's specialities. The only drawback of this place is that it takes longer for the food to arrive to your table so if you're looking for a quick lunch place this is not it. You really can't go wrong by ordering anything of this menu, it's all good.
(5)
Laura P.
I've eaten at this lovely little restuarant MANY times and the food was well priced and always delicious. I adore the mezzes especially the falafal and, kibbeh and baba ghanoush (and I'm not particularily fond of eggplant!). The Dolmas are excellent though I've learned I prefer them warm to cold. The Shawarma is always good and the apple, spianch & salmon salad is a great light meal! Also do not miss the Tiramisu!
(5)
Jeffrey P.
When a customer visits a restaurant serving alcohol, there is always the outside chance that some party will drink more than is socially acceptable. Last night, my wife, daughter and I greatly enjoyed our meal at the Mediterranean Grill, but a table full of rip-roaringly drunk customers lost control of their volume control and peppered the conversation with foul language. Of course, an excellent meal became a notoriously bad time, and our waitress didn''t help by chirping in, "Enjoying the show?" Apparently the owner/manager wasn't on duty, but at my request, he did call me and was apologetic about my experience, for what that was worth. I imagine that my experience is just the chance you take when you have no control over your "co-diners"..
(4)
Brenda B.
One of our favorite places to eat. So many good dishes that your bill can add up quickly. We often just get two or three mezza plates and just all share.
(4)
Loren S.
This place is great. The food is fresh so go when you have time to relax and enjoy. I was at first concerned by other reviews that it was overpriced and can take a while yet I risked it as other reviews were so great. I am so glad I did. The food is all made fresh. No chain food served.
(5)
Aaron H.
The appetizers are very good and fairly priced. Entrees are decent and overpriced. Wine is overpriced. Just go there for the Mezhedes and you won't be dissapointed!
(3)
Maz W.
I took my family here after getting take out from a few days before, which left me somewhat impressed. It was a shawarma sandwich, kibbeh and tabbouleh. The shawarma wasn't traditional, but it was decent. The kibbeh was good. After we sat down and ordered, I realized I was about to spend more than I thought the food and service deserved. Let me illustrate this: anyone who has had Lebanese or even Mediterranean food before would be horrified at how they charge you a dollar for 4 toasted cut outs of a small piece of a pita bread they did not make. In a Mediterranean restaurant, you keep the bread coming. What is the point of serving zaatar dip then? The main reason restaurants like this end up closing is because their owners do not understand the culture of the food they serve. So they overcharge and serve less, alienating customers, and eventually scaring them away. I mean well when I tell the owner of this place: educate yourself and your servers about the food you are serving. Even though I thought the food was ok, we ended up spending more than we would have spent at a higher quality place, and that was because they force you to buy an expensive platter after 4 pm, kids only get free soda but not juice, and should you want some extra bread for food that was created to eat with bread, you will be charged a ridiculous surcharge. For that, I am giving it 2 stars. These are not the times when middle class families like us can splurge on restaurants if they don't know they will get their money's worth, or at least get the impression the servers know what they are serving.
(2)
Bern B.
I go for the vegetarian platter which is always delicious, however the wait for the food seems to be getting longer. I did not receive my pita bread until half way through my meal either. I never go here expecting a quick meal but who has time for a two hour lunch???
(3)
Lynia D.
Service: -Nice young gentleman, friendly. -food did not come out super quickly but our service was top rate. Food: -Everything is halal, all the meat is zabihah! -Tabouleh- top notch, flavorful and FRESH! -Chicken Tandoori Kabob- decent portion (not too much or too little), spicy, -grilled veggies- perfect -Lamb Shawrma- (my friend got it two nights in a row)- she said it was great. -Bakalva- fresh, homemade, super sweet...dusted with pistachios :-) Setting: -Clean linens and cultery -Warm lighting -Nice music
(4)
A. C.
We waited for 25 minutes to get drinks, and then a few were forgotten, so that was another 10 minutes. Which means that one of our diners went 35 minutes sitting at the table before he was given a drink, which was water. Meanwhile, there were three staff members standing around talking to each other behind the counter, and one leaning against the wall in front. One hour and ten minutes after sitting down we got our food.
(1)
Ginger R.
This is my favorite restaurant in Frederick. Fresh food takes time to prepare. You can taste the love and care put into the food. My family and I have dined here almost every week for 10 years. We have never been disappointed. My 7 year old daughter especially loves the spinach and lentil soup. The hummus, grape leaves, and falafel are my favorite. You cannot go wrong the the warm salmon and apple spinach salad...another favorite. I highly recommend this restaurant and remember good food takes time...nothing comes from a can or microwave.
(5)
Dan S.
As we walked in, the majority of the people were staring at the belly-dancer with the sword perched on her head, except for the kids who were too embarrassed. I can't said I minded one bit that we had ordered takeout. This was my second time trying their food. It's pretty good, although not particularly different than lots of other Greek places. I enjoyed sharing a mix of a bunch of different dishes. Their Baba Ghanouj is smoky and good. Their Shwarma left a bit to be desired, but with some lemon was ok. The Greek Salad was basic, I liked the simple dressing. Hummus is tasty. Although it is pricey as others have noted, I enjoyed the meal overall. Mediterranean Grill strikes me as the first Greek place in town (no idea if that is true). It has some of the flavors and essence of Greek food, watered down a bit for an undereducated market. When you're craving Greek, you go there, and enjoy it, but it isn't a destination.
(3)
Christopher L.
This restaurant gets a four, but it was rounded up from a three and a half. I rounded upwards because the restaurant has too low a Yelp score, in my view. The lower score is due to bad service, if you read the reviews. However, my experience was that the service was good, the wait staff very nice. The food was fresh and quite good and there are many vegetarian options. I had the falafel sandwich on wheat pita, spicy. While it lacked a bit of spice and didn't have quite enough tabbouleh, the falafel itself was crispy but not greasy. The flavor was very good. I would recommend it to those who like falafel. One of my daughters had fish (halibut) and chips, which was a bit greasy, but quite good. The fish was moist and flaky. My other daughter had the flat bread pizza, which tasted fine, but was rather too greasy with the melted cheese. In all, I would return to this place on anther trip south from State College, PA; it is a perfect distance from there if you are looking for a place to stop for lunch having left mid-morning. Intangibles: nice bathroom, real flowers on the tables which are made out of hammered copper. It is a bit hidden behind the main front of the mall and on your way back toward the cinema. In all, a good, solid restaurant.
(4)
Jen K.
How does this place have such a terrible rating? I guess Frederick doesn't know good food. If it's not a chain it sucks in this town. This is a cute, clean place with nice decor and friendly staff. The food is fantastic! The ingredients were fresh, perfectly seasoned, served warm and fast. I would totally come again next time I visit my hometown, especially as it's one of the few good options that isn't a chain restaurant.
(4)
Victoria Z.
Yes, I keep going back. I'm still keeping it at a two. However I must note two things...you always get the quiet girl as your server. ALWAYS. At least she's nice. Second, I found the keep to speedier service: Go in a half hour before they close. No complaints this time :)
(2)
Dana Z.
I gave this place another shot and it's absolutely mystifying to me how service here is SO horrible. I'm really a very patient person. I hardly ever complain about having to wait. So while I was waiting for 15 minutes for the waitress to bring out the napkins that we had to ASK for, I really tried to figure out how it could be so slow. Because I heard the waitresses at the various tables say "Sorry about the wait" at least a half dozen times. There were 4 waitresses, and 13 tables of guests including us. So that would average out to be about 3 tables per server. So I really can't understand how it takes them so long - and I mean LONG - to even greet you at your table... or bring your drinks.... or bring you an extra pita. I gave this place a second shot because the food here really honestly is great. If they had the service down I would probably give it 4 stars at least but the service really is THAT BAD. What a shame... I honestly don't think I will give it a 3rd try.
(1)
Rajan N.
Are you looking for a restaurant with barely-average quality food, RIDICULOUSLY overpriced entrees, chefs with NO culinary background, and a waitstaff hired for their looks and not their abilities? If that sounds like your cup of tea, then by all means, dine at Mediterranean Grill. You get a real quick indication of how overpriced things are when a side of their hummus costs almost as much as a meal at Chipotle, which is three doors away. In an economy where restaurants are dropping prices to compete with the new $5 standard for lunches, this place is quite happy to charge damn near $10 for a regular sized sandwich. For dinner, the majority of their kabob dishes (some of which are pretty good, but nothing great, and certainly lack in quantity of food served), are routinely close to $20 a pop. On the other hand, their beef kabobs - the only kabob dish under $15/dish - are tougher than a rusty coffin nail. In addition, the owners of the restaurant have openly stated in conversation that they hire their waitresses based on looks, and that they're very happy to dismiss one of them, because they're easily replaceable (given that they have no discernible skill set). Dine at the restaurant once a quarter (if you feel like blowing away a wad of money for dinner), and you will notice the turnover in the waitstaff yourself. It absolutely baffles me how this place stays in business. The owners have had to shut down several of their other branches in the area because of poor business, but this one is holding strong for reasons that defy me. I guess people will pay exhorbitant money to eat mediocre "Mediterranean" food, since it's the only real place to get such cuisine in town.
(1)
Monika M.
we had the spicy falafel salad and eggplant panini - delicious! nice ambience and attentive, friendly staff. only complaint - i was wearing a sweater and still freeeeeezing!
(4)
P G.
Wow, I'm surprised by the negative reviews. We live in the DC area and frequent Zaytinya and the Lebanese Tavernas. I'd say that Med. Grill is as good, plus it's quieter than Zaytinya. The food is great - we had the Mezza with six dishes - way too much food for two, but great and reasonably priced. Our server, Carey, was great...on the mark for everything we needed.
(4)
John B.
I really liked my meal here, but with some minor reservations. The good things were: chicken souvlaki almost perfectly seasoned and cooked, very good and a generous portion, My wife felt the same way about her spinach salad. ANd the grilled vegetable side was outstanding. So what are the reservations? - the staff was polite and efficient, but the food took a long time to come out, especially at lunchtime. - my small greek salad was fresh and crisp, but I like some chunks of feta and all I got was a light sprinkle. And only a couple of olives. - overall, I thought it was a little pricey - $40 for lunch for two (with a glass of wine and beer). No appetizers, no desserts. Plus tip. - on a brisk November day, it was a little chilly inside. We both ended up putting our coats on. The dining room is wide and shallow, so no one is really far from a door. Could be freezing in here on a winter's day.
(3)
Matt P.
Ridonkulous wait for nothing. Should have known before we sat down, but the place is pretty nice and menu looked decent. After waiting 5-10 minutes despite plenty of open tables we asked if we should just seat ourselves. A flustered hostess obliged. Once we got waters, we literally waited 30 minutes in pleasant conversation before the waitress came to tell us we could order now, but food would be 30-40 minutes! Perhaps the owners have grown bored of running a restaurant, but you'd think somethings that's been going for at least 8 years would have a little more going for it. On the plus side the 860 calories from Chipoltle around the corner never tasted so good. I think I'll stop by the Mountain View Diner for perfectly ok cheap Greek food next time I'm passing through Frederick; can't say I'm THAT intrigued by an $18 shwarma platter.
(1)
G K.
Definitely a fan & was surprised to see the low-ish rating. The mezza selections are great - the Lebanese is my favorite. Their lamb souvlaki is huge and well-priced. I miss the side of olives since they revised the menu, and enjoy their piping hot bread with Tzatziki. The service has always seemed just fine to me: this is not a super fine dining establishment. Most of the servers are young adults, who are proficient and polite. The only tiny down side is that it's too small, and so sometimes there is a short wait in an awkwardly small waiting area. Each time we've been here in 2011 (a few times), it's been nearly packed.
(4)
Marissa C.
WOW! I truly didnt think I would find authentic middle eastern cuisine in Frederick....but this weekend I did! Great food, nice decor and decent service! The Belly Dancer on Sat. night is a plus! I am picky about my middle eastern food since its in my blood....but they didn't disappoint. I loved their Tzatiki (yogurt & cucumber dip) and fresh hot pita bread Good Tabouli (parsley salad) Enjoyed the Haloumi and Grape salad, but wished the grapes were cut in 1/2. Really yummy salad dressing and generous with the Haloumi cheese! The Kibbe was also enjoyable. Overall a good dining experience and I will be back!
(3)
Laylah G.
I have been here several times, for both dining in and takeout. The food here is definitely good and (having spent a decent amount of time traveling around the Mediterranean area) pretty authentic as far as regional cuisine goes. HOWEVER. The service is only so-so, and the prices are way too high for what is essentially street food. Our most recent visit consisted of ordering take out in advance, with the view of grabbing it after our movie at Westview and heading home to eat. They said it wouldn't be a problem, and would be waiting for us when we got there. Unfortunately, they apparently ran out of the ingredients for one of our entrees, and we wound up waiting half an hour for a replacement entree. Not a big deal, just kind of annoying considering we had placed the order 2 hours previously and therefore it shouldn't have been an issue. In summary, the food is good, and I will continue to come back for the takeout (mainly so I don't have to deal with the service). The prices are a tad too high, and the service leaves you feeling like you should have gotten more for your money. I get cravings for Mediterranean cuisine fairly often though, and this is some of the best in Frederick, so I just can't help myself.
(3)
Christie V.
First, this is NOT a Greek restaurant. Think more towards Lebanese and general Mediterranean. There are some things this establishment does well (Shawarma, and (the now gone) Kifta Kabob), and there are some things that could use improvement, (service). The food. Ok. They've changed their menu twice in the last year, which is interesting. Seems they are moving away from "mediterranean." Tandoori speaks of east indian cuisine to me. And they got rid of a number of very mediterranean dishes, such as kifta. Appetizers are pretty good. The alcohol selection leaves a bit to be desired and not very impressive. It seems like the management is trying to impress with a "selection" of wine by displaying a lot of bottles on counters and shelves. A lot of bottles of wine stored upright in direct light (no-no). The service tends to be inconsistent, likely due to what one review notes is service staff turnover. On a recent visit, they had plenty of staff, but they all seemed to be quite new, and quite lost. They had a hostess (presumably to handle the weekend volume) who spent most of her time just standing there. Service typically takes twice as long as expected. If you have a lot of time, this is a great place. But given it's right next to a movie theater, it would behoove the staff to improve on the inefficiencies.
(3)
Will M.
Great Mediterranean spot! Tucked away in the Westview Cinema center. The wait staff was wonderful and very personable, my Spicy Chicken Swarma was wonderful with the neon pink pickled thingys and all. My wife had a veggie pizza of some sort and loved it! The Wine list was respectable for the venue, my wife thoroughly enjoyed her glasses. And I enjoyed hitting the rest of the wine samples she did not like. Got my swerve on for free, that's my financial reality! All in all the real deal, in this gem of a town named Fredrick.
(4)
Julia H.
We love this place but now that we have a child to take with us we find we can no longer eat there. The adult menu is wonderful and we have has many nice meals there. Their kids menu is the usual, pizza and horrible fried chicken "fingers"; all bought frozen from Sysco I am sure. So when we went there with our 1 yr old I asked if we could have a grilled chicken breast instead of the breaded, fried chicken. I've done this many other places who have no problem producing a small chicken breast equivalent in size to the chicken in the children's meal and get charged the same kids menu price. Here we got a chicken breast fit for a large, hungry adult and were charged $13 for it. Wow. Not at all family friendly. So if you are without kids it's a pretty good place to go. For us it will be years (until our kid can order and enjoy a meal from an adult menu) before we return.
(2)
Karl M.
Excellent food, we often stop here before movies. Service has usually been fine, but they do seem to have trouble when they get crowded.
(4)
Carrie A.
Worst service ever! Thought we would check this place out since it is near the movie theater and we had nearly an hour and half before our movie started. Well that was clearly not enough time. We waited for over 40 minutes for our appetizer to come and after waiting for about an hour we finally left without our lunch. The neighboring party, who ordered at the same time we did, had received and almost completed their meal before our appetizer even arrived. Something is not right with the management at this place. Don't bother with this place. There are better ones in Frederick.
(1)
Shawn O.
We tried this during a recent lunch hour. Service was slow and the food was lacking. The server comped our meal due to not being able to meet our request for quick service and an easy order. Falafel are to be smashed after preparation, not left as giant vegetarian meatballs in a sandwich that are impossible to eat. We have no real Greek culture in the Pacific Northwest, but the few Greek and Mediterranean restaurants run circles around this, and cheaper too.
(1)
steve m.
Fod was just okay, service was slooow. The $10 salad was a joke, more green pappers that anything else. The gyros were dry but very good once wer added tzaziki sauce to it. The hummus was flavorless. The kids meals were the best. The pizza was very good and fresh, the sliders were HUGE for a kid's portion. Besides the gyros and kids meal, everything was just ordinary. Just two waitresses patrolling inside and outside. Just slow service and slow on the refills. I would go there again, knowing now what to order.
(2)
Amy T.
Good traditional menu items. The hummus and baba ganoush were not the best I've had, but they were deffinately fresh and very tasty. I have a warm place in my heart for Mediterranean food, so whenever there are olives, pita and soft cheese involved, my mood improves. The outdoor seating is great and everything we ordered was tasty and reasonably priced.
(3)
K G.
Had the vegetarian mezza plate here, and although the presentation was impressive, the food was less so. I'm not an expert on Mediterranean, but I eat enough ethnic food to know that good food is just good food, regardless of nationality. This wasn't it. I might have given this establishment more of a break if the service hadn't been so poor. As many other reviewers have mentioned, some of their workers are very green. The server who helped me was polite, but said it was his first day, knew nothing about the menu, and was very quiet and generally awkward. It might be the first time I've met an introverted waiter anywhere. Since it was my first time at the restaurant, I was looking for guidance on what to order; I got none. The restaurant ambiance is fairly nice for a town center-type location, with the big caveat that the service area is very awkwardly located near the front entry / waiting area. On my first visit, it appeared that I was supposed to order from one of the three registers facing the dining area on a counter, as in a fast-food place. But no, it is indeed a sit-down place, with a strange dining room orientation/architecture. Speaking of sitting down... I've never noticed a restaurant chair being uncomfortable before, but I couldn't wait to get out of this one. My review joins a mix of high and low reviews. That usually tells me that your experience could vary widely based on your server and the food you order. So do you feel lucky?
(2)
Jess M.
We ordered takeout recently. Unfortunately the food was mediocre and the staff had a horrible attitude. I honestly don't think they're worth a try
(1)
Minda M.
Went last night for the second time. Our server, Lauren, was great so have no complaints about the service. The hostess was welcoming and was concerned that we sit at a table that would be comfortable for us - even though the place was packed and there was a line at the door. Once we were seated - maybe a 15 minute wait - saw people we knew - chatted back and forth. This is how a small restaurant vibe should be ! It's warm and cozy, CLEAN and every bit as easy to have an intimate dinner as well as a more noisy family/friends dinner. Started with a trio of dips and let Lauren pick them - their hummus is transcendental. Creamy, perfectly seasoned..also had a red pepper feta dip that was great. I had a pinot grigio that was just right and my husband had a Lebanese beer - kind of light and almost nutty but both drinks were the perfect match up for the food. My husband had lamb shanks and I had the chicken schwarma - they held the leftovers in the fridge for us while we went to the movies ! I could not wait to get home and finish the schwarma ! We'll put this one on our list of go-tos and re-introduce our kids to Mediterranean food. A great value for the money as well. So many times the more expensive restaurants we go to in Frederick, where we expect more, fall flat in some way. Hope this place keeps going strong !
(5)
Robert S.
This is one of my favorite places in Frederick! It is very consistent and offers a wide variety of options. I usually order one of the platters so I can try a few different things.
(5)
Dana C.
I was highly disappointed with my dining experience here. It took 15 minutes to get 2 glasses of water, I ordered a chicken gyro with a side of rice, after 45 mins the server came out to say they were out of rice. Another 45 mins later our food came out. I was surprised to see rice on my plate when I asked the server what happened she said the kitchen decided to make more rice and i just happened to have the privilege of waiting for it to be cooked. The chicken wasn't cooked thoroughly and parts of it were raw, not a good experience at all. It is highly over priced, the food was thrown together, the service was just as bad as the food, but hey the bathroom was clean.
(1)
Scott R.
Today we did carry-in office lunch for 20-some, all from here. No complaints from anyone. Mine was decent - chicken shwarma and a falafel appetizer - maybe not the best I've ever had, but respectable. The only thing I didn't like was the weird pickle assortment that came with the falafel. One was red and round, like a beet; the other was like a long super-thin dill ... but they were both pretty nasty. Some unworkable combo of hot, vinegar, and unpleasant spice that just didn't work. But if the only issue out of 20 some lunches is the garnish pickle ... then the place did pretty good. Pricing seemed reasonable, so we'll probably try again.
(3)
Bill D.
This charming little restaurant is more than one would expect to find in the typical strip mall. I enjoyed a delicious dish of lamb chops, sauteed mushrooms, and grilled vegetables. The chops were heavily sauced and better done than I prefer, but otherwise quite good. The vegetables were excellent. The portions were very generous (4 inch-thick chops!). I was charmed by the Arab music, including selections from Fairuz and the Moroccan group Saut el Atlas. I was a little surprised that the Turkish coffee was served unsweetened with sugar on the side, but it was good and such a rarity as to be a real pleasure.
(3)
Bill B.
This is one of my Frederick-area favorites. Lots of healthy and interesting items are on the menu, and overall this restaurant is ver Paleo-friendly. The atmosphere is pleasant for a strip-mall sort of restaurant, and prices are reasonable. I'd give them 5 stars but sometimes the service is a little awkward. I think they're breaking in some new young wait staff who aren't quite ready yet. But overall, the Mediterranean Grill is a sure bet for an excellent meal.
(4)
Zahra R.
Did take out this last Friday night. No complaints about the hour wait, they were very very busy. Food was terrible. We ordered lamb gyros, and the beef kebob dinner with grilled vegetables and basmati rice. The lamb was tough in the gyro, and really stale tasting. Serving was really really small. It came with a side of french fries, but barely any like a previous reviewer said. The beef kebob was terrible. Over cooked and tough. Really was not worth $13, not to mention the serving was microscopic. Overall, a 25 minutes drive down into Gaithersburg for Caspian or even Moby Dick would be a better choice. I do not want to rate the service in a negative way, cause the place was clearly busy. There were really too many people there that night for those poor kids (the waiters and waitresses) to care about one to go order. If you do to go, get ready to wait for one hour.
(2)
David S.
Visited this place on recommendation from my sister who lives in Frederick. Unlike Louise I found nothing creepy about this place. Maybe the creepiness was caused by thinking how to write a mediocre review. We found the restaurant to be clean and the menu filled with traditional Mediterranean fare. When I think Mediterranean the first thing that comes to mind is Greek Food. This is by no means is Greek food. We ordered the 6 mezhedes special for 30 bucks (ironically mezhedes in Greek is appetizers) Both the Spinach pies and Cheese pies were good and my wife enjoyed the eggplant in the tomato sauce. My son was pretty fond of the Meat pie as well. The Falafel and Hummus were the worst of the starters. I ordered the Lamb Gyro and My wife a Sandwich. Both sandwiches came with fries but both orders came out with 7-10 on each plate. The lamb gyro is not your typical gyro it is made with real lamb meat. The lamb was under seasoned and dry. The tzatzki sauce did not help it slide down. My wife's sandwich was good. The service was real poor, although the place was not busy we had to ask for refills of drinks and the server came around only once to check up on us. We did not stay for dessert. I would definitely go back and get the Mezhedes and try something else. This place is reasonably priced and worth a second chance.
(3)
Brenda A.
I have tried this place several times - as others have said - the place is on and off. The last visit was good but this most recent visit wasn't great. The menu has changed again and I agree it isn't clear where they are going with it. While the serving staff were trying, the wait for the meal was too long and nothing was hot. And watching people wait 30 minutes for a piece of bread or a salad isn't good. I'm not sure I'm going back.
(3)
Julaine N.
I am shocked by the low rating! I can only assume it is because of the service. I have had some immature waiters and waitresses here in the past, but the service seems to be improving. The last time I was here I sat outside and the waitress was very friendly and attentive. There are also more menu items that I have not tried such as the flat bread sandwiches and panini. My favorite dish here is the vegetarian mezza sampler which includes hummus and falafel. Their falafel is wonderful! The cucumber-yogurt sauce makes a great dip with the spicy falafel. The hummus is also wonderful, and I appreciate that they offer both white and wheat pita. I could eat just the hummus as a meal. Absolutely delicious. The salads are fresh - but HUGE! Order a small unless you are planning on sharing or have a big appetite. I enjoy eating here regularly as the food is fresh, well-spiced, with lots of vegetarian options. It can be a bit pricey if you order meat dishes. I definitely appreciate a yummy mediterranean restaurant in Frederick!
(4)
Ringo B.
Nice change from the average fair in Frederick. Great veggie selection, veggie kibbeh is wonderful. Great place to sit outside and people watch during the summer.
(5)
Jason S.
This restaurant used to be at the top of my list for Frederick. However, recent events have caused it to take a severe nose dive, practically right off my list completely. I honestly don't think I could even recommend it to a friend in good faith. They're definitely going to have to redeem themselves. Middle Eastern, specifically Lebanese, is my absolute favorite type of food. This is the only place in Frederick to get Middle Eastern food. Even though it's not Lebanese (I think the owner's Iraqi - not 100% tho) they do have pretty tasty hummus and fatoosh. I always have them create a dish I used to get back home at Taboon in Grand Blanc, MI, so I've never actually had any real entree off of their menu. The dish is composed of flat bread smeared with hummus and then topped with rice and shish tawook (grilled chicken). Sounds easy, huh? Well, for some reason they can never get it right. Not sure why, but they often forget the hummus and put in lettuce and other goofy stuff. The last time I ate there the service took about 2 hours for us to get our entrees. When it did come, I bit into my sandwich (which was not what I had ordered) and something felt wet and slimy. I opened the sandwich up, and sure enough the chicken wasn't even close to being cooked. It still had that nasty translucent look to it. They ended up getting me another one to go and took it off the bill, but when you come in at 11:00am and leave at 1:30pm with your food "to-go," you know there's something wrong with the establishment. I'm not done with this place. If it had been my first time there, then I'd say, "Sayanara," but I've also had dozens of times where the service was extremely good. Besides, I'm too addicted to hummus and fatoosh. Ask for Katie if you're dining in - she'll take care of you. medgrillusa.com
(3)
Luisita S.
I ate here once. Food was mediocre. There is something creepy about this place. I can't put my finger on it but I'm not going back.
(1)
Blake H.
This place is absolutely amazing in every way possible. From extremely friendly service, to the appetizers, dips, entrees, and even desserts. This restaurant is smaller and in my belief, very underrated. My favorite menu items are the tiroslata, gyro, gyro salad, and the shish kabobs. Portions are definitely shareable and prices are on point. I've honestly never had a single bad experience and each server is unique in their own way. Whenever I come to Frederick, I always want to stop by. It is also an awesome place to eat lunch by yourself or with the family.
(5)
Dana R.
The appetizer was awesome which was the Athens sampler. However, my husband and I ordered two different kabobs and they were both extremely tasteless. The wait staff was friendly and helpful.
(4)
Nick M.
The food was pretty good. My wife had a lentil soup and a mezze (dip) sampler of hummus, baba ganouj, and taziki. I had a "Turkish meat pizza" which resembled four gravy boats made of bread filled with mestizo sauce. All of it was really tasty. The service, however, was underwhelming. The interactions were fine, but for an uncrowded restaurant on a drizzly Monday we seemed to have to wait longer than was necessary. Perhaps they were understaffed on a holiday? We will go back for more of the delicious pickings from the menu and hopefully better service.
(3)
Roberta M.
The falafel is wonderful as well as the gyros and salads. Veggie paninie is the best. Quick service and they also have a children's menu.
(5)
Emily L.
When your Syrian-born friend recommends a Middle Eastern restaurant as authentic, you pay attention. And I'm so glad I let him steer me to this place! [Side note: truly, "steer" is an accurate description, considering how buried it is in the middle of a shopping center. Tip: park near the movie theaters, stand at the door and walk straight ahead, then a little to the right. You'll see it right in front of you. There is, however, no way to see it from the street.] The atmosphere inside is surprising, given the strip-mall exterior: copper-sheathed tables, artsy photographs of sun-soaked villas and picturesque coastlines, and a pleasantly muted soundtrack (Spanish guitar, followed by Greek pop.) It's delightfully sophisticated, but casual enough that you're not too intimidated to enter in jeans. The food was absolutely delightful. First we had fattoush salad, which was full of fresh vegetables, crispy pita and a wonderful lemony vinaigrette. We tried both the vegetarian and traditional kibbeh, and though I love the cinnamon-spiced ground beef, the spinach-and-walnut version was really amazing too: perfectly fried with not a bit of greasiness, just a crispy exterior and steamy, tender filling. The sambousek were also delicious, even though pastries are not usually high on my list of preferences -- the shell was very thin and the filling perfectly seasoned, both vegetarian and meat versions. Tzatziki was thick, creamy and perfect as a dip for their pita, which they brought in abundance. The only missteps: the spicy kifta meatballs were not quite as spicy as I would have liked, and seemed a little tough; the dolmades were dry and pretty bland. With all the other amazing things to eat, however, we easily forgave those small problems. As you can probably tell, it seems to be a requirement of my Middle Eastern friends to order way too much food, and this meal was no exception. We took home two very full boxes and my husband ate leftovers for dinner, and then I finished the rest for lunch the next day. And actually, they only got better with time and refrigeration. Service was a little slow, but very friendly, and they get points for being extremely accommodating to my friend who is on a very restrictive diet (no salt, no sugar, limited carbs.) Next time I return (and I am sure there will be a next time!) I would love to try one of their entrees. With their authenticity and attention to detail, I'm sure the shwarma and swordfish would be noteworthy as well.
(4)
Erika S.
Great customer service , and the food is delicious. My favorite dish is the chicken tandoori and for appetizer the fatayer with cheese.
(5)
Samantha L.
It was just ok. My husband had the lamb shawarma and he was not too thrilled with the meat. I had the Zahlah platter. The tabouleh was very good. I also enjoyed the hummus. But the rest was just meh. Was very disappointed in the falafel and the meat sambousek. Very little flavor. The service was again ok. Unfortunately my stomach has been bothering me the entire afternoon after eating there so something just didn't sit well.
(3)
Patrick D.
Stay away from this place. Food is gross, tiny portions for high price, service is despicable. I tried to give this place another try today because my family was in the mood for some kabobs and we used GrubHub to order since we didn't want to go though the hassle of loading up the van and driving in. Giving MG another chance was a horrible $100 mistake. First of all, I use GrubHub often and have had minimal issues with other restaurants I've ordered from. This is the second time having similar issues with MG, this time was much worse than before. 30 minutes after the promised delivery window, I called into the restaurant to ask when I should expect the food to be delivered. I was rudely asked for my name before being put on hold. Once the lady came back on the phone, she sassily told me that it would be delivered in less than 10 minutes and promptly hung up before I had a chance to say anything. Food didn't arrive for another 17 minutes. I wouldn't be as annoyed if the food was still warm when it came but it was cold, tough, and soggy. Obviously it was sitting around for a long time before I got it. On top of the temperature and consistency, the food was tasteless and overall gross. Because of the rude treatment I received when I called the restaurant, I decided to go to GrubHub's website to complain. GrubHub called the restaurant to voice my concerns and they refused to do anything to mend the situation. GrubHub, being the upstanding company they are, offered me an apology and gave some promotional cash to use towards my next order through them. They also recommended that I leave a review of MG. Here it is - gross food, small expensive portions, and lowly service. I cannot stress enough how far you should stay away from this dingy kitchen.
(1)
Leilani R.
I used to frequent this place often. Even though management/staff shortage/changes, the food is just as delicious. Not sure if under new management since I was last here but the service was better. More waiter/waitresses. Due to past experiences I expected a long wait time for both service and food. This time the service was prompt and the food came about the time I expected. We waited about 15-20 minutes but I have no complaints. Even in the past when I wasn't in a rush to get anywhere, I didn't mind. You know why? THE FOOD IS DELICIOUS! This time around I ordered the shawarma with spicy chicken (which is a new addition since the last time I was there...spicy chicken meat) and he had the chicken souvlaki. We both had the side of basmati. rice with vermicelli. Let me say that we cleaned our plates. I recommend. Come here for a meal before or date a movie! If coming before, do allot some extra time. The food is worth it.
(4)
Mavis T.
We always love their food but today, I found there's a lipstick stain on my glass! It's not mine cuz I didn't use a lipstick today. That's so gross! I told the waitress and she said they're really sorry. And That's All! Just one apology. Nothing more. Really disappointed and again that's so gross!
(1)
Beata K.
Very average medeterriean food. The vegetarian sampler was pretty good although I wasn't a huge fan of the hummus, the taziki, falafel, etc. we're good. For an entree I got the chicken shwarma which was definitely not shwarma; it looked like fried eggs and was nowhere near what it should taste like. We also got the kefta which wasn't bad and the basmati rice was pretty good.
(3)
Sondra K.
My husband and I eat here all the time. Its the best main stream Mediterranean food in Frederick that you can get. The prices are pretty reasonable, portions are good, and the staff is friendly. It doesn't have that real authentic feel, but it's definitely worth a try. You won't be disappointed.
(4)
Keith W.
If you have a lot of time to kill, this is your place. Service is exceptionally slow, which would have been tolerable if my gyro was above average.
(2)
Thomas V.
Perfect before or after the movies. Can do samplers of Messe or soups. Good selections of wines. Friendly staff who can help on selections.
(4)
Paul M.
The food was good good, BUT the service was the slowest I ever went to any restaurant! Only one waitress for the entire restaurant while the other waitress just 'hung out' in the bar being 'lazy'. For example, soup should be served first before the salad, but never brought and forgot to bring to our table. Waitresses need more training with on time of pacing.
(3)
Laith H.
Hands down the best Lebanese food in the Frederick area. The food is fresh and delicious. There salads are great and you can add a protein to any of them. There mezze (appetizer) samplers are an excellent way to try out the menu. The fresh baked pita bread and tizaki (cucumber dip) are a personal favorite. This restaurant is not a chain and is family owned. Service may vary as the waitstaff tends to be young but this has never been a major issue in my experience. Beer and wine is sold.
(5)
Michele H.
One of our favorite restaurants in Frederick. Loved the Spicy Brochette appetizer. The lamb chops with pesto was amazing. Topped it off with Tiramisu and a Snickers Martini. Will definitely come back!
(5)
Kendall D.
I came to the restaurant during a weekday lunch. The restaurant was quiet and not busy. The waiters were friendly and attentive. The Greek salad was disappointment. I never had a Greek salad where the salad dressing was just merely olive oil drizzled on top. The gyro was good (the shaved lamb melted in your mouth) but the pita was subpar (too soft and chewy). It was fairly priced for a lunch special ( $10 for a small salad and gyro).
(2)
Corey W.
Food is authentic and addicting. The food can take longer than normal to come out (keep that in mind if you are headed to the movies next door), but why be in a rush with good food and good company. Grab a glass of wine or a beer and relax for a bit.
(5)
Cynthia L.
I don't understand the lukewarm rating for this place. I've been here many times over the years, and ordered a variety of dishes, and I've never had a bad meal here. Everything has been at least good, and sometimes spectacular. The most recent time was, as usual, delicious. I ordered the falafel sandwich, which I've never had here, and a greek salad. The falafel was excellent--nice and crispy, but not greasy, and spiced well, with the usual accompaniments of tomato, lettuce, onion, and tsatziki sauce, plus some delicious beets. The greek salad was good, with real greek olives, but could have used more feta. My companion ordered the chicken shish kebab plate. He remarked on how much he liked the rice, he liked the texture and it was flavored well. The grilled items he also liked (finished the entire plate) and, though I didn't try any, they looked like they were grilled nicely and presented well. Our server was very friendly and took our orders accurately, though he could have been maybe a tad faster. One of my favorite things to do when coming here with a multiple people is get one of the appetizer combinations and share. I do plan to come here again at some point and do that. To address a couple of the complaints I've seen in other reviews: I don't find this place to be overpriced. Each of our lunch specials cost $10. For good-sized portions of freshly-prepared delicious food, this is to me a reasonable price. I also saw mention that "they charge you a dollar for 4 toasted cut outs of a small piece of a pita bread they did not make." Maybe they've changed the way they do things (I hadn't been here for a couple years probably), but today we were given pita bread and dipping sauce free of charge and without asking.
(5)
Neil T.
Simply the best, freshest food. Take your time and enjoy. The Hummus is wonderful as is every dish. Give yourself time or carry out works well.
(5)
Tony T.
One of the best Mediterranean Resturant I have ever visited, the freshness is all over your plate.
(5)
Madison M.
this restaurant had excellent food and wonderful dessert. the costumer service was okay and the wait for the food was lengthy.
(3)
Greg W.
Highly recommend, their hummus is the best we have had in the area.
(5)
Anup D.
Wow I can't believe this place doesn't have atleast 4 stars overall, this is one of my favourite restaurants in Frederick ( Well I am strongly biased towards Middle eastern food,neverthless!). The food is always fresh and prepared with care. For appetizers the mezza dips are good and so is the lentil soup. For the main course my go to is the Mediterranean Cobb salad (Loaded with Avocado, Tomatoes, Boiled Eggs and olives) topped with Spicy Chicken Shawarma.. I've tried the salmon salad as well which is pretty good and couple of chef's specialities. The only drawback of this place is that it takes longer for the food to arrive to your table so if you're looking for a quick lunch place this is not it. You really can't go wrong by ordering anything of this menu, it's all good.
(5)
Laura P.
I've eaten at this lovely little restuarant MANY times and the food was well priced and always delicious. I adore the mezzes especially the falafal and, kibbeh and baba ghanoush (and I'm not particularily fond of eggplant!). The Dolmas are excellent though I've learned I prefer them warm to cold. The Shawarma is always good and the apple, spianch & salmon salad is a great light meal! Also do not miss the Tiramisu!
(5)
Jeffrey P.
When a customer visits a restaurant serving alcohol, there is always the outside chance that some party will drink more than is socially acceptable. Last night, my wife, daughter and I greatly enjoyed our meal at the Mediterranean Grill, but a table full of rip-roaringly drunk customers lost control of their volume control and peppered the conversation with foul language. Of course, an excellent meal became a notoriously bad time, and our waitress didn''t help by chirping in, "Enjoying the show?" Apparently the owner/manager wasn't on duty, but at my request, he did call me and was apologetic about my experience, for what that was worth. I imagine that my experience is just the chance you take when you have no control over your "co-diners"..
(4)
Brenda B.
One of our favorite places to eat. So many good dishes that your bill can add up quickly. We often just get two or three mezza plates and just all share.
(4)
Maz W.
I took my family here after getting take out from a few days before, which left me somewhat impressed. It was a shawarma sandwich, kibbeh and tabbouleh. The shawarma wasn't traditional, but it was decent. The kibbeh was good. After we sat down and ordered, I realized I was about to spend more than I thought the food and service deserved. Let me illustrate this: anyone who has had Lebanese or even Mediterranean food before would be horrified at how they charge you a dollar for 4 toasted cut outs of a small piece of a pita bread they did not make. In a Mediterranean restaurant, you keep the bread coming. What is the point of serving zaatar dip then? The main reason restaurants like this end up closing is because their owners do not understand the culture of the food they serve. So they overcharge and serve less, alienating customers, and eventually scaring them away. I mean well when I tell the owner of this place: educate yourself and your servers about the food you are serving. Even though I thought the food was ok, we ended up spending more than we would have spent at a higher quality place, and that was because they force you to buy an expensive platter after 4 pm, kids only get free soda but not juice, and should you want some extra bread for food that was created to eat with bread, you will be charged a ridiculous surcharge. For that, I am giving it 2 stars. These are not the times when middle class families like us can splurge on restaurants if they don't know they will get their money's worth, or at least get the impression the servers know what they are serving.
(2)
Bern B.
I go for the vegetarian platter which is always delicious, however the wait for the food seems to be getting longer. I did not receive my pita bread until half way through my meal either. I never go here expecting a quick meal but who has time for a two hour lunch???
(3)
Julaine N.
I am shocked by the low rating! I can only assume it is because of the service. I have had some immature waiters and waitresses here in the past, but the service seems to be improving. The last time I was here I sat outside and the waitress was very friendly and attentive. There are also more menu items that I have not tried such as the flat bread sandwiches and panini. My favorite dish here is the vegetarian mezza sampler which includes hummus and falafel. Their falafel is wonderful! The cucumber-yogurt sauce makes a great dip with the spicy falafel. The hummus is also wonderful, and I appreciate that they offer both white and wheat pita. I could eat just the hummus as a meal. Absolutely delicious. The salads are fresh - but HUGE! Order a small unless you are planning on sharing or have a big appetite. I enjoy eating here regularly as the food is fresh, well-spiced, with lots of vegetarian options. It can be a bit pricey if you order meat dishes. I definitely appreciate a yummy mediterranean restaurant in Frederick!
(4)
Ringo B.
Nice change from the average fair in Frederick. Great veggie selection, veggie kibbeh is wonderful. Great place to sit outside and people watch during the summer.
(5)
steve m.
Fod was just okay, service was slooow. The $10 salad was a joke, more green pappers that anything else. The gyros were dry but very good once wer added tzaziki sauce to it. The hummus was flavorless. The kids meals were the best. The pizza was very good and fresh, the sliders were HUGE for a kid's portion. Besides the gyros and kids meal, everything was just ordinary. Just two waitresses patrolling inside and outside. Just slow service and slow on the refills. I would go there again, knowing now what to order.
(2)
Amy T.
Good traditional menu items. The hummus and baba ganoush were not the best I've had, but they were deffinately fresh and very tasty. I have a warm place in my heart for Mediterranean food, so whenever there are olives, pita and soft cheese involved, my mood improves. The outdoor seating is great and everything we ordered was tasty and reasonably priced.
(3)
Loren S.
This place is great. The food is fresh so go when you have time to relax and enjoy. I was at first concerned by other reviews that it was overpriced and can take a while yet I risked it as other reviews were so great. I am so glad I did. The food is all made fresh. No chain food served.
(5)
Aaron H.
The appetizers are very good and fairly priced. Entrees are decent and overpriced. Wine is overpriced. Just go there for the Mezhedes and you won't be dissapointed!
(3)
Lynia D.
Service: -Nice young gentleman, friendly. -food did not come out super quickly but our service was top rate. Food: -Everything is halal, all the meat is zabihah! -Tabouleh- top notch, flavorful and FRESH! -Chicken Tandoori Kabob- decent portion (not too much or too little), spicy, -grilled veggies- perfect -Lamb Shawrma- (my friend got it two nights in a row)- she said it was great. -Bakalva- fresh, homemade, super sweet...dusted with pistachios :-) Setting: -Clean linens and cultery -Warm lighting -Nice music
(4)
A. C.
We waited for 25 minutes to get drinks, and then a few were forgotten, so that was another 10 minutes. Which means that one of our diners went 35 minutes sitting at the table before he was given a drink, which was water. Meanwhile, there were three staff members standing around talking to each other behind the counter, and one leaning against the wall in front. One hour and ten minutes after sitting down we got our food.
(1)
Ginger R.
This is my favorite restaurant in Frederick. Fresh food takes time to prepare. You can taste the love and care put into the food. My family and I have dined here almost every week for 10 years. We have never been disappointed. My 7 year old daughter especially loves the spinach and lentil soup. The hummus, grape leaves, and falafel are my favorite. You cannot go wrong the the warm salmon and apple spinach salad...another favorite. I highly recommend this restaurant and remember good food takes time...nothing comes from a can or microwave.
(5)
Dan S.
As we walked in, the majority of the people were staring at the belly-dancer with the sword perched on her head, except for the kids who were too embarrassed. I can't said I minded one bit that we had ordered takeout. This was my second time trying their food. It's pretty good, although not particularly different than lots of other Greek places. I enjoyed sharing a mix of a bunch of different dishes. Their Baba Ghanouj is smoky and good. Their Shwarma left a bit to be desired, but with some lemon was ok. The Greek Salad was basic, I liked the simple dressing. Hummus is tasty. Although it is pricey as others have noted, I enjoyed the meal overall. Mediterranean Grill strikes me as the first Greek place in town (no idea if that is true). It has some of the flavors and essence of Greek food, watered down a bit for an undereducated market. When you're craving Greek, you go there, and enjoy it, but it isn't a destination.
(3)
Carrie A.
Worst service ever! Thought we would check this place out since it is near the movie theater and we had nearly an hour and half before our movie started. Well that was clearly not enough time. We waited for over 40 minutes for our appetizer to come and after waiting for about an hour we finally left without our lunch. The neighboring party, who ordered at the same time we did, had received and almost completed their meal before our appetizer even arrived. Something is not right with the management at this place. Don't bother with this place. There are better ones in Frederick.
(1)
Christopher L.
This restaurant gets a four, but it was rounded up from a three and a half. I rounded upwards because the restaurant has too low a Yelp score, in my view. The lower score is due to bad service, if you read the reviews. However, my experience was that the service was good, the wait staff very nice. The food was fresh and quite good and there are many vegetarian options. I had the falafel sandwich on wheat pita, spicy. While it lacked a bit of spice and didn't have quite enough tabbouleh, the falafel itself was crispy but not greasy. The flavor was very good. I would recommend it to those who like falafel. One of my daughters had fish (halibut) and chips, which was a bit greasy, but quite good. The fish was moist and flaky. My other daughter had the flat bread pizza, which tasted fine, but was rather too greasy with the melted cheese. In all, I would return to this place on anther trip south from State College, PA; it is a perfect distance from there if you are looking for a place to stop for lunch having left mid-morning. Intangibles: nice bathroom, real flowers on the tables which are made out of hammered copper. It is a bit hidden behind the main front of the mall and on your way back toward the cinema. In all, a good, solid restaurant.
(4)
Jen K.
How does this place have such a terrible rating? I guess Frederick doesn't know good food. If it's not a chain it sucks in this town. This is a cute, clean place with nice decor and friendly staff. The food is fantastic! The ingredients were fresh, perfectly seasoned, served warm and fast. I would totally come again next time I visit my hometown, especially as it's one of the few good options that isn't a chain restaurant.
(4)
Victoria Z.
Yes, I keep going back. I'm still keeping it at a two. However I must note two things...you always get the quiet girl as your server. ALWAYS. At least she's nice. Second, I found the keep to speedier service: Go in a half hour before they close. No complaints this time :)
(2)
Dana Z.
I gave this place another shot and it's absolutely mystifying to me how service here is SO horrible. I'm really a very patient person. I hardly ever complain about having to wait. So while I was waiting for 15 minutes for the waitress to bring out the napkins that we had to ASK for, I really tried to figure out how it could be so slow. Because I heard the waitresses at the various tables say "Sorry about the wait" at least a half dozen times. There were 4 waitresses, and 13 tables of guests including us. So that would average out to be about 3 tables per server. So I really can't understand how it takes them so long - and I mean LONG - to even greet you at your table... or bring your drinks.... or bring you an extra pita. I gave this place a second shot because the food here really honestly is great. If they had the service down I would probably give it 4 stars at least but the service really is THAT BAD. What a shame... I honestly don't think I will give it a 3rd try.
(1)
Rajan N.
Are you looking for a restaurant with barely-average quality food, RIDICULOUSLY overpriced entrees, chefs with NO culinary background, and a waitstaff hired for their looks and not their abilities? If that sounds like your cup of tea, then by all means, dine at Mediterranean Grill. You get a real quick indication of how overpriced things are when a side of their hummus costs almost as much as a meal at Chipotle, which is three doors away. In an economy where restaurants are dropping prices to compete with the new $5 standard for lunches, this place is quite happy to charge damn near $10 for a regular sized sandwich. For dinner, the majority of their kabob dishes (some of which are pretty good, but nothing great, and certainly lack in quantity of food served), are routinely close to $20 a pop. On the other hand, their beef kabobs - the only kabob dish under $15/dish - are tougher than a rusty coffin nail. In addition, the owners of the restaurant have openly stated in conversation that they hire their waitresses based on looks, and that they're very happy to dismiss one of them, because they're easily replaceable (given that they have no discernible skill set). Dine at the restaurant once a quarter (if you feel like blowing away a wad of money for dinner), and you will notice the turnover in the waitstaff yourself. It absolutely baffles me how this place stays in business. The owners have had to shut down several of their other branches in the area because of poor business, but this one is holding strong for reasons that defy me. I guess people will pay exhorbitant money to eat mediocre "Mediterranean" food, since it's the only real place to get such cuisine in town.
(1)
Monika M.
we had the spicy falafel salad and eggplant panini - delicious! nice ambience and attentive, friendly staff. only complaint - i was wearing a sweater and still freeeeeezing!
(4)
P G.
Wow, I'm surprised by the negative reviews. We live in the DC area and frequent Zaytinya and the Lebanese Tavernas. I'd say that Med. Grill is as good, plus it's quieter than Zaytinya. The food is great - we had the Mezza with six dishes - way too much food for two, but great and reasonably priced. Our server, Carey, was great...on the mark for everything we needed.
(4)
John B.
I really liked my meal here, but with some minor reservations. The good things were: chicken souvlaki almost perfectly seasoned and cooked, very good and a generous portion, My wife felt the same way about her spinach salad. ANd the grilled vegetable side was outstanding. So what are the reservations? - the staff was polite and efficient, but the food took a long time to come out, especially at lunchtime. - my small greek salad was fresh and crisp, but I like some chunks of feta and all I got was a light sprinkle. And only a couple of olives. - overall, I thought it was a little pricey - $40 for lunch for two (with a glass of wine and beer). No appetizers, no desserts. Plus tip. - on a brisk November day, it was a little chilly inside. We both ended up putting our coats on. The dining room is wide and shallow, so no one is really far from a door. Could be freezing in here on a winter's day.
(3)
Matt P.
Ridonkulous wait for nothing. Should have known before we sat down, but the place is pretty nice and menu looked decent. After waiting 5-10 minutes despite plenty of open tables we asked if we should just seat ourselves. A flustered hostess obliged. Once we got waters, we literally waited 30 minutes in pleasant conversation before the waitress came to tell us we could order now, but food would be 30-40 minutes! Perhaps the owners have grown bored of running a restaurant, but you'd think somethings that's been going for at least 8 years would have a little more going for it. On the plus side the 860 calories from Chipoltle around the corner never tasted so good. I think I'll stop by the Mountain View Diner for perfectly ok cheap Greek food next time I'm passing through Frederick; can't say I'm THAT intrigued by an $18 shwarma platter.
(1)
G K.
Definitely a fan & was surprised to see the low-ish rating. The mezza selections are great - the Lebanese is my favorite. Their lamb souvlaki is huge and well-priced. I miss the side of olives since they revised the menu, and enjoy their piping hot bread with Tzatziki. The service has always seemed just fine to me: this is not a super fine dining establishment. Most of the servers are young adults, who are proficient and polite. The only tiny down side is that it's too small, and so sometimes there is a short wait in an awkwardly small waiting area. Each time we've been here in 2011 (a few times), it's been nearly packed.
(4)
Laylah G.
I have been here several times, for both dining in and takeout. The food here is definitely good and (having spent a decent amount of time traveling around the Mediterranean area) pretty authentic as far as regional cuisine goes. HOWEVER. The service is only so-so, and the prices are way too high for what is essentially street food. Our most recent visit consisted of ordering take out in advance, with the view of grabbing it after our movie at Westview and heading home to eat. They said it wouldn't be a problem, and would be waiting for us when we got there. Unfortunately, they apparently ran out of the ingredients for one of our entrees, and we wound up waiting half an hour for a replacement entree. Not a big deal, just kind of annoying considering we had placed the order 2 hours previously and therefore it shouldn't have been an issue. In summary, the food is good, and I will continue to come back for the takeout (mainly so I don't have to deal with the service). The prices are a tad too high, and the service leaves you feeling like you should have gotten more for your money. I get cravings for Mediterranean cuisine fairly often though, and this is some of the best in Frederick, so I just can't help myself.
(3)
Karl M.
Excellent food, we often stop here before movies. Service has usually been fine, but they do seem to have trouble when they get crowded.
(4)
Christie V.
First, this is NOT a Greek restaurant. Think more towards Lebanese and general Mediterranean. There are some things this establishment does well (Shawarma, and (the now gone) Kifta Kabob), and there are some things that could use improvement, (service). The food. Ok. They've changed their menu twice in the last year, which is interesting. Seems they are moving away from "mediterranean." Tandoori speaks of east indian cuisine to me. And they got rid of a number of very mediterranean dishes, such as kifta. Appetizers are pretty good. The alcohol selection leaves a bit to be desired and not very impressive. It seems like the management is trying to impress with a "selection" of wine by displaying a lot of bottles on counters and shelves. A lot of bottles of wine stored upright in direct light (no-no). The service tends to be inconsistent, likely due to what one review notes is service staff turnover. On a recent visit, they had plenty of staff, but they all seemed to be quite new, and quite lost. They had a hostess (presumably to handle the weekend volume) who spent most of her time just standing there. Service typically takes twice as long as expected. If you have a lot of time, this is a great place. But given it's right next to a movie theater, it would behoove the staff to improve on the inefficiencies.
(3)
Will M.
Great Mediterranean spot! Tucked away in the Westview Cinema center. The wait staff was wonderful and very personable, my Spicy Chicken Swarma was wonderful with the neon pink pickled thingys and all. My wife had a veggie pizza of some sort and loved it! The Wine list was respectable for the venue, my wife thoroughly enjoyed her glasses. And I enjoyed hitting the rest of the wine samples she did not like. Got my swerve on for free, that's my financial reality! All in all the real deal, in this gem of a town named Fredrick.
(4)
Marissa C.
WOW! I truly didnt think I would find authentic middle eastern cuisine in Frederick....but this weekend I did! Great food, nice decor and decent service! The Belly Dancer on Sat. night is a plus! I am picky about my middle eastern food since its in my blood....but they didn't disappoint. I loved their Tzatiki (yogurt & cucumber dip) and fresh hot pita bread Good Tabouli (parsley salad) Enjoyed the Haloumi and Grape salad, but wished the grapes were cut in 1/2. Really yummy salad dressing and generous with the Haloumi cheese! The Kibbe was also enjoyable. Overall a good dining experience and I will be back!
(3)
Julia H.
We love this place but now that we have a child to take with us we find we can no longer eat there. The adult menu is wonderful and we have has many nice meals there. Their kids menu is the usual, pizza and horrible fried chicken "fingers"; all bought frozen from Sysco I am sure. So when we went there with our 1 yr old I asked if we could have a grilled chicken breast instead of the breaded, fried chicken. I've done this many other places who have no problem producing a small chicken breast equivalent in size to the chicken in the children's meal and get charged the same kids menu price. Here we got a chicken breast fit for a large, hungry adult and were charged $13 for it. Wow. Not at all family friendly. So if you are without kids it's a pretty good place to go. For us it will be years (until our kid can order and enjoy a meal from an adult menu) before we return.
(2)
Shawn O.
We tried this during a recent lunch hour. Service was slow and the food was lacking. The server comped our meal due to not being able to meet our request for quick service and an easy order. Falafel are to be smashed after preparation, not left as giant vegetarian meatballs in a sandwich that are impossible to eat. We have no real Greek culture in the Pacific Northwest, but the few Greek and Mediterranean restaurants run circles around this, and cheaper too.
(1)
K G.
Had the vegetarian mezza plate here, and although the presentation was impressive, the food was less so. I'm not an expert on Mediterranean, but I eat enough ethnic food to know that good food is just good food, regardless of nationality. This wasn't it. I might have given this establishment more of a break if the service hadn't been so poor. As many other reviewers have mentioned, some of their workers are very green. The server who helped me was polite, but said it was his first day, knew nothing about the menu, and was very quiet and generally awkward. It might be the first time I've met an introverted waiter anywhere. Since it was my first time at the restaurant, I was looking for guidance on what to order; I got none. The restaurant ambiance is fairly nice for a town center-type location, with the big caveat that the service area is very awkwardly located near the front entry / waiting area. On my first visit, it appeared that I was supposed to order from one of the three registers facing the dining area on a counter, as in a fast-food place. But no, it is indeed a sit-down place, with a strange dining room orientation/architecture. Speaking of sitting down... I've never noticed a restaurant chair being uncomfortable before, but I couldn't wait to get out of this one. My review joins a mix of high and low reviews. That usually tells me that your experience could vary widely based on your server and the food you order. So do you feel lucky?
(2)
Jess M.
We ordered takeout recently. Unfortunately the food was mediocre and the staff had a horrible attitude. I honestly don't think they're worth a try
(1)
Minda M.
Went last night for the second time. Our server, Lauren, was great so have no complaints about the service. The hostess was welcoming and was concerned that we sit at a table that would be comfortable for us - even though the place was packed and there was a line at the door. Once we were seated - maybe a 15 minute wait - saw people we knew - chatted back and forth. This is how a small restaurant vibe should be ! It's warm and cozy, CLEAN and every bit as easy to have an intimate dinner as well as a more noisy family/friends dinner. Started with a trio of dips and let Lauren pick them - their hummus is transcendental. Creamy, perfectly seasoned..also had a red pepper feta dip that was great. I had a pinot grigio that was just right and my husband had a Lebanese beer - kind of light and almost nutty but both drinks were the perfect match up for the food. My husband had lamb shanks and I had the chicken schwarma - they held the leftovers in the fridge for us while we went to the movies ! I could not wait to get home and finish the schwarma ! We'll put this one on our list of go-tos and re-introduce our kids to Mediterranean food. A great value for the money as well. So many times the more expensive restaurants we go to in Frederick, where we expect more, fall flat in some way. Hope this place keeps going strong !
(5)
Robert S.
This is one of my favorite places in Frederick! It is very consistent and offers a wide variety of options. I usually order one of the platters so I can try a few different things.
(5)
Dana C.
I was highly disappointed with my dining experience here. It took 15 minutes to get 2 glasses of water, I ordered a chicken gyro with a side of rice, after 45 mins the server came out to say they were out of rice. Another 45 mins later our food came out. I was surprised to see rice on my plate when I asked the server what happened she said the kitchen decided to make more rice and i just happened to have the privilege of waiting for it to be cooked. The chicken wasn't cooked thoroughly and parts of it were raw, not a good experience at all. It is highly over priced, the food was thrown together, the service was just as bad as the food, but hey the bathroom was clean.
(1)
Scott R.
Today we did carry-in office lunch for 20-some, all from here. No complaints from anyone. Mine was decent - chicken shwarma and a falafel appetizer - maybe not the best I've ever had, but respectable. The only thing I didn't like was the weird pickle assortment that came with the falafel. One was red and round, like a beet; the other was like a long super-thin dill ... but they were both pretty nasty. Some unworkable combo of hot, vinegar, and unpleasant spice that just didn't work. But if the only issue out of 20 some lunches is the garnish pickle ... then the place did pretty good. Pricing seemed reasonable, so we'll probably try again.
(3)
Bill D.
This charming little restaurant is more than one would expect to find in the typical strip mall. I enjoyed a delicious dish of lamb chops, sauteed mushrooms, and grilled vegetables. The chops were heavily sauced and better done than I prefer, but otherwise quite good. The vegetables were excellent. The portions were very generous (4 inch-thick chops!). I was charmed by the Arab music, including selections from Fairuz and the Moroccan group Saut el Atlas. I was a little surprised that the Turkish coffee was served unsweetened with sugar on the side, but it was good and such a rarity as to be a real pleasure.
(3)
Bill B.
This is one of my Frederick-area favorites. Lots of healthy and interesting items are on the menu, and overall this restaurant is ver Paleo-friendly. The atmosphere is pleasant for a strip-mall sort of restaurant, and prices are reasonable. I'd give them 5 stars but sometimes the service is a little awkward. I think they're breaking in some new young wait staff who aren't quite ready yet. But overall, the Mediterranean Grill is a sure bet for an excellent meal.
(4)
Zahra R.
Did take out this last Friday night. No complaints about the hour wait, they were very very busy. Food was terrible. We ordered lamb gyros, and the beef kebob dinner with grilled vegetables and basmati rice. The lamb was tough in the gyro, and really stale tasting. Serving was really really small. It came with a side of french fries, but barely any like a previous reviewer said. The beef kebob was terrible. Over cooked and tough. Really was not worth $13, not to mention the serving was microscopic. Overall, a 25 minutes drive down into Gaithersburg for Caspian or even Moby Dick would be a better choice. I do not want to rate the service in a negative way, cause the place was clearly busy. There were really too many people there that night for those poor kids (the waiters and waitresses) to care about one to go order. If you do to go, get ready to wait for one hour.
(2)
David S.
Visited this place on recommendation from my sister who lives in Frederick. Unlike Louise I found nothing creepy about this place. Maybe the creepiness was caused by thinking how to write a mediocre review. We found the restaurant to be clean and the menu filled with traditional Mediterranean fare. When I think Mediterranean the first thing that comes to mind is Greek Food. This is by no means is Greek food. We ordered the 6 mezhedes special for 30 bucks (ironically mezhedes in Greek is appetizers) Both the Spinach pies and Cheese pies were good and my wife enjoyed the eggplant in the tomato sauce. My son was pretty fond of the Meat pie as well. The Falafel and Hummus were the worst of the starters. I ordered the Lamb Gyro and My wife a Sandwich. Both sandwiches came with fries but both orders came out with 7-10 on each plate. The lamb gyro is not your typical gyro it is made with real lamb meat. The lamb was under seasoned and dry. The tzatzki sauce did not help it slide down. My wife's sandwich was good. The service was real poor, although the place was not busy we had to ask for refills of drinks and the server came around only once to check up on us. We did not stay for dessert. I would definitely go back and get the Mezhedes and try something else. This place is reasonably priced and worth a second chance.
(3)
Brenda A.
I have tried this place several times - as others have said - the place is on and off. The last visit was good but this most recent visit wasn't great. The menu has changed again and I agree it isn't clear where they are going with it. While the serving staff were trying, the wait for the meal was too long and nothing was hot. And watching people wait 30 minutes for a piece of bread or a salad isn't good. I'm not sure I'm going back.
(3)
Jason S.
This restaurant used to be at the top of my list for Frederick. However, recent events have caused it to take a severe nose dive, practically right off my list completely. I honestly don't think I could even recommend it to a friend in good faith. They're definitely going to have to redeem themselves. Middle Eastern, specifically Lebanese, is my absolute favorite type of food. This is the only place in Frederick to get Middle Eastern food. Even though it's not Lebanese (I think the owner's Iraqi - not 100% tho) they do have pretty tasty hummus and fatoosh. I always have them create a dish I used to get back home at Taboon in Grand Blanc, MI, so I've never actually had any real entree off of their menu. The dish is composed of flat bread smeared with hummus and then topped with rice and shish tawook (grilled chicken). Sounds easy, huh? Well, for some reason they can never get it right. Not sure why, but they often forget the hummus and put in lettuce and other goofy stuff. The last time I ate there the service took about 2 hours for us to get our entrees. When it did come, I bit into my sandwich (which was not what I had ordered) and something felt wet and slimy. I opened the sandwich up, and sure enough the chicken wasn't even close to being cooked. It still had that nasty translucent look to it. They ended up getting me another one to go and took it off the bill, but when you come in at 11:00am and leave at 1:30pm with your food "to-go," you know there's something wrong with the establishment. I'm not done with this place. If it had been my first time there, then I'd say, "Sayanara," but I've also had dozens of times where the service was extremely good. Besides, I'm too addicted to hummus and fatoosh. Ask for Katie if you're dining in - she'll take care of you. medgrillusa.com
(3)
Luisita S.
I ate here once. Food was mediocre. There is something creepy about this place. I can't put my finger on it but I'm not going back.
(1)
Twana C.
From the time we got there until the time we left the atmosphere in this place is not happy. Everyone seem as if they could have been somewhere else. The food was tasteless and plain. At the time of the visit there was about 20 patrons in the place about 4 inside and the remainder on the patio. The servers were very uncaring if you were there or not. When our drink glasses were empty no refills were brought or offered. Actually, once our food was served we had no other visit to our table. If the food could have made up for the glum surrounding I would have rated this as 2-stars but 1-star is my way of being nice.
(1)
Amy S.
Stop. Take a moment, and let me paint you a picture of this: Lamb Shank. What is it?Why its the joint in the leg of the lamb. Peasant food really, one of the cheapest meals on the menu. But in the hands of the Mediterranean Grill OH. MY. GOD. Think of your mother's best pot roast, then add real mint (not the crappy neon green mint jelly we Americans put on our lamb), a delicious thin sauce that if you refrigerate it firms up like only the best broth does, and a squeeze of lemon juice that elevates the thing and literally makes the plate glow in glorious splendor. You do not know food this good. I do not know food this good (I blackout from the overwhelmingly delicious flavor of the thing). There's enough meat there to get a heavenly second meal out of the next day if you somehow manage to put down the fork before devouring it all. You need this lamb shank. You want to go there now, to sit in the tiny hole in the wall of a place with the copper topped tables. Don't bother with anything else on the menu, I've never had anything that would compare before I found this dish. I will never eat anything else now that I've found it. Go find the lamb shank, and know ecstasy for a brief while. Happy eating.
(5)
Kevin C.
I've seen some pretty lame bad reviews for this place like a lady getting pissed about a lipstick stain and upset about an apology. Maybe she just wanted a free meal. I'm from San Diego California and Mediterranean food is everywhere there. There's good places and bad places there, but I know Mediterranean food and this place was amazing. Their pita bread is amazing, their hummus is amazing, their grape leaves are amazing and their deserts are amazing. Service was great and the atmosphere was great too. I don't have one bad thing to say about this place. I'll definitely be going back here and I would suggest it to anyone I met.
(5)
Richard J.
Had the Beef Gyro, the steak was tender and the pita bread was fresh and tasty. The service is always good here. The servers are knowledgable and friendly. I would recommend this restaurant to everyone.
(5)
Jill E.
Everything tonight was wonderful. As fresh as could be -- elevated home cooking, lovely service, a delicious bottle of wine. One of the rare restaurants that does a good job with vegetables, it's a reliable favorite for our family.
(5)
Carol F.
Gyros didn't come with shaved lamb. Filled with chunks of meat that was said to be lamb but had no flavor. Waitress meant well but other than that I was very disappointed and will not return or suggest this place to anyone.
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : Yes Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Lunch Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : Yes Wi-Fi : No Has TV : No Waiter Service : Yes Caters : Yes
Amy S.
Stop. Take a moment, and let me paint you a picture of this: Lamb Shank. What is it?Why its the joint in the leg of the lamb. Peasant food really, one of the cheapest meals on the menu. But in the hands of the Mediterranean Grill OH. MY. GOD. Think of your mother's best pot roast, then add real mint (not the crappy neon green mint jelly we Americans put on our lamb), a delicious thin sauce that if you refrigerate it firms up like only the best broth does, and a squeeze of lemon juice that elevates the thing and literally makes the plate glow in glorious splendor. You do not know food this good. I do not know food this good (I blackout from the overwhelmingly delicious flavor of the thing). There's enough meat there to get a heavenly second meal out of the next day if you somehow manage to put down the fork before devouring it all. You need this lamb shank. You want to go there now, to sit in the tiny hole in the wall of a place with the copper topped tables. Don't bother with anything else on the menu, I've never had anything that would compare before I found this dish. I will never eat anything else now that I've found it. Go find the lamb shank, and know ecstasy for a brief while. Happy eating.
(5)Twana C.
From the time we got there until the time we left the atmosphere in this place is not happy. Everyone seem as if they could have been somewhere else. The food was tasteless and plain. At the time of the visit there was about 20 patrons in the place about 4 inside and the remainder on the patio. The servers were very uncaring if you were there or not. When our drink glasses were empty no refills were brought or offered. Actually, once our food was served we had no other visit to our table. If the food could have made up for the glum surrounding I would have rated this as 2-stars but 1-star is my way of being nice.
(1)Kevin C.
I've seen some pretty lame bad reviews for this place like a lady getting pissed about a lipstick stain and upset about an apology. Maybe she just wanted a free meal. I'm from San Diego California and Mediterranean food is everywhere there. There's good places and bad places there, but I know Mediterranean food and this place was amazing. Their pita bread is amazing, their hummus is amazing, their grape leaves are amazing and their deserts are amazing. Service was great and the atmosphere was great too. I don't have one bad thing to say about this place. I'll definitely be going back here and I would suggest it to anyone I met.
(5)Richard J.
Had the Beef Gyro, the steak was tender and the pita bread was fresh and tasty. The service is always good here. The servers are knowledgable and friendly. I would recommend this restaurant to everyone.
(5)Jill E.
Everything tonight was wonderful. As fresh as could be -- elevated home cooking, lovely service, a delicious bottle of wine. One of the rare restaurants that does a good job with vegetables, it's a reliable favorite for our family.
(5)Carol F.
Gyros didn't come with shaved lamb. Filled with chunks of meat that was said to be lamb but had no flavor. Waitress meant well but other than that I was very disappointed and will not return or suggest this place to anyone.
(1)Blake H.
This place is absolutely amazing in every way possible. From extremely friendly service, to the appetizers, dips, entrees, and even desserts. This restaurant is smaller and in my belief, very underrated. My favorite menu items are the tiroslata, gyro, gyro salad, and the shish kabobs. Portions are definitely shareable and prices are on point. I've honestly never had a single bad experience and each server is unique in their own way. Whenever I come to Frederick, I always want to stop by. It is also an awesome place to eat lunch by yourself or with the family.
(5)Dana R.
The appetizer was awesome which was the Athens sampler. However, my husband and I ordered two different kabobs and they were both extremely tasteless. The wait staff was friendly and helpful.
(4)Emily L.
When your Syrian-born friend recommends a Middle Eastern restaurant as authentic, you pay attention. And I'm so glad I let him steer me to this place! [Side note: truly, "steer" is an accurate description, considering how buried it is in the middle of a shopping center. Tip: park near the movie theaters, stand at the door and walk straight ahead, then a little to the right. You'll see it right in front of you. There is, however, no way to see it from the street.] The atmosphere inside is surprising, given the strip-mall exterior: copper-sheathed tables, artsy photographs of sun-soaked villas and picturesque coastlines, and a pleasantly muted soundtrack (Spanish guitar, followed by Greek pop.) It's delightfully sophisticated, but casual enough that you're not too intimidated to enter in jeans. The food was absolutely delightful. First we had fattoush salad, which was full of fresh vegetables, crispy pita and a wonderful lemony vinaigrette. We tried both the vegetarian and traditional kibbeh, and though I love the cinnamon-spiced ground beef, the spinach-and-walnut version was really amazing too: perfectly fried with not a bit of greasiness, just a crispy exterior and steamy, tender filling. The sambousek were also delicious, even though pastries are not usually high on my list of preferences -- the shell was very thin and the filling perfectly seasoned, both vegetarian and meat versions. Tzatziki was thick, creamy and perfect as a dip for their pita, which they brought in abundance. The only missteps: the spicy kifta meatballs were not quite as spicy as I would have liked, and seemed a little tough; the dolmades were dry and pretty bland. With all the other amazing things to eat, however, we easily forgave those small problems. As you can probably tell, it seems to be a requirement of my Middle Eastern friends to order way too much food, and this meal was no exception. We took home two very full boxes and my husband ate leftovers for dinner, and then I finished the rest for lunch the next day. And actually, they only got better with time and refrigeration. Service was a little slow, but very friendly, and they get points for being extremely accommodating to my friend who is on a very restrictive diet (no salt, no sugar, limited carbs.) Next time I return (and I am sure there will be a next time!) I would love to try one of their entrees. With their authenticity and attention to detail, I'm sure the shwarma and swordfish would be noteworthy as well.
(4)Erika S.
Great customer service , and the food is delicious. My favorite dish is the chicken tandoori and for appetizer the fatayer with cheese.
(5)Samantha L.
It was just ok. My husband had the lamb shawarma and he was not too thrilled with the meat. I had the Zahlah platter. The tabouleh was very good. I also enjoyed the hummus. But the rest was just meh. Was very disappointed in the falafel and the meat sambousek. Very little flavor. The service was again ok. Unfortunately my stomach has been bothering me the entire afternoon after eating there so something just didn't sit well.
(3)Patrick D.
Stay away from this place. Food is gross, tiny portions for high price, service is despicable. I tried to give this place another try today because my family was in the mood for some kabobs and we used GrubHub to order since we didn't want to go though the hassle of loading up the van and driving in. Giving MG another chance was a horrible $100 mistake. First of all, I use GrubHub often and have had minimal issues with other restaurants I've ordered from. This is the second time having similar issues with MG, this time was much worse than before. 30 minutes after the promised delivery window, I called into the restaurant to ask when I should expect the food to be delivered. I was rudely asked for my name before being put on hold. Once the lady came back on the phone, she sassily told me that it would be delivered in less than 10 minutes and promptly hung up before I had a chance to say anything. Food didn't arrive for another 17 minutes. I wouldn't be as annoyed if the food was still warm when it came but it was cold, tough, and soggy. Obviously it was sitting around for a long time before I got it. On top of the temperature and consistency, the food was tasteless and overall gross. Because of the rude treatment I received when I called the restaurant, I decided to go to GrubHub's website to complain. GrubHub called the restaurant to voice my concerns and they refused to do anything to mend the situation. GrubHub, being the upstanding company they are, offered me an apology and gave some promotional cash to use towards my next order through them. They also recommended that I leave a review of MG. Here it is - gross food, small expensive portions, and lowly service. I cannot stress enough how far you should stay away from this dingy kitchen.
(1)Leilani R.
I used to frequent this place often. Even though management/staff shortage/changes, the food is just as delicious. Not sure if under new management since I was last here but the service was better. More waiter/waitresses. Due to past experiences I expected a long wait time for both service and food. This time the service was prompt and the food came about the time I expected. We waited about 15-20 minutes but I have no complaints. Even in the past when I wasn't in a rush to get anywhere, I didn't mind. You know why? THE FOOD IS DELICIOUS! This time around I ordered the shawarma with spicy chicken (which is a new addition since the last time I was there...spicy chicken meat) and he had the chicken souvlaki. We both had the side of basmati. rice with vermicelli. Let me say that we cleaned our plates. I recommend. Come here for a meal before or date a movie! If coming before, do allot some extra time. The food is worth it.
(4)Mavis T.
We always love their food but today, I found there's a lipstick stain on my glass! It's not mine cuz I didn't use a lipstick today. That's so gross! I told the waitress and she said they're really sorry. And That's All! Just one apology. Nothing more. Really disappointed and again that's so gross!
(1)Nick M.
The food was pretty good. My wife had a lentil soup and a mezze (dip) sampler of hummus, baba ganouj, and taziki. I had a "Turkish meat pizza" which resembled four gravy boats made of bread filled with mestizo sauce. All of it was really tasty. The service, however, was underwhelming. The interactions were fine, but for an uncrowded restaurant on a drizzly Monday we seemed to have to wait longer than was necessary. Perhaps they were understaffed on a holiday? We will go back for more of the delicious pickings from the menu and hopefully better service.
(3)Roberta M.
The falafel is wonderful as well as the gyros and salads. Veggie paninie is the best. Quick service and they also have a children's menu.
(5)Beata K.
Very average medeterriean food. The vegetarian sampler was pretty good although I wasn't a huge fan of the hummus, the taziki, falafel, etc. we're good. For an entree I got the chicken shwarma which was definitely not shwarma; it looked like fried eggs and was nowhere near what it should taste like. We also got the kefta which wasn't bad and the basmati rice was pretty good.
(3)Sondra K.
My husband and I eat here all the time. Its the best main stream Mediterranean food in Frederick that you can get. The prices are pretty reasonable, portions are good, and the staff is friendly. It doesn't have that real authentic feel, but it's definitely worth a try. You won't be disappointed.
(4)Keith W.
If you have a lot of time to kill, this is your place. Service is exceptionally slow, which would have been tolerable if my gyro was above average.
(2)Thomas V.
Perfect before or after the movies. Can do samplers of Messe or soups. Good selections of wines. Friendly staff who can help on selections.
(4)Paul M.
The food was good good, BUT the service was the slowest I ever went to any restaurant! Only one waitress for the entire restaurant while the other waitress just 'hung out' in the bar being 'lazy'. For example, soup should be served first before the salad, but never brought and forgot to bring to our table. Waitresses need more training with on time of pacing.
(3)Laith H.
Hands down the best Lebanese food in the Frederick area. The food is fresh and delicious. There salads are great and you can add a protein to any of them. There mezze (appetizer) samplers are an excellent way to try out the menu. The fresh baked pita bread and tizaki (cucumber dip) are a personal favorite. This restaurant is not a chain and is family owned. Service may vary as the waitstaff tends to be young but this has never been a major issue in my experience. Beer and wine is sold.
(5)Michele H.
One of our favorite restaurants in Frederick. Loved the Spicy Brochette appetizer. The lamb chops with pesto was amazing. Topped it off with Tiramisu and a Snickers Martini. Will definitely come back!
(5)Kendall D.
I came to the restaurant during a weekday lunch. The restaurant was quiet and not busy. The waiters were friendly and attentive. The Greek salad was disappointment. I never had a Greek salad where the salad dressing was just merely olive oil drizzled on top. The gyro was good (the shaved lamb melted in your mouth) but the pita was subpar (too soft and chewy). It was fairly priced for a lunch special ( $10 for a small salad and gyro).
(2)Corey W.
Food is authentic and addicting. The food can take longer than normal to come out (keep that in mind if you are headed to the movies next door), but why be in a rush with good food and good company. Grab a glass of wine or a beer and relax for a bit.
(5)Cynthia L.
I don't understand the lukewarm rating for this place. I've been here many times over the years, and ordered a variety of dishes, and I've never had a bad meal here. Everything has been at least good, and sometimes spectacular. The most recent time was, as usual, delicious. I ordered the falafel sandwich, which I've never had here, and a greek salad. The falafel was excellent--nice and crispy, but not greasy, and spiced well, with the usual accompaniments of tomato, lettuce, onion, and tsatziki sauce, plus some delicious beets. The greek salad was good, with real greek olives, but could have used more feta. My companion ordered the chicken shish kebab plate. He remarked on how much he liked the rice, he liked the texture and it was flavored well. The grilled items he also liked (finished the entire plate) and, though I didn't try any, they looked like they were grilled nicely and presented well. Our server was very friendly and took our orders accurately, though he could have been maybe a tad faster. One of my favorite things to do when coming here with a multiple people is get one of the appetizer combinations and share. I do plan to come here again at some point and do that. To address a couple of the complaints I've seen in other reviews: I don't find this place to be overpriced. Each of our lunch specials cost $10. For good-sized portions of freshly-prepared delicious food, this is to me a reasonable price. I also saw mention that "they charge you a dollar for 4 toasted cut outs of a small piece of a pita bread they did not make." Maybe they've changed the way they do things (I hadn't been here for a couple years probably), but today we were given pita bread and dipping sauce free of charge and without asking.
(5)Neil T.
Simply the best, freshest food. Take your time and enjoy. The Hummus is wonderful as is every dish. Give yourself time or carry out works well.
(5)Tony T.
One of the best Mediterranean Resturant I have ever visited, the freshness is all over your plate.
(5)Madison M.
this restaurant had excellent food and wonderful dessert. the costumer service was okay and the wait for the food was lengthy.
(3)Greg W.
Highly recommend, their hummus is the best we have had in the area.
(5)Anup D.
Wow I can't believe this place doesn't have atleast 4 stars overall, this is one of my favourite restaurants in Frederick ( Well I am strongly biased towards Middle eastern food,neverthless!). The food is always fresh and prepared with care. For appetizers the mezza dips are good and so is the lentil soup. For the main course my go to is the Mediterranean Cobb salad (Loaded with Avocado, Tomatoes, Boiled Eggs and olives) topped with Spicy Chicken Shawarma.. I've tried the salmon salad as well which is pretty good and couple of chef's specialities. The only drawback of this place is that it takes longer for the food to arrive to your table so if you're looking for a quick lunch place this is not it. You really can't go wrong by ordering anything of this menu, it's all good.
(5)Laura P.
I've eaten at this lovely little restuarant MANY times and the food was well priced and always delicious. I adore the mezzes especially the falafal and, kibbeh and baba ghanoush (and I'm not particularily fond of eggplant!). The Dolmas are excellent though I've learned I prefer them warm to cold. The Shawarma is always good and the apple, spianch & salmon salad is a great light meal! Also do not miss the Tiramisu!
(5)Jeffrey P.
When a customer visits a restaurant serving alcohol, there is always the outside chance that some party will drink more than is socially acceptable. Last night, my wife, daughter and I greatly enjoyed our meal at the Mediterranean Grill, but a table full of rip-roaringly drunk customers lost control of their volume control and peppered the conversation with foul language. Of course, an excellent meal became a notoriously bad time, and our waitress didn''t help by chirping in, "Enjoying the show?" Apparently the owner/manager wasn't on duty, but at my request, he did call me and was apologetic about my experience, for what that was worth. I imagine that my experience is just the chance you take when you have no control over your "co-diners"..
(4)Brenda B.
One of our favorite places to eat. So many good dishes that your bill can add up quickly. We often just get two or three mezza plates and just all share.
(4)Loren S.
This place is great. The food is fresh so go when you have time to relax and enjoy. I was at first concerned by other reviews that it was overpriced and can take a while yet I risked it as other reviews were so great. I am so glad I did. The food is all made fresh. No chain food served.
(5)Aaron H.
The appetizers are very good and fairly priced. Entrees are decent and overpriced. Wine is overpriced. Just go there for the Mezhedes and you won't be dissapointed!
(3)Maz W.
I took my family here after getting take out from a few days before, which left me somewhat impressed. It was a shawarma sandwich, kibbeh and tabbouleh. The shawarma wasn't traditional, but it was decent. The kibbeh was good. After we sat down and ordered, I realized I was about to spend more than I thought the food and service deserved. Let me illustrate this: anyone who has had Lebanese or even Mediterranean food before would be horrified at how they charge you a dollar for 4 toasted cut outs of a small piece of a pita bread they did not make. In a Mediterranean restaurant, you keep the bread coming. What is the point of serving zaatar dip then? The main reason restaurants like this end up closing is because their owners do not understand the culture of the food they serve. So they overcharge and serve less, alienating customers, and eventually scaring them away. I mean well when I tell the owner of this place: educate yourself and your servers about the food you are serving. Even though I thought the food was ok, we ended up spending more than we would have spent at a higher quality place, and that was because they force you to buy an expensive platter after 4 pm, kids only get free soda but not juice, and should you want some extra bread for food that was created to eat with bread, you will be charged a ridiculous surcharge. For that, I am giving it 2 stars. These are not the times when middle class families like us can splurge on restaurants if they don't know they will get their money's worth, or at least get the impression the servers know what they are serving.
(2)Bern B.
I go for the vegetarian platter which is always delicious, however the wait for the food seems to be getting longer. I did not receive my pita bread until half way through my meal either. I never go here expecting a quick meal but who has time for a two hour lunch???
(3)Lynia D.
Service: -Nice young gentleman, friendly. -food did not come out super quickly but our service was top rate. Food: -Everything is halal, all the meat is zabihah! -Tabouleh- top notch, flavorful and FRESH! -Chicken Tandoori Kabob- decent portion (not too much or too little), spicy, -grilled veggies- perfect -Lamb Shawrma- (my friend got it two nights in a row)- she said it was great. -Bakalva- fresh, homemade, super sweet...dusted with pistachios :-) Setting: -Clean linens and cultery -Warm lighting -Nice music
(4)A. C.
We waited for 25 minutes to get drinks, and then a few were forgotten, so that was another 10 minutes. Which means that one of our diners went 35 minutes sitting at the table before he was given a drink, which was water. Meanwhile, there were three staff members standing around talking to each other behind the counter, and one leaning against the wall in front. One hour and ten minutes after sitting down we got our food.
(1)Ginger R.
This is my favorite restaurant in Frederick. Fresh food takes time to prepare. You can taste the love and care put into the food. My family and I have dined here almost every week for 10 years. We have never been disappointed. My 7 year old daughter especially loves the spinach and lentil soup. The hummus, grape leaves, and falafel are my favorite. You cannot go wrong the the warm salmon and apple spinach salad...another favorite. I highly recommend this restaurant and remember good food takes time...nothing comes from a can or microwave.
(5)Dan S.
As we walked in, the majority of the people were staring at the belly-dancer with the sword perched on her head, except for the kids who were too embarrassed. I can't said I minded one bit that we had ordered takeout. This was my second time trying their food. It's pretty good, although not particularly different than lots of other Greek places. I enjoyed sharing a mix of a bunch of different dishes. Their Baba Ghanouj is smoky and good. Their Shwarma left a bit to be desired, but with some lemon was ok. The Greek Salad was basic, I liked the simple dressing. Hummus is tasty. Although it is pricey as others have noted, I enjoyed the meal overall. Mediterranean Grill strikes me as the first Greek place in town (no idea if that is true). It has some of the flavors and essence of Greek food, watered down a bit for an undereducated market. When you're craving Greek, you go there, and enjoy it, but it isn't a destination.
(3)Christopher L.
This restaurant gets a four, but it was rounded up from a three and a half. I rounded upwards because the restaurant has too low a Yelp score, in my view. The lower score is due to bad service, if you read the reviews. However, my experience was that the service was good, the wait staff very nice. The food was fresh and quite good and there are many vegetarian options. I had the falafel sandwich on wheat pita, spicy. While it lacked a bit of spice and didn't have quite enough tabbouleh, the falafel itself was crispy but not greasy. The flavor was very good. I would recommend it to those who like falafel. One of my daughters had fish (halibut) and chips, which was a bit greasy, but quite good. The fish was moist and flaky. My other daughter had the flat bread pizza, which tasted fine, but was rather too greasy with the melted cheese. In all, I would return to this place on anther trip south from State College, PA; it is a perfect distance from there if you are looking for a place to stop for lunch having left mid-morning. Intangibles: nice bathroom, real flowers on the tables which are made out of hammered copper. It is a bit hidden behind the main front of the mall and on your way back toward the cinema. In all, a good, solid restaurant.
(4)Jen K.
How does this place have such a terrible rating? I guess Frederick doesn't know good food. If it's not a chain it sucks in this town. This is a cute, clean place with nice decor and friendly staff. The food is fantastic! The ingredients were fresh, perfectly seasoned, served warm and fast. I would totally come again next time I visit my hometown, especially as it's one of the few good options that isn't a chain restaurant.
(4)Victoria Z.
Yes, I keep going back. I'm still keeping it at a two. However I must note two things...you always get the quiet girl as your server. ALWAYS. At least she's nice. Second, I found the keep to speedier service: Go in a half hour before they close. No complaints this time :)
(2)Dana Z.
I gave this place another shot and it's absolutely mystifying to me how service here is SO horrible. I'm really a very patient person. I hardly ever complain about having to wait. So while I was waiting for 15 minutes for the waitress to bring out the napkins that we had to ASK for, I really tried to figure out how it could be so slow. Because I heard the waitresses at the various tables say "Sorry about the wait" at least a half dozen times. There were 4 waitresses, and 13 tables of guests including us. So that would average out to be about 3 tables per server. So I really can't understand how it takes them so long - and I mean LONG - to even greet you at your table... or bring your drinks.... or bring you an extra pita. I gave this place a second shot because the food here really honestly is great. If they had the service down I would probably give it 4 stars at least but the service really is THAT BAD. What a shame... I honestly don't think I will give it a 3rd try.
(1)Rajan N.
Are you looking for a restaurant with barely-average quality food, RIDICULOUSLY overpriced entrees, chefs with NO culinary background, and a waitstaff hired for their looks and not their abilities? If that sounds like your cup of tea, then by all means, dine at Mediterranean Grill. You get a real quick indication of how overpriced things are when a side of their hummus costs almost as much as a meal at Chipotle, which is three doors away. In an economy where restaurants are dropping prices to compete with the new $5 standard for lunches, this place is quite happy to charge damn near $10 for a regular sized sandwich. For dinner, the majority of their kabob dishes (some of which are pretty good, but nothing great, and certainly lack in quantity of food served), are routinely close to $20 a pop. On the other hand, their beef kabobs - the only kabob dish under $15/dish - are tougher than a rusty coffin nail. In addition, the owners of the restaurant have openly stated in conversation that they hire their waitresses based on looks, and that they're very happy to dismiss one of them, because they're easily replaceable (given that they have no discernible skill set). Dine at the restaurant once a quarter (if you feel like blowing away a wad of money for dinner), and you will notice the turnover in the waitstaff yourself. It absolutely baffles me how this place stays in business. The owners have had to shut down several of their other branches in the area because of poor business, but this one is holding strong for reasons that defy me. I guess people will pay exhorbitant money to eat mediocre "Mediterranean" food, since it's the only real place to get such cuisine in town.
(1)Monika M.
we had the spicy falafel salad and eggplant panini - delicious! nice ambience and attentive, friendly staff. only complaint - i was wearing a sweater and still freeeeeezing!
(4)P G.
Wow, I'm surprised by the negative reviews. We live in the DC area and frequent Zaytinya and the Lebanese Tavernas. I'd say that Med. Grill is as good, plus it's quieter than Zaytinya. The food is great - we had the Mezza with six dishes - way too much food for two, but great and reasonably priced. Our server, Carey, was great...on the mark for everything we needed.
(4)John B.
I really liked my meal here, but with some minor reservations. The good things were: chicken souvlaki almost perfectly seasoned and cooked, very good and a generous portion, My wife felt the same way about her spinach salad. ANd the grilled vegetable side was outstanding. So what are the reservations? - the staff was polite and efficient, but the food took a long time to come out, especially at lunchtime. - my small greek salad was fresh and crisp, but I like some chunks of feta and all I got was a light sprinkle. And only a couple of olives. - overall, I thought it was a little pricey - $40 for lunch for two (with a glass of wine and beer). No appetizers, no desserts. Plus tip. - on a brisk November day, it was a little chilly inside. We both ended up putting our coats on. The dining room is wide and shallow, so no one is really far from a door. Could be freezing in here on a winter's day.
(3)Matt P.
Ridonkulous wait for nothing. Should have known before we sat down, but the place is pretty nice and menu looked decent. After waiting 5-10 minutes despite plenty of open tables we asked if we should just seat ourselves. A flustered hostess obliged. Once we got waters, we literally waited 30 minutes in pleasant conversation before the waitress came to tell us we could order now, but food would be 30-40 minutes! Perhaps the owners have grown bored of running a restaurant, but you'd think somethings that's been going for at least 8 years would have a little more going for it. On the plus side the 860 calories from Chipoltle around the corner never tasted so good. I think I'll stop by the Mountain View Diner for perfectly ok cheap Greek food next time I'm passing through Frederick; can't say I'm THAT intrigued by an $18 shwarma platter.
(1)G K.
Definitely a fan & was surprised to see the low-ish rating. The mezza selections are great - the Lebanese is my favorite. Their lamb souvlaki is huge and well-priced. I miss the side of olives since they revised the menu, and enjoy their piping hot bread with Tzatziki. The service has always seemed just fine to me: this is not a super fine dining establishment. Most of the servers are young adults, who are proficient and polite. The only tiny down side is that it's too small, and so sometimes there is a short wait in an awkwardly small waiting area. Each time we've been here in 2011 (a few times), it's been nearly packed.
(4)Marissa C.
WOW! I truly didnt think I would find authentic middle eastern cuisine in Frederick....but this weekend I did! Great food, nice decor and decent service! The Belly Dancer on Sat. night is a plus! I am picky about my middle eastern food since its in my blood....but they didn't disappoint. I loved their Tzatiki (yogurt & cucumber dip) and fresh hot pita bread Good Tabouli (parsley salad) Enjoyed the Haloumi and Grape salad, but wished the grapes were cut in 1/2. Really yummy salad dressing and generous with the Haloumi cheese! The Kibbe was also enjoyable. Overall a good dining experience and I will be back!
(3)Laylah G.
I have been here several times, for both dining in and takeout. The food here is definitely good and (having spent a decent amount of time traveling around the Mediterranean area) pretty authentic as far as regional cuisine goes. HOWEVER. The service is only so-so, and the prices are way too high for what is essentially street food. Our most recent visit consisted of ordering take out in advance, with the view of grabbing it after our movie at Westview and heading home to eat. They said it wouldn't be a problem, and would be waiting for us when we got there. Unfortunately, they apparently ran out of the ingredients for one of our entrees, and we wound up waiting half an hour for a replacement entree. Not a big deal, just kind of annoying considering we had placed the order 2 hours previously and therefore it shouldn't have been an issue. In summary, the food is good, and I will continue to come back for the takeout (mainly so I don't have to deal with the service). The prices are a tad too high, and the service leaves you feeling like you should have gotten more for your money. I get cravings for Mediterranean cuisine fairly often though, and this is some of the best in Frederick, so I just can't help myself.
(3)Christie V.
First, this is NOT a Greek restaurant. Think more towards Lebanese and general Mediterranean. There are some things this establishment does well (Shawarma, and (the now gone) Kifta Kabob), and there are some things that could use improvement, (service). The food. Ok. They've changed their menu twice in the last year, which is interesting. Seems they are moving away from "mediterranean." Tandoori speaks of east indian cuisine to me. And they got rid of a number of very mediterranean dishes, such as kifta. Appetizers are pretty good. The alcohol selection leaves a bit to be desired and not very impressive. It seems like the management is trying to impress with a "selection" of wine by displaying a lot of bottles on counters and shelves. A lot of bottles of wine stored upright in direct light (no-no). The service tends to be inconsistent, likely due to what one review notes is service staff turnover. On a recent visit, they had plenty of staff, but they all seemed to be quite new, and quite lost. They had a hostess (presumably to handle the weekend volume) who spent most of her time just standing there. Service typically takes twice as long as expected. If you have a lot of time, this is a great place. But given it's right next to a movie theater, it would behoove the staff to improve on the inefficiencies.
(3)Will M.
Great Mediterranean spot! Tucked away in the Westview Cinema center. The wait staff was wonderful and very personable, my Spicy Chicken Swarma was wonderful with the neon pink pickled thingys and all. My wife had a veggie pizza of some sort and loved it! The Wine list was respectable for the venue, my wife thoroughly enjoyed her glasses. And I enjoyed hitting the rest of the wine samples she did not like. Got my swerve on for free, that's my financial reality! All in all the real deal, in this gem of a town named Fredrick.
(4)Julia H.
We love this place but now that we have a child to take with us we find we can no longer eat there. The adult menu is wonderful and we have has many nice meals there. Their kids menu is the usual, pizza and horrible fried chicken "fingers"; all bought frozen from Sysco I am sure. So when we went there with our 1 yr old I asked if we could have a grilled chicken breast instead of the breaded, fried chicken. I've done this many other places who have no problem producing a small chicken breast equivalent in size to the chicken in the children's meal and get charged the same kids menu price. Here we got a chicken breast fit for a large, hungry adult and were charged $13 for it. Wow. Not at all family friendly. So if you are without kids it's a pretty good place to go. For us it will be years (until our kid can order and enjoy a meal from an adult menu) before we return.
(2)Karl M.
Excellent food, we often stop here before movies. Service has usually been fine, but they do seem to have trouble when they get crowded.
(4)Carrie A.
Worst service ever! Thought we would check this place out since it is near the movie theater and we had nearly an hour and half before our movie started. Well that was clearly not enough time. We waited for over 40 minutes for our appetizer to come and after waiting for about an hour we finally left without our lunch. The neighboring party, who ordered at the same time we did, had received and almost completed their meal before our appetizer even arrived. Something is not right with the management at this place. Don't bother with this place. There are better ones in Frederick.
(1)Shawn O.
We tried this during a recent lunch hour. Service was slow and the food was lacking. The server comped our meal due to not being able to meet our request for quick service and an easy order. Falafel are to be smashed after preparation, not left as giant vegetarian meatballs in a sandwich that are impossible to eat. We have no real Greek culture in the Pacific Northwest, but the few Greek and Mediterranean restaurants run circles around this, and cheaper too.
(1)steve m.
Fod was just okay, service was slooow. The $10 salad was a joke, more green pappers that anything else. The gyros were dry but very good once wer added tzaziki sauce to it. The hummus was flavorless. The kids meals were the best. The pizza was very good and fresh, the sliders were HUGE for a kid's portion. Besides the gyros and kids meal, everything was just ordinary. Just two waitresses patrolling inside and outside. Just slow service and slow on the refills. I would go there again, knowing now what to order.
(2)Amy T.
Good traditional menu items. The hummus and baba ganoush were not the best I've had, but they were deffinately fresh and very tasty. I have a warm place in my heart for Mediterranean food, so whenever there are olives, pita and soft cheese involved, my mood improves. The outdoor seating is great and everything we ordered was tasty and reasonably priced.
(3)K G.
Had the vegetarian mezza plate here, and although the presentation was impressive, the food was less so. I'm not an expert on Mediterranean, but I eat enough ethnic food to know that good food is just good food, regardless of nationality. This wasn't it. I might have given this establishment more of a break if the service hadn't been so poor. As many other reviewers have mentioned, some of their workers are very green. The server who helped me was polite, but said it was his first day, knew nothing about the menu, and was very quiet and generally awkward. It might be the first time I've met an introverted waiter anywhere. Since it was my first time at the restaurant, I was looking for guidance on what to order; I got none. The restaurant ambiance is fairly nice for a town center-type location, with the big caveat that the service area is very awkwardly located near the front entry / waiting area. On my first visit, it appeared that I was supposed to order from one of the three registers facing the dining area on a counter, as in a fast-food place. But no, it is indeed a sit-down place, with a strange dining room orientation/architecture. Speaking of sitting down... I've never noticed a restaurant chair being uncomfortable before, but I couldn't wait to get out of this one. My review joins a mix of high and low reviews. That usually tells me that your experience could vary widely based on your server and the food you order. So do you feel lucky?
(2)Jess M.
We ordered takeout recently. Unfortunately the food was mediocre and the staff had a horrible attitude. I honestly don't think they're worth a try
(1)Minda M.
Went last night for the second time. Our server, Lauren, was great so have no complaints about the service. The hostess was welcoming and was concerned that we sit at a table that would be comfortable for us - even though the place was packed and there was a line at the door. Once we were seated - maybe a 15 minute wait - saw people we knew - chatted back and forth. This is how a small restaurant vibe should be ! It's warm and cozy, CLEAN and every bit as easy to have an intimate dinner as well as a more noisy family/friends dinner. Started with a trio of dips and let Lauren pick them - their hummus is transcendental. Creamy, perfectly seasoned..also had a red pepper feta dip that was great. I had a pinot grigio that was just right and my husband had a Lebanese beer - kind of light and almost nutty but both drinks were the perfect match up for the food. My husband had lamb shanks and I had the chicken schwarma - they held the leftovers in the fridge for us while we went to the movies ! I could not wait to get home and finish the schwarma ! We'll put this one on our list of go-tos and re-introduce our kids to Mediterranean food. A great value for the money as well. So many times the more expensive restaurants we go to in Frederick, where we expect more, fall flat in some way. Hope this place keeps going strong !
(5)Robert S.
This is one of my favorite places in Frederick! It is very consistent and offers a wide variety of options. I usually order one of the platters so I can try a few different things.
(5)Dana C.
I was highly disappointed with my dining experience here. It took 15 minutes to get 2 glasses of water, I ordered a chicken gyro with a side of rice, after 45 mins the server came out to say they were out of rice. Another 45 mins later our food came out. I was surprised to see rice on my plate when I asked the server what happened she said the kitchen decided to make more rice and i just happened to have the privilege of waiting for it to be cooked. The chicken wasn't cooked thoroughly and parts of it were raw, not a good experience at all. It is highly over priced, the food was thrown together, the service was just as bad as the food, but hey the bathroom was clean.
(1)Scott R.
Today we did carry-in office lunch for 20-some, all from here. No complaints from anyone. Mine was decent - chicken shwarma and a falafel appetizer - maybe not the best I've ever had, but respectable. The only thing I didn't like was the weird pickle assortment that came with the falafel. One was red and round, like a beet; the other was like a long super-thin dill ... but they were both pretty nasty. Some unworkable combo of hot, vinegar, and unpleasant spice that just didn't work. But if the only issue out of 20 some lunches is the garnish pickle ... then the place did pretty good. Pricing seemed reasonable, so we'll probably try again.
(3)Bill D.
This charming little restaurant is more than one would expect to find in the typical strip mall. I enjoyed a delicious dish of lamb chops, sauteed mushrooms, and grilled vegetables. The chops were heavily sauced and better done than I prefer, but otherwise quite good. The vegetables were excellent. The portions were very generous (4 inch-thick chops!). I was charmed by the Arab music, including selections from Fairuz and the Moroccan group Saut el Atlas. I was a little surprised that the Turkish coffee was served unsweetened with sugar on the side, but it was good and such a rarity as to be a real pleasure.
(3)Bill B.
This is one of my Frederick-area favorites. Lots of healthy and interesting items are on the menu, and overall this restaurant is ver Paleo-friendly. The atmosphere is pleasant for a strip-mall sort of restaurant, and prices are reasonable. I'd give them 5 stars but sometimes the service is a little awkward. I think they're breaking in some new young wait staff who aren't quite ready yet. But overall, the Mediterranean Grill is a sure bet for an excellent meal.
(4)Zahra R.
Did take out this last Friday night. No complaints about the hour wait, they were very very busy. Food was terrible. We ordered lamb gyros, and the beef kebob dinner with grilled vegetables and basmati rice. The lamb was tough in the gyro, and really stale tasting. Serving was really really small. It came with a side of french fries, but barely any like a previous reviewer said. The beef kebob was terrible. Over cooked and tough. Really was not worth $13, not to mention the serving was microscopic. Overall, a 25 minutes drive down into Gaithersburg for Caspian or even Moby Dick would be a better choice. I do not want to rate the service in a negative way, cause the place was clearly busy. There were really too many people there that night for those poor kids (the waiters and waitresses) to care about one to go order. If you do to go, get ready to wait for one hour.
(2)David S.
Visited this place on recommendation from my sister who lives in Frederick. Unlike Louise I found nothing creepy about this place. Maybe the creepiness was caused by thinking how to write a mediocre review. We found the restaurant to be clean and the menu filled with traditional Mediterranean fare. When I think Mediterranean the first thing that comes to mind is Greek Food. This is by no means is Greek food. We ordered the 6 mezhedes special for 30 bucks (ironically mezhedes in Greek is appetizers) Both the Spinach pies and Cheese pies were good and my wife enjoyed the eggplant in the tomato sauce. My son was pretty fond of the Meat pie as well. The Falafel and Hummus were the worst of the starters. I ordered the Lamb Gyro and My wife a Sandwich. Both sandwiches came with fries but both orders came out with 7-10 on each plate. The lamb gyro is not your typical gyro it is made with real lamb meat. The lamb was under seasoned and dry. The tzatzki sauce did not help it slide down. My wife's sandwich was good. The service was real poor, although the place was not busy we had to ask for refills of drinks and the server came around only once to check up on us. We did not stay for dessert. I would definitely go back and get the Mezhedes and try something else. This place is reasonably priced and worth a second chance.
(3)Brenda A.
I have tried this place several times - as others have said - the place is on and off. The last visit was good but this most recent visit wasn't great. The menu has changed again and I agree it isn't clear where they are going with it. While the serving staff were trying, the wait for the meal was too long and nothing was hot. And watching people wait 30 minutes for a piece of bread or a salad isn't good. I'm not sure I'm going back.
(3)Julaine N.
I am shocked by the low rating! I can only assume it is because of the service. I have had some immature waiters and waitresses here in the past, but the service seems to be improving. The last time I was here I sat outside and the waitress was very friendly and attentive. There are also more menu items that I have not tried such as the flat bread sandwiches and panini. My favorite dish here is the vegetarian mezza sampler which includes hummus and falafel. Their falafel is wonderful! The cucumber-yogurt sauce makes a great dip with the spicy falafel. The hummus is also wonderful, and I appreciate that they offer both white and wheat pita. I could eat just the hummus as a meal. Absolutely delicious. The salads are fresh - but HUGE! Order a small unless you are planning on sharing or have a big appetite. I enjoy eating here regularly as the food is fresh, well-spiced, with lots of vegetarian options. It can be a bit pricey if you order meat dishes. I definitely appreciate a yummy mediterranean restaurant in Frederick!
(4)Ringo B.
Nice change from the average fair in Frederick. Great veggie selection, veggie kibbeh is wonderful. Great place to sit outside and people watch during the summer.
(5)Jason S.
This restaurant used to be at the top of my list for Frederick. However, recent events have caused it to take a severe nose dive, practically right off my list completely. I honestly don't think I could even recommend it to a friend in good faith. They're definitely going to have to redeem themselves. Middle Eastern, specifically Lebanese, is my absolute favorite type of food. This is the only place in Frederick to get Middle Eastern food. Even though it's not Lebanese (I think the owner's Iraqi - not 100% tho) they do have pretty tasty hummus and fatoosh. I always have them create a dish I used to get back home at Taboon in Grand Blanc, MI, so I've never actually had any real entree off of their menu. The dish is composed of flat bread smeared with hummus and then topped with rice and shish tawook (grilled chicken). Sounds easy, huh? Well, for some reason they can never get it right. Not sure why, but they often forget the hummus and put in lettuce and other goofy stuff. The last time I ate there the service took about 2 hours for us to get our entrees. When it did come, I bit into my sandwich (which was not what I had ordered) and something felt wet and slimy. I opened the sandwich up, and sure enough the chicken wasn't even close to being cooked. It still had that nasty translucent look to it. They ended up getting me another one to go and took it off the bill, but when you come in at 11:00am and leave at 1:30pm with your food "to-go," you know there's something wrong with the establishment. I'm not done with this place. If it had been my first time there, then I'd say, "Sayanara," but I've also had dozens of times where the service was extremely good. Besides, I'm too addicted to hummus and fatoosh. Ask for Katie if you're dining in - she'll take care of you. medgrillusa.com
(3)Luisita S.
I ate here once. Food was mediocre. There is something creepy about this place. I can't put my finger on it but I'm not going back.
(1)Blake H.
This place is absolutely amazing in every way possible. From extremely friendly service, to the appetizers, dips, entrees, and even desserts. This restaurant is smaller and in my belief, very underrated. My favorite menu items are the tiroslata, gyro, gyro salad, and the shish kabobs. Portions are definitely shareable and prices are on point. I've honestly never had a single bad experience and each server is unique in their own way. Whenever I come to Frederick, I always want to stop by. It is also an awesome place to eat lunch by yourself or with the family.
(5)Dana R.
The appetizer was awesome which was the Athens sampler. However, my husband and I ordered two different kabobs and they were both extremely tasteless. The wait staff was friendly and helpful.
(4)Nick M.
The food was pretty good. My wife had a lentil soup and a mezze (dip) sampler of hummus, baba ganouj, and taziki. I had a "Turkish meat pizza" which resembled four gravy boats made of bread filled with mestizo sauce. All of it was really tasty. The service, however, was underwhelming. The interactions were fine, but for an uncrowded restaurant on a drizzly Monday we seemed to have to wait longer than was necessary. Perhaps they were understaffed on a holiday? We will go back for more of the delicious pickings from the menu and hopefully better service.
(3)Roberta M.
The falafel is wonderful as well as the gyros and salads. Veggie paninie is the best. Quick service and they also have a children's menu.
(5)Emily L.
When your Syrian-born friend recommends a Middle Eastern restaurant as authentic, you pay attention. And I'm so glad I let him steer me to this place! [Side note: truly, "steer" is an accurate description, considering how buried it is in the middle of a shopping center. Tip: park near the movie theaters, stand at the door and walk straight ahead, then a little to the right. You'll see it right in front of you. There is, however, no way to see it from the street.] The atmosphere inside is surprising, given the strip-mall exterior: copper-sheathed tables, artsy photographs of sun-soaked villas and picturesque coastlines, and a pleasantly muted soundtrack (Spanish guitar, followed by Greek pop.) It's delightfully sophisticated, but casual enough that you're not too intimidated to enter in jeans. The food was absolutely delightful. First we had fattoush salad, which was full of fresh vegetables, crispy pita and a wonderful lemony vinaigrette. We tried both the vegetarian and traditional kibbeh, and though I love the cinnamon-spiced ground beef, the spinach-and-walnut version was really amazing too: perfectly fried with not a bit of greasiness, just a crispy exterior and steamy, tender filling. The sambousek were also delicious, even though pastries are not usually high on my list of preferences -- the shell was very thin and the filling perfectly seasoned, both vegetarian and meat versions. Tzatziki was thick, creamy and perfect as a dip for their pita, which they brought in abundance. The only missteps: the spicy kifta meatballs were not quite as spicy as I would have liked, and seemed a little tough; the dolmades were dry and pretty bland. With all the other amazing things to eat, however, we easily forgave those small problems. As you can probably tell, it seems to be a requirement of my Middle Eastern friends to order way too much food, and this meal was no exception. We took home two very full boxes and my husband ate leftovers for dinner, and then I finished the rest for lunch the next day. And actually, they only got better with time and refrigeration. Service was a little slow, but very friendly, and they get points for being extremely accommodating to my friend who is on a very restrictive diet (no salt, no sugar, limited carbs.) Next time I return (and I am sure there will be a next time!) I would love to try one of their entrees. With their authenticity and attention to detail, I'm sure the shwarma and swordfish would be noteworthy as well.
(4)Erika S.
Great customer service , and the food is delicious. My favorite dish is the chicken tandoori and for appetizer the fatayer with cheese.
(5)Samantha L.
It was just ok. My husband had the lamb shawarma and he was not too thrilled with the meat. I had the Zahlah platter. The tabouleh was very good. I also enjoyed the hummus. But the rest was just meh. Was very disappointed in the falafel and the meat sambousek. Very little flavor. The service was again ok. Unfortunately my stomach has been bothering me the entire afternoon after eating there so something just didn't sit well.
(3)Patrick D.
Stay away from this place. Food is gross, tiny portions for high price, service is despicable. I tried to give this place another try today because my family was in the mood for some kabobs and we used GrubHub to order since we didn't want to go though the hassle of loading up the van and driving in. Giving MG another chance was a horrible $100 mistake. First of all, I use GrubHub often and have had minimal issues with other restaurants I've ordered from. This is the second time having similar issues with MG, this time was much worse than before. 30 minutes after the promised delivery window, I called into the restaurant to ask when I should expect the food to be delivered. I was rudely asked for my name before being put on hold. Once the lady came back on the phone, she sassily told me that it would be delivered in less than 10 minutes and promptly hung up before I had a chance to say anything. Food didn't arrive for another 17 minutes. I wouldn't be as annoyed if the food was still warm when it came but it was cold, tough, and soggy. Obviously it was sitting around for a long time before I got it. On top of the temperature and consistency, the food was tasteless and overall gross. Because of the rude treatment I received when I called the restaurant, I decided to go to GrubHub's website to complain. GrubHub called the restaurant to voice my concerns and they refused to do anything to mend the situation. GrubHub, being the upstanding company they are, offered me an apology and gave some promotional cash to use towards my next order through them. They also recommended that I leave a review of MG. Here it is - gross food, small expensive portions, and lowly service. I cannot stress enough how far you should stay away from this dingy kitchen.
(1)Leilani R.
I used to frequent this place often. Even though management/staff shortage/changes, the food is just as delicious. Not sure if under new management since I was last here but the service was better. More waiter/waitresses. Due to past experiences I expected a long wait time for both service and food. This time the service was prompt and the food came about the time I expected. We waited about 15-20 minutes but I have no complaints. Even in the past when I wasn't in a rush to get anywhere, I didn't mind. You know why? THE FOOD IS DELICIOUS! This time around I ordered the shawarma with spicy chicken (which is a new addition since the last time I was there...spicy chicken meat) and he had the chicken souvlaki. We both had the side of basmati. rice with vermicelli. Let me say that we cleaned our plates. I recommend. Come here for a meal before or date a movie! If coming before, do allot some extra time. The food is worth it.
(4)Mavis T.
We always love their food but today, I found there's a lipstick stain on my glass! It's not mine cuz I didn't use a lipstick today. That's so gross! I told the waitress and she said they're really sorry. And That's All! Just one apology. Nothing more. Really disappointed and again that's so gross!
(1)Beata K.
Very average medeterriean food. The vegetarian sampler was pretty good although I wasn't a huge fan of the hummus, the taziki, falafel, etc. we're good. For an entree I got the chicken shwarma which was definitely not shwarma; it looked like fried eggs and was nowhere near what it should taste like. We also got the kefta which wasn't bad and the basmati rice was pretty good.
(3)Sondra K.
My husband and I eat here all the time. Its the best main stream Mediterranean food in Frederick that you can get. The prices are pretty reasonable, portions are good, and the staff is friendly. It doesn't have that real authentic feel, but it's definitely worth a try. You won't be disappointed.
(4)Keith W.
If you have a lot of time to kill, this is your place. Service is exceptionally slow, which would have been tolerable if my gyro was above average.
(2)Thomas V.
Perfect before or after the movies. Can do samplers of Messe or soups. Good selections of wines. Friendly staff who can help on selections.
(4)Paul M.
The food was good good, BUT the service was the slowest I ever went to any restaurant! Only one waitress for the entire restaurant while the other waitress just 'hung out' in the bar being 'lazy'. For example, soup should be served first before the salad, but never brought and forgot to bring to our table. Waitresses need more training with on time of pacing.
(3)Laith H.
Hands down the best Lebanese food in the Frederick area. The food is fresh and delicious. There salads are great and you can add a protein to any of them. There mezze (appetizer) samplers are an excellent way to try out the menu. The fresh baked pita bread and tizaki (cucumber dip) are a personal favorite. This restaurant is not a chain and is family owned. Service may vary as the waitstaff tends to be young but this has never been a major issue in my experience. Beer and wine is sold.
(5)Michele H.
One of our favorite restaurants in Frederick. Loved the Spicy Brochette appetizer. The lamb chops with pesto was amazing. Topped it off with Tiramisu and a Snickers Martini. Will definitely come back!
(5)Kendall D.
I came to the restaurant during a weekday lunch. The restaurant was quiet and not busy. The waiters were friendly and attentive. The Greek salad was disappointment. I never had a Greek salad where the salad dressing was just merely olive oil drizzled on top. The gyro was good (the shaved lamb melted in your mouth) but the pita was subpar (too soft and chewy). It was fairly priced for a lunch special ( $10 for a small salad and gyro).
(2)Corey W.
Food is authentic and addicting. The food can take longer than normal to come out (keep that in mind if you are headed to the movies next door), but why be in a rush with good food and good company. Grab a glass of wine or a beer and relax for a bit.
(5)Cynthia L.
I don't understand the lukewarm rating for this place. I've been here many times over the years, and ordered a variety of dishes, and I've never had a bad meal here. Everything has been at least good, and sometimes spectacular. The most recent time was, as usual, delicious. I ordered the falafel sandwich, which I've never had here, and a greek salad. The falafel was excellent--nice and crispy, but not greasy, and spiced well, with the usual accompaniments of tomato, lettuce, onion, and tsatziki sauce, plus some delicious beets. The greek salad was good, with real greek olives, but could have used more feta. My companion ordered the chicken shish kebab plate. He remarked on how much he liked the rice, he liked the texture and it was flavored well. The grilled items he also liked (finished the entire plate) and, though I didn't try any, they looked like they were grilled nicely and presented well. Our server was very friendly and took our orders accurately, though he could have been maybe a tad faster. One of my favorite things to do when coming here with a multiple people is get one of the appetizer combinations and share. I do plan to come here again at some point and do that. To address a couple of the complaints I've seen in other reviews: I don't find this place to be overpriced. Each of our lunch specials cost $10. For good-sized portions of freshly-prepared delicious food, this is to me a reasonable price. I also saw mention that "they charge you a dollar for 4 toasted cut outs of a small piece of a pita bread they did not make." Maybe they've changed the way they do things (I hadn't been here for a couple years probably), but today we were given pita bread and dipping sauce free of charge and without asking.
(5)Neil T.
Simply the best, freshest food. Take your time and enjoy. The Hummus is wonderful as is every dish. Give yourself time or carry out works well.
(5)Tony T.
One of the best Mediterranean Resturant I have ever visited, the freshness is all over your plate.
(5)Madison M.
this restaurant had excellent food and wonderful dessert. the costumer service was okay and the wait for the food was lengthy.
(3)Greg W.
Highly recommend, their hummus is the best we have had in the area.
(5)Anup D.
Wow I can't believe this place doesn't have atleast 4 stars overall, this is one of my favourite restaurants in Frederick ( Well I am strongly biased towards Middle eastern food,neverthless!). The food is always fresh and prepared with care. For appetizers the mezza dips are good and so is the lentil soup. For the main course my go to is the Mediterranean Cobb salad (Loaded with Avocado, Tomatoes, Boiled Eggs and olives) topped with Spicy Chicken Shawarma.. I've tried the salmon salad as well which is pretty good and couple of chef's specialities. The only drawback of this place is that it takes longer for the food to arrive to your table so if you're looking for a quick lunch place this is not it. You really can't go wrong by ordering anything of this menu, it's all good.
(5)Laura P.
I've eaten at this lovely little restuarant MANY times and the food was well priced and always delicious. I adore the mezzes especially the falafal and, kibbeh and baba ghanoush (and I'm not particularily fond of eggplant!). The Dolmas are excellent though I've learned I prefer them warm to cold. The Shawarma is always good and the apple, spianch & salmon salad is a great light meal! Also do not miss the Tiramisu!
(5)Jeffrey P.
When a customer visits a restaurant serving alcohol, there is always the outside chance that some party will drink more than is socially acceptable. Last night, my wife, daughter and I greatly enjoyed our meal at the Mediterranean Grill, but a table full of rip-roaringly drunk customers lost control of their volume control and peppered the conversation with foul language. Of course, an excellent meal became a notoriously bad time, and our waitress didn''t help by chirping in, "Enjoying the show?" Apparently the owner/manager wasn't on duty, but at my request, he did call me and was apologetic about my experience, for what that was worth. I imagine that my experience is just the chance you take when you have no control over your "co-diners"..
(4)Brenda B.
One of our favorite places to eat. So many good dishes that your bill can add up quickly. We often just get two or three mezza plates and just all share.
(4)Maz W.
I took my family here after getting take out from a few days before, which left me somewhat impressed. It was a shawarma sandwich, kibbeh and tabbouleh. The shawarma wasn't traditional, but it was decent. The kibbeh was good. After we sat down and ordered, I realized I was about to spend more than I thought the food and service deserved. Let me illustrate this: anyone who has had Lebanese or even Mediterranean food before would be horrified at how they charge you a dollar for 4 toasted cut outs of a small piece of a pita bread they did not make. In a Mediterranean restaurant, you keep the bread coming. What is the point of serving zaatar dip then? The main reason restaurants like this end up closing is because their owners do not understand the culture of the food they serve. So they overcharge and serve less, alienating customers, and eventually scaring them away. I mean well when I tell the owner of this place: educate yourself and your servers about the food you are serving. Even though I thought the food was ok, we ended up spending more than we would have spent at a higher quality place, and that was because they force you to buy an expensive platter after 4 pm, kids only get free soda but not juice, and should you want some extra bread for food that was created to eat with bread, you will be charged a ridiculous surcharge. For that, I am giving it 2 stars. These are not the times when middle class families like us can splurge on restaurants if they don't know they will get their money's worth, or at least get the impression the servers know what they are serving.
(2)Bern B.
I go for the vegetarian platter which is always delicious, however the wait for the food seems to be getting longer. I did not receive my pita bread until half way through my meal either. I never go here expecting a quick meal but who has time for a two hour lunch???
(3)Julaine N.
I am shocked by the low rating! I can only assume it is because of the service. I have had some immature waiters and waitresses here in the past, but the service seems to be improving. The last time I was here I sat outside and the waitress was very friendly and attentive. There are also more menu items that I have not tried such as the flat bread sandwiches and panini. My favorite dish here is the vegetarian mezza sampler which includes hummus and falafel. Their falafel is wonderful! The cucumber-yogurt sauce makes a great dip with the spicy falafel. The hummus is also wonderful, and I appreciate that they offer both white and wheat pita. I could eat just the hummus as a meal. Absolutely delicious. The salads are fresh - but HUGE! Order a small unless you are planning on sharing or have a big appetite. I enjoy eating here regularly as the food is fresh, well-spiced, with lots of vegetarian options. It can be a bit pricey if you order meat dishes. I definitely appreciate a yummy mediterranean restaurant in Frederick!
(4)Ringo B.
Nice change from the average fair in Frederick. Great veggie selection, veggie kibbeh is wonderful. Great place to sit outside and people watch during the summer.
(5)steve m.
Fod was just okay, service was slooow. The $10 salad was a joke, more green pappers that anything else. The gyros were dry but very good once wer added tzaziki sauce to it. The hummus was flavorless. The kids meals were the best. The pizza was very good and fresh, the sliders were HUGE for a kid's portion. Besides the gyros and kids meal, everything was just ordinary. Just two waitresses patrolling inside and outside. Just slow service and slow on the refills. I would go there again, knowing now what to order.
(2)Amy T.
Good traditional menu items. The hummus and baba ganoush were not the best I've had, but they were deffinately fresh and very tasty. I have a warm place in my heart for Mediterranean food, so whenever there are olives, pita and soft cheese involved, my mood improves. The outdoor seating is great and everything we ordered was tasty and reasonably priced.
(3)Loren S.
This place is great. The food is fresh so go when you have time to relax and enjoy. I was at first concerned by other reviews that it was overpriced and can take a while yet I risked it as other reviews were so great. I am so glad I did. The food is all made fresh. No chain food served.
(5)Aaron H.
The appetizers are very good and fairly priced. Entrees are decent and overpriced. Wine is overpriced. Just go there for the Mezhedes and you won't be dissapointed!
(3)Lynia D.
Service: -Nice young gentleman, friendly. -food did not come out super quickly but our service was top rate. Food: -Everything is halal, all the meat is zabihah! -Tabouleh- top notch, flavorful and FRESH! -Chicken Tandoori Kabob- decent portion (not too much or too little), spicy, -grilled veggies- perfect -Lamb Shawrma- (my friend got it two nights in a row)- she said it was great. -Bakalva- fresh, homemade, super sweet...dusted with pistachios :-) Setting: -Clean linens and cultery -Warm lighting -Nice music
(4)A. C.
We waited for 25 minutes to get drinks, and then a few were forgotten, so that was another 10 minutes. Which means that one of our diners went 35 minutes sitting at the table before he was given a drink, which was water. Meanwhile, there were three staff members standing around talking to each other behind the counter, and one leaning against the wall in front. One hour and ten minutes after sitting down we got our food.
(1)Ginger R.
This is my favorite restaurant in Frederick. Fresh food takes time to prepare. You can taste the love and care put into the food. My family and I have dined here almost every week for 10 years. We have never been disappointed. My 7 year old daughter especially loves the spinach and lentil soup. The hummus, grape leaves, and falafel are my favorite. You cannot go wrong the the warm salmon and apple spinach salad...another favorite. I highly recommend this restaurant and remember good food takes time...nothing comes from a can or microwave.
(5)Dan S.
As we walked in, the majority of the people were staring at the belly-dancer with the sword perched on her head, except for the kids who were too embarrassed. I can't said I minded one bit that we had ordered takeout. This was my second time trying their food. It's pretty good, although not particularly different than lots of other Greek places. I enjoyed sharing a mix of a bunch of different dishes. Their Baba Ghanouj is smoky and good. Their Shwarma left a bit to be desired, but with some lemon was ok. The Greek Salad was basic, I liked the simple dressing. Hummus is tasty. Although it is pricey as others have noted, I enjoyed the meal overall. Mediterranean Grill strikes me as the first Greek place in town (no idea if that is true). It has some of the flavors and essence of Greek food, watered down a bit for an undereducated market. When you're craving Greek, you go there, and enjoy it, but it isn't a destination.
(3)Carrie A.
Worst service ever! Thought we would check this place out since it is near the movie theater and we had nearly an hour and half before our movie started. Well that was clearly not enough time. We waited for over 40 minutes for our appetizer to come and after waiting for about an hour we finally left without our lunch. The neighboring party, who ordered at the same time we did, had received and almost completed their meal before our appetizer even arrived. Something is not right with the management at this place. Don't bother with this place. There are better ones in Frederick.
(1)Christopher L.
This restaurant gets a four, but it was rounded up from a three and a half. I rounded upwards because the restaurant has too low a Yelp score, in my view. The lower score is due to bad service, if you read the reviews. However, my experience was that the service was good, the wait staff very nice. The food was fresh and quite good and there are many vegetarian options. I had the falafel sandwich on wheat pita, spicy. While it lacked a bit of spice and didn't have quite enough tabbouleh, the falafel itself was crispy but not greasy. The flavor was very good. I would recommend it to those who like falafel. One of my daughters had fish (halibut) and chips, which was a bit greasy, but quite good. The fish was moist and flaky. My other daughter had the flat bread pizza, which tasted fine, but was rather too greasy with the melted cheese. In all, I would return to this place on anther trip south from State College, PA; it is a perfect distance from there if you are looking for a place to stop for lunch having left mid-morning. Intangibles: nice bathroom, real flowers on the tables which are made out of hammered copper. It is a bit hidden behind the main front of the mall and on your way back toward the cinema. In all, a good, solid restaurant.
(4)Jen K.
How does this place have such a terrible rating? I guess Frederick doesn't know good food. If it's not a chain it sucks in this town. This is a cute, clean place with nice decor and friendly staff. The food is fantastic! The ingredients were fresh, perfectly seasoned, served warm and fast. I would totally come again next time I visit my hometown, especially as it's one of the few good options that isn't a chain restaurant.
(4)Victoria Z.
Yes, I keep going back. I'm still keeping it at a two. However I must note two things...you always get the quiet girl as your server. ALWAYS. At least she's nice. Second, I found the keep to speedier service: Go in a half hour before they close. No complaints this time :)
(2)Dana Z.
I gave this place another shot and it's absolutely mystifying to me how service here is SO horrible. I'm really a very patient person. I hardly ever complain about having to wait. So while I was waiting for 15 minutes for the waitress to bring out the napkins that we had to ASK for, I really tried to figure out how it could be so slow. Because I heard the waitresses at the various tables say "Sorry about the wait" at least a half dozen times. There were 4 waitresses, and 13 tables of guests including us. So that would average out to be about 3 tables per server. So I really can't understand how it takes them so long - and I mean LONG - to even greet you at your table... or bring your drinks.... or bring you an extra pita. I gave this place a second shot because the food here really honestly is great. If they had the service down I would probably give it 4 stars at least but the service really is THAT BAD. What a shame... I honestly don't think I will give it a 3rd try.
(1)Rajan N.
Are you looking for a restaurant with barely-average quality food, RIDICULOUSLY overpriced entrees, chefs with NO culinary background, and a waitstaff hired for their looks and not their abilities? If that sounds like your cup of tea, then by all means, dine at Mediterranean Grill. You get a real quick indication of how overpriced things are when a side of their hummus costs almost as much as a meal at Chipotle, which is three doors away. In an economy where restaurants are dropping prices to compete with the new $5 standard for lunches, this place is quite happy to charge damn near $10 for a regular sized sandwich. For dinner, the majority of their kabob dishes (some of which are pretty good, but nothing great, and certainly lack in quantity of food served), are routinely close to $20 a pop. On the other hand, their beef kabobs - the only kabob dish under $15/dish - are tougher than a rusty coffin nail. In addition, the owners of the restaurant have openly stated in conversation that they hire their waitresses based on looks, and that they're very happy to dismiss one of them, because they're easily replaceable (given that they have no discernible skill set). Dine at the restaurant once a quarter (if you feel like blowing away a wad of money for dinner), and you will notice the turnover in the waitstaff yourself. It absolutely baffles me how this place stays in business. The owners have had to shut down several of their other branches in the area because of poor business, but this one is holding strong for reasons that defy me. I guess people will pay exhorbitant money to eat mediocre "Mediterranean" food, since it's the only real place to get such cuisine in town.
(1)Monika M.
we had the spicy falafel salad and eggplant panini - delicious! nice ambience and attentive, friendly staff. only complaint - i was wearing a sweater and still freeeeeezing!
(4)P G.
Wow, I'm surprised by the negative reviews. We live in the DC area and frequent Zaytinya and the Lebanese Tavernas. I'd say that Med. Grill is as good, plus it's quieter than Zaytinya. The food is great - we had the Mezza with six dishes - way too much food for two, but great and reasonably priced. Our server, Carey, was great...on the mark for everything we needed.
(4)John B.
I really liked my meal here, but with some minor reservations. The good things were: chicken souvlaki almost perfectly seasoned and cooked, very good and a generous portion, My wife felt the same way about her spinach salad. ANd the grilled vegetable side was outstanding. So what are the reservations? - the staff was polite and efficient, but the food took a long time to come out, especially at lunchtime. - my small greek salad was fresh and crisp, but I like some chunks of feta and all I got was a light sprinkle. And only a couple of olives. - overall, I thought it was a little pricey - $40 for lunch for two (with a glass of wine and beer). No appetizers, no desserts. Plus tip. - on a brisk November day, it was a little chilly inside. We both ended up putting our coats on. The dining room is wide and shallow, so no one is really far from a door. Could be freezing in here on a winter's day.
(3)Matt P.
Ridonkulous wait for nothing. Should have known before we sat down, but the place is pretty nice and menu looked decent. After waiting 5-10 minutes despite plenty of open tables we asked if we should just seat ourselves. A flustered hostess obliged. Once we got waters, we literally waited 30 minutes in pleasant conversation before the waitress came to tell us we could order now, but food would be 30-40 minutes! Perhaps the owners have grown bored of running a restaurant, but you'd think somethings that's been going for at least 8 years would have a little more going for it. On the plus side the 860 calories from Chipoltle around the corner never tasted so good. I think I'll stop by the Mountain View Diner for perfectly ok cheap Greek food next time I'm passing through Frederick; can't say I'm THAT intrigued by an $18 shwarma platter.
(1)G K.
Definitely a fan & was surprised to see the low-ish rating. The mezza selections are great - the Lebanese is my favorite. Their lamb souvlaki is huge and well-priced. I miss the side of olives since they revised the menu, and enjoy their piping hot bread with Tzatziki. The service has always seemed just fine to me: this is not a super fine dining establishment. Most of the servers are young adults, who are proficient and polite. The only tiny down side is that it's too small, and so sometimes there is a short wait in an awkwardly small waiting area. Each time we've been here in 2011 (a few times), it's been nearly packed.
(4)Laylah G.
I have been here several times, for both dining in and takeout. The food here is definitely good and (having spent a decent amount of time traveling around the Mediterranean area) pretty authentic as far as regional cuisine goes. HOWEVER. The service is only so-so, and the prices are way too high for what is essentially street food. Our most recent visit consisted of ordering take out in advance, with the view of grabbing it after our movie at Westview and heading home to eat. They said it wouldn't be a problem, and would be waiting for us when we got there. Unfortunately, they apparently ran out of the ingredients for one of our entrees, and we wound up waiting half an hour for a replacement entree. Not a big deal, just kind of annoying considering we had placed the order 2 hours previously and therefore it shouldn't have been an issue. In summary, the food is good, and I will continue to come back for the takeout (mainly so I don't have to deal with the service). The prices are a tad too high, and the service leaves you feeling like you should have gotten more for your money. I get cravings for Mediterranean cuisine fairly often though, and this is some of the best in Frederick, so I just can't help myself.
(3)Karl M.
Excellent food, we often stop here before movies. Service has usually been fine, but they do seem to have trouble when they get crowded.
(4)Christie V.
First, this is NOT a Greek restaurant. Think more towards Lebanese and general Mediterranean. There are some things this establishment does well (Shawarma, and (the now gone) Kifta Kabob), and there are some things that could use improvement, (service). The food. Ok. They've changed their menu twice in the last year, which is interesting. Seems they are moving away from "mediterranean." Tandoori speaks of east indian cuisine to me. And they got rid of a number of very mediterranean dishes, such as kifta. Appetizers are pretty good. The alcohol selection leaves a bit to be desired and not very impressive. It seems like the management is trying to impress with a "selection" of wine by displaying a lot of bottles on counters and shelves. A lot of bottles of wine stored upright in direct light (no-no). The service tends to be inconsistent, likely due to what one review notes is service staff turnover. On a recent visit, they had plenty of staff, but they all seemed to be quite new, and quite lost. They had a hostess (presumably to handle the weekend volume) who spent most of her time just standing there. Service typically takes twice as long as expected. If you have a lot of time, this is a great place. But given it's right next to a movie theater, it would behoove the staff to improve on the inefficiencies.
(3)Will M.
Great Mediterranean spot! Tucked away in the Westview Cinema center. The wait staff was wonderful and very personable, my Spicy Chicken Swarma was wonderful with the neon pink pickled thingys and all. My wife had a veggie pizza of some sort and loved it! The Wine list was respectable for the venue, my wife thoroughly enjoyed her glasses. And I enjoyed hitting the rest of the wine samples she did not like. Got my swerve on for free, that's my financial reality! All in all the real deal, in this gem of a town named Fredrick.
(4)Marissa C.
WOW! I truly didnt think I would find authentic middle eastern cuisine in Frederick....but this weekend I did! Great food, nice decor and decent service! The Belly Dancer on Sat. night is a plus! I am picky about my middle eastern food since its in my blood....but they didn't disappoint. I loved their Tzatiki (yogurt & cucumber dip) and fresh hot pita bread Good Tabouli (parsley salad) Enjoyed the Haloumi and Grape salad, but wished the grapes were cut in 1/2. Really yummy salad dressing and generous with the Haloumi cheese! The Kibbe was also enjoyable. Overall a good dining experience and I will be back!
(3)Julia H.
We love this place but now that we have a child to take with us we find we can no longer eat there. The adult menu is wonderful and we have has many nice meals there. Their kids menu is the usual, pizza and horrible fried chicken "fingers"; all bought frozen from Sysco I am sure. So when we went there with our 1 yr old I asked if we could have a grilled chicken breast instead of the breaded, fried chicken. I've done this many other places who have no problem producing a small chicken breast equivalent in size to the chicken in the children's meal and get charged the same kids menu price. Here we got a chicken breast fit for a large, hungry adult and were charged $13 for it. Wow. Not at all family friendly. So if you are without kids it's a pretty good place to go. For us it will be years (until our kid can order and enjoy a meal from an adult menu) before we return.
(2)Shawn O.
We tried this during a recent lunch hour. Service was slow and the food was lacking. The server comped our meal due to not being able to meet our request for quick service and an easy order. Falafel are to be smashed after preparation, not left as giant vegetarian meatballs in a sandwich that are impossible to eat. We have no real Greek culture in the Pacific Northwest, but the few Greek and Mediterranean restaurants run circles around this, and cheaper too.
(1)K G.
Had the vegetarian mezza plate here, and although the presentation was impressive, the food was less so. I'm not an expert on Mediterranean, but I eat enough ethnic food to know that good food is just good food, regardless of nationality. This wasn't it. I might have given this establishment more of a break if the service hadn't been so poor. As many other reviewers have mentioned, some of their workers are very green. The server who helped me was polite, but said it was his first day, knew nothing about the menu, and was very quiet and generally awkward. It might be the first time I've met an introverted waiter anywhere. Since it was my first time at the restaurant, I was looking for guidance on what to order; I got none. The restaurant ambiance is fairly nice for a town center-type location, with the big caveat that the service area is very awkwardly located near the front entry / waiting area. On my first visit, it appeared that I was supposed to order from one of the three registers facing the dining area on a counter, as in a fast-food place. But no, it is indeed a sit-down place, with a strange dining room orientation/architecture. Speaking of sitting down... I've never noticed a restaurant chair being uncomfortable before, but I couldn't wait to get out of this one. My review joins a mix of high and low reviews. That usually tells me that your experience could vary widely based on your server and the food you order. So do you feel lucky?
(2)Jess M.
We ordered takeout recently. Unfortunately the food was mediocre and the staff had a horrible attitude. I honestly don't think they're worth a try
(1)Minda M.
Went last night for the second time. Our server, Lauren, was great so have no complaints about the service. The hostess was welcoming and was concerned that we sit at a table that would be comfortable for us - even though the place was packed and there was a line at the door. Once we were seated - maybe a 15 minute wait - saw people we knew - chatted back and forth. This is how a small restaurant vibe should be ! It's warm and cozy, CLEAN and every bit as easy to have an intimate dinner as well as a more noisy family/friends dinner. Started with a trio of dips and let Lauren pick them - their hummus is transcendental. Creamy, perfectly seasoned..also had a red pepper feta dip that was great. I had a pinot grigio that was just right and my husband had a Lebanese beer - kind of light and almost nutty but both drinks were the perfect match up for the food. My husband had lamb shanks and I had the chicken schwarma - they held the leftovers in the fridge for us while we went to the movies ! I could not wait to get home and finish the schwarma ! We'll put this one on our list of go-tos and re-introduce our kids to Mediterranean food. A great value for the money as well. So many times the more expensive restaurants we go to in Frederick, where we expect more, fall flat in some way. Hope this place keeps going strong !
(5)Robert S.
This is one of my favorite places in Frederick! It is very consistent and offers a wide variety of options. I usually order one of the platters so I can try a few different things.
(5)Dana C.
I was highly disappointed with my dining experience here. It took 15 minutes to get 2 glasses of water, I ordered a chicken gyro with a side of rice, after 45 mins the server came out to say they were out of rice. Another 45 mins later our food came out. I was surprised to see rice on my plate when I asked the server what happened she said the kitchen decided to make more rice and i just happened to have the privilege of waiting for it to be cooked. The chicken wasn't cooked thoroughly and parts of it were raw, not a good experience at all. It is highly over priced, the food was thrown together, the service was just as bad as the food, but hey the bathroom was clean.
(1)Scott R.
Today we did carry-in office lunch for 20-some, all from here. No complaints from anyone. Mine was decent - chicken shwarma and a falafel appetizer - maybe not the best I've ever had, but respectable. The only thing I didn't like was the weird pickle assortment that came with the falafel. One was red and round, like a beet; the other was like a long super-thin dill ... but they were both pretty nasty. Some unworkable combo of hot, vinegar, and unpleasant spice that just didn't work. But if the only issue out of 20 some lunches is the garnish pickle ... then the place did pretty good. Pricing seemed reasonable, so we'll probably try again.
(3)Bill D.
This charming little restaurant is more than one would expect to find in the typical strip mall. I enjoyed a delicious dish of lamb chops, sauteed mushrooms, and grilled vegetables. The chops were heavily sauced and better done than I prefer, but otherwise quite good. The vegetables were excellent. The portions were very generous (4 inch-thick chops!). I was charmed by the Arab music, including selections from Fairuz and the Moroccan group Saut el Atlas. I was a little surprised that the Turkish coffee was served unsweetened with sugar on the side, but it was good and such a rarity as to be a real pleasure.
(3)Bill B.
This is one of my Frederick-area favorites. Lots of healthy and interesting items are on the menu, and overall this restaurant is ver Paleo-friendly. The atmosphere is pleasant for a strip-mall sort of restaurant, and prices are reasonable. I'd give them 5 stars but sometimes the service is a little awkward. I think they're breaking in some new young wait staff who aren't quite ready yet. But overall, the Mediterranean Grill is a sure bet for an excellent meal.
(4)Zahra R.
Did take out this last Friday night. No complaints about the hour wait, they were very very busy. Food was terrible. We ordered lamb gyros, and the beef kebob dinner with grilled vegetables and basmati rice. The lamb was tough in the gyro, and really stale tasting. Serving was really really small. It came with a side of french fries, but barely any like a previous reviewer said. The beef kebob was terrible. Over cooked and tough. Really was not worth $13, not to mention the serving was microscopic. Overall, a 25 minutes drive down into Gaithersburg for Caspian or even Moby Dick would be a better choice. I do not want to rate the service in a negative way, cause the place was clearly busy. There were really too many people there that night for those poor kids (the waiters and waitresses) to care about one to go order. If you do to go, get ready to wait for one hour.
(2)David S.
Visited this place on recommendation from my sister who lives in Frederick. Unlike Louise I found nothing creepy about this place. Maybe the creepiness was caused by thinking how to write a mediocre review. We found the restaurant to be clean and the menu filled with traditional Mediterranean fare. When I think Mediterranean the first thing that comes to mind is Greek Food. This is by no means is Greek food. We ordered the 6 mezhedes special for 30 bucks (ironically mezhedes in Greek is appetizers) Both the Spinach pies and Cheese pies were good and my wife enjoyed the eggplant in the tomato sauce. My son was pretty fond of the Meat pie as well. The Falafel and Hummus were the worst of the starters. I ordered the Lamb Gyro and My wife a Sandwich. Both sandwiches came with fries but both orders came out with 7-10 on each plate. The lamb gyro is not your typical gyro it is made with real lamb meat. The lamb was under seasoned and dry. The tzatzki sauce did not help it slide down. My wife's sandwich was good. The service was real poor, although the place was not busy we had to ask for refills of drinks and the server came around only once to check up on us. We did not stay for dessert. I would definitely go back and get the Mezhedes and try something else. This place is reasonably priced and worth a second chance.
(3)Brenda A.
I have tried this place several times - as others have said - the place is on and off. The last visit was good but this most recent visit wasn't great. The menu has changed again and I agree it isn't clear where they are going with it. While the serving staff were trying, the wait for the meal was too long and nothing was hot. And watching people wait 30 minutes for a piece of bread or a salad isn't good. I'm not sure I'm going back.
(3)Jason S.
This restaurant used to be at the top of my list for Frederick. However, recent events have caused it to take a severe nose dive, practically right off my list completely. I honestly don't think I could even recommend it to a friend in good faith. They're definitely going to have to redeem themselves. Middle Eastern, specifically Lebanese, is my absolute favorite type of food. This is the only place in Frederick to get Middle Eastern food. Even though it's not Lebanese (I think the owner's Iraqi - not 100% tho) they do have pretty tasty hummus and fatoosh. I always have them create a dish I used to get back home at Taboon in Grand Blanc, MI, so I've never actually had any real entree off of their menu. The dish is composed of flat bread smeared with hummus and then topped with rice and shish tawook (grilled chicken). Sounds easy, huh? Well, for some reason they can never get it right. Not sure why, but they often forget the hummus and put in lettuce and other goofy stuff. The last time I ate there the service took about 2 hours for us to get our entrees. When it did come, I bit into my sandwich (which was not what I had ordered) and something felt wet and slimy. I opened the sandwich up, and sure enough the chicken wasn't even close to being cooked. It still had that nasty translucent look to it. They ended up getting me another one to go and took it off the bill, but when you come in at 11:00am and leave at 1:30pm with your food "to-go," you know there's something wrong with the establishment. I'm not done with this place. If it had been my first time there, then I'd say, "Sayanara," but I've also had dozens of times where the service was extremely good. Besides, I'm too addicted to hummus and fatoosh. Ask for Katie if you're dining in - she'll take care of you. medgrillusa.com
(3)Luisita S.
I ate here once. Food was mediocre. There is something creepy about this place. I can't put my finger on it but I'm not going back.
(1)Twana C.
From the time we got there until the time we left the atmosphere in this place is not happy. Everyone seem as if they could have been somewhere else. The food was tasteless and plain. At the time of the visit there was about 20 patrons in the place about 4 inside and the remainder on the patio. The servers were very uncaring if you were there or not. When our drink glasses were empty no refills were brought or offered. Actually, once our food was served we had no other visit to our table. If the food could have made up for the glum surrounding I would have rated this as 2-stars but 1-star is my way of being nice.
(1)Amy S.
Stop. Take a moment, and let me paint you a picture of this: Lamb Shank. What is it?Why its the joint in the leg of the lamb. Peasant food really, one of the cheapest meals on the menu. But in the hands of the Mediterranean Grill OH. MY. GOD. Think of your mother's best pot roast, then add real mint (not the crappy neon green mint jelly we Americans put on our lamb), a delicious thin sauce that if you refrigerate it firms up like only the best broth does, and a squeeze of lemon juice that elevates the thing and literally makes the plate glow in glorious splendor. You do not know food this good. I do not know food this good (I blackout from the overwhelmingly delicious flavor of the thing). There's enough meat there to get a heavenly second meal out of the next day if you somehow manage to put down the fork before devouring it all. You need this lamb shank. You want to go there now, to sit in the tiny hole in the wall of a place with the copper topped tables. Don't bother with anything else on the menu, I've never had anything that would compare before I found this dish. I will never eat anything else now that I've found it. Go find the lamb shank, and know ecstasy for a brief while. Happy eating.
(5)Kevin C.
I've seen some pretty lame bad reviews for this place like a lady getting pissed about a lipstick stain and upset about an apology. Maybe she just wanted a free meal. I'm from San Diego California and Mediterranean food is everywhere there. There's good places and bad places there, but I know Mediterranean food and this place was amazing. Their pita bread is amazing, their hummus is amazing, their grape leaves are amazing and their deserts are amazing. Service was great and the atmosphere was great too. I don't have one bad thing to say about this place. I'll definitely be going back here and I would suggest it to anyone I met.
(5)Richard J.
Had the Beef Gyro, the steak was tender and the pita bread was fresh and tasty. The service is always good here. The servers are knowledgable and friendly. I would recommend this restaurant to everyone.
(5)Jill E.
Everything tonight was wonderful. As fresh as could be -- elevated home cooking, lovely service, a delicious bottle of wine. One of the rare restaurants that does a good job with vegetables, it's a reliable favorite for our family.
(5)Carol F.
Gyros didn't come with shaved lamb. Filled with chunks of meat that was said to be lamb but had no flavor. Waitress meant well but other than that I was very disappointed and will not return or suggest this place to anyone.
(1)