Today we’d like to introduce you to Onur Palamut
Hi Onur, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
So I’m originally from Turkey and for the last 10 years America has been my home. I have always loved cooking and sharing my food with others. Having a restaurant was always my childhood dream and now we are finally here. The name of my restaurant is Mean Grille. English is not my first language and we were just throwing around name ideas in a brainstorming session. I said Mean Grille to my partner and he laughed. I didn’t know what it meant but he said “mean” is sometimes slang for badass. We liked it. He pictured a jewelry grill like we have on our brand mascot that we created with local Houstonian graphic designer Miguel Avila. We think it is a lot of fun. It won a graphic design award recently and we have had many people asking for us to put it on shirts or hoodies so we are hoping to do that soon once we find the right partner. For the interior and design we were going for a happy, modern, and clean aesthetic. When people come to our restaurant for the first time they will obviously notice our mostly pink interior, and textured walls. This is our first business so we just used things that we like.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
There is no such thing as a smooth road, so I consider them as a learning experience. We took over the space in the fall of 2022, but didn’t opened until September 1st, 2023. I felt like I lived at the Houston Permitting Center for that year, but it was worth it when we look at the clean and updated space now. The number one key is to not give up! There are so many minor or big challenges that you will come across. The most important thing is to learn from it and progress.
We are still developing the business but sales are picking up and I’m getting a lot of return customers. We have started doing catering for meetings and large events which has been a welcomed challenge. We are happy with the feedback we have received so far and we have a lot of regulars that are coming back throughout the week, bringing their friends and family. It always makes me very happy to see them all enjoy the food.
As you know, we’re big fans of Mean Grille. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Mean Grille is a family owned Turkish – Mediterranean restaurant in the Greenway/River Oaks area. We are serving delicious and healthy foods such as traditional beef/lamb döner, kebabs, salads, and more. Our popular items: the meat of course! Chicken Kebab, Beef Tenderloin, Adana (beef and lamb) and anything with Döner are our top sellers. Also, the new Governor’s Plate, which gives you a serving of all the meats we offer, is quickly becoming a favorite. We offer a lot of popular vegan options like our in-house made falafels, red lentil soup, spicy hummus and babagannush. I always recommend anyone to try our delicious traditional Turkish desserts with our loose leaf Turkish Tea blend or freshly prepared Turkish Coffee. We support local farmers and offer ethically sourced halal proteins. I believe cooking with locally sourced food is good for the body and the community. We are proud to offer quality food for a reasonable price.
I focus on fresh vegetables, whole grains, extra virgin olive oil, high quality proteins, and different types of legumes. Our wrap is filled with daily chopped fresh vegetables, high protein, and in-house made hummus and sauce. The plates are filled with high quality protein, aromatic basmati rice, and tasty fresh salad. I blend my own tea from different types of loose leaf teas which are imported from Turkey like our other grocery items we use in our foods, such as extra virgin olive oil, chickpeas, fava beans, and spices. Each dish is made fresh, right after you order it. Locally family-owned Mean Grille is your best bet for an affordable lunch or casual dinner (late night dinner served until 9pm) when you want delicious & authentic Turkish – Mediterranean food. We are open from 10am to 9pm Monday thru Saturdays and Sundays 11am to 9pm.
Also, for the rest of this month whenever anyone comes to our restaurant and mentions this interview they will get a 10% discount off their food order.
How do you think about luck?
I don’t think luck has played any role in my life. Life and business is all about experiences, opportunities, and what you make of them. Hard-work, consistency, and trying your best to improving things are essential for success and progress.
Pricing:
- $10
- $25
Contact Info:
- Website: https://meangrille.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meangrille/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/meangrille
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/mean-grille-houston-2
Image Credits
Matt Rood
instagram : matthewrood
