In the hub of restaurants located along the newly developed Main Street Market Place, a quaint little restaurant called King Kabob awaits eager customers. The outdoor seating piqued our interest and we decided to venture inside the unknown territory. We were thrilled to discover the cheap menu prices. Unfortunately, our enthusiasm only lasted through the first course, when we realized the quality food was reflective of the prices.

Both of us were in the mood for some Middle Eastern food and expected to find the typical menu items such as gyro sandwiches, fresh vegetables and, of course, kabobs. We should have noticed the desperate advertising ploys in the front window and taken the hint that new customers clearly were not returning to King Kabob. The display held pictures, enlarged menu copies and self-promotion signs in various fluorescent colors. They advertised the $8 all-you-can-eat buffet and the “Best Kabobs in Town.” We beg to differ.

The restaurant is filled with many small tables suited for groups of four, covered with cheesy, dark, salmon color tablecloths. The tables made the restaurant feel overcrowded and cluttered despite that fact that there were only about six other guests in the entire restaurant. We did our best to ignore the claustrophobic and musty atmosphere and took our seats to peruse the menu. We did happen to find one redeeming factor of King Kabob’s environment when we observed many people using the free Wi-Fi and complimentary tea station.

We came up to the counter, which was in front of the half-opened kitchen, to be kindly greeted by an employee who served as both the hostess and assistant chef. Her warm hospitality showed how truly invested she was in the restaurant. She helped us through the ordering process and made suggestions on what we should order. We settled on the King Gyro sandwich with spicy fries, which rang in at just under $9. We also ordered the Chickpeas for $2, which is a bargain compared to other restaurants. The rest of the menu features entrées all above $10, but the higher prices certainly do not reflect the poor quality of all the food.

When our food arrived, we took it to one of their outdoor tables. On a good day, their outside dining proves to be a great alternative choice to being stuck inside. This will definitely be an added bonus when the warmer weather becomes permanent. We started with the fries, which, contrary to our first impression of the restaurant, had a surprisingly pleasant flavor. They had a crunchy outer texture and were fried to perfection.

This is where the compliments on the food end. The open-faced Gyro sandwich had tasteless meat that lacked any sort of color and was too chewy. Between a flat piece of bread and lettuce, it was a lackluster meal worthy of neither the drive nor the money. The rest of the dining experience at King Kabob pretty much mirrored that of the gyro sandwich.

There are many components that make up a great restaurant: ambiance, service and, most importantly, the food. King Kabob missed the mark on the meat, and provided us with a less than memorable dining experience.