Mediterranean Cafe

While White Elephant goes deep on Lao-Thai technique and RAKITORI blends izakaya with Korean heat, Mediterranean Cafe does the opposite of fusion—it masters the fundamentals. Chicken kabobs come off the grill with that char-crust rim that only happens when someone's been working the same flame for years, and the eggplant dip (a must-order, according to 20-year regulars) proves that Lebanese standards don't need reinvention when they're done right.

The menu sprawls across Greek, Lebanese, and Italian without apology, the kind of old-school Mediterranean catch-all that survives because locals know exactly what they're getting. Chicken and hummus plate is the anchor—generous portions, fair prices, the sort of reliable weeknight dinner that keeps University Avenue neighbors coming back when they don't want to think too hard about where to eat.

Practical realities: This is bare-bones dining, which means you're here for the food, not the décor. The older gentleman working the front counter gets mentioned in reviews for a reason—friendly, helpful, the kind of service that turns first-timers into regulars. Call ahead to confirm hours; Google isn't always current, and you don't want to drive over for Mother's Day dinner only to find the lights off.

Order the chicken kabobs (they're the signature for good reason), add the eggplant dip, and if you're taking out, double-check your fries—recent reviews suggest quality can slip on busy nights. But when it's firing right, this is the kind of neighborhood spot that earns its two-decade run on consistency alone.