August 21, 2019

Walnut Creek: Babalou's Mediterranean; restaurant review

Greater East Bay

Babalou's Mediterranean  

1645 Bonanza St., (925) 930-8000.  L-D daily; $.

exterior of Babalou's Mediterranean in Walnut Creek, California
exterior of Babalou's Mediterranean in Walnut Creek, California


Specializing in Mediterranean and Middle Eastern fare, the small Babalou's Mediterranean is bright with colorful murals.  Seating is available both inside and sidewalk side.  The well-priced menu includes excellent, crispy falafel.  They are perhaps the best I’ve ever had--and I’ve eaten a lot of them.  I am told that they use a lot of vegetables in the mix, which makes them delightfully light.  Apparently many places use more grain than vegetables.  I paired a side of the falafel (three balls) with a colorful Greek salad composed of chunky tomatoes and cucumbers plus crescents of onion, and it was just right on a hot day.  Other items that are particularly good here include dolmas, a smokey baba ganouj, lamb shawarma (a lavash-wrapped sandwich--ask for spicy), and generally delicious salads.  Instead of the more common baklava, we chose an exotic Burma for dessert.  A Burma is like a bakalava, but stuffed inside a nest-like wrap with whole pistachios.  A combo plate is a good choice if you’d like to try a mix of items.  Everything is made fresh in house--they don’t even have a freezer--and there are many vegan options.  I can’t wait to return!

menu at Babalou's Mediterranean in Walnut Creek, California
menu at Babalou's Mediterranean in Walnut Creek, California


salad case at Babalou's Mediterranean in Walnut Creek, California
salad case at Babalou's Mediterranean in Walnut Creek, California


dessert case and counter at Babalou's Mediterranean in Walnut Creek, California
dessert case and counter at Babalou's Mediterranean in Walnut Creek, California


interior seating at Babalou's Mediterranean in Walnut Creek, California
interior seating at Babalou's Mediterranean in Walnut Creek, California


lunch tray at Babalou's Mediterranean in Walnut Creek, California
lunch tray at Babalou's Mediterranean in Walnut Creek, California




More things to do in Walnut Creek.

More ideas for exploring Northern California.

images ©2019 Carole Terwilliger Meyers

No comments:

Post a Comment

Popular Posts

followers