Black and yellow, big, capital letters... I thought this was a motorbike shop. Mega Bites is a new restaurant open on the internal Jal el Dib road next to Orfali Café, which I previously reviewed. Mega Bites promises a large selection of international sandwiches, as well as a corner of Lebanese possibilities.
Behind the door is a rectangular space where an open kitchen prepares the orders and sandwiches. The first impression is nice, especially when you see a fasting menu. A menu specially designed for the season including a selection of fish sandwiches, cauliflower, hindbeh and vegetarian pizza.
The small shop is an overdose of yellow and black and looks like a garage or a drag racing strip. Black and yellow colors decorate the right side wall, a long grill occupies the left side, while small items, also painted black, decorate the shop. A yellow espresso machine, a yellow stand for the menus and a yellow bar. Carbon fiber stickers cover the bar, which faces the glass facade with a view of the street.
The menu:
- Appetizers
- Salads
- Burgers
- Sandwiches
- Pizza
- Platters
- Lebanese corner
- BBQ sandwiches
- Desserts
- Drinks
The first impression:
- The photos on the menu are appetizing.
- The choices are wide and interesting.
To have a general idea about the food, we ordered the specialties:
- Submarine: Cheese, ham, salami, coleslaw, corn, black olives, pickles, ketchup, mustard and mayo. I personally found the sandwich a bit bready and it could be better if it was toasted a bit more. A bit less mayonnaise, a bit less salt and we're close of having something interesting. The mustard was too prominent and left an overpowering aftertaste.
- The fries are good, but the portion is too small. The box should be filled to the top to look more appetizing.
- Now for the burger, the Mega Burger. This sandwich is indeed mega. A 150-gram patty, fried eggs, cheese and ham, grilled onions, fries, coleslaw, mustard, ketchup and mayo. It's indeed a Lebanese mega bite, including everything you can imagine in a burger. Fries, that not everyone adds, fried eggs, a thick juicy party and a coleslaw salad, all this for LBP8,000. It's not a burger I personally appreciated, but one can't deny that it's good. An old-style meat with the right mix and spices, a thick bread and lots of ingredients. Acceptable for the price tag.
- The Mega Pizza followed. Fresh cream, marinated chicken breast, onions, bacon, cheese, corn, black olives and oregano. A thick, very chewy dough topped with garlic marinated chicken, where the garlic obscures all the other flavors, followed by an oily cheese, crunchy black olives and an overdose of corn... That's a no!
The pluses:
- Choices satisfy all cravings.
- Prices are reasonable.
The minuses:
- I was personally shocked at the fact that not a single Lebanese employee was around.
- Eating in makes your clothes smell of fried food for the rest of the day.
- The food is pretty average...
I'll let you reach your own verdict...
