Best Middle Eastern Restaurants in Jackson Heights (11372)
4 hand-picked restaurants, critic-reviewed and ranked
Last Updated: January 2026
Our Top Pick
El Toum
Toum-driven Lebanese shawarma and mezze that stay punchy in takeout.
Notable Picks
#1
El Toum
8.4
A Lebanese counter spot that wins on garlic-forward shawarma, crisp falafel, and the kind of sauces that make takeout taste complete even 20 minutes later. Order it as a build-your-own mezze spread—one sandwich, one plate, and two dips—so you get texture (crunch), heat, and that signature toum punch in every bite.
Must-Try Dishes:
Chicken shawarma wrap with toum, Falafel plate with tahini, Hummus + baba ghanoush with warm pita
What makes it special: Toum-driven Lebanese shawarma and mezze that stay punchy in takeout.
8.2
Vibes:
Cheap Eats Budget Brilliance
Quick Bites Champions
Late Night Legends
Solo Dining Sanctuaries
A high-throughput Jackson Heights halal cart for classic over-rice plates that prioritize speed, seasoning, and sauce balance. The move is simple: pick one protein (or combo), ask for a controlled amount of hot sauce, and treat the white sauce as your consistency insurance.
Must-Try Dishes:
Chicken over rice (white + a little hot), Combo over rice (chicken + lamb), Chicken shawarma wrap
What makes it special: Fast, sauce-driven halal plates with steady late-night demand.
Worthy Picks
7.8
Vibes:
Late Night Legends
Quick Bites Champions
Cheap Eats Budget Brilliance
Group Dining Gatherings
A late-hours halal grill with a real sit-down setup, where the safest lane is platters: grilled meats over rice with sauces that cover a lot of ground. Come with a mixed group—order one shawarma plate, one kebab plate, and let the table build bites with salad and garlic sauce.
Must-Try Dishes:
Chicken shawarma platter, Lamb kebab over rice, Falafel sandwich with tahini
What makes it special: Late-night Mediterranean-style halal platters with big, filling portions.
7.6
A small, newer kebab-and-grill option where the wins come from made-to-order skewers and rice plates more than polished dining-room polish. Order like a regular: one grilled kebab plate, one bread, and one side so you can mix meat, starch, and sauce for better balance.
Must-Try Dishes:
Seekh kebab plate, Chicken kebab over rice, Fresh naan/roti with grilled meats
What makes it special: A small kebab counter focused on grilled plates and simple builds.