Due to inclement weather, unforeseen flight delays and hair emergencies (yeah, I know), this tour featured a party of two – the dynamic duo.  Conquering life’s road blocks, we stayed committed so we could bring you this review.  Looking back, I’m glad we did.  Plus, the menu looked so appetizing that I wouldn’t miss this tour for the world.    

If you’re interested in broadening your culinary horizons in the way of Mediterranean cuisine and doing so on a budget, Fadi’s Mediterranean Grill is the place to go.  We’re talking prices that range from $2.99 for appetizers and salads to a maximum of $13.99 for the ultimate sampler.  There is so much to choose from you can hardly go wrong and even if you did, your monetary loss is minimal.  

The décor is absolutely stunning.  Warm tones abound among the beautiful tiled floors and granite countertops.  A spread of good eats as far as one’s eye can see.   I have to admit, the amount of food to choose from was quite overwhelming. Decisions, Decisions. What’s a girl to do?  Well, what any other self-respecting glutton would do – “Give me everything on the menu!!”  Unbelievable right?  Well it is possible; OK almost possible.  I would venture to say about 65% of what’s listed on the menu is available on Fadi’s Ultimate Sampler.  If it’s your first time experiencing Mediterranean cuisine, we recommend this route.  You’ll quickly learn what you don’t like vs what you absolutely love, and you can start familiarizing yourself with the various dishes that make up this unique cuisine.  So, the next time you have an important dinner meeting with a client and they want to dine at a 5-star Mediterranean restaurant, you’ll appear to be the well-cultured individual that you are.  You can thank us later!  : ) 

Back to this sinful spread called Fadi’s.  I wish I could go down the entire list of items on the Ultimate Sampler, but I think it’s best to leave some element of surprise in case you decide to give this place a try.  Here’s the Cliffs Notes version:  you get 3 different dips, 2 different bread/pitas, 8 different salads/sides, a plethora (can’t remember the number) of veggies, and your choice of one meat.  You can opt for a precooked meat such as the shawarma or you can order your choice of skewers that is grilled once ordered and delivered to your table.  It’s an assembly line of grub….just go down the line and the server will pile on your pickings.  If you’re the OCD type that does not like your food touching, either grab a bunch of plates (maybe 3 or 4 – trust me, you’ll need them) to accommodate the load or just consider another entrée all together.  For me it doesn’t matter…it’s all going to the same place anyway.  

The Veggies:   

So here’s our fav’s from the vegetable sampler:  pasta salad, broccoli salad, baba ganoush (eggplant hummus), Lebanese salad (cucumber salad with a twang), and fattoush (cucumber salad with a little sweetness from the molasses).  The hummus is also excellent.  That and the pita bread alone is a winner.  My personal least favorite has got to be the tabouli and cabbage salad.  The parsley was overpowering in the tabouli.  Perhaps it would taste better mixed in with other side, but definitely not my thing as a stand-alone side.  The cabbage salad was a little on the bland side.  I pretty much forgot it was on the plate. Not memorable at all.  

The Meat:  

Shawarma is typically prepared by creating meat towers and cooking them in upright cookers.  The towers allow the meat to marinate in their own juices, thus guaranteeing an intense flavor and juicy meat.  Not sure what happened here but I didn’t experience the juicy part.  The chicken shawarma was a little on the dry side, but still pretty savory.  The garlic sauce helped it out a little bit. 

I’m not a huge beef eater so take my opinion of the beef shawarma with a grain of salt.  I must say the beef shawarma was pretty tasty, but think I enjoyed dipping the pita bread in the juice more.  My partner in crime was not over-wowed by the beef shawarma either.  It’s not horrible, just not anything either of us would order in the future or recommend.  

The chicken kabobs are marinated in a variety of spices, herbs, yogurt and tomato paste.  It’s grilled at the time you order it.  The meat is succulent and the grill flavor really comes through.  This has got to be the best kabob I’ve ever had.  You don’t have the veggies (ie mushrooms, peppers, cherry tomatoes) floating between each chicken chunk getting in the way – just straight meat.  If I had to recommend just one meat from Fadi’s, this would be it. 

The Verdict:

The pictures in the gallery do not do this meal justice.  The veggie sampler and beef look like slop, but trust me overall this food is delicious.  Fresh (not dried) herbs are used to produce interesting flavors and the hues are beautiful.   And ladies, no need to worry about your waistline.  Olive oil and fresh veggies are the foundation of most recipes, so they are low-calorie and heart healthy for the most part.  I typically do not have cravings for Mediterranean cuisine, but this experience has definitely opened my eyes.  Houston has its fair share of Mediterranean restaurants and I look forward to trying more.

Until next time…Cheers!!