Chris McMahan
Staff Writer
The Argo Mediterranean Grille in downtown La Verne is the only restaurant in the area to offer unique and original Mediterranean dishes.
The restaurant opened about two months ago, and manager Alberto Pena has been with the company since their opening in La Verne.
“There are no restaurants with Mediterranean food (in the La Verne area),” Pena said.
Besides the friendly staff and homey feeling, the one thing that seems to set Argo Mediterranean apart is its unique menu that includes everything from kabobs to falafel.
There are also dishes that customers would not find in a typical restaurant, such as lamb lule, which can be ordered either as a sandwich or a regular entrée.
For those wanting something more traditional, there is also a full salad bar and dishes that can be ordered a la carte, allowing customers to try a wide variety of food.
While the menu is wide-ranging, Pena’s recommendations for customers that are new to Mediterranean food are the beef, chicken and falafel.
You can get the beef, chicken or falafel as a sandwich or an entrée, which is served with the side of rice pilaf and the choice of pickled turnips or pita bread.
Pena also said that unlike other Mediterranean restaurants that include American dishes on the menu, Argo Mediterranean Grille’s menu includes only original Mediterranean dishes.
According to cashier Amber Zappey, this is one of the best parts about the restaurant.
“We’re pretty fresh because of how the food is prepared, which makes it quick and easy to serve to the customers,” Zappey said.
Both Zappey and Pena agreed the food is original and easy to prepare, which makes the restaurant unique compared to others downtown.
Argo Mediterranean is also one of only two restaurants in the downtown area to offer ULV students and staff a 10 percent discount.
“If you give students more discounts, it will encourage more people to come in,” Zappey said.
According to Zappey, the discount encourages business, as she said the lunch rush hits around noon everyday, with plenty of La Verne students.
Zappey said one of the best parts of the job is the lunch rush, because it gives her and the other staff members a chance to serve a wide variety of guests.
Despite the lunch rushes the restaurant is large enough so it is never overcrowded, making the customers feel more comfortable and at home.
The discount helps but it is the originality of the food that draws customers into the restaurant, according to Pena.
With no other Mediterranean restaurants in La Verne, it allows students and residents to try something new.
Pena hopes that by word of mouth business will increase even more for the new restaurant.
Argo Mediterranean Grille is located at 2313 D St. in downtown La Verne.
Chris McMahan can be reached at christopher.mcmahan@laverne.edu.
