Ariana Kabob & Grill (CLOSED)

I have been hearing great things about Ariana Kabob from my foodie/blogger friends, so we all took a trip out there to check them out. They are a very small restaurant located on Atlantic Blvd just east of St Johns Bluff. As soon as we walked in we were greeted by the owners and took a seat. We all decided to get a bunch of food and try everything (because that’s how we roll!) We started with Mantu, which are steamed dumplings filled with onions and ground beef, topped with yogurt, split peas, and ground beef. I absolutely loved these. The flavor combination was perfection and I thought the yogurt sauce was a nice zing thrown into the mix.

We also ordered Sambosa, which is fried pastry stuffed with ground beef, onion, and cilantro. These were also wonderful, but the star of this dish was the dipping sauce. I’m not sure what all is in there, but I want it to put on everything that I eat from now on. I kept the leftover sauce and dipped everything I could in there, and it tasted great on everything! The dumplings were not greasy as you might expect from a fried dish, and the filling was plentiful and very flavorful. There are two versions of this appetizer, so next time I will try the other so I can compare (it is a meatless option that includes potatoes in the filling).

One of my friends at the table ordered the Grape Leaves. I am not a huge fan of grape leaves in general, but I thought these were very good.

For my entrée I got the Falafel Platter, which includes basmati rice, hummus, and tabbouleh. For starters, the hummus is some of the best I have had! It is very creamy and has a pleasant flavor to it, not too much garlic like some other places in town. The tabbouleh was also a pleasant surprise with it’s rich lemon flavor and the basmati rice was plentiful and delicious. The owner told us that he uses a higher quality rice, and it really shows in the final product. I also was a fan of the falafel (which I dipped in that green sauce!) Even with my plate being all vegetarian, I didn’t feel like I was missing anything at all! All of the items on the plate had their own distinctive flavor and tasted different than the same dishes from other restaurants.

My friend Nate (www.nomnomjax.com) got the Lamb Shwarma Platter. Just like mine, it came with basmati rice, hummus, and tabbouleh. I am new to lamb, but I took a piece and thought it was really good. I loved the flavor and the spices that it was cooked with were great. Others at the table have declared this lamb to be the best they have ever had!

While I was paying I happened to see the baklava just sitting there asking to be bought, so I happily obliged. I noticed too late that there were also some interesting looking pastries in a case and asked the owner what they were. He told me it was an elephant ear and gave me one to try. I thought that was so nice of him! When I got home I tried both, and they are both great! The baklava is nice and sweet and the elephant ears were sweet and crunchy. It was a great way to end the night!

Verdict: Loved it!!

I am so happy that I tried Ariana Kabob because I now have a new favorite place! Everything was super authentic and fresh and the prices were very good. The owners were very friendly and kind, and they can sure cook some delicious food! I can't wait to go back and try some of the other things on the menu!