ALA Mediterranean Grill & Mezzes — Restaurant in Alameda

Love this place - the food, the owners and staff, the atmosphere - good, friendly, delicious, great family owned local spot.

But this is what motivated me to leave a review. I went in last night with a hankering for lamb kebab. As I'm chatting with the guy at the register he starts telling me about the daily special. Another guy comes out from the kitchen, says the same. Chef's kiss they say, it's their new favorite dish. Thin sliced filet beef, marinated in soy and (something else), cooked to perfection. It sounded so amazing, but I really wanted the lamb so I stuck with my order.

While I'm waiting, they came out with a sample. OMG. SO. GOOD. Perfect marinade, the meat perfectly cooked and just melts in your mouth. I will never not regret changing my order - the lamb kebab was great and exactly what I was craving when I walked in, but that little sample of the beef dish - OMG.

Highly recommend everything on their menu - beet salad, hummus, kebabs, kofte, baklava. But if they start hyping the daily special, trust me on this,...

We chose this establishment based on its reviews, but unfortunately, we were slightly disappointed with the service. Throughout our visit, we had to remind the staff a few times that our party needed attention. However, the food was excellent, although the prices were high. Despite this, it was still worth it. Our dining experience for three people totaled over $200, including appetizers and wine. I highly recommend trying the Istanbul Trio, falafel, and lamb kebab as main courses. The house Cabernet Sauvignon was also enjoyable.

The service was lacking, and the staff's attire could have been sharper; they seemed like they had just stepped in from the street. On Thursday night, the restaurant ran out of baklava. Towards the end of our meal, a strong smell of smoke emanated from the kitchen, forcing us to leave quickly as our clothes began to absorb the odor.

Overall, I would recommend giving it a try, but...

Had an amazing and flavorsome time at ALA! Had two yummy starters the Cigar Borek which was crispy phyllo dough filled with cheese and came with a refreshing herb dip and the Mucver which was Zucchini carrot and scallions patty’s served with a Greek dill yogurt which complimented the starter. For the entree had the Lamb Kabob which was delicious it had the best rice I had in a long time, the lamb was perfectly cooked and the pita was delicious. For desserts my table tried all three. Baklava which was crispy, sweet and delicious, Revani which was a delicious moist cake with cream on the side and Sutlac which was my favorite, a rice puddling with cinnamon and roasted hazelnuts, that I feel I could eat for breakfast it was so good. The servers were so amazing and helpful and made it an wonderful experience I won’t...