Middle Eastern Bakery & Deli

I saw this on «Check Please» and it looked like a very interesting place. Cute little store inside with lots of Mediterranean goodies and freshly made pita bread. I had to walk around to find someone to take my order and answer my questions. Couldnt find anyone and the place was empty. Finally a woman greeted me. I asked about the Giro Pitas sandwiches and they sounded like they were kinda small so I got 2. I had to get the pita breads too. I grabbed a bag and they were still warm at 11 am. I sat down at a table where behind me there was a couple of tables that were dirty and looked like it was sitting there for a while. I received my food and it looked kinda lame. It was half wrapped on a big white plate which made the sandwich even look smaller. Usually when I go out some sort of side was given, be it rice, chips, fries, soup or a small salad. Kinda disappointing for the price. I bit into sandwich and the pita was to die for. Soooooo good. The meat was very different and flavorless. It seemed boiled and very wet. Did not enjoy at all. Usually its carved off in strips, nice and crunchy or carved and then grilled. This was wet and soft. Part of my pita was even soaked and wet. Not appetizing. Too bad. I really wanted to take my wife to a new Mediterranean restaurant. I will go back for Pitas, but that is all.

This was my first time here after months of driving by and wishing I had time to go in.
I absolutely love it. They have a refrigerated section in the market area with pre made dishes ready to take home and heat up which is super convenient! The rest of the market is full of middle eastern treasures that might be difficult to find anywhere else. I bought a box of rose flavored Turkish delight that I’m pretty stoked about.
At the counter there are olives and fresh feta to buy among other delicious things.
I loved that the owners family was there working. Very happy and hard working.
I stopped in today solely for some fresh baklava and a cup of Arabic coffee and my mind is blown away. By far the best baklava I’ve ever had and as the owner assured me, the coffee is amazing!
I can’t wait to come back for lunch!

Delicious pita sandwiches and falafel. Love the hot tea. Order at the counter and they’ll give you a number for your table.
This is a no frills but yummy hidden gem. We live close and will be back often.

So yummy and delicious. Fresh food and great baklava and coffee! But the real treat is the owner who is such a nice guy and takes really good care of you! Definitely recommend this place

20 minutes to wait for a single takeout item at a non-​rush time is crazy. The food is fine, but over priced for what it is. I got a chx kabob plate and lemonade, and it was over $ 16.00. Lunch next door at Nico’s is much less. The food there is delicious, priced well, and the service is swift and kind. With the prices Middle Eastern Bakery charges, I wish they’d at least give the interior a little face lift, or clean it up a little.

Great food but really slow. All of the meats are really good. The chicken has a perfect marinade. The salads are good but nothing that will knock your socks off. The lemonade is a must, as it is sweetened with real honey rather than sugar.
Wait: 1
Service: 2
Food: 4
Atmosphere: 3
Overall: 3

So you all know I love my middle eastern food so this was a must try! My problem is I always what to try everything off the menu in these places so $ 22.00 later I had a feast!
The baked cabbie was good — although I prefer fried — hummus was a bit bland, rice was on the money. I had the kabob and lamb shish plate, lamb had a few fatty pieces, which is expected, and the kabob was awesome!
Worth a stop if you need a quick middle eastern fix or to pickup groceries and spices.

husband & wife team own this spot that frequently gets crowded during the lunch rush. was told the location has been around for more than 4 decades.
the recipes and care are apparent at Middle Eastern Deli… been here multiple times and the crowd is always cool, the service is always friendly, and the FOOD is always on point. homemade pitas, best falafel i’ve had anywhere is always piping hot, good sides, great chicken. the small kitchen belies the bevy of flavors. even the sides of hummus that come w/​the combo plates are clearly fresh/​homemade. for me, the bakery case is hit or miss — it’s definitely authentic and some of the flavors, such as dates, pistachio and olive oil in a dessert are probably too potent for my (dessert) taste. i personally favor the savory side here.
i only wish there were more spots like this in phoenix. it would then truly be a great food city, like Chicago or San Francisco. we need more authentic places like this and LESS «Sam Fox Concepts» which are basically high-​priced Cheesecake Factories.
at Middle Eastern Deli, the prices are also on the high-​er side: $ 12/​$ 13 for a combo plate, $ 2 for a small lemonade (made w/​honey and rose water — YUM). however, it’s WORTH IT when the higher prices are for good-​quality ingredients and a family lineage of delicious recipes.
the inside can get a bit cramped but this is what you’d see up and down the streets of New York… if Phoenix were an older city, more spaces like this would exist and it wouldn’t seem like such an anomaly.
big city charm off 16^th St in central Phoenix… who would’ve thought?
awesome.

The ladies from my office brought me here for lunch. They raved about the lemonade so I had to try it… I must confess though, I am not a lemonade fan. Honestly it was like nothing I have ever had before. It was so good! The food was good and reasonably priced. It definitely had a warm family feel to the place. The market carried gluten free pita bread which I thought was a rare find. Overall I give this place a 5 star review. If you go, do try the lemonade, you won’t regret it.

Great food! I had grilled chicken, my husband had shawarma with their lemonade — both excellent. Tea and traditional baklava was good. I’m less enthusiastic about the baklava dessert with vermicelli — it had an off flavor.
Staff was helpful and pleasant.

This is my friend’s favorite Middle Eastern restaurant, and recently he did me the favor of bringing me here. We ordered the combo that gives you one of each kabab (chicken, lamb, and qofta), rice, and salad (we opted for tabouleh here), plus a side of falafel. We washed it down their lemonade (made with rose water and honey– DELICIOUS!) and finished it all up with a slice of baklava and a cup of café turka.
The owner was a sweetheart. I told him that I like his falafel better than my own, which is a real compliment coming from me, as I often brag about my falafel. But his are fantastic. They are the perfect tiny bites of delicious.
Also I love that this place also has a kosher/​halal grocery setup right there, in case you want to chance your arm at making any of these fine foods at home!
I’ll be back often.

The grilled eggplant sandwich is the best. Tough decision between rice pudding and baklava for dessert. Awesome lemonade. Order at the counter, and then the service is fast and friendly.
Might have to park around the back during busier hours.

I have been to this establishment several times and have enjoyed every single meal. The first visit was the most memorable as the owner asked me if it was my first time eating there and if I wanted a description of the menu items. That made me pause and take the time to learn about the menu offerings instead of rushing through the ordering process.
I have tried the Lebanese chicken plate, falafel sandwich, and the chicken schwarma. I have never been disappointed with any of my meals. The Greek salad is fresh and crisp with a great dressing. Last but not least is the always fresh warm pita bread that accompanies every meal I’ve had.
I often purchase a stack of fresh pita to enjoy at home. The pita is freezable in the event that you can’t eat it all right away. Today I purchased fresh lavosh that came right out of the oven!
Great service and consistently excellent food!

Wow this place has gone downhill:(
We ordered the chicken gyro with side Greek salad and the chicken was swimming in oil and had an unpleasant sweet flavor. The Greek salad had no feta, the dressing lacked the lemon tang and the tzatziki sauce was literally flavorless.
Super disappointed since I was trying to turn someone on to this place
There are better Middle Eastern places here in town.

The best there is! Try the lamb and chicken kabab plate with rice and Greek salad! You won’t be disappointed.
Also, don’t forget to try the lemonade.

The food in this market and café are great but what is exceptional is that the owners show an unparalleled hospitality and kindness that shows how centered they are around connected relationships with the community. They evoke joy. Also, if you like pickles, a must-​try is the pink pickles turnips dyed in vinegar and beet juice. Wow.

After failing to get to a different restaurant in this neighborhood before they close, Monica O and I found ourselves at Middle Eastern, and I’m glad we did! This little grocery/​restaurant is very cute with friendly staff and delicious food. I had trouble making up my mind (what’s new?) and the lady behind the counter helped me. I had the falafel pita… it had fresh crisp lettuce, slice onion, tomato, and teeny tiny delicious falafel inside… oh and some kind of magic sauce. Wonderful! I also got to try the hummus, which was extremely tasty. Now, you may wonder how I got out of there without ordering a dessert as they all looked insanely tasty… I didn’t see them until after I paid (ha!). Anyway, I will definitely be back here!

Awesome, awesome, awesome. Seriously, color me blown away. And add another all-​star to a growing list gems along the 16^th St corridor in central Phoenix. Step inside a totally unique Phoenix establishment along 16^th Street just south of Osborn and you feel like you’ve been transported to a small Levantine grocery store halfway around the world. Within this grocery store you’ll find a variety of hard to find Mediterranean culinary items as well as a small sit-​down area for those who want to have a meal from the kitchen and/​or one of the numerous freshly baked pastries. The Unilocal reviews told a pretty wondrous story about this place, but I needed to see this for myself.
I had done some research on this place through Unilocal in advance, so I had some picture of what I was getting into. I was however torn about what to get. The grilled combo plate was my original thought being that it contained foods I was comfortable and familiar with. But then I figured this is a Middle Eastern spot so go authentic all the way, right? So the regular combo it was. Kibbeh, stuffed grape leaves, falafel, gyro, and tabbouleh. It also included hummus, baba ghanoush, and tzatziki sauces and a side of pita bread. I also got a slice of baklava for dessert and a small lemonade (since apparently everyone says it amazing). Total cost for the food and drink plus tip was about $ 16. They had everything ready for me in about 5 minutes.
Okay, full disclosure. I’ve never had kibbeh, stuffed grape leaves, baba ghanoush, tabbouleh, or baklava before. So this really was a shot in the dark for me. In fact I had to look up the ingredients afterwards to figure out what I had just eaten. I won’t take up space on this review explaining the ingredients, but wikipedia can sort it out for you. The most important information I can convey is that the taste and the texture of each and every dish exuded a fresh, pleasant texture without any heavy aftertaste.
The falafel was fantastic and the tabbouleh was wonderfully seasoned. The kibbeh, gyro, and stuffed grape leaves had just the right amount of meat and were cooked perfectly. Every item paired perfectly with any of the three sauces they provided. Falafel goes with anything of course, but seriously these were some versatile sauces that you could pair with just about anything. The pita bread was warm, soft and soaked up those sauces real good. And the baklava, oh the baklava. Crazy delicious stacks of filo dough with a light, nutty, grainy middle. Just the right amount of sweetness and the perfect portion. And yes, its true what you’ve all heard. The lemonade is amazing. They say its all natural with orange flower water. Sure, okay whatever. Whatever it is, keep doing it. By the way, the small lemonade size is closer to a medium in reality (not that I was complaining).
There isn’t a single thing I would’ve changed about my meal here. Everything was spot on. The flavors were superb. The staff was friendly. The price was right. And I left satisfied, full, but not uncomfortable. I can’t wait to try all the other goodies on that menu and all the tasty pastries in that display case. And hey I might even buy some grocery items here sometime. A quick tip, park behind the restaurant. There’s a gated lot in behind the restaurant with plenty of space so you don’t have to jostle for one of the very few spots up front. One you’re parked, walk in and let your taste buds run wild.

Look, I have read the other reviews. I know what everyone else is saying, but I just wasn’t a fan.
Lemonade: They make it fresh, with honey, rose water, and orange water. It BY FAR was the best part of my trip here.
Staff: Staff was super nice and helpful. No issues there.
Food: I ordered the combo plate. Chicken and Beef. Chicken was lemony and dry. Beef was overcooked. Rice had like 3 pieces of veggies (corn, peas, and carrots underneath). Tabouli was pretty good.
I will come back, and try their gyro before I give up on this place, but for now, ³⁄₅ is the best I can do.
Mid Fresh on Mill Ave is still my favourite Middle Eastern restaurant.

This place is AMAZING! I literally took off after work to make it here so my Wonkey and I could eat before they closed haha. Anyhow from the outside you would just think it was a Middle Eastern Bakery. I can honestly say, without Unilocal reviews I would’ve never come in to this place.
So we ordered the Lebanese Chicken for $ 11.99 It came marinated in a garlic and lemon herb dressing and is served with Tastsiki and rice AND it’s served with a Greek salad, Pita and rice. We didn’t stop there haha we also ordered Hummus a meat pie, Falafel with tahini and of course the highly recommended lemonade (All I have to say is orange and rose water omGosh! With all of this we only paid $ 32.54
Everything was perfect… yes, I said perfect. From the customer service shown to us by the owners to the food. This experience is a must. We’re full as heck but we’re already planning to come again :-)