Lebanese culture is a mélange of influences: Turkish, Israeli, Syrian. Prince Lebanese Grill is all of the above plus Sonic — the Lebanese restaurant is located in one of the burger chain’s distinctive drive-ins.
But the influence of “America’s Drive-In” stops there. Prince is hopelessly devoted to Lebanese cuisine.
The mazza appetizer plate is a nod to the Lebanese mezza (a 30-plus item buffet). The mazza hits all the highlights: hummus, baba ghannouj, dolmas (rice-stuffed grape leaves), tabouli (a grain and parsley salad), and olives, all served with soft, chewy, warm pita bread and Prince’s addictive cucumber sauce. The lovely smoky flavor of t
he eggplant dip mandated mopping the plate clean with a yummy pita.
The hummus was delicious: heavy on the tahini and not too garlicky. Local hummus enthusiasts may think Prince’s version is “wrong.” But it’s not. It’s just Lebanese rather than Greek or Israeli, the two most prominent styles here in town.
Same goes for the dolmas. Prince’s are “different,” but they aren’t bad at all. A little chewier than the dolmas we’re all used to, Prince’s have a dominating though lovely mint flavor.
The special plate covers all of the Middle Eastern cuisine bases. There’s grilled lamb, beef tenderloin, shish tawook chicken, and kafta (grilled ground beef heavily seasoned with parsley, onion, and Prince’s “special sauces”). The kafta was akin to really tasty, exotically spiced hamburger. The shish tawook seasoning had touches of cumin, curry, and other mild spices and gave the bird an otherworldly saffron color. The lamb was tender and cooked perfectly, without the greasy texture that sometimes comes with the “other red meat.” The mildly spiced tenderloin was promptly confiscated and devoured by the spice-averse adolescent at the table. Add the complimentary grilled half a tomato and zesty, fragrant Lebanese rice, and you have a wonderful dinner for two (or lunch for three).
Prince’s falafel sandwich comes with several scoops of mashed, onion-tinged chick pea-based falafel, bathed in more hummus and surrounded by tomatoes, pickles, and tahini sauce in a burrito-like pita. Also generously sized and delicious, it tasted more like the Egyptian/Israeli version of the dish than anything else on the menu.
The hummus mah lahme plate was interesting: your choice of lamb or beef shawarma with grilled onions and pine nuts on a bed of hummus. The beef shawarma featured small pieces of red meat in a mild spice mix, giving every bite a little sugary kick. In most other Middle Eastern restaurants, the shawarma preparation involves slicing the meat off a spit. At Prince, the shawarma and the meat for the gyros come from a grill, not a spit.
Save room for dessert. The baklava “fingers” aren’t homemade — they come from a Middle Eastern bakery in Arlington — but they’re delicious. Slightly tidier to eat than the traditionally square baklava, Prince’s delicacies were rolls of crispy, sweet honey-nut phyllo perfection.
Food Network host Guy Fieri visited Prince Lebanese restaurant earlier this year for an episode of his show Diners, Drive-ins and Dives and put his stamp of approval on the place. Staffers will gladly show you where he signed their dining-room wall. Food Network people say the show will air next month. But you can bet that once it does, Prince Lebanese Grill will be a lot more packed than it is now. Eat your heart out, Sonic.
Prince Lebanese Grill
502 W Randol Mill Rd, Arlington.
817-469-1811. Mon-Sat 11am-9pm.
All major credit cards accepted.
