Mazra

Cuisine	Mediterranean
Price	$$ (16-30)
Rating	8/10
Last Visit	May 25, 2024
Location	SFBA: Peninsula

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General Notes

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Mazra serves some of the best Mediterranean food I've had, period, which is so incredible considering the very reasonable price point. Everyone that I've met who has been here raves about the food here. The menu will look familiar, featuring a lot of Mediterranean classics, but each dish is executed so well. The crispy cauliflower is a must try, but otherwise you can't really go wrong with anything here. I really have to hold myself back from ordering everything here; it's so tempting. I will definitely continue to return and try their offerings.

Note: as of May 2024, the San Bruno location is closed for renovation until the end of the year. The Redwood City location recently opened though!

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Positives

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> The interior decor is lovely! The place is marketed similar to "fast casual", but it looks really polished inside.

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Negatives

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> The one thing I would have done differently: bring a jacket and wear long pants. The restaurant is relatively open-air and it can get pretty breezy / chilly in the evening.
> The restaurant does get pretty busy during peak hours, so you might expect a significant wait to get your food.
> I wish they'd heat up their pitas, I find it so much more comforting to enjoy warm, fluffy pitas. That being said, their pita is still really good.

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Dishes Tasted

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• ★★★☆ Baba Ganoush -- The charred flavor is pretty strong on this, I love it!
• ★★★☆ Hummus
• ★★★★ Oyster Mushroom Kebab -- This was a sleeper hit -- I didn't expect too much out of it but it was INCREDIBLE. The char went beautifully with the oyster mushrooms.
• ★★★★ Lamb Shank -- Fork tender, and the flavor of it all is incredible. If you order it a-la-carte, I think you get some extra sauce with it as well.
• ★★☆☆ Roasted Vegetables -- Honestly a little bit too heavy on the garlic, but overall roasted well and flavorful.
• ★★★★ Dolma -- I find most dolma to be a bit overpoweringly sour, but this flavor was really well balanced. I also appreciated the slightly sticky consistency of the rice inside.
• ★★★☆ Lamb + Octopus Kebab -- The octopus is not quite as tender as some other octopus I've had in the past, but it has a lovely char and crisp exterior. The lamb is tender and well-cooked. Overall, the flavors are pretty on point; the chili sauce, butter, and lemon work wonders with everything.
• ★★★★ Crispy Cauliflower -- heirloom cauliflower tossed in tahini sauce. This dish is SO GOOD, absolutely give it a try. I was surprised at first to see a whole fried cauliflower, but it makes so much sense in retrospect. The irregular texture of the florets provide so much surface area for the oil to do its magic and the crispy texture and intense savoriness is incredible. Perfectly cooked too, the tahini and lemon really balances everything perfectly. A must try
• ★★★☆ Street Wrap + Lamb Kebab -- pita bread, tzatziki, tomato, pickles, fries, onion, lamb kebab. Lamb was tender and cooked well; well-balanced with the acidic components. I was skeptical about fries at first, but they were the perfect level of crispy, so it lended an excellent textural contrast without being too heavy. It's a bit unwieldy to eat but overall a great dish.
• ★★★☆ Halloumi Cheese Rolls -- 3 fillo wrapped & local spiced honey. Crispy on the outside, halloumi on the inside, excellent quality honey on the side. An excellent dish (dessert?)