Garbanzo Mediterranean Grill

This establishment his no longer here. I came to get a meal and the building is vacant.

I liked this place, however, I found it irritating when they said they didn’t have this and that on hand (too lazy to prepare a shish kebab, maybe?
Also they had goofy managers and some of the staff seemed spaced out on something.
It’s a shame because they were not run-​of-​the mill fast food and what they had was generally tasty.
So long Garbanzo!

We went by for lunch here last weekend and they were gone. I think this place is closed.

This restaurant was fantastic but don’t waste your time going there because it is closed for good.
Source: I worked there and am now out of a job.
R.I.P. Garbanzo

I ordered the Greek Salad with Chicken, and asked for tzatziki sauce on the side. It came with a choice of white or wheat pita. The salad was huge! So filling and tasted great. My only complaint? I wish there was more chicken. They also have diet Sobe in their fountain drink station. The service was great… the guys are pretty funny!
We came on a Friday evening right after work. It was odd that it was pretty empty for that time of day, though.

This place is good but nothing spectacular. I enjoyed the food and the service, but they move you through the line extremely fast and you don’t have a lot of time to think about your order. Although they did offer me a free falafel while I appreciated. The chicken plate with hummus, rice, tabouli and pita bread was solid. Again, it was good but I’m not running back.

After reading the positive reviews i decided to try them. I am a greek and mediterranean food lover. This was the worst gyro ever. The gyro meat was just a pre-​made frozen product. And the chicken schwarma tasted like jerk chicken.
Trust me i will never visit that place again. :-)

This is my new go-​to spot for lunch when I’m at my office. The food is fresh and really tasty. Plus their «plate» is an awesome deal and a ton of food for less than $ 8. You get a little bit of everything. Baba ghanoush, hummus, steak/​chicken/​gyro, rice, a pita, pickles, feta, olives, cucumber salad… Mmmmmm.

Everything is so good & fresh!!! I will definitely be back. My new salad spot!!! Also the price is so right

I am so glad this place is here. Columbia needs this.
They always offer a complimentary falafel sample in line.
Prices are reasonable and the food is delicious and refreshing. I used their LevelUp smartphone app and got a credit for $ 5 towards my first purchase. Now I build my reward points.
I usually get the falafel plate with baba ghanoush, hummus, tabbouleh, whole wheat pita, tahini, veggies, and tzaziki.
Falafel is very good. I feel like they are overcooked most of the time, but still good.
Whenever I eat there, I never see large crowds so I worry about this place. I really like it and don’t want to see it go.
So make sure you go out and support Garbanzo!

How have I not heard of this place before? Food was fresh and delicious, service was great and prices were reasonable.
Falafel was so yummy! My favorite!

There really needs to be more fast food chains like this. Sure, I love finding the out of the way Falafel joint no one has heard of before — but I’d much rather see Garbanzos on every street corner rather than mcdonalds.
The pita was warm and fluffy, the falafel was well spiced, crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside, and the salad was relatively fresh. All for under 10 bucks!
My suggestion is to go with the salad set up and get the bread — you end up with more food over the wrap or pita set up.
I absolutely love falafel — and tend to be picky — so its no small feat that I’m actually suggesting this place. Sure — it lacks in any sort of ambiance (has the feeling a super clean fast food restaurant) — but otherwise it’s a great place for a quick, filling meal that is relatively healthy.

You know what’s odd, I swore I wrote a review for this place before but it says I never did… And this happened with other places I’ve been to as well. Am I going crazy?!
Ahh well, I’ll write a review of this place again then!
In this whole area of Columbia, this is the only place that sells Falafel. At least, I think so. Forgive my ignorance if I’m wrong.
The place is a national chain. You basically make your own platter/​pita/​wrap.
In this case, I usually get the pita with falafel and the usual fixings: tomato salad, red cabbage, pickles, babaganoush, rice, tahini and cilantro sauce. Delicious and can get messy at times!
The service is consistent here. The owner there is very nice and friendly. Food is good.

Mmmmmmmmm… deliciousness.
Garbanzo kind of reminds me of a Chipotle for a Mediterranean food. Pick a container (pita, wrap, or salad) and fill to your hearts desire of various proteins, vegetables, and sauces. The staff at this particular location are pretty nice.
I generally opt for the wrap, filled with nearly everything, but the pita is also very good. Don’t forget to try, and buy, the falafel. Who would’ve thought that fried beans could be so delicious?!?

It’s like Cava Mezze Grill (Mediterranean chipotle)
Fresh ingredients. You can choose from platter, pita or half soup and half pita!
GREAT GREAT GREAT customer service
They let us try the falafel and chips before deciding :)
Wish they had one in Rockville.
It may be hard to find but it’s the store with the orange and green letters (Near Panera)
Same shopping center as walmart. Pass Walmart on the right and keep driving. Go towards Panera and Five Guys and as you drive along the road (straight and then left) you should spot Garbanzo. Lots of parking spots

I love fresh food so when I saw this in Dobbin Center it was a must try.
Good:
–Fresh food
— Vegetarian options
–Chipotle style ordering line
–Menu samples
–Great Lemonade
–Clean
Bad:
–They always seem to be out of everything. No chicken, no rice, no dessert and other things. Clearly I must go to this location at the wrong time or after a huge rush. They’re always out of something I want when I’m here. So I’ve yet to try what I’ve really wanted.
Not sure if I’ll be back… to far to drive for the continued disappointment. :-(

This place is located in the Walmart shopping center. I’ve been to this area for years and I’ve never noticed this restaurant tucked away in the back corner. To perfectly describe this place: Mediterranean Chipotle :) You approach the servers, request for pita sandwich, salad, or bowl. You choose your lettuce, tomato and cucumber salad, hummus, meats (chicken/​steak), sauces (spicy, yogurt etc) and then you pay ~$ 7. Pretty simple, fresh and clean. In addition to my order, I had the feta tomato soup which was quite tasty ~$ 3. I’d definitely recommend to stop by if you are in the area.

On my ongoing quest to find delicious, affordable Middle Eastern food in the Baltimore area, discovering Garbanzo marked a turning point.
Yes, it’s a chain. But so is Chipotle, which is one of my favorite places to get a quick, cheap and healthy meal. This is an establishment in a similar vein, and I applaud both their efficiency and their authenticity. If there’s one thing that drives me nuts, it’s places claiming to make «Middle Eastern» food when it’s really Greek or Indian with a Middle-​Eastern bent.
Here’s what I love about Garbanzo: the ample seating. The bright, clean interior. The ability to combine shawarma and falafel («falarma» = brilliant!) The huge bar of fresh, delicious salads, including pickled cabbage, cucumbers and tabbouli. The fragrant rice pilaf. The creamy cilantro, yogurt and tahini sauces. The steaming hot pita. The freshness of the greens. The interesting bottled drinks, like the not-​too-​sweet mint lemonade we enjoyed. You really can eat healthily and well here.
Here’s what I don’t like: the tomatoes were terrible. People, just take them off the menu if you can’t find good ones! Also, the chicken was dry and not very flavorful, and charging extra for olives at a Mediterranean place is absurd. We found the dolmades too sweet and the spinach pie pretty bland.
Bottom line: for a chain, and for a Middle Eastern meal, it’s solidly above average. You won’t waste time or money here, and you’ll enjoy authentic food without frills. In Columbia, that’s not nothing!

So I’ve eaten here a bunch of times now…
The place is clean, which I really like. You walk in the restaurant and it’s bright, welcoming and refreshing. Step up to the counter and it’s a different story. Usually when I go at around dinner time (or slightly later), the containers of food are fairly empty of their ingredients. This has never been more apparent than n my most recent visit. There was practically NOTHING to eat… I felt like the last kid in lunch line left with all the scraps after all the other kids had their fill. It’s a shame because the food itself (at least when there is food) is really pretty good. Mostly healthy vegetables, a nice Tabbouleh salad, hummus, feta, eggplant, etc
The big problem with Garbanzos is the fact that there are essentially 3 protein options: beef schwarma, chicken schwarma, and falafel. They have kabobs but I’ve never had them and am pretty sure they are no longer on the menu. The deceiving thing is that Garbanzo’s does not have schwarma, at least not REAL schwarma. It’s just diced chicken and steak. Last I checked schwarma is marinated stacks of meat deliciousness on a skewer that rotates and cooks over the course of an entire day. It’s shaved off and served. So if your reading this Mr. Garbanzo, I think it would be better if you actually offered real schwarma at your establishment. Otherwise don’t call it schwarma, kapeesh?
The falafel is nothing to write home about either. Every time I go it seems like its overly friend and burnt. Plus, the meats are always cold. I would prefer them hot or at least sitting in a warmer of some kind.
In the end I really want to like Garbanzo’s. Its in a great location, has ample seating, the employees are friendly and polite. and the concept is great; affordable Mediterranean salads, sandwiches and platter made to order. But if this place is going to make it I really believe it has to step up the ante a bit. All the vegetable condiments are already great, we just need really good, hot schwarma meat to accompany those great veggies. Then I’ll be your best friend.

When I read about the forthcoming Garbanzo in the HoCo blogosphere, it brought to mind the Cava Mezze Grill chain based in the DC Metro area that I have come to enjoy after a friend introduced me. For the uninitiated to both, think of Chipotle for Mediterranean food. If Chipotle doesn’t ring any bells, well, I guess I’m out of points of reference.
There wasn’t much of a crowd in the early evening and I was greeted and quickly immersed in the ordering experience. The restaurant is clean, minimalist, and industrial, similar to a Chipotle. It’s a bit overwhelming, but the staff was helpful, realizing the newness of the restaurant, providing suggestions and offered samples of various items on the line as I embarked on my first Garbanzo journey.
At Garbanzo, you choose your meal type, a protein, the various sides/​toppings (many of which are included with a section that are premium toppings for an upcharge), and a selection of sauces.
One of the servers suggested going for the plate option to try all the components on their own and to get acquainted with their offerings and another suggested the chicken shawarma as her favorite for the protein. I chose the whole wheat pita to accompany. My plate ended up with the majority of the included sides with tatziki and one of the dressings that was recommended on the side. Seeing at how massive the pile of food had grown, bypassing additional sides in the premium section seemed to be the savvy move. I additionally declined when offered to then turn this meal into a combo with a drink and a choice of their fresh made chips, dolmas, falafel, or apple.
While ordering, I was able to sample the falafel and the house made chips. The falafel was okay, it seemed a bit heavier than I would have cared for and on the greasy side. The chips had decent flavor with the right amount of salt, but were a bit too soft and chewy than what I was expecting. A few of the sides offered were fairly low, and required some scraping. But hey, it’s opening week though and it happens, let’s just not make a habit out of it, okay?
Unfortunately, the food had to sit a bit as I made my way back home for the evening, so use that as a caveat to my review of the actual meal. Despite being given the opportunity to sample everything on its own, none of the items really sang on their own. Again, maybe it was just the travel time, but the chicken was a bit on the dry side, the pita was fairly dense, and most of the sides seemed to be just a bit off; the hummus seemed like it went a bit heavy handed on the tahini, the tabouleh lacked that certain freshness from the herbs and mint, and the baba ghanoush came off a little bland. The tatziki did pack a nice punch of dill though, which I enjoyed, but the garlic dressing was excessively salty. After trying everything on its own, I started mixing things together which worked and was tasty.
Overall, not bad, and I’ll probably give it another try in the future, but it didn’t quite strike the same chord with me that Cava has flavor wise. Again, it’s opening week and starting up can be tough. I know that, and you’ve shown me enough where I can forget about our slightly awkward first encounter. A few adjustments to some of the items could turn an average meal into something quite good.
I want to like you, Garbanzo. Let it happen.