Basil Mediterranean Grill — Restaurant in Costa Mesa

We love Mediterranean food so when we saw a promo on Uber Eats for this place and the good reviews, we decided to check them out.

Unfortunately, they forgot to include one of the entrées and forgot the sides.

When I called, they were really nice about it so that’s a plus. Customer service = 5 stars

The food that we did receive though was mostly 1 star so I didn’t feel too bad about the missing food.

We got the ground chicken kabobs. The comment I received about this was “it tastes like I imagine an old shoe to taste” - it was very dry, lacking flavor, and tasted like it was made last month and just heated up. If you can picture that, then you know how these kabobs taste without having to spend money and try it yourself.

For me though, the biggest let down was the falafel. I love falafel and read reviews that it was good here. It wasn’t. My parents used to make it from scratch so I always like trying it at different places. This one was just off. Also, dry and the color inside isn’t how falafel should be so perhaps there is just a lot of breading.

The pita bread that comes with the meal is cold and store bought….I do realize I’m spoiled when it comes to good Mediterranean food, but even if your standards aren’t high, I’m not sure how you’d like it here.

I’ll let you all know when I find some good Mediterranean food, other than at...

This place gets mixed reviews. Most people love this place. Only a few trash Basil; the primary issues seem to be about the quality of beef, lamb, and one particular Persian specialty that they don't get right. So, for my first visit, I stuck to the chicken.

I had the Marinated thigh meat chicken. Thigh meat is generally better tasting and moister than breast meat, which is generally more expensive (a well kept secret). The marinated thigh meat is a better choice, in my opinion, than chicken kebab which has less chicken, but includes vegetables on the skewer, as does my wife.

Update, 10/5/2018: I had the marinated lamb tenders. Very tender, cooked medium. The portions at Basil are right sized, just enough, not too much, not "generous portions," healthy portions.

Delicious!

We are very pleased with the salad instead of rice option. It makes for a low-carb meal.

Next time I'll...

This was the best Mediterranean food I've had. Everything was prepared so well & even the presentation was lovely. I decided to dine in and noticed that they are very popular and busy yet our server, Genesis, was pleasant, calm, and apologetic about the wait.

All of the food I ordered tasted amazing. The falafel was perfectly crisp on the outside and soft and flavorful on the inside. Their spicy hummus is extremely spicy- like an 8/10, but super tasty. The pita bread came out warm and soft- delicious! The tabouleh did not disappoint either, it was freshly prepared.

There is a small bar with a nice white and red wine selection & even Prosecco.

It is located in a small business center and parking appears to be limited. There are plenty of nice booth and table seating inside.

I am looking forward to coming back...