Zaitoon Mediterranean Grill

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FInally tried this place today for lunch. The interior is very nice, clean, comfortable, and warm but maybe just a wee bit sterile. The prices at lunch are very inexpensive ($ 11 for a really big meal with quality meat, rice, and salad). The food was very good. I had the combo kabab with lamb and kefta (ground beef and pork, I think, even though pork seems odd in this type of restaurant). I ordered it with basmati rice and tabouli. The meat and was tender and juicy, not over cooked. The rice was cooked in broth and was good but I prefer a simple steamed basmati. The tabouli was okay, but it would have been even better with more parsley. Still, it was fresh with nice chunks of tomato and cucumber. Finally, the pita was okay but not the best I’ve ever had. The service was excellent. All in all, very good. The best Mediterranean food I’ve had in Jacksonville. I will definitely go back.

I rarely give 5 stars but this place totally deserves it! My husband saw the Groupon offer they ran recently and, after some diligent research, opted to try it. I was hesitant because it’s over the inter-​coastal, but gave it a chance.
I’m a very picky eater. Originally from the Balkans, I have tastes that don’t always match the US cuisine. This restaurant though not only met but exceeded my expectations! We got the sampler tapas and a Greek salad to share. They came with pitas and some very tasty seasoning spread (I’m supposed to know the exact name but I don’t). For desert we got the mind boggling raspberry baklava and it was indeed one of a kind!
I’m definitely going back and I can see this becoming one of my top favorites even though it’s over the pond. Well done — great food, service, ambience and presentation.

What a surprise! We were extremely hungry at lunch time, went to the nearest restaurant. From the sign and the outward appearance, we expected a variation on fast food. Décor and ambiance are lovely, food and service are excellent, full bar. Nice small plate collection in addition to their standard menu. A peak experience; one of our all time favorite restaurants. We will go there again.

We had a wonderful dining experience at Zaitoon a few weeks back. We purposely went a bit late (around 9 PM) to avoid the ‘Friday night dinner crowd’. The restaurant was pretty quiet, only a couple of tables besides us. Upon walking in the restaurant, we fell in love with the atmosphere. It’s a rather small restaurant and was intimate and cozy. We loved the little couch in the waiting area… felt like we walked into a friend’s house.
I tried the Mixed Tasting Plate substituing the hummus for Spinach & Crab Fondue. The fondue was very yummy. The Dolmades and Spanakopitas were decent. I was not a big fan of Kibbee, but it’s because I am just not a big fan of fried food. Overall, it was tasty.
Husband tried their version of Moussaka. It was a bit different than what we were used to, but the flavor is good. The Greek salad that came with the meal was really yummy wit the right amount of dressing and feta cheese. And this is coming from a person who is definitely not a big salad fan. It was a pleasant surprise for me.
We finished our meal with a shared order of Crème Brulee and coffee. Overall, nice atmoshpere, great service and good food makes it a 4 star dining experience for me.

I have been to the Mediterranean delight 2 times for dinner. I am a sucker for trying unusual appetizers so I had a fantastic selection at Zaitoons!
–Baba Ghannouj was delish, although I ordered Hummus at the same time and they were pureed in a way that made them virtually unidentifiable as to which was which… No matter they both were promptly eaten.
–The Tabouli tasted really fresh.
–I consumed half of my friends Roasted Beet & Curried Walnut salad. It composed of roasted beets, greens, walnuts and feta. The dressing was slightly sweet and really complimented this beautifully colorful dish.
–Of course Zaitoon’s stuffed grape leaves were spectacular as well as the Spanakopita. The pastry was perfect and not soggy.
–I had Moussaka on my last visit. I love the béchamel in this dish, but this wasn’t my favorite Entrée. The Braised Lamb Shank definitely took that award! Mouthwatering and tender.
–My favorite dessert of all time is Baklava and Zaitoon really does theirs right. Again, the phyllo wasn’t soggy at all under the slathering of sweet syrup… Oh just thinking about it now makes me want to make a trip out to Atlantic Blvd. I was served a piece of this perfect little convection for free on my birthday which made that little baby taste even better!
I just wish Zaitoons would be a little less expensive. For that reason only I am giving them 4 instead of 5 stars.

I’ve been eating Greek & North African food for the last 35 years. Zaitoon is one of the best Mediterranean meals I’ve ever had.
The (complimentary) olive tapenade was generous and a perfect balance of acid & fats. The tabouli salad was again perfectly balanced — not too lemony although our server offered extra lemon if we preferred.
My date had roast chicken, which was moist & had a uniquely delicious flavor profile. I had lamb & kefta kebabs with great cinnamon-​y brown rice. They seemed more Moroccan than Greek, which I enjoyed.
But the absolute best part of the entire experience was the raspberry baklava. Unbelievably tasty! Worth saving room to enjoy this delectable dish.
In fact, the raspberry baklava was SO good that we returned to Zaitoon 24 hours later for another serving of fantastic-​ness!
Enjoyed meeting the very gracious owner on our second visit as well.

Well… We picked Zaitoon one night because it was late, by Jax standards, and we needed a place that was still open. We got some sort of sampler dish and it was not good. I’ll probably never go back.

We tried it based on Unilocal reviews. Tried the spinakopita, lentil soup, beet salad, mixed grill kebabs which had the kefta and the lamb. Also had a chicken salad on the side. We drank white sangrias. This place is absolutely fantastic.

Caraffe of sangria: $ 25
Main courses: $ 21 – 29
Expect an average of $ 36 per person if you include a shared appetizer and mixed drink/​wine with your meal.
This is a great place for a romantic date. The service is excellent. Good lighting, cozy booths, soft music. The price is pretty substantial, but the food is worth it. It’s hidden behind the Fresh Market, so get directions, it’s easy to drive past. I have eaten at some pretty amazing restaurants from in my home (San Francisco) and around the world. The chef definitely knows what he is doing and the menu has creative entrees.
Out of 3 of us, we got a vegetarian sampler, lobster, and lamb shank. Everyone said their dishes were very good. The sangria was excellent, but I should mention there were almost no pieces of fruit. It was not too sweet, not too dry. We will definitely be back.

My husband and I had been here before but it had been a while so we checked it out last night. The atmosphere is cozy and they do have patio seating, although it seems to lack the coziness of the inside seating as it overlooks a parking lot.
We ordered an appetizer of brushetta that was a specialty item for the night. The fresh mozzarella, tomatoes and bread were grilled but so full of flavor. I would say this was probably one of the best brushetta’s I’ve had.
Also I have to agree with the previous posts in that the meat melted in my mouth — so flavorful and so tender. We also had a the crème brûlée and it was light and perfect with fresh vanilla beans.

My brother and I checked this place out a few weeks ago, and we both really enjoyed it. If the meat had been cooked any better, it would have melted on the plate. Kudos to the chef!

My family and I went to this little restaurant the other night, as we were feeling adventurous. I was immediately impressed with the décor of the place when I walked in — gorgeous, super cozy, perfect lighting, and when we sat down, the booth was very spacious and comfortable. I felt a little under dressed in jean shorts and a tank top, but it didn’t seem to be quite as big of a deal, as there were other customers in jeans and flip flops. Could have easily been a dress-​up night as well though.
The waiter was attentive and friendly, got us our drinks quickly, and highly recommended the special appetizer, which consisted of a special type of chips, spinach, crab, and blue cheese. We took his recommendation, but none of us was impressed with the appetizer (it was too salty and the chips tasted like they were burned), and my mother told him so. He promptly offered to take it off the tab, and even though my mom told him it would be okay if he only took half of it off (since she did eat half of it), he still took it off the tab anyway.
Although the appetizer was not a great start to the meal, the rest of it redeemed the restaurant. My mom and I both ordered the Greek salad with our food, which was delicious, even though I am not a fan of salad. For my entrée, I ordered the Chicken Kabob, which was juicy, tender, and deliciously flavored, accompanied with rice that was maybe a tad bit dry (not sure if that was intentional or not) but tasty nonetheless. My brother ordered the Skirt Steak, and I heard nothing bad but yet nothing good about it either. My mom enjoyed the side of seasonal vegetables that we got with each meal.
For dessert, my brother and I shared the chocolate bunt cake, which I believe was a special of the night. It was absolutely incredible; warm, delicious, the perfect size, and the French vanilla ice cream it came with was a great complement. They had many other desserts that I would have liked to try as well, so I will try those when I return.
For myself, my brother, and my mom (who did not get an entrée), and with the appetizer taken off of our bill, the total was $ 64. All dinner entrees were $ 20+. I am definitely planning on returning and trying out some of their other dishes!

This was one of the best dining experiences I’ve had in a very long time!!!
The atmosphere is warm and cozy, but in no way kitschy. It’s got a feeling of class combined with a welcoming feeling — I in no way felt out of place in my jeans, but could have just as easily been in a little black dress.
The server was amazing. As it was our first time there, he was helpful and friendly. Our food arrived promptly. I really wanted to order an appetizer as they all sounded so delicious, but wasn’t extremely hungry. The only thing that confused me was that I ordered kabobs, which I thought was universal language for «meat on a stick», so when two flanks came out I was a little shocked. It didn’t matter, though, as they were both scrumptious!
For dessert we had traditional baklavah and it was, at the risk of sounding cliché, to die for! At the end of our meal, the proprietor came over and asked about our experience. She told me that opening this restaurant was the dream she and her husband shared for many years and they were so pleased that it came true!
I filled out a comment card and was promptly emailed a coupon for a free dessert! Not that I needed more incentive to come back, but it just shows excellent customer service!
Dinner was a little pricey, but luckily my friend had found coupons in the MINT magazine. However, the portions were large enough to share — we could have split one entrée and been fine.
I highly recommend Zaitoon’s!!! The service, food, and atmosphere was miles above a similar Mediterranean restaurant called «Kabobs» in San Marco.

been twice now. had lamb medallions. ok, not great. and then had the snapper which was pretty good. according to the grown ups i was with there is a decent wine list. sangria isn’t bad either.
i also enjoy their salads. the beet salad is excellent.

Been back for dinner. It was just as good as previous trip, from the food to the service. Still my favorite dolmades in the area. Lamb done just right.

Very beautiful atmosphere.
The service was at its best. It cannot get any better.
The wait was only about 10 – 15 minutes.
When we first walked in, we thought this was going to be a very expensive restaurant. Surprisingly, when we both opened the menu, items were only from 6 – 12 dollars. (But dinner is about double that price! I took a to-​go dinner menu with me…)
We (my boyfriend and I) both went there to try it out for lunch. Yes it is ducked out behind The Fresh Market, but it is worth finding.
I ordered the tapas trio which is your choice of three tapas. I chose dolmades, kibbie, and hummus. My favorite was the dolmades.
My boyfriend ordered the combo kebab which is your choice of two different kebabs. He chose the kefta and lamb; Now let me tell you, the lamb was delicious! A++ for sure. Kefta tastes like hamburger to me but still good. Along with the kebab combo, he got a salad which he chose the roasted beets and curried walnuts and also a choice of basmati rice or fries and we chose the rice. The salad isn’t really my favorite, probably because it was very different from what I am used to. The rice was good with the lamb!
For dessert, we ordered the Rasberry Baklava and let me tell youuu~ it was DELICIOUS. I couldn’t help but be greedy about sharing it. A definite must. Too bad we both are under 21 for we couldn’t order any drinks which sounded great too.
Overall, it was a great experience. I was torn between giving it a four or a five because it really isn’t our type of food because we aren’t such big vegetarians but because of how everything came out, definitely had to give it a 5!
A very clean and welcoming place to go.

Unreal! Service was great and friendly. I love spanakopita and Zaitoon definitely has the best that I have ever tasted. We started with the vegetarian appetizer plate which included, hummus, dolmades, spanakopita, and something that I can’t remember but am sure that it was excellent seeing that we didn’t leave anything on the plate. From there we each had a salad, one with roasted beets and walnuts as well as the Greek; both great. We shared the curried snapper over Basmati rice with some veggies which was perfect in order to get dessert. Crème Brulee w/​fresh vanilla cookies and the raspberry baklava! Perfect pairing was the Muscat. Sangria was great and wine list decent. Will definitely be back! Kudos to the chef who is apparently vegetarian as well and has unique daily dishes to choose from.

Rare find! Cozy atmosphere — warm and inviting. The service is exceptional and very detailed. And the food… ohhh. the food — AMAZING! Obviously, it is culinary cuisine with Mediterranean flair. Not just middle eastern food as the name may imply! Tapas, Paella (the best I’ve ever had). Romantic for just my husband and I — but cool for kids too! I am very picky about middle eastern food — nothing beats moms cooking! EXCEPT THIS! I CRAVE their tapas tasting plate all the time. Shhh! Don’t tell mom! Location is tucked away behind the Fresh Market, but they won’t be a secret for long!