22 middle eastern rooms worth the trip across United States, editor-ranked. All cuisines in United States.
Oleana ★ 4.8 · Boston
cambridge · 134 Hampshire St, Cambridge, MA 02139
Ana Sortun's Inman Square room has run an Eastern Mediterranean kitchen in Cambridge since 2001. Turkish, Syrian and Lebanese plates from Siena Farms produce.
Tip: The garden patio in summer is one of Cambridge's best outdoor seats. Books out three weeks ahead in season.
Sarma ★ 4.8 · Boston
somerville · 249 Pearl St, Somerville, MA 02145
Cassie Piuma and Ana Sortun's meze room on Pearl Street in Somerville has run Turkish-style small plates since 2013. Kitchen leans eastern mediterranean.
Tip: Order the chef's choice tasting; the kitchen will send the best of the night unprompted.
Oleana ★ 4.8 · Boston
cambridge · 134 Hampshire St, Cambridge, MA 02139
Ana Sortun's Inman Square room runs a tasting-menu Eastern Mediterranean kitchen in Cambridge since 2001. James Beard Best Chef Northeast 2005.
Honey Road ★ 4.8 · Burlington
church-street-marketplace · 156 Church St, Burlington, VT 05401
Cara Chigazola Tobin and Allison Gibson opened Honey Road on Church Street in 2017. The eastern Mediterranean mezze room has been a James Beard finalist.
Tip: Reservations open on Resy 30 days out and book out the same day. The bar holds walk-ins and serves the full menu.
Maydan ★ 4.7 · Washington DC
logan-circle · 1346 Florida Ave NW, Washington, DC 20009
Maydan in Washington DC is Rose Previte's James Beard award-winner above 14th Street, a courtyard around a live-fire pit serving North African.
Tip: The booth seats face the fire; ask for one. The pre-shift cocktail flight at the upstairs bar is the value pick.
Honey Road ★ 4.6 · Burlington
156 Church St, Burlington, VT 05401
Cara Chigazola Tobin (formerly chef de cuisine at Ana Sortun's Oleana in Cambridge MA) and Allison Gibson have been finalists for multiple James Beard Awards.
Zhug ★ 4.6 · Cleveland
cleveland-heights · 12413 Cedar Rd, Cleveland Heights, OH 44106
Zhug on Cedar Road at Cedar-Fairmount, chef Doug Katz's Middle Eastern mezze room named one of Esquire's best new restaurants, runs a casual high-energy.
Tip: Reserve on OpenTable; small-plate dinners run faster than the prix fixe.
Yemen Cafe ★ 4.5 · Detroit
hamtramck · 8740 Joseph Campau St, Hamtramck, MI 48212
Yemen Cafe on Joseph Campau in Hamtramck serves Yemeni cooking in metro Detroit. Halal counter, mandi and saltah are the canonical orders. Priced at $$.
Tip: Open from 08:00-01:00 daily; cash is welcome, cards work. No alcohol served.
Yemen Cafe ★ 4.5 · Detroit
hamtramck · 8740 Joseph Campau St, Hamtramck, MI 48212
Yemen Cafe on Joseph Campau in Hamtramck serves Yemeni cooking in metro Detroit. Halal counter with mandi and saltah as the canonical orders.
Tip: Open 08:00-01:00 daily; cash welcome, cards work. No alcohol served.
Ladino ★ 4.5 · San Antonio
200 E Grayson St #100, San Antonio, TX 78215
Ladino is chef Berty Richter's Eastern Mediterranean room at the Pearl, built for family-style sharing across mezze, hummus and a wood-fired grill section.
Tip: Go family-style across the mezze with the grill section as the anchor. The hummus and the lamb are reliable openers.
Yasmine's Cafe ★ 4.4 · Albuquerque
university · 1600 Central Ave SE, Albuquerque, NM 87106
Yasmine's Cafe on Central Avenue near UNM in Albuquerque is the Middle Eastern counter, with shawarma plates, falafel sandwiches and a long regular line.
Habashi House ★ 4.4 · Kansas City
river-market · 309 Main St, Kansas City, MO 64105
Habashi House in Kansas City's City Market runs a family-owned Middle Eastern counter with halal meats, including beef shawarma and falafel platters.
Tip: Open Mon-Tue 10:00-14:00, Wed-Fri 10:00-17:00. Cash works fastest; takeaway is the move at peak lunch.
Tusk ★ 4.4 · Portland
east-burnside-kerns · 2448 E Burnside St, Portland, OR 97214
The bright, plant-forward Middle Eastern room on East Burnside in Portland, open since 2016 with Pacific Northwest produce on every plate. Priced at $$$.
Tip: Open for dinner Wednesday through Sunday. The covered patio is the best seat in summer.
Tusk ★ 4.4 · Portland
east-burnside-kerns · 2448 E Burnside St, Portland, OR 97214
The plant-led Middle Eastern dining room on East Burnside in Portland, with a chef's selection menu of mezze, lamb shoulder and seasonal vegetables.
Tip: Order the chef's selection menu for the table. The covered patio is the best seat in summer.
Evo Kitchen + Bar ★ 4.4 · Portland
old-port · 443 Fore Street, Portland, ME 04101
Evo Kitchen + Bar at the Hyatt Place Old Port opened 2016, with a Mediterranean and Middle Eastern menu of wood-fired flatbreads, mezze and grilled kebabs.
Tip: Daily from 17:00. Reservations via OpenTable; bar seats hold for walk-ins.
Zaytinya ★ 4.4 · Washington DC
penn-quarter · 701 9th St NW, Washington, DC 20001
Zaytinya in Washington DC is Jose Andres's Penn Quarter Eastern Mediterranean room on 9th Street since 2002, a high-ceiling space drawing from Greek.
Tip: Pre-theatre reservations from 17:00 are the fastest seat; the upstairs bar runs the full menu without the reservation pressure.
Zhug ★ 4.3 · Cleveland
12413 Cedar Rd, Cleveland Heights, OH 44106
Zhug at Cedar-Fairmount in Cleveland Heights, chef Doug Katz's Middle Eastern mezze room named one of Esquire's best new restaurants, runs a high-energy.
Saffy's ★ 4.3 · Los Angeles
mid-wilshire · 4845 Fountain Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90029
Ori Menashe and Genevieve Gergis's Saffy's in East Hollywood, Los Angeles, is a wood-fire shawarma room from the Bestia team. Open since 2023.
Tip: The bar serves the full menu walk-in; reservations are for the dining patio out back and book three weeks ahead.
Evo Kitchen + Bar ★ 4.2 · Portland
old-port · 443 Fore Street, Portland, ME 04101
Evo Kitchen + Bar at the Hyatt Place Old Port, since 2016, runs a Mediterranean and Middle Eastern menu of wood-fired flatbreads, mezze and grilled kebabs.
Tip: Daily from 17:00. Reservations via OpenTable; bar seats hold for walk-ins.
Galit ★ 4.0 · Chicago
2429 N Lincoln Ave, Chicago, IL 60614
Galit in Chicago is James Beard winner Zachary Engel's Michelin-starred Middle Eastern dining room on Lincoln Avenue in Lincoln Park, with a choose-your-own.
Tip: Order the laffa straight off the hearth as your opening course; the warm bread is the anchor for every spread on the meze list.
Falafel's Drive-In ★ 4.0 · San Jose
West San Jose · 2301 Stevens Creek Blvd, San Jose, CA 95128
Falafel's Drive-In has served legendary falafel pita sandwiches from its Stevens Creek Blvd window since 1966, one of San Jose's oldest food landmarks.
Falafel's Drive-In ★ 4.0 · San Jose
West San Jose · 2301 Stevens Creek Blvd, San Jose, CA 95128
Falafel's Drive-In has served legendary falafel pita from its Stevens Creek Blvd window since 1966, one of San Jose's most enduring culinary landmarks.