Divan Mediterranean Grill & Lounge in Tustin – Review
We hadn’t seen our friends for over a year due to the pandemic. They suggested a new restaurant we had not been to before. Persian food, so we thought “why not?” and we headed over to meet them. It’s in Old Town Tustin and it’s fairly new. They opened just before the lockdowns in California started happening, in February 2020.
When we arrived, it looked just like any other restaurant. It has an outdoor patio and due to the so-called pandemic, we just stayed outdoor but there is a lounge area you can see from the window. Later we found out, this room turns into a dance floor or a hookah lounge, depending on the night I guess. But behind the plain look lives an explosion of flavor and hospitality that we didn’t expect.
But Let's Get To The Review.
First the bad, we ordered quite a few dishes, amongst them, we had Crazy Fries and Turkish coffee. Those were the least favorite, they weren’t bad, but also not great. On a second visit, we ordered onion rings that were less than spectacular. After trying a few other dishes and visiting twice, I would suggest you stick to the traditional middle eastern dishes. But that’s it for “the bad.”
The Koobideh and Kabobs plates are awesome, the Tzatziki Sauce is great, the grape leaf wraps (Dolma), to die for. And if you are an amateur chef, or just like to cook you’ll appreciate how magnificent their rice is. I would go there just for a plate of rice.
If you’re looking for a cool Mediterranean-inspired restaurant in Orange County, you’ll probably like Divan Grill. As the evening got underway, our friends left, but my wife and I stayed for the music and decided to order a hookah.
I hadn’t used a hookah in over 15 years, but this added to the overall enjoyment of the night. Everyone there was happy and joyful to be out celebrating with friends and family, having great food, listening to live music, and enjoying a drink or two.
As the night progressed, different performers went on stage and we were treated to a few great performances by Tina. I have a few videos of her on my channel. You can see her performing Rolling in the Deep and Someone like You on my Youtube channel. You can get a few glimpses of her in the video above too, and I have more videos coming up with her performances. She’s great!
- In Conclusion
Divan Mediterranean Grill & Lounge is a great local spot. They’re open for lunch, all the way to dinner and beyond. They have live music on Tuesdays and Saturdays and after chatting with Mike and Shelly, the owners I know they’re trying to add a few more nights with more variety. We’ve gone twice now, and my wife has taken her girlfriends as well. Everyone loves the place so far.
