Review: Mediterrano Cafe
Author: indianapoliseater | Filed under: Food Reviews, Location: Indianapolis, IN, Recommended: Independent
Mediterrano Cafe
5941 East 86th Street
Indianapolis, Indiana 46250
I’ve known that this place existed in Castleton for several years but never knew what it really was. It’s in a dreary strip mall and I figured it was just a dreary place, so I never really gave it any thought. My curiosity got the best of me one day as I was driving by and I decided to do a little internet research and much to my surprise, Mediterrano Cafe had some solid internet buzz (see Worth Your Attention’s review). I decided that was enough for me, so I had to give it a shot.
The thing that stinks about Mediterrano Cafe is that they are open on odd hours. For whatever reason, they’ve decided to bag dinner service and are now only open for lunch (11:00-3:00 on weekdays, 12:00-3:00 on Sundays), where they run a lunch buffet.
When you walk in here, it is pretty much no frills. It’s very clean, which is nice, but they didn’t take a lot of time to work on the ambiance with minimal artwork and paper tablecloths. Basically, it’s tables, chairs and a buffet line. You walk straight to the register, pay for your food and they give you a paper Pepsi cup, your utensils and turn you loose. All the food is hand-labeled with the Mediterranean name of the dish along with a very brief description of what each dish is made up of for those people that are unfamiliar with some things (like me).
What I Got: Lunch Buffet with Drink $14.00.
I’m not going to walk you through the buffet and give you a taste comparison of each item like I’ve done previously but I do have some pictures and I will highlight some of the menu options that they have available.
The buffet features a lot of meat dishes such as ground beef kabobs, chicken kabobs, gyros, lamb stew and several other pasta and food mixes combining meat and vegetables (I didn’t take the greatest notes and some of the names are names that I am not entirely familiar with).
In terms of the meat dishes, I would put specific highlights on the gyros meat (tender, flavorful and perfect), the ground beef kabobs (pictured above; oddly enticing as well and juicy and flavorful), the lamb stew (pictured in the bowl above; lamb was tender but the winner was the stew sauce which was both sweet and spicy at the same time; I’ve never tasted anything quite like it and actually was using it as a sauce on some other dishes), the spicy chicken (pictured below above and to the left of the pasta; not really spicy but very tender) and the apricot chicken (chicken wrapped in a leaf and cooked and steamed).
The buffet also includes falafels (not a fan), regular white basmati rice as well as a rice mixture that included lentils and cilantro. Other side dishes (cold) included traditional Greek salad (pictured below; loaded with feta cheese, fresh cucumbers and tomatoes), lentil salad (lentils mixed with onions and cilantro; that is it under the kabob above), cabbage salad, a parsley salad (pictured below; I would not recommend it), and some other mixed Mediterranean dishes (baba ghannouj, hummus, etc.).
In terms of bread-type things they had the typical pita bread for gyros (the pita bread seemed to be store bought and not fresh; it was the only real disappointment of the buffet). They also had something called Spanikopita (first picture at the very top of the plate). This was something new to me that was a mix of spinach and feta cheese in a crispy phyllo dough. All I can say about this is that I would eat it every day of the week for the rest of my life. Incredible.
To top it all off, the buffet also includes some vegetarian dishes (didn’t try any), a soup (didn’t try it) and also some dessert type items that included coconut cake and rice pudding. I’m not a huge fan of either coconut cake (or anything coconut) or rice pudding and eaten alone, I still wasn’t a big fan. When I mixed them together, I was a HUGE fan of the contrasting doughy blandness of the cake with the creamy sweetness of the rice pudding.
Would I Buy It Again? Yes, definitely. This really was an awesome array of tastes (the buffet was quite large) and nearly everything was delicious. I wouldn’t go often because $14 is a bit much to spend on just myself (yes, I’m frugal), but I would go a few times a year. Just an FYI, if you are going to go here, try to find a way to have somewhere nearby to lay down when you are done due to the fact that you are pretty much assured of walking out of Mediterrano Cafe being absolutely stuffed since you won’t be able to push yourself away from all these wonderful flavors and will end up overeating. I really don’t see how anyone could go here for lunch and then go back to work after that. It would take incredible self control and I know I wouldn’t be able to do it and thankfully I visited on a Sunday where I could go home and take a nap.
All in all, I’m so glad that my curiosity got the best of me and I decided to give this place a shot despite the drab exterior. You can tell that the owners take real care and pride in putting out delicious food and they seem to have developed a regular clientele as well since the owners were interacting with the other customers as if they’ve known each other for years. Mediterrano Cafe is a hidden gem and I would recommend that everyone give this place a try. Chances are good that you will not regret it.
-IndianapolisEater
Tags: beef, cabbage, Chicken, eggplant, feta cheese, Food, Greek, Gyros, hummus, kabob, lamb, lentils, mediterranean, parsley, pita, rice, spanikopita
Looks good IE. How was the quality of the feta? I often find our Americanized versions too salty, and suspect it’s because they are composed mostly fromcow’s milk. Could you tell if this was “real” feta in the sense that it melted well or had more of the taste of goats or sheeps milk?
I used to eat there a few summer’s ago for lunch, and loved it. Good write-up.
@Adam: To be honest, I can’t recall specifically. I believe it was salty (the way I prefer it), which would classify it as Americanized according to your definition, but I’m not 100% sure.
IE- very fun post & detailed. Haven’t been to Mediterrano in forever- but I always loved their food. The parsley salad is tabouli (I like it– but it’s an either you do or don’t kind of dish) Their owner used to own Nicky’s in Brip (many years ago).
If you enjoyed Mediterrano- give Kabob Korner a try (across from Castleton Mall). It’s Afghani food- and some of the best around.
I REALLY like this place, only been once but it really surpassed my expectations for buffet food and for Greek food. Too bad about not being open for dinner though. I agree $28 for two is a bit much for a buffet style lunch – not to say the huge variety and quality doesn’t warrant it, just more than I’d budget for a lunch where I’m not going to eat a ton. As a veggie who fills up fast, I get screwed in these situations as it is (not their fault, but the reality).
Got ya, IE. The goat’s milk feta is a good deal creamier. Think a crumbled version of cream cheese with a lemony tang. It’s quite good though. I had some with stewed escarole from a Michael Symon recipe that was in FN Magazine in April.
@Indianapolis Amy: I actually have a Kabob Korner review stored up as a draft, so it will post in the future. Let’s just say that it wasn’t positive.
I have eaten there for years and think the lunch is a great deal. I don’t get a soda drink (usually have water when eating out) and so it’s only around $12 and for the quality, I feel it’s worth it. Really fresh and healthy food.
I tend to pay more for a good buffet. $12 is more than average, but ask yourself…. was the food better than average? There is your answer.
Now, this city needs a good Mexican buffet!
Nice work here IE.
@wibia: I agree on the cost thing. This buffet definitely was worth the value, but sometimes my frugality/cheapness wins out.
Also, could not agree more on the Mexican buffet thing. It seems like we have buffets for all types of cuisines (Indian, Thai, Chinese, Mediterranean, “American”, etc.), but it seems like there is no such thing as a Mexican buffet and I’ve actually had this discussion with friends. If there is a such thing as one (a good one), I would be all over that as long as it was near my home.
Also, is anyone aware of a good Italian buffet that would just have more than your typical spaghetti, ravioli, lasagna-type stuff? I can’t think of any of those off the top of my head either.
I know the Milano Inn downtown has a lunch buffet, but I’ve never had it. It’s only $7.99, though, so I plan on trying it soon.
There used to be an italian buffet on Pennsylvania and Washington next to the Dunkin Donuts downtown. I thought it looked good from the outside and the hostess looked hot as I parked on the street next door. So, next time I was down there for lunch I suggested to my customer we check it out. The food sucked, and the hot hostess was replaced by a portly one. Next time I drove by, they were closed. So I guess the bottom line is, I can’t help you.
Ahhhh yes, I love going here for my greek/meriterranean fix. If I recall, It was $11 for food + drink last time I went, not $14. hmmmmmm
Thanks for the heads up. I live very close to this restaurant and had no idea it even existed.
I’m of Middle-eastern descent and I can tell you this place is one of the best middle-eastern places in Indy (if not the best)! Their ground beef kabobs are outstanding. They also have this unique and tasty dish: apricot chicken which I really love. Another thing I like is that they have more variety in teh fountain drink area, probably not at any other place i’ve been!! Diet dr. pepper and diet mt. dew!
I go there constantly and it’s $11 not $14.
@Mohammad: Thanks for the comment. The $14 included drink.