Daniel B.
Yelp
I was pleasantly surprised by Tannour Grill. The food I've had here has been delicious.
This is a fast-casual Mediterranean restaurant that opened September 1, 2015. It replaced Wasabi Grill (https://www.yelp.com/biz/wasabi-grill-atlanta) in the dinky little strip known as "The Shoppes at 14th St." The building also includes a Subway. It's located across the street from CBS46 studios in Home Park.
Parking is tight, but spaces are usually available. If you don't see any open spaces in front, there's additional parking in the back. It's a dumpy lot, but at least it's not as congested as it used to be when House of Hookah was located in the same building. House of Hookah has since moved to a separate building next door. Parking is enforced. I've seen cars booted.
The restaurant is small, but not tiny. The interior is fairly bare bones with minimal decor. It's got an open layout with table seating for about 30. A long banquette runs along one of the walls. If dining in during busy hours, you'll be cozying up next to other customers. Take-out is a popular option. This is a good alternative to a place like Chipotle. The ordering style is the same.
You can get bowls, wraps, or plates. Bowls and wraps cost about $7-9 each. They do not come with sides which cost about $2-4 each. Plates cost about $9-11 each and come with two sides. Protein options include chicken shawarma, beef shawarma, shish taouk (marinated chicken kebabs), beef kofta (similar to meatballs or meatloaf), and falafel (fried chickpea balls). Complimentary toppings include garlic sauce, tahini sauce, tomatoes, parsley-onion, and pickles. Sides include hummus, baba ghanoush (eggplant), fattoush salad (mixed greens, radishes, tomatoes), "tannour salad" (I think this is a house specialty), tabbouleh salad, and lentil soup. Baklava is $1.49.
Food is served in environmentally-friendly biodegradable bowls and plates.
There's a self-serve Coke fountain machine, Fuze tea canisters, and a fridge with bottled drinks including a yogurt beverage. Sodas/teas run about $2 and the yogurt drink $3.
I think Tannour's chicken shawarma is excellent. It compares favorably to the chicken shawarma I regularly get at the Mediterranean restaurant near my work, Jerusalem Bakery in Marietta (https://www.yelp.com/biz/jerusalem-bakery-and-restaurant-marietta-3). It's tender and nicely seasoned. Garlic or tahini sauce is a must.
There are two rotating spits of meat in the kitchen. One has beef and the other chicken. You can see them while standing in line to order. The meat on each spit is layered in stacks as opposed to one giant hunk of processed meat per spit. This means the meat is higher quality; not the cheap stuff.
The beef kofta is very good. It's traditionally shaped, sort of like a sausage. (Other places serve kofta shaped like thick hamburger patties.) Eating kofta is a lot like eating meatballs. The ground meat consistency is similar. Tannour's kofta is flavorful and savory. I like the spice mix they use.
Sides I've tried include the hummus, baba ghanoush, tannour salad, and tabbouleh salad. The hummus was somewhat disappointing. It didn't taste bad, but was too dense. The baba ghanoush was yummy. Good flavor and appetizing consistency. The tannour salad consisted of cucumbers, tomatoes, and parsley tossed in a light, creme-colored sauce. The veggies were crisp and fresh; the sauce quite vinegary. Not bad though. I enjoyed the tabbouleh salad. It's one of my favorite sides to order at Mediterranean restaurants. Lots of chopped parsley with some mint, tomato, and other ingredients. Zesty and tasty. The tabbouleh has olive oil in it, as do the hummus and baba ghanoush, of course.
I'm a big fan of the rice, but not so much the pita bread. The rice is delightful. The pieces of pita, individually wrapped, are hard. The baklava is terrific. The pastry is delectably sweet, crispy, and flaky. Tannour's version is made with pistachios.
Portion sizes, particularly on the plates, are generous.
Tannour has two Groupon deals, good for 40% off regular prices: https://www.groupon.com/deals/tannour-grill. Hopefully, the deals won't be expired by the time you read this. This is one of those rare restaurants on Groupon that's actually pretty good. Tannour has other deals you can take advantage of. If you check-in on Yelp or other forms of social media (e.g. Facebook), you get $1 off. Students get discounts too. Perfect for nearby Techies.
Service is fine. The owner is friendly. Payments are transacted over a tablet using Clover so receipts can be emailed to you.
The restaurant is open until 10pm, Sunday-Thursday, and 11pm, Friday and Saturday.