Umami Global Bistro

Food is atrocious. Falafel was NOT a falafel! I ordered a chicken platter and rice was old, had more miles on it than my car. Chicken was dry and hard to swallow. Will NEVER go there again.

My fiance and I have been repeat customers ever since we first went there just a few months ago. He fell in love with the falafel and I cannot blame him. It is the best I have ever had. They are light and airy inside and crispy on the outside. Yesterday we stopped in as we were looking for a light and tasty meal and we were pleased to see that they now provide a sampler platter. It contains the famous falafel, hummus, baba ganoush, your choice of meat or veggie kabob and fresh warm naan. It can be a meal in itself. I have read some of the more negative reviews and I am not sure what they are used to, but the prices are reasonable for what you receive and all the dishes I have tried were flavorful and made with care. Yes, it might take a little more time than going to McDonalds, but it is worth it. Besides, you CAN call ahead and place your order if you are short on time. We also have a great time talking food with the restaurant owner/head chef Rehan. Yesterday during our conversation it came out we both enjoy a middle eastern type of rice pudding. He decided then and there to make some and serve it as a special for today. Needless to say we had to stop in and try it. It was just like I remembered when I lived in the Middle East. Live a little and stop by Umami's, you will not be disappointed.

It makes me sad to give a muslim restaurant a bad review but we have no choice. We were very disappointed by the food here. At first, I was excited to see a new Mediterranean restaurant open, especially in Catonsville. We ordered the BBQ chicken wings. My husband ordered the beef shawarma and I got the Chicken Kabob platter. Everything tastes bland. The shawarma seemed more like ground beef and had no flavor. The chicken kabobs tasted like boiled chicken. It comes with bland white rice and salad, no chutney or white sauce. The wings were the worst offender of them all. They seemed to be "fried" with generic bbq sauce on top. And the prices are outrageous considering the lack of taste. We feel like we wasted $29. I suppose the food is okay for the Mediterranean amateur but for those of us who have tasted real Med. and Middle Eastern food, this place is a big disappointment. Don't waste your money.

Mash allah amazing food. I would recommend to everyone!

Anonymous

Yelp

Feb 8, 2025

5

I got a gyro here once and it felt like I was making out with the most beautiful Greek boy ever born in east Baltimore. The I had some hummus that tasted like Anatolia had blended it's bounty and poured it in my mouth. Plus I was really hungover and it cured me really fast!

Anonymous

Yelp

Nov 13, 2024

5

My second time eating at this restaurant and definitely a pleasure ?? I ordered the Lamb Tikka Masala, with rice and hummus. Everything was fresh and I enjoy the paper sustainable packaging for to-go orders as well. For dessert…their pistachio and/the walnut baklava be hitting too ? will definitely be back!

Anonymous

Yelp

Jul 16, 2024

5

We were looking at cars today and ended up very hungry so looked around for somewhere that would accomodate a vegan, vegetarian and a meat eater. This fit the bill. The food was delicious and I usually hate eating out because I'm almost always disappointed in the food as well as the prices but this was great. All 3 of us agreed. Even the baklava the owner allowed us to taste was delicious and I almost always dislike baklava because it is usually sickenly sweet. We aren't from the area (36 minutes away) but we agreed it would be worth it to come and eat here every once in a while because the food was so good and plan to do just that.

Anonymous

Yelp

Mar 28, 2024

5

Friendly to meat eaters and vegans alike! Also lots of gluten free options. We had 4 adults and 2 kids and had a great experience. Friendly quick service. All of our dishes were spectacular. The hummus is amazing!

Anonymous

Yelp

Aug 23, 2023

5

The samosa chaat salad was beautiful to look at, and tasted even better. The samosas themselves were probably the best I‘ve had anywhere. The samosas at Umami are somehow lighter, more croissant-like layers than the deep-fried lumps I’ve had at other places. A perfect amount of food, reasonably priced. We dined in, which was very quiet as the place does a bustling take-out business.

Anonymous

Yelp

Apr 24, 2023

1

The worst gyro I’ve ever had. Essentially paid $15 for a soggy pitta, a dollop of baba ganoush, and a sprinkle of tomato. Lamb was overcooked, tough as rock, absolutely unchewable. Seriously, I cooked like that when I was 12!

Anonymous

Yelp

Mar 11, 2023

5

We loved the food, the atmosphere and the vibe of this place located in the old town of Catonsville, MD. The food varieties were very well seasoned and portioned for different gusto. They had the varieties of the Indian and Mediterranean meals which we all loved. Will be definitely back.

Anonymous

Yelp

Apr 26, 2022

5

Excellent! I’m plant-based and my husband is an animal-based. It can be difficult to find a place where we can both enjoy the food. This checked off all the boxes. There’s a good selection for him (grass-fed meats) and me (vegan entrees and sides). I love the Ginger Cardamom Lemonade!