Mediterranean Wraps
Categories: Middle Eastern, Greek and Mediterranean [Edit]
433 S California AvePalo Alto, CA 94301 (650) 321-8189
- Price Range: $
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: No
- Good for Kids: Yes
- Takes Reservations: No
- Delivers: No
- Take-out: Yes
- Waiter Service: No
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: Yes
- Good for: Lunch
- Alcohol: None
93 reviews
Mountain View, CA
"I love this place! I have know Praveen and Mahmet for years, and have always enjoyed coming here with friends and family! Their drink menu…" read more »
182 Reviews for Mediterranean Wraps
Nice workers and great food. Fast and friendly. Great to get on the go but just make sure all the juice doesn't leak out the bottom as you hastily munch away!
Hit and miss. One time it was the best wrap I've ever had, a spicy beef and lamb. Delicious with every bite. I finished the wrap before I could walk back to my hotel. The second time, with the same order, it was bitter tasting. I also had the humus wrap, although a day after it was in the fridge, and found it much worse than the ones I make at home.
The staff are very friendly and quick. Finding the perfect wrap the first time and the great staff certainly warrants another visit, but the inconsistent food makes for an average rating. I have high hopes that future visits will be as tasty as the first and improve the rating.
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Mint tea and the best wraps around. The owner is just a funky fresh guy who makes me laugh how happy he is there to have you eat his wrap.
Oooops that sounds wrong.
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Fast service during the busy lunch hour AND good food. The lamb/beef shawarma wraps are huge, tasty and oozing with that yogurt/sauce stuff.
Spongebob Awesomeness: 4 krabby patties and a pistachio baklava
Maybe I just caught them on a bad day, but the shawarma wrap I had was awful. Let me break it down:
- Tasteless, stringy chicken. Yuck.
- Heavy char marks from the grill. Burnt like how mom used to grill steaks, but this isn't a steak, it's a wrap. Clean your grill people!
- The occasional bitter veggie. What is that all about?
Pluses?
Good service, good selection, it's pretty clean and plenty of seating both inside and out.
If I go back I'd stay away from the wraps, which is sad, because isn't this place called Mediterranean Wraps.
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Lunch review
+4 stars for the good food at reasonable prices.
-1 star for no ice for the tepid water, the plastic utensils and the paper plates when eating in the restaurant.
Reasons to come here:
* Good-for-your-heart Mediterranean menu.
* Lots of options for my vegetarian friends.
* Reasonable amount of seating since they expanded awhile ago.
* Fast. Good place to go if you are in a hurry.
* Good value.
* My favorite dish: Combo plate with shawerma
Reasons not to come here:
* Cafe Brioche is only a couple doors down and much better (though of course entirely different and much slower).
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I have tried several of their menu items, but my favorite Mediterranean dish is lamb shawerma wraps, and they make a great one! Always fresh, warm and BIG! The side rice with lentils is really good too.
Service is great, prices are fair, and the food is delicious. No too much seating, but we usually order to-go anyway. They do have a few outdoor tables, which is nice too.
Hands down the best hummus I ever had. My vegeterian plate was just spectacular. My friends shawarna was very tasty too. 'nuf said!
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I've been here a number of times and every single time the service has been absolutely amazing. The owner is so friendly and welcoming, he's always walking around giving away free cups of their delicious mint sage tea (which he jokes has whiskey in it since its so addicting!!). The food is great as well, I've tried the falafel wrap, chicken plate and hummus. Everything is decently portioned and always made fresh to order so it's piping hot on your plate. Next time, I need to get my hands on the tabbouleh & the baklava.. yum.
Wow, I'm actually hungry after writing this review.
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Hands down the best falafel around. I frequently order the falafel deluxe wrap which has falafel, tahini, onion, potato and eggplant. The portions are very generous, but I don't mind stuffing my face because it's so good! The shawerma wraps are okay, but I would recommend sticking with the much superior falafel. The guy at the register is really nice 99% of the time. He often tells me about his martial art training. Once I saw him get really pissed at this businessman who payed for the wrong meal and I thought he was going to kick his ass with some Persian Kung Fu moves. It was actually really funny. I don't have a sweet tooth, but I can't avoid the halva bars... they're delicious! This is the perfect place for a quick lunch.
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I had the hummus wrap which is pretty much like a burrito except the ingredients are good for you. It was filled with hummus (of course) vegetables, tabbouleh and tahini. There was a little bit of some kind of spicy sauce which tasted great and I wish I would have loaded up on.
The wrap was really messy so I would not recommend getting it to go unless you have a good place to eat it where you don't have to worry about spilling your food.
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Its ok. More appropriately it should be called "sort of Mediterranean burritos". The wraps are served on a mission brand flower tortilla. I had the chicken and it was ok but more burrito than Mediterranean. Not many spices and more of a ricy burrito taste than anything else. My boyfriend had the lamb/beef meat wrap and it had some additional seasoning but not really what you would expect from a place like this. If you want schwerma or more of a classic taste this isn't really going to fill the need. If you have no expectations the food is pretty ok. Still 3 stars expectation or no.
Had a falafel wrap delivered to my work place via waiter.com and it's just eh... The wrap is a bit bland for my taste and yes it does seem like a falafel burrito. First and last time for me.
When I worked in Palo Alto this was a favorite lunch spot. That shwerma wrap is to die for! And they used to always give me a falafel with my order and say "a falafel for the pretty lady!" and it would just melt my heart. I don't care if they say that to every gal, it made me smile and won my undying love for Mediterranean Wraps.
I know, my love comes cheap.
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This place is pretty good. I like the falafel wrap. Bf gets the chicken wrap. It's good and alright priced, but not super memorable. The baklava is pretty awesome though.
The have the best falafel in town! And the people are very nice! It's a great place to get a quick meal.
I have been frequenting this place for about 4 years now, yet this is my first review on it.
I usually rave about this place to friends.
The falafel and shawerma are very tasty and always fresh- if eaten at the restaurant. If you order to go, you run the risk of bringing home some soggy wraps, though. To overcome that problem, just order a plate dinner, instead of the wrap.
Part of the experience is the gentleman that talks to you and makes you feel at home. He is an older man, with a bald head. He is the owner and he is so welcoming and you can tell he works very hard to keep his customers returning.
My last visit was very disappointing. I went on a Sunday afternoon during the farmer's market and I didn't see the usual older gentleman at the register, it was a much younger guy in his 20's. He was so rude! I started explaining to him that the usual older guy was so nice and had great customer service, and I that I had never received such rude service. He explained that the bald guy was his father and that he talks too much anyways.
I have always told people how great this place is along with the awesome service, but I am afraid that maybe those days are a thing of the past. When the older gentleman is there, the service is amazing from everyone there, without him, I fear it's just a mediocre place.
Maybe he has passed his business over to his son to run? For me, they lose 2 stars based on very bad service.
Have only had the shwarma here, but my god...it's heaven every time I eat it. I don't get here nearly enough...the parking is too much to battle some times. So if I happen to be driving on California and I happen to be hungry and there happens to be an open parking space...I'm there.
The staff is very friendly...but they are quick and in a hurry, so be ready to order. The prices are very fair and the quality is outstanding. My only complaint would be the size of the location...as popular as they are, it's surprising that they haven't moved to a larger location for sit-down dining. That would make the parking hassle a little easier to bear if you know you're going to sit down and enjoy lunch on-site.
Other than that, no complaints at all. I always recommend this place.
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The attention at this tiny (almost easy to miss) spot in California Ave is hard to parallel: it's the kind that you have a hard time finding any more. The food is good, but the service makes the experience at Mediterranean Wraps one you want to repeat soon. The main issue: the size of the servings is very large and, depending on the plate, it can be high in fats too.
A nice place. Owned by engineers (represent!). Supposedly give free falafels to cute girls (I asked; I don't qualify). They brought by free tea the last time I was there (very minty, reminds me of those after-dinner seeds at Indian restaurants). I really enjoyed looking at the framed newspaper reviews on the wall from ten years ago and waxing nostalgic about how cheap things were back in the day. And those free falafels that I don't get? I paid for one, and they're absolutely delicious. Get 'em for free, and you've got an infinite tastiness-to-price ratio. Always a good thing.
Stil, I can't give this place more than 3 stars. The (Turkish) tahini sauce on the gyros is just way, way too intense for me, and yet I still find the shawarma meat a little dry. Then again, I think I much prefer (Greek) tzatziki. In fact, it was the fact that I so much prefer the sauce at, e.g., Gyros House that made me realize there was even a difference. I guess such ignorance should disqualify me from a review of a Mediterranean place, but hey, full disclosure, right?
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This is a review by a vegetarian
That's what I'm talking about. When I asked for a falafel wrap with no tahini the line cook immediately asked , "Spicy?". Yes, please. The hot sauce was like a harissa or other form of hot pepper paste not that ketchup schlock I got at Falafel drive-in once. The wrap did not fall apart or even threaten to do so until I was nearly through consuming it.
Also, they had real ginger beer/ale.
Only a star off because I can't get used to paying $6+ for falfel and for a little confusion between the ordering and pickup phases of food procurement (whose wrap is this?)
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Thumbs down for customer service!
As I sat outside of the restaurant on a public bench for 15 mins. chatting with my friend while we wait for another friend to show up, the restaurant manager came outside, tried to strike a conversation but jokingly said to us that we've been sitting in front of his restaurant for so long waiting on each other and that we were interfering with his business, he then laughs it off. He thought he was trying to be friendly but HELLO!!! He should've just put a sock in his mouth! It didn't matter that he said it with humor, asking us if we wanted to go inside on a hot 90 degree day where it's cooler inside to get a drink or try a special Meditarranean dessert as we wait and chat would've been much more tactful and inviting. Needless to say, ZERO stars for customer service!!!
Despite the first impression, we still decided to give this place a try. Like the review says, the food was pretty yummy. The Kabab Plate I had was overall good. The meat was moist and super flavorable but it left me thirsty for two hours. The hummus and salad was done right, the pita bread was average, and the portion size was good. The price on the website menu is not up-to-date with the higher prices shown in the restaurant (Hmmmm...). The restaurant is small but not cramped, with about 6-8 tables. A relatively clean place and decorated. Might go back for the food if I'm in the area but the odd customer service was a big turn off!!!
I have been eating lunch at Med Wraps on and off for about six years. I just had lunch here again today to jog my memory and to confirm this is indeed my favorite spot in bay area for lunchtime falafel and gyros. Confirmed.
Man, I love this place! I am stingy with 5 star ratings, but this place deserves it. And since they moved into a bigger space back in 2006, a good thing only got better.
The food is delicious and reasonably priced.
-- Falafel wrap: Good sized. The falafel balls are tasty and have a nice texture. For another dollar, they make a super falafel wrap by adding potatoes and eggplant. This adds more bulk than flavor IMHO.
-- Shwarma wraps: Also good sized and filled with delicious, moist meat. You can get any wrap with spicy sauce if you like.
-- Shwarma plate: Picture your plate piled high with tasty meat (chicken or beef/lamb), done to perfection (no dry meat here), Mediterranean salad, hummus and pita. Yum.
-- Kufta kabab wrap: my new favorite. Would have been almost a religious experience if not for the juicy mess it made near the end. Still, I'd get this again in a heartbeat. They also have a kufta kabab plate which doesn't suck either.
The service is friendly and quick. When the owner is there, he mans the cash register. He is super outgoing and likes to chat and joke with all the customers. Everyone is referred to as "my friend," as in: "How are you my friend?" or "good to see you my friend!". If he likes your style he might decide to add an extra falafel ball or two to your plate for good measure. Make his day by asking if he has any middle-eastern coffee (strong!). This guy is amazing. On my most recent visit I hadn't been in about a year, yet he still recognized me, shook my hand, and asked me how I had been.
Years ago my primary problem with Med Wraps was the tiny cramped space and the lack of tables. The current location has solved this problem, with a dozen tables inside and another ten or so out on the attractive back patio. Oh, and if you are back here, don't sit at the 2-top by the redwood stairs. That's my spot. ;-)
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Had a dolma plate to get some veggies in me to offset the previous night's meat-stravaganza at Izzy's in San Carlos. The dolmas were good, but the hummus was great. The tomatoes in the salad could have been redder. They were so NOT ripe they were almost white.
Wish I would have tried a dessert. They looked good.
Not the best Mediterranean food I've ever had, but Med Wraps is definitely in that league. Great meats (rarely overcooked), good falafel and hummus, delicious baklava, and very affordable prices, especially for Palo Alto.
Tip: Despite the restaurant name, don't cheap out with the wrap. Get the plate. You get much more for just a few extra bucks.
I don't really know how pricey or how the place looks like inside, but the food is delish! My bf came to surprise me and ordered food ahead -- all I had to do was to come and eat! There are tables on the sidewalk so it's quite refreshing on a nice, cool spring day.
I came here for lunch with some people from work.
Cons:
- No table service. Must wait on line, pay, and then find a table.
- Tiny restaurant, tables for 2 or 4, bad for groups.
- Bad ambiance. No room to maneuver, impossible to hear your friends talk because it's so noisy.
- Rude staff/cashier. Water with no ice. Soup nazi.
- Impossible to find parking (not directly their fault)
Pros:
+ Good eats
+ Excellent falafel
+ relatively cheap considering the area
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3.5 stars
I've had their chicken shawerma wraps a few times, falafal balls, turkish delights once, and baklava twice. The wraps aren't anything too spectacular. They are delicious but there's nothing outstanding about them. Same goes with their falafal balls. The turkish delights are really good but you have to make sure you pick the right container or else you might end up with a bunch of black ones which tastes like licorice...yuck! And the baklava is big and sooo yummy especially the chocolate coated ones!! Since the days are nicer, definitely enjoy your meal outside in the back area of the restaurant! :)
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Other than getting my order wrong about 25% of the time, we go often for dinner and will continue to... the food is consistently fresh, ample, and the managers are kindly. The cooking staff is a bit too hurried, and the lunch cook has been surly - we had the "Soup Nazi" experience with him.
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This place is great!! I had to run errands on this street at lunch so I was looking for a place to grab food to take back to work with me. I read the reviews and since I love love love falafels I decided to give it a shot. I had issues finding it because the address listed was correct but the yelp map shows it as being on North California instead of South California (I'm not familiar with this area so I didn't know North California was residential). But once I found it my experience was great. The guy who took my order was polite and patient, then once I moved over to the register to pay the young guy that lots of yelpers complained about was WONDERFUL!!! He handed me and the people behind me a fresh delicious falafel ball (WOW was it good). He was very friendly and a little flirty but not in the super-creepy way. He offered dessert but wasn't pushy when I said no. My falafel wrap came very quickly and I was out the door in less than 4 minutes. By the time I got back to work my falafel was a little soggy on one side, but it tasted so yummy!!! The spicy sauce was SPICY but they didn't heap it on so it was perfect for me. The falafel balls were crispy on the outside but not hard and crunchy. This place is AWESOME and I am definitely going back there soon!!!
Eating a falafel wrap is my version of fast food. You will rarely find me in a McD - BK - JackintheCrack - TacoHell, but when I see a Persian/Greek joint, I will already be inside before you turn your head to find me.
I've tried the Mujadarah plate which has rice, lentils, onion, hummus, salad served with pita bread. Healthy, pretty good, and a light meal (not enough food if you have a hearty appetite). I've also tried their falafel wrap and it was good, too. Not my favorite falafel wrap, but still fills my craving. Unlike other falafel houses, there isn't extra sauce at your disposal. I like mine's spicy and they only use tahini sauce.
What I absolutely loved here was the dessert. Baklava. Chocolate covered baklava. If you ever need a favor from me, you know where to go.
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The wraps here are delish, perfect for a quick lunch. I fancy the falafel, basic and deluxe (with potatoes and vegetables). The burma circles are also great. The fact that one of the owners checks you out at the counter belies a concern for future of the business through good customer service. Mediterranean wraps is not a transcendent food experience, but it does quick, tasty lunches really well.
what a magnificent place to get huge and delectable, yet affordable, sensible wraps in palo alto!
the dilemma-free menu board is so easy on the eyes and mind that the simple selections of wraps and traditional/combo plates with an affordable price tags will make your ordering effortless.
the wrap choices are: ***FALAFEL which has chickpeas, lettuce & tahini sauce and if you are feeling "luxurious" with their fresh falafel, you could ask them to add cooked eggplants & potatoes on your traditional falafel wrap.
***HUMMUS which is another vegetarian wrap has the usual lettuce, mediterranean salad and the tasty tabouleh.
***SHAWERMA which you have the choice of marinated beef, lamb or chicken with broiled fresh tomatoes, lettuce, onions, parsley & tahini sauce. their lamb meat has a subtle "gamey" taste in it, and to me it is enjoyable to devour.
***KUFTA KABAB which is a combination of minced lamb & beef with parsley, onions, lettuce, broiled tomatoes, tahini sauce and their house spices. this is a great choice for those who loves red meats.
wraps are not the only kind you could have here, but also some amazing plates of: the same choices mentioned above, but served on a plate with pita bread, salad and hummus as a dip.
the BABA GHANOUSH has a luscious taste of charbroiled eggplant, the DOLMA has average stuffed grape leaves, yet very fresh to taste and the MUJADARAH with rice, lentil & grilled onions is another exciting & satisfying meal.
after a meal, such sweet treats of: brazik, greiba, baklava (walnut, pistachio, chocolate), halva bars, burma fingers, dates are conveniently placed on top of the counter that are temptingly arranged to be purchased by bags. you just can't have one, especially if you eat them with their mint, sage hot tea.
though the dining room is quite tiny, it is clean and comfortable. also, an outside seating is available.
in addition, don't miss checking out their special menu board hanging outside this joint.
they also cater for special events, office parties and other functions.
driving the 26 miles just to have their wraps or plates, is so worth it!
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Came here for a quick bite before catching a film at Palo Alto Square.
The shwarma and falafel are very good, but they lack that extra specialness. I define extra specialness as this: when you are sitting in a meeting you don't want to be in, or watching a movie that makes you want to die, I go to my "special food place." S.F.P. has all my favorite dishes and they renew my vigor for life. For if I survive this meeting I will reward myself with that extra special __________ from ________. It is my Scarlett O'Hara moment, and it happens about 2 times a week.
Now, the shwarma and falafel did not make it into my fantasy food land, but the chocolate dipped baklava sure as hell did. Fresh crispy, buttery, baklava swathed in dark chocolate.....mmmmm.....
Meet me at 4:00, chocolate dipped baklava, for some post-meeting rejuvenation.
"As God is my witness, as God is my witness they're not going to lick me. I'm going to live through this and when it's all over, I'll never be hungry again. "
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I give 5 stars because I've gotten greattttt... I mean great food here! It might be because the middle eastern guys love cute girls and offer free tea and falafels. I work down the street so it's convenient and fast, but more than that it's delicious food. They make it to your taste! You just have to be strong willed and not give your number to the boys even when they ask for the 100th time!
Just ok b/c i've had better in San Francisco
I've had the chicken shawerma wrap stuffed w/chicken, parsley, tomatoes, and tahini. While the chicken pieces were tender, the mixture and flavors just did not marinate too well. Also, the tahini had a watery consistency. Their falafel balls are crisp and tasty! The turkish delights were interesting dessert like candy that were chewy and sweet.
We were there during peak lunch hours and it was packed. Limited seating in the front, but there's more in the back of the restaurant. The staff is friendly.
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Overrated! :( Ugh, yelp, why are you doin this to me???
Come ON people...the food here isn't that great. Don't get me wrong, it's not horrible by any means...but you guys made it seem like it was the best place in the world! It's on the expensive side as well.
Chicken shawarma- ok flavor, a bit dry
Hummus- ok
Falafel- meh
I would stick to Falafel Etc or House of Falafel for a good falafel in the Bay Area.
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Yummy! I ate here two days in a row because I was so happy to find delicious falafel and baba ganouj in the Bay Area. I got the vegetarian combo, which consists of two falafel, a healthy scoop of hummus, a healthy scoop of baba, a side salad, tabbouleh, and pita. The only reason I'm giving it four stars is because the side salad and tabbouleh are kind of gross and they could be good if they put some effort into them. The hummus is pretty good, but not excellent. But they hit the nail on the head with the falafel and baba ganouj.
They offer a regular falafel sandwich, and that weird bastard falafel that I've only seen in the Bay Area with eggplant and potatoes. WTF is up with that?
The service was EXTREMELY fast and friendly. The prices are reasonable. I will definitely be back!!!!
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I hadn't had a falafel in a year and all I wanted was to bite into a hot crispy falafel inside a falafel wrap with all the works. Was so excited until I bit into it - the falafel was lukewarm. How disappointing. It was during busy lunchtime so it's not like their business was slow and could be excused for a cold falafel.
Had read so many good things about this place on Yelp so this was a bummer. Everything else was fresh - the pita wrap, the cucumber, and the sauce - and they had a tempting selection of desserts so I'll be nice and give them 3 stars.
Bottom line: Next time give me a HOT falafel dammit! And don't overload it with too much onion.
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Hands down my favorite quick bite in Palo Alto. I haven't experienced any service faux-pas or dry/greasy meats... only the best middle eastern style wraps I've ever had. Try the lamb shawerma wrap or the baba ganoush. The falafel and hummus are good but not exceptional. Just about all the desserts are super sweet and drenched in honey/simple syrup. Yum.
The staff are all very nice and you can usually get in, order at the counter, and sit down (or take out) to eat in less than 10 minutes. They renovated the interior at some point in the last year or so and it's extremely clean and inviting, although perhaps a little sterile and lacking in "down-home" character. Nevertheless, I'm a fan of the layout/ambiance.
So yes, it's not as cheap as true fast food... but the quality makes up for it. It's also not as healthy as a garden salad with fresh vegetables... but it's certainly better for you than other fast foods or the calorific California concoction we know as the "burrito."
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