Mediterranean restaurant on Beach is worth a try
By Brooklynn Wong
The Golden Rose mediterranean restaurant on Beach Boulevard had been an intriguing one for a while, nestled in Buena Park’s entertainment corridor. Always on the lookout for a good new Mediterranean place, I decided to check it out.
A visit to it presented an interesting experience, one with pros and cons.
The restaurant sits next to Days Inn, just off the freeway. It has an ornate exterior that fits right in on the entertainment corridor.
The internet told us that the restaurant was open that evening, so we drove over, but wondered if it was in fact open when we pulled up to an empty parking lot.
However the door was propped open, so we proceeded. The interior was almost completely empty, except for what appeared to be the owner and his family setting up for a party. The owner greeted us and brought us menus and told us to sit anywhere while we waited for our takeout.
We wandered the grounds, which are quite extensive. There’s a big beautiful ballroom that seems to function as the main dining room, as well as a bar and an outdoor area with many more tables and fountains. The place looked like it was between events—either something had happened the night before and had not been cleaned up yet, or something else was in the process of being set up.
Events seem to be The Golden Rose’s strong suit. Its website tells of everything being hosted there from a Norouz Party to a “Spring Party” to a Valentine’s Day evening with Egyptian singer Ehab Tawfik. Hookah is also on the menu and there are some evenings when belly dancing is provided as entertainment.
It was a bit of an odd place to figure out. We showed up wanting to order some straightforward takeout for two individuals, and the owner seemed a little surprised, like that was a rare occurrence.
However they were very kind. The owner and his family were friendly, welcoming and sincere, and the food was decent. Not the best Mediterranean we’d ever had. Their menu offered fairly standard fare. I ordered the “combo grill” which features kaftah and a chicken kebab, with sides of rice and vegetables.
The kaftah wasn’t completely warmed, but I’ll give The Golden Rose the benefit of the doubt and chalk that up to the short drive we had to make back home before eating. The rest was tasty, and their rice actually was particularly good. But the rice-to-everything-else proportion was way off.
But overall it really was rather good, and the prices are higher than your average hole-in-the-wall mediterranean place, but it was enough to be stretched into two meals.
Reviews on Yelp are mixed as well, with some others similarly citing confusion about not being able to tell whether the place is actually open, and there being clutter left over from events.
The consensus? The Golden Rose seems to operate as more of an event space than a restaurant, and that is likely its strength. The owner was very kind, and it is a unique and attractive atmosphere. I’m sure the place is a sight to behold when it’s decked out for a holiday or an event.
An internet search suggests that the place has changed names and ownership frequently, and perhaps with this iteration being less than a year old (when we were there, the owner told us he just bought it last December), they’re still getting their footing. Or maybe its patrons only frequent it for its nightlife and not many are drawn to it just as a standard restaurant, which would explain its being empty early on a weekday evening.
Staff had not immediately responded to an online request for more information.
It’s an interesting place that has pros and cons. I probably wouldn’t go again just for the food, but an event there would be fun.
Golden Rose is located at 7115 Beach Blvd. The internet states that its hours on Mondays are from 5-5:15 p.m. on Mondays, and 5 p.m.-2 a.m. Tuesday through Saturday, and 2 p.m.-2 a.m. Sundays.
