What is mezze and how do you order it?

Mezze is a spread of small shared plates that opens a Lebanese meal — think hummus, baba ghanoush, tabbouleh, fattoush, and warm pita, often followed by grilled kibbeh or spiced sausages. The best approach is to order several mezze for the table to share, then move on to a grilled main like shish taouk or kafta. Mezze-first dining is meant to be social and unhurried.

What's the difference between hummus at a good Lebanese restaurant and store-bought hummus?

Great hummus is whipped smooth with high-quality tahini, fresh lemon, garlic, and a generous pour of olive oil on top — light and almost cloud-like in texture, not thick and pasty like most packaged versions. It should taste distinctly of tahini and lemon, not just chickpeas. A restaurant's hummus is a strong first indicator of overall kitchen quality.

What should I order for my first Lebanese meal?

Start with hummus, baba ghanoush (smoky roasted eggplant dip), and tabbouleh (a parsley-forward salad with bulgur, tomato, and lemon) for the table. For a main, shish taouk (marinated grilled chicken skewers with garlic sauce) or kafta (grilled spiced ground beef and lamb) are the most approachable. Finish with baklava and a small cup of Lebanese coffee.

Best Lebanese Food Near Me: How to Find Authentic Lebanese Restaurants in 2026

August 16, 2026 | 6 min read

Lebanese food is built around generous mezze spreads, charcoal-grilled meats, and bright, herb-forward salads — one of the most shareable, crowd-pleasing cuisines around. Here's what to order, what to look for, and how to find the best Lebanese restaurant near you.

The Essential Lebanese Dishes

Hummus and Baba Ghanoush

Hummus, whipped smooth with tahini, lemon, and garlic, should be light and almost cloud-like — not a thick, pasty spread. Baba ghanoush is its smoky cousin, made from fire-roasted eggplant blended with tahini. Both are eaten scooped up with warm pita and set the tone for the whole meal.

Tabbouleh and Fattoush

Tabbouleh is a bright, herb-heavy salad — mostly finely chopped parsley with a small amount of bulgur, tomato, mint, lemon, and olive oil. It should taste primarily of parsley, not grain. Fattoush is a chopped vegetable salad with crispy fried or toasted pita chips and a tangy sumac dressing. Both are refreshing counterpoints to the richer grilled dishes.

Shish Taouk and Kafta

Shish taouk is garlic-and-lemon marinated chicken, char-grilled on skewers and often served with a punchy garlic toum sauce. Kafta is grilled ground beef and lamb, seasoned with parsley, onion, and warm spices. Both showcase the Lebanese mastery of the charcoal grill — smoky char on the outside, juicy inside.

Manakish and Fatayer

Manakish is Lebanese flatbread, often topped with za'atar (a wild thyme, sesame, and sumac blend) and olive oil, baked until crisp — a common breakfast item. Fatayer are small baked or fried hand pies filled with spinach, cheese, or spiced meat. Both make excellent starters or snacks.

Quality Signals at Lebanese Restaurants

House-made hummus and toum — the garlic sauce (toum) should be whipped to an airy, mayonnaise-like texture, not thin or bottled.
Tabbouleh that's mostly parsley — if it's mostly bulgur, that's a shortcut.
Charcoal or wood-fired grilling — the smoky char on shish taouk and kafta is hard to fake on a flat-top.
Fresh, warm pita — ideally baked in-house or sourced daily from a Lebanese bakery.
A generous mezze selection — a wide range of small plates signals a kitchen that takes the full meal seriously, not just the mains.

Find the Best Lebanese Food Near You

Use ChooseMy.Food to find top-rated Lebanese restaurants near your location instantly. Lebanese restaurants tend to be excellent for groups — a 4.4+ star Lebanese spot with hundreds of reviews is a safe, crowd-pleasing choice.

Find Lebanese Food Near Me

Best Cities for Lebanese Food in America

Detroit, MI: Nearby Dearborn has the largest and most concentrated Lebanese-American community in the country, with some of the best Lebanese food anywhere outside Lebanon.
New York City: Bay Ridge, Brooklyn has a long-standing Lebanese and broader Levantine restaurant scene.
Los Angeles, CA: A strong Lebanese food presence throughout the city, particularly in the Westside.
Chicago, IL: A wide range of Lebanese restaurants across the metro, from casual grills to upscale mezze spots.
Houston, TX: A large and growing Lebanese-American community with excellent restaurants throughout the city.