Restaurant Review: Shish Kabob

Location: 31st and Garnet, Tulsa, OK, in the shopping center with Harps.

Ever since I came back to Tulsa, I've known this little restaurant was there; tucked away in its little corner beside the Subway.  Every so often, I would catch the scent of good Mediterranean food.  But, it took until Adam's last day with us before we decided to go there and give the food a try.  Well, that five year wait was well worth it.

Ever since I moved out of Oklahoma to suffer in AR for a while, I've missed having good, authentic Greek food.  Not just Greek food, but Mediterranean food with its bold flavors and succulent cooked meats.  What In honestly missed was having someplace to go when I wanted an awesome gyro.

When I lived in North Carolina, we had such a place.  It was a small hole in the wall that served recipes that were passed down for generations.  You could taste it in the food and feel it in the cozy atmosphere.

When I came back, there really wasn't a place that served authentic Greek or Mediterranean food.  People knew what it was but fell short.  One place, the food was dead on, but not very good on the pocket. (I'll save them for another review post)

found at twopeasandtheirpod.com

Well, a couple of Friday's ago, we took Adam to Shish Kabob.  He wanted Greek, and that was the one place we hadn't tried.

Between mom and my sister, who joined us for dinner, we tried both of their appetizer samplers.  We were not disappointed in the least.  Soft, warm pita bread was served with fresh made hummus, a chutney that a nice kick to it, cabbage roll, stuffed grape leaves and the absolute best tabouli ever made.  Those alone would have filled us and still be worth every penny.

Adam and I tried the gyro and were not let down.  Those had a very savory lamb with tzatziki sauce and fresh vegetables.  Wisely, I had a salad while my son had fries.  My sister tried their vegetable falafel and they were divine.  I forget what everyone else had, but needless to say, it was good.

We all left there stuffed to the gills.  But, Dave and I just had to give their baklava a try.  When our server said it was a small piece, they weren't kidding.  But, for us, that was just right.  It was sweet enough to make your sweet tooth happy for a month and I only had half of it.  My curiosity of what baklava tasted like being satisfied in the best of ways.

While the Gyro Palace just down the street off Sheridan was good, Shish Kabob put them to shame in quality, flavor, and presentation.

found at clipartblog.com

The staff there were very open and friendly.  Each were more than happy to explain what each dish was, what came with them, and even did their best to help save a few cents where they could.  Even though we arrived just before close (something which would have irked me) they never made us feel rushed or unwanted like some places do.  We didn't realize how late it was until we glanced at the door to see the hours.  We found on our way out that they took over the establishment just a few months before and kept the recipes the same.  They only added a little more pop and love which shows.

All this leads me to believe that the best Greek food will be found in the small, hole-in-the-wall, places where you are either led by your nose or from word of mouth.

Overall, I give Shish Kabob five stars.  They have the comfortable, cozy, atmosphere, authentic food, patience, knowledge of the cuisine, and a warm and welcoming attitude.  You have to give them a try.  I'm sure you'll love their food as much as I do.

You can find them on Facebook and at their own web site at http://www.shish-kabobs.com.