Castro Street: Mountain View’s Dining Heart
Castro Street in Mountain View is the city’s social and culinary core. On any evening, the sidewalks fill with tech workers, families, couples, and visitors exploring the strip’s dense concentration of restaurants, cafes, and shops. The street runs through downtown Mountain View and functions as the gathering place for a community that’s otherwise distributed across campus buildings and residential neighborhoods.
Within this landscape, Mediterranean Grill House at 650 Castro St has built a reputation that extends well beyond its address.
What Makes Mediterranean Grill House a Castro Street Standout
Castro Street has no shortage of food options. What it has fewer of: restaurants that combine genuine quality, distinctive identity, accessible prices, and a reputation built on the food rather than the marketing.
Mediterranean Grill House hits all four.
The falafel. Reviewers describe it as “among the best in the bay” — a remarkable claim in a region where excellent Lebanese, Israeli, and Palestinian falafel is available throughout the South Bay. The Castro Street version earns this specifically.
The house-made foundations. Hummus, tahini, and labneh are made in-house — not from commercial stock. The difference is immediately apparent when you’ve eaten both. These are the building blocks of Mediterranean cuisine and getting them right signals kitchen discipline.
The Yemeni coffee. No other Castro Street restaurant offers Sanaani coffee, Adeni chai, and Turkish coffee from a dedicated Yemeni coffee program. The reviewer who called it “probably the best cafe in Mountain View due to the unique options” was describing something that genuinely doesn’t exist elsewhere on this strip.
The warmth. Reviewers consistently note “warm and jovial staff” — the hospitality quality that makes a neighborhood restaurant feel like a neighborhood restaurant rather than a transaction point.
The prices. “Very reasonable, especially for the Castro Street location.” On a strip where this is a rare thing to say, it stands out.
The Full Menu for Castro Street Diners
Food (made fresh daily): – Shawarma — wraps and bowls, chicken praised in reviews – Kabobs — grilled, as part of platter or wrap – Falafel — the dish that earns independent mention in nearly every review – Hummus, tabbouleh, tahini, labneh — house-made – Bowls — for a more substantial sit-down order – Vegetarian and gluten-free options
Drinks (the full Sanaa coffee program): – Sanaani coffee — cardamom-spiced Yemeni coffee, hot or iced – Adeni chai — spiced Yemeni tea, warming and aromatic – Turkish coffee — traditional, notably strong – All hot and iced preparations available
Breakfast and pastries: – Morning options for Castro Street’s early crowd – Pastries alongside the coffee program
When to Visit
Breakfast/Morning: One of the few Castro Street spots open early with both food and specialty coffee. Sanaani coffee and a pastry is a strong start to a Mountain View morning.
Lunch: The shawarma wrap and falafel are built for the midday crowd. Order online for pickup and you’re in and out quickly.
Afternoon coffee: The Sanaani coffee and Adeni chai program serves the post-lunch window — a useful stop for Mountain View residents who want something more interesting than a standard espresso.
Dinner: The full grill menu operates through the evening — kabobs, shawarma plates, bowls for a more relaxed meal.
Order Directly
Online ordering at online-ordering.innowi.com/branch/medgrill — no third-party fees. Or walk in at Suite 110 on Castro Street. Phone: (650) 625-9990.
