Located just 5 minutes south of Mounds View High School, the Original Mediterranean Grill flaunts a homey and welcoming interior. Walking into the restaurant, customers are greeted by large menus mounted on the walls. Friendly servers were quick to attend my arrival and waited patiently for me to place my order. The Original Mediterranean Grill has both traditional Mediterranean cuisine like falafel and gyros along with a few western dishes such as hamburgers. They also offer a handful of various desserts such as baklava, halwa and gulab jamun.

The Gyro Sandwich was very filling and consisted of fluffy pita topped with beef and lamb gyro, tomatoes, onions, cucumber sauce and lettuce. The tang of the cucumber sauce paired perfectly with the soft meat and pita bread. The lettuce and onions added a nice crunch to each bite. For $9, the Gyro Sandwich is a very filling meal by itself.

Unlike the Gyro Sandwich that was already constructed for consumption, the Shawarma Plate and Veggies Plate came with pita bread, hummus and chopped vegetables with cucumber sauce. Each plate then came with their respective Shawarma and Veggies. The Shawarma Plate, $16, displayed gyro meat and chicken shawarma, while the Veggie Lover’s Plate, $13, came with chopped eggplants, potatoes, green peppers, onions and tomatoes laid over a bed of Basmati rice. Three crispy falafel adorned the top. The plates were slightly larger than the sandwiches, and although both the Shawarma and Veggie Lover’s plates were good, the Shawarma plate was exceptionally delicious. Out of all the parts of the Veggie Plate, my favorite parts were the falafel and eggplant. I was not a huge fan of the other vegetables, but I was very willing to finish my portion.

Due to how close it is to Mounds View and the quality of food and service, it is a great restaurant to visit for lunch on the weekend with your friends. With dishes on the cheaper side, you will definitely get your money’s worth of food. The mouthwatering sandwiches and plates make every last bite count. Although I only bought from their savory menu, on my next trip I will be sure to try their desserts.

Rating: 4.5/5