Meze Grill

That was a really nice fast-​food place in midtown. How could they go out of business? Place was packed at every lunch time with people overflowing outside …

Do not ever order online from this restaurant. It’s the second time I had to wait over 2 hours for my food to be delivered, no matter if you call to check on your orders, seems like they don’t really care.
The food is good but overpriced for the quality of it.
Stay away.

RIP… I was looking for the place and could NOT find it. duh !! its closed.
They were a good spot with decent gyro in the area. It just seemed they didn’t have much clientele… in an area where rents are rising by the second.
Damnnn… :(

Sustainability, green and «clean» eating is what you will get here. What is Meze Grill? Basically it’s Mediterranean food that uses farmers market and sustainable foods as ingredients, that produces a good quality falaffel or bowl or something.
It’s very much like any of those other falaffel places, like crisp or maoz where they ask you what style you want, and what ingredients you want in it, but at Meze they sorta limit you by charging you extra if you go over their specified number of toppings… not b/​c they are cheap, but b/​c they load up on the ones you do choose. Also there are several styles you can choose… like a bowl or a pita.
Ok so what about the choices — the choices you have are pretty strong. They have a good selection of toppings from humus to umm… corn and tomato stuff, and 4 different types of meat, plus falaffel if you want that as the vegetarian option. Sauces are plenty as they have plenty to choose from.
I made this on a pita that ended up weight something like 2 lbs. The amount of toppings they throw in and the sauce and meat makes it really good. It’s tasty.

Honestly, I won’t lie: I was walking up 8^th Avenue one night, desperately looking for a quick dinner before heading on the A train, and my internal GPS was guiding me towards the Chipotle on the corner of 8^th and 56^th. I was on auto-​pilot when all of a sudden, I realized that I had passed it, turned around, and walked in. Only… my auto-​pilot was wrong, my GPS was off, and I walked straight into Meze Grill. At first, I had to gain my bearings. (Yes, I really WAS on auto-​pilot…)
Think of Meze Grill as a Mediterranean Chipotle, or a distant cousin of Maoz. Pick the veggies or protein you want and decide if that goes into a sandwich, pita, rice bowl, or salad. Next, pick more veggies and toppings, then pick a bunch of sauces to lob onto that sucker.
I picked falafel to go on rice, along with lettuce, tomato, and Mediterranean Pico (…yeah, it’s salsa…), along with a few good spoonfuls of tzatziki sauce. Honestly, it was pretty decent! The falafel was extremely flavorful, which I was happy for, though I prefer mine to be extremely crispy on the outside. This falafel? Not so much, but at least the taste was to my liking. The tzatziki wasn’t full of cucumber either, but I also enjoyed the flavor and it mixed in well with the other ingredients in my bowl. Overall, it was fresh and delicious. That’s all I want in a quick dinner, sometimes.
This probably wouldn’t be my first choice on my «gotta get a bite to eat before heading home» mad jaunts, but I am glad I found it and stopped in. On that rare time when I say, «Maybe I DON’T want Chipotle», I’d be willing to give this place another go, most definitely.

This place is like chiptole just for Mediterranean food. I love the concept and when I was in a rush for a quick meal but not real fast food. I tried this place out. They let you sample just about everything if you are unsure what you like or are just trying to decide from all their options. The management and staff here is attentive and sweet. If I am in the area again. I would come back

Food is great and I love the braised lamb wrap. I would give Meze 5 stars but the place is too expensive for the amount of food you get. Lunch will run you $ 10 to $ 15 and that’s without chips or drink.

This seemed to me like the Chipotle of Mediterranean/​Middle Eastern/​Turkish food. Assembly line style, clean, modern interior but never losing that alternative fast-​food mentality.
The moment you walk in you will think it must be a chain or something. It definitely has that feel. Fast food falafel and hummus might seem unappealing to some but this place isn’t half bad. Certainly does enough business. This place is for people that want decent halal food but don’t want to venture too far from the theatre district and don’t have time to wait in line at the cart on 6^th av. This is the «safe» next best option. Trust me. This won’t be like that time your stomach was doing cartwheels because you decided to get a little adventurous for the day.
I went for the spartan steak bowl with spicy harissa and substituted lamb for steak. The tabouleh mixed in with the feta and rice made this a pretty decent meal for a quick place. I also finished it off with some fried pita chips which were also tasty.
All in all, not a bad place for a quick, reasonably priced meal. Hopefully this place branches out more and opens one up near me. Lord knows we don’t need another pizza place.

This is one of my favorite lunch places. For those of you that work near Columbus circle, ditch the Chipotles and head to Meze, Burrito Box, or B-​Bap!
The portions at Meze are big and I always split a rice bowl with a friend. Love the bulgar wheat and falafel. The spicy sauce is delicious and get extra tzatziki sauce. Make sure to get the pita bread that comes with your meal.
If you want some greasy goodness, get the pita chips. they’re seasoned and flavored to perfection and you can even eat it without hummus.

If you like watery soup, try their CHICK PEA & TOMATO soup — it was tasty! (Better than their watery Crushed Lentil soup.) I prefer chunky, hearty soup, though.
Their FALAFEL SALAD was good but oily (because of the Lemon Garlic dressing & 3 falafels), perhaps better with a different dressing.
Didn’t get to try their pudding since they were out of it.
3 of us went with our Groupons but we all wouldn’t rush back.

I can describe this as a Mediterreanean version of Chipotle.
You have the choice of a pita sandwhich, rice platter or salad. Then the choice of meats or falafel. Then toppings (which include feta cheese, yay!) and sauces. More than what you’d get at a cart so that was a big plus for me.
My falafel rice platter came to $ 7.75. Similar price to Chipotle.
Note that their Unilocal check-​in offer only applies from 2pm. I made the mistake of using it to only have it wasted. Oh well.

Third time was MORE than the charm!
One of Meze’s Managing Partners took the time to not only read but respond to my last update. He was sympathetic and apologetic to my delivery experience. He explained that three of his five delivery people called out that day. But he didn’t use this as an excuse, just as a way to give me reason for my experience and to assure me that this is not their usual protocol.
He personally asked me to come back into Meze. I just got back from taking him up on that invitation. To my welcome surprise, this same Managing Partner was behind the register. Big points there! He recognized me as soon as I introduced myself, shook my hand, was amazingly pleasant and charming, apologized again to my face, and has solidified me as a regular from here on out!
It’ll take a few more top notch experiences for me to bump Meze up to an official 5-​star rating. But I have no doubt that, over time, I will do just that! For now, I’ll just go out on the limb to encourage my fellow peops who are trapped in the Corporate America Hub that is the Meze delivery area to give them a try for office and home delivery. My faith that you’ll have a positive experience is in the process of being re-​established!

Sooo, I think Meze Grill was a little overhyped for me. Let me explain. I’m Armenian and have had a lot of AMAZING Middle Eastern/​Mediterranean food in my life. The concept of bringing great Middle Eastern food to a convenient setting (along the style of Chipotle) was very intriguing to me. For months before moving to NYC I had planned to check it out, and one evening I finally did!
I had a chicken pita with a whole bunch of delicious fillings and sauces, and a side of hummus. I left Meze Grill quite satisfied, although I was surprised they only gave me one small pita with my order of hummus. I enjoyed my meal, but as an Armenian, I have to say that this is great for a quick fix, but it’s definitely not the best Middle Eastern food out there. I think it needs a disclaimer because I see so many 5 star reviews, and I think the food just isn’t 5 star quality. It’s great for the concept, healthy, natural, fast and convenient Middle Eastern food done your way, right away. But if you have universal expectations of having your mind blown (as I had), it won’t be.
I’ll still give it 4 stars because given the limitations, they really do a great job! If I was in the neighborhood, I’d hit it up again for a quick bite, but I just won’t go out of my way to eat here in the future.

I, too, think Meze Grill is to Mediterranean what Chipotle is to Mexican — only the ingredients are higher quality and the preparations are superior. This is perhaps the most satisfying fast food experience I’ve ever had.
My braised leg of lamb pita sandwich with lettuce, tomato, onions, cucumbers, pickles, pickled turnips, feta cheese, jalapeños, olives, tzatziki, and spicy harissa sauce was not only absolutely enormous but also surprisingly incredibly delicious. Easily, without a doubt, the best $ 10 I’ve spent in a long time!

I remember when they first opened and I was like yes! something kinda like chickpea in hell’s kitchen :)
My friend and I got certificates to this place (thanks Unilocal!) and decided to try their falafel + chicken sandwiches. The falafel is decent — not as good as mamouns or taim but still good overall.
The chicken sandwich was da bomb. Came with lettuce, tomato, cucumber, pickled veggies, and white saaaauce. With hot sauce, it was perfect. Good place to eat something healthy for lunch :)

After visiting the location, I was really impressed. It is just like Chipotle but not with Mexican food. I had the wheat couscous dish with salad and falafel (fresh and warm too!) — it was delicious, cheap, and healthy. Nice spot for quick food or takeout.
My only cons: I think they need fresh lemons for the water — I’m a bit picky about this. And the price, just a dollar cheaper would be nice.

I had wanted to try this place for awhile so I was excited to realize I was close by when walking back home along 8^th Ave (to avoid the weekend mob scene of 59^th St/​Central Park South) after a trip to Whole Foods Columbus Circle.
Unfortunately I was disappointed in the falafel — clearly at the end of a batch it was cold and hard. Probably the worst I’ve had. Ick.
The rest of my bowl was good — bulgur wheat (nice to have as a choice in addition to the pilaf), lettuce, tomato, cucumber, hummus, and garlic sauce.
Still, with places like Naya Express and Crisp much closer to me, I won’t be back.

I’m hoping they’ll open one nearby where I live.
Place was very good and for very reasonable prices. It really is like the Mediterranean version of Chipotle, as other Unilocalers have stated. I ordered the rice platter with falafel, lettuce, tomatoes, jalepenos, feta cheese, and garlic sauce. The worker said I could put another sauce on it. I asked him what was good with hit, and he recommended Tahini, so I went with it. They give you a choice of pita chips or bread with your order, it comes automatically and I got the chips which were delicious and tasty, not overly salty.
The meal itself didn’t disappoint. Falafel wasn’t dry, it was tasty. All the other flavors/​sauces/​ingredients just enhanced it. I also had a bit of lamb (cinnamon and some other seasoning)— moist and sooooooo good.
So for $ 6-​$ 7 bucks, I got a filling dinner.
Tip: Become a fan over facebook to get a free drink with your meal, first 1000 fans, or something like that. I didn’t realize when I had gone there… only afterward I saw the facebook deal.

I was really shocked that this place was not packed. When my friend and I entered, it was empty. I’m talking about Euro Disneyland empty. I was a bit saddened…
Especially given the fact that you can get a free sandwich. There’s an offer on their site. Check it out!
Service was polite, although they seemed a little shy. I guess it’s because the restaurant is still very new. Ordering is very simple, a la Chipotle, where you say what you want, your meat, and then your toppings, and then you pay.
I’d have to say that the pita sandwich was akin to a Mediterranean burrito. The pita was much thinner than I was familiar with, but also STUFFED with chicken. The tzatziki sauce was also quite good, a potent flavor that complemented the vegetables quite well.
It’s just like street meat carts, without the food poisoning! :D

I’m sure Meze Grill will be constantly compared to a Mediterranean version of Chipotle as more people try this new eat-​in/​take-​out restaurant on 8^th Ave., but I’m still a big fan. It’s clean and minimally designed with a straightforward menu.
Choose from a rice/​bulgur platter, salad, or sandwich with your choice of chicken, steak or falafel. You then further customize your dish by choosing among different vegetable, sauce and salad dressing options. You also get pita bread or pita chips and a small side like a hummus. They also have individual sides that you can order separately. All this and a fountain soda machine that even has Coke Zero — stellar.
The food was good, filling and (relatively) healthy. All of the staff was super-​friendly and eager to please. And I loved the background music of the Shins and Coldplay — nice choice Meze Grill. Great new neighborhood spot!