Yalla Mediterranean

This place is very clean and the food is extremely fresh I really like this place and the food. I really recommend this place to everyone.

The food was very good. I got the family pack and I was surprised by how much food we got. I got the falafel and it was good. They have tons of salads. The pita breads are super great! The staff is friendly and even though it’s busy, the line moves very fast. Over all, a great addition to the restaurants located in this complex.

Went for the first time today and was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed the food. I ordered the chicken shawarma plate with basmati rice and veggies and for my sides I had the hummus (tasty but have had better), baba ghonush (not over powering and I liked the chuncks of eggplant) and the couscous .They also give you a piece of pita. I liked all but the couscous, don’t get me wrong. It was very flavorful, just not the usual flavors I am used to in couscous, almost tasted like a sweet Italian dressing in it (don’t know how else to describe the flavor). The chicken, rice and veggies were the best part, great flavor! You get a lot of food so lunch was also dinner! It’s a good place for a quick bite.

AMAZING! Lots and I mean lots of food is served and literally made in front of you. Very healthy options & very filling. I will certainly be back for more.
Only issue would be plaza parking is absurdly packed pretty much every day.

To each their own I guess. Based on the other reviews most people seem to like this place. I am clearly not most people. I’m a huge fan of Daphne’s and while this is supposed to be an upgrade, I think it is a huge downgrade.
Strike one — No gyro
Strike two — No greek salad as a side option
Strike three and out — the chicken kabob at Daphne’s is significantly better.
Strike four — the hummus is better at Daphne’s too.
The weird thing is I believe Yalla is owned by the same people that own Daphne’s, so I don’t get why the food would be such a downgrade for what is supposed to be their nicer option. Maybe it’s because Yalla is more Mediterranean and Daphne’s is more Greek.
Now I will say the décor was nice enough and the staff when I went was nice, friendly and helpful, but I just really didn’t like the food anywhere near as much as I like the food at Daphne’s.
I won’t be back. I will still go to Daphne’s as long as they are around, but I am one and done with Yalla.

I wanted to eat at Daphne’s Greek since it’s been a whiiille but Yalla Mediterranean has replaced them
:(Nevertheless, I decided to give them a chance.
PROS:
–only the men cashiers are friendly; women act like they don’t wna be there
–spacious & nice color scheme (however, I feel that these colors aren’t suitable for a food establishment; too gloomy & matchey w/​cold weather)
CONS:
–not a fan of the font size or type; looks tacky
–selection on display don’t look fresh
–portions are too small for what you pay for, I think, is hwy robbery; esp. for bottled h20! I paid $ 2.35
–_​–
–rice pilaf wasn’t even pilaf; it was straight up basmati!
–dessert selection’s minimal & I thought if I wanted baklava, I had to get it w/​greek yogurt since that’s what their menu showed. (I had to ask if I could just purchase it separately.) their baklava was too sticky (to the pt where it kept on drippin) & wayyy too sweet :/​
–I also ordered the Morrocan chicken wrap w/​a side of cous cous… all wrong! wrap tasted like a tortilla — wayyy too floury, t’was wayyy too spicy (which I didn’t mind) but the seasonings tasted pretty gross.
OVERALL REVIEW:
*to sum up, I spent $ 20… what a waste of $$$!
sorry (not sorry) but I’m not a fan… BRING DAPHNE’S BACK!

I imagine a bunch of corporate executives sitting around a conference table ignorantly trying to establish what they think is going to be a successful Mediterranean chain restaurant.
I realize they opened recently and might still be working out a few kinks so here are my suggestions:
Portion sizes — horrible. I ordered two entrée plates (salmon and chicken) and the amount of protein given respectively was hugely disproportionate.
The rice — change the recipe! It’s disgusting. It has a sweetness to it with a hint of curry and/​or cumin. More of an Indian flavor.
The sides — quality over quantity. I’d say it’s better to have fewer, simpler and fresher side options than to have a bunch of salad-​type options that don’t taste all that great and are frankly just a weird take on Mediterranean dishes.
This is a «fast food» style restaurant but that doesn’t mean they can’t have really great, simple and fresh cuisine, because that is what real Mediterranean food is all about.

Ugh… trying this place for the first time… can only give 2 stars for the following reason…
1) Mediterranean wraps served on tortillas… No, No, No…
2) weird combination of seasonings. I love Mediterranean food and eat at smaller family owned restaurants all the time, never have I experienced these weird combos of seasonings… not very palatable.
3) Served me half RAW chicken in my wrap… sorry this is a DEAL BREAKER…
Nice atmosphere, friendly customer service and a catchy concept. The manager did attempt to right the wrong, but I passed on a second try… wont be revisiting this one.

I love Greek food, so I’m always a sucker to try a new Greek place! Especially if they have a good gyro.
The restaurant kind of has that, new, trendy, assembly line feel a lot of places have now. (i.e. Subway, Chipotle, etc.) I like the design choices and the menu is kind of easy to decipher. It can be a little tricky because you’re not quite sure which meal comes with which things, but it all works out.
Not the friendliest staff, I have to say. I’ve been in there a couple times and I usually feel pressured to leave and get out.
The food, however, is really good. Meat is great, the fries are nothing special. Overall though it’s a good American-​Greek fast casual dining experience.

The Chipotle style service is the new trend in upcoming «fast food» style food. Yalla is just that. Mediterranean that you get to pick for yourself.
I had the chicken shawarma plate. It came with 3 sides, rice, and grilled vegetables (or lentils if you prefer. For the sides, I had hummus, carrot salad, and quinoa. I wish they had tabbouleh. I wasn’t a fan of the quinoa, it was a little sweet for me. The plate also comes with a small pita bread. I also wish that I got a bigger sized pita. The plate is $ 9.95. It was a lot of food and I left stuffed. My boyfriend had the same thing, but instead of the chicken shawarma he had the falafel.
I definitely like that I get to pick what meat and sides I get with my plate. This new style of picking the parts of your food is something that I highly approve of.
I can’t wait to go back and try something different! Parking on this side of the Empire center can be hard sometimes.

Similar concept to chipotle, which is great, but the food lacked flavor and they seemed a bit stingy with the meat serving size. The food was light, but, needed a lot more flavor.
The staff is great! Very helpful and friendly!

I really wanted to like this place, I went here instead of the hamburger place a few doors away but alas, the food was so so. It was set up Chipotle style where you go down the line and choose the items you want. I got the beef skewer plate. Loved the cous cous but the beef was too sugary and kind of a small portion of what I’m used to from a mediterranean beef skewer. Everything else was so so, not horrible but not good enough for me to return. Employees were friendly and the inside was nice.
Give it a try. It wasn’t my cup of tea but it may hit the spot for you.

Even the picky eater found something to enjoy at Yalla Mediterranean with it’s easy to follow menu directions, cafeteria line-​up, and variety of choices. Great for the carnivore or vegetarian! Here’s the drill:
Step 1 — Choose your favorite «meat»
Step 2 — Chose your style — pita wrap, chopped salad or plate
Step 3 — Finish it — extras and dessert!
Two of us chose the Yalla plate, which includes rice, a meat choice and three vegetable sides. I chose the «shalafels» as my meat choice which is combination of Shawerma chicken and falafels. The chicken was moist, well seasoned and meltingly tender. Sadly, the tiny falafel balls were just a tad dry.
Instead of the rice, I asked for the medley of roasted vegetables which turned out to be mostly yellow squash, albeit deliciously charred. For the sides, Greek potato salad, pickled cabbage and the quintessential cucumber-​tomato-​feta salad. Served with a slice of warm pita. Tab for the plate and drink about $ 13, and well worth it for the freshness, flavors and ample portion sizes.
The pomegranate lemonade was tart and thirst-​quenching, and addicting enough that I had to get seconds. (Psst…not sure if that was allowed!)
My friend’s husband ate every bite of his Yalla plate with keftel (turkey and lamb meatball) atop a bed of yellow rice and accompanied by his sides of choice: Greek potato salad, Israeli couscous and carrot salad. Then, he proceeded to help himself to the Greek fries smothered in a garlic-​ish sauce and then finished his wife’s plate of kale salad with chicken.
Service was friendly, eager to please, and patient when we couldn’t make up our minds over the sides. Place was new so everything was sparkling clean, and the ambience felt bright and cheery. A delicious choice if you’re in the Empire Center, enjoy!

My heart goes out to the owners who probably spent lots and lots of money to open such a nice looking restaurant. However, the food is the equivalent to hospital meals. The food is healthy, but not tasty.
Falafel-​They were overcooked. The outside was a dark brown color. The inside was very dry. Perhaps the smaller size, made cooking more difficult.
Rice Pilaf-​Best tasting item on the menu.
Grilled vegetables-​Overcooked and mushy.
Couscous-​Very bland.
Medi Greek Salad-​It was soggy and not very tasteful.
Potato Salad-​Ok
Tahini-​Horrible! Had a very sour taste!
Lemonade-​Terrible! How do you make bad tasting lemonade? It was so bad, I just waited till I got outside to pour the drink out.
Service-​Good
Parking-​Very large parking lot.

We were looking for a place to grab a quick bite to eat the Empire and this place caught our eye. New location, just opened in place of Daphne’s. We decided to try it out. Its a healthy fast food-​type place. Think Chipotle, only with Mediterranean food. The setup of the place is pretty cool. You pick out what kind of meat you like (I got the beef skewers, very good), then you pick out your sides, I got the couscous (not the best), carrot salad (I have had way better) and the baba ganoush (probably the best thing on my plate), at the end they put your choice of meat on a delicious bead of rice, give you a small piece of pita bread and some sauce and get you on your way.
Overall, food was alright, staff was incredibly nice and took their time to explain how the process works and made their recommendations. The place looked clean and organized and their fountain Pepsi was very crisp and not watered down, which is greatly appreciated! I will probably come back again soon and try some different sides.

I’m so happy I’m mad… Mad that I can’t be hungry again immediately without traveling through time which we ALL know, I know, I knoooow, it’s not possible, it’s paradoxical, okay I get! Back off physicists! I got the mixed chicken and falafel pita wrap, and I loved it. Here is the crazy part, here is the part that makes no sense — I said back off physicists! They put fries in my wrap and I don’t even like fries all that much, and I loved this. The mix of meat and veggies was amazing and biting into that sour pickle within the sweet and savory was magical.
Last note, the service was perfect. The women that helped my friend and I were all polite and sweet and super informative. I hope they all stay employed for a long time. Unless they all want to be actresses, in which case I hope they get their big break soon and are quickly replaced by equally awesome people.

I have been here twice so far — once during opening week and then again today. There was a big difference between staff vibes between the two times! Overall, very nice staff and manager.
I had the salmon skewer over the salad the first time with a side of the beets. The salad was fresh and delcious (though they forgot to put the apricots on). When I asked about it, they gave me some on the side to add — a great addition to the salad. My bill was $ 12 for the salad and two sides.
Today I had a salmon skewer in a pita. The pita was thin and yummy. And I like that you can tweak the pita add-​ons if you hate onions (me!) or want anything else added. I also had another side of Baba Ganoush because it was great last time (and again this time) and a side of the Med salad (which was also good but small for $ 1 so I don’t recommend that). Bill was also $ 12.
I think overall the food is really good here so I will definitely be back. I’d like to try the yogurt too — that looked yummy!

Wow! That’s one of the best places I have ever tried so far moving to Los Angeles. I went during the day and I was greeted by this wonderful man named Arthur he was the most helpful person at Yalla. Then the food was so delicious. Everything for my visit was perfect. I’ll definitely recommend my friends to come and try it and I know a lot of people.
See you guys soon!

Yalla gonna love it, I guarantee it. (Hah! Thanks, Annie A.)
Yalla Medi boasts responsibly raised grilled-​to-​order meat and fish and house-​made sides. Everything is so fresh and vibrant here. The different meat options they serve such as chicken shawarma and steak are antibiotic and hormone free. If you know me, you know that food quality is important to me and I always choose organic and non-​GMO produce whenever possible. The fact that they support local farms for their produce is a win in my book. Yalla Burbank serves local beer from the area and they also have California wine on tap. As soon as you walk in, you’ll notice the herb wall and the lemon tree as well as the wooden fixtures repurposed from a farm house. I like knowing that ALL containers and utensils customers use are 100% compostable.
This Burbank location is the first Yalla Mediterranean in Southern California. Their first two locations are in Northern California but they are expanding to all of LA soon. Culver City is next! Anyway, this location had its grand opening on Tuesday and everything is finally up and running!
Now, on to the food. It is basically fast casual dining, kind of like Chipotle. First, you choose your meat (from falafel, chicken skewers, chicken shawarma, salmon, steak, kefta) then you choose one of three styles: pita wrap, salad, or a Yalla plate. Then you choose your toppings and/​or more sides. I have tried the Yalla Plate and I really do recommend it as it comes with your choice of up to three delicious sides! It is filling and sometimes I have leftovers which is always a plus for me. I have tried all their sides and they’re all amazing. My favourites are Baba Ganoush (eggplant, tahini, lemon, parsely), Israeli Couscous (couscous, figs, apricots, scallions, almonds), and the Beet & Kale Salad (roasted kale and beets with feta). The Greek Potato Salad is also a healthy alternative to the normal American potato salad we’re all used to. Their version doesn’t have mayonnaise or dairy. My 1.5 year old nephew had a Kid’s Plate and he loved the fries, chicken skewers, and couscous.
Order the Shalafel plate and you get half chicken shawarma and half falafel! Both are so flavourful. The falafel is so fresh because they are made in house daily from non-​GMO chickpeas. Yay! Don’t forget to try the Yalla Fries and the Shawarma Fries (secret menu)!
PS: Yalla means ‘let’s go’ in Arabic.

For those seeking to expand their lingual capabilities; here is a new word for you: yalla. ‘Yalla’ means «let’s go» in Arabic. Yalla Mediterranean, a new eatery in the Empire Center (in the old Daphne’s spot) combines flavors of Israel, Morocco, Greece, Turkey, and Lebanon to provide a fresh eating experience. So let’s yalla to Yalla, shall we?!
I have been waiting for Yalla to take over the Daphne’s spot at Empire Center and take over, they did! The real estate still looks somewhat similar but Yalla revamped the space with a Mediterranean meets farm-​fresh Cali look with a modern flair (sort of Ikea-​esque) and with a low carbon footprint (for example, the walls at Yalla use refurbished wood from an 1880s farm house!). The ambiance is hip but casual and thus comfortable.
Yalla enterprises a unique concept by offering Mediterranean food in an assembly-​line style (think: Chipotle, Subway, and all of the pizza places which have taken LA by storm). One can order kabobs, wraps, salads, or plates, using the various proteins, sides, and sauces. The choices are extensive and everything looks amazing! Bright colors, fresh, and vibrant to the max! Plus, Yalla caters to making the offerings either Israeli, Moroccan, or Greek in style. Feel free to ask for samples, as well. They allow you to taste before choosing.
Come hungry to Yalla as the portions are large. The wraps are gigantic blimps and the plates are enough for two people if both aren’t starving. Two of us chose a Yalla Plate to share (Basmati Rice, Seasoned Vegetables or Spiced Lentils, Pita and Choice of up to Three Yalla Sides) with a steak kabob (the proteins are fire-​roasted at Yalla). For our sides we chose: Israeli Couscous (Cous Cous, figs, dried apricots, almonds, parsley, scallions, fennel, olive oil, White Balsamic Vinegar), hummus, and the Medi Greek Salad (Kale, grape tomatoes, cucumbers, red onions, Kalamata olives, garbanzo beans, feta, Parsley, dill, red cabbage, radishes, Lemon Dijon Vinaigrette). We also asked for Tzatziki and Harissa sauce (they have tons of sauces to choose from).
So how is the food? EXCELLENT! The flavors here are terrific! Very Moroccan and Lebanese with Cinnamon and clove accents. The lentils are divine and I HATE lentils, usually! The salad was perfect in ratio with all of the ingredients, the Israeli Couscous is heavenly, and even the rice was great: perfect texture. The meat was moist and spiced wonderfully. The only complaint is that the pillowy pita was tiny and they should gave more than one (we asked for another which they obliged).
The biggest problem at Yalla? Service. Now, it should be noted that we came the first week they opened. The eatery was overstaffed as management was on-​hand walking around and teaching/​instructing the teen employees. So, we let issues slide but it was bluntly: a mad house. Employees were slow, confused, and no one seemed to know what going on. It was terrible. Our food was forgotten about, the employees kept asking us if it was to-​go or «for here» even though we said we are dining in a hundred times. Then, when they delivered our food the girl again asked if it was to-​go and then got an ATTITUDE WITH US when we said it was for here. Terrible. Again, I understand they just opened so we let all these slide but they bluntly need to get their shit together cause the service is awful at this point.
I plan to go back to Yalla to see if they figure out the service issue (plus I have a coupon for a free frozen yogurt dessert with honey and baklava crumble which I hear is terrific) so hopefully the experience is a bit better next time.
Basically, Yalla has amazing food and is a farm fresh, environmentally friendly establishment (they even had a sign up listing the farms in California from which they get their ingredients). However, service at the time of this review (because they just opened) is pretty crappy so don’t expect anything amazing on that front just yet. Otherwise Yalla is recommended so let’s yalla to Yalla!