Various local LA publications rate Shamshiri Grill as one of the best Persian restaurants in LA. It certainly was not on the Monday night we went there or there is not really much great Persian food in LA with the exception of the local Persian community’s home kitchens, which I was lucky to have been invited to.
Shamshiri grill restaurant inside
Food: Rich, giant, and generally boring. It is nice that they offer freshly baked bread, yet it turned out too chewy for me, I prefer my flat bread being more tender like the artisanal Sangak whole wheat sourdough flat bread at the Woodland Hills Bakery in the Valley. The basic, but not the best quality Feta cheese with herbs and walnuts, as well as the Shirazi salad were unimpressive. The Kashk-E-Bademjan of seasoned sautéed eggplants prepared with caramelised onion and sautéed mint mixed with kashk (a thick yoghurt whey) was delicious though. Rich, on the oily side, but very tasty.
artisanal Iranian Sangak bread
The main courses at Shamshiri Grill are so big, that two people would have hard work to finish just one. We had an Okra stew with lamb, which did not have much saffron in its tomato sauce as the menu claimed, as it was so bland that we could not finish even a quarter of the gargantuan plate. On the other hand, the house beef special ‘Beef Shamshiri’, a combination of the heart of tenderloin and a skewer of seasoned ground beef was quite good yet since the meet was very dry we missed some sauce. It was served with a huge portion of dry rice and grilled vegetables of inferior taste. The minced beef was my favourite plate, but I would order any juicy sauce the waiter recommends to you with it.
Beef Shamshiri grill Los Angeles
After such a heavy, even though barely half-finished, meal we did not feel like indulging in the desserts at the Shamshiri Grill. Perhaps they are tastier than most of the food we had from the menu that evening. The conclusion: come in a group and share as much as you can.
Cuisine: Persian
Visit: March 2012
Price: The portions are so giant that two to three people can share the main course, so it is a bargain.

Drinks: From fresh mint tea through black Persian tea and yoghurt-based drinks, the offer is generous. There is a bottle of red wine sitting on each table so if you cannot decide what to drink, just ask the waiter to open the Merlot or a Cab in front of you. If you are a wine connoisseur rather ask for the wine list though.
Atmosphere: The service is very friendly and welcoming. The restaurant is spacious and hums with chatter of the customers. You can dress casually or dress up a bit.
 1712 Westwood Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90024
 +1 310 474 1410
Mon-Sun 11:30am-10pm