Middle Eastern
Lebanese
Persian
Turkish
- Al Safa, Paterson, NJ
- Al-Basha, Paterson, NJ
- Carmel Haifa, Morris Plains, NJ
- Fattal's Bakery, Paterson, NJ
- Ibby's Falafel, Jersey City, NJ
- Nablus Pastry & Sweets, Paterson, NJ
- Nargiz Deli & Cafe, Maplewood, NJ
- Negeen, Summit, NJ
- Taskin Bakery, Paterson, NJ
Favorites
Worth a Visit
On My List to Try
- AK Cafe, Clifton, NJ
- Abu Rass, Paterson, NJ
- Afghan Kabob, Wrightstown, NJ
- Al Mazaq Bakery & Restaurant, Paterson, NJ
- Al Raouche, Paterson, NJ
- Al-Kumah, Paterson, NJ
- Aleppo, Paterson, NJ
- Ariana, Voorhees, NJ
- Beirut, Clifton, NJ
- Bennies, Englewood, NJ
- Bissan Sweets, Paterson, NJ
- Cafe WLB, West Long Branch, NJ
- Cinar, Cliffside Park, NJ
- Dayi'nin Yeri, Cliffside Park, NJ
- Dolma, Jersey City, NJ
- Dory's Mediterranean Grill, Medford, NJ
- Eat a Pita, Lakewood, NJ
- Efes Mediterranean Grill, New Brunswick, NJ
- Efes Mediterranean Grill, Princeton, NJ
- Gypsy Grill, Jersey City, NJ
- Headquarters Sannine Lebanese Cuisine, North Brunswick, NJ
- Honey, Teaneck, NJ
- House of Kabob, Boonton, NJ
- Istanbul, North Brunswick, NJ
- Kabab Paradise, Lake Hiawatha, NJ
- Kabab Paradise, South Bound Brook, NJ
- Kabob on the Cliff, Cliffside Park, NJ
- Kamil's, Clifton, NJ
- Kasra, Paterson, NJ
- Kei Kabob, Montclair, NJ
- King Tut, Somerville, NJ
- King Tut, Lebanon, NJ
- King of Shish Kebab, Woodland Park, NJ
- Köy Turkish Grill, East Brunswick, NJ
- Lisa's Turkish Kitchen, Ridgewood, NJ
- Main Street Falafel, Freehold, NJ
- Mamoun's, Hoboken, NJ
- Marhaba, Lambertville, NJ
- Marmaris Cafe, Edgewater, NJ
- Mimino, East Brunswick, NJ
- Pamir, Morristown, NJ
- Ravagh Persian Grill, Edgewater, NJ
- Rose Persian, Teaneck, NJ
- Rose's Place, Fair Lawn, NJ
- Royal Grill 37, Toms River, NJ
- Rumi Turkish Grill, Jersey City, NJ
- Sahara, New Brunswick, NJ
- Sahara, Paterson, NJ
- Salahedin, Paterson, NJ
- SamaMak Seafood, Jersey City, NJ
- Sanam Kabob House, Lake Hiawatha, NJ
- Sofra, Marlboro, NJ
- Star Manti, Delran, NJ
- Tabboule, Ridgewood, NJ
- The Kebabci, Wood-Ridge, NJ
- Toros, Clifton, NJ
- Uncle Moustache, Montclair, NJ
- Zaitooni Deli, Red Bank, NJ
- Zendiggi Kebab House, Closter, NJ
- Öz Karadeniz, Paterson, NJ
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Middle Eastern
My introduction to Middle Eastern food was eating falafel for the first time as a college freshman, with another Jersey expat, at Mamoun’s in New Haven, CT. Little did I know that I could have sampled hummus, baba ganouj and shawarma much earlier, much closer to home in one of New Jersey’s vibrant Middle Eastern communities.
“Middle Eastern,” of course, is a broad term. The dishes associated with Middle Eastern cuisine – creamy dips, warm pita bread, grilled meat kebabs – are served in communities from North Africa, to the Eastern Mediterranean, to the Arabian peninsula. I once asked a Jordanian what the difference is between falafel prepared in Israel, or Lebanon, or Egypt. He said there is essentially no difference, just slight variations in spices; everyone in the region enjoys the same foods. The names might be different – shawarma, doner kebab or gyro, for example – but the basic ingredients and preparation are the same whether you order your sliced meat sandwich in Damascus, Beirut, or Cairo.
Paterson’s Main Street might be the best place in the state for Middle Eastern cuisine, due to the high concentration of Syrian, Palestinian, Lebanese and Turkish restaurants.
EthnicNJ’s Middle Eastern category includes Turkish, Persian and Afghan restaurants, even though each of these ethnic cuisines feature their own unique dishes. Restaurants serving halal food follow Islamic dietary guidelines (no pork, no blood, no alcohol).
Links
Middle Eastern Places in Bergen County
Tempting the Taste Buds with Turkish Treats