Are you looking for some good Middle Eastern restaurants in Paterson, NJ or in the Northern New Jersey area?
If you are willing to make some Middle Eastern meals yourself, then check out our Middle Eastern Grocery List to know what to get, and our Middle Eastern Grocery Stores article to know where to get them from. Otherwise, continue reading to find a list of where you can get your Middle Eastern food fixes and some of our favorite restaurants.
For Lahmajun and Manakish
You can find Lahmajun, endearingly known as “Armenian pizza“, at most Middle Eastern grocery stores. Do not be surprised with the way Lahmajun is commonly consumed. You can squeeze a lemon on top before you eat it. Some like to grill some eggplants on the side. Many serve it with a side of delicious cold Ayran/Tan Yogurt drink.
We like to pick up ours from Nouri Brothers in Paterson. They come in frozen packs, so just heat them up and enjoy the flavors. If you want them hot and fresh, then your best bet is to go early and find them at George Assadourian in Fairview.
Now for the Manakish. To get this popular Levantine Thyme pizza, we recommend you head to Fattal’s Syrian Bakery on Paterson’s Main St.
Enjoy this for either breakfast or lunch and don’t forget the delicious sides. A common way to eat Manakish is with some salty cheese (Halloumi, Akawi and especially Labneh), dip it into some olive oil, and have a spread of olives, tomatoes, and cucumbers to put inside.
For Falafel
Falafel is an extremely popular Middle Eastern food, that we can all agree about being one of the most delicious things that you can ever have. On top of that, they are vegan and gluten-free.
This “fast-food” is commonly served in a pita with lettuce, tomatoes, onions, and Tahini Sauce (Taratour); however, our recommendation would be to get it as a platter from Mamoun’s Falafel. With multiple locations in different states, this place is one of the best Mediterranean restaurants around. Their Falafel plate comes on a bed of salad or rice (you can even do both) – and you get your Pita and Sauce(s) on the side.
For Shawarma and Kebab
If you like spiced meat, then you probably love Shawarmas and Kebabs. Commonly found in any Middle Eastern restaurant, but our pick of the bunch would be two that are located in Paterson: Al-Kumah and Al-Raouche. The latter is named after the pigeon rocks: a famous landmark in Lebanon.
An honorable mention is also the Baalbek Lebanese Restaurant and Lounge. Located on Tonnele Avenue in North Bergen, this is the place you head to if you want to pair great Lebanese food with great atmosphere.
For Sweets
Arabs are known for their scrumptious sweets. The most common ones are Baklava and Knefeh; however, the list of mouth-watering Arabic sweets is extremely long.
For Sweets, we recommend Paterson’s Nablus Pastry & Sweets. There, you can find a large variety of delicious Middle Eastern desserts made fresh every day. Our favorites are the Ma’amoul (dates or pistachio filling), Nammoura (little cake-like bars), and the Ghraybeh (short-bread cookies).
For Hookah
Hookah goes by many names: Nargile, argileh, shisha, hubble-bubble, qalyan and goza. This instrument, that has become such a popular phenomena around the world, allows you to smoke flavored tobacco. As far as flavors go, the Double Apple (Tfehten) is one of the most common one. Another common and a more refreshing option is the lemon/mint flavor. Many other classic flavors exist, while Pop-culture has brought on exotic flavors like bubble-gum, watermelon ice drops, and so on.
With a constantly rising popularity, there is no shortage of hookah lounges across the U.S and the world. In New Jersey, a recommended spot to find this socializing piece is Abu Rass Restaurant on the Main St. of Paterson. A nice place to sit and relax and enjoy the flavors of your hubble-bubble. Another highly recommended, and a personal favorite, spot is Kamil’s Lebanese Cuisine and Hookah Lounge. Not only does this restaurant make good hookahs, but also offers visitors a great outdoor space to hangout with friends. Another thing that we love about Kamil’s is that you can actually order your Hookah online and have it delivered to your address through their website.
We hope you enjoyed this list of some places where you can get some of your Levantine loves and our favorite Middle Eastern restaurants in Paterson, NJ and all around Northern Jersey!
Let us know below if you have ever tried any of these suggestions.
I’m moroccan (so i was raised with the middle easter culture) and this is the first Time i’ve read an article that doesn’t just mention the stereotypical middle eastern foods.
If you’re you have a sweet tooth, you should try dondurma (stretchy turkish ice cream)
All of that food looks amazing! There is so much diversity in New York with food and restaurants and I love it!
Being a foodie, this is best post we can go through. Love all your recipes and going try all of them one by one.
Yummmmm!! Pinning for my next trip. Love love love.
I’ll keep this list in mind the next time I’m in New Jersey. Thanks!
Some of these look great! I will have to try some of these recipes (slightly tweak them because I’m a vegetarian) Thanks for sharing.
This made me so hungry. I have never had an Armenian pizza but now I want one.