Shish Taouk Restaurant — Restaurant in Mission Viejo

This was one of the few authentic Lebanese food places I have seen in the area that stick true to the name. While they did serve authentic Lebanese cuisine it was not the most delicious Lebanese food. Here is an assessment of all the things I ate their to explain my reasoning why.

Grape Leaves: The leaves tasted like they were soaked in oil and even left a puddle of oil at the bottom of my to-go container. The rice was not seasoned very well or at all mainly bland taste.

Meat: The chicken was cooked very well and have a great moist flavor, However, again it was under seasoned and tasted just like meat sitting on the barbecue. Same with the cooked lamb and beef kabobs as well.

Rice: The cooked rice that came with the meat platter was seasoned very well and did have unique hints of special herbs that were cooked with it

Hummus: The hummus tasted like traditional hummus that you could buy from any supermarket

Baklava: The Bakalava was made in-house and the chef said it was a specialty item they put their own spin on. However, that spin was lavender oil mixed into the dish that again left a puddle of oil on my plate as well as gave you the feeling that you were biting into a pastry that was sprayed with lavender air freshener .

Atmosphere: The restaurant itself was a quaint sized building with about enough seating for 50+ people. It's arranged in a way that you can sit in raised more intimate area (seating for 10) or on the main dining area facing the large window to the street or a food bar section near the front entrance.The ordering layout is similar to Subway were you purchase a plate and then choose additional items you would or would not like with it, while the chefs build your plate right in front of you.

Price: Price is fairly inexpensive with a one meat plate costing around 10 dollars and a three meat plate costing about 13 dollars. You can purchase sides such as Falafels and grape leaves as well.

Additional Information: They do have take-out availability as well as post mates if you'd like it delivered. The staff is very friendly and pay special attention to all you considerations and needs as well as answer any questions you have with a...

We moved from SF to Mission Viejo in the middle of a pandemic and weren't sure what outlets to trust in these unprecedented times, especially in a fresh new place. We lived nearby and were exploring essential businesses around when this little place called out to us with its huge banner and lured us in with the promise of authentic Lebanese food. For probably the very first time, we didn't check yelp reviews and jumped right onto menu surfing. We kept it simple with Chicken Shawarma platter and a beef wrap.

We were told the order would be ready in 10 minutes and we parked nearby to wait for our food. First thing you notice is how clean the interior is and you know the place adds a special friendly touch when the owner/manager is curious about how we found his restaurant since he has never seen us before. Anyway, we collected our food and couldn't wait to dig in, and what dig in we did!!

The most succulent meat, the most amazing potato and a nice little salad on the side. The flavors all came together with the delicious garlic sauce (hummus was okay-ish).

Since then we have ordered 5 times in roughly one and half months and have barely ventured outside comfort zone as of now. Now the owner knows me by my name and just adds additional chiles like he knows I prefer and we have had friendly banter on Indian chillies. We keep on ordering here because the quality is consistently maintained on every element most of the time (Chicken shawarma was a bit dry once and the pita can be not soft sometimes). It registers more hits than misses and that's well enough in our books.

I would recommend trying their platters for healthy, fresh, authentic Lebanese food. By the by, the portions are huge- makes up for at least 2 meals for 1 person or 1 full meal for 2 adults.

Yet to taste their falafels. Might order today. Writing about Shish Taouk makes me crave for some...

I found this hidden gem in south county on yelp and I am super glad that I did. The owner "chef Bilal" is the best. He is extremely funny, personable, welcoming, accommodating, and went out of his way to make sure that myself and my girlfriend were given nothing but white glove service. We did not get there until 15 minutes to close and he allowed us to stay while and even gave us extra food which otherwise would have been thrown away. He also went out of his way to make us his own spin on a salad as a first time customer and let me tell you, it was nothing short of extraordinary. As for the food... I got the mixed shawarma plate and my girlfriend got the chicken shawarma plate. We also ordered a side of hummus and baba ganoush which were both made to perfection. The mixed plate came with beef, lamb, and chicken and all the flavors were super on point, not to mention the fact that you also get rice, salad, garlic sauce, hummus, and pita bread with the plate. I must say that this is some of the best shawarma that I have ever had and let me tell you, I have tried them all and it is not easy to get the flavors and the texture just right.

Be warned though, the plate is a lot of food and definitely shareable. We both could not finish our food but it was still amazing the very next day. The place has a very cozy and "you are part of the family" vibe and it is as if you are in a mom and pop shop straight out of Lebanon.

Food - 10 Service - 10 Owner Bilal - A+++++ as an owner and knowing exactly how to make you feel as though you are not just a customer but also family in the way that he knows every customer by name, and goes out of his way to make sure that you are taken care of.

I will be going back for...