The best kebabs in Los Angeles

This family-run takeout shop in Glendale serves the city’s best Armenian-style kebab–and the best kebabs, period. Chef-owners Ovakim and Alvard Martirosya and their son, Armen, run this tiny kebab house together, turning out flawless, soulful food fueled by decades of skill and a lot of love for each other and their ancestral cuisine. There are generational recipes at play here, resulting in perfectly spiced lamb chops, chicken thighs, beef lule skewers and beef shish, all cooked to perfection over the stovetop grill in the pint-sized Glendale kitchen. Combo plates are exceptional and often large enough for two meals, but Mini Kabob also offers catering trays, if you really want to go big—and after just one taste, we’re sure you’ll want to from here on out. Tip: To cut down on wait times, which can stretch to a half-hour or more during busy periods, order ahead online.

Since 1993, this Persian-Armenian sit-down restaurant has served the city’s best beef koobideh—and its other kebabs are great as well. For all of L.A.’s Persian kebab options, Raffi’s stands out with always-juicy kebabs that come with buttery saffron rice, blistered tomatoes and lemon slices that cut through the charbroiled meat’s inherent richness. Supercharge your kebabs with the supplemental add-on rice options, including the must-try zereshk polo, which combines sweet-tart barberries and fragrant saffron. Though we’ve never known a day when Raffi’s doesn’t have some kind of wait (and the restaurant doesn’t take reservations), this Valley kebab destination is worth putting your name down for.

In the heart of Tehrangeles, Saghar Fanisalek’s fast-casual eatery serves some of the best Persian kebab in the city, minus all the bells and whistles. The simplified menu includes salads, wraps and a few homey dishes like tahdig (crispy rice) and ash reshteh (a vegetarian soup topped with caramelized onion, yogurt, and dried mint), but the primary reason people come is the kebab. Served with rice and a grilled tomato, cuts like beef and chicken koobideh (ground meat kebabs) always come juicy, well-marinated and perfectly seasoned, with just the right amount of onion. While the portion sizes here may not be as grand as other Persian restaurants, you won’t leave hungry. On Wednesdays and Thursdays, pairs can share the generously portioned Tehran plate special, which combines both types of koobideh with filet mignon shish kabab and full plates of rice and salad.

This East Hollywood hangout from the couple behind Bestia and Bavel is the most stylish place in town to chow down on kebab. Saffy’s overall menu prices (each pair of skewers clocks in at $38) and cool-kid atmosphere might not appeal to those used to cheaper, no-frills kebabs, but the mouthwatering, individually seasoned grilled meats manage to stand out with unique meat-specific marinades and high-quality accoutrements. Pinch off a piece of the housemade laffa bread to slide a choice morsel off the skewer, then dip the entire thing into a cool yogurt sauce and tangy-sweet amba. Add in a drizzle of chili crunch, and you’ll quickly understand why this place is packed every night of the week—you can’t find this globally inspired style of kebab anywhere else.

When the Raffi’s wait is just too long to bear, look no further than Shiraz, which offers a similar banquet hall atmosphere and excellent kebabs. Located just half a mile away, with another location in Sherman Oaks, this long-standing Middle Eastern restaurant does just about every style of kebab well, from Persian-style barg and koobideh to Armenian-style lule. For a bit of both, order the beef (or chicken) soltani, which combines both barg and koobideh in one all-around satisfying meal. It’s also worth noting many Glendale natives swear by Shiraz, not Raffi’s—so if you’re the type who likes to dine like a local, head here instead.

Lamb and beef kebabs typically get the lion’s share of attention, but that’s not the case at Adana, a modest family-run restaurant in Glendale with a destination-worthy chicken koobideh and an excellent hatam, or grilled Cornish game hen. Paired with buttery rice, hummus and a refreshing shirazi (cucumber and tomato) salad, the poultry options here are just as flavorful and tender as their red meat counterparts. Add in some flatbread and a side of the creamy mast-o musir (yogurt and shallot dip), and you’ve got one of the best kebab meals in Los Angeles, especially for those who prefer chicken over steak.

Whether you opt for the shawarma, freshly shaved off the kitchen’s giant spit or the standalone grilled meats, this takeout-friendly Westwood Boulevard café will satisfy your Lebanese kebab cravings whenever you find yourself on the Westside. The various styles of kefta and shish tawook (chicken kebab) come to the table juicy and warm with a generous portion of hummus and toum (garlic sauce). For a large group, it’s best to order a mezze combo as well, which includes hummus, baba ghanoush and a refreshing tabbouleh salad, plus two pieces apiece of warak enab (stuffed grape leaves), fatayer (spinach-stuffed triangles), falafel, fried kibbeh (bulgur and ground meat balls) and sambousek (deep-fried meat pastries).

Deep within Santa Monica, this Iranian mom-and-pop market hosts a sizable locals’ crowd on weekend mornings, when a pair of skilled grillmasters churn out freshly made kebabs from 11:30am until they’re sold out in the parking lot. To order, purchase a ticket inside at the cashier, then head outside to hand your receipt to one of the cooks. While the wait for food is considerable (we waited 40 minutes for an extra-large order of assorted meats), the end result is delicious enough to justify, at least for diehard kebab fans—the koobideh here is juicy, with a certain fresh-off-the-grill quality that sit-down restaurants just can’t compete with. While no rice is provided, each tray comes with grilled onions and tomato, plus torshi (pickled vegetables), shirazi salad and sangak (whole wheat flatbread).