Tag Archives: Armenian Restaurants Glendale

Go Big or Go Home

Chicken Barg
Everything about Raffi’s Place is big — the space it’s in, the portions, the flavors, and the wait for a table on weekends. Located a couple blocks from The Americana in the heart of Glendale, Raffi’s Place is a palace of Persian-Armenian delights. First there are the Persian stews, Gheimeh Bademjan with chunks of beef, split peas, fried onion and eggplant, and its cousin Ghormesabzi with sautéed parsley, leek and fenugreek leaves, beef chunks, kidney beans, and pierced dehydrated limes. Both are excellent and served on delectably crispy and chewy “rice crusts.”

Then there are the kabobs. It would not be an exaggeration to say they’re the best in the city. There are beef, lamb, salmon and mahi mahi kabobs, but my favorites are the Chicken Barg (pictured above) and the Chicken Koobideh (also known as luleh or ground meat kabobs), which are expertly seasoned and charbroiled to perfection along with roasted tomatoes and Anaheim peppers. With Persian food, it’s all about the rice and all entrees are served with heaps of fluffy basmati rice with saffron and your choice of either fresh herbs, barberries, lima beans or my favorite — sweet and tart black cherries. You can end big was a piece of sticky, buttery Baklava and a sweet fragrant scoop of Rosewater Ice Cream.

Raffi’s Place is located at 211 E. Broadway in Glendale.

Sabzi (a mix of fresh Basil, Onion and Radish)

Sabzi (a mix of fresh basil, onion and radish)


Flatbread and Hummus

Flatbread and Hummus


Gheimeh Bademjan (chunks of beef, split peas, fried onion and eggplant served with rice) and Ghormesabzi (mixture of sautéed herbs, consisting of parsley, leek, fenugreek leaves, cooked with beef chunks, kidney beans, and pierced dehydrated limes)

Gheimeh Bademjan
(chunks of beef, split peas, fried onion and eggplant) and Ghormesabzi
(sautéed parsley, leek and fenugreek leaves, beef chunks, kidney beans, and pierced dehydrated limes)


Chicken Koobideah Kabob with Albaloo Polo (Rice mixed with Black Cherries)

Chicken Koobideah Kabob with Albaloo Polo (rice mixed with black cherries)


Baklava

Baklava


Great for large groups

Always packed



Raffi's Place on Urbanspoon

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Your Armenian Mama’s Kitchen

Beef Luleh Kabob
Nestled on a residential side street a few blocks from The Americana and Glendale Galleria, Mini Kabob is a little mom and pop shop that serves some of the best Armenian food in the city.  To say it’s a hole in the wall would be an understatement. It has three small tables and you feel as if you’re eating in the kitchen of your grandmother or favorite aunt while she cooks for you.  Ugly upholstered chairs and a dreary oil painting on the wall add to the charm of this hidden gem.

The restaurant is run by “Mama” Alla and “Papa” Hovik, a friendly immigrant couple from Yerevan, Armenia.  Mama does the cooking in the open kitchen and Papa works front of the house.  Everything Mama makes is delicious.  Your meal starts with amazing homemade hummus served with Armenian lavash bread.  There are several choices of kabobs including beef, pork and beef luleh (ground beef), but the best is the chicken.  Expertly seasoned and grilled, topped with onions and parsley, and served with basmati rice, a charred tomato and spicy pepper, and a side of garlic sauce, the juicy chicken shish kabob is pure perfection. You can wash it all down with an Armenian mineral water or a tarragon or pear soda.

Mini Kabob is located at 313 Vine St. in Glendale. It’s cash only.

Hummus and Armenian Lavash Bread

Hummus and Armenian Lavash Bread


Combination Plate with Chicken Shish Kabob, Pork Shish Kabob and Chicken Luleh Kabob

Combination Plate with Chicken Shish Kabob, Pork Shish Kabob and Chicken Luleh Kabob


Garlic Sauce

Garlic Sauce


Vegetable Cake (special order)

Vegetable Cake (special order)


Jermuk Mineral Water

Jermuk Mineral Water


Alla and Hovik

Alla and Hovik


A tiny hole in the wall...with great food.

Walking distance from The Americana and Glendale Galleria


Not fancy

A tiny hole in the wall..with great food



Mini Kabob on Urbanspoon

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