Olives At Building 160 - Stanford

Food: 2 Decor: 3 Service: 4 Grabbed the falafel plate, 7 from here for lunch. Overall, pretty mediocre. They also had beef and lamb gyros, as well as chicken skewers. Chicken skewers were pre-cooked, and they didn't look too appetizing.

Disappointing. Boiled rice is not pilaf. It's just boiled rice. Mashing a can of chickpeas does not make hummus. There's salt, lemon, tahini,cumin and garlic in hummus. At least some salt. Gyro meat should be sliced thin, not in fist sized chunks. Sour cream is not tzaziki sauce. Terrible. Never again.

This is definitely one of the best spots on campus for a quick sandwich or meal. It's a bit tricky to find and not very well advertised. When you enter through the main entrance, head diagonally to the left and pass under the two bends; then you'll find Oliven on your left. There are plenty of outdoor seating options, and the wait is usually not too long. The sandwiches are worth trying, but I didn't enjoy the salmon. Most meals also come with a salad!

The Mediterranean food here feels inauthentic. The falafel patties look like they just came out of the freezer and are far too small. The tahini sauce is off-balance, tasting overly citrusy. The shawarma also seems unusual; it tastes more like they used fajita spices instead of traditional shawarma seasoning. What they call a Greek salad is simply low-quality romaine lettuce with a poorly mixed vinaigrette drizzled on top. I ordered a pasta and quinoa salad and requested a little olive oil to add on top, but to my surprise, this so-called Mediterranean restaurant doesn’t even have a bottle of olive oil available. It’s quite disappointing.

This place can get quite crowded, but the food is absolutely fantastic. The kitchen staff is always cheerful and kind, even when dealing with difficult customers. The cashiers aren't the friendliest, but it doesn't significantly affect my overall experience.