Open Sesame, Long Beach

Excellent food! try the chicken tawook with extra garlic sauce, It's amazing ! Also they have good vegeterian selection!

I have been going to Open Sesame for about three years now, food is amazing. But this last time we went we had a horrible experience that we are opting never to go back again! My husband put his name on the waiting list, gave his I.D. in exchange for the beeper. We were waiting right in front of the restaurant for about 30 minutes. When it was time for the seater to give my husband his I.D. she claimed never to have gotten it from him. Asked him to look several times. Manager came and asked him to look again. The seater had given my husband's I.D. to another customer (a woman) who had left already. My husband, being such a nice guy that he is just exchanged information with the manager in case the lady came back with his I.D. My husband went the weekend without and I.D. We went back a Sunday and the same seater was there and she was still blaming my husband for her idiotic mistake! To make the story short, the manager never contacted my husband and we had to pay for a new I.D. So if you decide to go there, DO NOT give them anything in exchange for their beeper....they will lose it, and blame you!

Maybe it's because I have never had lebanese food or Mediterranean for that matter. But I thought the food was OUTSTANDING! I have been craving it since the moment I left last week. I do not mind being by the busy street. It is such a nice area. However, I have driven by on many occasions during the weekend and they are horribly booked and have never tired it for that very reason. I am new to this cuisine and live towards whittier. Any sugguestions? I frequent all areas betwenn Whittier and Long beach.

Wasn't that impressed with this restaurant. I heard rave reviews about the food, so I decided to give it a try. Yet when I ended up going, the service wasn't very good, and the host was just okay. He wasn't as accomodating as Middle Eastern restaurants usually are. He was more Americanized that was probably the case. Anyway, the tabbouleh wasn't my favorite dish, not necessarily because they made it badly but because I'm not a fan of it. The chicken tawouk was pretty good, and so was the beef kebab. I do think that the food is overpriced for the taste, and portions; additionally, the setting is right off a busy highway which isn't that great. Eat there if you are close by and want Middle Eastern food. I can't vouch for weekend service (which I can foresee as being quite horrible), I went to eat on a Wednesday afternoon around 4, and it wasn't crowded at all, we might've been the only people there. Good eatings!

Delicious food, with poor service and cleanliness. The hostess took our name, & gave us a flashing buzzer. She told us that there was a 15 minute wait. After 50 minutes & everyone else had been seated, she asked if we wanted a buzzer. After showing her our buzzer, she claimed she buzzed us and called our name, dispite the fact that we had been standing in front of the restaurant for over 50 minutes, not more than 9 ft from the entrance with a non-flashing, non-vibrating buzzer. After finishing half of my meal, I found a brown hair peaking out of my tabouleh. I couldn't eat any more. How many hairs had already eaten, I don't know. This on top of being seated next to the entrance, where women continually hit me or the back of my chair with their purses annoyed me even further. If a restaurant with delicious food, poor service and questionable health standards is for you, be sure to check out this place.

This is my new favorite place to eat! i just moved here and the only other place I had tried was Lucille's. Open Sesame is way better.

My husband, brother, and I reserved a table a week in advance. We called ahead of time as well to confirm our reservation. We got there and the reservation was not on file. The mgr came out and said it must be at the other location and we said it was not so and quoted the name of the contact who made the reservation at that location. We then got seated at the bar instead of table with reservation. We then got moved around to accomodate another couple in the middle of our meal about 20 min later. I think my brothers fork was in his mouth while his plate was being picked up and moved down the bar. But lets not stop with the terrible service by mgmt, the food was less than desirable-sub par at best. The food was super greasy, bread was stale, and pita sandwich looked like frozen cat food. If you want real lebanese food go to Alladin in San Diego! You will always get great food, service, and friendly wonderful atomosphere.

My husband & I eat at Open Sesame two to three times a week and our friends come to the Shore to join us for meals there. The food is consistently outstanding, the staff is well monitored by the management and each is very pleasant, efficient and attentive. With the opening of additional space, the seating is much quicker. Lebanese friends had cooked us meals for many years so we know authentic Lebanese food. The Lebanese owner Ali and the Lebanese head chef create superb authentic specialty dishes. Open Sesame has the feel of being in the Middle East without leaving town! The Lebanese food at Open Sesame is heart healthy food with poly and mono unsaturated fats - primarily olive oil. It is not salty at all, but spiced using garlic, tahini and lemon. The wine, beer and food selections are each outstanding with something for everyone. The food and service are so good that most of the people eating there are repeat customers. We have been eating there for the seven years of Open Sesame's existence and have always had outstanding food and equal enjoyment of the ambiance. Open Sesame has enriched our lives and better yet....we can walk there!