Western Chicken, Los Angeles

I have very limited experience with Middle Eastern food. I’ve only been to two Armenian restaurants before and often shop at a couple local Armenian grocery stores and they all have the same thing in common: the workers are difficult to understand (and seem to like it that way) and they prefer gruffness and smug satisfaction to return business.

The first time I ate at an Armenian restaurant in Pasadena, I loved the food, despite the rude service (I couldn’t understand what the guy at the counter was saying to me, but I just know he was swearing at me as he handed me my takeout food). But the chicken was good and I loved the creamy garlic sauce. My second experience was in Hollywood, near my home, and while the service was just what I expected (terrible and leaving me feeling somewhat in fear of my life), the chicken was dry and flavorless, and the garlic sauce, while good, was nothing to swoon over.

Needless to say, I was put off of Armenian food for what I thought would be the rest of my life.

 Other than that, I went to a Persian restaurant in San Pedro that had a floor show far superior to the food, but at least the service was good and pleasant, and despite the sword dancer I never feared for my life. The only thing I really enjoyed (other than the belly dancer) was the babaganoush, and I wound up eating four servings of the stuff because the rest of the meal was inedible.

Then one night I found a flier for a Lebanese restaurant I had never heard of dangling from my doorknob. As I had made no dinner plans, I decided to give it a try, so I called for delivery.

My first surprise was that I could understand the man taking my order without difficulty. Sure, he had an accent—a pleasant one—but his English was perfect and barely inflected. What’s more, he was professional, courteous, friendly, and laughed at my lame jokes. And because the food is so good, we’re now regular customers.

 My wife always goes with the whole roasted chicken with garlic sauce. By “goes with” I don’t mean she has a steady romantic relationship with her food; nor do I imply that she can eat an entire chicken in a single sitting—a task even I would have difficulty with—or even that she has rotisserie chickens as personal friends. She orders the big bird and eats one wing while I scarf down the thighs, the other wing and some breast meat before even opening my dinner.

 My regular meal is lamb chops. I’ve always liked lamb chops, but I never realized just how much I had butchered the chops I cooked until I tried the ones at Western Chicken. The meal comes with a bland Middle Eastern salad and pickled veggies (which I avoid), a serving of hummus and several store-bought pitas, and a decent serving of mild but tasty rice. I also order the babaganoush on occasion (which they ended with a “j” rather than the “sh“, which must be some kind of Lebanese thing).

 Kabobs are a big item here, as long as you like lamb and chicken. They may have different meats available, but when you can get lamb and chicken that’s this good, who cares? In addition to the afore mentioned sides, some dishes include tahini and/or babaganouj (as they spelled it) in addition to the insipid salad and pickled veggies that always wind up fed to the garbage disposal. If you order from home, you’re better off providing your own veggie side dish. If not included with your meal, you can always order the babaganouj or tahini on the side. That fabulous garlic sauce comes with the chicken, but you can always ask for more, and more is always better. Make sure you have some Tic Tacs handy.

Here’s my review: The chicken was falling-off-the-bone tender, yet juicy, flavorful and very tasty. The garlic sauce was creamy, mild yet exploding with flavor and left me with a wonderful aftertaste. The hummus was fine; creamy, smooth, flavorful. And the babaganouj was tangy and delicious. As for the lamb chops… I asked for medium rare, and that’s just what I got. I ate all four chops within about a minute, virtually inhaling them one after the other, then spent several minutes sucking on the bones.

Now, the name… I wonder if they tried a Lebanese name and didn’t get good business, so they decided to go with something more American sounding? Whatever the reason, it’s a pretty pedestrian name for such an excellent restaurant.

This is nothing fancy; it’s basically a takeout place that delivers—and I strongly recommend you call for delivery, as the place is not in a good part of town (in Hollywood, on Western Avenue halfway between Sunset and Hollywood boulevards) and parking can be a problem. But for the price, which was very reasonable, you won’t find a better deal and quality combined anywhere else.

Western Chicken

1546 N Western Ave

Los Angeles, CA 90027

Phone: (323) 308-1900