Deluxe Cafe & Lounge

If you are in Pasadena and looking for a great reasonably priced meal, this is the place. The food is delicious and the service is really wonderful. They really aim to please. I had the filet kabob and it was wonderful. The rice is so good. Also ordered the vegetable platter for an appetizer. It was great too with the warm pita bread. Our server’s name was Shawn and she really made the meal perfect. I would highly recommend this restaurant!

The restaurant was empty when we walked in but filled up very fast. The waitress, Shawna, was very accommodating. She brought us extra olives and turnips, which were delicious.
We ordered a appetizer sampler which was also delicious. I had salmon, my husband lamb chops and our friends had filets. All the meals came with salad or rice or salad.
All the food was very good and the service was excellent. I highly recommend this restaurant.

Attentive service and delicious food. Everything we ordered tasted fresh and was plated beautifully. Some of the best baklava I’ve ever had!

Great restaurant. We had a Groupon and had our dinner at this place in evening after our visit to Descanso Gardens. They are closed everyday between 3 and 5 pm. We reached there a little early and parked outside on street and waited for 15 mins. We were the first 2 groups who walked in. Everything tasted great. Some of us were vegetarians and some eat Chicken. The portions were large and we have leftover for tomorrow. The girl who served us was very pleasant, nice and courteous. She always served with a smile and that made our day. Our left overs were packed nicely with foil, brown bag and a plastic bag and also some plastic bowls for the hummus and green sauce. Very meticulous. The restroom was spic and span. very clean and smelled good. Highly recommended.

I love me some Mediterranean cuisine and it don’t matter if it’s fast food or upscale. Case in point, I came to this place to try out a dish that I had always heard about but haven’t seen served in many Mediterranean places: the Shish Tawook.
I fancy places like Raffi’s, Massis Grill, and U-​Pick quite frequently and Deluxe is the first place I’ve seen that serves Shish Tawook (aka Chicken Breast Kebab). I decided to give this place a visit and taste if for myself and it did not disappoint. The chicken wasn’t too tender but it wasn’t too dry (it is chicken breast, after all) and it came with a helping of Pilaf rice, a side of hummus, grilled tomato, chili pepper, and some sliced raw onions. Dee-​lish!
PROS:
–Upscale dining area. Not too fancy but quite spacious (and not as claustrophobic like at Raffi’s). Eight large tables inside and four tables outside.
–Excellent service. The lone server was helpful and checked on us frequently.
–Delicious food. Also, they give out a basket of warm pita bread with some pickled radish and green olives (which tasted super-​bitter to me). My only gripe would be that the portions aren’t as big as the other Mediterranean places especially for the double-​digit prices.
–They don’t serve their sodas in cans. Isn’t that something? A small place like this that doesn’t do the cheap idea of serving sodas in cans is a PLUS in my book.
CONS:
–Closed on Mondays. Made the big mistake of driving here on a Monday only to find the place closed. In fact, I even thought the place was closed down! I took a photo and posted it here. Avoid Mondays like the plague!
–Tiny parking lot next to the Subway. If it gets full, I don’t think you’ll be able to find a parking spot in the already-​crowded narrow neighborhood streets.
The pros far outweigh the cons, hence the full 5-​Star rating. If you’re looking for a nice upscale dining experience without the fancy-​schmancy attitude, give this place a visit. It may not be a huge restaurant but what it has is huge flavors. Go now!

Oh my goodness… the food is FANTASTIC! Deeeelicious. Easily the best Mediterranean food we’ve ever had. The chicken breast kabob is tender and juicy; the beef Luleh perfectly seasoned and tender. We had the vegetarian platter and sampled falafel (best ever), Sarma (delectable), baba ghanouj (perfect.). We also had the delux platter and chicken kabob and fries. Two of us ate it all it was too good not to.
The folks who helped us were very nice and efficient. I am thrilled to have found this gem.

What a great experience. We already know that every restaurant has their own authentic flavor, their own signature. This place is the bomb. The flavor of the meat was to die for. The rice was perfectly cooked. The service was incredible good. The prices are very reasonable too. I’m definitely going back. Btw, the parking is located in the back. Few spots available!

This morning, I was craving for Armenian barbecue but my usual favorites like House of Bastuma and Sahara are closed on Sundays. I decided to give Deluxe a chance, after reading that their chefs specialize in both Armenian and Lebanese cooking, one being a master in khorovats (Armenian charcoal grilling).
I ordered delivery and my food was food flown in within 45 minutes. I was extremely impressed with the presentation and taste of my order. The beef luleh was one the most juicy and flavorful kebabs I ever had, inclusive of all the Persian koobidehs and Turkish kabobs I’ve eaten in the past. What put it over the top was the delicate fragrant seasoning, with just the right amount of smokiness and feign sweetness (not overseasoned). The strips of luleh were pressed into pocket pieces and had the tenderness of meatballs. From the taste, I could tell that the meats were not the frozen type. I also enjoyed the bell pepper because it had a smoky flavor to pair with meats. It was not burnt like the ones I usually find at Persian restaurants. The perfect execution demonstrates the operator is indeed a master of the barbecue pit. My least favorite part of the meal was the bed of Armenian rice pilaf, which I found to be moist although a little bit too watery (partially soupy). For this reason, I prefer the pilaf at Sahara a little more.
Deluxe prepared their hummus a little differently compared to the other fast food joints I mentioned above. For example, the Deluxe hummus included garbanzo beans, and was thicker and more mild than at other places. I only wish I had more than one piece of pita to eat with this great dip. The single piece of pita bread provided was lightly toasted on a pit so it was as crispy as an Indian chapati. At places like Bastuma and Sahara, they just drop off a bag of store-​bought pita bread that is served cold. Deluxe appeared to spend a little more effort in this area to make bread more appetizing.
In addition to the barbecue plate, I ordered sarma, which were thin cold grape leaves stuffed with rice, cabbage, and herbs. It was a vegetarian version, very moist, and promised to be hand-​rolled onsite. The freshness of the ingredients made this bite-​sized appetizer very refreshing to eat. It was unlike the hot version filled generously with meat and simmered in a savory broth like I’ve had at Lebanese and Palestinian restaurants before, but nonetheless, Deluxe’s sarma was a decent change of pace (different temperature) dish to pair with a grilled meat plate.
The prices at Deluxe are 25% higher than dining at fast food joints like Bastuma and Sahara. That’s reflected in the fresher ingredients, more thoughtful presentation, and sit-​down tablecloth setting. Due to the great initial impression, I will definitely keep Deluxe Café in mind when I’m craving for Armenian BBQ again.

Great place… A hidden gem in alta dena! The server is super nice and welcoming. Made some suggestions that were quite helpful.
We ordered the vegetarian appetizer sampler and the cheese and meat boureg to start. The boureg was nicely fried and flavorful. The sampler was delicious, loved all of it, everything was well flavored.
I had the beef luleh sandwhich, it was a very generous portion and really well priced. Meat was nicely flavored; very enjoyable. My hubby had the chicken breast plate; chicken was juicy and well seasoned, and also a generous portion.
This place is really great, i cant wait to come back. Street parking is easy, and lunch for 2 people came out to about $ 35. We ordered a lot of food, and still had almost a whole sandwich to take home.
They close in between lunch and dinner, and are closed on mondays, so I suggest you check their hours.

Absolutely fantastic Armenian food, coming from someone with Armenian roots. We went into dinner with open but still somewhat skeptical expectations — however, pretty much everything was A+! Appetizers, including hummus, cheese boureg, and kufta (kibbeh) were top notch — tasty, homemade, and warm (well, hummus was cold of course). We split the combination platter; I rarely eat meat unless it’s in a Armenian or special Middle Eastern dish; the chicken luleh kebob was excellent and more than worth a venture into the carnivorous side. Seriously, some of the tenderest, most flavorful and perfectly spiced meat you’ll ever try.
Service was excellent, and we were seated right away; however it got crowded so I’d recommend reservations.
My only meh part was the ambiance. It’s nice, very clean and well-​kept; however it reminds me of an old Yogurtland, with extremely bright lighting and current pop/​hip-​hop music on. Lighting could’ve been turned down several notches and the music just didn’t fit the overall picture at all.
Will return!

A not-​so-​hidden gem! Probably one of the best Middle Eastern restaurants I’ve had.
Pros:
–EXTREMELY generous helpings of food. I ordered the hummus and had enough for 3 meals. I was also given an entire plastic bag of pita bread
–Greek salad is simple and refreshing — tomato, cucumber, and dill tossed in a light dressing
–Three bean salad is so good! Includes pinto beans, black beans, and some other bean dressed in parsley and olive oil
–Delivery!
Cons:
–Would not recommend fruit platter — fruit is overripe to the point of being slightly bruised and blackened

Finally got to try this place out and it certainly didn’t disappoint. You know it should be good when the people walking out tell you «you’re in for a treat» unsolicited.
First of all, the service. Very attentive and really good.
As for the food, everything was absolutely delicious and seasoned well.
We ordered a couple appetizers: hummus and kibbeh. Hummus was really good and had a nice citrus zing to it. The kibbeh was solid and was served with a tomato based dip.
I ordered the pork kebab. Josh M ordered the combination plate of luleh kebab and chicken breast kebab. My pork kebab came with 4 pieces of pork, a hefty pile of delicious rice, hummus (probably wouldn’t have ordered the appetizer if we had known), tomato and pepper. The combination plate had the same sides.
For dessert, we got an order of the baklava. It was served warm with a chocolate drizzle on top. It had some rose water too.
Entrees around all around $ 15 +/​-​a couple dollars. If you want to splurge, they have bigger set meals to binge on. Parking around this area was real easy when we went, but not sure during other hours. They do serve sandwiches based on the same meats too which are about half the price as a kebab entrée.

This place was such a delightful surprise. I went in tonight with my husband because he was craving some Mediterranean food. Now mind that I am really not a huge fan of this type of cuisine but it was one of the best meals I had. Everything from the sauces, vegetarian appetizer plate, sandwich, to the combination dish was on spot! Even the fries and their fresh lemonade was so fresh! Lol
But what was the real cherry on top was the extremely friendly and sharp service from their staff!

Food is excellent. We ordered to go because we thought the lights were too bright and the music too loud for an enjoyable dining experience.
We ordered the basics:
Hummus– excellent
Baba Ganooj– out of this World
Tabouleh– excellent
Falafel– excellent– loved the richness and crispiness!
Looking forward to trying more dishes. Service was great, and we’ll be back for more carry-​out!

I got the deluxe combination platter with chicken and beef luleh, which was delicious and I especially liked the hummus that came on the plate as well. The portions were pretty good and I even had some leftovers that I ate for dinner as soon as I got home. The staff is very friendly and make sure you’re enjoying your meal.

My girlfriend is from Armenia so we decided to check out this restaurant that opened a few months ago in Pasadena.
We were both highly satisfied. The food was great. The service was better. The parking is tough for this area but not a big problem if you want really good mediterranean/​armenian food.
We arrived on a Wednesday evening around 6pm and we were seated fast even without reservations.
The food came out about 20 minutes after we ordered which means it was fresh and cooked to our liking. Nothing pre-​cooked here.
Definitely will be back.

This place gets SOLID 5 stars!
Great service! And Great Food!
REALLY REALLY nice service with a smile on their faces :)
I know Mediterranean food, and this place is on the first place on my list out of the all other places I went to! So, I recommend this to others and for sure I am coming back! :)
Thank you management! :)
P. S. Never tried Chocolate Baklava before but Deluxe has got it! :)

Best hummus I have ever had in the United States.
Let that sink in for a moment.
As in, I wanted to swim naked in a huge pool filled with it while being sung to by Amal Hijazi
So here are your options:
Option 1: Drive to LAX. Hop on a plane and fly to Boston. Hop on another plane and fly to Beirut. Hop in a cab and hold on for dear life.
Option 2: Drive to Deluxe Café.
I took one bite from my husband’s fillet shish kebab plate (which he called «perfection») and immediately regretted not ordering their vegetarian platter because if the hummus was this good, the baba ghanoush would probably throw me into multiple orgasms.
Instead I had the salmon, which was really good too: a huge portion of deliciously flavored fish served with rice pilaf. It’s been awhile since I’ve had riz bi sh’arieh, and although these guys nailed it, I’m more of a tahdig kinda guy, but that’s on me. The food presentation was stellar.
The service was so adorable. Tentative but attentive, gracious and endearing.
Ridiculously inexpensive, especially considering the portions.
I’m guessing this place is fairly new because it had the feel of a place that is still trying to find its mojo Obviously a labor of love, that’s still a little rough around the edges.
Four and a half stars. Rounding up because of the to-​die-​for hummus.

Excellent! This is a quaint, classy and tastefully decorated Mediterranean restaurant. I had the lamb chops and my husband had the filet kabobs. Both were excellent… well seasoned, perfectly cooked and beautifully presented. Great for a date night, but I know my kids would have enjoyed it as much as we did!
Kevo was great! Thanks for a great evening!

FINALLY, Real Middle Eastern BBQ.
This place is great I ordered the Fillet, it came with Rice, Green Peper, humus and parsley onion. about 18 buck plus tax. The food is amazing, the meat is juicy has a ton of flavor.
I would easily give this place 10 starts if I could so far the Best Real Armenian Lebanese Food in Pasadena.
Meat is mouthwatering
Everything was so fresh