Mezeh — Restaurant in Virginia Beach

My new #1 spot in Virginia Beach for shawarma!! I love shawarma but typically I drive to Norfolk for it, so needless to say when I saw this place yesterday I had to try it!!

The store itself I love because of its simplicity. Very European in it's design. I like the open concept ceiling and I especially love the outdoor seating. The store is very clean and well lit and the choice of decor is perfect. The store was insanely busy as it was opening day and they were giving away free bowls with every drink purchase. Even though they were super busy, the store was incredibly clean.

I got the chicken shawarma bowl and my husband got the steak shawarma bowl. The chicken is seasoned beautifully. It does have some spice to it. I can't really do spicy but I could eat this and I would order this again. Typically I put a white garlic sauce on my shawarma. They have one that's a lemon garlic that is delicious! The Turkish salad that I put on my shawarma was delicious as well! I did try the steak shawarma it was cooked well nice and tender and the seasoning was on point! The only thing I can't give a raving review about that I tried was the pita. The pita I received was flat and cold. The extra one I ordered was warm but still pretty flat. It would like it if it was a little poofier so that way you could stuff it easier with the shawarma rice and all the fillings. One other thing I would like to note to anyone that has never had their juices before. There will be little black seeds in the bottom of your cup. That is okay. It is just because they're using real fruit!!

The staff is super friendly and ready to help and answer any questions!! I will absolutely return to this place to try out a few more things on the menu!! This is my new go to one. I'm craving all things falafel...

As a global traveler, and someone who has lived in an area of Africa where a great deal of Lebanese food is served, I simply cannot endorse Mezeh as an authentic Lebanese brand. In Lebanon, Senegal and other Middle Eastern and African cultures, food is KING! In such places, the Lebanese take great pride in their food, the taste, the preaentation and a friendly atmosphere. Dishes are always fresh and served with perfection. The food is always presented at the table, and never in the style of a buffet, where the hummus and baba ganoush are constantly being exposed to the air and other elements that threatens the quality and freshness, as such dishes are generally served cold and fresh after being made. The food at Meza severely lacked a lively complexion, and unlike my experiences with authentic Lebanese restaurants while traveling abroad, and even while dining in Detroit, where there are many wonderful Lebanese restaurants to be found, the hummus and baba ganoush are NEVER brownish in color, or hard, as it was when I was served at Mezeh. While I do not enjoy providing a poor review for any establishment, I wouldn't recommend Mezeh for a real Lebanese cuisine experience. As to not be rude while there, I only dined on the rice, and discarded everything else, as I was afraid to chance the possible unpleasant encounter of experiencing food poisoning. In closing, I would like to state that if a restaurant owner wishes to share their culture with Americans, it should be done so with the same level of care as one would in their own country. The U.S., and especially those residing in the Hampton Roads area, are open to new experiences, and are worthy of a positive and truly authentic cultural experience. To the owners of Mezeh, please consider...

I want to start off by saying I could eat here every day for the rest of my life and never get sick of it.

However the website can be unreliable. Pick up orders through the website usually aren't an issue, though it won't let you check out if you add a tip to the order for some reason. I just tried delivery through the website for the first time (usually I use Uber eats with no issue) and my order was never delivered. I think theyre partnered through doordash, which I don't have personally.

Tried called the restaurant and could only interact with an AI bot. It literally would not connect me to a real person so I could cancel my order. The AI interface was also extremely unhelpful and wouldn't cancel my order either. Pretty big bummer when I was starving for over an hour.

Also one of the items was substituted in the order (chocolate chip cookie replaced by baklava), which is fine, but they never contacted or notified me about it, which could be an issue for anyone with allergies.

All that said, I just took the loss of 20-something dollars and ordered through Uber eats and got my order within 15 minutes. It was delicious.

Im not sure what the issue was, if it was the restaurant or the doordash delivery, but Ill be sticking to pick ups and Uber eats...