EFES Mediterranean Grill Princeton Reviews Summary

Food Quality

Pros:

• "The food was excellently prepared, with spices thoughtfully added."
• "Chicken Adana Kebab - (5/5)."
• "For someone from the middle east who knows the variety of this cuisine and has tried it at its birthplace, this tiny place serves amazing food."
• "Exceptionally delicious food and very fresh."
• "The absolute best gyro in the area. So delicious and fresh."
• "The chicken kabob is fantastic, juicy, just the right spice mixture."
• "The chicken meat is so tender and that spiciness is amazing."

Cons:

• "Meat was cooked just right but weak in flavor, and portion was quite small compared to price."
• "Grilled beef chunks were hard and very chewy."
• "Baklava is so soggy and the top layers that have some crunch are damp and losing their crunchiness."
• "The worst part, by far was the spinach manti."
• "Food is very oily, no taste and unhealthy."
• "The falafel we ordered was raw."
• "The food was horrific. The falafel plate was inedible."

Service

Pros:

• "But the ambience, the service, people, food all very good."
• "Turkish bread complementary, sour cherry nectar, restaurant ambiance, and cordial service are always appreciated."
• "Our server, Bilal, was very attentive and kind to us."
• "Food was actually pretty good and so was the service."
• "Service was fast, polite and excellent."
• "The staff is always very friendly and the best!"
• "Our food was served fast, the service was great."

Cons:

• "The delivery service is appalling."
• "Every time we had a question they were ready to give a negative answer."
• "Expensive food, small dishes, crowded tables and impolite staff."
• "Absolutely Pathetic service. It took us a long time to order and even longer to get the food even when there was only one couple besides us."
• "We waited over 20 mins to be seated, and then finally we bring up our concerns with the staff and the manager lets us know they assumed we were waiting for a take out order."
• "The waitress was not friendly and she didn’t come back and check on us."
• "Extremely rude, disrespectful, and aggressive staff, especially the manager."

Atmosphere

Pros:

• "Small restaurant, but big on flavor."
• "The restaurant is located on what seems to be like in a small suburban neighborhood pretty peaceful and quiet."
• "Walkable location in Princeton downtown area."
• "Outdoor presentation was great and the atmosphere was lovely!"
• "The atmosphere is simple, clean, warm, and lively with happy diners chatting away."
• "Cosy, traditional."
• "The place was small, well decorated, and homey."

Cons:

• "Every time I sit on a table, the table’s leg turns out shorter so it moves for the whole night."
• "You can dine in only if one table in the corner is empty, and they don't seem to take reservations of people stopping by unless there are many of them."
• "The place is rather small, and because it is popular, they really cram you in to the point you feel like you're sharing a table."
• "The place is very small and noisy and tables are extremely close to each other."
• "Sometimes it feels cramped."
• "The in house dining experience is stark. It's in disarray and it is cramped in the COVID times."
• "We felt rushed even though half the tables were empty."

Value

Pros:

• "Portions were quite large and inexpensive."
• "Good food and they are open late. Authentic Turkish food with a decent amount items on their menu."
• "Portions are good and prices are reasonable."
• "The food was excellent and reasonably priced."
• "Food is reasonably priced. (Inexpensive for Princeton) Quality is excellent."
• "Reasonably priced, especially considering its in the heart of Princeton."
• "We love their 'cacik' and lentil soup, however, their whole menu is great for the price you're paying."

Cons:

• "Good Food .. Outrageous Gratuity Policy!"
• "Kunefe is expensive but fresh baked and hot."
• "Expensive food, small dishes, crowded tables and impolite staff."
• "So a little expensive esp. tips."
• "For the party of two, the gratuity was included on the receipt at 18% and the credit card receipt that we fill out also had an empty space for (additional?) tip."
• "The Combo Platter for $18 had at most only 1/4 cup each of hummus, tabuli, eggplant salad, cacik, and ezme."
• "Too pricey for the taste of food and quantity."