Mediterranea
“Finding a parking spot sucks but that's typical of any downtown..”
“They have a back patio area that is open where you can smoke hookahs AND it is BYOB.”
“The mariscada, shrimp Tripoli, shrimp tartous and kebabs are all reasonably priced, very good, large portions.”
Mediterranea
Takes Reservations: Yes
Take-out: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Bike Parking: Yes
Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Outdoor Seating: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
Caters: Yes
Price range.
$$ Price range $11-30
8 reviews
Rate and write a review Cancel reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Service was super slow. Came here for a work dinner after a team building exercise. The restaurant is decorated much like other Arabic restaurants I've been to. The hookah section is separate from where we sat so I did not get to smoke any hookah.
We ordered a number of appetizers, including hummus, kibbeh, sujuk, and falafel. All were pretty good. For my entree, I got the half chicken with rice. Thankfully, it wasn't overcooked. But it did take a very long time between appetizers and our entrees. Our conversation eventually just turned to how hungry we were and how long our food was taking.
We stopped by here for lunch, and were kind of surprised that they didn't have a lunch menu, but rather, served the same (somewhat pricey) menu all day. The cheapest entrée was $14.95, and the more expensive dishes climbed up to late-20s. After we placed our order, our waitress, who was very friendly and accommodating, gave us a small plate of pickled carrots and olives and some pita bread.
Our chicken shawarma platter was delicious, and larger than we expected. It came with a cooked, vinegary onion and pepper salad, Basmati rice, and a heaping pile of chopped chicken, all on top of a large, flat Matzo-like bread. Kind of like a bready saltine cracker, I recommend using it to make mini sandwiches with the meat and veggies. The meat could have used a bit more salt to bring out the flavor, but the rest of the spices were well-balanced, like the nutmeg.
Treading the line between casual and fine dining, the ambiance and décor is lovely. Combined with the music, you really get in the mood to eat some Mediterranean food just by sitting at your table. I really urge Mediterranea to set up a lunch menu. I'd happily settle for the current price-to-quality ratio for dinner, but was a little disappointed for lunch.
Went here for a friend's birthday celebration last night and "meh" sums it up pretty well. 11 of us commandeered two tables and two of the ripped and battered sofas in the hookah tent (?) section of the restaurant. Seating was clearly an issue here and the room was either freezing or sweltered, as the only heating came from a massive propane heat lamp that took up much of the center of the room. Service was slow, the servers clueless (if your entrees come with a side of basmati rice and you can't explain what basmati is without asking a hostess…), and the portions waaaay too small to justify the inflated prices. A 1/2 order of lamb kabob sounded pretty good. Marinated lamb, basmati rice, and an onion-and-parsley salad. Given that price, I figured it would still be a pretty decent sized plate. When it arrived, it was a lukewarm plate of 4 bite-sized chunks of lamb (which were actually quite good and well-seasoned), a small pile of basmati, about a tablespoon of parsley salad, and none of the promised yogurt sauce.
My friend got a hookah after the food and, from the smell of it anyway, it must've been a pretty good smoke. But hookah alone can't carry a restaurant on this stretch of Bloomfield Ave.
Decent food, good hookah, fun outdoor atmosphere. The way the outside is set up reminded me of little cafes in Europe, with a courtyard and gate that overlooked the street. Service was very attentive.
I was modeling for a photoshoot, which involved long takes and driving around all of New York and New Jersey, and this is a local restaurant that my photographer's friend likes. I had never been to this part of town, and I love Mediterranean food so I was eager to try it out. I always have a dilemma at Mediterranean/ middle eastern places; falafel or no falafel. I am a falafel feen and love to try falafel anywhere I go. This time, I asked one of the servers which was better; the falafel or the mutabal appetizer. Mutabal is basically an eggplant purée. The server had no idea which one was better, so I took a risk and ordered the Mutabal. The BYOB concept was pretty cool, so we got some wine from a nearby store. Everyone else ordered lamb kebabs, chicken and rice, and penne ala vodka. We were given some light appetizer dishes; some olives, pickled veggies, and pita bread, which was pretty good. When the food arrived, I was surprised at how small the appetizer portion was. I was a little disappointed I didn't order the falafel, but I wasn't super hungry so I was ok. I tried some of everyone else's food, and it was kind of mediocre. In a small town, it's a frequented place because it's open the latest. Not bad considering that, but I think this was a one time spot.
The low ratings appear to be more about the hookahs than the food. The mariscada, shrimp Tripoli, shrimp tartous and kebabs are all reasonably priced, very good, large portions. The chopped Mediterranean salad is very good. Lots of good good spices, cilantro and lemon are used here.
The patio is very peaceful and comfortable. Service is very eager to please.
BYO is a nice bonus.
Mediterranea is GOD AWFUL!!! I have never had an experience like this….not even in a third world country.
Food: The food was tasteless, overcooked and inedible. Overall Disgusting.
Hookah: Now, people maybe pysched over the decor because it has a mediterranea feel, however the upholstery is absolutely filthy. The filtration system is very poor because it reeks. Also, they use space heaters in the winter. Now the Hookah. We choked immediately. Any Hookah smoker knows that this is unacceptable. We complained immediately. They refused to refund us, nor did they even apologize.
Overall Mediterranea is a disgrace to middle eastern food, hookah and the township of Montclair!! Shame on you!!
It is sooo hard to review Mediterranea, because it was truly a 3.5 star, right on the (half) dot.
We had a Groupon, but absent-mindedly let it expire. So we had it for the value we paid, like a gift certificate.
We started with the Musakaah, which I had never had before. It was pretty good, could have used some more seasoning. They served pickled veggies, including spectacular pickled beets, and gave us a second portion when we polished the first off.
My husband had the chicken shawarma platter, which was a very generous portion. It was not the best I have tried of that dish, however, a bit on the bland side, and it just felt uninspired. The shawarma was served on a giant flatbread which covered the plate. This presentation, while attractive, made it impossible to eat the flatbread with the meat, at least unless you wanted to dismantle the whole thing first. There was also a small chicken bone in the dish, and that was the main reason I decided to go with only 3 stars.
I had the shrimp tripoli, and it was outstanding. Another large portion, and the shrimp were large, very fresh, succulent; their natural sweetness balanced well with the spiciness of the sauce. Everything was cooked to perfection, and the seasoned basmati was a great compliment, very flavorful.
We didn't have any of the problems with service that others experienced. Our server was great, and our food came out in good time, despite the lateness of the hour. The ambiance is nice, though the tables are a little tight together.
BYOB