Middle Eastern Restaurants in Albuquerque, Santa Fe and Northern New Mexico
Albuquerque - I-25 Corridor
Pars Cuisine
Mon-Thurs: 11am-9pm
Fri-Sat: 11am-10pm
Sun: 5pm-9pm (hours can change without notice)
$$$ • Vegetarian Available • Gluten-free available • Booze Served • Wine Bar • Craft Beer • Catering • Take Out / To-Go • Outdoor Patio • Wireless Internet
For something a little more out of the ordinary, pay a visit to Pars Cuisine, the Persian restaurant near the Century Rio 24 theater. Vegetarians will appreciate the nonmeat options and meat lovers are sure to love the spicy kabobs. Linger on your floor cushions while belly dancers roam through the dining room.
Full review: Pars balances the exotic and the comfortable ()
 | | |  | | 3.31 rating (50 votes) |
Albuquerque - Midtown
Ariana Halal Market
All of the dishes at Ariana come with a hefty portion of white basmati rice dusted with tart, purple sumac powder (a shaker of which accessorizes each table). The dishes also all come with a green, mustardy chutney of cilantro and walnuts, a sauce that relies on housemade yogurt, a salad of diced tomato, cucumber and onion, and a slice of flatbread, which is baked twice a week on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Don’t go if you’re in a hurry. There could be a guy in front of you buying lamb tongues or pickled garlic heads that need to be fished out of the vat. When you order, much of the meal is made from scratch. But there’s no need to stay planted at your table while you wait—interesting grocery items like Bulgarian feta, organic Afghani figs, chickpea cookies and vats of grapeseed oil beg for your inspection.
Read more: Locovore: Ariana Halal Market is a butcher, a baker and pickled garlic maker (11/3/2011)
| | | | | 4.64 rating (11 votes) |
Albuquerque - Northeast Heights
Alquds Mediterranean Grill & Grocery
Grocery: M-S - 7am to 10pm
Restaurant: M - S 11am to 9 pm, sunday 11am-8pm (hours can change without notice)
Cuisine: Middle Eastern, Organic/Locally Grown, Vegetarian/Health Foods, Greek/Mediterranean, Specialty Food Store
The tiny restaurant in this grocery store may not look like much, but don’t be fooled: The menu boasts some of the best falafel and shawarma sandwiches around, as well as hummus that would be worth crossing a desert for. Not only that, but the grocery has an excellent selection of halal meats, and the in-house bakery produces fresh bread daily.
Read more: Mina's Dish: A guide to halal meats in Albuquerque (7/7/2011)
Full review: San Pedro Mart and Alquds Middle Eastern Restaurant ()
| | | | | 4.72 rating (18 votes) |
Café Istanbul
Mon-Sat 10am-7pm
Sun 11am-6pm (hours can change without notice)
Driving north on Wyoming from the freeway, you can’t help but notice this grocery/café’s vibrantly painted building. Inside, you can nibble on Middle Eastern fare ranging from kabobs to hummus to herbed tabouleh. Everything is made fresh to order. Vegetarians will appreciate the meat-free selections.
Read more: Mina's Dish: A guide to halal meats in Albuquerque (7/7/2011)
Full review: Distinctly Mediterranean at Café Istanbul ()
| | | | | 3.76 rating (33 votes) |
Need-A-Pita
Cuisine: Middle Eastern
But then the moment of truth came. Earth’s Mightiest Heroes all agreed to shawarma, but how would Dan feel about it? The answer, in a shock to no one, was that I loved it. The beef shawarma platter ($12.45) not only came with a heaping mound of meat and tzatziki sauce, but also a whole helping of rice, a side of hummus, a small salad and some peppers for tasting. The flavor of the meat was just spicy enough to let you know it meant business, but not so hot to warrant needing a glass of water as to. The rice was about the best damn rice I’ve ever had, cooked to just the right consistency where it stuck together well enough to eat, but was never mushy or crunchy. The hummus was a great fit for the rest of the dish, and I ended up using it to pair with the leftover pies to ensure I didn’t miss out on anything.
Full review: Need-A-Pita does Middle Eastern food perfectly ()
Alibi recommends: The beef shawarma, spinach pie, baklava
Vibe: Family friendly and open
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Albuquerque - Southeast
Sheba's Grocery & Cafe
Mon-Fri 3-9pm
Sat-Sun 11am-9pm (hours can change without notice)
Have a burger, burrito or something Halal-related—these friendly locals offer something to sooth all cravings.
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Albuquerque - University
Kabab House
Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Don’t let the tacky Bud Light signs fool you (or the fact that the restaurant’s name is spelled three different ways on them). This cozy little cafe serves up some great and authentic Persian food. The titular kabobs are as good as you could hope for—especially the bone-in lamb—and the staff is friendly and eager to guide you to the best parts of the menu. Watch out for the salted yogurt drink doogh, though—Westerners might not be prepared for its pungency.
Full review: The Kabab House ()
| | | | | 4.67 rating (3 votes) |
Mazaya Cafe
Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Where Mazaya really excels is in creating a wide variety of mouthwatering and intriguing flavors that keep you reaching for just one more bite. Take a study break with a bowl of creamy hummus. Go for dinner with your friends and try a savory kefta wrap or a platter of momo dumplings with a Nepalese masala dipping sauce.
| | | | | 3 rating (1 vote) |
Sahara Middle Eastern Eatery
Mon-Sat: 10:30am-9:30pm
Sun: noon-7:30pm (hours can change without notice)
Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Sahara’s menu is straightforward, listing expected meats and purées and several vegetarian dishes. Meats come either in a sandwich or combo platter, which are loaded with enough sides to appease the most voracious appetites. The falafel totally rocks the casbah, as do the chicken dishes, the velvety hummus and the beautifully composed salads. Don’t forget to get a nice, hot cup of spice-infused tea.
Full review: An oasis without the trek ()
| | | | | 3.56 rating (26 votes) |
Yasmine’s Café
If you live in the west University area and are bored to tears by salad bars and onion rings, this is the place for you. Vibrant salads and a variety of little pickles accompany gorgeous Middle Eastern platters brimming with spiced, all-natural meats. The Jerusalem salad’s tomato, cucumber and tahini combination is bright and flavorful; perfect with the homemade pita and hummus. Chicken lovers will rejoice in the kabobs, which are tender and delicious. Don’t forget to drool over the huge assortment of housemade nut-and-honey-drenched pastries in the front case.
Read more: Mina's Dish: A guide to halal meats in Albuquerque (7/7/2011)
Full review: Yasmine’s Café ()
| | | | | 3.72 rating (24 votes) |
Albuquerque - Westside
Anatolia Kebab
Tue 11:00 am - 2:00 pm, 5:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Wed 11:00 am - 2:00 pm, 5:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Thu 11:00 am - 2:00 pm, 5:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Fri 11:00 am - 2:00 pm, 5:00 pm - 10:00 pm
Sat 12:00 pm - 10:00 pm
Sun 12:00 pm - 8:00 pm (hours can change without notice)
A lengthy menu boasts down-home Turkish and Mediterranean eats. Not only is the staff friendly, but also extremely knowledgeable and excited to share their opinions of the best dishes. With a variety of meat and vegetarian dishes, anyone can leave this local gem totally satisfied.
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Corrales - Corrales
Anatolia Turkish Mediterranean Grill
Mon: 11am-2pm
Tues-Fri: 11am-8pm
Sat: 12pm-8pm
Closed Sun (hours can change without notice)
A lengthy menu boasts down-home Turkish and Mediterranean eats. Not only is the staff friendly, but also extremely knowledgeable and excited to share their opinions of the best dishes. With a variety of meat and vegetarian dishes, anyone can leave this local gem totally satisfied.
| | | | | 4.19 rating (14 votes) |
Rio Rancho - Rio Rancho
Jerusalem-Taste of the Holy Land
Cuisine: Middle Eastern
The shawarma was fantastic with really good seasoning that allowed the meat to stand out on the merit of its own natural flavors, adding enhanced notes to the dish. The rice wasn’t overcooked or soggy, helping to give texture and fullness to the bites I was enjoying. The freekeh soup was a first for me, and I found it to my liking. It wasn’t too heavy or too light, and the cracked wheat was fantastic, adding a new level of deliciousness to every bite of chicken breast and broth. Cleaning the plate was made easy with the pita, which was warm, a little chewy and left me a little heartbroken when it was gone.
Full review: Taste of the Holy Land offers Rio Rancho something new ()
Alibi recommends: Kanafeh, Santa Fe Chicken Shawarma, Shawarma Combo
Vibe: Middle Eastern eatery focused on great food
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