The Halal Guys - Chamblee - Atlanta Georgia

You can find The Halal Guys at 4929 Buford Hwy NE, Chamblee, GA 30341 right at the northeastern quadrant of the intersection of Chamblee Tucker Rd and Buford Highway. The bright-yellow mansard-style roof is hard to miss - it was the former location of some Latino chicken-joint. Parking is towards the back and the northern side, and it basically sucks - they really need 30-50% more space - I usually drive past and park at the lot in front of the Family Dollar and walk back but sometimes get lucky. If I see a lot of cars I don't bother pulling in.

This is the first Atlanta location of the very famous New York food-stand The Halal Guys - I'm not sure if they've opened any other restaurants in the Atlanta area but I haven't heard of any. This is a fast-casual restaurant that specializes in beef and chicken served Mediterranean style - they also have some pretty decent falafels. The interior is very diner-ish with a line that extends to double doors and a very simple menu. You can either get a chicken or beef gyro sandwich (your basic pita wrap) or a Platter with Chicken, Beef, Combo or Falafel (the platter comes with rice and a pile of lettuce and tomatoes, with pita wedges). You can get extra protein ($2) extra falefal ($1) or extra sauce ($0.50) - all the entry prices are super cheap so you can get our of here easily for under $10. They also have a couple of side-options including hummus, baba ghanouj, falafel or fries ($1-3 depending on what it is) and a chunck of Baklava ($2.50) as their only dessert. I actually like this very simple menu - makes things easy and super fast for those queuing up to be served.

I've now eaten here about a half-dozen times. My preference is the combo platter with chicken and beef, the creamy white sauce and extra hot sauce. They will warn yo about how hot this stuff is but I find I can handle quite a bit - if you like heat don't pass it up - it's yummy. The portions here are huge - you will get filled up - as for the sides and the rest, nothing really spectacular and it's dead-on what you would expect from a New York street vendor. Honestly I think there's better food not too far distant (Mediterranean Grocery comes to mind with their delicious shawarma about a mile away). I do like the patio here at Halal Guys - nice place to watch the idiots driving by (of course in the heat it sucks but it's surprisingly pleasant during the cold months). The experience would be vastly improved with several pints of beer, but hey, you can't have everything.

The staff here are for the most part efficient and now that the crowds have died down a bit (fighting for parking and queuing up in long lines was a bitch), the experience isn't bad - you might actually find someplace to sit. My wife doesn't care for the place but I'll sometimes come by myself and indulge in the fiery hot sauce covering a combo platter - so worth it.

(also posted to Yelp)

Zafron Restaurant - Sandy Springs Georgia

You can find the Zafron Restaurant at 236 Johnson Ferry Rd NE, Sandy Springs, GA 30328 on the corner of Johnson Ferry Rd and Roswell Rd a bit over a mile north of the Perimeter. The standalone building I think used to be a jewelry story? not sure but it looks more like a location of Jarrod's than a restaurant. Parking is out front and to the sides. 

I'm not Persian but I do love the food from that region - think of this as Mediterranean with an emphasis on kabobs. I was super excited to stumble on this place but haven't tried it due to my favorite, Rumi's being down the street (there's also Persepolis and others not too far if you just continue north) so competition is tough. When you enter the restaurant is a bit on the dark side but rather elegantly designed with rich colors and expensive fixtures. I was by myself and decided to try a couple of things.

The menu is broken up into Flavors (snacks and appetizers), Salads (greens and veggies) and Entrees - I'm guessing the menu was a lunch menu so expect to pay more than what is hows on the photo posted. As usual I was brought a wooden plate with fresh herbs, cucumber, olives, radish, walnuts, goat cheese and some tomato slices - this is something unique to Persian restaurants where you get to snack on a few things with the wonderful fresh flat bread - something between a pita and a naan.

For an app I ordered the Kashik Bademjoon - oven-roasted eggplant topped with crispy mint, fried onion and cream of whey. This is one of my favorite spreads as it has a hint of smokiness and really starts things off with a blast. I thought the version here quite good.

Next I went with the Chilean Seabass - fire roasted Chilean seabass, served on a bed of zafron, fava beans & dill rice. I was hoping for something like Rumi's but didn't care much for the style offered here - marinated/skewered with a side of rice. I also didn't care too much for the rice - it had a bit of a bitter edge. Next time I'll order one of the fruitier others.

In all the service was good, or at least it became good once the server got over me being by myself and it was apparent that I was order about enough for two. I didn't bother taking home the leftover rice - that's a first to me. I think this place is good but not quite what you find at Rumi's - I think Rumi's has an approach that is much more friendly to the American palate. 

-- John

(Also posted by Yelp)

Tazikis Mediterranean Cafe - Sandy Springs Atlanta Georgia

You can find this location of Taziki's Mediterranean Cafe at 5610 Glenridge Dr, Sandy Springs, GA 30342, the strip of restaurants at the foot of Windsor at Glenridge where you'll also find Sushi Nami, Da Vinci's Donuts, Qdoba Mexican Eats, and Blue Moon Pizza. Parking is your basic nightmare with too few spaces for the number of businesses serving food, primarily at lunch but also apparent during busy nights (I'm guessing the focus was on Windsor residents, not realizing the need for convenient food in an area starving for quick eats).

I've eaten at other locations of Taziki's and have already reviewed the Alpharetta location - this location on Glenridge is much the same. A fast casual restaurant focusing on Mediterranean cuisine - one of my favorites - where many of the ingredients are produced fresh and you pretty much see the origins of what you're eating. As with the other location the food here is surprisingly good for a chain. There's quite a bit of seating inside as well as a few umbrella-ed tables out front. Service is reasonably fast and they have a few craft beers on the menu. They also have several salad and vegetarian offerings.

The interior has a long counter where you can view the food being prepared and examine the menu. When you get to the end someone helps you order and provides you with a number- make sure you order everything you want as when it's busy you don't want to have to get back in the long line (it will fool you - I typically arrive early to beat the rush and within 30 minutes the line can stretch to the door).

On  this day we ordered a mix that included:

*Homemade Greek Lemon Chicken Soup - your basic Greek soup that you usually find with Orzo - this version had some fresh cilantro added which seemed a bit odd to me - it threw the flavors off a bit from what I'm used to but still tasted good. If it was parsley it fooled me as it had the typical cilantro flavor.

Mediterranean Salad with Grilled Lamb - Fresh grilled and seasoned Colorado lamb; Mixed lettuces with garbanzo beans, roasted red peppers,red onions, diced tomatoes, roasted pecans, and feta, served with Taziki’s homemade balsamic vinaigrette. I thought this was quite good and has become my "regular" order.

Grilled Chicken Gyro - Taziki sauce, tomatoes, mixed lettuce, and grilled onions - served with potato chips and a side of roasted potatoes. The sandwich was good but I though the potatoes a bit under cooked (same for all I tried).

Grilled Beef Tenderloin Gyro -Taziki sauce, tomatoes, mixed lettuce, and grilled onions- served with chips and ketchup (yes I have a friend/coworker who put ketchup on the gyro and then told me he didn't like it). This would not have been my first choice but the bit of beef I tried tasted fine.

Grilled Veggie Gyro - Pesto aioli, tomatoes, zucchini, squash, grilled red peppers, grilled onion, and feta. I did not try this but Sid said it was good and I believe him. Served with chips and roasted potatoes.

In all the food is good and consistent here, just like my previous experience and both the person taking the orders and the guy delivering the food were nice and responsive. The restaurant is fairly new and still clean and they serve Monday Night Brewing. What's not to like?

-- John

(also posted to Yelp)

Kabobish - Near Gwinnett Place Mall - Duluth Atlanta Georgia

You can find Kabobish at 3555 Gwinnett Place Drive, Duluth, GA 30096 between Pleasant Hill Rd and the parking lot for Gwinnett Place Mall. It's kind of behind the Panda Express and Wendy's on the main drag and just short of the really fantastic Breakers Korean BBQ. Parking is in the lot out front and to the side - there's plenty.

I found out about this place by accident and took a special trip out to try it out one weekend afternoon. The exterior has a red-and-black striped awning and they occupy the corner of a row of buildings. The interior has a chain-restaurant, fast casual feel (I'm not sure what it was before but suspect a different restaurant) - there are exposed beams in the ceiling - I"m guessing something Latino? In any case, you walk in and get in line to order at the corner - in the front you'll see these really beautiful copper tandoor ovens but they weren't fired up while I was there. 

The menu was listed on monitors above the counter and exposed kitchen - lots of glass and stainless steel with simple furnishings - it has all the earmarks of a chain but I couldn't find out any information on it while I was seated waiting for my food. From the website (look for kabob-ish) this may be the first of a new concept with a focus on healthy foods (and yes I approve - it seemed to be an Indian take on Zoe's and included some Mediterranean and Caribbean options). It took about 10 minutes for the food to arrive. 

 I wanted to sample the most that I could so I opted for a combination of two kabobs, the Chicken Tikka and the Saffron Tikka (chicken). Both were really moist and delicious with the infused marinades and slightly crusty flame broiled flavors that I've come to love. Next time I'll try the shrimp and lamb.  I asked for both kinds of rice and while I did eat them, I thought they were pretty bland but maybe that's the point? They did offer a contrast to the very flavorful meats. You also get a bit of salsa fresca, some fresh sliced onion and a lime (similar to what you might find with tandoori chicken at an Indian or Pakistani restaurant). There are additional side sauces including some chili that I liked quite a bit.

The service was, well counter service so I can only say that the person behind the register was very knowledgeable and made some recommendations from my questions - very kind and I could tell she really liked the food (she recommended the jerk for something different but for my first visit I demurred). Overall a top-notch experience for a single diner on a sleepy afternoon.  I think this is a fine concept and I look forward to dining again.

-- John

(also posted to Yelp)
 

Shandiz House of Kabob - Peachtree Parkway Norcross Atlanta Georgia

You can find Shandiz House of Kabob at 5270 Peachtree Pkwy, Norcross, GA 30092 in the Interlochen Shopping Center near Peachtree Corners. This shopping center is anchored by the newly opened Earth Fare. Parking is in the large lot in front of the shopping center - if you're lucky you can park in front of the restaurant, but note that there's the pick-up/drop-off area that limits the parking.

Shandiz is a Persian restaurant that serves up Mediterranean meals with more of a Persian influence. I found this place quite by accident - I was waiting to be seated at the Flying Biscuit at the end of the shopping center and decided to explore a bit while waiting to be seated. I came into Shandiz early in the weekend and noticed the buffet. Looking around it was quite impressive with many kabob choices and delicious eggplant dips and other Persian selections. I took a few snaps with a promise to return later.

I finally had a chance to come by during the evening with some friends. The restaurant is on the small side but clean and well maintained. The interior is simple and tasteful and the people running the place are extremely nice and helpful. The menu features many of the same items you see at my favorite Persian restaurant, Rumi's on Roswell Rd, but a bit less expensive. Nice to have Persian options near Norcross and the Forum.

We decided on something basic and went with the gyro plates and a Combo Appetizer with three items: Dolmas, Felafel and Mirza Ghasemi. Everything was terrific and the portions quite large and filling. They also serve beer and wine here.

Service at Shandiz is also very good - as you would expect from a family owned-and-operated business. The next time I'll make sure the check out the kabobs - I'm hoping to come by during the buffet on a weekend so I can sample as much of their fare as possible.

-- John

(also posted to Yelp)