(Photo by Jake Williams/Chambana Eats)
Champaign-Urbana has a few different outstanding Mediterranean spots — Shawarma Joint, Dubai Grill, etc. — but Downtown Champaign’s new opening Mezza House is a standout.
Mezza House, which opened in May, is tucked into the former La Bahía Grill spot on Church Street, between Himalayan Chimney and the (vacant and for sale) Art Theater. The restaurant fills its space well, with a dining room on the left when you walk in, and a cafe-style setup on the right.
When you arrive, orders are placed at the counter in the center of the restaurant. The menu is focused and excellent, with sandwiches served on pita and entrees of meat and rice. The appetizer menu — with just a handful of items — delivers on the classics, and all four salads are excellent.
Where other Mediterranean spots in town lean more into the fast casual concept of grab and go, Mezza House is welcoming and worth enjoying in house.
The space itself is welcoming and open. Even on moderately busy nights, tables are spaced out enough to give you some privacy, while also keeping the overall volume low. The cafe area is cute, simple, and anchored by a neon sign decor piece displaying “Mezza Cafe.” In the window on the cafe side, guests can sip coffee and eat pastries in front of a TV with more relaxed seating options.
While the vibe and ambiance of the restaurant are both excellent, the food that Mezza House serves is simply outstanding.
On two visits to Mezza House (one during the restaurant’s initial soft open, and another on a recent Tuesday night), each plate of food was executed perfectly, with the right balance of char, tang and flavor. The restaurant’s hummus might just be the best in Champaign-Urbana, and is unique in its citrus-y tingle on your palate. The falafel appetizer comes with a loose tahini sauce with that same citrus feeling, and the interior of the fried chickpeas is moist and flavorful, with a very crispy exterior.
One of Mezza House’s best dishes, however, isn’t even on the menu. On my first visit, before our appetizers, the staff brought out a complimentary little bowl of lentil soup. The soup burst with flavor and comfort, and had me practically licking the bowl for as much as I could grab. If the restaurant sold this soup in frozen quart containers (like San Maru!), I would buy a weird amount to eat whenever I am feeling even the slightest bit sick…or just hungry.
(Photo by Jake Williams/Chambana Eats)
For main entrees, you really can’t go wrong. From the savory kufta kabab made with lamb and spices, to the half rotisserie chicken, to the chicken shish tawook platter, the flavors are distinctive for each dish, while fitting the overall style of the restaurant perfectly.
The rotisserie chicken was a particular high point. Sliced down the spine, the half chicken was sizeable and had perfectly-seasoned skin. It was the right amount of food for one hungry person, and every bite was complemented by the red seasoned rice and lightly-pickled cabbage on the plate.
(Photo by Jake Williams/Chambana Eats)
If you’re craving a simple, but excellently cooked, roast chicken, this is the one for you. There isn’t any regular menu competition in town that’s close, as far as I can recall.
If you prefer your mixed grills in sandwich form, the pitas are outstanding (I had the chicken tawook sandwich). The sandwich makes for a quick light meal, but if you’re hungry, you’ve got to get one of the platters.
In addition to the excellent savory food, Mezza House has a huge selection of pastries and sweets in the cafe section. I was too full to grab some on both visits, but they look great.
(Photo by Jake Williams/Chambana Eats)
When it comes to experiences, if your visit to Mezza House was anything like mine, you’ll be wowed at the finesse in each bite. The cooking is just excellent, and the consistency across two visits months apart is commendable.
This won’t be my last time at Mezza House. What a great addition to the evolving downtown Champaign restaurant landscape.