5048 N Blackstone Ave #108 (NE corner of Blackstone and Shaw)
226-2400

$24 for two people: vegetarian plate and a falafel sandwich

by: Jessi Hafer
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It’s the pilaf…
Overall, Lily’s Grill House and Café is nice, but it doesn’t especially stand out. It’s in a location that I’m often near, but I never noticed the restaurant until someone else told me about it (in the old “City Café” spot). The décor is simple and clean, but not especially memorable. The food was just as good as offerings of other Mediterranean places. What really stood out (and what will prompt my return) is the rice pilaf that comes with most of the entrees and sandwiches.
Is the pilaf at Lily’s better than other pilafs? I couldn’t say, as most places that have pilaf make it with chicken broth. Lily’s is the first place in Fresno I’ve encountered where the pilaf is actually vegan. Happily, it’s very good.
I had my pilaf with the vegetarian plate I ordered, which included hummus, baba ghannouj (which is similar to hummus, but made with grilled, pureed eggplant), falafel, yalanchi (rolled grape leaves filled with rice, tomatoes, onions, and parsley—different places have different names for this), green salad (with cucumbers and tomatoes), and pita bread. It was quite filling. It ended up being way too much for me to eat by myself, but it gave me the chance to try several of the vegan options. After the pilaf, the grape leaves and falafel were my favorites, but I enjoyed all of it.
My friends had falafel sandwiches (falafel, lettuce, tahini, and cucumbers wrapped in pita bread), which were a good size and also came with a choice of pilaf or salad (they wisely chose the pilaf). Other vegan options include tabbouleh and foul (crushed fava beans with onions, tomatoes, and parsley). Other vegetarians may be interested in the labneh (homemade yogurt cream/cheese), Greek salad, yogurt salad, or the desserts (including baklava, napoleon, and honey cake). Your carnivore/omnivore friends may prefer some of the kebab or shawerma selections.
The service was friendly. One of my friends, who always drinks way too much water at restaurants, was thrilled to receive such attentive refills. Although your order is taken and served at your table, when you pay, you do so at the register (so don’t assume they’re suddenly ignoring you once they give you your bill).
Now that I know that Lily’s is there, on a corner that doesn’t have a high density of other restaurants, I think it’s quite convenient.