Toga Grill

4439 Nelson Rd. • Lake Charles •337-477-4142

By Mario Pacetti

Recently, my friend Sammi Chloun and his family reopened Toga Grill after the completion of their remodel and expansion. The only thing I ever found about the original spot was that there was not enough room for all the people who wanted to come eat their amazing food.

Well, that is no longer the case, as the new location has more than doubled the seating capacity, as well as added a bar and wait staff to take your orders at your table.

Toga’s was the very first restaurant I reviewed for Dishing It Out over four years ago. Coincidently, the review appeared on my birthday. That article will always be special to me, since it was my first and I got to write about a young chef who has such a skill in the kitchen and who happened to be my friend.

When I went in recently, as soon as I walked in the door, I was just blown away at how different the place looked; I was impressed with the design and layout.

My United Rentals rep Lenny Parker had offered to take me to lunch, and he always trusts me to pick the spots, so I had to go see Sammi and check out some of the new items he’d told me about.

Lenny wasn’t very familiar with Lebanese and Greek food, so he trusted me to pick out a safe intro to the cuisine. I started us off with the hummus and beef, as I knew Lenny would like the beef for sure.

While we were waiting for our food, Sammi and his father Jamal both came out to see us and to bring us some of their new items to sample. I was pleased to help out. Jamal has always been a delight to see and talk to. You can see his love for food. He’s passed this restaurant down to Sammi.

The servers brought out Beet Hummus, Jalapeno and Avocado Hummus and Eggplant Hummus. Now, I’m not a eggplant fan at all, and unless I’m tasting it on a menu, I’m not about to order it. I did like the eggplant hummus, however; and the other two were the BOMB.COM.

I would also get that hummus put on the Chicken Shawrma, because I think that would be a bad-ass sandwich; and I’ve been told that I make a halfway decent sandwich.

The other appetizer we got was the Onion Dip. It was served with some pita chips. Now, if you’re a raw onion fan as I am, this dish has got to be a choice for you, because it’s simply chopped onions, lemon juice, olive oil, hot sauce and some very fresh oregano all mixed together. The freshness just pops with each bite.

When all our Beef Hummus had arrived, Lenny and I dived head-first into a flavor masterpiece. We almost forgot to order our lunch. I ordered the gyro for myself and the Beef Shawrma platter for him — that way he got several items to try.

The Beef Hummus is an absolute treat of a dish. You get beef that’s filled with flavor on top of some of the best hummus out there. So please, you tell me how you can go wrong with this dish.

Lenny absolutely loved all the different types of hummus, and he really enjoyed the Beet and Eggplant. But if I was guessing, I’d say the beef was his favorite since he couldn’t stop eating it.

The gyro is a safe dish. But I saw I was getting full on the appetizers. Still, I love their gyro. So, it was a great choice.

At the end of the lunch, Lenny thanked me for picking a spot he wouldn’t have picked himself. He really enjoyed the food. It made me glad that I could share one of my favorite places in Lake Charles, and a spot where I have never — and I mean never — had a bad meal.

I truly wish the Chloun family the utmost success with their new restaurant. If anyone deserves it, it’s them — not because they’re my friends, but because they’re genuinely good people and a great family and they work very hard to bring this area their amazing food.

I call in often just for the fried potatoes and hummus, and that’s all I need. It’s one of my favorite things to grab if I’m in a hurry and just need a bite to get me through.

Please go visit Toga Grill. If you’re a regular, you’re going to love the new digs. And if you’re a first timer, ask them for suggestions, because Sammi is always happy to  turn people on to new and exciting dishes.

My next article will be about a new little pizza joint named Stonefired Pizzeria at 3710 Common St. in Lake Charles. I tell you what — it will be worth reading about.