LAReview
Included In
Even if you just moved to LA, you’re probably aware of the sheer quantity of “Mediterranean-leaning” restaurants in this city—Levantine, Provençal, the ever-generic “coastal,” etc. The popularity makes sense; Mediterranean cuisine is centered around "locally sourced" ingredients and is broadly considered “light”— catchphrases that make Angelenos rest easy in bed at night. But now that edamame hummus has suddenly become a menu mainstay, we’ve reached the oversaturation point.
Which is why a meal at Marouch is more rewarding than ever. The classic Lebanese-Armenian restaurant in East Hollywood has long been one of LA’s essential dining experiences, and even after all these years, their incredible, meze-filled menu still sets the bar for every new Mediterranean restaurant in town.
photo credit: Krystal Thompson
The first thing you’ll notice when walking into Marouch’s strip mall space is its grandiosity. The gigantic dining room with a wrap-around bar is filled with dramatic murals meant to evoke a summertime al fresco dinner on the Lebanese coast. Sure, it’s a little cheesy, but that’s part of the fun, which means Marouch is ideal for one thing—big-group dining. Now, you can certainly come here, split a few a la carte meze with yourself or a friend and have a great meal, but you’d also be limiting yourself. The best meals at Marouch are the ones where every inch of the table is covered in different small plates. If that means rounding up second-tier friends and second cousins to make it happen, then so be it. Because once the incredible food starts hitting the table, no one’s going to be complaining.
photo credit: Krystal Thompson
Marouch’s menu is fairly lengthy, but can easily be split into two simple sections —the meze and the entrees. While you should absolutely take advantage of both during your meal, the meze section deserves most of your attention. With almost 25 different dishes, ordering can be a little overwhelming, so just do what we do, and stick to the combination platters. Broken into three different sizes (for two, four, or six people), they’re a highlight tour of the best meze on the menu. You’ll get creamy hummus, tangy tabbouleh, flaky cheese fatayer that people will fight over, spicy sugok, and labneh and olive oil. In other words, there’s no shortage of flavor profiles on the table.
From there, throw in a few more a la carte meze, like a slightly sweet muhammara that’s probably our favorite thing on the whole menu, and the hummus with tahini and ful. Or, just head over to the entree section. Here is where you’ll find all the shawarma and kebabs you could want, but we prefer the lamb chops and quail. The lamb itself falls right off the bone and the marinated quail is perfectly barbecued, bringing smoke and char to an already flavor-packed meal.
Just note, if you're looking for edamame hummus, you’ll have to look elsewhere.
Food Rundown
photo credit: Krystal Thompson
Muhammara
photo credit: Krystal Thompson
Hummus B-Tahini And Ful Mudammas
photo credit: Krystal Thompson
Cheese Fatayer
photo credit: Krystal Thompson
Sugok
photo credit: Krystal Thompson
Ferry
photo credit: Krystal Thompson