The Best Mediterranean in Houston

Kasra Persian Grill

★★★★☆ 4.3 (1343) • $$

"Recently have gone back several times and each time the food was a hit. Love the the new renovations and my taste buds are excited once again. The old Kasra flavors are back and they are a hit."

Aladdin Mediterranean Cuisine

★★★★☆ 4.3 (1257) • $$

"Amazing food, cute and semi casual ambiance, super friendly service. It's semi-cafeteria style, you choose one meat and three sides (or four sides). The sides are all on display that you can pick, the meats they will prepare and bring it out to you. I loved everything I got (lamb gyro, beets, baba ganoush). Best lamb gyros ever it was sooo juicy and flavorful. Lamb meatball was also excellent with a little spice."

Fadi's Meyerland Mediterranean Grill

★★★★☆ 4.4 (950) • $$

"As one of the most famous Mediterranean establishments in Houston, Fadi's has become a fixture in the city's dining scene with the local fanfare to prove it. I've always enjoyed my time here and have topped off every experience with a serious food coma. I leap at the chance to visit Fadi's whenever I get the chance.Some random thoughts::: The setup is simple: Grab a tray and make your way around the cafeteria style layout. The more you add to your tray, the more you'll pay.:: They don't offer samples. Trust your craving and be wise with your food selections.:: "Half" orders are recommended. Too many full orders will result in extra fees, which is not obvious when people are blinded by the food.:: Find a seat ahead of time. There's nothing more awkward than walking around with a tray full of food looking for a place to sit.:: The parking can be tight. Fadi's popularity means people often have to park further down the lot.:: Groups are fun but this is an ideal place for solo dining or food dates.:: Both lunch and dinner services are packed. Try to aim for non-prime hours.:: Wednesdays are my favorite day. Why? They serve an addicting fish and rice combo. It's actually one of their best dishes and deserves all the shine.At the end of the day, I think Fadi's is a destination for Mediterranean fans. Their interior is lovely, spacious, and offers a lot of opportunities for private groups. The prices aren't back breaking but the price tag has slowly crept up over the years, but at least the service usually makes up for it."

Mezza Grille

★★★★☆ 4.4 (717) • $$

"My tastebuds had a party from the beginning to the end! I started with the Seafood Campechana as the appetizer; and it comes with Tortilla chips. I say appetizer, but this dish is huge. I taste every ounce of flavor! It was like a party in my mouth with the combination of lime, jalapeno, pineapple, and small chunks of avocado, and to top it off, the shrimp and crab had their own flavors and spices fused together! Did you all see how big the shrimp were? After the appetizer, I knew I couldn't go wrong with the Pecan-Crusted Salmon, which has a nice favorable crust. Also, the sides are a mushroom risotto with grilled vegetables, making for a great dish with many flavors. For the second dish, my niece went for the Mango Stuffed Chicken, and of course, we shared our plates with each other. It had a very nice crust covering the outside, and it came with a mango buttery sauce to pour on top or inside; we did both. I don't know how they got all the stuffing inside, but I will be getting that next time. We also added two servings of fish tacos, and I must say they were good, too. But let's brag about the service; my nephew is seven, and he's very picky. He eats only eggs and pepperoni pizza! Well, that didn't have either! So the waiter and Chef made a pizza just for him with cheese and grilled shrimp on the side. One more thing: I'm surprised this place isn't charging more for their dishes. They put so much love into each dish, and the service is exceptional."

Local Table

★★★★☆ 4.1 (643) • $$

"Large, clean space with a private room available for large parties. Service was solid. My salmon avocado toast had cucumbers on it, a very chubby slice of toast under it, some sort of spread resembling pemento cheese and legit guacamole. Not mashed avocado, guacamole. With capers and onions on it. So all in all, I'd say it was a little odd but not bad and it came with a side of potatoes and a nice cucumber salad. It was only 2 bucks to add eggs so I ordered them scrambled and the portion was pretty big!"

Craft Pita

★★★★★ 4.7 (440) • $$

The '401

★★★★☆ 4.2 (512) • $$

Arpi's Phoenicia Deli

★★★★☆ 4 (509) • $$

"While I was growing up in Houston this was one of our favorite places, and my mom and aunt were some of their first customers. It's wonderful to see how much they have grown and expanded. And their shawarma, hummus and tabouli are the best in the world, and the owner is a sweetheart. It's absolutely one of the best things about Houston."

Gyro Hut

★★★★☆ 4.4 (420) • $$

"I can appreciate Gyro Hut for what it is: a Halal friendly establishment, a fast casual meal(s) with good portions, a bonafide late night option with affordable prices in the heart of the Med Center. What it is not though, is a replacement for the New York style Halal street food.Their motto of being "Straight Outta New York" is as hilarious as it is inaccurate. It wouldn't surprise me if the owners / management have spent time in New York, but the food and atmosphere are a bit of a departure from what should be the quintessential Halal street experience. The interior is bright and clean, which even includes their bathroom. I love that their AC is on blast and is almost freezing after a few minutes spent inside. The menu is placed right above their counter where they make all the food in front of folks. Pro Tip: Check-in on Yelp for a free can of soda.Their platters are around $11-13, which include a solid pile of protein with rice and salad. They include other things on the platter that you wouldn't see in NYC, such as chickpeas, cucumber salad, and corn. I think the gyro fries are a sleeper and the party trays might come in handy for the next potluck party. Their freshly made juices are somewhat of a head scratcher, but seem fresh even if they are served room temperature.One thing they did seem to incorporate from the current street meat NY scene is charging extra for sauce. I don't have a problem with this per se, especially if they were in sauce packet form. However, these ones are in tiny containers that are not exactly easy to scrape or pour sauce out of. I wouldn't be surprised if they were skimpy on the initial sauce dump in hopes that folks would buy more.While I think it's not a dead-on experience with what is "straight outta New York," I still think it's a worthy late meal option and one that is super ideal for the neighborhood."

Euro Bakery

★★★★☆ 4.4 (387) • $$

"I can't believe I posted my first review of Euro Bakery 7 years ago! Since then, there are new owners and new bakery items. With the cost of ingredients rising, their prices rose as well. I ordered a chocolate decadence cake and it was $50, but seemed smaller than what it used to be. It was a two-layer cake, but I could've sworn it used to be 3 layers back in the day. The cake was a big hit this weekend though! I didn't have a chance to try their food this time around, but there are still a lot of items from the original owners that I saw on the menu."

Fadi's Mediterranean Grill - Sugar Land

★★★★☆ 3.8 (506) • $$

"Food was amazing! 10/10 my bestie and I got a lot of food to try and thankfully they have to-go boxes because there's no way we could eat all of this. Out of the main entree's, the lamb was our favorite but we agreed it would be even better in the winter as it was a heavy dish. The fish was wonderful too and definitely on the lighter end when it came to flavor but still very good and perfect for the summer. The "buffet" was excellent as well and I'd be more than happy just getting the 6 half portions for $16.99. The price is a bit on the high side but you get practically 2 meals out of it and the quality is superb. The Bulghur and Lentil salad were my favorite of the vegetarian dishes and the Curry Chicken salad was amazing. That would be perfect made into a sandwhich. The hummus and the Yogurt with cucumber (which reminded me of a really thick Tzatziki) were good and refreshing. The Greek salad was rather disappointing. It didn't have a lot of flavor even with the dressing. The roasted potatoes were wonderful with good garlic and lemon flavor. The fried cauliflower had absolutely no flavor and that was disappointing cause I do love fried cauliflower when it's seasoned properly. The little "pies", the bread with what tastes like kaak, and th little meat pie which tastes like Lahme bil Ajiin, we're good too. The cake was also good. Basically everything was good if not great barring those two things. Service was also 10/10. I believe the owner or manager was out talking with customers and helping serve food as well. He was super nice and you could tell he was proud of the restaurant. The servers also seemed to be happy so that was nice as well. Ambiance 8/10. It's on the loud end. There's no soft furnishing to help absorb the sound so we had to constantly talk louder. It is nice inside though and plenty of seating. I highly recommend this place."

Ephesus Mediterranian Grill

★★★★☆ 4.3 (384) • $$

"I came here recently after being unimpressed years ago, and it was a pretty good experience this time. I'd heard good things, so it was worth another visit. I will say, the cigarette smell wafting from the bar next door makes dining in less enjoyable, but not sure anything can be done about that.I ordered the ground chicken kebab and it came with two kebabs, rice, and veggies. The meat was flavorful and juicy, and I liked the side of cabbage. My favorite part of the meal was the pita bread with the babagannus and ezme. I've never had ezme before--basically a nutty tomato spread--and it was so delicious! It almost had a slight smokiness to it. Our server was nice and the food didn't take long to come out. Overall I'd recommend Ephesus for Turkish food."

Pasha

★★★★☆ 4.2 (383) • $$

"Wanted something relatively healthy with seafood options, so decided to try Pasha out.Dolma - these were larger than I am accustomed to and I really enjoyed them overall.Shrimp Kabob - Shrimp was alright, not the largest pieces and a little bit dry (overcooked). The sides and salads were delicious but the flavor was a bit too one-note and pickled. It would have been nice to replace one of the sides with a starch like rice.Parking - only a few spots out front, there is a small single alleyway that leads to a few more spots in the back.The atmosphere was very friendly, there were families with kids around and the servers were very nice and seemed to know many of the customers. You can tell they definitely have a strong base of customers and pride themselves on their community."

Gusto Gourmet

★★★★☆ 4.4 (347) • $$

"Great option for Venezuelan food in the area. The arepas were pretty good although I have to admit that I've had better. The Reina Pepiada is always a good choice. It was pretty tasty but it's hard not to compare it to my favorite Venezuelan spot in LA. The Catira tasted pretty good as well but it had so much juice that it kept soaking the corn and leaking all over. That being said, their tequenos were really great. The cheese could have been melted a bit more but the dough was perfect. I didn't have tummy space to try their empanadas and cachapas but I'll be back. I also really enjoyed the soursop juice (guanabana). FYI: You can order online on their website. The place is small but cute and cozy. Friendly service. Parking is a bit tough especially now with all the construction on Shepherd. There is a small lot in the back so try that first. If not, you can park on a nearby residential street."

Fadi's Mediterranean Grill

★★★★☆ 4 (417) • $$

"My friend and I were greeted at the door. A gentleman employee recommended that if we enjoyed fish, they had fresh fish and he highly recommended us to try. I wanted something lighter, as we were there for lunch, so I went with the vegetarian plate...which came with six half sides and I also ordered falafel side. Everything was so flavorful!! The falafel was cooked perfectly...the cabbage salad was crisp and flavored, and the Fadi's Hummus was just delightful. (If you like mushrooms and caramelized onions...do yourself a favor and add to the top of your hummus....THANK ME LATER!)I was SO full...I was unable to finish all...but don't fret, they have to-go containers readily available.I can't wait to visit again!"

Fig & Olive

★★★★☆ 3.9 (436) • $$$

"The perfect place for a weekend brunch or romantic dinner. The ambience and service were excellent. It's connected to the Galleria mall. There's parking in the garage or valet in front of the restaurant. The French food was delish. We had a great time throughout the night.They also have outdoor seats which would be perfect with good weather. I love the vibes here. It's very mellow but also very romantic. Would highly recommend if you're in the area."

Al Aseel Grill & Cafe

★★★★☆ 3.9 (401) • $$

"Five star service. Thanks to Ali and his team at Al Aseel Grill & Cafe. This family owned and operated restaurant is one of my favorites for catering. Family dinners. Lunch for my staff. Baby showers. They always give us VIP service, delicious food and generous servings. Good for dine in, too.Our typical family order includes trays of kebabs, fish, rice, pita, salads and hummus. The lamb and chicken kebabs are always a hit. The lamb is always so tender. The chicken seasoned so well and juicy. In the restaurant, they are served with salad and rice. For catering, they are either served on top of the rice or an a laffa bread. The filet fish is my favorite. Served without bones, it is so fresh and delicious.For sides and salads, the Greek salad, eggplant salad and tabouli are great choices. Love the hummus which can be ordered with toppings. The baba ganoush is yummy, too. The basmati rice is delicious. If you have any leftovers, add some veggie broth, tomatoes, veggies and fish to the rice to make a delicious soup for dinner the next day. Still hungry, get an order or two of baklava. Filled with honey and nuts, this dessert will definitely satisfy that sweet tooth. Thanks to Ali for the great service and delicious food from Al Aseel. Check it out for a great meal."

Kabob Korner

★★★★☆ 3.9 (395) • $$

"Hands down one of my favorite restaurants in Texas. All the Yelp reviews are spot on with this place. This restaurant is super clean and colorful inside, the staff is incredibly friendly and the food is completely off the charts. Not a single dish was monotone. You could really taste each individual spice and how they blended together in your mouth. The Gyros alone were probably the best I ever had, including the ones I had in NYC. Everything from start to finish (on multiple visits) was superb and I will constantly recommend this place."

Hungry's

★★★★☆ 3.6 (455) • $$

"I met a colleague here for a business lunch. I had been here once before but it had been quite a while ago. I remember not being wowed but I figured I would approach this visit with an open mind.The place is cute with pretty good parking. Service was on par. I opted for the $16 cheese burger and fries, see photo. It was okay. The burger was cooked to a proper medium as requested. However the burger didn't really shine through the tomato onion lettuce and bun. It was there but I could only kind of taste it. The fries left even more to be desired. They seemed fresh cut, but came out kind of soggy and with little flavor. Overall, the experience was fine. Average food at an average price."

Bakkhus Taverna

★★★★☆ 4 (368)

"I was a visitor in the general area and needed to grab a quick lunch. Someone suggested Bakkhus Taverna so I decided to give it a try. Our table shared a hummus plate where we got veggies and pita bread. I also got the grilled chicken pita and subbed avocado for the cheese. It came with fries. Honestly everything was good. It was a lot of food. It came out nice and hot. And the service was so fast. Our waitress was a pro when it came to service. Next time, I might try a salad because of how stuffed I was haha."

Gyro King

★★★★☆ 4.1 (298) • $

"My mom LOVES this place! We stop here on our way back from an errand we run this way all the time. She orders the Lamb Platter and I order the Lamb Salad. The salad is interesting cause it has jalapeños and pickles in it. I've never eaten a salad like that til I ate here! My mouth is on fire! lol but I've gotten used to it. The service is excellent! We usually take it to go and they fulfill our order pretty quickly. I think we've only eaten here once. They have a good dining area but it's hardly ever too packed. I recommend this place!"

Mary'z Lebanese Cuisine

★★★★☆ 3.8 (335)

"Parking is valet only ...enter a narrow driveway before Drip car wash. $10 valet cash. Upon entering, you can smell the hookah and the delicious food wafting through the restaurant. We sat in the roomy back patio with partial roof and heaters. Service was awesome, fast and friendly. My friend had a hookah. We had our kids but we sat on the patio so it was ok. We ordered the cheese pita bread (cheese pizza) , baba ganoush, and a mixed meat platter. Everything was delicious. Definitely love the food. Especially the garlic sauce. Didn't like the only valet option."

Kenz

★★★★★ 4.6 (223) • $$

"I love their gyro really goodLove it so muchThe service is really goodThe vibe was average But again more like a easy restaurant"

Cafe Layal Midtown

★★★☆☆ 3.3 (425) • $$

"Not a bad place for hookah, haven't had the food in quite sometime so not going to give rating. Though what is this $5 corking fee for a hookah. They asked me if I wanted ice for hookah, never had it before and tried, but seen no difference so just another way to add $3.50 for nothing."

Busy Boy Sandwiches

★★★★☆ 4.4 (237) • $

Dimassi's Mediterranean Buffet

★★★★☆ 4.2 (250) • $$

"Dimassi's Mediterranean Buffets are highly variable affairs.Some are outstanding.Some are mediocre.Generally, the nearer you get to Houston, The better Dimassi's tends to be.* * *This is one of the good ones.Like a fool, I picked up too many vegetable dishes in the beginning,and didn't have enough room for the really really fine meat dishes.If you are smart ...Go for the meatballs first ... and then get everything else second or third.Their meatballs in tomato sauce are absolutely to die for.Everything else was pretty decent too.Nothing bad found its way to my plate - and I sampled a lot of things.* * *The best part of the Willowbrook Dimassi's though is the fashion show.There are some Middle Eastern families, where Mom or Grandma have really gone all out shopping before they went out for dinner.I don't know the name for Middle Eastern versions of saris ...But there were saris there that were some of the most fantastic garments I have ever seen at a buffet.Dad would be wearing plain old clothes.The boys would be wearing plain old clothes.The girls would be wearing something a little more elaborate.The married women were fashion-plate jaw-dropping.Do some internet research, because I strongly suspect these garments were obtained in Houston.There is shopping to be done."

Fadi's Mediterranean Grill

★★★★☆ 4 (275) • $$

"The food was amazing! My sisters go to spot after church and she said I absolutely had to come and try it. She wasn't wrong, but coming from a previous chef I knew, she knows her food. You can order from a menu or you can just order from the buffet of various dishes. From a variety of hummus to rice to pasta and don't skip out on the salmon. My sisters favorite!! It was so easy to over indulge. Gyro, Sharwarmaa, Baklava, FADI, FADI, FADI!!!"

LaPasha Lounge & Grill

★★★★☆ 4 (266) • $$

"Found this place through IG and of course bookmarked it so when I was in this side could give it a go, and I'm sure glad I did! I love Mediterranean food and all the photos looked great and the atmosphere as well, so I looped my coworkers together and off we went!When we pulled up the outside of the building was beautiful and inviting. We walked in and their was a small bakery counter to the left with a brick oven in the back as well. We were greeted promptly and were able to choose where we wanted to sit. Lots of space indoors and outdoors and also has a private dining space that you can have private parties in. I love that there was so much space to spread out, and plugs in Al the walls so should you hang out for a work day, you're plugged in and good to go. This place seems very authentic in my opinion, lots of hookah around as well, and all the food looked amazing it was so hard to decide!I got the samosas (half and half) as I couldn't decide which I wanted. I liked them both but prefer the beef! Also I ordered the chicken Schwarma with fries and it was absolutely delicious with the garlic sauce that comes with it. You can sub out your fries for a salad! Everything that came out look phenomenal, I wasn't able to finish all my food, so it was nice to have something for later on. The one thing I would say that would be helpful to know is water came out in a bottle so you're charged $3 for that and then gratuity is added in already as well. I definitely intend to come back and enjoy this delicious food! Our waiter was super nice and attentive so I appreciate how kind everyone was during our visit."

Shawarma King

★★★★☆ 3.8 (294) • $

"So disappointed to see our staple for Shamarwas has been sold or changed. My son noticed after he tasted the Shamarwa. We asked me where I bought it.. The Tabouli was dry, Baba Ghangoush was good. No longer the hot Entrées, as before. The counter staff was very cordial, but when I saw the Chicken for the Shamarwa already precut and in a warming tray that was it for me. Sadly."

Olivit Mediterranean Grill

★★★★☆ 3.9 (270) • $$

"I usually order from Olivit via DoorDash but I went in person this time and was greeted by a super nice guy at the front desk. He was very friendly, answered all my questions about their menu, and even gave me an enthusiastic recommendation. I really appreciate the customer service here.I usually get the wraps from here so I followed tradition and got a gyro and also the kobbeh balls, both of which were great. I've never had kobbeh before but the crunchiness of the outside and the soft, ground beef inside made me fall in love. This place is a must-try if you want some top-tier Mediterranean food."

The Halal Guys

★★★★☆ 3.9 (268) • $$

"Got a small chicken platter ($9 something) and regular combo platter ($10 something). Preferred the beef (more flavor) over chicken. Decent amount of protein for the price, and the small was filling for me. White sauce is very good but high in calories for those health conscious folks. The red sauce is quite spicy. I still like Gyro Hut better (their chicken has more flavor), but Halal Guys is also good."

Nazif's

★★★★☆ 3.9 (262)

Gyros & Shish Kabob

★★★★★ 4.5 (193)

"This gives me a hole in the wall feeling with limited decor and just straight to the point food. The gyro sandwich is just meat, tomatoes, onions, & sauce. Nothing else if that's what you want. Eating just that will most likely still make you hungry, although you can go with the combo which includes fries and a drink."

Savvas Greek Cuisine & Grill

★★★★☆ 3.9 (251) • $$

"Favorite Greek food in this area. We always get the gyros and hummus. The owner is always there and very friendly."

Mary'z Mediterranean Cuisine

★★★★☆ 3.7 (274)

"Glad to have a hookah and chill spot where I can smoke and sip on a beverage. The atmosphere is relaxing whether indoors or outside in the tented/covered area. It's a bit close to my residence and has converted me to being somewhat of a regular here whenever I'm in the mood for hookah. My go-to is that watermelon mint; never fails. Pair it with a glass of red and perhaps some hot tea and I'm as sound as a pound.Haven't tried much of the food although the hummus is a classic appetizer with the oil and spices mixed in. I will need to try the dishes such as the schwarma and falafel as the other reviews are talking them up. As for drinks, they have a full bar with a surprising elegant wine selection. Other hookah drinks such as hot tea and lebanese coffee can be had too.I've received nothing but warm welcome from the staff when I arrive which is another reason I enjoy frequenting this place. Just grab a spot somewhere outside, get your hookah, sip your drink, and enjoy life!"