Mediterranean in Dallas

Image: Afrah Mediterranean Grill & Buffet

318 E. Main St. Richardson & Vicinity

972-234-9898

Bakery, Greek, Mediterranean, Retail, Recommended, Best Of

Afrah offers authentic Lebanese fare influenced by a variety of Mediterranean flavors. The food is a feast for the senses, famous for Shawarma Pita sandwiches, fresh bread, pies and our homemade gelato and baklava. Afrah started as a pastry shop in February of 2002. The Mediterranean sweets became so popular that they decided to sell more of the family’s traditional Southern Lebanese recipes, evolving into a full service restaurant.. The dishes evolved from the family's recipes, prepared in house with Halal meats and the freshest ingredients.

4 articles

Ali Baba

2103 N. Central Expressway Richardson & Vicinity

972-437-1222

Mediterranean, Lebanese

1 article

Ali Baba Mediterrian Grill

1901 Abrams Rd. East Dallas & Lakewood

214-823-8235

Greek, Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, Recommended, Menu

Ali Baba is one of Dallas' best bargains for excellent Middle Eastern food, despite a cramped location with odd hours. We especially like the golden chicken, a half-chicken baked on a rotisserie and crisped under a broiler. Boston Market take note: Whatever they do at Ali Baba, this is how you're supposed to make rotisserie chicken. The flesh is fork-tender and moist, not mushy, and the skin is as crisp and savory as Peking duck, with no gobs of yellow fat marring the underside. That's a lot of chicken, and it also comes with very fresh pita bread and "garlic sauce," which is a dollop of extremely pungent garlic mashed potatoes. Also good is the shish tawook, marinated chicken cubes with rice pilaf, and the mazza plate, which includes hummus, egg plant dip, tabouli, dolmas, pickles and olives. The mashwi shish, marinated cubes of beef or lamb with rice pilaf, wasn't quite up to the standard of the chicken entrées and had an overpowering grill flavor. Ali Baba also lists several vegetarian appetizers that could easily serve as entrées. Service is a bit spotty, and you might have trouble getting a table at lunch.

12 articles

Anise

5630 Village Glen Dr. North Dallas

469-659-6376

Mediterranean, Brunch

6 articles

Arabica

1403 E. Campbell Rd. Richardson & Vicinity

469-372-5595

Middle Eastern, Mediterranean

Arabica is a family-owned restaurant that aims to offer different dishes from different countries in the Middle East. Try the mandi chicken on a fluffy bed of basmati rice, easily shareable among two. The aromatic, biryani-esque mandi was vibrant in a hawaij seasoning (a blend of Yemeni spices) and garnished with small, golden fried onions that we couldn’t get enough of.

1 article

Baboush

3636 McKinney Ave. East Dallas & Lakewood

214-599-0707

Mediterranean, Recommended

Persistent chatter and clanking silverware signals that you've found one of Uptown’s more promising dining spots in Baboush. Hummus and babaganoush are safe plays, served with plenty of warm pita for dipping, but the entire menu warrants attention. Shrimp and chicken kebabs and other street plates deliver bites that push conventional Moroccan cooking while staying true to tradition. No matter what you order, make use of whatever condiment is served at its side. Baboush has a condiment king working in the kitchen, and his hard work makes every plate sing.

6 articles

Bistro Louise

2900 S. Hulen, Ste. 40 Fort Worth

817-922-9244

Greek, Mediterranean, New American, Recommended

It looks like a little French bistro, but the menu covers the map, including inventions like macadamia-crusted shrimp, traditional cheese plates and wonderful desserts. (Check out the cooking classes, wine dinners and wine tastings.)

Cafe Nubia

3920 Rosemeade Parkway, Ste. 100 North Dallas

469-892-6796

African, Mediterranean

Cafe Nubia is a vibrant spot with a menu that blends Middle Eastern and African cuisine. Get plates of shawarma, falafel and hummus, catering to both carnivores and vegetarians. There's a full bar, large patio (with hookah) and live music on occasion.

1 article

Chai Khanah

580 W. Arapaho Road, No. 406 Richardson & Vicinity

972-234-1500

Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, Critics' Pick, Menu

The Top 100 Dallas Restaurants, No. 47: One of the finest Iraqi restaurants in the Dallas area — and there is more competition than you might suspect — Chai Khanah is helmed by an owner who fled Iraq after hearing that Saddam Hussein’s henchmen had him on a list of targets. The breakfasts here are excellent, but the kebabs are spectacular and some of them are truly rare in Texas. Kashkash kebab stars meat so finely diced it’s fabulously tender; shish tawook is aromatic from its time over the charcoals. Your table is likely to groan under the ample side dishes, including buttery rice pilaf, jajeck (like tzatziki, but the cucumbers are pickled), just-fried falafel balls, good hummus and samoon, the soft boat-shaped Iraqi bread.

Top pick: At breakfast, makhlama is a nearly equal-parts combination of scrambled eggs and ground lamb, plus tomatoes, onions, spices and pita bread.

The downside: Service here can be quaintly amateurish. Expect delays, and if you start wondering where the check is, just go to the front desk and ask to pay. Some menu items are daily specials, but the menu doesn’t explain them.

Fun fact: Every table comes topped with a Kleenex box.

2 articles

Charlie's Opa! Grille

12829 Preston Rd. North Dallas

972-661-0134

Greek, Mediterranean, Recommended

Progeny of longtime Dallas restaurateur Charlie Venetis, Charlie's Opa! Grill is a rich cacophony of Greek food, sprawling the gamut with deliciously tender lamb chops, flaky spanakopita (a savory pie), juicy grilled chicken, gyros carvings that are lean, rich moussaka (Greek lasagna) and saganaki, thick pie sections of lightly breaded Romano cheese that is deep-fried, placed on a hot metal plate, doused with a shot of vodka that hisses and steams, and then set ablaze. The waiter shouts "Opa!," which must be Greek for "what the hell happened to your eyebrows?"

2 articles

Cigarz Bona Pizza

7238 Gaston Ave. East Dallas & Lakewood

214-319-0055

Italian, Greek, Mediterranean, Best Of

It's proximity to the YMCA and White Rock Lake, make this a popular post-workout Greek, Italian and Mediterranean munch fest. The Hellenic-style pizzas, with their thicker, chewier crust are available in several specialty variations, like the Greek pizza (garlic and olive oil base, mozzarella, chicken, Kalamata olives, tomatoes, red onions, pepperoncini and feta) and the four-cheese pizza (mozzarella, Swiss, gorgonzola and ricotta). However, customers reserve their most ebullient raves for the hummus, baba ganoush and dolmas (stuffed grape leaves). Unfortunately, the pitas aren't sold with the dips. They cost extra. Continuing with the Mediterranean theme, the restaurant, named after the owner's dog, offers kabobs, panini, calzones and gyros.

1 article

Ephesus Mediterranean Grill

10455 N. Central Expressway North Dallas

Turkish, Mediterranean

Fadi's Mediterranean Grill

3001 Knox St. #110 Park Cities

214-528-1800

Greek, Mediterranean, Recommended, Best Of

A sumptuous array of Mediterranean and Middle Eastern foods greets you at Fadi's, from lamb shanks that melt off the bone to roasted chicken, grilled-to-order kebobs, stews, and numerous fresh salads, side dishes and desserts. Served up cafeteria-style, the dishes ranged from good to outstanding on our visit, and the value is terrific, too. Try the fresh fruit juices, especially mango and strawberry. Attractive, pristine surroundings.

4 articles

Fadia's Deli

581 W. Campbell Rd. Richardson & Vicinity

972-918-9998

Bakery, Mediterranean, Best Of, Menu

Charbel Hamad wants you to focus on his wife Fadia's sweets when you visit his deli and bakery, and you probably should. His baklava is light and sweet compared to dense saccharine versions that often eat like a gut bomb. But the falafel served in this small storefront in Richardson may be one of the area's best kept secrets. It could be the best falafel in all of Dallas. the falafel starts with a recipe he got from his brother back in Lebanon. He soaks dried chickpeas overnight and then runs them through a meat grinder. Then he folds in minced cilantro, parsley, onion, jalepeno, and garlic. Next Hamad waits. It's not until you place your order that he grabs some of the falafel dough and folds in baking soda and a blend of spices. Hamad claims that's the secret to these crusty herbal fritters. That's why they're light as air. Whatever the reason these savory little fritters pack a lot of punch into a pillowy, fluffy package encased it an impossibly crunchy and savory exterior. Eat yours plain if you want but they're best enjoyed with a sandwich paired with tomatoes, parsley, pickles and tahini sauce. It will only set you back $3.99 so you should have plenty of scratch left over for all those sweets.

3 articles

Fenjani

2238 W Walnut Hill Lane Irving/Las Colinas

Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, Lebanese

1 article

Food From Galilee

6710 Snider Plaza Park Cities

214-750-0330

Greek, Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, Recommended

This is Lebanese home cooking: dozens of simple, hearty dishes, served on humble plastic plates in a cozy storefront in Snider Plaza. The cornish hen, available only at dinner, was the star of our visits--plump and golden brown, stuffed with rice and almonds, pine nuts and finely minced ground beef. (Call 30 to 45 minutes in advance for the hen; they're made to order.) Food From Galilee also has excellent gyros, some of the best in the area.

Gorji Restaurant

5100 Belt Line Rd., Suite 402 North Dallas

972-503-7080

Mediterranean, Critics' Pick, Best Of, Essentials

Gorji is nearly a one-man show, with chef-owner Mansour Gorji buying the ingredients, answering phone calls for reservations, greeting each table and cooking dinner with the help of a tiny handful of waiters and kitchen staff. The dining room is small, the atmosphere is intimate and each table is booked for only one party per night, which makes this one of the most romantic restaurants in Dallas. The food reflects Gorji’s background as both an accomplished grillmaster and an Iranian-American immigrant; sample Persian-inspired appetizers and then go for a flawlessly cooked steak or a cut of wild game.

Top pick: With a meat whisperer in the kitchen, any protein that hits the grill is going to be exceptional.

Fun fact: This is grown-up fine dining, literally: Gorji does not allow children.

8 articles

Greek Isles Grille & Taverna

3309 N. Central Expressway #370 Plano

972-423-7778

Greek, Mediterranean, Recommended

Since 1994, this small Hellenic and Mediterranean cuisine outfit has sated those looking for tangy tzatziki and sweet baklava. There's something here for everyone, whether Stoic or Epicurean, Animist or famished. Hummus is available to kick off the meal, but it pales in comparison with the entrées. They include the standard-bearers of pastisto, moussaka and dolmas. However, there are also chicken or pork souvlaki options as well as veal lemonati with artichokes, lemon butter sauce and rice pilaf. Naturally, there is plenty of seafood -- and lamb, a whole rack of it. Pitas make an appearance, as does something called S.S. Kostas (charbroiled shrimp and pork tenderloin topped with grilled bell peppers and onions). The lunch specials don't break the eight-dollar barrier and dessert options include the otherworldly galactobouriko, a custard in phyllo dough.

The Halal Guys

1811 Greenville Ave. #145 East Dallas & Lakewood

Mediterranean, Halal

1 article

The Halal Guys

5444 Lemmon Ave. Park Cities

Mediterranean, Street Food, Slideshow

2 articles

Istanbul Grill

2704 Elm St. Fair Park

214-749-1102

Greek, Mediterranean, Seafood, Turkish, Vegetarian

23 events

Cafe Izmir

3711 Greenville Ave. East Dallas & Lakewood

214-826-7788

Deli, Greek, Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, Recommended, Best Of, Readers' Choice

This shop boasts it has the best hummus in Dallas, but what it really gives you is the option of teleportation to the Mediterranean or New York when you enter under the yellow awning. Customers can order myriad mezze at this sister joint to Café Izmir up the street. Among the most popular mezze are the falafel and tzatziki sauce. Try the cheese plate, perhaps a gyro or eegra or an eggplant dip. Wash it down with a demitasse of the rich, knock-you-off-the-stool Turkish coffee at the curvilinear bar or get anything for take-out, like the flatbread pizzas. Either way, what you'll experience is a sampling of the cuisines born at the center of the ancient world.

2 events 15 articles

Jazz Cafe

2504 Montgomery St. Fort Worth

817-737-0043

Greek, Mediterranean, Music Venues

Kasra Persian Cuisine

525 W. Arapaho Rd. Ste. 21 Richardson & Vicinity

972-235-4007

Greek, Mediterranean, Recommended, Menu

After feasting on Persian kebabs and stews at this attractive restaurant in Richardson, we looked at each other and said, "What a find!" Zereshk Polo resembled a chicken kebab prepared with onions and saffron. The dish was topped with sauteed barberry, which tasted a bit like redcurrants and provided a sweet and slightly piquant counterpoint to the gently spiced chicken. Like most of the entrees, Zereshk Polo was accompanied by excellent saffron basmati rice. The stews, such as Ghormeh Sabzi--beef braised with dried Persian limes--are house specialties and all worth trying. Service was slow but gracious.

King Tut Restaurant

1512 W. Magnolia Ave. Fort Worth

817-335-3051

Egyptian, Mediterranean, Recommended, Menu

This Hospital District eatery describes its cuisine as "Egyptian," but you'll recognize many of these dishes from restaurants that simply go with the tag "Mediterranean." One distinction of this modestly appointed storefront restaurant: Just about everything is superb value. Particularly good is the chicken shawarma, diced chicken breast simmered in onions, tomatoes, lemon juice and fresh herbs, served with rice pilaf or french fries and pita bread.

Kostas Cafe

4914 Greenville Ave. East Dallas & Lakewood

214-987-3225

Greek, Mediterranean, Recommended, Best Of, Menu

On a stretch of Greenville Avenue just south of Lovers Lane, there is a panoply of eating establishments. The unassuming blue and white structure is owned by Greek-born Dimitri Ioannides and caters to the spanakopita-loving phalanxes. The intimate space and its tables are filled with local business workers during lunch and couples and friends on nights and weekend. On the weekends, an accordion player serenades diners enjoying dolmas (grape leaves stuffed with rice and beef) and mousaka (a cream-topped ground beef and eggplant casserole). The latter has received plaudits aplenty. Lunch sets you back approximately $10, which may give you cause to say "Opa!" Just don't break any plates after copious glasses of Hatzimichalis, a Hellenic cabernet sauvignon, please. It's a white-tablecloth kind of eatery.

6 articles

Kostas Cafe

1050 W. Park Blvd. Plano

972-424-6320

Greek, Mediterranean, Menu

The Mayor's House By Selda

635 N Zang Blvd. Oak Cliff/South Dallas

214-940-9137

Mediterranean, Critics' Pick, Best Of, Essentials

The Mayor's House by Selda is an offshoot of North Dallas' Selda Mediterranean Grill. At this second home in Oak Cliff's Bishop Art's District, it's taken up residence in a historic two-story house built in the early 1900s that was at one time home to Dallas' mayor, George Sergeant. The space is both historic and modern with Turkish rugs and colorful pendant lights adding a Mediterranean flair. The menu is large, and things can get out of hand quickly, but just let that happen. You'll for sure want to get as many breads as you can (like the cheese pide) and don't skip the halloumi cheese. Kebabs are a signature dish: hand-chopped lamb and red peppers are cooked over charcoal. Then, there's the dessert tray; everything is made in-house with some traditional desserts, like cheesecake and tres leches, with a Mediterranean spin.

Top Pick: The cheese pide with spoonfuls of the chunky spicy ezme is maximalist. But the actual best thing about this restaurant might be the large, relaxing breezy patios bordered with billowing white drapes for some oasis getaway vibes.

1 article

Pepper Smash

7200 Bishop Rd. Plano

972-943-0499

Mediterranean, Tex-Mex, Bars and Clubs, Menu

4 articles

Pera Wine Bistro

2633 McKinney Ave. Uptown/Oak Lawn

214-484-7706

Turkish, Mediterranean, Best Of

Pera Kebab opened in the space formerly occupied by Sharaku, one of Dallas’ favorite izakayas. The Uptown restaurant is simple and brightly lit, with an open kitchen that let’s everyone watch the cooks assemble meals. There are two shawarma spits turning, one with lamb and one with beef, and when the restaurant is busy, the grill is loaded with meat kebabs. Turkish standards including hummus, tabouleh and babaganoush are all great, and it’s hard to go wrong with any of the sandwiches. For a quick lunch or a meal before a movie or show, Pera offers a great deal with most items hovering around $11. And the Uptown party-set will appreciate the weekend hours. The place is open till 4 a.m.

5 articles

Rose Cafe

4205 Buena Vista St, Ste. 160 Downtown/Deep Ellum

214-272-3993

Coffeehouse, Asian, Mediterranean

1 article

Roux Bistro

4218 Lemmon Ave. Uptown/Oak Lawn

Seafood, Mediterranean, Cajun

1 article

Sachet

4270 Oak Lawn Ave. Uptown/Oak Lawn

214-613-6425

Mediterranean, Critics' Pick, Best Of, Essentials

Sachet’s vegetable-focused, elegant Mediterranean plates of food start from impeccable ingredients, and they’re served in portions small enough that we can try more. It’s possible to focus on a different aspect of this restaurant with each visit: Come once to sample Sachet’s seasonal house-made pastas — Sachet is one of the best pasta joints in Dallas — then return to try a half-dozen or so of the vegetarian meze or to focus on the new lineup of swordfish kebabs and grilled octopus. The menu’s influences range from Spanish Iberico ham to Turkish-inspired lamb, with a detour at the end for Tunisian doughnuts, but pastas like green tortiglioni and lobster spaghetti just might be best of all.

Top pick: Dive into the meze, including muhammara, the smoky pepper dip, topped with a scoop of lentils, or roasted carrots with spices and labne. And don’t be afraid to pay for the fresh-baked pita bread, which is worth the modest ask.

Fun fact: In addition to an entire menu of different gin and tonics, Sachet boasts the best wine program in Dallas. The wine list notates natural, biodynamic and organic bottlings, and encompasses wines from Spain, Morocco, France, Italy, Greece, Slovenia, Turkey, Lebanon, Albania, Israel and Texas. Feeling a bit lost? Seemingly every employee on staff can tell you, with sincere enthusiasm, about their favorites.

13 articles

Mediterranean in Dallas

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