Have been here twice and thought the food was very good, although service and cleanliness of the restaurant left a lot to be desired. Â Went back last night as we were craving the hummus with mushrooms, only to find a "for lease" sign on the door. Â So sad, another great restaurant couldnt survive the desert.
Review Source:I was SOOOO disappointed to stop by last week and it is CLOSED!!! The food was fabulous. I heard that the landlord raised the rent so high that it couldn't stay open. You would think the landlord would have been happy to have a paying tenant in this economy. I hope G-Banzo can relocate somewhere. I can't stop craving their delicious food.
Review Source:A friend of mine told me, "G-Banzo is so good, I'd drive from San Diego just to go there." And, based on his, and the recommendations we found here, we tried it last night.
Bottom line? Food is five+ star. The hummus with mushrooms is the best hummus dish I've ever tasted. But, the service DOES ruin the experience.
The waiter we had was very nice, but clearly very new. He had to call over the owner to explain what shwarma was to a fellow diner, because he didn't know. Not a big deal, but given the complaints registered here, one begins to wonder if the ownership is not so easy to work for.
The trouble came when I objected to a split charge of $3.50 on a $12.95 shwarma entree to the waiter. My wife an I were already sharing the delectable pickled vegetables, the aforementioned hummus, and a fried cauliflower entry...fabulous. The owner, seemingly gracious, waived the charge.
However, he wasn't done with me. When I thanked him as we were leaving, he called me over. "The charge for splitting," he felt compelled to tell me, "is because we serve too much food. You see, we can't make money if each person splits everything."
I excused myself rather than say, "So charge accordingly to meet your costs." Or, "maybe you should not serve more than you afford." Or, "what the hell kind of business are you running when you are whining to your customers about a flawed business model?"
It will be hard to go back to such a clueless schmuck with a chip on his shoulder. But, the hummus...
I love middle eastern food!! Â This was the worst dining experience I have had in years! Â I am not hard to please with food or service because I am a server for a living. Â I was just in Garbanzos tonight.. The place was 1/3 full the owner was roaming around never greeted me as I was a solo diner..
I ordered a sprite and a Schwarma... The waitress never smiled and after she dropped off my sandwich she never came back..The meat was dry and served Luke warm and my soda never got refilled.. I tried to flag down the server for my bill but she never looked up.. I guessed what my bill was put $$$ down on the table an left unnoticed!!! Â I do not recommend this place.. Go to Goodies across the way their Gyro is 5$ and tastes way better!!!
Good food, unremarkable service, generally OK.
I do like to have a little adventure when I go out to eat and seek out unusual places, unlikely places, or places where the type of food is either ethnic or innovative and unlike anywhere else. G-Banzo served a few different types of Mediterranean dishes and, of course, there are not to many place you can go to get Mediterranean food. What we had was tasty and well prepared and enjoyable, but not extra-ordinary. I think that this was a pleasant eating experience and was glad that it was just a lunch.
Went for lunch and got the hummus w/mushrooms & onions for appetizer and it was EXTRAORDINARY! The laffa was VERY good as well... then the shawarma (chicken) plate for me... I was worried after reading some bad reviews about the service here but our server was pleasant and attentive (we asked that they turn down the music a lil, get us a LOT of extra napkins, and she asked us if we wanted any refills 2or3 times) so my experience with the staff was great! Food was seasoned perfectly for my tastes... we left full, with smiles on everybodies faces in our party, and plans to return in the future... Â KUDOS!
Review Source:We returned to G-Banzo the other day for another delicious lunch. We tried shwarma for the first time, and loved it. Also highly recommend the homemade hummus, as well as the Israeli salad! The atmosphere is friendly and the food is very fresh and beautifully prepared. G-Banzo is a gem in Palm Desert!
Review Source:This unassuming corner of the Albertson's strip mall contains a gem: Garbanzo is a low-key, family-style eatery -- but its food is some of the best Middle Eastern fare I've had.
When we were there, it was evident that owner cares deeply about his restaurant. He was attentive, engaged, and visited tables all night to make sure the customers were happy. The staff (apparently there've been problems in the past, according to other reviews here) were outstanding: knowledgeable, friendly, efficient, helpful. (We kept asking for more and more laffe bread to go with the table-full of spreads and sides.) Ashley said she was a new server, but we told the owner that she provided  excellent service (and was left cleaning up many crumbs and sesame seeds)!
Based on a couple of recommendations here, we ordered the hummus with mushrooms (outstanding!!), hummus with garbanzo beans (eh), babaganoush, falafel, Greek salad, Israeli salad, cabbage, lamb kebabs with veggie rice, and baklava. (Yes: a biiiig, hungry family.) Â All of this came with piping hot laffe bread and a few small sides like the Israeli "salsa" (not at all spicy, but loaded with tasty mint). Portions were ample, but the seasoning and the ingredients were superb -- light, fresh, and (as one reviewer has noted here) not at all drowning in sauce. The five of us could barely get through the HUGE portion of baklava, even with mint tea and Turkish coffee.
After the first round of tasters came, all of us felt very lucky that there was a long wait at the Thai restaurant we'd intended to eat at, and that Yelp had pointed us to Garbanzo. We come to town once a year to visit family, and will be sure to eat here again.
Delicious! Savory, well seasoned kabobs. They use the same meat for the hamburgers. a delight to the senses. The hummus is creamy & smooth. Don't pass up the mushroom & onion hummus. The laffa bread is beautiful & pairs perfectly w/ the sandwiches & hummus. Dont be shy give Israeli food a try, it will soon become your favorite.
Review Source:We visited this restaurant twice in the two weeks we were in Palm Desert and had very different experiences. Â I now understand the mixed reviews.
The first time we visited, we had wonderful food. Â I had the schnitzel and my husband had a chicken shawarma. Â The laffa was warm, fresh and wonderfully seasoned and accompaniments of white cabbage, pickled vegetables and green salsa were great with it. Â We wrapped our entrees in the laffa with the accompaniments - loved it. Â There was plenty of laffa for both of us and the server offered more, had we wanted it. Â We both had a side salad of tomatoes and cucumbers. Â The salad was dressed with an olive oil and lemon dressing that was balanced perfectly - tasted like fresh lemon juice and good quality oil. It was simple, but tasty. Â
Our second visit was very different. Â When the laffa came out, not only was the seasoning we'd enjoyed the first time sadly lacking, the laffa had been charred and was burnt and hard in the middle. Â The accompaniments were the same and we enjoyed the outer portion of the laffa with them. Â We asked for a second since there was very little of the first that was edible and it came out charred, as well. Â Since there were three of us, we ran out of the accompaniments but didn't receive more with the second laffa bread. Â We had the same entrees we'd had on our first visit and added a serving of falafel as our daughter joined us for this visit. Â The schnitzel was charred, bordering on burnt. Â The shawarma had half a dozen large pieces of chicken fat in it. Â My daughter was not particularly impressed with the falafel and felt it was decidedly average - she'd had fast food falalfels that were just as good. The dressing on the salads was tasteless - it tasted like they'd cut it with half water. Â Had we had this experience the first time, we would not have returned.
My ratings of the two experiences were opposite. Â The first experience would have been rated as 5 stars and the second with 1 star. Â I've given it a 3, as an average. Â I'm afraid you're taking your chances here, as you can see by the opposite extremes in the reviews.
G-Banzo Bar and Grill has a variety of Mediterranean food. I recommend this restaurant to anyone whom likes and appreciates food from this region. Babaganoush was outstanding. We also had an appetizer, 'Fried cauliflower' I forget the name of it, but it was also great. All appetizers were served with different types of pickled cabbage. Entree's come with choice of 2 sides. I intend to bring a few friends there to partake, whom I believe will also enjoy it.
Great food! Good service! Check it out.
Garbanzo is in a strip mall where the old Devanes was in Rancho Mirage, ages ago. Â The room is a fun open modern room where you can sit and enjoy the eccletic mix of diners.
The food was great. Â I loved the Laffe bread, and we sampled a bunch of the appetizers. Â We really enjoyed the dinners, and we all ordered different things and shared.
The service was lacking. Â Sadly lacking. Â The server was nice and friendly, but she was really disorganzed and did not seem to be able to work multiple tables. Â She took an order for wine and the owner delivered a pinot grigio. Â When we finally managed to flag the server down we explained that we wanted a pinot noir. Â She sent the owner back and said that he delivered the glasses of pinot. Â We explained we ordered a red wine and he went and brought the bottle and showed us the word pinot on the bottle. Â We explained there is another type of wine, and eventually figured out there is a red pinot and sent the correct wines.
I think a restaurant owner should at least know a little about wine. Â
The timing was off, and the service was lacking, but the food was really good. Â I hope they step this up a notch, as I really could make Garbanzo one of my regular hangouts.
Have been several times now and it is a work in progress.  You can order a dish and it is served differently each time, and each time it is good.  Sometimes they bring long skewers and serve at the table, and other times it is already plated.  They bring the most delicious Naan and serve it and the sauces are different each time as far as I can tell.  I particularly like the skewered chicken and crunchy slamon salad.  The most interesting thing thy  serve is the salad bar type thing, where you can get 6-10 different salads.  It is a lot of food for the money.  I would definitely recommend.
Review Source:I had the Middle East beef and grilled chicken skewers as well as the Isreali salad. Â All were awesome and I look forward to going back and trying some of their other dishes. Â Service was good, it was a little pricey for the atmosphere being in a strip mall, but around here I'll pay for good food regardless of where it's at.
Review Source:Don't even think about passing by Rancho Mirage without stopping by this place and trying their Hummus and Mushrooms. One bite into the tender whole mushrooms smothered in a flavorful, slightly sweet sauce and you will experience one of those eye rolling moments. Also enjoyed the Chicken Schnitzel and Israeli salad.
On the way out, owner Lizzie encouraged us to return and try her pastries and baked goods, which she boasted were her specialty.
Lunch prices are reasonable. Friendly and non-assuming place located in the same building as Albertson's at the southwest corner of Monterey and Country Club.
Fresh and flavorful defines the dining experience at G'Banzo Bar & Grill located in Country Club Village, adjacent to Albertsons.
Start your journey with the Salad Assortment featuring a selection of 12 salads accompanied with a large Pita, made fresh on the premises, sprinkled with Mediterranean seasonings. It is with the salads that you discover the true meaning of FRESH - from the red cabbage to the garbanzo beans and carrot salad to beet salad to the hummus, your taste buds will be tantalized. The appetizer is so plentiful, it could be a meal on its own! For an alternate appetizer, choose the Falafel Plate served with Tahini Sauce for something guaranteed to pleasure your palate.
For the entree from the Grill, the selections abound. It is a difficult choice when there are Skewers, Kabab's and Shawarma to Choose from. The Shawarma is flavorful, plentiful and filling. The Skewers  consisted of tender morsels of meat seasoned to perfection.
Should there be room for desert choices include Chocolate Mousse that is a decadent experience that will fulfill a chocoholic's addiction or an equally delectable Tiramisu.
On the go? G'Banzo has a vast selection of items from their main menu for carry-out - everything from the salads and sandwiches to the grill fare to dessert.
As for me, i am a regular carry-out guy for the addictive small Pita and hummus. The Pitas are so good, I can consume 3 of the 10 that i order by the time I get home!
Very good chicken kabobs... especially as soon as they hit your table hot. Excellent laffa bread... but twice it was burned BLACK and still brought it to my table. Â Black burned bread should never hit a customer's table. Also, on 2 different occasions our server went home and apparently never told anyone to cover her table and I was left waiting and waiting and ultimately had to ask another server for service. Â Finally, they had a fly problem when I was there and need to take whatever steps necessary to control it. Â It gets worse here in the desert as it gets hotter. These things are fixable and I hope they address them. Â Otherwise, the food is quite good. Great salads and sides. The people are very nice... esp the owner's wife. I wish them all the best and hope they succeed!
Review Source:I came here while staying at the Hyatt in Indian Wells and was attracted by the good reviews here. We were seated promptly and presented with the at-times confusing menu. We decided to have the middle eastern kabobs, shawarma and the hummus with mushrooms. One cool thing is that they serve unending laffa bread, which is like a chewier version of naan or a pita, with spices sprinkled on top. The first laffa was served with cabbage, pickled vegetables and .. salsa(?) or something like that. We got our second laffa with the hummus/mushrooms, they went really well together. It's sauteed mushrooms sitting in a pile of hummus, which actually sounds kind of gross in text, but it was really good! I think I could have just eaten laffa and the hummus/mushrooms. We got our third laffa with the meat dishes -- they were good but I thought the shawarma was a little dry and both could have used more seasoning (or maybe just salt). We got the pasta and the Israeli salad, which seems like diced cucumber, tomato and a light oil dressing as the sides to the meat dishes. We felt a little guilty about asking for a fourth laffa, so oh well. I would come back here to try some of the other dishes -- the assorted salad sounded really interesting.
Highlights:
- Big portions, we took most of the meal home
- Unending laffa bread!
- Really prompt, great service (except with the waters, which needed a request to refill)
- Young, attractive servers
- Interesting menu -- they serve a chicken liver and foie gras kabobs :O
OK - My very first YELP review and I thought I would start with a place that I love! Â This restaurant has such fun, great food. Â My husband and I enjoy Garbanzo's and so do our sons (very important)! Â Our first visit was with a large group of people and the food just kept coming! Â It was a great way to test out the menu and to see what they have. Â Since then, we find ourselves returning almost every other week. Â My favorite are the MANY ramekins filled with assorted Salads, Tabouli, Pickles, Cabbage, etc..... Â My husband really likes the Shwarma and my sons and I enjoy the Israeli Kabob. Â Remember to ask for their special bread. Â The owners are always there and will take excellent care of you. Â The waitstaff is well trained and the service is nice. Â The restaurant now has their wine and beer license and the wines by the glass are well matched and well priced. A perfect spot for Mediterranean food done well!
Review Source:My husband and I enjoyed an excellent dinner at Garbanzo last night. Â Moments after you sit down the very attentive wait staff brings you a huge delicious flat bread with tasty sauces and sides. Â The beef kabob special with vegetable rice and Israeli salad and the shwarama salad were amazing! Â We also tried the hummus appetizer and I had to stop my husband from licking the plate :) Â We have family coming in for the Bob Hope in a few weeks and will definitely take them to this restaurant.
Review Source:Recent addition located in the former Devane's Italian Kitchen space in Rancho Mirage. Â Solid food and attentive waitstaff. Â Two of us dined on hummus and shawarma appetizer and the Israeli salad with grilled salmon. Â The food is prepared with the freshest ingredients and served lightly seasoned. Â Dinner is served with freshly baked laffa bread that arrives at the table toasty hot. Â If you like mediterranean food, this is one to try (and repeat). Â Enjoy!
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