Papa Hassan’s Grill

No!!! Please tell me this is NOT happening is it really closed or are they relocating — my Garlic chicken plate — noooo — I’ve been going to them since their previous location in Orange — the BEST middle eastern food ever !!! Someone fill me in :(I’m so sad

Overpriced with very small portions! We decided to try this place instead of Zankhou and what a mistake that was!

Pappa don’t preach (I know I made a bad decision by eating here) but more importantly Pappa don’t cook! So I go here trusting the great reviews and also seeing a hot spot for FoxLA (like FOX news take it with a grain of salt) sign and the two spits of beef and chicken shawerma on the window boosted my confidence that I was in for a treat. little did I know it was more of a trick.
Got the plate for $ 15 — basically your choice of poop soup or sad salad, main entrée and a side. First plate got the soup which is brown and after taking care of my twin nephews all afternoon, all I could think of was the soup belonged in a diaper. Taste was meh… Ain’t nobody got time fo’ that!
We followed a fellow Unilocaler’s recommendation of garlic chicken describing it as «heavenly» and that got me thinking I was going to sing praises of joy after the first bite. Maybe I am too much of a sinner or the pearly gates were closed for maintenance but the chicken fell flat on its face here on earth and is in reality just chunks of chicken in Alfredo sauce. The hummus came in a tiny plastic condiment cup. Doth my eye deceive me?.. that is considered a side?.. *insert Mr. T «I Pity the Fool» Meme*
The second plate was the beef shawerma with a side of hummus and a salad. The salad is the unassuming nondescript version of its identical twin, the prison salad. The beef was dry with burnt pieces nothing memorable. The tahini sauce came in those little cups again and lifted the taste of the beef somewhat. Surprisingly my hummus was a decent side portion… why the David vs Goliath hummus portion disparity between the two plates only Papa Hassan knows or most likely he doesn’t.
I only added the extra star because the hot sauce is good and compliments the garlicky food well. The garlic paste is palatable. Service was good. I know they were trying hard and I appreciate that. With all the food around the area (even in the same shopping mall there are other choices) this is one Papa that will not be getting another chance. RIP BIG!

Their Chicken Shawerma plate is my favorite. Very flavorful. Also ask for their homemade lemonade, it’s really good. Great service and welcoming environment, what more could you ask for.

Chicken is moist and flavorful. The homemade sauces are absolutely delicious. A great Middle Eastern place with potential. I’ve yet to try everything on the menu but I liked everything I tried so far. They don’t skimp out on the sauce when you order take out and the staff are a very friendly crew that cleans immediately after each customer leaves. The location, however, is very sketchy and unattractive and the place itself is easy to miss. A lot of weirdos hanging around here especially at night so be careful.

Easily the best Middle Eastern food I’ve tasted so far!
The boyfriend and I visited Papa Hassan’s for lunch and was pleasantly surprised by the wonderful service, amazing food, and kick-​ass prices. When we went in somewhere around 2 in the afternoon, it was empty, a little warm, and curiously foreign. I’ve never been to a restaurant that had beef rotisserie racks displayed right behind the counter, nor one that had an awesome display of various Middle Eastern beverages!
The man behind the counter was a real sweetheart and walked us through the menu. My boyfriend asked «what’s good here» and the owner replied «the question you should be asking is what’s not good here?» We both had a hearty laugh! In the end, I chose the beef shawarma combination plate and loved the hummus and special sauce that came with it. They also give you a complimentary soup that tastes like chili and pita chips; the spices that they use in the bean (?) soup are so potent and delicious! My boyfriend had the beef shawarma wraps and ended up buying seconds and thirds because it was so good.
We also tried some of the boxed juices on display and the owner took us back to his days when he drank those juices from the Middle East when he was a child. By the end of our meal, I went back to purchase some Middle Eastern flavored cider and my boyfriend asked for a suggestion again.
Our witty shop owner knew exactly what flavor I had in mind and pointed out, «She’s going to get the peach one.» It must have been that obvious! Overall, Papa Hassan’s gave the best customer service I’ve ever had in a restaurant and if it wasn’t so far from where I live, I’d definitely be an everyday customer!
¹⁵⁄₁₀ WOULD RECOMMEND!

The most tasty Arabic food which I ever tried! Very nice coffee, Pahlava! Salad fresh and good! Excellent service and nice people there!!! Thank you!

Waited an hour before they were open at 11am, just to give this place a chance.
But the food is just that, OK only.
Ordered the beef shawarma and it was OK for $ 5.50 plus tax. Nothing spectacular. Not memorable. Portions of meat inside was ok, not spectacular.
I would have to say this place is over-​rated by the many that go here.
Again, I would go elsewhere and pay a little more for better flavor, taste, and more meat.

After a long day at Disneyland the boo and I were craving some good eats. Then we stumbled across the holy grail that is Papa Hassans!
The man working was incredibly warming and kind and helped us choose the beef shwarma plate and the garlic chicken with zucchini.
The shwarma was moist and cooked to perfection, hummus on point, pita on point = heaven! The garlic chicken tho… I’m still thinking about it and have been constantly craving it ever since I stuffed the last bite into my mouth! The flavors all worked so well together, pair it with some rice and trust I will be here every time I’m in the area!
Homemade sauce is also amazing and like nothing I’ve ever tried before! I guess the only downfall is its a little pricey for the type of food it is but trust me when I say ITS WORTH IT! If you’re on the fence gtfo Unilocal and go NOW!

PROS —
1. I was very surprised to find out how good this place was. I’m not a big fan of trying different food such as Middle-​astern but I forgot what I got but it was filled with this sweet juiciness of greatness.
2. The lady was kind and took pictures of our group.
CONS —
1. Could be easily missed.
2. The guy who was helping us first wasn’t the most welcoming and when we asked for suggestions he didn’t give his opinion.
3. Kinda expensive, but it’s expected since it’s a small place and is very diverse.

This place is great. Everything is good. The chicken is so juicy and the beef is marinated just right as well. You should definitely have the chicken shish kebab with avocado salad and basmati rice. Then get a cup of coffee. If your on a date your date will be in love… food & very reasonable prices & cool location.

Delicious! I love their lentil soup. I always order it with my meal. My favorite thing to order is the falafel starter plate. It’s plenty of falafel, hummus, greens, tahini sauce and pita bread for one! With the soup it comes out to be about $ 10. Not bad! The restaurant is clean and the owners are friendly. Food is made fresh and they have a large selection of menu items. There’s lots of beverages to choose from, foreign and domestic. Try the peach drink with pulp!

Incredibly gracious staff and excellent food! Taking a group to any sort of Middle Eastern restaurant when you have vegetarians can be a challenge. Olive Tree proved impossible last time. This time I opted to try Papa Hassan’s Grill. Reasonable prices and a variety of items.
We ordered a sampler plate of all veggie foods– baba ganoush, hummus, tabouli, and falafel. We also ordered the batatas, a hands-​down favorite. Additionally, the fav bean dip (Foul Musammas), which was definitely something I’ll be ordering regularly.
The rest of the group ordered chicken shawerma. Apparently adding fries to this makes is even better, but across the board everyone enjoyed the food.
They also had some interesting sodas (in plastic cans and unusual flavors?) that the group decided to try.
Overall, great experience. There was plenty of free parking in the lot. Definitely go hungry.

Not really sure why this place gets so much love. I would come here for quick wrap sandwiches if I’m in a hurry. No on the burger, I once got a lamb burger and it was served with cold buns. Plates can get a little pricey and all in all, I would prefer to go to Zankou for this kind of food to be honest.
They have this lentil soup, which is like a cross between a split pea soup and chili. I’m a fan of split pea soup and chili so liked it! Try the three mini pockets if you want to try beef & chicken shawerma and falafel without ordering too much food. Oh and why is the humus dipping sauce that comes with the falafel so damn watery?
Papa Hassan’s is just A-​OK at best for me…

Heavenly! Seriously I wish I lived closer just so I can eat here daily! I took a break from eating my lovely weekend special lamb shank to write this review. It’s tender, fall off the bone, flavorful with tons of yummy veggies that compliment it. Tastes like my grandmas lamb shank.
Everytime I come here, I get the shawerma delight. It is excellent! Must try! Basically it is a mound of shawerma on top of delicious homemade hummus. Imagine all the delicious juices dripping into the hummus… Now imagine scooping it all up with garlic pita bread… *drools* Foodgasm. The garlic pita that comes with it is to die for. The lentil soup that comes with both dishes is also to die for. So citrusy! It tastes better than my own –_​– oh well!
Props to the chef! Let me get back to my lamb shank!!!

just had one of the most amazing lunches I’ve had in a long time. ordered the half chicken plate with rice and small salad. The entire dish was lovely. For $ 8.95 you sure get your moneys worth. If you dine here make sure to ask foe their homemade hot sauce. It was devine. went extremely well with my half chicken.
very welcoming customer service, which always add pleasure to any meal. After today, this will for sure be one of my regular lunch stop locations.

Came in b4 Unilocal goes to the movie night. It was a cold & drizzling which kept it quiet. I placed my order at the front counter for my beef shawerma combo.
Within minutes my citrus tasting lentil soup arrived which was yummy. Just as I completed my soup my shawerma combo arrived and contained generous amount of beef, sides and hummus.
Service here was beyond average, I recall several waiters and waitresses refilling my beverage and they always checked in on me.
I had no idea this area how so many middle eastern restaurants and will return to the area.

I had great expectations for Papa Hassan’s, located in Little Arabia and all, but was a bit disappointed.
The place is small, and almost empty on an early Saturday night.
Customer service was just okay. Not extremely friendly, nor attentive enough.
I ordered the Half Chicken Plate.
Big mistake. I did not read any reviews while ordering and did not see YF Steve S.‘s review of the chicken just being okay. The chicken was soft, but bordering on dry and lacking in flavor. I would prefer Chicken Maison, Zankou or Pita Hot’s chicken over this. Good thing there was a VERY garlicky garlic dip to add flavor and zing. I didn’t mind having bad breath all night. The tabbouleh however, was to my liking. Sour, but not peppery.
Do yourself a favor and order something else, not their chicken plate.
I will try their wraps hopefully next time, and the review will be updated then. Yes, this is more like a note to self.

We found Papa Hassan’s grill thanks to Unilocal!We had just spent the day at Disneyland and were looking for something good to eat. Papa Hassan’s came up as a possible option nearby so we headed over there.
The restaurant is small in that you might not be able to find it if you didn’t know where to look. It’s a narrow place in between two huge stores. Anyway, on to the food…
We had a grilled chicken plate that came with rice, hummus and potatoes and another plate of chicken with hummus.
The hummus here is a creamy goodness while the chicken was moist. Service here was good. They were friendly and would come up to us once in awhile to talk about the food and to see if we liked it.
I could not ask for a better dinner. I’ve been recommending this place to my OC friends, and would come back the next time I am in the area.

Everyone has their own ethnic recipes, with many variations of spices. Here, you can expect a Lebanese version.
Baba ganoush appetizer. Typically a burnt flavored, seasoned mashed eggplant. This one was not my favorite, very mild.
Lentil soup (came as a side with Mr. B’s kibbi dinner) was creamy but too strong with cumin and needed a little salt.
I had ordered the three mini pockets. That comes with three little pita sandwiches with three different fillings plus lettuce, tomato, persian pickle, and tahini. A great way to sample this:
The meat (lamb+beef blended) shawerma (sp?). I am always hunting for a shawerma that has no cinnamon in the spice mix. Hard to find, yet here it was! And I had an additional surprise of a nice hint of mint leaf in the seasoning. I think I really like the Lebanese style. I could eat this again and again.
The chicken shawerma unfortunately was strangely mushy and rather flavorless. A big disappointment.
But…the falafel… mmmm. A blend of garbanzo and fava bean, so ender yet crispy. Another winner.
Kibbi. This looked like a spam-​like slab of meat mixed with bulgar wheat that was crispy and way overcooked. And unfortunately it was. Mr. B appreciated the flavor but not the hard texture.
The yogurt and cucumber sauce was great. So were the other sauces that arrived with our meal. One was a spicy red sauce, harissa, quite flavorful and addictive. Shocked and amazed, this wimpy lady ate it carefully, but happily.
We also ordered one whole rotisseried chicken to go. Unfortunately, the whole thing was way over cooked, dry to the bone. If we had eaten it there, I would have returned it. At least the skin was good.
It is all in knowing the menu, what is good, what is not so good. While not pleased with everything, there was the thrill of finding that elusive shawerma and fabulous falafel that made up for it.