Saffron Mediterranean Grill — Restaurant in Long Beach

What a GEM! Tucked away in a small alcove of other restaurants and retail stores on Pine St in Downtown. Two-hour free public parking just a short walk away (entrance on 4th St just east of Pine and others also nearby).

Between Mexican and Mediterranean, I sometimes have a hard time deciding which is my preferred, but on this occasion, Mediterranean won, and it was a BIG winner!

Saffron Mediterranean is primarily intended as a take-out restaurant. There is one table inside that can seat 6, and a few tables outside that can seat about 12 or so. To-go food is packed in high quality reusable/microwaveable containers, dine-in is served unpretentiously on heavyweight disposable platters with disposable utensils. I don't really care what the food is served on . . . I am not offended in the least by disposables in a location like this.

I chose a double skewer meal -- one lamb, one chicken -- and at about $28, it was not over priced -- dinner for three with tax was just over $90. All of the menu items are modestly priced. You are given a choice of white or brown rice, and two additional sides -- I chose dolma and tabbouleh (I prefer a bit more bulgur and finer chopped parsley when I make my own tabbouleh, but this was still an excellen choice). One skewer has four large pieces of meat . . . close to or a little more than about 10 ounces each. Plates also came with a small portion of a garlic yogurt sauce and a spicy sauce -- the garlic sauce was my favorite. Also served with the meal was a nice crisp and flavorful focaccia. Based on other reviews I read, I also ordered the watermelon salad to-go -- it's a genuine winner! Lots of fresh seedless watermelon chunks, a couple of ounces of cubed feta, and mint with fresh pomegranate juice. The BOMB!

What makes Saffron Mediterranean unique is the chef-owner, Kaya. He had a few minutes to spend with us, shared his story, and explained that his seasoning is his own blend of more than 20 herbs and spices, including lavender and fennel, which combine to make probably the best kabob blend I have ever tasted. Kaya was kind enough to share a few tablespoons with me, and I was able to nearly duplicate the experience with 3 pounds of chicken breast cubed and grilled over a flame broiler a week later.

There is definitely a reason why this restaurant has a near 5-star rating. If you're coming to Downtown Long Beach for a day at the Aquarium, the Convention Center, a meeting, or whatever else, a short walk north on Pine St from Ocean Bl will lead you to one of the best Mediterranean restaurants I have ever been to . . . and I've been to dozens of different ones. Saffron Mediterranean is, hands down, the best so far. We will definitely make the 40-mile drive to Long Beach just to...

August 2025 Finally got to check out Saffron's Gyro & Kebab Wraps. I am often skeptical because the wrap can be too thick and gets soggy, etc. But I am happy to report that these wraps were delicious and probably the best I've ever had. My friend got the Gyro which has similar meat to the Kebab that I got but it's thin slices of meat. I prefer the Kebab which is thicker like a sausage. The hummus, lettuce, pickles inside were great. The secret sauce was delicious. The wrap thin and did not get soggy. Check out my pics! I opted for the salad but my friend got the fries and I knew I would grab a few. Their fries are so GREAT. Hot, crisp and good size. If you're starving - definitely get the fries. They'll put you over the top. Service great as usual and again, I love the real glassware and china. Yes, it's a casual place and in a quiet alcove but this presentation gives a nice cafe ambiance. I should ask if one can bring an alcoholic beverage!

July 2025 Ordered take-out. Great Fattoush salad. Just what I needed. Good size portions. My friend ordered the chicken shawarma plate (again). He loves it.

Mid July 2025 My second great meal here! The lamb kebab was delicious! Nice chunks of lamb grilled to perfection. The chef gave us the opportunity to try his falafel! So good! Brought friends tonight! Two of my friends had the chicken shawarma plate and found the meat tender and juicy. One friend had the beef shawarma and also loved it. Pita bread better than the rice or vice versa? We couldn't decide. But BTW they do have awesome fries! And yes, of course, they do take out but the patio is very pleasant. And again, they serve on real plates!

June 2025. Have just tried this place once but it was fantastic and we'll be back. Set back @ 245 Pine Avenue in the alcove on the west side it's fairly casual but they spiff it up by providing real glasses and china plates! So I give it a 4 for atmosphere but everything else is superb. There is outdoor dining so you can have your pooch with you (we did not). We ordered the Hummus Plate with Lamb and the Shawarma Plate which comes with a salad, hummus and rice. I had the hummus and it was delicious. Having been to both Israel and Jordan I came to love the hummus bowls that had cooked meat in the middle and I love lamb. Saffron's was tender and flavorful. My friend had the Shawarma plate and he was raving over it. His was a combo of beef and lamb; more beef than lamb. But we both LOVED the rice which was light and filled with cardamon. The pita bread was good too. Hearty and not thin like most places. We'll be...

Peace be with y’all . Okay if I could give more stars I would. I’m originally from Texas and now live in The Bay Area. One thing- Texas has great food bc it’s not really a touristy area- more business, chill and eat. One huge disappointment when moving to The Bay is the food! I’m a huge foodie - nothing special but just love and cherish food that, as I say, tantalises all my taste buds. After a long long time - sorry to all the Mediterranean places in The Bay - but this Saffron grill in Lomg Beach LA literally blew my taste buds’ minds off. The kabobs were huge! Perfectly seasoned and grilled to perfection so I can eat them by themselves, also not overpowered with spices so I can enjoy dipping my meat in hummus, sauces etc. The kabobs were out of this world but the Mezza was out of this galaxy! The different types of hummus- and I’m not a hummus girl- the different sauces - the baba ganoush! The customer service was so homely - the chef’s wife Trinanein came to our table and asked what flavours of hummus we want and bc it was our first visit she added two extra flavours complimentary. That shirt visit was a true blessing bc we were just having a rough day and Trinanein, her staff and husband (chef)- their hospitality and food - literally perked us up. I wish for everyone to pay them a visit and try their food and friendly atmosphere and I promise you will not leave without a smiling heart mind and very very content belly :). Our order: Kabobs: lamb (medium ), chicken , couscous(yummmmm) , rice, mezze platter-garlic and onion hummus, red pepper hummus, olive hummus and I forget the 4th flavour but it was just as delicious - baba ganoush, grape leaves, tabouli- pita bread. We chatted with the chef and his wife - the chef is half intslisn and half Turkish and all recipes belong to his grandfather who taught him to cook. The quality was so much and it DID NOT! Break the bank - wow! Alhamdulillah! I pray all of you come visit and please let me know what y’all think by replying to this post! I truly miss great eats and this place hit the spot! Gos bless!...