There are meat on the sticks, and there are Middle Eastern meat on the stick. The "modern" form of kebabs can be traced to the Medieval time period during which Persian and Turkic soldiers stabbed and grilled meats with the swords. Here in LA, eating kebabs doesn't require a weapon, but the experience can be nearly as carnal and visceral. Listed below, 18 great kebab restaurants in Los Angeles.
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Kazam! 18 Fantastic Kebab Restaurants in Los Angeles

Darband
Darband is a SFV chainlet that specializes in dinner as entertainment. In various branches, belly dancers, lounge singers and karaoke can be found. However, the semi-formal settings and barg kabobs have been bringing people in for 10 years.
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Darya
Darya is well known in the neighborhood for the extremely interesting interior "design". However, the pricey barg and koobideh seems to make everyone around Sawtelle go ga-ga.
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Elena's Greek Armenian Cuisine
This now Glendale institution is nearly all Armenian, and hardly Greek at all. The small restaurant perpetually sports ridiculous lines, but the affordable kebab plates are worth the wait. When bored with meaty sticks, the quail will keep one entertained.
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Farsi Cafe
Farsi used to be located within the Super Sun Market. Since graduating into a larger (and rather modern) space, Farsi has made a new name in the neighborhood for its gheymeh and shishlik (racks of lamb). The chicken kabab here is available bone-in!
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Gavar Restaurant
Gavar is a newish Glendale banquet hall representation the Eastern Armenian flavors. It will skewer anything that's an edible protein. When in season, fresh pomegranate is an accompaniment. nothing is more tender than the veal kebab here.
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Hye Cuisine
A spot for beautifully done pork kebabs.
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Kabab Mahaleh
While the massive ovens spitting out sangak clearly shows the strength of the kabob shops on Pico, Mahalah's fast casual service and brief menu allow customers to get their lenghty kosher koobideh kabobs at neck-break speed.
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Kabob by Faraj
This kosher kabob (since '95) shop also happens to be a butcher. Though small in size, the meat counter prices are low, and the meat is basically guaranteed to be fresh.
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Mini Kabob
Due to the friendly matriach, Mini Kabob has always been a Yelp darling. In 2013, thanks to an La Weekly article, Mini Kabab absolutely blew up, so it is always wise to call ahead for the chicken kabobs.
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Old Gyumri
Gyumri is one the few "themed" restaurants in Glendale fit for Armenian celebratory parties. Here, the plates are enormous, and luleh kebabs are available in multiple of fives. For the pescatarian, there is a variety of grilled fish, and for potato fiends, there is the amazing beef stroganoff fries.
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Original Kabob Factory
OKF has become the Chipotle of kebabs in Glendale. The most modernly decorated fast-casual kebab restaurant in Glendale also offers all the meats to go for home grillers.
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Robert's Russian Cuisine
Frog legs? check. caviar? check. vodka, check, check, check. There aren't too many Russian restaurants in Los Angeles, and this one happens to be Armenian-Russian, and serves a variety of kebobs.
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Sako's Mediterenean Cuisine
The massive combination kebab plate at Sako's is impressive, but what truly stands out is iskender kebab, a Turkish take on doner kebabs.
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Sangak Cafe
Sangak Cafe is almost the companion restaurant to Kabob Mahaleh. The menus are near duplicates, as is the food (including the sangak, and the roasted tomatoes that accompany all the kabobs).
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Simon's Cafe
Because Simon's is a Moroccan restaurant, the juicy lamb kebabs served over cous cous. And if so desired, a combination of spicy merguez alongside the kebabs is available as well.
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Taste Of Tehran
While Taste of Tehran's kebabs are standard (though rather large in portion), more homely dishes such as the wintery soup of ash rasteh and fesenjan demonstrates the true depth of Persian cuisine. The juicy chicken kebabs have helped ToT become the OKF of West Los Angeles
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Varouj's Kabobs
While the neighborhood loves this low key mom & pop shop for the kabobs, the menu gets down with raw beef in the form of chee kufta minced beef mixed with bulgur.
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Zuma Kitchen
Zuma Kitchen is a Turkish restaurant in the middle of Tehrangeles, hence it is also one of the few places to taste authentic Turkish kebabs (the iskender) in LA. It takes over Anatolia, but the ownership remains the same.
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