The Tastiest Mediterranean in Saint Paul

Almadina restaurant

★★★★★ 4.5 (73)

"Surprised it took this long but we finally visited Almadina after passing it for the last few years. It was a pleasant visit and definitely nice to have this in Rochester. Ambiance was nice. Loved the decor and traditional music playing in the background. The staff was friendly and welcoming. Ordered:- Lamb & Beef Wrap (3.5/5). The wrap was a bit dry and meats were pretty fresh. It was smaller than others- Chicken Shawarma Plate (4/5)- Veggie Samosa (4/5). Fresh and hot. This was a good choice and a fun take on samosa / sambusa There's a few other dishes I'd like to try so this is on our list for repeat visits!"

Ariana Kabob & Gyro Bistro

★★★★☆ 4.4 (327) • $$

"My son chose this spot for his birthday dinner. He had been before, but this was my first visit. It's a cute little restaurant in a strip mall. The dining room is kind of small so understandable why they had so many to go orders. They sell some gorgeous candle holders. A bit odd sitting next to a shelf full of inventory.Thankfully the food more than makes up for it! The portions were huge and delicious. We ordered from an online kiosk and then they called our name when it was ready. They seemed pretty quick & efficient. I'd definitely go back, but probably get it to go."

Sambusa King

★★★★☆ 3.9 (35) • $

"So much love for my beloved Sambusa King. My go-to for all things: lazy nights when I don't feel like cooking (take-out on fleek) and a worthy appetizer companion for when I'm hosting (sambusa's on FUHLEEK). Literally love this place for all it is - flaws and all. I think other commenters are right. There's definitely a family/friend dynamic in the shop always but it shouldn't bother you if all you want is the food. Tables are a hit or miss with wipe-downs and sometimes you have to tell them to wipe a table for you which they'll do. Just like any high-volume food place, they do run out of some things but they always allow you to substitute for something else. E.g. I wanted the suqaar (beef cubes sautéed in carrots and peppers) with chapati but today they had run out of chapatti and they let me substitute with baasto (spaghetti bolognese's Somali cousin). Food: always so flavorful! Meats and entrees are always made to order so they come out piping hot and super yummy. I've never had problems with their food and the extra banana gives any dietitian a smile! Would I come back: ALWAYS! I love the food! Not a giant fan of the atmosphere so I'd never eat there but I'll always go back for that yumminess"

Sofra Kitchen

★★★★☆ 4.4 (7) • $$

"Sofra is the perfect family-run restaurant experience. They serve a huge variety of great traditional Turkish food. They have a large baked goods counter with both savory and sweet items, in addition to a substantial menu for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. There are things served here that I don't believe you will find elsewhere in the Twin Cities. They have the most traditional iskender kebap I've seen here (in photos). This is a must try."

Food Truck Alley

★★★☆☆ 2.5 (2)

"For airport food this is a great stop for some Mediterranean options. I tried the spinach pie this time and it was well presented with a pickled cauliflower side. For those who like a more acidic/sour punch you will like this. It was a bit strong for me so I went back and ordered my humus favorite. The pita was thin and warm.I also give praise to the happy guy at the register who was able to keep up with the weary travelers"

Cafe Renaissance

★★★★★ 4.5 (95) • $$

"Cafe Renaissance is my type of restaurant. It has all the elements of a great place to dine. It is elegant, has a great selection of quality food, and the service was top notch. - Kudos to our waiter, Sebestian! To top it off we had live piano playing the whole time during dinner, which was so romantic.We enjoyed a lovely dinner here on a friday night. To start off we shared the Meditterrean salad. It was fresh, perfectly marinated with olive oil, and a decent sprinkle of kalamta olives.Then the soups came. I had the delectable, creamy, rice, and filling butternut squash soup. My lovely companion had the vegetable barley soup.Now for the main couse, but oh wait- Sebastian gave us some citrus flavored icey to clear our pallette. I enjoyed every bite of the Guinnes Short Ribs that I could handle. My dear thoroughly enjoyed the Lamb Shank and we both had enough to take home for a second serving.For dessert we had some Baklava. It was a lovely sweet treat to top off the evening. If and when I return to St. Cloud, this restuarant will be at the top of my list. Whether its a special occasion or not. It is just worth it."

Afro Deli

★★★★☆ 4.4 (266) • $

"This place came highly recommended by the local team. We had a very large catering order with multiple timed deliveries. They nailed it! Food was great, delivered on time, and everyone loved it. Ordering was also easy despite the large group orders. Great job!!"

Mini Pac Grill

★★★★☆ 3.7 (9)

"Very small place. It's more of a grab and go or take out place. One thing we love is the gangster fries and their gyro burgers. We drive about an hour just to come here to get it. Very flavorful and portion size is pretty big. Enough for two person. Their wings are flavorful. I love their lemon pepper dry rub that they put on their wings. Otherwise the original flavor they top it of is good as well. They do have two tables but it's against the wall I don't think anyone ever dines in there. Definitely recommend it and will keep going back."

Trieste Café

★★★★★ 4.6 (163) • $

"Back for lunch again!I tried the chicken kebab this time and it came with rice, a Greek salad, and some pita bread. I found the chicken kebabs to be well flavored, but it was a bit overcooked/dry. I could taste an earthy taste (cumin?) and paprika?. Pretty flavorful! And salted just right. If it was tender and juicy too.... It would be WHOA.!The Greek salad was awesome again. The feta was just phenomenal with the dressing they use too.... I'm almost developing a craving for it. There was also an accompanying white spead/sauce in a plastic ramekin. It was amazing.!!!!!! Sour, savory, TANGy (horse-radish / wasabi-ish). It went well with the pita bread, which was also good. Pretty standard, but well-cooked and fluffy.My only real complaint was that the lettuce itself was not cut through and through. The leaf was still in one piece (connected through the stem) but still easy enough to break apart to take bites.Friendly, nice, and good service again, too!"

Falafel King

★★★★☆ 4 (42) • $

"We ordered falafel wraps and fried and the falafel was made fresh and the sandwich was quite good and included lettuce, onions and cucumbers. The price was very reasonable too."

BaraBello

★★★☆☆ 3.2 (12)

"I tried this spot a couple months ago and I really wanted to like it but just didn't. I only had the gyro, but it wasnt that good and I don't know if I have ever had a bad gyro before. I drove by yesterday and they looked closed."

Oasis Mediterranean Grill

★★★★★ 4.7 (6)

"Me and a few of my friends stopped here for a quick lunch and I enjoyed it so much.There were a few people waiting for their pick up orders when we stopped in, we all ordered and waited about 10-15 minutes before it was ready.I ordered the lamb platter and it had decent portions of lamb, rice, and peppers and onions.It was so flavorful and filling and I'm happy I finally got to try Oasis Mediterranean Grill"

Falafel King

★★★★☆ 4 (21) • $$

"The service was great. The food was good. The lamb was slightly overdone. A little tough to eat, but everything else was great. You can eat in. I don't remember any outdoor seating. The restaurant was nice inside with plenty of napkins and plasticware I'd go back"

Mediterranean Cruise Cafe

★★★★☆ 3.8 (436) • $$

"I have been here several times and am mostly posting this review based on a cumulative experience--which is to say that, this family run establishment is a staple in the south metro that should absolutely be frequented if you like Mediterranean food...even more so if you are there during the lunch buffet (sample more stuff) or on a night when dancers are there (entertaining). On the most recent visit we had a basic salad with a hummus sampler and some drinks. The ambience is inviting, servers are friendly, prices are reasonable and the entertainment is unique in the Midwest. Can't think of anything I'd change...so 5 stars."

Mr. Shawarma Grill

★★★★★ 4.7 (29)

"This was a Pretty tasty meal. We placed our order and sat down. The person who took our order was friendly and helpful. It did take a bit longer than I would have expected for "fast food" but everything was very tasty. The falafel was crunchy on the outside and tender in the middle. The hummus was very good and the Baba Ganoush had a nice smoky flavor. It was quiet, clean and bright. We would come back just for the falafel."

Toma Mojo Grill

★★★★★ 4.6 (89) • $$

"Great food and service! Piri Piri chicken bowl was excellent. Definitely will be back."

Kevin’s Gyros

★★★★★ 4.5 (4)

"Had the gyro and fries from here at the apple orchard for lunch.The meat was not dry and there was plenty of it with a good sauce and a good ration or toppings in the gyro sandwich.The fries were hot and fresh and seasoned well. They tasted good. Quick service and was good to see that as an option at the orchard along with other offerings available for the MEA week.I will definitely eat here again if they are at other festivals or places that I visit."

Cardamom

★★★★☆ 4.4 (130)

"I love Mediterranean food and Middle Eastern influenced cuisine.We thought the portions on the appetizer menu were going to be small even though they said they were good for sharing. Wow, were we surprised. Light appetizers turned into a full-blown meal.Everything was just delightful. The combination of plates included:HUMMUS:chickpea spread, paprika, olives, pita- all good.CUCUMBER AND HONEYDEW was a green goddess, feta, dukkah, dill, and chervil, - a pleasant surprise. MARINATED OLIVES came with labneh, Prosciutto, and Pita - so yummy. The 4 Moroccan Cigars!! tasted delightful.For my drink of choice, I had the pineapple mocktail: SOUMAKI pineapple, sumac, lime, carbonation.The most pleasant surprise was the cucumber and honeydew. It was so light and refreshing. Hands down, my favorite appetizer was the Moroccan Cigars. Just a party of flavor in mouth.The service was great and we the ambience- a delight."

The Garden Bar on 6th

★★★★☆ 4.3 (66)

"Consistently good food and great service. Great place for dinner, lunch or drinks. A favorite spot in Alexandria."

New York Gyro

★★★★☆ 3.7 (18)

"This place is pretty much like a Chipotle but for Middle Eastern food. They have all the good stuff - gyro, soulvaki, lamb, kebab, falafel, and even samosas. You can make a combo with rice and fresh veggies. (Or get fries because, sometimes, you just need some fries.) If you are ordering the most popular items, service is pretty quick since they are just putting your plate together. If you order stuff like lamb, it will take longer. The portions are large and the price is totally reasonable. You can definitely get two meals out of one order. If you have a sweet tooth, don't forget to order baklava.The restaurant itself is huge but most people seem to take their orders to go. It was always busy when I went in there, so I think people have figured out this is a good spot!"

Casa Deli

★★★★★ 4.5 (63) • $

"We live close to this restaurant and we love ordering in from here! We've tried many of the menu items and they rarely disappoint. The only thing I've had that I haven't loved is their chicken tinga.Special call outs: Al Pastor Torta and Birria Tacos."

Greek Cravings

★★★★☆ 4.1 (98) • $

"Greek Cravings is in downtown St. Cloud MN. In the Petters building which is listed on the National Historical Register. Both indoor and outdoor seating are available. I'm just guessing here but indoor is preferred during winter. But folks here are pretty tough so maybe not. GC is a gem. Very typical Greek menu with each item perfectly prepared. The classic gyro is a big portion so I skipped the fries but they looked good. Both the fries and falafel were made to order. The tabouli salad was more than my companion could finish. It got a rave review just like each item I tried. The woman taking care of everyone was in constant motion. She took orders once and remembered every selection for several people. Wow. The prices are very reasonable to the point of needing increasing. But not my call. I certainly would not have balked at higher prices especially knowing how great it was. Plenty of parking in the area using the Park Mobile app or kiosk. Well worth a visit. Enjoy!"

Casa Deli

★★★★★ 4.8 (40) • $$

"I love Mexican food, authentic real Mexican food. My wife is Mexican, and this is one of my favorite local spots after picking up a door dash order here once. I've come here three times now since that day.Numero uno: the horchata is better than any other spot I've found in Minnesota. My teenage boys have never had horchata and they tasted it. You know that glisten in someone eyes when they have seen the glory or been exposed to the truth, like they just woke up from the matrix from the 1st time? Yea, just one sip of the horchata and they were in heaven.This is the perfect Burria quesetaco....you don't rush through this, you squeeze the lime into the meat....you slowly pour some of the sauce...you take a bite.....and you slowly crunch as you chew and your mind is taken to paradise because you realize this is what legends are made of. Each bite gets better and better. Or if you're feeling brave, dip your taco straight into the sauce, when I dip, you dip, we dip .I love what they've done with the place too, it's been spruced up nice since my last visit. Get here and tell 'em I sent youThe strawberry limonada is the truth!! Fresh chopping a of strawberry in every sip. Oh my goodness!!!They should call this place party on a plate, cus when this flavor hits your taste buds, they start jumping, and dancing, and it brings joy to your soul."

Zakia Deli

★★★★☆ 4.4 (186) • $

"Nice to discover more good Lebanese food in NE Minneapolis. Zakia Deli passes the "aromas like in my Auntie Rose's (Armenian) kitchen" test. Service is cafeteria style but with attention to presentation as you can see on my gorgeous falafel plate. There are small tables and high table seating inside and some outside, Prices are very reasonable , especially for the good sized portions. The falafel are bigger and less peppery than some others I've had, relying on more subtle flavors."

Holy Land Deli

★★★☆☆ 3.1 (33)

"Food: 3.5/5Service: 4/5Ambiance: n/aOverall: A good food option for the airport when you want something different than the usual chain food. The extended review... Food: Gyro Plate - A very hearty meal just before a flight. The gyro was very tasty though not quite as plentiful in portion, the rice and pita were there to complete the meal and fill me up before my flight. Service: Friendly host and cashier. Ambiance: Not much of one since it's more of a grab and go place. There is some seating in the common food area."

Filfillah Restaurant

★★★★☆ 4.1 (254) • $$

"Filfillah, located in a stripmall in a desolate and car-swept area of Central Avenue, has pretty good Middle Eastern food and a couple unusual options you won't find elsewhere. As always, 3 stars is NOT a bad review in my book.I came for the foule mudammas ($10), a fava bean dish traditionally eaten with bread. By my count, only 8 places in Minnesota offer it (it's rare in general, and frequently only served for breakfast). The rendition at Filfillah is vegan by default and a fresh and light dish of fava, parsley, chickpeas, tahini and other spices, which you then scoop up with Turkish bread that comes with it. I liked it, though I feel Ethiopian places do a better job with it, adding more spices. Here it felt like it was missing something.The veggie samosa ($6) consists of 4 samosas. I thought the shell had absorbed too much oil, creating an unappealing flavor and the interior, with its lightly seasoned roasted potatoes, peas and carrots, fell flat. I'd never seen a Middle Eastern restaurant offer samosas before, and they didn't do a great job of it here.The falafel sandwich ($10) is vegan by default and can be made with either the house-baked Turkish bread or a Lebanese pita. The cashier strong-armed me into the Turkish bread, which is legitimately good, but also overwhelming when used for a sandwich. I suggest going with the pita. In any case, this sandwich was fine, but nothing special, with mealy tomatoes and underwhelming falafel pieces.The zaatar pie ($7) is vegan by default and not, in fact, a pie. It has no filling. Instead it's a flat bread covered in sumac, oregano and olive oil and then backed. It's delicious and large in size.Lastly, the house-made Turkish bread ($2) is awesome: soft, chewy, slightly crusty. Do try it with at least one dish.Come to Filfillah for good Middle Eastern food and two unusual options: foule mudammas and Turkish bread."

Hyacinth

★★★★☆ 4.3 (108)

"Wine lists for those curious... likely different each week (slightly), but to give an idea."

Afandina Cafe

★★★★☆ 4.2 (46)

"Nice decoration easy to park relatively quick service. Gyro was decent but chicken shawarma was better. . They should cover the entrance to the right because there is piece of metal from outside food selling That does not belong there. Also restrooms are ugly and borderline...Kenafeh was decent, but I will not come back for it."

New York Gyro

★★★★☆ 3.6 (30) • $

"This is my favorite gyro spot in the twin cities.This place may not be fancy but it's a gem and I'm glad to have found them. The lamb gyro meat is actually not dry here, it has tons of flavor and it's juicy. You also get to pick what goes on your gyro, which is one of my favorite parts of this! The portion is BIG, you get a lot for your buck here. This is where my boyfriend first tried a gyro and he became obsessed! This place is also open late, so that's a huge bonus. Parking isn't the easiest as it only counts with three paid parking spots right in front of the location but it's lake street so it's never really easy... but it's worth it ;) I've had their chicken and rice box in the past and it was also full of flavor, huge portion and a-m-a-z-i-n-g! I recommend you give it a try and don't shy away by appearances!"

Hodma

★★★★☆ 4.3 (12)

"A terrific new addition to the neighborhood, offering a thorough menu, large dining space, and finally, late walk-in hours for grabbing a snack after hanging in the area (or heading home). Have only tried a few things so far, but I can attest to the gyro being absolutely worth an order. It's a far larger than I would have expected, and flush with plenty of meat. I also put in an order of a couple fried dough pockets (I'm forgetting the name) that had an excellent meat and spices filling. Really happy to see this place open and continue to contribute to the area's amazing diversity of cuisine choices. Looking forward to trying the rest of the menu, too."

Campus Kabob

★★☆☆☆ 2 (3) • $

"Omg... I never know that samosa chat can be done in this way until I visited this place... they are having a choice of missing samosa chat with veggies and later mixed with sauces and as I am not aware of this I asked chef to keep the best and it tasted the worse... I felt like I am eating some raw meat with sauces... try your own luck in visiting this place"

Spitz - Woodbury

★★★★☆ 4.2 (58) • $$

"I was pretty excited when Spitz opened a Woodury location. I have wanted to visit their Mpls location for a couple of years now. I've been to Spitz a couple of times now. Once with a friend and another time with another friend. The first time we sat on their little patio. I had a Doner wrap which was really good. My friend had their wings which she stated she really enjoyed. The Doner wrap is full of flavors and different textures. Similar to pita bread but a bit thinner. These are really good. I have also tried their falafel and hummus. The falafel was just OK. A little dense however their hummus was excellent! I mean really good! Better than the hummus that I make. I definitely look forward to getting their hummus again as well as some more tasty items on their menu."

Shish

★★★★☆ 3.9 (526) • $$

"We went in around 6:30 and it was busy for a Monday! The service staff were very friendly and interactive, and the food, as always, is fresh and amazing! We greatly appreciate the vegan options! The ambiance never disappoints here. Hands down the best Mediterranean food in the area!"

Zait & Za'atar: Mediterranean Dhaba

★★★★☆ 4.4 (211) • $

"Ordered food for pickup at Zait & Za'atar. Parking was really easy and the staff was super friendly. It also looks like they have a great dining room so next time I would like to dine in!We ordered:Chicken Shawarma PlateBaba Ganoush (Small)Msakhan Chicken PlateFor two, this was the perfect amount! We had some leftovers. We took the food home and it was still enjoyable! Definitely a versatile spot that is great for takeout and is probably even better dine-in! I've never had Msakhan Chicken before but saw it was one of their more popular dishes on Yelp, I'm really glad yelp has this feature because it got me to try something new and it was great! Would love to try this dish at other restaurants too."

Empire Cuisine and Market

★★★★☆ 4.3 (14)

"I just moved to Shakopee and havent found that one restaurant that will be my go to. I might have just found it. Ive actually been here twice now and let me say the best part of this restaurant is the service. The first time I went they were closing soon. I wanted to try the rice after i got fried with my meal. They gave me a side free of charge. He forgot to charge me for my samosa and when i reminded him he also gave that to me. The second time i went i had family at home and wanted to bring a family style meal home. He helped me customize it, gave us a whopping portion and wrapped it very well.For the food. The first time i went i had wings and fries. Both were really good. Crispy wings, fries were a little soggy but tasted good. For the family meal we had rice, spaghetti, philly cheesesteak meat, salmon, fried chicken and a side salad. The spaghetti was great as was the salad. The meats were decent. The chicken was a tad soggy, but to be expected how it was packaged. The salmon and philly cheesesteak had a little flavor but could have used more seasoning.All in all a great experience and the family loved the food also. I will be back to make this place my dukedom"