Carnival Restaurant — Restaurant in Los Angeles

CARNIVAL RESTAURANT, located in a busy strip mall, prepares excellent Middle Eastern dishes, served by a knowledgeable, friendly, professional staff. The Lebanese menu contains several vegan choices.

The eatery has been recently remodeled. It appears minimalist modern. The tables are set comfortably apart.

My favorite comfort meal is soup and salad. Carnival's offerings, lift me from my doldrums, and are just plain delicious.

First, a bowl of richly flavored, vegan lentil soup. Be carefully, the thick broth holds it's heat.

Next, the "Fattoush" - a salad made of tomatoes, onions, cucumbers and fried pita chips, dressed with olive oil, lemon juice and Sumac. I order the large and take some home

(The savory spice, Sumac, is made from a mixture of the dried and powdered fruit of up to thirty-five species of flowering plants that are native to the Middle East.) (Google)

Each table is served with a complimentary plate of pickled vegetables, (turnips, peppers, and olives) and warm pitas. I spread the inside of a soft, warm hunk of pita with hummus, insert a slice of pickled turnip, a pepper, and enjoy the spicy pleasure. Be careful, the salt cured olives have pits. The peppers are mighty hot.

Of course, there's a selection of meat, poultry and fish dishes. Friends tell me they're delicious. My wife orders her dinner à la carte. It includes both a chicken and beef kebab, rice, and a broiled tomato. She finds it a pleasurable meal.

Stuff to know:

Reservations for parties of six or more are recommended. There are two entrances: takeaway on the right, dine-in, under the canopy, on the left. Everything is wheelchair accessible including the bathrooms. Free parking is available in three lots: to the South of the strip mall, directly in front of Carnival, and a smaller lot, behind the strip mall,...

Excellent greek/middle eastern food. I had the shawerma plate, and my friend had the kefta kebab plate. The dinners come with soup or salad, we both chose soup. It was a very flavorful and well made lentil soup. The lentils were tender, and the soup was well seasoned, a nice start to the meal. They brought pickled veggies and olives, along with warm pita bread after we placed our order.

After the soup, the main dishes arrived. I had mine with fries, and he had the rice with his. The shawerma plate had lamb and beef pieces, along with onions sprinkled with sumac. The meat was very tender, and there were plenty of delicious edge pieces along with the softer inner parts. Salted and spiced very well, and a very generous portion size. The fries were an afterthought, but we're done right. Crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, but lacking salt, and the cuts were uneven.

The kefta was good too. Very tender ground meat, cooked perfectly and not dry, which a lot of places mess up. Also served with onions. The rice was great, buttery and soft, went very well with the meat.

The only drawback was the service. The person who was taking care of our table was cold and unapproachable. She seldom smiled, and even though I made eye contact and audibly said "thank you" on three separate occasions while she was refilling the drinks and other things, and she never once even acknowledged being spoken to, let alone answered with a "you're welcome" or a smile.

The back of the house was fine, food took about ten minutes to come. The total before tip was $40ish with an ice tea and 7-up. If the service was better and it was 10% cheaper, it would be a hands down 5/5 must eat here kind of place. Otherwise, stop by when you're in this neighborhood and enjoy a...

Alright, let’s break down the experience at Carnival Restaurant. This spot is known for its great and reliable flavors, so I went in with high hopes. I ordered the beef and chicken kabab platters, rice, salad, hummus, pita, labneh, and falafel for a group of friends. Here's how it went down.

First up, the food. The beef and chicken kababs are stellar. The beef is tender, juicy, and packed with spices that hit all the right notes. The chicken has that perfect char and is equally flavorful. The rice is fluffy and aromatic, complementing the kababs perfectly. The salad is fresh and crisp, adding a nice crunch to the meal.

The hummus is smooth, creamy, and well-balanced with a nice garlic kick. The pita is tasty and durable, perfect for scooping up the hummus. The labneh is rich and tangy, a delightful addition to the spread. And the falafel? Crispy on the outside, moist and flavorful on the inside – just how falafel should be.

Now, let’s talk about the service. This is where things get rocky. The service was apathetic at best. Items were missing from the order, and when I pointed it out, I got nothing but a shrug and a look of indifference. No apologies, poor table-side manner, that's really common. Just a bit of arrogance like they're doing me a favor by being there.

And to top it off, the food was ready later than promised. You expect a bit of a wait for quality, but this was beyond that, edging into frustrating territory.

In summary, Carnival Restaurant delivers on flavor – the food is genuinely great. But the service needs a serious overhaul. If they could match their hospitality to the quality of their dishes, they’d be a standout. For now, it’s a place for fantastic food if you can overlook the less-than-stellar...