The Best Israeli Food in the United States
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The best Israeli food in the United States, according to the experts: AAA, Eater, and the Michelin Guide have all weighed in, and their honors are what rank this list. Zahav comes out on top, and the good stuff runs deepest in Philadelphia and Houston.
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Badolina Bakery & Cafe and Saba hold the next two places. The Michelin Guide shows up on more of this list than any other guide, with the James Beard Awards next.
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Rank 1. Zahav
Evolved Israeli
Tell anyone in Philadelphia you're heading to Zahav and they'll nod like you've said something smart. This Israeli restaurant in Society Hill runs on a format where everyone starts with the same salatim and mezze, then the table splits into skewers or slow-smoked lamb shoulder territory. That lamb has become the thing people talk about on the train home. Reservations drop weeks out, so set a reminder.
The awards
- AAA AAA: Four Diamonds
- Eater Eater: The All-Time Eater 38
- Michelin Guide Michelin Guide: Selected Restaurant
- AAA Four Diamonds
- Eater The All-Time Eater 38
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
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Rank 2. Badolina Bakery & Cafe
Israeli Bakery
The bread lineup at this Israeli bakery in Rice Village runs from sourdough to shakshuka pastries to burekitas, the small savory hand pies the team grew up eating in Israel. It's a bright, picturesque café with outdoor seating, connected to the same group behind Doris Metropolitan and Hamsa. A 2025 James Beard Outstanding Restaurateur semifinalist, it draws the kind of Saturday morning crowd that treats a bakery run like a serious errand.
The awards
- Houston Chronicle Houston Chronicle: Houston’s Top 100 Restaurants
- James Beard Awards James Beard Awards: 2024 · Semifinalist · Outstanding Restaurateur · Itai Ben Eli and Itamar Levy - Sof Hospitality Group
- James Beard Awards James Beard Awards: 2025 · Semifinalist · Outstanding Restaurateur · Itai Ben Eli and Itamar Levy - Sof Hospitality Group
- Houston Chronicle Houston’s Top 100 Restaurants
- James Beard Awards 2024 · Semifinalist · Outstanding Restaurateur · Itai Ben Eli and Itamar Levy - Sof Hospitality Group
- James Beard Awards 2025 · Semifinalist · Outstanding Restaurateur · Itai Ben Eli and Itamar Levy - Sof Hospitality Group
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Rank 3. Saba
Israeli
The puffy pita comes out of a wood-burning oven with a char on it that makes the bread-and-hummus combination feel like a genuine argument. Saba is a roomy Middle Eastern restaurant on Magazine Street where Alon Shaya's menu reads casual, pickles, dips, salads, then lands on the table tasting brighter than the list suggests. The Michelin Guide has given it a Bib Gourmand, and the falafel, crackly outside and vivid green within, makes the case.
The awards
- Michelin Guide Michelin Guide: Bib Gourmand
- The New York Times The New York Times: The 25 Best Restaurants in New Orleans Right Now
- Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand
- The New York Times The 25 Best Restaurants in New Orleans Right Now
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Rank 4. Sababa
Israeli
The hummus gets its own line on the menu as a daily special, which tells you everything about the kitchen's sense of priorities. Sababa is an Israeli small-plates spot in Cleveland Park, all Mediterranean tiles and a globally minded wine list. The move is to start with the salatim, a rotating five-salad spread, then graze through the small plates. It holds a Michelin Bib Gourmand.
The awards
- Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand
- James Beard Awards 2024 · Semifinalist · Outstanding Restaurateur · Ashok Bajaj - Knightsbridge Restaurant Group
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Rank 5. Dizengoff
Israeli
The hummus here comes with brown butter and crispy garlic, which tells you most of what you need to know. Dizengoff is a bright, casual Israeli café, all dangling greenery and counter-order ease, with no reservation drama. It's the laid-back sibling to Zahav in the same extended family of restaurants. The Michelin Guide gave it a Bib Gourmand, which tracks: the pita is baked fresh, the schnitzel is proper, and the za'atar chicken means business.
The awards
- Michelin Guide Michelin Guide: Bib Gourmand
- Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand
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Rank 6. HaSalon
Israeli
The menu at this Israeli fine dining room lists a dish as "Horrible Hammer smashing herbs and flowers on meat," which tells you everything you need to know about the energy here. Chef Eyal Shani's Las Vegas outpost pulls from Tel Aviv by way of Japanese and French technique, but the real point is that dinner turns into a dance party, and the tile-and-warm-wood room is built to look lived in just enough to make table-dancing feel earned.
The awards
- Condé Nast Traveler Condé Nast Traveler: The 25 Best Restaurants in Las Vegas
- Condé Nast Traveler The 25 Best Restaurants in Las Vegas