Ollie’s Offers Eclectic Menu Options

There’s a new restaurant on the corner of Hillcrest Road and Grelot Road called Ollie’s Mediterranean Grille. The Vanguard investigated this new eatery and found it to be quite good, despite the mixed reviews it’s garnered on urbanspoon.com.

Some of the reviews ragged on the wait staff’s service, while others didn’t offer a positive opinion of the cuisine at Ollie’s. After a nice dinner at this grille, I can honestly say that A) these critics probably went to Ollie’s right after it opened when servers were still being trained (consequently judging the restaurant a little too soon), B) they were picky, or C) they just had a bad server.

As soon as I walked into Ollie’s, the modern, retro-ish atmosphere relaxed me. The eye-catching granite countertops framing the bar area are appropriately placed as eye-candy for guests walking in, but I don’t know how many people wanting to sit at the bar would like to be so close to the front door where people wait to be seated. The place seems like it would be much cooler at night with its brick walls, dark corners and multiple flat screens.

I was quickly attended to by a friendly server who was attentive but didn’t offer much of a suggestion when I asked what she recommended for dinner, as if she hadn’t tried a lot of the food. I liked the prices I saw when I scanned the extensive menu. Your average plate (say, for a hot sandwich or wrap with soup or salad) at Ollie’s will cost about $8 or $9.

Variety comes in no small amounts at Ollie’s. The menu offerings ranged from beef, chicken, and veal shawarma to tabbouli salad and hummus wraps to unique pizzas. Mediterranean restaurant staples like falafel and hummus plates were on the menu, of course, along with baklava and lentil soup.

Portions are in no small amounts, either. The “small” option for hummus I ordered was enough for three people to eat as an appetizer, and the lentil soup that came with my beef shawarma wrap came in a huge bowl with a lemon wedge for extra zing. The soup was good but not anything to rave over. The wrap brought plenty of crunchy, grilled vegetables in a tangy yogurt sauce, and the beef was flavorful.

Ollie’s has the most amazing hummus and pita bread I’ve had in a while. The fresh pita – fluffy, doughy-on-the-inside loaves that almost melt in your mouth – were perfect with the hummus, which I’m still raving about. I brought my hummus leftovers to work after my dinner at Ollie’s, and my co-workers are still raving about it, too. The hummus is smooth and sweet and tangy. In short, delicious. A rival for some of the hummus already in town. If you order a latte at Ollie’s and you don’t want chocolate syrup drizzled on top, make sure you specify with your server. For some reason, my server said they drizzle chocolate on most of their lattes, which they definitely did for my French vanilla one. I wasn’t too crazy about that, especially since it tasted little like French vanilla and a lot like chocolate and cinnamon.

The caesar salad was crisp and fresh, and the dressing was delicious. It was served in a huge bowl with plenty of parmesan cheese. For dessert, I tried the baklava, which was moist, buttery, flaky, and tantalizingly sweet. Another win for Ollie’s.

The restaurant gets extra points for its perfectly clean ladies’ room and its smiling wait staff. For me and my dinner partner to try all that food, the bill came out to $27.15 (excluding tip).

The only suggestion I can make as a customer is to have some sort of drink special (at least on weekends), since it probably will see a fair amount of customers who want to have alcohol with their meal.

I recommend you bring a big appetite for good food to this clean, well-kempt eatery. It’s not far from USA, and it’s got a really nice patio to sit out under the stars while you enjoy the food. If you’re a hookah fan, you can order that at Ollie’s, too.

I hope this restaurant doesn’t go under like the others who have tried making it on that corner of Hillcrest and Grelot. We need more eclectic places like Ollie’s Mediterranean Grille in Mobile.