Where to Eat the Best Armenian in Glendale (2026)

Mini Kabob sits on Vine Street in Glendale, a small kitchen with a counter and only a few tables. Diners describe it as tiny but mighty, and the evidence is in the food. The chicken thigh kabob comes as tender, juicy chunks over flavorful rice, with roasted jalapeno and tomato on the side.

Hummus, garlic sauce, and warm bread get as much mention as the meat. A diner raised on Lebanese and Syrian Armenian cooking says the kebab and mezze match what is made at home, which carries weight from a picky eater. The chicken cutlet is called moist and lean, and the owner, Armen, is described as friendly and passionate about quality.

Space is the main limit. Tables seat only a few people, and most orders appear to leave as takeout, so a busy dinner hour means a wait. Diners who plan for that tend to leave happy.

Raffi's Place stands on East Broadway in Glendale, next to the Alex Theatre, and serves Persian food, so it belongs on this list as a kebab house rather than an Armenian kitchen. Diners describe a tree-lined courtyard, a room full of conversation, and a line at busy hours that often moves faster than expected.

Meals open with hummus, mast-o-khiar, warm lavash, and garlic tourshi, and diners tuck fresh mint into the bread. The koobideh is juicy and well seasoned, with char outside and softness inside. The soltani kabob, the barg kabob, and the filet are named often, and sour cherry rice and dill and fava bean rice come alongside. Servers bring onions, horseradish, and mint first, then drinks, then the food, in a tidy order.

Busy hours bring waits, parking is described as tricky, and valet is offered at the entrance. A few visitors found some meat dry, so the koobideh is the safest order. Regulars of many years still say the food holds up.

Tava House on South Glendale Avenue draws diners for grilled meat plates and a long run of mezze. The lamb chops are called tender, juicy, and well seasoned, and the lule kabob comes in chicken and beef versions. One takeout order of lamb chops and an extra kebab fed a couple of hungry adults, which diners count as fair value for the amount of food.

Sides are a strong part of the visit. Mutabbal earned a best-ever comment from one diner, the beet salad is called refreshing, and hummus, salad, and pita come with many plates. Others praise the fresh lavash, the manti, and the khorovats, and describe a dining room that feels quiet and traditional.

Service gets repeated credit. Staff are described as warm, knowledgeable, and glad to recommend dishes, and the restaurant is called spotless. One diner sees the care of an owner-operator in the food and the welcome.

Adana on San Fernando Road is a Glendale kebab house that diners describe as unpretentious, with fast, courteous service and plates large enough for family dinners. The chicken kabob is roasted, tender, and sweet, and the combination plate comes with saffron rice and roasted tomato.

Starters are a draw. Beetroot hummus and dolma were crowd favorites for one office group, grilled eggplant with yogurt gets a recommendation, and the baked manti was said to taste like home cooking. Salads, lentil soup, stuffed cabbage, and koobideh give vegetarians and children easy choices, and the pita is called some of the best a diner had eaten.

One diner mentions a remodel that brought a modern dining room, a full bar, longer hours, and new dishes, though another diner thought the food slipped after the changes. A small parking lot sits beside the building, and the outside can look quiet, which should not put anyone off.

The name on East Broadway is also the menu's main dish. Zhengyalov hats is a flatbread filled with a dozen or so chopped herbs and greens, including spinach, beet leaves, scallions, and dill, rolled and filled by hand behind the counter.

It is cooked on a flat top, so the bread turns toasty with a chewy char while the herbs stay warm and aromatic. Diners call it filling enough to share before dinner, and healthy, earthy greens are the whole idea. Lahmajun is made to order, and a coal-cooked shawarma and a veggie wrap are also on offer.

The room is described as clean and relaxed, with decor that reminds Armenian visitors of home and teapots on display. Vegan options are common. A few visitors found the buzz larger than the flavor, so the herb flatbread itself, rather than the sandwiches, is the order to start with.

Yerord Mas began as a takeout kitchen and now runs a small dining room at the corner of Allen on San Fernando Road, with a few tables inside and a few outside. Diners say the kitchen takes the mezze most Armenians know and refines them, with California produce and influences from Syrian Armenian cooking and the mountains of Armenia.

Pita is made to order and arrives warm. The muhammara, a red pepper and walnut dip, is the kind of dish one diner would eat just for the bread, and the pistachio hummus is a repeat mention. Butter kyftah, cherry kebab, and stuffed meatballs show up in diner comments, and the basturma brisket sandwich is the item that built the reputation.

Costs run high for some visitors, with one diner weighing a sandwich price against the portion, and one diner was told takeout is not offered. Those who treat it as a date night and order several starters report some of their best food in Los Angeles.

Carousel Restaurant on North Brand Boulevard serves Lebanese and Armenian food, and diners treat it as a place for celebrations. Birthdays get a song, servers are called attentive, and the room feels jolly, with music and the smell of spices. Seating is mostly indoors with a smaller outdoor section.

The family style meal with kebab is the order regulars name, and they report leaving full. Mezze are plentiful, including hummus, muhammara, fattoush, tabbouleh, grape leaves, and cheese fatayer, and one visitor praised a server for explaining each one. The lule, filet, and chicken kebab come with rice pilaf, and hand crafted beef manti and kibbeh nayeh draw praise.

Popularity brings practical points. Busy evenings can mean a wait, reservations are mentioned, and one returning diner noticed smaller portions and higher prices after a menu change. Parking at the Galleria and walking a few minutes is the workaround diners describe.

Elena's Greek Armenian Restaurant on South Glendale Avenue serves one menu all day, mostly Mediterranean with a Greek dish or two, and a server there pointed to the dolmas and the Armenian salad as the Armenian choices. Diners describe a small, clean neighborhood restaurant that is easy to drive past.

Lentil soup is the dish named most often. Beef and chicken lula kebab, hummus, falafel, gyro, and shawarma follow, usually on plates with rice and a salad. Diners call the portions satisfying and the prices fair, and one date night dinner with baklava came in at a modest total.

Service is a steady positive, with patient servers who answer questions about traditional dishes. Some longtime customers say the restaurant changed after it was sold, so a few diners compare it with the earlier menu. Newer visitors call the food fresh and well made.

Karas on South Brand Boulevard calls itself an Armenian restaurant, but the menu also lists pizza, burgers, sandwiches, and salads. Diners like the modern, clean room, which they say feels fresh next to older Armenian restaurants, and servers help with ingredients and portion sizes.

The meat gets the strongest praise. Beef lula, shish kebab, chicken filet, and pork ribs are named, and one diner called the meat juicy and flavorful. Hummus, a cabbage salad, and a watermelon feta salad round out a table, while the Georgian kharcho soup and borsch show how far the menu reaches. Tan, a yogurt drink, and lemonade are drinks to try.

Beer and wine are served, and some evenings bring live guitar music or a DJ outside. Diners are mixed on consistency, with a few mentioning dry meat or slow service, so those who stick to the grilled meats do best.

Khinkali House is a Georgian restaurant, so the draw here is dumplings and cheese bread rather than Armenian kebab. It sits on Artsakh Avenue in Glendale, and its khinkali are folded dumplings that diners compare with soup dumplings from other cuisines.

Servers steer first timers toward meat khinkali boiled and cheese and mushroom khinkali fried, with borscht on the side. Adjarian khachapuri, lentil soup, chicken soup, salads, and grilled skewers fill out the menu, and wine and cocktails are on the list. One regular reports years of steady quality.

Seating includes a patio, and metered street parking is nearby. Service draws mixed comments, with a few visitors wishing for quicker attention, so patient groups fit best. Diners looking for Armenian cooking specifically should know the kitchen here is Georgian.