Every time I mention to someone that a new restaurant has opened in the old Elmwood Soda Bar location they inevitably say something along the lines of, "That place is jinxed." My answer to the statement is always, "The place isn't jinxed - the problem is the past concepts have never hit the mark." It really is true. I can't remember ever immediately wanting to go back for a second meal after eating at any of the past restaurants that set up shop there. With Mezza it's different.
First of all, I think that Mezza is going to appeal to the people who liked Sahara Grill... or who wanted to like it - there's even a hubbly bubbly counter lined with hookahs. Then there are the people who miss having the Falafel Bar on Elmwood - Mezza offers similar styles of food and fills the falafel void on the street. Mezza also offers a ton of food options to choose from - options that might sound like the same ol' same ol', but they're not. Take my wrap filled with hummus and tabouleh for example (see photo). It was unlike anything that I expected. The lemon dressing and olive oil were plentiful, yet the wrap never got soggy. It was loaded with parsley, though somehow it didn't overwhelm the rest of the flavors. The ingredients were super fresh, very tasty and filling enough that I was 100% satisfied after lunch. Our waitress was friendly and attentive and helped us to pick our dishes. She also returned tableside a number of times for water refills and to check on us. When we narrowed down our lunch selections and asked her to decide for us, she didn't hesitate one second before telling us her favorite of the two that we were considering. That, to me, is what a good waitress should do instead of hemming hawing about how all the meals are equally enjoyable.
It's good to see the patio consistently filled with patrons. From what I understand, dinnertime has been busier than lunch, though the lunch crowd has been consistent. Unfortunately it rained during our excursion so we sat inside, which was clean, bright and open. If I could have suggested anything to make the lunch better, I would have wanted to hear some soft traditional Lebanese music playing in the background. Sometimes that can warm a place up just a bit. A few overgrown plants wouldn't hurt either. Oh, and scrap the enviro-unfriendly Styrofoam take-home containers. What was warming was the total amount of the bill. For two wraps and an iced tea (with a refill) the lunch came to $15. That's not bad considering the food, the service and the atmosphere. When it comes to food, these guys don't 'mezza round'.
Mezza
929 Elmwood Avenue
Buffalo NY
716-885-4400
View image
First of all, I think that Mezza is going to appeal to the people who liked Sahara Grill... or who wanted to like it - there's even a hubbly bubbly counter lined with hookahs. Then there are the people who miss having the Falafel Bar on Elmwood - Mezza offers similar styles of food and fills the falafel void on the street. Mezza also offers a ton of food options to choose from - options that might sound like the same ol' same ol', but they're not. Take my wrap filled with hummus and tabouleh for example (see photo). It was unlike anything that I expected. The lemon dressing and olive oil were plentiful, yet the wrap never got soggy. It was loaded with parsley, though somehow it didn't overwhelm the rest of the flavors. The ingredients were super fresh, very tasty and filling enough that I was 100% satisfied after lunch. Our waitress was friendly and attentive and helped us to pick our dishes. She also returned tableside a number of times for water refills and to check on us. When we narrowed down our lunch selections and asked her to decide for us, she didn't hesitate one second before telling us her favorite of the two that we were considering. That, to me, is what a good waitress should do instead of hemming hawing about how all the meals are equally enjoyable.
It's good to see the patio consistently filled with patrons. From what I understand, dinnertime has been busier than lunch, though the lunch crowd has been consistent. Unfortunately it rained during our excursion so we sat inside, which was clean, bright and open. If I could have suggested anything to make the lunch better, I would have wanted to hear some soft traditional Lebanese music playing in the background. Sometimes that can warm a place up just a bit. A few overgrown plants wouldn't hurt either. Oh, and scrap the enviro-unfriendly Styrofoam take-home containers. What was warming was the total amount of the bill. For two wraps and an iced tea (with a refill) the lunch came to $15. That's not bad considering the food, the service and the atmosphere. When it comes to food, these guys don't 'mezza round'.
Mezza
929 Elmwood Avenue
Buffalo NY
716-885-4400
I'd like to echo most sentiments, beside the terrible pun.
After hearing about the place on BRO, and seeing it open, my girlfriend and I checked it out a couple weeks ago, just days after opening. Though there were a couple "just opened" mistakes, the food was delicious and we both also wanted to immediately return. For some reason, we just felt a warmth from the people there and discussed how we hoped that they are successful, because they deserve to be.
Truly a great addition that I know I'll be at again this summer.