Best Middle Eastern Restaurants in Miami
11 hand-picked restaurants, critic-reviewed and ranked
Last Updated: February 2026
Our Top Pick
Doya
A Bib Gourmand-awarded modern Aegean restaurant with a theater kitchen where you can watch chefs work over wood and coal fire.
Notable Picks
#1
Doya
8.6
Chef Erhan Kostepen, who grew up above a restaurant in Izmir, runs the kitchen at this Wynwood Aegean spot built around a theater-style open hearth where lamb chops and octopus hit wood and coal fire. The short-rib baklava has become the signature—savory, sticky, and photogenic—while the meze spreads reward groups willing to order wide. The Bib Gourmand came in 2022 and held through 2024, though the designation slipped in 2025. Noise levels run high and service can lag when the room fills, so go early or prepare to shout across the table. A scene-y choice for a group dinner that prioritizes flavor and energy over intimacy.
Must-Try Dishes:
Short-Rib Baklava, Doya Kebap, Grilled Octopus
What Makes it Special: A Bib Gourmand-awarded modern Aegean restaurant with a theater kitchen where you can watch chefs work over wood and coal fire.
8.5
Nurdan Gür and Gokhan Yüzbaşıoğlu opened this Design District spot in 2021 and earned a Bib Gourmand within fifteen months—now holding it four consecutive years. The draw is the outdoor courtyard beneath a 150-year-old banyan tree, where handmade mantı, lahmacun, and Izmir köfte arrive from a glass-walled kitchen trimmed in blue-and-white tile. Recent reviews show occasional execution wobbles and portions that don't always justify the price point, which keeps it from running away with the score. Best for a leisurely weekend lunch when you want to feel transported without the Mandolin reservation battle.
Must-Try Dishes:
Mantı Dumplings, Izmir Köfte, Kavurma Braised Beef
What Makes it Special: Four-time Bib Gourmand winner serving handmade Turkish classics under a 150-year-old banyan tree in a lush garden oasis.
8.5
A one-man Palestinian deli-market where owner Ali Aziz hand-forms his pita dough daily using techniques refined over six decades of professional baking—no machines, no shortcuts. The tiny Coral Way shop runs on takeout energy with no formal menu and only two tables, but what comes out of that kitchen punches well above the price point. When the space is quiet, sitting with Ali and hearing his stories is half the experience.
Must-Try Dishes:
Chicken Shawarma Wrap, Baked Spinach Pie, Baklava Lady Fingers
What Makes it Special: Palestinian owner Ali Aziz has hand-formed his pita dough without machines since 1972, producing what local press has called the best pita in Miami — possibly the country — from a tiny Coral Way market with no formal menu.
8.4
The Miami outpost of a London-born group that opened here in 2017, LPM channels the French Riviera through a dining room dressed in linens, marble, and Belle Epoque mirrors—plus a terrace that makes business lunches feel like vacations. Executive chef Brian Brumec executes founder Raphael Duntoye's ingredient-obsessed Niçoise menu, with produce flown in from Mediterranean markets and a wine list that earned Wine Spectator's 2025 Best of Award of Excellence. Service runs the gamut from 'best I've ever experienced' to frustratingly slow depending on your server lottery, and the noise level can spike. This is a power-lunch staple for Brickell's finance crowd and a reliable impress-the-client play, though the $35 three-course lunch softens the bill for those watching spend.
Must-Try Dishes:
Escargots de Bourgogne, Loup de Mer Entier, Crevettes Tièdes à l'Huile d'Olive
What Makes it Special: Wine Spectator 2025 Award of Excellence winner serving refined French Riviera cuisine with ingredients flown in from Mediterranean markets.
8.3
Gigi and Farid Lutfi, who met studying hospitality in Lausanne before the Lebanese economic collapse, opened LIRA to channel the Beirut of their parents' generation—the one nicknamed Paris of the Middle East. The eggplant fatteh and grilled whole branzino anchor a menu of generational recipes, and the outdoor patio ranks among Wynwood's best, decorated with commissioned Lebanese pop art and recycled glass from the port blast. Portions can run small for the price, and they'll charge you for tap water, which lands as tone-deaf in a casual neighborhood spot. Solid for a date night when you want Lebanese mezze done right in a beautiful space, but check your expectations against your bill.
Must-Try Dishes:
Eggplant Fatteh, Grilled Whole Branzino, Makanek
What Makes it Special: Generational Lebanese recipes from Beirut served in a warm Wynwood setting with authentic Lebanese wine and arak pairings.
8.3
Okashah Abdelmonem opened this market-deli hybrid in 1972, and today his daughter Soha works seven days a week baking pita, forming kibbeh, and running the back counter where shawarma and falafel platters come together from scratch. The front aisles overflow with imported spices, loose-leaf teas, and hookah supplies; the back cafeteria serves some of the best beef shawarma in Miami at prices that feel like a time warp. Atmosphere is strictly utilitarian—fluorescent lights, no frills—but that's the point. Regulars who've been coming for 20-plus years don't need ambiance; they need the stuffed grape leaves and a bag of string cheese to take home.
Must-Try Dishes:
Falafel Sandwich, Beef Shawarma Sandwich, Kibbeh
What Makes it Special: Family-owned since 1954 with everything made fresh daily by the same family member who arrives seven days a week to bake pita from scratch.
8.2
Jay Jwad arrived in Philadelphia in 2010 with $200, no English, and a bakery job; today he runs this Wynwood counter-service spot where everything—samoon bread, shawarma, falafel, hummus, sauces—is made from scratch with a three-day prep cycle. The steak shawarma draws the most attention, though the crispy falafel and goat cheese fingers deserve their share. Service is friendly and quick, the graffiti-covered space fits the neighborhood, and prices land well below what you'd pay at sit-down competitors. The beef shawarma skews spicier than traditional, which won't suit everyone. A smart lunch choice when you want quality Mediterranean fast-casual without the Chipotle-style assembly line feel.
Must-Try Dishes:
Steak Shawarma Wrap, Crispy Falafel, Goat Cheese Fingers
What Makes it Special: Everything made from scratch with no frozen bread—fresh-baked samoon daily, three-day shawarma prep, and house-made sauces with premium ingredients.
A family-run counter-service restaurant and market at the edge of Coconut Grove where the Mazzawi family has been baking pita in-house and frying falafel and kibbeh to order since 1975. The shawarma and hummus carry a multi-generational following, and the attached market stocks Middle Eastern specialty groceries that extend the experience beyond the meal. It operates on disposable plates and cafeteria seating — the food consistently outpaces the presentation.
Must-Try Dishes:
Beef Shawarma Sandwich, Fried Kibbeh, Falafel Sandwich
What Makes it Special: A family-owned Middle Eastern market-restaurant hybrid run by the Mazzawi family since 1975, baking fresh pita daily on-site and frying falafel and kibbeh to order at the counter.
#9
Jaffa Miami
8
Chef Yaniv Cohen—who previously directed events for Louis Vuitton, Prada, and David Bowie—opened this food hall stall in 2018 to bring the sabich and shawarma of his North African roots to the Design District. The falafel arrives hot and crispy, the portions are generous, and the entire menu is kosher and dairy-free, which means the vegan options aren't afterthoughts. You're eating at a counter inside MIA Market, so don't expect ambiance—this is a lunch stop, not a destination. Solid for a quick, authentic Israeli fix when you're shopping the Design District and want something more substantive than a salad.
Must-Try Dishes:
Sabich Platter, Chicken Shawarma Platter, Vegan Falafel Platter
What Makes it Special: Authentic Israeli street food inside the Design District's Mia Market, run by chef-owner Yaniv Cohen with generous portions and kosher preparation.
Worthy Picks
#10
Shawarma Saj
7.9
This no-frills food truck on NW 54th Street delivers exactly what the name promises: shawarma, saj bread baked in-house, and big portions at prices that feel like a different city. The chicken shawarma and garlic sauce draw the most praise—one regular called the garlic sauce "psychotic good"—and the kebab platters deliver bold spice without over-salting. It's a truck, so manage expectations on seating and ambiance; you're here for the food and the value, full stop. Hours can be inconsistent and the limited online presence makes planning tricky. Worth seeking out when you want honest, unpretentious shawarma and don't need tablecloths to enjoy it.
Must-Try Dishes:
Beef Shawarma Wrap, Chicken Shawarma Platter, Mix Kebab Platter
What Makes it Special: Straightforward, no-frills shawarma spot with big portions, bold spices, and fresh saj bread baked in-house at unbeatable prices.
7.9
Dr. Rachid Akiki, a Lebanese-born physician, launched this food truck in 2022 after his grandmother Marie's death—he couldn't attend her funeral due to immigration restrictions, so he bought a $1,000 truck with 700,000 miles and started serving the za'atar man'ouche she used to make him after school in Beirut. The flatbreads come baked fresh on saj, with fillings spanning za'atar, labneh, and muhammara, and the operation now runs 24 hours outside a Brickell parking garage under the Metromover. Recent reviews flag inconsistency from staffing turnover (the business acknowledged hiring problems), and service can feel indifferent. When it's on, the homemade quality shines; when it's off, you're just standing by a truck wondering where your order went.
Must-Try Dishes:
Zaatar Man'ouche, Labneh Zaatar Wrap, Chicken Healthy Bowl
What Makes it Special: Lebanese food truck founded by a doctor to honor his grandmother, specializing in traditional man'ouche flatbreads baked fresh on saj bread.