Carousel Restaurant

This is probably one of the best Mediterranean restaurant in town! The food is simply great! Homemade lentil soup is a must!

I’ve been coming to Carousel for years and the food is still outstanding. The Armenian-​Lebanese food is the closest I’ve found for people from the Levant to Istanbul. The food is much different from Armenian food found from the eastern areas of Turkey, Iran and Armenia (much more refined food in my opinion).
I’ve enjoyed my best meals at Carousel at lunch and earliesh weekday dinners. I made the mistake of coming on weekend nights my last two visits. They have live music and dancing at 9pm on weekends and if you come in before for dinner they rush you to finish and clear out by 9. The restaurant is just too manic preparing for the later crowds.
The Carousel Feast is the way to go with a terrific sampling of mezzes (small plates) that are delicious and completely fill you up followed by a large entrée of different kebabs, rice and vegetables which come after you can’t choke down another bite. My advice, SKIP THE PITA. The small plate appetizers/​mezzes are all enjoyed best with pita bread but forget the pita if you want to save enough room to enjoy everything.
If you’re interested in the best Armenian food in LA, come on a week night or for a long lunch. If you want the crazy, noisy, music and dancing more than the food then the weekend nights are the way to go.

Honestly some of the best middle eastern food around. I’ve been going here for years and while it’s not exactly the cheapest of meals, you get quality, great service and on top of all that the place is clean, and the food hits home. You cannot go wrong with the mante it’s tomato sauce is to die for. Also, the cheese borek, and any of the kebabs are excellent. I’m not much of a soup person but the lentil soup is absolutely amazing. My mouth has watered just writing this review. I have to go stop in sometime soon.

Seated outside. Nice night. Service was good. Food was amazing. Had the beef shwarma and wife had the kabob. Would go back for sure. Good portions.

Having grown up in and around the Glendale area, Carousel had a permanent mark on my memory of delicious Lebanese/​Armenian eats. I hadn’t gone back in years and tonight, I proudly suggested the place to my Hubby, a first timer of Lebanese cuisine.
Food was just like I remembered. Creamy humous, juicy kofta, refreshing Armenian Salad. Truly tasty.
I was a bit disappointed in the service. We got seated at the very last table in the patio area. After sitting there for a while staring at the unlit candle, cold breeze reminding us that we should’ve brought jackets, my hubby finally got up and went over to the hostess to remind them that yes we do exist.
Shortly, after we were served promptly and checked on both by our server and the owner. I am so grateful for that. Our dinner was delicious and so was the baklava. Just wish we were not seated in what felt like the edge of the universe, ignored and then our heater taken away.
We’ll be back but we’re coming at earlier and sitting inside.

Place is very clean, very attentive wait staff and the food was very authentic in my eyes.

Always enjoyable! Love the cheese boreg, rice, kufta (if thats how you say it/​type it), tolmas and more. Best part? Dessert! Osmali + coffee/​tea to top it off. Definitely recommend if your looking for a Mediterranean based cuisine.

The best Armenian food in Los Angeles, coming from a picky Armenian himself. You will not be disappointed.

This review is for the dinner with entertainment option. If I could give this place 0 stars I would, but 1 will suffice. First off, the staff shoved us, a family of 4, into a cramped corner table that should only seat two. It takes unbelievably long to receive the main entrée. The waiter comes, drops a bunch of cold unappetizing sides and leaves it there for two hours expecting you to finish these unsavory dishes. The food was all part of a preset menu which did not taste great to be quite honest.
Service from the staff was rather short and without any care or compassion. If you’re not part of the Armenian or middle eastern ethnicity, don’t expect to be treated with any form of respect.
The entertainment is not worth the money they charge for this overrated experience. The singer was very off tune, the band was very basic, and the belly dancers were nothing but a group of middle aged women.
The only way to enjoy this excuse of an establishment is to become piss drunk. Only then will you be able to put up with the horrible service, wailing music, unappetizing food, and the forced 18% tip that is just so undeserved.
So many more choices in the area. Almost anything will suffice over carousel.

I’ve never been to this place for just food. A while back, I came here with someone who frequents this place. We came here for their food and «belly dancing» show and «singing», if you could call it that.
Food sucked, the show was a joke, service was laughable, tipping was automatically forced; on top of the tip that they force you to pay, they had a space on the check to give them more tip, just in case you are drunk enough. Lmao
This is one of those places where you make the mistake of visiting ONCE.

From the moment you step in the ambience is inviting with smells emanating from the kitchen that captivate the senses, servers whisk by with trays filled with colorful arrangements of mouthwatering plates. The servers are delightful and very friendly, we had our children with us and they were attentive to their needs. From appetizers like fateyer, hummus, cabbage salad to delicious meats of filet mignon, lamb and perfectly seasoned chicken all of it it perfect. We will be back very soon

This review is based on one visit at lunch time.
We ate here during a recent visit to LA. Earlier this Fall we had attended a festival at the St Vartan’s church in Oakland and had the BEST Armenian/​Middle Eastern food I’ve ever had.
Our Lebonese friend, who took us to SV, told us she had heard good things about Carousel in So Cal.
I had arranged to finally meet one of my first Unilocal and now FaceBook buds, MM, for lunch
The ambiance of Carousel is quite nice. There is a comfy enclosed patio (where we ate)
The inside although a bit dark fabler my taste was festively decorated with tables for groups of all sizes.
The service was friendly but the food arrived inconsistently. MM didn’t get his food until 20 minutes after we got ours.
Mr Rinky ordered:
Vegetarian Delight
Assortment of hammos (chick pea dip), mutabbal (eggplant dip), tabbuleh (parsley salad), muhammara (spicy walnut dip), and sarma (stuffed grape leaves).
Okay; we were hoping for fantastic. We were really looking forward to the Muhammara (A spicy dip of crushed walnuts, red pepper paste and pomegranate) it was good but not as good as the one we had at SV.
I had:
MM had:
The chicken schwarma. He had to wait a long time for it. He said it was good but that he had had better.
We had baklava. It was okay too.
I’m sure that many of their dishes were better than the ones we had. They seem to have an unlimited number of happy regulars, including some of my favorite Unilocal buds, like Tony Y Y
who has gotten two ROTDs for Carousel.
The true highlight of this meal was finally getting to meet one of my favorite ex-​Yelpers and current FB friend, MM!

Can we please talk about how good this place is? Lemme put it this way — my ONLY 5 star review. Consistently delicious, clean, fresh and leaves you feeling full but not heavy. AND they deliver though LA Bite. Everything is yum here. I sometimes cater this for my home parties and guests constantly ask me WHAT IS THIS PLACE?! So good!
The lentil soup is a MUST TRY if you even kinda like legumes
Chicken Schwarma is light, flavorful and not greasy at all!
Vegetarian plate has reserved a special place in my heart
Bulgur wheat rocks my world!
Same recipes since 1984!!! Cause they’re doing everything right!
I honestly don’t know who doesn’t want to eat clean, fresh tasting yummy food. You’re reading this review and want good food? You have nothing to lose at Carousel!

This is a Persian Armenian restaurant. I am Persian. I was debating about going back to Raffis or trying out a new place. So glad I did! Must order the famous lentil soup and chicken barg and the eggplant dish with cucumber yogurt. This place is so beautifully decorated and a real treat for lunch or dinner.

Carousel picks up where the scattered glendale kabab and falafel joints leave off.
Think of it as Lebanese fine dining + belly dancing*
The menu is immersive — and too a newcomer a bit mystifying — with an endless selection of mezzas — and pages upon pages of lebanese & middle eastern dishes. But fear not — the staff will take the time to walk you through it and help recommend a dining strategy.
It became apparent that this place shines as a large group experience — picking one thing for one person is next to impossible!
After much deliberation I landed on Mom’s Beuftek — which came with complimentary pickled items. It was incredible.
YOU WILL NOT LEAVE HUNGRY!
For the non-​meat/​wheat crew their menu is that is is remarkably veg/​vegan/​gluten free friendly as well.
* belly dancing friday/​saturday only.

AMAZING Middle Eastern/​Armenian food! Everything was so fresh!!!
They have a lunch special where you can sample different appetizers and entrees.
The babaganoush is outstanding!!! The best I’ve had so far! Great hummus, kofta, fatayer, cabbage salad, olives, veggies.
As entrée we had samples of kebabs: Chicken, lamb and beef or veal. Also, we had two types of «rice», one wheat and one rice. The rice one was a bit salty.
I drank freshly squeezed lemon juice, but it was too sweet.
This place is not expensive at all for the amount and quality of the food.
Nicely decorated, Middle eastern décor, plenty of room, lots of seating space. Great service! The staff was very nice and helpful!
I highly recommend this restaurant!

The first thing I noticed is that the staff here are very responsive and professional. They behave in an upscale manner.
My split pea soup was so delicious that I made a huge pot of my own the next day. Unfortunately, I couldn’t duplicate the deliciously salty and crispy pita bits that come with the soup. It was excellent!
We had Kibbeh Kofta as an appetizer along with some tabbouleh, they were both tasty as well.
I had Beef Lule with rice as my appetizer. My husband had Chicken Schwarma with veggies for his entrée, he was disappointed that his meat was covered in nutmeg. I don’t like nutmeg on my meat either so I never order schwarma anymore, he hasn’t learned his lesson yet. My Lule was seasoned perfectly and came with grilled tomatoes and raw onions, they all complimented each other nicely.
Overall, the meal was a hit and we’d most likely return again.

Came here for my boyfriends birthday and I love that they accommodated our party of 8. I made a reservation and made sure to call me before to verify the amount of people so I don’t get charged. We went on a Friday night it’s was sold out and packed. The show was wonderful and we danced and had a good time. The circle of Armenian food as I call it was amazing especially the appetizers. I wasn’t too excited about the kabobs which were the main course. I thought they were dry and cold. Everything overall was great and worth the $ 45 dollars a person. I would come back with my parents they would love something like this !

I was craving some authentic and tasty Lebanese/​Armenian food in LA, so my uncle took me to Carousel. Wow! It was one of my best meals. The service was fantastic and very friendly. We ordered the tray for two (Hafleh Beiruti), and it was a great decision. The kibbeh naye was among my favorites, as was the tabbouleh, cabbage salad, cheese ftayer, kibbeh, hummus, baba ghanouj (great smoky eggplant flavor), grilled meats (very juicy and not dry), and the sujuk (I loved the presentation). There’s even more food that I didn’t mention, and we were certainly stuffed by the end. We still had room for dessert (of course), so we got the halawa b’jheben and the ashta b’teen. I recommend both, along with some Armenian/​Arabic coffee!

The Fatayer is everything. Get it. Eat it. Savor it.
Armenian cabbage salad comes automatically, along with fresh pita and pickled turnip slices, cucumbers, olives, and other vegetables, feta cheese, thinly cut to perfection. And loads of SUMAK! There’s just no other way. I’ll gladly take it on anything, please and thank you!
Main delights, this go-​round on the Carousel:
1. Crispy Falafels
2. Soujouk flambé
3. Fatayer (as aforementioned, it’s also listed as Cheese Boreg)
4. Chicken Shwarma with fluffy, buttery pilaf & triangle slices of pita generously drizzled with more sumak
5. Mantee (Shish Barak)
Unique bits you won’t see elsewhere:
1. Frri (Quail) — pan friend and sautéed with sumak and a citrus sauce
2. Frog Legs Provençal
Staff is friendly, pleasant and talkative. As it’s a beloved linchpin of the community, expect a bit of a wait for food, but lots of snack bits served in between, and despite being so popular, there are no long lines, or maybe they are just really good at juggling so many people. On weekend nights, there are live acts, belly dancers and musicians.
I don’t know why I expected to see carousels in here. Carousel is Armenian food at its finest in Glendale. It’s an institution and has represented Armenian cuisine for greater L.A. since 1982. It recently got a huge spotlight in Keeping Up With The Kardashian’s. There are two locations, this one in Glendale and the other in East Hollywood (Little Armenia). Hampig Minassian is the owner /​manager, and Rose Tcholakian is the head chef. Authenticity is never lacking. And between the people in the kitchen and the people in the seats, you’ll feel like a guest in an Armenian household.
The main dining room requires semi-​formal wear and there’s valet in the back for all the black BMWs. You can find metered spots in the front.

Great food and service. Really good sample platter menu. A little pricy but well worth your money.