People wouldn’t notice Concord’s Zambür, a little Mediterranean restaurant in between Agave and Brenden Theatres with hookahs, a sitting lounge, jazz music, two hanging LCD televisions, decent food and hookahs. Did I mention the hookahs?

Unfortunately, Zambür doesn’t have a license for them, yet.

Still, it’s easy to see Zambür is trying to combine a Mediterranean restaurant with a traditional bar; however, the atmosphere is more Mediterranean than the menu.

Zambür’s menu is very simple, with a few Mediterranean dishes; however, most of the appetizers, sandwiches and seafood dishes are American.

A Mediterranean restaurant with hot wings, crab cakes, fish and chips and a cheese steak sandwich on the menu is a little odd.

Fortunately, Zambür’s food speaks for itself and it says one thing: when it’s delicious, it doesn’t matter what type of food you’re eating.

The hummus, a spread of chick peas and sesame served with pita bread, is a delectable, creamy and somewhat spicy appetizer.

In short, it was so good.    

Sambosas, or potato-stuffed pastries, were flaky on the outside and perfectly soft on the inside and served with a house sauce of yogurt, mint, cilantro and coriander.

The combination is good but definitely not perfect.

The calamari, or deep-fried squid, was served on top of a balsamic vinegar salad with a version of a tartar sauce.

Calamari can come off very chewy sometimes and is often served in very small pieces.

Zambür’s calamari was plump, soft and cooked to perfection. Even though the salad made the plate prettier, it was unnecessary.

The Shami Kabob was served with a cumin-dusted tomato and cumin-sprinkled basmati rice with peas and corn.

Unlike some Mediterranean food, the spices on the meat weren’t overpowering its flavor.

Zambur’s Döner Kabob sandwich had grilled chicken, onions, tomatoes, cucumbers and pepperocinis with a tzatziki sauce on pita bread.

Tzatziki, usually made of yogurt, cucumbers, garlic and mint, was so strong that you couldn’t taste anything else besides the mint and a hint of chicken; still it was a delicious sandwich.

The house sauce, made of cilantro, yogurt, and coriander, was served with a few of the dishes.

Since it was a little spicy and the taste can stay on the tongue for a while, it was too much spice when served with some of the dishes, like the Döner Kabob sandwich.

However, the sauce on some pita bread makes a tasty bite.

All of the dishes, appetizers or otherwise, are under $10, which is great for anyone on a budget.

The food overall is light and works better for lunch than dinner. The food tastes like homemade, or at least a house boat drifting around the Mediterranean Sea.

Zambür is a cozy restaurant that is perfect for lunch with simple, delicious Mediterranean food with hookahs.

Contact Julius Rea at [email protected]