Restaurants in Norwalk

Every Menchie's location around the world looks much the same: pink, yellow, and lime-green decor framing the eponymous mascot, a smiley twist of yogurt with a cone for a body. It's an identical template that allows for nearly infinite variations at each outpost's row of 14 or 16 rotating yogurt pumps, where guests can self-serve swirls of flavors such as pistachio, peanut butter cup, cake batter, and fruity raspberry pomegranate tart. Then, they can ladle scoops of nearly 40 toppings—including sprinkles, cookies 'n' cream, hot fudge, and locally grown fruits—onto their creations. Nonfat and no-sugar-added varieties join gluten- and lactose-free options for those who have food sensitivities or just hate the taste of gluten.

Celebrating 60 years of slinging juicy burgers and wrapping up tidy burritos, Tops Burger remains committed to high-quality food on both its American and Mexican menus. Experienced staff, many of whom have been with the company for more than 20 years, pile half- and quarter-pound avocado-and-pastrami burgers with housemade dressings and garnish fish tacos with an expertly measured portion of cilantro.

"If you succeed, it will change your lives." Accountant Afram Nimeh uttered those words to his two sons in 1993 after investing the last of his savings into a failing restaurant. Though he passed away the following year, his sons—Joseph and Steven—carried on his legacy, Chicken Dijon Rotisserie & Grill. Today, they have expanded the family franchise to seven locations, where customers gather to sample casual, healthy Mediterranean cuisine without having to build their own private jets. The kitchen staff efficiently assembles gyro and chicken platters flanked by sides such as rice pilaf, mediterranean potato salad, and stuffed grape leaves, as well as sandwiches topped with chicken, sliced gyro meat, or falafel.

If the tantalizing aromas from the kitchen aren’t enough to draw customers into Mediterranean City Grill, then the sight of customers chowing down on vibrant Mediterranean dishes at sidewalk tables probably will. Once inside, diners order up succulent rotisserie chicken and kosher beef in platters, shawarmas, kebobs, and wraps. Vegetarian options include falafels with colorful salad and plates of hummus that can be topped with everything from pine nuts to fava beans to grape leaf-wrapped birthday candles. For breakfast, the kitchen serves up shawarma pitas with sunny-side-up eggs as well as eggs scrambled alongside feta cheese and kalamata olives.

The decor of Habiba Abdi’s restaurant, Gendershe Cuisine, is not ostentatious—she tries to impress the four senses besides sight. The aroma of all-halal meats marinating in signature spices tints the air, heralding Somali entrees such as the hilib ari, a goat dish that OC Weekly deemed "gamy and glorious." Mango lassis cool the tongue with a mix of almond milk, fruit pulp, orange juice, and vanilla. Pieces of bur—somali fry bread baked onsite—engage the hands, encouraging patrons to soak up lingering sauces with their dough instead of a friend's shirtsleeve. All the while, guests absorb the sizzling sounds of salmon and tilapia being sautéed in the kitchen's special "mother sauce."

Named after the Somalian city where Abdi’s father grew up, Gendershe Cuisine is an outpost of a kind of cooking rarely found in the United States, much less Orange County. Even so, Somalia’s rich culinary tradition—influenced over the years by Italy, India, and surrounding East African cultures—means that many dishes may look familiar even to the uninitiated. Crispy, triangular sambusas are relatives to indian samosas, ethiopian injera pops up beneath stews of beef, chicken, goat, or fish, and spaghetti and lasagna lie under sauces subtly spiked with Somali herbs and spices.

Superheroes watch over Tangier Korean BBQ, keeping the peace in street scenes painted on the walls or as cartoonesque sculptures flexing against the backdrop of exposed, weathered wood beams. Wait staff weave between the futuristic super statues carrying trays of Korean dishes such as bibimbap and kimchi stew. Tangier's signature all-you-can-eat Black Angus smorgasboard pummels hearty appetites with short ribs, chicken, vegetables, and other flavors, which deluge tables nestled between cozy booths and mod red chairs. Couples chat at café seating on the outdoor patio, where they can sup under the stars or challenge the moon to 20 questions.