Kairos Mediterranean — Restaurant in Five Forks

In 2020 I gave Kairos this 5-star review:

CONSISTENTLY fresh food, counter service, open kitchen, point/pick and pay! No brown lettuce here! No past-it parsley in the tabouli. The commitment to freshness and cleanliness is evident here, and I've been more than a dozen times in the past year. I'm not a huge fan of their falafel, although every place has their own recipe. It's certainly not bad by any stretch! It's just different from my idea of perfect falafel [Pita House - no one comes close!]. With all the fresh, healthy ingredients you wouldn't expect french fries here, but, in fact, thank goodness they ARE here, because they're very likely (and surprisingly) the best french fries I've ever had. Finally, the staff is engaged, happy, friendly, and interested in giving each customer a great experience. As of this writing, re: COVID, the staff all wear masks (and not around their necks!) They make eye contact and smile! No sullen, sulky, passive-aggressive teenagers working here. I have to give the management a ton of credit for their fantastic hiring practices and choices. It can be difficult to keep restaurant counter staff and even more difficult to find people who will enjoy themselves at work. Kairos is an absolute gem and although I'm grateful they're just down the street from me, they are definitely worth a drive! (Incidentally, I always hear a fantastic selection of music here when I dine in. They are usually songs you love but forgot you loved!) And the unique beverages they have here! Gah! Kairos, you just flipping rock!

UPDATE: Autumn, 2022. Four stars. Service & quality have suffered over the past two years. The staff that earned my 5-stars [now only 4] have moved on and Kairos now feels more like a disinterested assembly line. Scrutinize the tabouli before you partake; the parsley had turned dark and slimy when we went last weekend. Unsweetened tea was in a pitcher at the register vs. on the counter with all other drinks, per usual. Seemed disorganized despite a large staff on duty. This place is expensive and I expect my money's worth! Come on Kairos, earn back that 5th star!

UPDATE: July, 2023. ONE STAR. Visited for dinner. It wasn't busy so that wasn't an excuse for how unkempt and dirty the place was. The counter was COVERED with the spills and crumbs of every ingredient they sell. Every container of food was spilled over; there was cross-contamination. I ordered a bowl which the server filled halfway with lettuce that had become pink and disgusting. If I hadn't been paying attention and stopped her, she would have buried the gross lettuce with rice and toppings and had me eat it. UNFORGIVABLE. She apologized and a manager stepped in to remake the bowl, but clearly no one is paying attention or cares about the appearance, cleanliness, or quality of the food they're serving paying customers. And pay we DO. This place is EXPENSIVE for what it is. I expect exceptional quality and service for this price.

The booth we sat down in was dirty and I had to clean it before we could start eating. Even after sitting I had to watch my feet because of all the mashed food on the floor. It was 2 hours until closing, but one of the servers had already drained both tea dispensers and put the large jug in the cooler. WHY?? More apologies are proffered. Stop saying you're sorry and just run your establishment properly! I have watched Kairos slowly slide downhill for the past 4 years. It's gone from fantastic to lousy. I sense a change in management during this time, although I don't have that information. What I do know is that success begins with the person in charge who then teaches, guides, and ENFORCES quality service, a clean environment, and the freshest food available. Kairos, you've lost my...

Tried this place for the first time last week on a lunch date with hubby and went back today for seconds. I got the bowl and I chose to put white rice, lentils, lamb, pickled onions, cucumber salad, zucchini, spinach, tomatoes, SWEET POTATO (took it over the top for me 😋), and red bell peppers into the mix (I tried to remember everything). One of the guys behind the counter recommended the spicy avocado sauce (I was afraid of it being spicy but it isn’t spicy) and I really enjoyed it! They said you can get up to three spreads so my spreads were two hummus and one chili feta today (the chili feta also wasn’t spicy). The bowl only comes with one little pita and I forgot to ask for more. They recommended their popular lavender lemonade…it tastes just like its name but it needed more sugar and lemon in my opinion. I received takeout both times but inside is nice and clean and there’s indoor and outdoor seating available! Overall...

We’ve driven by Kairos daily for the past three years and finally decided to stop in. It was clear right away that many of the people in line were longtime regulars who were genuinely enthusiastic about eating here, which says a lot.

The gentleman helping us at the counter was patient with our ordering and made the process easy. Both the Recovery Bowl and Kairos Bowl were delicious, and the portion sizes were very fair.

The only drawback—and the reason this isn’t a 5-star review—was the cleanliness of the dining area. Every table was dirty when we sat down, and when we asked for one to be cleaned, the young lady only wiped a small spot until we requested she do the whole table.

Overall, the food was fantastic, and the service from the gentleman was excellent. With more attention to the dining area, this would easily be a...