Hamlet's Kitchen

Hidden gem tucked away inside a strip mall.Had a hard time finding the place since GPS said we had arrived but we did not see the restaurant and later found out its tucked away behind the right side of the mall. Not sure if it was becuase we got there closer to closing time but there was no space to eat inside. We ordered pork ribs and combination lula kabob. FYI this place is CASH only! I heard that they make their onw charcoal there. We were in Glendale to pick up my phone from Samsung and friend of us suggested to try this spot and I am glad we did. Its a must eat spot if you are in the area. Full of flavor and surprisingly lot of food comes in your order. At first I thought it was slighly overpriced but we had leftovers afterwards.Just wish they were closer to where I am but this would be my spot to go to whenever I am near Glendale.

Nice and quick Kabob sandwich met my expectations Will try pork next time‍and will let you know!

I saw David Chang of Momofuku and the local Majordomo restaurant on Instagram, and noted his thoughts of the three best restautants in Los Angeles. The first one he mentioned was Hamlet's Kitchen, located in a culturally enriched strip mall of Armenian and Russian citizens which is a cultural expeience in itself. Located at the southeast corner of the strip mall is this very small restaurant with relatively long lines of patrons at around three o'clock. The BBQ style cooking can be observed from a small window in the kitchen and was smok'in hot on a spit over the coals. It took about 15 minutes to cook up the shish kabobs, which had a nice medium brown meat and juices flowing onto the rice and toppings, which can be used to fill a huge thin tortilla or Naan-like flour crepe to fill with the goodness. I can see why Chef Chang is charmed with the tasty and culturally enriching kitchen!

I am very impressed with the quality and the taste of the meals prepared. You can tell that they take their time. My grandmother said it was so delicious and we told the owner we would come back again.

Best Pork Sandwich in the Whole World.. I Love this Very Well kept Secret in Glendale!!!

This is chef David Chang's top three restaurants in Los Angeles he shouted out when asked about three favorite restaurants in a podcast.I woke up this morning to a text from my sister from NYC telling me about this spot. I've seen food bloggers mention this place, but it hasn't been top of mind when searching for food while in Glendale.Before venturing off to Glendale for Armenian barbecue, I Yelped "Armenian barbecue" near home in the San Fernando Valley, I came across Hovik's Deli and Market in Granada Hills to compare and compare the food and service at Hamlet's Kitchen.Hamlet's Kitchen is a bit hidden in a shopping center hidden in the back of an Armenian grocery store. It's either take out or dine in on their patio with tables spread out and no seats. There were seats stacked as if to discourage lingering too long.I approached the entrance blocked by a folding picnic table. I said hello to a man who looked like the pitmaster as he kept walking away ignoring my presence. Then a lady from the kitchen came out and made it obvious her English was very limited. I said I wanted a sandwich and she responded "chicken or beef lule?" She seemed to recommend both the same. Pork seems to be the star of the show here, but it was not offered to me. Pork was placed as the top item of the plates and sandwiches menu so I figured that this is their specialty. I asked, "do you have pork?" and she said "yes."Most people seemed to be ordering the lule kabobs when I was watching the man at the grill through the window outside.She told me to wait 15 minutes after placing my order and paying her in cash. I think the pro move is to call in your order. I watched many Armenians walk up to the makeshift ordering counter (foldable table) and quickly picked up their order.Compared to Hovik's, the service is less warm which might be typical of Armenian establishments if you're not Armenian. She probably isn't fluent enough in English to have a conversation in English about the food. Just like some authentic Chinese restaurants catering to Chinese, setting the bar low for service that Americans are accustomed to might be a good idea at this establishment. I try not to take it personal. When my food was ready, she called me over and smiled as she thanked me and handed me my order.I took my sandwich to eat at my car. The pork pieces inside the lavash were marinated and imparted a smokey flavor unlike the meat I ordered at Hovik's in the Valley. If you like the smokiness of meat on the grill reminiscent of a backyard barbecue, I would recommend Hamlet's Kitchen if you're in or passing Glendale. I wouldn't go out of my way to eat here for lule as we have some Armenian lule spots in the Valley like Hovik's or Palm Marketplace. For that smokey flavor, we have some barbecue places in the Valley, I just haven't tried the spot in North Hollywood that I've read about. I am still working way through more Armenian kabob spots as we have a large population of Armenians as well. I would definitely return next time I am Glendale to try their lule sandwich.If you're curious like me to try one of chef David Chang's favorite three restaurants, definitely try maybe the beef or chicken lule kabob or their Armenian barbecue pork or sides if you're feeling a bit more adventurous or spendy. By the time I got there, I couldn't make room to try their sides.$15 for their sandwich, $20+ for their plates -- doesn't seem that pricey compared to other establishments these days who have increased their prices due to "inflation (cost of food)." At least you aren't presented with a tablet here asking you for a tip.Bring cash and maybe tip the kitchen if you're feeling generous. I feel strange whenever a restaurant doesn't ask for a tip. I definitely had a lightness and sense of relief that both Armenian establishments I visited today didn't expect a tip for a takeout order.

Came here for lunch on a weekday. Very nice staff and plenty of outdoor seating. Generous plates and lavash sandwiches. I recommend the beef shish (cooked rare or medium rare) and the pork ribs. Don't forget to bring cash as this spot is CASH ONLY. Closest ATM is 5-10 min walk away (7-Eleven).

Overpriced. For $25, you get 2 lule skewers, rice, lavash, a cold roasted tomato and a sprinkling of sliced onion. No sides.David Chang's recommendation was a big miss.

These are my favorite kebab and grilled meats. The sides are also delicious. I go far out of my way to eat here. Very delicious food. The baby pork cartilage is my favorite. Thank you!!

Service was awful, the lady was speaking half armenian, half russian, we were thinking what to get and at that time she was yelling at us cuz she didn't wanna wait