Zena's Lebanese Cuisine

Lebanon was at one time known as a nation that rose above sectarian hatred; Beirut was known as the Paris of the Middle East. All of that was blown apart by senseless religious wars, financed and exploited in part by those who sought power and wealth. If women had been in charge, would they have been more sensible? It's a theory -- Roger EbertMaybe the world would be better if women were in charge. Maybe the madness in the Middle East would be handled without the madness. Without the greed, racism, lust for power and religious dogma that is destroying the birthplace of so much wonderful cuisine. Stopped here in Zena's on a slow Saturday night during my birthday week to meet Dan H. We brought lovely wines to go with the soulful cuisine. Service was leisurely and not rushed. We stayed past closing. The ambiance is hole in the wall but the kebabs were very good. Zena's has been around forever, I first came here maybe 15 or so years ago, in safe secure Orange County. If only the rest of the world could live in such a peaceful bubble. Highly recommended

After having some subpar Mediterranean food recently, I had to visit my favorite Mediterranean restaurant Zena's. Their taboulli is by far the best I have ever had. It is so fresh and moist with a lot of lemon juice and is served with romaine lettuce leaves. I always order the large size so I have some extra to take home. Whenever I go to another restaurant that has taboulli I'm always curious to try it and see if it is even close to Zena's but it never is. The cauliflower is fried perfectly and the side sauce is delicious. The hummus is nice and creamy and topped with a little olive oil, parsley, and paprika and comes with pita bread. The lentil soup is also very good. I always get a two skewer plate for my main entrée and this time it was filet mignon and chicken but I often get the lamb also. I think they put a new seasoning on the chicken this time which had a nice flavor and the chicken was moist as usual. The filet was tender and cooked perfectly medium rare. Their basmati rice is also my favorite of any restaurant, so light and fluffy. Don't forget to ask for a side of garlic sauce. Their iced tea is also very good. One of the family members once told me they add lemongrass to it.This is a small family owned and operated restaurant. Everything is made to order and sometimes they may be a little short on staff. We went on a Saturday night and there was only one server. This is not a complaint at all, I'm just setting expectations. The food is definitely worth the wait.

Food was authentic, fresh and tasty! I uses Yelp to find a fresh salad in the neighborhood and once again, Yelp doesn't disappoint! I had ..Garlic sauce (dip) 10/10Spicy potato's 10/10Fettoush Salad 10/10 The restaurant was quiet and decorated in traditional Lebanese decor. The service was kind. Food is prepared to order so please come with time to relax and enjoy, not being pushy or rude to the staff who is working hard to show you love through the food. I'll be back!

Still the best food !!!! The family/Staff are excellent! They make you feel like family! Thank you Lumi and Magic for making our time with you so special. We highly recommend Zena's.

The food is spectacular! Everything I've tried is very tasty and I crave often ! If I could eat here 3x a week I would be so happy. I usually order take out. I want to first say I appreciate everyone that works there and puts this amazing food together. ! I would love to tip but the customer service is not always friendly. I've had some very good experiences! And some so so. I've read the reviews about the bad service and I promise the food is worth it !!! The quality of the food is consistent and always on point.

Decided to try this place after searching the area for mediterranean food and it's rating.Clean, simple interior. One server for the entire restaraunt but she covered the tables well. Food here is authentic and really good. Hummus and Baba Ganoush were excellent and big portions. Pita bread is nothing special. The skewers were also good but the filet mignon plate was over cooked and dried out.This french fry guy was pleasantry surprised by their fries. Fresh, hand cut and delish!!!Would give them 4.5 stars if possible.

So good, fresh ingredients and seemed to be small family owned. The kafta and tabouleh were so delicious! Wait was a little bit because there was only one server for all the tables. Prices were a bit steep for the portion size.

Unfortunately, I do not recommend visiting this restaurant because I didn't receive any welcome or attention. My personal experience last week was disappointing. I was returning from Los Angeles, feeling hungry, so I decided to search on Google for nearby Lebanese restaurants. This restaurant came up, and I thought it would be good to try. However, as soon as I opened the door, I was met by an older woman who started staring at me with disgust, anger, and irritation. She didn't speak to me or even greet me. It felt like I had walked into someone's house without permission rather than a restaurant open to the public. When I asked her if this was a restaurant, she said yes but continued to glare at me as if she didn't want any customers.I asked her if she was okay because, as a restaurant employee, she should be welcoming to customers. I then asked for the menu, but she threw it at me with extreme rudeness and disrespect, showing no courtesy or professionalism. Her behavior was very inappropriate, rude, and filled with prejudice and hostility. I don't understand why she behaved with such arrogance and disregard for customers. She is a very unpleasant person, and I do not recommend anyone to visit this place.Restaurants thrive on reputation, good reception, and hospitality, but this place is gloomy with that woman who has a terrible attitude and bad manners.

It is authentic Lebanese style best Mediterranean food on the planet. Spices were spot with generous tahini in hummus and for the falafel.

Chicken was moist. I had low expectations but was delighted of how everything tasted. Man that garlic sauce is addicting. Will be back.