Taboon Mediterranean

Looking for a great restaurant to try tonight? This is our go-to date night when my husband and I are looking to spend time together. Ever since we wandered into this restaurant a few years ago, we keep going back. The restaurant has a new name and has changed hands, we are never disappointed and the food is always amazing. It's flavorful, with great portions. My hubby and I always share the fried cauliflower and a skewer plate. The staff are always so kind and helpful and we look forward to seeing them just as much as the food. If you are in the Long Beach area, you have to go and check them out.

I just finished devouring my order of the beef shawarma (with cucumber yogurt and mixed pickles) and spinach fatayer. Once I opened the container, I knew all was right with the world! But the taste added more confirmation. Starting with the pickles - carrots, cauli, celery, turnips, olives, and cucumbers- each had a unique, crispy texture. The salty brine paired well with each, which was a welcome surprise with the celery. You can choose how your beef is cooked, which I fully appreciate. The meat is spiced well and cooked properly. Mixed rice is visually appealing and compliments the beef.

The spinach fatayer is generously portioned with a nice vinegary finish - I just couldn't finish two corners where the dough gathered. But the spinach texture holds somewhat and is not overdone.

Both the garlic and tahini sauces are authentically delicious as well. My only regret is not going into the restaurant to get the full experience. (But that can easily be changed!)

Why did we wait so long? This past Friday my husband and I joined friends to try Taboon for the very first time. We knew things were goi g to be good when we were walking fro
The car to the restaurant and wondered, out loud, if it was going to be good. Just then a couple, with leftovers, said, "It's very good. You will enjoy it."
We approached the entrance and Dennis greeted us right away and seated us on the patio to enjoy the beautiful weather. The atmosphere was relaxed and a lovely variety of people were at the restaurant: friends, families, and couples. Everyone was relaxed and seemed to enjoy the experience of being at Taboon. We ordered the cheese fatayer which was a delicious empenada style savory pasty.
Two of us ordered the "three meat" dish and it was delicious. The others orders the chicken kebab and kefta kabab. Those were also very delicious. The portions were very generous, we all had leftovers.
Dessert was an excellent ending to the meal. We all ordered baklava. I had rose ice cream and I was in heaven. That will be my go-to dessert from now on.
Thank you, Dennis and the entire Taboon team for such an excellent experience. We will be back again.

Two of us popped in last night before checking out the salsa class going on that night in Taboon's backroom (organized by Bixby Knolls). They have ample seating inside and out; we chose outside. Our server knowing that we were in a slight rush to make the dance class was outstanding; my bad that I did not catch her name. She was prompt throughout from giving us our menus immediately, taking our orders and bringing the check. Kudos.

We ordered two different bowls - the Kefta Kebab Bowl and the Lamb Bow that come with two different rices, salad, hummus, a garlicky white sauce, and pita bread. Really plenty for two people. They're also reasonably priced for today's rising costs woes.

The Kefta Kebab was moist and delicious. The garlicky white sauce is a perfect add-on to the meat. I like mixing the hummus into the rice and salad and bypassing the pita bread that my dining companion enjoyed a lot! He ordered the Lamb Bowl and although I LOVE lamb I prefer the tenderness of the Kefta Kebab versus the firmer lamb cuts - it is NOT lamb sausage but chunks of well-marinated, perfectly cooked lamb. Just not as soft as a kebab.

We also ordered an appetizer of falafel, which for waistline purposes we could have skipped but I was SO GLAD that we got them as they were crunchy and the inside was that perfect shade of green from the herbs mixed in with the garbanzo beans. Although they look a bit too dark like they might be over fried, they didn't taste like it. We polished them all off!

I didn't note a parking lot but street parking seemed readily available except, I imagine, during crunch times.

I'll be back!

This place deserves more hype but I'm afraid I won't be able to get a table (lol) the service is outstanding! It was 5 of us that came in and were greeted and seated immediately, our server was so friendly and helpful from suggesting food to wine. The serving sizes were beyond big for 5 of us- we got the Taboon Family meal for 5 and honestly we had leftovers. We had the Kefta, chicken kebab, beef shawarma, we had the baba ghanouj, hummus, cucumber yogurt, falafel, I mean just so much food. For $85! The food was outstanding, service was 5stars and the ambiance was cute. They have an entire bare room which I'm sure they can rent out if you have a huge party but that's up for debate, I'm only assuming. Again, I didn't want to leave a review for fear of bringing attention to this place but it deserves it. We will be back, again and again.

Great place. Food was fast and fresh. Looks like a family owened place. Support local small businesses. I enjoyed the kebab plate with the mixed rice. salad and hummus. I recommend getting both the garlic dip and tahini sauces. Overall nice size portions.

I was there about a week ago. We were a large party and the service was very good. The food was also delicious and large portions. We had for appetizers the label and baba ghanouj; and for our main course kabab, shawarma, and lentil soup. There wasn't a single dish that wasn't good. Very tasty.

Great service, clean and cultured decor, and quality food! I'll definitely be back...next time for the Lamb Chops, I heard these were delicious! All around great option for Mediterranean cuisine in the Long Beach area and for those interested this place offers catering...and it looks large enough to host a pretty nice event!

Fantastic! This was the only pic I could get because my whole table dug into the food immediately but it was amazing.

This is the beef kabob plate and I thought it was a very generous serving for $21. My partner and I split the plate and it was a great amount of food for both of us. We also got an iced tea and the lemon mint drink. The lemon mint was AMAZING. It was more like a slush consistency which surprised us but it tasted fantastic!!

Our servers were so attentive and friendly and the indoor seating was very nicely decorated. My only complaint was that it was a little warm inside but that's really it. Will gladly come back for a fresh, great tasting lunch/dinner.

I ordered the mixed grill with mixed rice and spicy humus. The kefta was my favorite of the 3 (the chicken and beef kabobs being the others I ordered). I really enjoyed the char on all the meats, but the chicken and beef were rather dry inside. Definitely was good to dip it in the garlic sauce or even the humus.

The side salad and rice sides complemented the meats perfectly.

Another Mediterranean place added to my list! I wasn't aware of this spot until today, so I'm glad I found it. I would highly recommend the Beef Shawarma plate, the beef is juicy and has so much flavor, which also has rice underneath. I got the fries since I like to eat it with the hummus. It's a pretty big plate so you'll forsure get full with just that. I love trying out new things so I decided to get this pita bread that's stuffed with ground meat which is called arrayes. It's a good appetizer to start off with, and pairs well with garlic sauce and hummus. It was soft and delicious! So far iv been loving Mediterranean food and haven't tried a place thats been bad, hopefully this streak continues ! I'd put this place up there with my other favorite restaurant kabob crush. But I'll be back here to try their other dishes out too!