Middle Eastern Restaurants to Try in San Antonio
Celebrate Middle Eastern and North African Heritage Month at these delicious San Antonio restaurants.
April is Middle Eastern and North African Heritage Month! While Congress officially recognizes April as Arab American Heritage Month, many communities are embracing the month as MENA heritage month to include the immense diversity of the region, and to account for people that don’t speak Arabic.
An incredible resource that San Antonio has is Culturingua. This nonprofit organization celebrates the people and heritage of the Middle East, North Africa, and South Asia. Through their community development programs, they help immigrants and refugees with initiatives like Nourish to Flourish, which is a mobile commercial kitchen incubator in San Antonio.
Especially in the United States, the term Mediterranean food can sometimes be a broad category that includes Middle Eastern food, though they do vary. Celebrate the flavors of the region by dining at one of these delicious Middle Eastern restaurants in San Antonio!
This is an authentic 100% Turkish restaurant located in San Antonio. With a commitment to using only top-quality ingredients, they prepare fresh Mediterranean and Turkish specialties daily. Whether dining in or taking out, their goal is to provide the best possible food and service with complete satisfaction. The centuries-old recipes used to prepare their dishes have traveled across civilizations, continents, and countries, and now to America. Using traditional cooking methods and the finest ingredients, each dish is prepared freshly upon order.
Kababi blends a comfortable atmosphere with a fine dining experience. Diners can enjoy Mediterranean eats with an Iraqi twist made fresh to order. A fan-favorite here is their meat grilled on charcoal, like their Iraqi style marinated chicken. Once you order, keep in mind it can take around 25 minutes to grill — they pride themselves in flavor over speed. Another tip is that you can order hot dishes in terms of spice, but they lean toward authenticity, and Iraqi spices tend not to be overtly spicy. Shisha Cafe is located here, and they have more than 100 hookah flavors.
Pasha has three locations in San Antonio because people can’t get enough of their Mediterranean and Persian cooking. Their Wurzbach Road location has an eye-catching shape and incredible architecture that visitors appreciate. Sometimes there is jazz coming from a piano in the restaurant when you sit down and dig into their complimentary bread. At their other locations, the owners have experimented with having hookah options and belly dancing shows. Pasha was founded in 2008 when two families came together, one from Iran and the other from Syria, to bring authentic eats to San Antonio. One dish to try that blends Middle Eastern ingredients with Tex-Mex flair is their shawarma taquitos!
Moroccan Bites Tagine is a family-owned and operated restaurant in San Antonio that has been serving authentic, homemade Moroccan food for over 10 years. The restaurant was founded by a family who survived Hurricane Katrina and moved to Texas with two passions: sharing the beauty of Moroccan cuisine and teaching others about the lovely country of Morocco. They serve organic fruits and vegetables and Halal meat, and have even been featured on Food Network's Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives. Visitors can come by and experience the delicious food and welcoming atmosphere while learning more about Morocco.
Stop in and try this family-owned and family-run restaurant that’s sure to delight you with delicious Pakistani dishes. They pride themselves in offering authentic Desi cuisine and Zabihah Halal food. For those looking to try something new, make sure to ask what dish they have in addition to the menu when you go in. The chef is known for making a special meal depending on their mood that day. Try their bun kabab, a burger-type appetizer that’s got lentils and beef.
This food truck got its start in Houston as the only halal food truck, but they have since grown to include locations across Texas, Florida, and Oklahoma. That includes two locations in San Antonio and one in Austin! They serve up tasty street food-inspired eats, though they are most known for their mouthwatering chicken shawarma. Their menu ranges from family meals, sandwiches, keto options, desserts, and more. This is a must-try spot if you want a modern twist on classic Mediterranean flavors with street-style flair.
Just a short distance from Zaatar Lebanese Grill is Naara Cafe, a Middle Eastern Restaurant in San Antonio that also has hookah, belly dancers, and patio seating. The indoor dining area is smoke-free, and the space is an exciting blend of contemporary Middle Eastern and American decor. They have music, TVs, and complimentary board games like backgammon, chess, and dominos. This is a great place to gather with friends to hang out and enjoy all of Naara’s offerings. To keep the fun going, the kitchen is open late into the night.
Za'atar is a versatile spice mix with origins in the Middle East. It generally includes dried oregano, thyme, marjoram, sumac, and toasted sesame seeds, but it can include much more and the exact blends are sometimes passed through generations. This sets the tone for Zaatar Lebanese Grill, a place that prides itself in being San Antonio’s original Lebanese grill. Just a visit to their website will surely have your tastebuds buzzing at the sight of their bright and flavorful dishes. One fun option is their Lebanese pizzas which come in options like spiced ground beef and hummus. Quench your thirst while you’re here and try some of their Lebanese drinks in flavors like jallab, rose, mint, and almond.
This open and airy restaurant with a large backyard area invites patrons to enjoy hookah and Mediterranean dishes with a Jordian twist. When the Texas sun beats down, a great way to cool off is to indulge in jakeek, a cool dish that includes cucumbers, olive oil, yogurt, and refreshing mint. They serve appetizers, sandwiches, salads, plates, drinks, and desserts. They also have TVs and tend to show big games, making this a great place to lounge and watch your favorite sports. They let you BYOB for a $5 charge (beer only), but while you’re here, try Hala Sahlab! This is a traditional Jordanian dessert drink that is a mixture of rose water, milk, and cornstarch that’s sprinkled with coconut, pistachio, and cinnamon on top.
This casual eatery is tucked away in a strip mall and offers a laid-back atmosphere. Diners can enjoy traditional seating options underneath Middle Eastern-style lamps. Their dedication to authenticity makes this a great place to celebrate MENA month while enjoying great food. They put a focus on making sure people get delicious food and feel comfortable, so don’t let the mall exterior fool you into thinking this won’t be an indulgent experience for your senses. Here you can order homemade halal Syrian cuisine like Bamia, which is a Middle Eastern okra stew that includes lamb, okra, and tomatoes. They also have classic options like gyros and shawarma.
Related Articles
to Top