The Best Middle Eastern Food in Houston
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The best Middle Eastern food in Houston, according to the experts: Texas Monthly, the Houston Chronicle, and the James Beard Awards have all weighed in, and their honors are what rank this list. Hamsa comes out on top.
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Craft Pita and Abu Omar Halal hold the next two places. Eater and the Houston Chronicle show up on more of this list than any other guide.
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Rank 1. Hamsa
Modern Middle Eastern
Hamsa is a modern Levantine restaurant in Rice Village where the pita arrives hot enough to require a short waiting period and the salatim keep coming until the table disappears. It's a sit-down place with a pretty dining room, a leafy patio, and a bakery next door for a cardamom bun on the way out. Lunch here becomes an outing, which your calendar may not have authorized.
The awards
- Texas Monthly Texas Monthly: #3 · Texas’s Best New Restaurants
- 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
- Texas Monthly #3 · Texas’s Best New Restaurants
- Houston Chronicle Houston’s Top 100 Restaurants
- James Beard Awards 2024 · Semifinalist · Outstanding Restaurateur · Itai Ben Eli and Itamar Levy - Sof Hospitality Group
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Rank 2. Craft Pita
Modern Lebanese
Craft Pita is a counter-service Lebanese spot where you order at the register, which is why the olive oil from the chef's family back in Lebanon feels like a flex. Hummus comes out velvety, the tacos wear a layer of fries like it's perfectly normal, and portions run generous at prices that don't sting. Dessert is stretchy booza, the kind of ice cream you have to negotiate with. Turkish coffee is strong, and so are the Lebanese wines.
The awards
- Eater Eater: The 38 Best Restaurants in Houston
- Houston Chronicle Houston Chronicle: Houston’s Top 100 Restaurants
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Rank 3. Abu Omar Halal
Halal Middle Eastern Food Truck
Abu Omar Halal started as a food truck and eventually got a roof, which is the kind of upgrade people at 2 a.m. appreciate. It's a casual counter-service spot built around shawarma, which arrives in wraps, over rice, loaded on fries, or as a salad bowl for the self-appointed healthy one. The family order comes panini-style on sesame bread, sliced like pizza. It stays open until 3 a.m., and until 5 on weekends.
The awards
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Rank 3. We’re Dough
Lebanese
The awards