When it comes to options for dining in Houston, the choices are vast, making finding the right spot for your meal quite tricky.
Arabic restaurants usually also fall under the categories of Persian, Lebanese, or Mediterranean. So you have more choices than you may think of when you begin your search for where to dine.
We are here to make sure you find the right place when looking for the best Middle Eastern Arabic restaurants in Houston, and so we have visited numerous places with various menu options and different styles so that we can show you the 7 best places for Arabic food in Houston.
Best Middle Eastern, Arabic Restaurants in Houston
Throughout this guide, we will be looking at the places we thought were the best places to visit to have Arabic food in Houston. We checked out locations, menus, and the overall dining experience.
We’ve taken a look at the options available when it comes to the best for budget, dietary requirements, and ambiance.
And so with that, let’s begin our guide to the best Middle Eastern, Arabic restaurants in Houston, TX.
1. Sayad Mediterranean Grill
| Address: | 2225 Westheimer Road, Houston, TX, 77077 |
| Website: | http://sayadgrill.com/ |
| Food: | Lamb tejun, freshly squeezed juice, kabobs, grilled meats |
| Our Recommendation: | Seafood Mixed Grill |
Sayad Mediterranean Grill gives all the flavors of traditional Mediterranean food. Here you can enjoy Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner. The menu options allow you to experience the simple to the sublime dishes and sample delicacies in new and exciting ways.
They have an extensive menu, so you will find yourself spoilt for choice. The Seafood Mixed Grill was a show stopper consisting of Tilapia, grilled jumbo shrimp, and a fillet of Basa. They also do platters, which are ideal for sharing. The Shawarma platters served with spicy Biryani rice are a favorite of the regulars.
The price here is average for the food on offer, as we all know the cost of fresh seafood can get expensive, but considering this, and the fact they offer fresh fish daily, such as their “catch of the day,” the price is pretty reasonable.
They offer an excellent lunch menu, as well as light bites, appetizers, soups, and sandwiches, so ideal if you’re looking for a light and healthy lunch. They also do their own freshly squeezed juices and smoothies which are made to order.
There is a selection of dishes available to those who do not want meat or seafood or require a vegan option.
The children’s menu doesn’t offer much, with only chicken strips, mozzarella sticks, or fries available, so if you’re eating out with a child who has a more adventurous palate, we would advise ordering one of the lighter dishes from the main menu.
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2. Al Aseel Grill and Cafe
| Address: | 8619 Richmond Avenue, Houston, TX 77063 |
| Website: | https://www.grubhub.com/ |
| Food: | Fried chicken, kebabs, soups, and sandwiches |
| Our Recommendation: | Whole fried chicken kebab |
Al Aseel Grill and Cafe is an Arabic restaurant that is famous for its award-winning fried chicken. But alongside this, they also make a great selection of classic dishes such as falafel, kebabs, and seafood. They state themselves as being traditional Middle Eastern style with a Houston twist.
They offer takeout and delivery options, where you can order family platters to be delivered to your door.
They are well known for serving some fantastic buffets, so if you need a venue for an event, this could be something to consider.
There is an excellent selection of salads, and light bites, including a good choice of vegan and vegetation options.
The children’s menu is just the same as the previous restaurant we discussed, tiny and not much variety. Still, there are plenty of options on the menu, smaller portions suited to little ones with a smaller appetite.
The pricing is very reasonable, with some of the most expensive dishes being only around $13.
3. Aladdin Mediterranian Cuisine
| Address: | 912 Westheimer Street, Houston, TX 77006 |
| Website: | https://aladdinshouston.com/ |
| Food: | Shawarma, kabobs, spreads, pita |
| Our Recommendations: | Lamb shank and curry chicken stew. |
Operating since 2006, Aladdins offers a great variety of Mediterranean-style platters and sharing plates, along with a unique menu. It is an excellent place to visit with a group, as you can order a good variety of mixed components and try a bit of everything.
On the main menu, you can choose from a list of meats, which can come up as a wrap; these each cost between $7.99 and $8.99 (minus the lamb shank at $12.99). We thought there was a brilliant selection and found these prices very reasonable.
The “Rice and Hot Veggies” section of the menu is great because you can order these by weight and price; you can choose from 8oz, 16oz, and 32oz dishes. It also goes for the salads and dips menus. So if you don’t want to pay for an entire meal, dining with a child, or simply aren’t that hungry, you’ve got the option to downsize.
The only dessert on offer is Baklava, and there are four choices of cold drinks.
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4. Mary’z Mediterranean Cuisine
| Address: | 5825 Richmond Ave, Houston, TX 77057 |
| Website: | https://www.maryzcuisine.com/ |
| Food: | Shawarma, kebob, Baklava, mixed grill |
| Our Recommendations: | Lahm Meshwee and fried cauliflower |
Mary’z Mediterranean Cuisine, a family-owned business, has become a successful establishment in Houston. They are renowned for offering exceptional quality dishes for a reasonable price.
The menu here is very classical and subtle, and everything is presented well and with a sense of casual elegance. It is quite a simple menu with refreshing and light choices, including salads and flatbreads.
The prices are acceptable, considering the quality of service and delivery of the dishes. To make the prices even more appealing, they also offer a happy hour, at different times, every day of the week.
They don’t offer a children’s menu, but there is plenty to choose from off the main menu suitable for little ones.
They also have a good selection of desserts and mixed hot and cold beverages and a choice of vegan-friendly meals.
5. House of Kabob
| Address: | 6433 Westheimer Rd, Houston, TX 77057 |
| Website: | https://houseofkabobtogo.com/ |
| Food: | Kabob, sandwiches, baba ganouche |
| Our Recommendation: | Combination Kabob |
House of Kabob prides itself on good quality ingredients to create mouthwatering dishes.
Although their menu is quite simplistic, the standard to which the food is prepared is outstanding. All of the dishes are packed full of flavor and presented well.
The menu mainly consists of kabobs and sandwiches. We chose the combination kabob and would highly recommend it. With this, we got a skewer of kefta, beef, and chicken. The portion size was good, and all the meats were super tasty.
All the kabobs range in price from around $9.95 to $11.95, and the sandwiches are between $5.50 to $6.75, making it a very low-priced meal.
There are plenty of choices when it comes to dietary preferences as well.
6. Bijan Persian Grill
| Address: | 5922 Hillcroft St, A Houston, TX 77036 |
| Website: | https://www.bijan.com/ |
| Food: | Koolbidah, Soltani, lamb chop, shish kebob |
| Our Recommendation: | Mix Koobideh |
There is an abundance of restaurants, takeaways, and cafes in Houston, and Bijan Persian Grill stands out from the crowd. They have a lovely patio area, making it an ideal destination for a romantic date, and offer up some great choices when it comes to their dishes.
They have an extensive selection of kebab plates, with a vast mixture of meat choices, including sharing platters that serve up to six people, and there are three to choose from. They also have other menu options, including appetizers, poultry dishes, seafood, soups, and stews. So there is something for everyone.
Like our other recommended eateries, the children’s menu is minimal, offering only mozzarella sticks, chicken nuggets, and fries. Still, there is plenty of choice on the main menu for smaller appetites.
Being a meat-based restaurant, they don’t have a considerable amount of choice for vegan and vegetarian main courses, but some veggie appetizers are available.
We found the prices to be average to slightly higher due to some of the portion sizes being relatively small. Although the quality was outstanding, we would say it’s reasonable when it comes to quality.
7. Hadramout
| Address: | Hadramout, 3758 S Gessner Rd, Houston, TX 77063 |
| Website: | http://hadramoutmandi.com/ |
| Food: | Hummus, grilled meats, seafood |
| Our Recommendation: | Fahesa Meat |
Hadramout is a very authentic style restaurant, not only when it comes to the food, but also the style of dining. As well as being able to dine at the table, there is also an area where you’re able to experience the proper way to eat Arabic food, with some seating on the floor, making it a memorable dining experience.
The food itself is exceptionally classical in flavors, everything we ate was a taste sensation, and you could taste every herb and spice in the dishes.
The Fanesha Meat was outstanding, and the way it was presented, sizzling and bubbling on the plate, was pleasing for the eye before we even started. The Biryani Shrimp was also a stand-out dish. Many of the dishes were on the spicy side, so if you aren’t a fan of spice, speak to your server about their recommendations on the milder dishes. The staff was very attentive and happy to help throughout our meal.
The choice of vegetarian and vegan meals was minimal, there were no options on the main menu, but there were vegetarian breakfasts available. There is also no children’s menu.
The price is slightly higher than the other restaurants we have looked at, but not unreasonable considering the food quality we ate. Overall it was a great experience.
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Summary
And There We Have It…
We hope that you have enjoyed looking through the recommendations of our top places to get Middle Eastern Arabic food in Houston, TX and that from our selection, you find the best place for you.
If you have found this helpful and fancy trying new cuisine, why not also take a look at our other helpful guides, such as the Best Diners And Drive-Ins in Houston.
Happy dining!