Mena Foods — Restaurant in Tumwater

This place was absolutely AWFUL. The restaurant itself is strange, no in house dining, and a fake brick wall blocking any view to the back, it also reeks of strange spices; more than likely to cover up there is nothing cooked there at all. Honestly, I think they bought the microwaveable Costco gyro meat, and called it their own. Sadly, they over zapped it and it was like rubber. The hummus was very thin, and extremely bitter. The side salad had no dressing and interestingly cheap “hamburger pickle chips” as a garnish. The pita bread was store bought, and again, over zapped in the microwave so it was hard as a rock. The baba ghanoush was store bought and garnished with 1 cheap canned black olive and one cherry tomato. I took 3 bites of my lamb shawarma over rice and that was enough. My son also took a few bites of his gyro and that also went in the trash. Do not waste your...

The food itself wasn’t bad, but I couldn’t fully enjoy it because the air freshener in the store was so strong that it actually made the food taste like soap. I could still taste the scent lingering in the back of my throat even after I left — definitely something they should reconsider.

It looks like a takeout-only spot since there’s no seating available. Also, I got the impression they might not cook the food on-site — there’s a tall wall blocking off the back area, which just feels a bit strange and makes you wonder what’s going on behind it.

I was planning to grab a drink too, but the refrigerator didn’t seem to be running — the drinks felt warm to the touch, so I passed.

All that said, I think a simple fix like removing or toning down the overpowering air freshener could really improve the experience. Not a terrible place, but there’s room for...

Here’s a review for your experience with MENA food:

Disappointing Experience with MENA Cuisine

We were really looking forward to trying MENA food, especially since it's so close to us, but unfortunately, the experience left us disappointed. The wait time was longer than expected, and the portions were quite small. The Lebanese-style shawarma was dry and tiny, far from what we imagined. The lamb kebab was also a letdown—it was nothing like what I expected after discussing it with a staff member to clarify how it would be served. We did get free drinks as a gesture, but it didn’t make up for the overall disappointment. We were excited about finding Mediterranean food nearby, but after this first visit, we have no desire to return—something that says a lot about...