A Middle Eastern food menu in the US is usually Lebanese or Levantine, Turkish or Persian, and most follow one structure: mezze to share, grilled kebabs served as plates with rice or bread, then sweets. Mezze such as hummus, a paste of chickpeas and tahini eaten with bread[1], come first; Persian plates center on rice with meat, usually lamb[2]. Check which country the menu follows, order mezze for the table, then choose one grill per person or a mixed grill to share.
Typical menu
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Examples vary by restaurant. Confirm ingredients, portions and dietary needs with staff.
Mezze and starters
- Hummus — Mashed chickpeas blended with tahini, garlic, lemon juice and salt[1]; smooth, nutty and tangy, scooped with warm bread. Often topped with olive oil, paprika or spiced meat for a fuller plate. Mild; contains sesame.
- Baba ghanoush — Eggplant charred over coals or in a very hot oven, then blended with tahini, garlic and lemon[3]; smoky and soft. Some Lebanese versions skip the tahini and some Syrian ones use yogurt, so ask about sesame or dairy.
- Tabbouleh — A parsley-heavy herb salad with a little bulgur, mint, tomato and onion in olive oil and lemon[4]; bright, sour and green rather than a grain salad. Contains wheat; a fresh contrast to grilled meat.
- Fattoush — A chopped salad of lettuce, tomato, cucumber, radish and herbs with toasted or fried pita pieces and a tangy sumac-lemon dressing; crunchy and sharp. A side-size bowl for sharing; contains wheat.
- Falafel — Fried patties of ground chickpeas, fava beans or both with herbs; crisp outside and fluffy, often green, inside. As mezze, usually several pieces with tahini sauce; also sold in pita. Ask whether the fryer is shared with meat or fish.
- Kibbeh — A shell of bulgur and ground meat filled with spiced meat, onion and often pine nuts, usually fried into torpedo shapes; crunchy outside and savory inside. Often two to four pieces; Lebanese menus may also list a raw version, kibbeh nayeh.
Kebabs, shawarma and Persian plates
- Shish tawook — The Levantine chicken take on shish kebab, small pieces of meat grilled on a skewer[5]: chicken marinated in yogurt, garlic and lemon. Juicy and mild, usually plated with rice or fries, salad and garlic sauce (toum).
- Kafta — Ground lamb or beef mixed with onion, parsley and spices, pressed onto skewers and grilled; juicy and savory with gentle warmth rather than chili heat. Plates usually come with rice or bread, grilled tomato and onion.
- Adana kebab — A Turkish hand-pressed skewer of ground lamb and/or beef with onion, garlic and red pepper flakes, spicier than the milder Urfa kebab[6]. Often served on flatbread with grilled peppers; ask for Urfa if you avoid heat.
- Shawarma plate — Meat stacked and roasted on a vertical spit, then carved off, like döner and gyros[7]; served as a wrap or as a plate with rice, salad, pickles and garlic or tahini sauce. Usually chicken or beef; mild.
- Koobideh — A Persian skewer of ground beef or lamb with grated onion, grilled long and flat; tender and juicy, and subtly spiced rather than hot, like most Persian food[8]. Usually served on chelow rice with a grilled tomato.
- Joojeh kabab — Chicken marinated with saffron, lemon or lime and onion, then grilled; golden, tangy and tender. Saffron and lime are typical Persian flavorings[2]. Served with chelow rice and grilled tomato; ask whether it is bone-in.
Bread, pide and sweets
- Pita — Flat leavened bread baked at high heat so steam puffs up a hollow pocket[9]; served warm for scooping mezze or stuffed as a sandwich. Many restaurants refill it; ask whether extra bread costs more.
- Lavash — A thin, soft flatbread common at Turkish and Persian grills that wraps kebab meat or lines the plate to soak up juices. Flatbread making and sharing in Iran, Türkiye and neighbors is on UNESCO’s heritage list[10].
- Pide — Turkish flatbread baked in a wood-fired oven[11], shaped like a boat and topped with cheese, ground meat, sucuk or egg; chewy edges and a soft center. One pide is a meal for one or a shared starter for three.
- Lahmacun — A thin piece of dough covered with minced meat and herbs[11], baked crisp; squeeze on lemon, add parsley and roll it up. Light enough that many people order two; may carry mild chili heat.
- Baklava — Thin phyllo layered with walnuts, pistachios or almonds and drenched in syrup after baking[12]; crisp, sticky and very sweet. Usually sold by the piece; contains nuts and wheat.
- Kunafa — Shredded pastry around a layer of soft, mild cheese, baked and soaked in syrup, often topped with pistachio; served hot with stretchy cheese. Künefe is a signature dessert of Türkiye’s Hatay region[13]. One order suits two.
How to order on your first visit
For two, pick three mezze with bread, then two different grill plates or one mixed grill. For a group, order a mixed grill platter after asking how many skewers it has and how many it feeds, plus about one mezze per person and extra rice or bread. Ask whether plates include rice, salad and sauce, whether sauces contain sesame, garlic or yogurt, and which grills are spicy.
Different menu styles
Lebanese and Levantine menus lean on a long mezze list plus shish tawook, kafta and shawarma with garlic sauce and pita. Turkish menus add pide, lahmacun, döner and named kebabs such as Adana, often served on lavash. Persian menus are built around rice: koobideh, joojeh and other kebabs on saffron chelow, stews and yogurt sides, usually mildly spiced. Many US restaurants mix all three, so read the dish names rather than the sign.
What to order
- First visit for two: hummus, one more dip and a salad with bread, then one chicken and one lamb or beef skewer
- Group of four or more: a mixed grill platter plus several mezze, adding rice or bread once you see the portion
- Avoiding heat: shish tawook, koobideh or joojeh, with chili paste and hot sauce on the side
- Vegetarian: a mezze meal of hummus, baba ghanoush, tabbouleh and falafel, after asking about shared fryers and meat toppings
- Quick meal: a shawarma or falafel wrap, or a lahmacun or pide
Frequently asked questions
What is a mixed grill on a Middle Eastern menu?
It is a platter of several skewers, often chicken, kafta and lamb or beef, with rice or bread, grilled vegetables and sauces. Sizes vary from one hungry diner to a whole family, so ask how many skewers it includes before adding separate mains.
What is the difference between shawarma, döner and gyros?
All three are meat stacked and roasted on a vertical spit, then carved[7]. Döner is the Turkish name and gyros the Greek one, while shawarma is the name used on Levantine menus. Seasoning and sauces differ, for example garlic or tahini sauce with shawarma and tzatziki with gyros.
How is Persian rice different?
Rice and lamb are staples of Persian cuisine[2]. Chelow is long-grain rice that is usually parboiled and then steamed so the grains stay separate, often finished with saffron and butter. Some restaurants also sell tahdig, the crisp crust from the bottom of the pot, as a separate order.
Is Middle Eastern food spicy?
Mostly not. Persian food is described as subtly spiced and not typically hot[8], and Lebanese mezze lean on lemon, garlic and herbs. Heat usually comes from specific items such as Adana kebab, chili pastes or hot sauce, so ask which dishes are spicy and get sauces on the side.
Related guides
Sources
- Encyclopaedia Britannica. Hummus. Accessed
- Encyclopaedia Britannica. Persian. Accessed
- Encyclopaedia Britannica. Baba ganoush. Accessed
- Encyclopaedia Britannica. Tabbouleh. Accessed
- Encyclopaedia Britannica. Shish kebab. Accessed
- Türkiye Tourism Promotion and Development Agency. Types of Turkish Kebabs Guide. Accessed
- Encyclopaedia Britannica. Döner kebab. Accessed
- Encyclopaedia Britannica. Tehran: Cultural life. Accessed
- Encyclopaedia Britannica. Pita. Accessed
- UNESCO. Flatbread making and sharing culture: Lavash, Katyrma, Jupka, Yufka. Accessed
- Türkiye Tourism Promotion and Development Agency. 16 Foods You Have to Try on Your Trip to Türkiye. Accessed
- Encyclopaedia Britannica. Baklava. Accessed
- Türkiye Tourism Promotion and Development Agency. Turkish Riviera. Accessed