The Most Scrumptious Middle Eastern in New Orleans

1000 Figs

★★★★★ 4.6 (430) • $$

"Excellent food, but a very tiny location.I had been meaning to eat here for a long time, but it's often hard to get seated here, and they are not open on Sundays. My friend and finally made it here on a Saturday for lunch. We waited it out with our names on the list.Once they can seat you, then they take your order at the counter, and you pay there as well. It did not take very long for our food to be delivered to our table. It's kind of fun because the silverware is in a little pull out drawer under the table. Water is served from a carafe they leave with you.We were finally seated inside (I would prefer outside in the future). It's super tiny inside and the tables by the window are crammed together. The woman next to me kept coughing on me throughout the whole meal. It was aggravating.My friend and I split the Falafel plate, along with a side of fries and brussels sprouts. They gave us pita bread instead of their homemade bread because there oven was broken. That was a bummer. The pita was not warmed and was bleh. The salad that comes with the platter and the fries were both my favorite. So good!Service was friendly."

Attiki Bar and Grill

★★★★☆ 3.8 (421) • $$

"Nice chill spot with good vibes, music at a reasonable volume and good food and hookah. Came around 9 on a Friday night and within the next hour the crowd started to pour in but it's not one of those places where people just continuously walk in and out so you're able to enjoy yourself and company without the chaos. Had the redfish pasta and the Rita's. Bartenders were friendly and attentive."

Kabob House NOLA

★★★★★ 4.8 (223) • $$

"Quick casual spot that doesn't skimp on quality or portion size. Chicken kabob plate includes rice, hummus, salad, pita and a couple of pieces what seems like roti/paratha. I think it was $20-something, not the cheapest but it easily makes 2 meals. Chicken was tender. Shawarma is super flavorful. Hummus has to be the most fresh I've ever had. White garlic sauce is amazing. Apparently their desserts like baklava and something with pistachio in it are good, according to some local friends. My new go to spot when picking up dinner before the airport. Super fast friendly service. Diverse crowd. A few big screen TVs. Very clean"

Sahara Cafe

★★★★★ 4.6 (233) • $$

"Service- 5 starsFood- 5 starsAmbiance-2 stars, it's old school decor from the 80s, no music or tv playing. 90% of the folks walking were takeout orders. I had the steak shish kabobs, rice, and salad. All three were glorious and tasted oh so good! I'll probably do takeout next time. Enjoy!"

Mona's Cafe

★★★★☆ 4.1 (265) • $$

"Mona's has always been one of my favorite Mediterranean restaurants. Went there for a late lunch with my mom after an appointment. I got the chicken shawarma plate that comes with salad, hummus and pita bread. The hummus comes with some chopped peppers that add some spice. The food came out pretty quickly and we both enjoyed our lunch. We also made a trip into the connected little market to get some spices."

Cleopatra

★★★★★ 4.6 (178) • $$

"Been coming here for years. No doubt my favorite all-around middle eastern restaurant in Nola. Everything on the menu is at a minimum good, their lentil soup may be best in town, chicken & shrimp kebabs are great, the rice is distinctive, plates come with a flavor-packed whipped garlic sauce (it's unnamed but I'd call it toum) that makes everything it touches better, and service is consistently good. It's not gourmet or atmospheric and they don't serve alcohol, so not a date night type place, but definitely a great lunch, weeknight or family dinner spot."

Hummus & More

★★★★☆ 4.3 (203) • $$

"This restaurant is really cute and super clean. Absolutely love the cheese egg rolls and the sweet sauce was the perfect complement. The hummus is pretty good, but the pita is simply ok. I love the texture and taste of the falafels. Perfectly crispy on the outside and flavorful on the inside. The lentil stew is my absolute favorite. This place does the best mujadara I've had in years. In addition to a clean restaurant and restrooms, the service is always great. My family and I have never had the same server, yet service was consistently great."

Shawarma On The Run

★★★★★ 4.5 (162) • $$

"Oooooh yeah, now see, this place is the sho nuff what's happening! As soon as I opened the box, the spices smacked my nasal passages real good and I loved it lol. Reminds me of big mama's house smelling up the neighborhood with those bold and boastful soul food spices. I ordered the Philly cheesesteak meal w/seasoned fries and the aroma had my salivary glands buckjumping. At that moment, I knew the flavor and taste would accompany and to my expectations, it did. I can't believe that I've been on the Westbank so long, purposely passing up this place. Now, now, in my defense, I vowed to myself, if I cannot pronounce the name of a place, I'm not eating there lol. So glad I broke that vow today with help from other Yelpers!! Well folks, all I can tell you is this place should never be passed up. They're enforcing social distancing and CDC COVID-19 guidelines, plus it's spacious inside. They're situated in a small strip plaza on Terry Pkwy across from the Oakwood Mall. Find parking and treat yourself to the food, especially the Philly cheesesteak. You won't be disappointed!"

Stella Maris Restaurant & Hookah Lounge

★★★★★ 4.6 (115) • $$

"I truly enjoyed the soup and my gryo plate was very tasty. My only complaint was the meat being chopped up into think pieces and it was grilled a little too hard. The service was very excellent and I would definitely come back again."

Istanbul Cafe

★★★★☆ 4 (123)

"Small restaurant with just a few tables inside. Ordered a veggie burrito bowl it was good not as good as a chipotle or Moe's but something different! They don't have any vegetarian protein options here beans are it. With the very limited vegetarian options offered around New Orleans this is a good option!"

Green Olives Cafe & Pizzeria

★★★★★ 4.7 (67)

"Is Green Olives Cafe the perfect lunch spot Uptown? Maybe.I love the friendly vibe of this place. I was welcomed enthusiastically as soon as I walked in and I had already heard great things about the food, so I couldn't wait to dig in.I was here for lunch and I got the shawarma wrap with a side of hummus. Now, this place is KNOWN for its hummus. Whatever you do- get the hummus. The sandwich was excellent with tender meat and lots of flavor.I wrote about this spot in length for Uptown Messenger. Check it out here: https://uptownmessenger.com/2022/07/hummus-reigns-supreme-at-the-green-olives-cafe-on-maple-street/"

Shishkabob House

★★★★★ 4.5 (72) • $$

"This secret middle eastern gem is to die for! Food is always great, people are always great and it's reasonably priced. My mom sister and I ended up getting 3 lamb kebab plates so delicious! Comes with a side of hummus, pita, kebabs, side cucumber salad, grilled tomato and lots of yellow rice! To drink I got a Lebanese tea which was delicious! It's def enough to share a plate with someone else, but we were all very hungry that day. It wasn't my first time coming here, we had been a few times! Overall I would def recommend this spot to anyone, if you're in Kenner you probably already know about this spot, if you're not from Kenner... you're welcome!"

Almasgoof Restaurant

★★★★★ 4.6 (41)

"I am giving fives stars, but I only enjoyed the hummus that was served with Turkey bread that was to die for. I LOVE bread and the turkey bread was some of the best bread I've had, especially with hummus. I think I was eating more bread than hummus, since I finished the bread and there was half of the hummus remaining. That just meant I had to order somemore. The hummus was delicious and had a Smokey flavor. The inside was nice, but the authentic dining room is the center of attention. Our server Ethan was so sweet and accommodating, taking really good care of our needs. I will return for the bread alone! I would also like to try some of their dishes, since I had eaten before I got there. Located in Metairie on Transcontinental and maybe West Esplanade, this place is a great place to visit for Mediterranean food. There wasn't anyone in there while we were eating, but a couple of families were coming when we were leaving."

Istanbul Grill

★★★★★ 4.8 (26)

"Good quality. Authentic. Ordered from Uber eats and it was still warm and fresh. The Uber eats prices are HIGH. I would really like to return and try dine in ."

Shaya

★★★★★ 4.5 • $$

"Went here with some folks from work. We had lots of apps my favorite was roasted red pepper Muhammara and close second baby ganoush that was roasted egg plants and charred green onion. They kept refilling the bread and I wasnt ordering for the large table so am not sure if this is normal or extra charge but great for the apps.Main course i had the roasted lamb and it was awesome. Service was amazing very attentive, knowledgeable and nice. Location is very cool. I highly recommend!"