The Olive Branch Mediterranean Cuisine

we came at lunch when it was very busy. we were able to sit at the bar while others waited for a table. staff was very friendly, and the food was great. good prices for lunch, too.

Small local business with delicious food! They give you a good portion of food for your order. I ordered the chicken pita wrap and the chicken was a little dry but aside from that, everything else was tasty. The staff was very helpful and there are outdoor eating options. It was a nice surprise for the area of Alabama we visited.

Decent food, but with an American twist. For some weird reason, they ignored us for 5 mins before they came up to get us seated. I’ve got the chicken deluxe gyro, which did not taste authentic. While I wouldn’t say it tasted bad, it’s just not the gyro you would normally eat; It was ‘alright’. However, they put too much cheese which ruined the taste a lil bit (no traditional gyro has cheese on it). The fries were really good. I’m not sure what seasoning it came with, but it just made the fries taste better. The size of the gyro and the quantity of the fries was good, considering the price, and is definitely filling for one. My friend had the Kibbeh plate, which he, again, noted was okayish. The ambiance was a little strange for me considering we went into a Mediterranean restaurant (not that it’s bad). It resembled a diner, strangely.

Came here with my dad! Usually love the food, but they were super busy and didn’t get either of our orders right. My soup and salad was delicious, but dad’s meal looked like something from cookout (and tasted like it)! Willing to try it again because I’ve loved this place for years, but if it’s the same as it was, I’m not coming back :( rather disappointing!

This is a small restaurant serving excellent authentic Greek food. The food is prepared in an open kitchen and served in Pyrex style dishes. The portions are very large, and the food is scrumptious! If you're looking for fantastic Greek food, this is the place!

I tried this establishment on recommendation from a friend. I actually went during the week for lunch. PARKING is a nightmare, unless you want to park way down below and walk up the hill, not the best if it is raining or hot and humid unfortunately but parking is VERY limited on street front parking. Went inside, greeted and sat at a very crowded aisle table, people actually brush you as they walk by while eating, eweeeeee, not my thing. Anyway, the atmosphere is nothing to brag about and the food is not all that great from my opinion. The best thing about the experience was the waitress was really nice and efficient but still hard to makeup for all the faults with parking and atmosphere. Make up your own mind though and give it a try as it is a cute little unique place off the beaten path for most.

One the best gryos in the city.💎 The lamb here is always tender. Fries are always crispy. 🍟

Been going here for 20 years and it never fails..... the food is SO GOOD. Lunch today was super awesome, great service and friendly staff. One of favorite restaurants in Birmingham.

This place is likely good most of the time but the only time I've been here in my whole decades of this city was super low. The initial host was very nice and welcoming but the server I had was basically zero service at all. Greek food is one of my favorites all the time at places. Then the food I order here was seriously zero flavor somehow. This was a bad decision for me to go to and I won't go back here. It's small and decent but there was zero good vibe in there this evening for some reason.

The staff are super friendly and willing to explain what the different dishes on the menu. The food was incredible, and the portion sizes are plenteous (especially for the price!!) The falafel are nice and moist inside, not dry at all. The hummus and baba ganoush are so flavorful that I could probably sit and eat it with a spoon! I ordered the shrimp sandwich, and it was absolutely amazing. And every order came with fresh cut fruit, which was so refreshing and fun! I will definitely be back! Great place for authentic cuisine.

It was a nice Saturday afternoon, and I wanted something healthy, so I stopped by for lunch and took advantage of their lunch special. I sat out on the patio, which was perfect for enjoying the sunshine and doing a little people-watching. I ordered the chicken lunch plate--it came with tabbouleh salad, hummus, rice, and pita bread. Everything was fresh and flavorful. Even though it was busy, the staff checked in regularly and made sure we were taken care of. Overall, a great lunch spot with good food, friendly service, and a nice outdoor vibe.

Great service very friendly. Smaller spot but fit lots of people. Incredible lunch prices! 13.50 for a massive plate. Food was great!

Olive Branch was delicious and charming and I'm sure the owner runs it; you can tell. We started with excellent babaghannoush (a roasted eggplant and tahini dip). Then wonderful grape leaves served hot, unusually; stuffed with lemony rice and beef. And great falafel, fried dark and crispy with bright green filling and nice hummus to dip in. The space is simple and small, an open kitchen fronting the seating and a patio outside. The service was fine and very prompt. All in all this is a great place and deserves your support. Lastly it's quite reasonable--a tasty lunch with tip, tax and leftovers was $57. Go!

The food and service was excellent. Their gyro and falafel sandwich was amazing. We have tried a few different Mediterranean restaurants and this one has become one of our favorites in all of Birmingham.

I love this independent, family-owned and operated restaurant. It is located only a few blocks from the Summit shopping complex, and is a great alternative to the chain restaurants located there. The food, atmosphere, and service is much more personal than you will find in most of the cookie-cutter restaurants at the Summit. The Olive Branch was busy when my friend Robin and I met for lunch, We sat at the bar which was very comfortable. Service was fast and efficient. We both ordered the lunch special. I ordered gyro with tabbouli salad. The portion was huge, and it was beautiful. The bright red and greens of the tabbouli were a nice background to the neatly carved gyro. It was obvious that everything was very fresh. I thought the gyro was a little dry. The dipping sauce was very good, and It had a little spice to it. The tabbouli was very good, and three cubes of feta were a nice touch. The pita and hummus were good. The lunch portion is very large, and Robin took some of her's home for later. Robin recommends the Stuffed Squash and the Stuffed Grapes leaves. Both sound like something I want to try next time.

Olive Branch is such a great go to for a healthy meal! I had the salmon entrée with a healthy portion of salmon over rice. Just a little bit of hummus and pita, and your choice of Greek salad or tabouleh salad. I did Greek and it was absolutely great. The salmon was cooked so well and the meal is very filling. My girlfriend got the gyro with a side of hummus. Packed with yumminess! If you haven't been, you must try this place!

My daughter and I had a craving for healthy Mediterranean cuisine and were not disappointed. I had the chicken K-bobs and tabouli and she had grape leaves, the lunch special (chicken, rice, tabouli). The Mediterranean iced tea had a splash of mint and was refreshing. We had a big screen TV and good music to entertain us while we waited. Our waitress was precious and attentive. She boxed up our leftovers and bid us farewell until our next visit. Can't wait to go back!

So delicious! Mediterranean fare at its best. Great variety. Lovely service. I will definitely eat there again. Very filling.

Olive Branch has been a favorite for many years, might ask well why haven't you contributed till now. Im abit forgetful, letting you in on this gem today. Service has always been above average, kind of like home. There have been few changes over the year's, extended the outdoor seating and parking out front. Clean and comfortable. Hummus and pita is a meal in its self, I almost always fill up before my entree arrives. Must execute some self control. I can only remember the last meal, beef kabobs (so tender, juicy). Love the fresh citrus or fruit to clear the palate. I hope to fill in all the gaps after our next visit.

I was pleasantly surprised with Olive Branch. The food was fresh and the portions were large. I especially enjoyed the gyro sandwich. The fries were fresh and crispy. The restaurant is on the smaller size but still plenty of seating room. You can even see the kitchen staff cooking upon entry. I can't wait to try more menu items!

Always great service and food! We are definitely regulars. Love, love, love the stuffed zucchini. All of the portions are plentiful.

Every aspect of this birthday lunch was delightful! We had the fried cauliflower app, the Greek chicken soup, the stuffed squash meal, and the beef kabob meal. All were wonderful! The service was great! We'll be back!

Awesome spot!! Great food. Had the shrimp hummus. Definitely will be coming back! The service and food were both great. Awesome location in Cahaba Heights.

GYRO - ALWAYS BE MY FAVORITE! After doing a bit of shopping at the Summit yesterday, Jasmine and I started to get very hungry. We knew that it being a Saturday night we would not be able to get into the restaurants at the summit, unless we wanted to sit at the bar, which isn't typically our go to. As we were searching the web we stumbled upon Olive Branch. I had heard of Olive Branch before through the grapevine, but had not been inside. It is located in Cahaba Heights across the street from the fire station. When we first drove up the first thing we noticed was that there is in fact validated parking. But the spots are pretty tight if you don't get there at the right time. The inside of the restaurant is very classy, white table cloths, but the outside patio, where we sat was much more relaxed. We were told to sit anywhere we liked and we chose a nice bigger table near the door. As soon as we chose the table and sat down we ordered a soda each. Though they do have some beer and wine options if that is your thing. After browsing over the menu we both ordered a meal. I got the falafel plate and Jasmine ordered the Kafta Skewer Plate. We had looked at also ordering the fried cauliflower, but after realizing how much food we were getting with our plates decided we did not need one. Each plate was served in a casserole dish with fruit, rice, pita bread, hummus, a salad of your choice and what ever you had ordered as your protein. Everything and I mean everything on that plate was fabulous, you can really tell they make everything with love and with the freshest ingredients. Before we left we had a very nice chat with another one of the waitresses, she was lovely and recommended a whole bunch of other options for our next visit. This food was amazing. If you are a fan of Mediterranean food, you need to add this to your must try list.

Consistently fresh, delicious " Mediterranean" food We have always enjoyed the gyro, falafel or chicken lunch specials that come with soft pita, hummus, and tabbouli or Greek salad Bountiful servings for moderate prices. Delicious freshly brewed tea or refreshing brewed mint tea Wouldn't recommend the rose... Servers are friendly and efficient Very limited space, so if it's a busy time you will be elbow to elbow with other diners. Outside patio dining is available as well. Happy to Support a Local business, since 2005! Will return

Small and quaint, staff were energetic and friendly, food came out hot and properly seasoned. We ordered chicken and shrimp kabobs and had plenty of food to go.

Delicious!!! Let me tell you about the sweet tea... Have you ever had a hankering for sweet tea only to get a full glass of ice with some tasteless, warm, brownish water... and it basically looks like they took the teabag and dunked it in a few times then added way too much sugar?!?! Well the Olive Branches sweet tea is not that!! Seriously, the yummiest tea in town! My choice for lunch was the Gyro and fries and it was spot on delicious!! The pita bread, gyro meat and sauce were perfect! I am not a french fry lover but I tried one and next thing I knew I had eaten half of them. The ambience is welcoming and homey. Our waitress was awesome, and even brought us a to go tea when she brought our ticket to the table. We will definitely be making Olive Branch, one of our "go to" places here in Birmingham and judging by how busy they were pretty sure everyone else does too! Do yourself a favor and get lunch at the Olive Branch soon!!!

This place is one of my favorites places to eat EVER! All the women that work here are absolutely amazing and work their tails off everyday :) thank you for always providing the best service! I love you Olive Branch!!

Had a great dinner here with friends. The food was very fresh and the service was excellent. Highly recommend. Pro tip: When asked if you want walnut or pistachio baklava, just say yes.

A friend suggested I visit this place and in the area one night my husband and I stopped in for dinner. Much to our dismay, it was not at all what we hoped for. The quality of the food was not any better, in fact, probably worse than another local place that serves the same food. The staff was borderline rude and completely uninterested in their patrons. The chicken in the gyro was so dry, the Sahara desert has no clue as to dry in comparison. The meatloaf was also dry and awfully crumbly and overpowered with seasoning. The fries I think are petrified because they were so hard! The baklava was old and tasted like rancid oil! I ordered chicken soup and fried cauliflower to go and the soup was great but for literally 1 cup, actually only 6 ounces, was $8! More than a dollar an ounce but this soup was the best thing on the menu we purchased. The cauliflower was soggy straight from the fryer, and maybe 1/4 of a head that sat upon lettuce and tomato but no where near worth $10. Bottom line here is absolute disgustingness! Oh did I mention the roach poop on the wall behind the booths? Yah if the poop is over there then I'm sure it's in the kitchen too. Hole in the wall dump that needs to be leveled and never mentioned again. Very surprised this establishment stays in business, especially for the area. Ignorance is bliss.....Eat at your own risk! I'll never go back!!!

The place was packed and very noisy. The food was ok. They charged my card double for the meal. Stay away from this dishonest place.

Such a delightful place! Always a must when visiting Birmingham. Service was excellent! The smell of the food cooking was wonderful. I normally get a salad or gyro but this time i opted for the chicken sandwich. Food was plentaful. Had left overs for the next day.

I will not be back to this place. Normally we like to go to local, non chain restaurants so we decided to come here. We started off with the hummus which was ok but there was a ton of garlic in it. Not for me but if you really like garlic then this would be one for you. Both my son and I ordered a gyro, I got the Greek salad he got fries. The Greek salad had 2 olives and 2 pieces of square feta cheese a tomato and some lettuce. It was very lacking, the salad dressing had a little spice but mostly olive oil taste. The Gyro meat had no flavor, the sauce was ok but a little sweeter than I have had other places. My husband had a lamb kabob with rice and tabbouleh. He said the lamb had no flavor. I can't compare the tabbouleh to any where else because I have never had it before but this tasted like wilted pickled cucumber, tomato salad. I didn't like it. I can't say what the rice tasted like because the waitress took away the plate before I could try it. (My husband is on a low carb diet so he couldn't eat the sides that came with the meal and they don't allow substitutions) I was able to bring the leftover gyro meat home and after rinsing off the sauce I gave it to my dogs. Well they look like they liked it.

Service was great, but food was not. Grilled chicken was horrible, gyro meat way to salty. We did have a lovely waitress though!

First impressions are that this restaurant is a small house. But really it is a classy but affordable mediterranean spot with a very nice outside deck perfect to enjoy the spring weather. The dish I ordered was the kafta kabob plate with the tabbouleh salad. I had kaftan before but never the tabbouleh. When the dish arrived I was amazed. The casserole dish it was in was unexpected and perfect to hold the food. The salad was colorful refreshing and flavorful. Everything was beyond delicious. The staff was very nice and helpful. This is a very authentic and fun spot to check out.

Based on reviews on Yelp, decided to try this place for takeout. Ordered the gyros platter, no wild rice. Get back to my place, unpack dinner and quickly realize they didn't pack the tzatziki sauce for the gyros. The gyros was dry and there was so much salad greens and the dressing was greasy and not flavorful. Hummus was okay- had an odd tangy flavor. Had high hopes but was quite disappointed in the overall taste of the food.

The place I chose to eat at was "Olive Branch" on 3236 Cahaba Heights Rd, Birmingham, AL 35243. It's not too far from where I live but it is a bit of a distance. The place was a bit small, it gave more like a dinner fill to it. Their food is more of a Mediterranean style meal and they actually serve quite a bit of a portion size so you get your money's worth. The service was good and they were very friendly. They do have a good amount of vegan options to try unlike most places. I however got the chicken gyro deluxe with grilled bell peppers, grilled onions & feta cheese and some veggies on the side. I really enjoyed it and will revisit it again sometime in the future.

Love this family owned restaurant. All the food is made to order and is delicious every time. My favorite is the stuffed squash and gyro meat ala carte.

I was meeting an old friend for lunch and we decided on Mediterranean food. Olive Branch had great reviews and we were relatively close. Upon arrival we were immediately greeted and seated. It's a very small dining area with outside seating available too. We both opted for the stuffed squash and it was absolutely amazing! The salad and grape leaves were very good as well. Service was slow but to be fair, one server was taking care of the entire restaurant. She was working herself hard. Kudos to her.

The lemon chicken soup is absolutely amazing. The portion size of the sampler is enough to feed 4 people easily! Highly recommend!

Ugh. Placed a big order yesterday for lunch to feed out of town guests and they forgot to put salad dressing. Time like this is when I'm pissed! If I call, they would asked to come get it. Who in the right mind will leave their out of town guests, waist 30 mins round trip to pick up salad dressing. Get the order right first time. I'm also not going to open up 5 boxes to check before leaving. Otherwise, I been going to this place for the past 15 years. Dine in, I never had issues. Sucks this happened when I was trying to feed my out of town guests.

If you want a very healthy and delicious meal I highly recommend this place! When we walked in the place was empty, but 30 minutes later the place was packed! The gyro meat is seasoned well, the hummus is delicious and a lot of their plates come with herbs, vegetables, and fruit.

Best stuffed grape leaves in town hands down!!! Don't question it!! Do yourself a favor and go get an order and dip em in some hummus! Satisfaction guaranteed....at least that's a Bet I'd place there if books were open on it, lol

Really glad we checked this place out. I'd have to say it really borders on the look and feel of a dive restaurant....perfect for me! Employees all took necessary Covid precautions wearing masks (properly) and ensuring there was proper space between the tables. I went kind of basic and had the Gyro Lunch Special $9.09. Came with: greek salad, gyro meat, rice, bread and asked for some taziki sauce on the side. Very generous portion and all really fresh ingredients. Worth every penny of the lunch special price. Kafta Lunch Special $9.09. My one friend had this dish and loved it as well. Same thing, except, instead of gyro it was kafta meatballs. Salmon Plate $18.99 Salmon filet seasoned and grilled - My other friend had this, now in all fairness this was a dinner entre, but literally, it came out in a huge pyrex serving dish that was 2 1/2 - 3 inches deep. This was a huge portion and could easily be shared, especially if you gave an app a try as well. Great food, great service, great atmosphere ..... easy 5 star rating!

So many reviews start this way: I can't believe I haven't written a review for Olive Branch yet! In all fairness, when we moved to the other side of town, we were rarely over this way. But we found Olive Branch years ago and loved it. And I'm not quite sure why we didn't make the small trek over here more. But now that we are minutes away, there is no reason to miss out on one of Birmingham's best Mediterranean restaurants. Which is saying a lot. First of all, so many of their entrees come in pyrex dishes. Yes, the ones you make casseroles in. So don't worry about portions. I usually leave with lunch the next day. Everything here is great. Kafta, gyro meat, pita, hummus, salad... I love it all. If you throw in a great staff and a very intimate neighborhood vibe and you have a winner in my book. With the cold weather, this last time we got some of the chicken soup. It was a little creamy, a little broth and a fair amount of lemon. Great for if you feel a little under the weather. As usual, everything else was good and I will keep going back again and again.

We had not been to Olive Branch since the Pandemic began. Our first experience was tremendous - out of this world and easily five stars. We tried it a week later and it was, surprisingly, "meh." So - we went there last week and it was, once again, meh. The waitress recommended the stuffed squash. It was rather bland, mostly rice, and I don't recommend it, especially for $20.99. There was hardly any chopped sirloin and you can't expect rice and squash to define the taste profile. The waitress also recommended the Philly cheese steak sandwich. Again - bland and not very exciting. The best thing about the meal was the frozen French fries. The mint tea - ok not great. The stuffed grape leaf - decent. The hummus - watery. The Greek salad - dressing not tasty! Also rather bland. Our friends love it but we didn't.

Portions were huge-definitely a good value. Tabbouleh was good and fresh Tilapia was solid but the rice was a bit overseasoned

Love this place. Best Greek place in Birmingham. Quiet and tucked away, exactly what you would expect from a hidden gem. Ambience is perfect. White table clothes and all. If I had to guess, this is a family business. They do an amazing job of taking care of the customer. Food is always fresh and hot. My favorite is the gyro plate lunch special. A lot of food and all of it is healthy. The kind of food you feel full and not bloated.

Excellent Food! Love the Sampler Platter with the Dips, Falafel, and Veggies! My Favorite dinner is the Gyro Platter with Tabouli salad. Best place for Mediterranean in town.

The food is always great, plenty to eat with well balanced flavors. There is something for everyone. I am a big fan of the stuffed grape leafs. Parking is a plus here

Always consistent and friendly service. The Mediterranean cuisine is wonderful. Gyro sandwich and plates are delicious. Everything is Delish! The Franks Philly is a surprise! So good!

Five stars for this type of restaurant. I like Mediterranean food but I'm not crazy about it like a lot of people are. This place does it right and tonight was a great experience. The food was wonderful, the service was great, and the price was right. Food - Food is the star of the show. I got an a la carte mixture that was just what I wanted (Check out my pictures!) and I was so impressed by the unique flavors of each item I got. Everybody at the table was really happy with their food from appetizers to desert and everything in between. I really liked my stuffed squash with some of the juice poured over each slice as I carefully took each bite. At the end I thought I was stuffed but after one bite of baklava I thought I could have eaten a dozen of them! The walnut and the pistachio baklava were both great. Check out my pictures to see what I had. All of it was great! Service - Our server was awesome! She had a really good familiarity with the menu, giving us suggestions and answers to all of our questions, and she was very attentive to our table. Ambiance - The inside dining room is kind of small but even on a Sat night we were sat rather quickly. We were there tonight on a double date and I thought it seems to be the perfect atmosphere for dinner with the family, dinner with friends, or a nice night out with my wife. Tonight it was cold and rainy but they have a great deck for outside dining. Overall this was a win tonight and we will be back soon!

Love this restaurant.. have been so many times and delicious always! Fresh, authentic Mediterranean food Locally owned p

There is nothing bad I can say about this place. It hs a dive restaurant feel to it, cool deck, great service and OUTSTANDING food!! Fresh and made to order, the plates (or Pyrex) were filled up with goodness! It has a real homey feel to it. I ordered the beef kabobs entree. The beef chunks were huge and the vegetables were seasoned and grilled perfectly. It came with a big salad, rice, Some random fruit, and pita with hummus. I cleaned it out. My wife had the philly gyro and she was raving about it. It looked really cheesy and and filled up with meat. Can't wait to go back.

I've been on the search for fantastic Greek food since moving to Birmingham and Olive Branch gave me "my fix." We went for a late lunch on a weekday, were quickly seated, and promptly served. The lunch special can't be beat. For less than $9, you get your choice of protein (gyro, chicken, kafta or falafel), rice, pita, hummus, and choice of Greek salad or tabbouleh. I'm an avid fan of gyro, so that was my choice. It was tender and flavorful, as was the rice and hummus. The pita and Greek salad were flavorful and fresh. Plus, the house made Greek dressing was the perfect touch for the salad. The servings were enormous and made for a great to-go plate (which made for some pretty amazing left overs). I was full, so had no room for desert, but I must admit I took a pistachio baklava to go....dee lish! I truly enjoyed our service from Kara (prompt, attentive, friendly, and engaging). She made it a lovely experience and left me wanting to return. Regarding environment, it's no frills, but when I'm looking for authentic, reasonably priced Greek food in Birmingham, Olive Branch it is.

Delicious food and wonderful service. If you haven't tried the Steak in a Sac be sure not to miss this one!

We will never eat here again! Recently, a friend asked if we could eat there, and I told him of my experience I had over a year ago where a friend and I had been seated at a small table near the front window; next to us was an empty table that seated four. As we were eating, five women came in, and the hostess took our meals and everything on our table and put them at another table that we did not want to sit at, without even asking us! Just to accommodate this five women so they could put the two tables together. We were not offered any discount nor special consideration for being moved, we were treated very rudely and poorly, and we will not be going back! The level of rudeness and inconsideration was an inexcusable!