Mediterranean cuisine was mostly a mystery to me, which was exactly why I HAD to try it when I saw an ad for Fadi’s Mediterranean Grill. 
First time at the restaurant and a little bit confused? If nobody offers any assistance (more on that later), just imagine yourself back in a high school cafeteria. First you grab a tray, utensils, and napkins. Then you go through the service line and choose your food. The staff kind of sort of guide you, if you ask. Pay your food at the end and get your drink, then find a table and start eating.
My suggestion is to order the Fadi’s Ultimate Sampler. It’ll get you a sample of nearly every side item they have on display and one meat entree. At $10.99, it’s quite a deal too. There were 4 of us, but when we saw the portion size of the Sampler we got only three. When it came to the meats we got a lamb shank, baked chicken quarter, and lamb kabob. You’re only allowed 2 fresh baked pita breads per order. We also grabbed a basket of freshly made chips.
If you’re a vegetarian, this is the place to be. Other than maybe 4 meat entrees, everything else is vegetables. Our sample veggie plate included spinich salad, regular house salad, cole slaw, cucumber salad, pasta salad, zucchini, fried cauliflower, rice, potatoes, two kinds of bean dips, parsley salsa, mushrooms…that’s all I can remember. They were prepared in a variety of ways and were hearty so you can easily make a meal out of just the vegetables. The bean dips were perfect with the pita and chips.
Mmm…veggies
These pitas beat store bought ones anyday
As for the rest of you who aren’t vegetarians, worry not! Their meat entrees are just as tasty and satisfying. My favorite was the lamb shank. It was perfectly cooked so the meat was fork tender and the jellied tendons (the best part imho) enveloped each bite with a mellowing texture. I could barely notice the gamey smell often associated with lamb meat. On the contrary, the slight hint of the smell actually enhanced the lamb meat, giving you a unique taste that you won’t find in your usual diet.
The lamb shank was unbelievably tender and juicy
Just as good was the grilled lamb kabob. Skewered and marinated, they were still raw and uncooked when we ordered it. It took about 5-10 minutes after we’ve sat down and started eating our other stuff before they were finished cooking. I think we requested the lamb to be medium well done, and they looked rightly so. The just grilled pieces illicitated a mouth-watering aroma that cut through whatever we had on our table. Immediately we each took a piece to savor, and for at least 10 seconds we chewed in silence. Even though we had them done medium well, the meat was still tender and juicy. It was probably because we devoured them right after they finished grilling and also the fact that the marinating had infused some extra liquids into the meat.
Lamb kabob, grilled but still just as juicy
Our last meat entree was a quarter roasted chicken. It was good, but there were two reasons why it didn’t appeal to us as much as the other lamb dishes. First off, chicken is on almost every menu in every restaurant, so there was no real surprise there. As long as the chicken doesn’t turn out too dry, it’ll be good. Second, the lamb meats were so tasty and succulant that when I got to the chicken I had pretty high expectations. Unfortunately I expected too much, so it seemed dull in comparison.
Nothing like a classic roasted chicken as a default option
The interior of the restaurant was clean. It was pretty noisy though, but somehow we didn’t mind as much for some reason. “When in Rome do as the Romans do” I suppose. The service line, including the open kitchen, was brightly lit so the colorful foods were presented almost like a decoration. The service, however, wasn’t as impressive. Since it was our first time there, we were unsure how to proceed with the ordering. Staring at the vast array of choices, we were a bit lost and hoped one of the service staff would step up and help out. Instead, they stared back at us with a hint of annoyance that we were taking so long, so eventually *I* had to step up and ask how everything worked. Other than this blemish, Fadi’s was worth another visit if only for the lamb shank and kabobs.
Fadi’s Grill
www.fadiscuisine.com
2787 Preston Road
Frisco, Texas
972.712.1600Atmosphere: 7
Food: 7
Service: 6
Cleaniness: 7
Value: 7
Overall: 6.7
Tags: Fadi’s, Meditarranean, lamb, kabob, pita