Garbanzo Mediterranean Grill

Inside this hole in-​the-​wall location hides some of the best Mediterranean food I’ve had in s long time. We tried a little bit of everything, and it was ALL good. The best flavor of all was the amazing, fresh warm pita.

As of 8÷24÷15, this location is closed.
Too bad. I think a factor was the fact that this location was away from all the other restaurants at Woodbury Cafes. This store was amongst optometry and a bike seller next to Ralph’s. Bad location for food.

Just like Chipotle, you can build your plate by picking your choice of protein, sides, and sauces. And just like Chipotle, the food isn’t 100% authentic, perhaps to appeal more to the general public. The flavors were on the mild side.
That aside, I do like the pita, babaganoush, and cucumber salad. Out of the sauces, I like the garlic one. The red chili sauce and sriracha seem out of place for Mediterranean. Out of the proteins, I like the portobello mushrooms. They were nicely grilled and quite juicy.

I tried the falarma (falafel sharwarma diced) which sounded more interesting than it tasted. The falafel seems too crusty and dry, like biting into rocks. I think they were cooked in oil that was too hot which hardens the outside of the wheat balls.
Other times I’ve gone I got the kabob with a combo of steak and chicken (one skewer each) as they are the same price. You get to choose from a few toppings/​sides. For the plate I got the chicken and it can come with all the toppings: olives, tabboleh, rice, salad, etc. All very tasty and really well-​priced for this quality.

I’m usually very close by to this place because of work so naturally I’m a regular. I absolutely love this place in every aspect. The service is great, the place is very clean and the food is amazing! I have never had a bad experience here. While it isn’t the most authentic Mediterranean place there is, it still outshines a lot of other places that I’ve been to that are attempting to insert themselves in the «fast-​casual» category. Even though I have eaten here countless times, I still look forward to every visit (which is about 2 to 3 times a week).
For those who haven’t been here yet, think of it as a Mediterranean-​style Chipotle with a few differences. There are menu items that have preordained ingredients to them (although technically you could add more things if you really wanted to) and there are the ones where you have the freedom to put anything and everything they offer that you want on them. I usually prefer to get the latter but sometimes I’ll get gyros and salads when I’m in the mood. One very notable thing is that you can sample anything you want before you choose and they will almost always offer a free falafel sample without you even asking. Don’t shy away from their mint lemonade or teas either. My personal favorite is the mango hibiscus tea which has just the right amount of sweetness to it.
So the final verdict: if you like or love Mediterranean food and haven’t been here yet, try it out asap. If you have been here and you enjoy it, keep showing your support. I think it’s well worth it.

Went ahead and grabbed lunch here today for the first time with my girlfriend and my little sister. Was a bit hesitant at first because, well as always trying something new can be a little scary… especially for me because I love food and I hate when I am disappointed in my meal. Today’s meal was far from disappointing. It’s was exactly was I was craving. A lite but tasty Greek salad full of veggies and flavor. The set up is like a chipotle but mediterranean style.
The staff… SUPER friendly, and Melissa the GM, ROCKED!
Food was fresh and meat was very tender and flavorful. They also had 2 refreshing lemonades that are must haves (Mint lemonade, and Pomegranate lemonade).
Finished our meal with a great baklava, another must have. So happy we tried this new place out. I will definitely be back.

Ooooohhhh so this is why this Garbanzo’s has a lower average rating than the other one in Irvine. Their gyro meat isn’t cooked on the twirling stick. It arrives at the restaurant «pre-​sliced.» I can’t get down with that. We ain’t about that life.
C’mon. Get your squad together and spring for the roasting stick.

+ Great prices
+ Healthy (as much as you can get from fast food)
+ Large portions
+ Great tasting
+ Clean
I live across the street from the center where this restaurant is and I’m surprised that in 3 years I have not yet tried it. Prices are reasonable and the food tastes great. Based on the ingredients and calorie numbers, it also looks relatively healthy!
I will definitely be eating here in the future.

Vegan review: this place is nothing special, though the best part of the place is how easy it is to figure out if something is vegetarian, vegan, or gluten free because everything is clearly labeled.
It’s your standard Mediterranean spot with decent Mediterranean food with a make your own twist.

So glad I finally made a stop here, I love a good Greek Meal and they nailed it!
My pita was filled with everything I could ever want, the portobello protein add was an awesome choice.
Prices are incredible and it’s super yummy!

I like this place! The workers here are really helpful. On my first visit I told them it was my first time and didn’t know what to get. I went a second time and got the same thing. I ordered the platter with a little bit of everything. It’s sooo good!

So, Daphne’s Café isn’t cutting it anymore? Need a quick change of pace? This is probably the place for you to go and try something new.
They have Gyros, Falafels, Steak, Chicken, and Portobello Mushrroms as their «proteins» and they either will wrap your choice in a Pita for around $ 6, or put it on a plate with all the veggies, and cous cous and rice for $ 8. I chose the plate so i can try a bit of everything, and got the gyro meat. Mind you, they also have kebobs and other greek items.
The gyro meat was delicious, well seasoned. They will cook it on the flat top before putting it on your cardboard plate-​bowl-​pie-​thingy. They have a wide range of veggies, put them all there… and include a white or wheat pita (thick pita too!)
I like the Tziki and Garlic sauce… will defintely try their other choices next time.
All in all its a good change of pace from the other greek places. Nothing really wrong with the place, except the hard-​ass bench seating, and weird setup/​line for ordering.

i love Mediterranean food and this place does hit the spot with an affordable price! you can pick and select whatever you like, and all you can get sauces! the pita bread comes with the plate/​bowl will for sure fill you up also.
love coming here for lunch… it’s a quiet and nice neighborhood also, so sit outside!

If you like delicious Mediterranean food for great prices and taste, then definitely check this place out! There’s a variety of types of food you can order, such as kebab plates, gyro sandwiches, salads, etc. However, the main thing that stood out for me was their build-​your-​own-​plate for less than $ 8!
1. Pick your protein! (chicken, steak, portobello mushroom, veggies, falafel)
2. Pick your sides! (hummus, chopped lettuce, red onion, pickles, hard boiled egg, baba ganoush, rice, cucumber/​tomato salad, etc)
3. Pick your sauce! (garlic sauce, tzatiki, tahini, cilantro sauce, red chili, etc)
We ordered a ½ chicken, ½ steak plate with hummus, cucumber and tomato salad, baba ganoush, hard boiled egg, rice, red onion with garlic sauce! It was absolutely delicious! What I like about the plate is that you can mix everything and it will just taste great. Each order comes with your choice of white or wheat pita bread.
We also tried the pomegranate lemonade and mango hibiscus tea. The pomegranate lemonade has a very concentrated sugary taste. I recommend adding more ice and water to dilute the sweetness. The mango hibiscus tea has a lighter sugar taste, but still leaves a refreshing aftertaste.
Overall, a plate that costs less than $ 8 AND also tastes great is pretty good. The service is fast and the people there are friendly. Be sure to ask for a free membership card so when you register it, you can get a free meal for your birthday!

Full of flavor!!!
The inside flow is similar to chipotle. Don’t expect a chipotle portion though. I really enjoyed the falafel. FYI Be sure to chase your meal with some breath mints…
Thank me later!

Torn between a 2 or 3 star review. I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt based on the first few times I’ve been there which were good experiences.
The past two visits, not so good. Last time I went I asked for roasted red peppers on my pita, since there was a «roasted red peppers» station in the food line. The girl said I couldn’t have them… they were only for the salad. I asked again.” I really can’t have roasted red peppers on my pita”…she said nope. Didn’t have the energy to argue, just laughed.
This time I got home and the pita was an absolute sloppy, mushy mess. I live right around the corner too. The chicken looked a little strange, figured it was just dark meat. Whatever it was it didn’t agree with my stomach.
I was hopeful about this place but my hopes are fading after the last two visits.

This place is average to me. I’ve been here about 3 times since they opened because I live nearby.
FOOD: Mediterranean food served Chipotle-​style. Food seems healthy and fresh. You can get a Pita, Laffa, or Plate. My favorite meat option is either Chicken Shwarma or Chicken Falarma. They are a bit cheap with the portions though. Yes it looks like Chipotle, but you sure don’t get the same amount of food as Chipotle.
STAFF: Some of the staff is really really friendly. They will offer you samples while you wait in line which is cool. Some staff is annoyingly friendly though. when I want to pick up something quick and go, I can’t because people in front of me are having a long ass conversation with staff about what everything on the menu is.
Today’s visit made me REALLY SAD. I got a chicken shwarma plate togo and they completely forgot my pita bread!!! I was so upset when I got home cus I wouldn’t have ordered the plate if I knew I wasn’t gonna get any pita. UGH. Customers shouldn’t have to check inside the bag before they leave. Otherwise I might as well be the one packing all the food inside right?

My brother in law told us that this place we pretty good and I had this place bookmarked for a while since we moved into Stonegate community about 6 months ago. I was a bit worried when some of the Unilocalers said they tend to run out of food as we usually have dinner after 6pm. We figure why not give it a try.
Basically, we went in with no expectation at all. The place is pretty much like a chipotle style restaurant, you pick what you like then pay at the end with the cashier. While I was tending my daughter, my husband got a sample falafel to try. I took a bite then gave it to my daughter to try it. She just loves it and basically ate the whole thing. Their falafel is pretty crispy outside and has an interesting herb and spice taste. Almost a bit of curry taste and at first I was expecting my daughter to spit it out but she kept eating it so she definitely approved it. While their falafel is a bit dry for our taste but since our daughter likes it. It’s good!
My dinner was the gyros while my husband got the beef shawrma. They have this garlic sauce that’s really tasty. It’s so good with just their gluten-​free pita bread. Overall impression was everything is really fresh and tasty. We really enjoyed it. Definitely, it’s a nice option for food at Woodbury Towne Center.

Pleasantly surprised.
Gorgeous pictures my friend posted of Garbanzo’s food made me set a date because it’s a bit of a drive from where I live.
My +1 ordered the steak shawarma plate with a white pita. Usually shawarma sliced from the rotating spit, but this appeared like chopped steak. It was on the dry side, but the steak had plenty of flavor.
I had the falafel and an extra side of Garbanzo chips. The falafel was deep fried, so the outside crispy goodness and the inside was nice and steamy. I got a nice yogurt sauce on top of mine. The Garbanzo chips are made of potato and not garbanzo beans like I thought. They were a thicker cut of potato deep fried, but some of my chips were slightly soft in areas. I guess the guy didn’t cook the whole batch thoroughly. The ones that were cooked properly were delightful.
To drink we both got the lemonade. It’s had a good sweet and slightly sour taste to it. I added ice in it to make it ice cold.
You could add anything you want on your plate from the condiment/​extras section. I wanted to sample everything, so I got a little of each. The white and wheat pita is not the cheap, generic stuff you buy at the local Middle Eastern market. It’s puffy and soft and damn good. You could get another one for an extra buck. It’s worth the price.
Whenever I’m in the area, I’ll hit up Garbanzo. Refreshing and filling. 4 stars

** Coupons! BOGO entrée! +1
** Positive and healthy mission statement +1
* Large portions & Cheap +1
* Good food +1
* Great Music +1
* Friendly service, though slow +0.5
** Not Garbanzo chips & no more portobello mushrooms — 1
** Loud Soda Machine –0.5
The details are below:
** Coupons for a FREE entrée or FREE Soup. Go to
for coupons :) What better way to start off your first experience at a new place with a discount :) +1
** Great quotes on the wall :)
«Compromise is bad word when it comes to food around here [Garbanzo Med Grill].»
«Freshness is key.» «Free of trans fat.»
«Pitas made from scratch, baked all day.»
And even the bottle of Sriracha sauce said «No MSG» +1
* Great portions. Get your $$ worth. Good Food. Good Music. Friendly service. +3.5
The music playing was a range from pop to rock, 90s to current: Adam Lavine, Kelly Clarkson, Backstreet Boys, etc.
The minus points:
** Loud soda machine. –0.5
Now before you sit down, I will say this, DON’T sit next to the Soda Fountain machine. It is incredibly loud. My friends and i were shouting across the table… We should’ve moved. why did we stay the entire meal? too lazy to move… enjoying food too much.
** Misleading menu. they are NOT garbanzo chips. They are chips with garbanzo beans-​flavored seasoning. Yeah. we got too excited to try these. but just ordinary chips. :(
Also, they ran out of portobello mushrooms… which they should have noticed way before we got there bc it was not a busy night. So, the cook quickly threw some mushrooms on the grill and said it was gonna take 20 mins… um. no thanks.
Now, ladies if you need to use the «girl’s room» don’t wait too long to the last minute, because I’m telling you right now that it is a llooonnngg hallway… the longest hallway I’ve ever walked down in a public place/​restaurant.
(* Just a side note about the bathroom: Automatic flush, Automatic Sink, Automatic Paper towel… Why no «automatic soap»???)
I will definitely return Garbanzo… and with my coupon too! :)
Thanks for the good music, good food, and friendly prices… but if you could fix that loud soda machine, that’d be awesome!