Esso Mediterranean Bistro

Amazing service, amazing service, and amazing service.
Plus, the food is absolutely delicious!
We started off with the Kibbie Bites, which we’re extremely flavorful, warm, and had great textures. Then we ordered the combination plate to try out the different types of kabobs. Our favorite was the ground beef kabob, with the chicken coming in as a close second, and the beef shish kabob in third. They were all extremely tender and flavorful, and go perfectly with their rice (which is actually very tasty on its own).
But their service is what I’d go back for. It was a slow night so the employees could have denied us and gone home for the night since we came in about an hour before closing, but they they didn’t. Instead, they were some of the most kind, helpful, and generous people we’ve met.
Go for the food, return for the service. Highly recommend Esso.

Delicious food and fantastic service! Our regular order is the chicken kabob plate. We’ve had the falafel and kash kash kabob too. Nothing we’ve ordered has ever disappointed us and the wonderful, friendly family running this restaurant is the cherry on top. This is our go to spot for eating out as the prices are reasonable as well. If I could give it a higher rating, I would!

We just ordered out and ate here this evening. We ordered food and I picked it up within 15 minutes we both had the combination plates and it was pretty good but according to my 9 month pregnant wife it was a bit greasy. This is a good joint with plenty of parking and the people working or owning the restaurants are very nice. While it is good it is definitely not like our boys at Mazar. That place Bar None is one of the best Kebab joints or whatnot in the valley. You definitely won’t find anything better but if you’re over here near the Tarzana or Encino area you can always try this place as well as I’m sure it should be better even when eating there rather than ordering out. Why do I write these reviews because I want to help you bastards learn how to get good food and not simply what are some crap that’s some liberal junkie as making and is very unhappy about so might be spitting into it. #NeverFeltTheBern

So good. SO. GOOD. Super quiet when I went on a Saturday, but their hummus is bomb, meats are so tender and flavorful, and service was good!

Love this place… feels like I’m at home! Everything is excellent… the falafel is amazing, so fresh and my son loves their yogurt soup with kufte! You can’t beat their wonderful customer service and made to order delicious Armenian food! Will be back for some more soon!

We adore the food here!!! The family who owns/​runs it is very nice as well. We order the same things every time they are so delicious: steak kabobs and chicken kabobs. Mmmmm. I don’t think they serve alcohol btw.

If I could give this place 10 stars i would. Makes me feel at home and has amazing armenian food. So worth the visit

Do they really need another 5-​star review? Yes.
Wanted to evade a 101 traffic jam, so I dropped by for lunch today on Unilocal’s recommendation. Glad I did. I had the khash khash kebab sandwich, which was delightful. Bold flavors, fresh ingredients, beautifully grilled tomato, and even some chili spice in the meat. A perfect light lunch.
Elizabeth is very nice and a joy to talk to. She is Armenian, from Syria. So her cooking style is a bit different from the more common Lebanese-​Armenian places. I can tell from this one encounter (and all the lovely Unilocal photos) that she is a master of the art. Can’t wait to return when back in the neighborhood (or maybe even make the trip from Los Feliz just for her food).
Five stars it is!

Honestly I cannot say one bad thing about this place. From the second I was greeted at the table I felt like they really wanted to make sure that everything was perfect for me and my friends, which is very rare for nearly any restaurant. The food was delicious, very fresh and you can taste how homemade it was! I know that sounds weird but trust me. Very authentic armenian food. Also the atmosphere was nice and quiet, although the kitchen was close to our table you couldn’t here a thing from the other side which was very nice. Highly recommend.

The best juicy chicken kabob… Perfectly seasoned chicken and rice. Hummus was so good and the price is reasonable too… Will be a regular customer… Great service too.

Been coming here a lot. Food has been consistently great. It has become my place to go two to three times a month.

The food here was good. We ordered sandwiches which had lots of flavor… The chicken was delicious…
I really don’t have much to write about this place because it’s not that exciting. The 3 stars is because I really don’t enjoy eating in an empty restaurant… When I asked my friend who recommended it she said it’s a place that’s good for takeout… I agree id probably only order takeout from this place again.
Overall good Is a 4… Atmosphere is a 1…

Esso Bistro has the best Mediterranean food you can get in the area! Saying the food is delicious is an understatement.
I had the cheese pastries, the fatoush, and the beef skewer plate. The prices were also perfect for what you get! I would definitely come back here again, and again, and again!

Came here tonight for dinner around 6. We sat outside, which was nice. The young man who was our waiter was very attentive, he gets 5 stars! First e got a wonderful dinner salad with the best tasting tomatoes, with a vinaigrette dressing and fresh parsley. I ordered the chicken skewer and filet mignon. My daughter had the filet mignon. My filet had a weird taste to it, I notified the waiter and he made me another one. The chicken was pretty good, hummus was delish! Their rice is not basmatti, but it was pretty good. This is a quaint little spot, next to Petco in the corner. Plenty of parking. I would come again and try their other dishes. I appreciated the young man making me another skewer of the steak, which I took home for lunch tomorrow, with my leftovers.

One if the best falafels I have tasted.
Shaped like a donut, it was crisp and had a grainy texture on the outside while flavorful and dense in the inside of this falafel. A must try!
I read that the owners are Armenian from Aleppo, Syria. They have some Syrian specialties as Esso not found in many restaurants in Los Angeles. The falafel is what you might find while visiting Aleppo.
I will return and try some of their Syrian dishes on my return visit.

First they over charged me, told me the prices changed which were not reflected on the menu. Gave them cash, a $ 20 bill, then they told me they didn’t have any change so I gave them my credit card. Only problem is they didn’t give me my cash back. I asked for my $ 20 back and they insisted they gave it back, which they did not. So I ended up paying double. Anyway, besides that the food was awful. Never going back.

Their Food is AMAZING! I have now been there 2 times and everything we ordered was so delicious… Hummus the best ever and those cheese rolls melt in your mouth like a little piece of heaven. This little gem is hidden in a strip mall next to Bevmo … They say don’t judge a book by its cover and So true! It’s not a fancy place but it’s clean, the wait staff is so professional and sweet and the reason we are there is the FOOD after all. Do your taste buds a favor and try it out. ALSO they cater. We will definitely be back.
THANK YOU!

We thought the food was really delicious. We loved their rice (was like reshteh polo) and the falafel was amazing. Salads and veggies were mediocre.
Had a kebab combo plate and falafel plate. The reason it’s not five stars is because we looked at their menu on a board (a menu board provided by them directly outside their own business) and our bill was considerably higher than the prices indicated on the menu. I tried to pay for our food immediately after ordering at the register and was told ‘no, they’ll bring you a check to your table when you finish eating’. The kebab combo plate would’ve been a great deal at $ 14.95 (the price printed on their menu) but when we got the bill it was $ 16.95 (that’s more than 12% higher). Same for the falafel, we were charged 12% more than the menu price.
The unexplained price hikes left a bad taste in our mouths. Explanation? They said they’re ‘having the new menus printed’. Might be nice to let people know you’re charging them 10+% more than what you list on your menu before they order and eat their food.

Located just next door to BevMo, Esso Mediterranean Bistro is a family owned restaurant that has one of the best tasting food in the area. The parking lot is shared but its huge so I never have any problem parking.
I actually live in Torrance but once every other week I drive to Encino to meet a bunch of friends for dinner and Esso is one of our favorite spots to meet and have a great meal. We are always greeted with a smile and made to feel like we are at home.
I always get the combination plate which consists of a side salad, chicken kebob, filet mignon, and khash khash kebob on a bed of rice pilaf along with a side of hummus. Everything is made fresh on the grill right after your order so it does take a little bit of time. The chicken kebab has zucckini pieces that are grilled between the chicken which taste spectacular and the chicken is nice and moist and cooked to perfection. The filet mignon is cooked to perfection and perfectly seasoned and very very tender. The khash khash kebob is very similar to the persian koobideh, and is very juicy, tender, and spiced to perfection.
If your in the mood for good Mediterranean food with excellent customer service, a quite home feel, this is the place to go. If your lucky and we always are, they bring out slices of watermelon for us for dessert. I ove this place and always look forward to going to Encino for this place.

Delish! Delish!
Must visit this gem in Encino.
I had heard about the food, but I didn’t think it will be THIS good. We catered for our work today, and every dish was superbly prepared and with true flavors. Mostly Mediterranean, and completely authentic!
Must go and try more from their menu!