House of Basturma

good food at good price has to go to bed on lake st this is a just as good as BC was

I tried this place before with a real bad experience, so I decided to try them again, just in case previous time was a fluke.
Today I ordered Chicken Breast Wrap (Sandwich) which basically is 4 small pieces of chicken breast bbqed (on open fire) & wrapped in a small pita with some garnishing, not a bad little wrap altogether.
The cook, an older heavyset gent, apparently the co-​owner was sweating profusely by the grill & putting together the orders, while keep clearing the sweat by his hand & wiping it on his greasy pants, not to mention clearing his nostrils with the same bare hand!!!
It came to my order … Well, he burnt my order, & after getting it off the skewer he proceeded to remove burnt parts from those 4 little pieces, with the same naked hand, hardly leaving anything for the wrap, & to top it off he managed to get one piece on the floor.
Needless to say I refused to accept the wrap, stating the my observations to the lady behind the counter, at which time the cook became belligerent, & started yelling that he discarded the piece that fell down, & hence it’s not in the food, & that I should not come back to their shop … Which I would whole heatedly abide by.
Arrogance galore, no idea of what food should be, let alone a kabob, or a sandwich with total disregard for cross contamination, or knowledge of kitchen safety or etiquette.
Is there a negative star to be awarded to this establishment?

Confusing place, as there was no indication that it is still called «House of Basturma» aside from the lady answering the phone by simply saying «H-​O-​B». All the menus (and the free soda coupon/​flyer they gave me) indicate that it is now «M Grill».
Tiny, sad portions. A little cheaper than other spots? Maybe. But the portions were just sad. Like really sad. I ended up angrily eating all of the rice, which they were, unsurprisingly, generous with.
Hummus didn’t really taste like… well… anything. It was just a tasteless mash.
Basturma wasn’t all that great. It was the first time I had it. But since then, I’ve tried at a couple other places and can say that House of Basturma’s basturma is more like… LASTurma! AMIRIGHT?!
Service was friendly though.

Not bad at all. Under $ 10 bucks and definitely beats fast food joints.
I ordered the chicken kabob plate and it came with cabbage salad (yum), hummus, and rice.
I was pleasantly surprised by how well prepared the plate looked– considering that the restaurant isn’t very appealing or attractive. However, being a foodie you understand that looks, truly are deceiving. Some of the best places are in hole in the wall joints.
Anyways, if you want something good and got around $ 10, come here.

PLATES, PRICES: Filet mignon kabobs are tender, juicy, and scrumptious. Chicken is excellent too. The first time I ordered, I ordered 2 filet mignon kabobs and 1 chicken kabob, and it was $ 14.00 and included 3 large chunks of the meat for each kabob, so 9 large, juicy chunks total. The second time, I ordered the chicken plate and it was $ 9.00 and came with 6 large chunks of chicken breast kabob. Please note that there are also falafel, the traditional meat mixture, and other options. You can get one substantial chicken plate for just under $ 10 with tax if you don’t get a drink. Most people who get plates will end up going over $ 10 with tax. There may be cheaper meals such as wraps, but I don’t remember the menu.
HUMMUS: The hummus is light instead of heavy, and they give you a lot.
SALAD: The salad is crispy and lemony – very nice. It’s made with green cabbage and small diced fresh tomato.
RICE, GLUTEN RISK: The rice is not very flavored but will take on the taste of food it’s eat with. Also, I got more rice with the chicken plate than with the combination plate that had more meat. The second time I had the rice, I liked it more as it had a little lemony flavor and flavor from the kabobs on it. However, the second time, there were a few small pieces of thin, brownish pieces of noodle in the bottom of the takeout container. I’m not sure if this was intentional or they used a spoon from some noodles. I can’t eat gluten, so this surprise was unpleasant despite the good taste. Next time, I’ll ask if the noodles are supposed to be in there and ask them to use a fresh serving utensil when filling my plate. This should not be an issue for most people.
ONIONS, MAYBE: With the filet mignon and chicken combination plate at dinnertime, they gave me lots of thinly sliced onions that are not too sharp tasting. With the chicken plate at lunchtime, they did not give me onions.
PITA: I can’t eat the pita bread due to gluten issues, so I can’t review it but it looks good and fresh. I left it out, and it was dried up by the next day so didn’t give it to anyone to taste.
GARLIC DIP: The garlic dip is garlicky and only mildly lemony, but most people would say it’s just right.
FOOD ASSESSMENT: Overall, the food was good, especially the meat and salad. You can also buy roasted tomatoes, peppers, and onions for an extra dollar each. The chicken plate was a better deal as it had ²⁄₃ as much meat and cost ²⁄₃ as much approximately but also got more rice and as much salad, pita, garlic dip, and hummus, though it didn’t have onions.
SEATING, PARKING, and CUSTOMER SERVICE: There is limited outdoor seating and very limited parking. Most people seem to get takeout. You may have to park on the street. It’s very convenient to the New York and Altadena Drive area. The staff is friendly, and the service is quick, especially noting that they cook the meat to order. Each time I ordered, it was ready, fresh, hot, and waiting when I arrived fifteen minutes. Each time, the staff was pleasant and businesslike. The younger man was more friendly, but the older man was not unfriendly.
KIDS: I think kids would like this food, except that the filet was mildly spicy and some might not like that. The chicken was mild and not at all spicy. There isn’t anything special for them to do here.
MISC: Definitely good for takeout, especially if quality of the meat is your main consideration. I really want to give it 5 stars, but the limited seating and parking make that challenging. For takeout, it’s very good. Please also note that they have a $ 10.00 minimum for processing credit and debit cards, and their is a special where you get a free canned soda pop if you check in on Unilocal,and you can save it for later if you want. They are open till 9, so a late dinner is very possible, but not late at night.

One of the best middle eastern restaurants I have ever been to! The man at the counter is extremely friendly and helpful. I placed my order at 1:15 and it was ready by 1:30! Everything tasted super fresh. Would definitely recommend this place!
They also gave me a free soda can for checking in! Super considerate :)

THE best kabobs in all of Pasadena and the San Gabriel Valley, the rice, hummus and salad are amazing too! You get a lot of food for the price and the owners are super nice and extremely hospitable. We always order take out and even when we dine-​in the environment is very cozy and nice. Will never eat kabob anywhere else again! Love HOB!

Finally found a great local spot for some kebobs, hummus and other various things. Definitely recommend it.

It was lunch time, and I was in the mood for middle eastern or Indian food. After trying to get food at a local Indian restaurant (they closed 10 minutes before we got there), we opted for this place. It is a block away, so it was a short walk.
This place looks like a small grocery store with a deli. They have an assortment of middle eastern dishes. I got their delux plate, which had 3 strips of different kinds of kebab, white rice, onion, hummus, salad, and pita bread. Except for the hummus, the meal was pretty food. The beef kebab had a nice blend of spices. The portion sizes were also pretty good considering the price.
This is a family owned place, and the employees are friendly. The inside is kinda small, but they have outside seating as well.
It’s a good spot, check em out.

Great pick up option. Dont go on tuesday or thursday if you want the salad. Good felafel and dolmadas

Great to-​go Mediterranean food. The filet and chicken kabobs were very juicy and tender. The owner and his wife were really nice, they gave me a free filafel while I waited. Be sure to check in and get your free soda. Will be back for more!

I like this place. Kebabs are flavorful, hummus /​salad /​rice tasty. I wish they had some indoor seating with air condition though.

The good thing about this place is the meat. The filet mignon is really juicy and and the chicken with the garlic sauce they give you is great. However, the sides of the dish were mediocre at best. The hummus and rice were really plain. It was hard for me to finish by itself.
Parking is also a little limited.

My friend got the combo plate which includes three different types of meat and I got the chicken plate.
Chicken was a 3.5÷5 since it could’ve been more flavorful. Rice was okay too– ³⁄₅. Hummus was delicious but nothing out of the ordinary. The salad was a pickled salad which complemented the dish well. What makes this place a ⁴⁄₅ is the garlic paste that they make.
The beef was delicious — ⁴⁄₅ but was a bit tough. I didn’t try the third type of meat but I would recommend getting the combo.
You get a free can of soda if you check in on Unilocal too.

Found this place on Unilocal.I enjoy Mediterranean food quite a bit and prefer a sit down restaurant. This a total take out spot in a market with 2 tables in a parking lot patio, so don’t really expect a sit down restaurant.
I had the kabob plate. The hummus was very good. The portions are decent for the price. Not a place I would drive out of my way to go, but still good was pretty good.
Customer service was good. They were very nice.

I love supporting small businesses, and you can tell this is a small business. Husband and wife do the cooking, and I love that. the food was okay, however, this isn’t a place where you want to sit down and eat. My advice is to get it to go.

TERRIBLE! THEY SERVE FOOD FROM CANS!!!
I ordered hummus and baba ghanouj as side orders for $ 10 and they served me those items FROM A CAN! And then dumped spoonfulls of cumin on top! Oh MY GOD!!! That was after the young man assured me those items were made from scratch at the restaurant!!!
I ordered a falafel plate too. It was just OK. It was cooked in front of me. It came with tahini sauce — Literally tahini with some water added to it. no salt, no lemon, no parsley!
There is no way any self-​respecting Armenian would eat here. I have no idea how this place is in business in the middle of Altadena’s Little Armenia. Armenians here know what their food is supposed to taste like. I still cannot get over that they served me canned food!!!

My friend got me a basturma sandwich the other day it was by far the best I’ve ever had since i left my country, i live in Seattle and she flew with the sandwich lol, I’m craving it so much that I’m honestly thinking I’m gonna fly back there to have some more!!!

Their Shish Kebab is soooo good. Doesnt come with the white sauce :(but the chicken does. The falafel plate is over salad. The place is really small, kind of run down. But the food is decent. I couldn’t tell if the owners could understand me, but they’re really nice. He didn’t write down or order so he got my order right but gave my brother the chicken instead of the falafel. He corrected it right away but we had to wait even longer :(Overall it’s good! The meat was flavorful and tender. :) falfel was delicious too!

WOW what a Great Basturma! The owner and his wife were very hospitable. Reminded me of cool summer nights in Lebanon. Sitting outside enjoying a nice basturma sandwich and a nice Turkish coffee, sitting with the owner and his wife shooting the breeze and reminiscing on the life in Lebanon and talk about family and how his basturma is prepared and such. Down to earth and humble people.
I recommend this place to anyone who enjoys Armenian-​Lebanese Basturma! The smell is soft and the spice in mild. Plus, It is not fatty. Perfectly lean and melts in your mouth tenderness. It is Not gummy like others I’ve tried from the supermarkets that come prepackaged.
Thank you for the true Lebanese hospitality

They are really really nice here! I enjoyed their meats which were flavorful and tender. Didn’t really like the rice because I like basmati rice, and their rice is fluffier. But that’s just personal preference. Also, their wrap was a little salty. But their service is REALLY really good here!
They have a couple chairs and tables in the back, and they’ll stay open as long as you’re still eating. I felt a little bad, but that was kind of them. :) They have a small lot, but you can also street park. Easy peasy.
Also… make SURE you call ahead of time. Because the hours posted on Unilocal are wrong. I asked them about this, and they said their hours vary by the day… depending on how many customers they get. Kind of inconvenient, but just come before 9pm, and you’re fine.

Ordered a sandwich and as I was waiting for it, a customer came in and ordered. She handled the money, then without washing her hands, grabbed the contents of my sandwich to heat in the pan. I wouldn’t actually say she’s very friendly, either.
I stupidly ate said sandwich, and my stomach wasn’t right for a week.
Also, the place is very stuffy with shelves full of dusty cans of food.

ehhh… interior not planned out very well. exterior… meh.
ordered some hookah, told us we had to get a drink per person.
drink: mint yogurt drink. oh god. never again. why in the world is a yogurt drink so damn salty? their drink selection is limited to all bottled drinks… eh.
fries: meh. nothing special for your $ 4 but was a pretty decent amount.
basturma sandwich: never again… makes sense that since it’s essentially cooked in salt it’d be salty but… meh. they could have at least put more veggies on. for $ 6 eh.
it seemed as if the owner had all their family/​friends chilling on the porch… had a basketball game turned up. none of them even had drinks… eh. being loud and ect. didn’t seem like a fun environment.
if i were to come here again i’d try the kebabs but overall i was pretty meh about it all…

After reading the reviews, I decided to give this place a try. If you know your kebabs and are looking for some juicy tender pieces of chicken/​beef kebabs, this is NOT the place for you!
We ordered 2 plates, chicken and Lule kebab, it came with rice, some salad and hummus. The kebabs were really disappointing… dry and rather tasteless. I didn’t like the hummus as it was a bit on the runny side. The lady who took our order was pretty friendly and sweet but it still didn’t make up for the lackluster food. was a pretty blah experience. The good news is that it’s right next to Carmela’s ice cream and at least I ended up the best dessert in town.
Avoid it as zankou’s is so much better than this… not going back for sure!