Tel Aviv Grill Relocates Israeli Comfort Food to Encino

The West Valley is a hotbed for Israeli food, and Tel Aviv Grill in Tarzana  is an especially popular option. Owner Itzik Luzon recently relocated the flagship restaurant to Encino, replacing Itzik Hagadol Grill. The move gives Tel Aviv Grill more space and parking, and their fast-casual comfort food is just as tasty.

Order at the counter from an LED menu, and pick up food from an open kitchen with a counter of colorful salads on display. The Glatt Kosher menu is the same as the Tarzana original, minus a couple of dishes like chicken liver and chicken heart. Every protein is available in three different sandwiches—pita, laffa, and baguette—or on plates.

I’d suggest starting with juicy, spit-roasted chicken shawarma, which is great on a plate. I piled my plate with complimentary accompaniments from the salad bar, including creamy hummus and nutty tahini, fried eggplant, spicy marinated green olives, tangy purple cabbage salad, spicy red chile sauce and chimichurri-like green sauce. Be sure to request soft, puffy pita. Otherwise you won’t get any bread.

Other menu highlights include grilled beef ribeye steak, chicken thigh kebabs and veal sweetbreads. Soft, herb-flecked falafel rounds with thin, crispy coats would also benefit any order.

The space features a dining room with wood tables and a large communal high-top, plus a big covered patio. Tel Aviv Grill’s new setting is a big step up from Tarzana, though I suspect the food will remain the main draw.

17201 Ventura Blvd., Encino, 818-774-9400