Are you craving Mediterranean food? Finding a great restaurant in and around El Monte, California, won’t take long. There are several places to enjoy the flavors of Greek, Turkish, and Lebanese cuisine and more. The area has many good options, no matter what you prefer. Read below as our team at Longo Lexus takes a look at the best Mediterranean food spots near El Monte.
Janet’s Mediterranean Cuisine
Janet’s Mediterranean Cuisine serves Mediterranean food the old-fashioned way. Janet’s makes all the dishes with fresh ingredients, whether chicken, high-quality beef, or lamb. The menu features appetizers such as hummus, baba-gannouj, and tabboule. The Jajiki is also a good choice. This mixture of yogurt, diced cucumbers, mint, and garlic is delicious and perfect for a vegetarian diet. If you can’t decide which to try, go for the appetizer sampler.
You can choose from several entrees. The beef kebab plate has marinated filet mignon, and the moussaka plate has fried eggplant stuffed with garlic, onion, tomatoes, and bell peppers. There’s also a chicken or lamb kebab plate. If you’re a fan of falafel, the plate comes with five pieces of crispy croquettes made with garbanzo beans and Lebanese seasonings.
- Location: 1402 Huntington Drive in Duarte
Piccadilly Grace
Linda Grace created Piccadilly Grace because of her passion for feeding people and her love of food from her home in Armenia. This restaurant serves high-quality meats and has an excellent selection of vegetarian and vegan dishes that the staff makes in-house.
The menu features a chicken kebab plate with rice, salad, grilled vegetables, pita bread, a garlic sauce, and housemade harissa aioli. The sweet chili and lime pork kebab plate is always delicious. It has sweet and savory chunks of juicy pork loin that’s braised and grilled and then served with rice, salad, grilled veggies, garlic sauce, pita bread, and your choice of tzatziki or hummus.
If you follow a vegan diet, the za’atar cauliflower or falafel plate has za’atar cauliflower on a bed of perfectly cooked cous cous. It comes with salad and hummus for a satisfying meal.
- Location: 264 Mission Drive, Unit J in San Gabriel
Mezzaterranean
The Mezzaterranean restaurant is a Mediterranean kitchen a father-daughter team owns and operates. They celebrate family, food, and community with the restaurant’s atmosphere and Lebanese-based menu. You can start with cold items such as hummus, baba ghannouj, or stuffed grape leaves. Other great starters include the tzatziki or the feta cheese with cucumbers and tomatoes drizzled with olive oil.
The falafel or soujuk will hit the spot if you want something warm and filling. Soujuk is a spicy Armenian sausage with fresh tomatoes and lemon juice. Another tasty option is the sambousek. This fried Lebanese pastry is filled with beef, sauteed onions, and a unique blend of spices and is a delicious meal. For something on the lighter side, the menu features a variety of salads and soups. The Lebanese caprese salad has fresh feta, cucumbers, tomatoes, mint, and oregano tossed with olive oil and lemon juice.
- Location: 9491 Foothill Blvd. in Rancho Cucamonga
Mediterranean Cafe
The Mediterranean Cafe serves amazing Mediterranean dishes, and the service is excellent. It’s a great place for lunch, not only because the food is so good, but also because the staff is quick and efficient. You’ll have your food just minutes after ordering.
The menu features grilled items, such as chicken, beef, and lamb kebabs, perfectly marinated and served with hommus, Greek salad, and pita bread. Several vegetarian options include falafel, which is a perfect blend of spices, beans, fresh onions, and garlic, served with lettuce, tomatoes, hommus, and tahini sauce. The baba ghanooj is an excellent choice. The mashed grilled eggplant has tahini, garlic, lemon, and olive oil and comes with pita bread.
Mediterranean Cafe has some fantastic pita wraps. The falafel wrap makes for a filling meal, and you can also get a chicken shawerma wrap, chicken kebab wrap, and kefta kebab wrap.
- Location: 273 Shoppers Lane in Pasadena
The Diplomat
Make sure to check out The Diplomat for delicious Lebanese food. It’s perfect for a casual meal or a date night. For starters, try the hummus, tabbouleh, grape leaves, or Moroccan eggplant. The spicy lebni plate is a Greek yogurt dip with chopped jalapeño and garlic, and the French feta cheese plate comes with fresh tomatoes and cucumbers topped with olive oil and oregano.
The platters on the menu offer many options. The falafel comes with fried vegetables and is served on a bed of lettuce with tahini sauce, hummus, and pickles. Other platters include chicken, beef fillet, and lule kebabs. The lule kebab is lean ground beef sauteed with onions and spices and served with rice pilaf and grilled vegetables.
The Diplomat also has a large selection of salads, wraps, and homemade soups. Do you like trying new things? The restaurant’s specialties include frog legs, sauteed quail, and kibbeh nayeh.
- Location: 109 E. Lemon Ave. in Monrovia
Cafe X20 – Monrovia
Stop by Cafe X20 – Monrovia for authentic Mediterranean food with an emphasis on Lebanese dishes. The menu features family meals with a combination of dishes to feed any size family, or you can get plate combos for one. The entree plates come with rice pilaf, a side salad, and two sides, with options such as hummus, tzatziki, garlic paste, and grilled veggies. The plates have something for everyone with vegetarian options, along with falafel, chicken shawerma, beef shawerma, lule kebab, and chicken kebab. There’s also a white fish fillet plate and lamb chops.
If you want to start your meal with a cold “MEZE” appetizer, you can choose from hummus, baba ghanouj, lebni, and tabbouleh. The hot appetizers include fried kibbeh and halloumi, a pan-grilled Greek cheese served with sliced tomatoes and kalamata olives.
- Location: 335 West Foothill Blvd. in Monrovia
So, when you want good Mediterranean food, try one of these places we like in and around El Monte, California. With the endless options available, do you have a go-to spot we missed? Stop by Longo Lexus and tell us about it. We’d love to check it out, and while you’re at the dealership, we can show you our lineup of Lexus models to take you to your next Mediterranean dining experience.
Mediterranean Sampler by Bev Sykes is licensed with CC BY 2.0
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