49 Best Restaurants in USA

Fans of Bestia have been lining up for stellar Mediterranean cuisine at this Arts District hot spot, which is owned by the same restaurateurs. Rose-gold stools give way to marble tabletops as the open kitchen bangs out hummus and baba ghanoush spreads, along with flatbreads and lamb-neck shawarma. The vibe is lively, the staff is chill, the patio is a scene, and the food is out of this world. Reserve early, as this place gets filled fast.

Dynamic and delicious flavors of the eastern Mediterranean merge over traditional and new-fashioned dishes at this photogenic local hot spot. Feast on pides (Turkish flat breads baked in a stone oven), Middle Eastern fried chicken (with tahini, za'atar, and house hot sauce) and fattoush (crunch salad) while enjoying the breezy, art deco surroundings and colorful interiors.

Take a bounty of Maine ingredients, add an ever-changing Middle Eastern/Mediterranean menu, and chefs who know how to subtly blend it all, and you’ve got Evo. Chef Matt Ginn opened this swanky, two-story spot housed in the Hyatt in 2015, and since then he and executive chef Mike Carney have earned a following for dishes like bluefin tuna with avocado toum, ginger, and turmeric. The addictive chickpea fries with harissa and sumac will melt in your mouth and steal your heart.

Famed Washington, D.C., restaurateur and chef Philippe Massoud brings his culinary talents—emphasizing cuisine from his native Lebanon—to New York City at this bi-level, 400-seat eatery. The menu of innovative Middle Eastern fare includes a mouthwatering variety of shareable hot and cold meze, as well as mains that run the gamut from lamb chops with za'atar to chicken livers with pomegranate molasses to duck shawarma with fig jam. Waiters never fail to refresh the basket of hot, fluffy, house-baked pita bread. A glass of Lebanese or French wine is a nice accompaniment to the cuisine.

For a grand savory adventure inside the Kimpton La Peer Hotel, chef Charbel Hayek prepares an array of winning Middle Eastern and Mediterranean-inspired menu items, such as a mezze platter to pair with a vibrant cocktail. Start with an array of dips, olives, and pita bread, before ordering one or more wood-grilled menu items. Popular dishes include dry-aged Rohan duck and olive-crusted rack of lamb, plus some satisfying vegetarian fare to enjoy with a glass of Old World, Ancient World, and New World wines. 

Run by a friendly husband-and-husband team who began with a hummus stand at the farmers' market, Laziz has grown into an outstanding full-service Lebanese restaurant in the burgeoning Granary District, with a cheerfully hip plant-filled dining room and street-side terrace. The most delicious strategy here is to make a feast of a selection of small plates: spiced labneh, eggplant baba ghanoush, grilled Halloumi cheese, kibbeh, fried cauliflower with garlic-cilantro pesto, red-wine-braised lamb shank, and maybe a kafta burger or two. The short but excellent wine list features several Lebanese bottles. There's a second location in Midvale.

Persian dining is mostly done in homes, with fine dining a modern concept, but Maykadeh hits the mark with authenticity in Persian cooking as well as saucy, elevated, French-influenced twists. Those in the know come for succulent lamb specialties with saffron rice, served in a dining room with an old-school, white-shirt-and-tie vibe. Kebabs, like the chicken joojeh, and other marinated meats are great for sharing. Other options include ghorme sabzee, lamb shank braised with Persian aromatic herbs. There are plenty of starters, like strained-whey-drizzled eggplant dip, to tease the most hearty appetites.

This hole-in-the-wall Middle Eastern bakery, deli, and market is packed at lunchtime with regulars who are on a first-name basis with the staff behind the counter. From the nondescript parking lot the place doesn't look like much, but inside, delicious hot and cold Mediterranean treats await the takeout crowd. Choose from traditional gyro sandwiches and lamb salads with sides of grape leaves, tabbouleh, and couscous.

This spin-off of Shuka in SoHo first fired up its burners in summer 2021 and was an instant hit, far exceeding in enthusiasm than the original. The focus of this stylish 80-seat eatery is modern Middle Eastern cuisine, with flavor-packed fare that spans the entire region. Chef Ayesha J. Nurdjaja takes traditional recipes and goes a step further with them, adding, for example, red onions and a sauce of chilies and garlic to the ultracreamy hummus or stewed lamb hiding inside the kibbeh. There's a delicious surprise on every plate.

This sophisticated urban dining room with soaring ceilings is a local favorite for meeting friends or dining with a group (and popular enough that reservations can still be difficult to get). Here chef José Andrés devotes practically the entire menu to Turkish, Greek, and Lebanese small plates, known as meze. To get the full experience, make a meal of three or four small plates, perhaps the spicy lamb bahar served with tabbouleh and tahini or the hearty fattoush shepherd's salad in a bright pomegranate dressing. Finishing the shareable roasted lamb shoulder is a worthy quest for diners with big appetites. So many options make this an excellent choice for both vegetarians and meat lovers. Reservations get snapped up quickly here, but you can snag a meal when a roomy bar table opens up. Eating at the bar itself is fun since the bartenders are attentive and friendly.

If your taste buds seek something other than standard Southern fare, head to one of Savannah's few Middle Eastern restaurants. Owned and operated by a husband-and-wife team Meqbel and Rose Salameh Al Salaam, the restaurant is celebrated for its perfectly fried falafel, spit-roasted lamb, and hummus and baba ganoush platters. Take time to look around the small space, enticingly papered over with vintage covers of National Geographic, which depict cultures from the world over.

Lebanese specialties are featured at this casual restaurant in Ghent, which also has a Mediterranean food store. Indoor dining is on granite tables under the original tin ceiling and exposed air ducts. Outdoors, the terra-cotta patio has umbrellas. Order healthy Mediterranean food including kibbi, seasoned beef and bulgur patties; stuffed grape leaves; and meat kebab with grilled vegetables and side dishes. The hummus is a standout. Vegan and vegetarian selections are noted on the menu, which includes appetizers, wraps, pizza, and kebabs.

Azizam is introducing Silver Lake to a casual way to enjoy comforting stews, punchy yogurt dips, and many other seasonal dishes that are often found in the comfort of an Iranian home. The all-day café is ideal for a quiet, leisurely lunch with a book or a friend. Standout items include Maman’s fried potatoes and the savory-and-sweet kofteh tabrizi, a beef and rice dish that socks up the savory tomato broth that collects at the bottom of the plate.

The lamb dishes and appetizers ("mezze") are excellent at this Lebanese restaurant. Try the fatte bel lahm (lamb cooked in sizzling butter on a bed of pita chips and smothered in yogurt sauce, garlic, and pine nuts). The lamb is so tender the meat comes apart at the slightest touch of your fork. Outdoor seating is available in a pretty courtyard with a stone fountain in the corner. Both vegetarians and meat eaters will find good options on the creative menu.

Loyal fans flock to bustling 5th Avenue South year in and year out to indulge in this restaurant's chic Persian atmosphere and cuisine. Favorite dishes include plum lamb with tomato-pomegranate sauce, ginger apricot shrimp (which was featured in Bon Appétit), and spicy beef in saffron sauce—all made on-site and completely from scratch.

This family-owned Lebanese eatery, set in a major upscale strip shopping center that's become part of Restaurant Row, serves Middle Eastern standards like shish kebab, baba ghanoush (an ultrasmoky variety that is the very best in town), and hummus as well as tasty daily specials. One of the most notable regular entrées is the shawarma cooked on a rotisserie. More formal than the average Orlando-area Middle Eastern restaurant, and featuring a cocktail menu, Cedar's has tables with white-linen tablecloths and diners who tend to wear resort-casual attire. Musicians or belly dancers perform on some Friday and Saturday nights; hookah pipes are popular on the back patio.

Good things really do come in small packages, like the outstanding falafel you can order at the back of this unpretentious, pocket-size Middle Eastern convenience store outfitted with a handful of tables and chairs. Grab a drink from one of the glass cases, then order from a menu of mouthwatering options, like lamb kebabs and beef gyros. The vegetarian sampler plate, with creamy hummus, smoky baba ghanoush, and fresh tabouleh is the must-order dish, though. Look for international grocery items, like pistachio cotton candy from Turkey. The kitchen is open 24/7, making it an ideal spot to grab a pita after partying. There is a smaller location at 117 Decatur St. in the French Quarter.

The Farsi word delbar translates to “heart, captured,” and that’s exactly what this restaurant intends to do. The interior is elegant and striking, and the cuisine's color and flavor is equally enthralling. Delbar’s menu is based on food that owner Fares Kargar made and ate growing up in Iran, as well as inspiration from all over the Middle East. If you want an intro to Persian cuisine, try the tahdig, or crispy rice. No matter what you choose, a reservation is a choice decision.

For street food with style, pop into Falafel Heights for a made-from-scratch falafel wrap or chicken shawarma bowl, made Palestinian-style for easy snacking. Be sure to get a few dips on the side for an extra kick.

Chef Zachary Engel has established himself as a critical favorite for his approach to Middle Eastern cuisine, which merges fine dining technique with big flavors and a disarming sense of humor that’s telegraphed through cheeky menu descriptions (e.g., tehina hummus with “way too much olive oil”).

This casual treasure is a hole-in-the-wall Middle Eastern favorite that gets consistent rave reviews. The reasonably priced menu includes hummus, lebni (fresh cheese made from yogurt), fabulous falafel, gyros, shawarma, and kebab plates, all served by a friendly and efficient staff. The adjoining store stocks an ample selection of imported Middle Eastern, Mediterranean, Indian, and European foods, including delicious cured olives, fava beans, grape leaves, chocolate-covered halvah bars, rose water, and countless other hard-to-find specialties.

In business for more than four decades, this venerable eatery's unassuming interior gives no hint of the wonders coming out of the kitchen. The inventive Middle Eastern menu includes zucchini flat cakes with yogurt and apricot jam and red beet risotto with seared scallops and asparagus. Joshua's smorgasbord brings together hummus, baba ghanoush, tabbouleh, dolmas, and warm pita bread. A popular spot for vegans, vegetarians, and those on a gluten-free diet.

This small Mediterranean spot serves up classic Middle Eastern flavors such as hummus, chicken shawarma, kebabs, and vegetarian dishes. A casual, welcoming space, it's a great spot to take a break while visiting the neighborhood as it's open late on weekends and has a full bar that features a variety of handcrafted cocktails.

Chef-owner Mona Leena Michael channels her heritage as a first-generation Palestinian in California. Breakfast, lunch, and Friday-to-Sunday brunch are the main events here, in particular the reservation-only, prix-fixe brunch affair that might feature eight to ten compelling mezze (small plates). Seating is split between the bright, airy dining room and sidewalk tables.

Out of a small storefront in Queen Village, Kenan Rabah bakes bread, pastries, and other treats inspired by his family's connection to Golan Heights, a disputed area of the Middle East. He uses food traditions to explore this history and the resulting savory pastries, topped with ingredients like labneh, za'atar, and spinach, are exceptional.

Michelin-starred Maydan is an idyllic culinary journey to the Middle East with an intricate entrance, wood fire taking center stage, and a colorful bar. Maydan transformed their outdoor seating into a Middle-Eastern dining experience called “Tawle.” Guests must order from the prix-fixe menu, which includes a variety of family-style dishes inspired by the Middle East, Northern Africa, and the Caucuses. Order grilled lamb, homemade breads, and hummus served family-style.