Byblos Mediterranean Grill — Restaurant in Atascadero

Pretty good food, in general. Tried the falafel sandwich on the first visit. Could have used salt and more spices in falafel patties. Was fresh and fast. Good price for such a large portion. Had the chicken shawarma plate on a return visit. Tons of chicken. Comes with generous servings of tzatziki and hummus, and a large round of fresh pita bread. They cut the pita into wedges unless you ask for it whole. This is not pita pocket bread. Chicken tasted OK, but was in bite-sized chunks, not thin, tender slices. Benefitted when I added a squeeze of lemon and a sprinkle of salt. Cooked with onions and garnished with chopped, fresh tomatoes. My companion remarked on how much garlic was in the tzatziki. SO much garlic! Not the case on my previous visit. That time, I could distinguish the subtle flavors of cucumber and dill in a creamy yogurt sauce. This was more like "have a little yogurt with your garlic." Byblos offers spanikopita, tabouleh, baba ganoush, shish kebab, and baklava among other items. Standard self-serve soda fountain. Tiny inside with a couple tables on the sidewalk out front. Parking is limited on the street. Loss of one star because of the same complaint here as with so many other locally owned businesses: indifferent customer service. We were provided the bare minimum level of customer service for our $30 lunch order. Come ON owners and managers! Train your employees to provide better customer service. It doesn't cost any more to connect with your customers: smile, make eye contact, say hello, say Thank You! I am voluntarily giving you my hard-earned money. I can go anywhere, ELSE. There is more to a transaction than exchanging payment for goods or services. I want to know you are glad I'm spending my money with you, that you want me to tell my friends about you, and that you want me to come back. Don't you? (stepping down from soapbox now) I had photos but they disappeared from phone. I will go back and add...

We ate here over the weekend and became bloated a few hours later, which was followed by diarrhea the next day. I should've listened to my gut and not eaten here after seeing how dirty the restraunt was and after observing all the employees handling food without gloves. Nobody was wearing a hair net and following basic hygiene practices. When asked about the size of the catering dishes, one of the employees (the young man with huge fluffy hair) said "uhm, I'm not sure" and didn't even bother saying, let me find out. It also took forever for us to get our order placed. We were just standing and waiting at the register for someone to attend to us when we got there. Then, when we were about to leave, we ordered baklava, and one of the employees charged us for it but never gave us the baklava, and once again, we just sat there waiting for the baklava. So overall, the service was terrible. The food was okay, but the fact that it made me sick tells you that it wasn't handled properly. The one dish I liked was the kafta kabob and gyro. The quinoa tabbouleh was so disappointing. It was mostly lettuce tomatoes and lacking even in parsley flavor. The garlic sauce was like lard. It was solid. The first time I tried a sauce in a solid state! There was no garlic flavor to it. The rice was bland and not warm. It was probably left at room temperature, making me think this is what made me sick or the baba ghanoush. I'm glad I didn't cater from here and risk everyone...

As mush as I don’t like leaving negative reviews..I feel that I must.

Food. If you are not familiar with the taste of Mediterranean cuisine, you may like their food. And that is why they actually have 4.5 rating on google. If you are familiar with taste of Mediterranean cuisine, beware: this is Americanized “Mediterranean” food prep that deserves two stars. Shawarma was ok, but lucks Mediteranian seasoning too. Kafta does not have the Mediterranean seasoning at all and tastes like sausage. Side salad had no seasoning at all. Rice was bland.

Service. If you wait more then 30 minutes for your order at the “not really that busy” place - that is one star. I’m sure a gentleman whose order was ready but no one bothered to tell him after 45 minutes wait agrees.

Atmosphere. There is none. It’s purely “order pick-up” place and should be...