Carnival brings Lebanese staples to a Woodman strip mall

Carnival Restaurant sits in a strip-mall storefront on Woodman Avenue in Sherman Oaks, which tells you nothing about how good the food is. A 4.6 across nearly 1,500 reviews does.

The kitchen turns out authentic Lebanese cooking, the kind built around hummus, kebabs, and other staples done without shortcuts. The hand-cut twice-fried fries have their own devoted following, and once you have them it's easy to understand why.

Beer and wine are available, and the place handles groups well. If you're coming with several people, make a reservation. It's that kind of spot, the sort of neighborhood restaurant that fills up because locals actually keep coming back.