The words MEDCAFE stretch vertically, catching the attention of passersby on Kiowa. A stained glass window winsomely reflects the sunrays. Tucked between an alley and a showroom is a downtown gem offering a vague Mediterranean vibe.
Is it clear which specific cuisine of the 21 countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea is offered at this cafe? No.
Does the just-loud-enough-to-hear prog rock playlist help clarify? Also no.
Is a slight Mediterranean vibe offered? I mean, kinda?
But we’re not reviewing vibes here (for the most part). We’re reviewing food, god damn it.
Inside, the path to the register is clear. Just about half full at lunchtime, it feels populous enough to be legit without being busy. Restaurant goers can pick between a sandwich, a platter or a salad. The platter comes with rice, salad, pita, hummus, tzatziki and a hefty serving of protein. Options for protein are simple: falafel, gyro, chicken, lamb or a combination of two.
We settled on a falafel and chicken sandwich with fries and a falafel and gyro (pronounced YEE-ro, or perhaps ji-ro, or the Americanized guy-ro) plate, allowing us to review most of the restaurant’s offerings. The food came quickly, but was about to be eaten even more quickly. Greedily wanting more tzatziki, The Belly was rewarded with a (free) heaping condiment cup with which to baste his sandwich — unnecessary, but delicious for any other fellow tzatz-freakies.
The sandwich was bigger and better than expected for $10 and came on a pita that was the perfect mix of chewy and crispy. The vegetables fresh, the chicken well-marinated and the sauce not too sauce-y, I was left full, but feeling light on my feet. The fries were clearly fresh out of the fryer and they paired perfectly with the leftover veggies and the house hot sauce to make a sort of Peloponnesian poutine.
The platter featured authentic hummus, tasty but sesame-forward. Expert eaters, such as yours truly, will note that one can stack up all of the condiments, rice and meat onto the delicious seasoned pita, constructing a pseudo-sandwich of sorts. Crispy falafel combined with soft and salty gyro meat to create a mouthful of deliciousness.
On the platter, the rice was a perfect role player, a la Derrick White of the Boston Celtics. It unselfishly did all of the dirty work, mopping up the mess created by the protein, the stars of the show. The salad, featuring lettuce with olives, pasta and feta was only ok, but it was a mere afterthought compared to the goodness of the rest of the meal. And honestly, it was probably good to get some vegetables in my body.
Overall, we found that the sandwich was a great deal, offering the most food for your dollar of any restaurant we have reviewed. Quick service and unflashy deliciousness combine for budget good eats, uncommon in this day and age. Hop, skip, jump and Zeb bus your way to 118 E Kiowa Street to Mediterranean Cafe before they catch on and raise their prices!
Price: Sandwich: $10, Plate: $16
Accessibility: 4/5 Downtown and accessible via walk, car, PikeRide or Zeb.
Taste: 4/5 Yummy, zero frills, Mediterranean classics.
Value: 5/5. A large sandwich under $15 is almost unheard of in these crazy times.