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Mediterranean cuisine is kind of broad—that glorious body of water covers nearly a million square miles and borders 22 diverse countries, after all—but for our purposes, we’re focusing on the oh-so-craveable Middle Eastern–style foods that often exist under the “Lebanese” or “Levantine” moniker. Here’s your guide to Denver’s best baba ghanoush, shawarma, kabobs, and falafel, because in our world, it’s always meze-o’clock.
Golden Falafel
The recipes at this strip-mall Mediterranean restaurant come from owners Zakaria and Halima Chamseddine’s Moroccan families, only gussied up a bit. Portions are huge and well-priced, which is probably why it’s become a neighborhood takeout favorite. From the kabobs to the beef shawarma to the ample vegetarian choices, everything we’ve tried here has been delicious. Whatever you pick, be sure to add a side of the house spinach, an ultra-creamy bowl of greens dolled up with Kalamata olives, cumin, and garlic. 6460 E. Yale Ave.
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Sonny’s Mediterranean
This spunky counter-service spot makes ordering easy. You simply pick whether you want your falafel or rotisserie chicken in pita, salad, or giant platter form. Then you dig in to enjoy the super-fresh, spicy (if you top it with zhoug), bright (if you opt for basil chimichurri) plate or sandwich. The setting is just as simple: a narrow, modern dining room with excellent Highland people-watching on the patio. 2622 W. 32nd Ave.
Boychik
New this year, Boychik started as a stall in Avanti Boulder before opening inside a food hall on the other end of the metro area, Aurora’s Stanley Marketplace. Boychik 2.0 is a sit-down restaurant decked out in earthy tiles and woods and sunlit through roll-up glass garage doors. The space isn’t the only thing that’s bigger than the original; the Stanley location’s menu is expanded, too, with more shared plates and entrées, plus a generous Mediterranean-influenced cocktail menu. But don’t worry, they’ve still got the silky hummus and chicken shawarma that made people fall for it in the first place. 1401 Pearl St., Boulder; 2501 Dallas St., Aurora
Baghdad Restaurant
Tangy, lemony fattoush, smooth hummus, and chicken shawarma sandwiches drizzled in garlic sauce have made this family-run restaurant a Middle Eastern destination for years. The lunch special is a great deal that won’t weigh you down like greasy tacos and burgers, and the big portions might even get you through dinner. Even better: Reem’s Bakery, a Syrian sweets shop next door, makes a take on the viral Dubai pistachio chocolate bar. Need we say more? 2410 S. Colorado Blvd.
Safta
Yes, Safta is on the expensive side ($20 for hummus?!), and yes, it’s annoying to have to pay for parking in the attached Source Hotel garage, and yes again, it’s been rhapsodized by fans and food writers maybe a little too much. But one bite into the puffy, cloudlike pitas and you’ll be glad you splurged on the lamb ragu hummus. We like to make a meal out of that and a couple small plates, but the $50 all-you-can-eat weekend brunch is also a worthy investment. 3330 Brighton Blvd.
Yahya’s Mediterranean Grill & Pastries
Olive oil–drizzled hummus in elaborate designs and honey-soaked baklava are just bookends for the Turkish goodness that awaits at Yahya’s. While the cheery Colfax restaurant tends to fly under the radar, real Mediterranean food devotees know that this is the place for lamb kabsa, dolmas, and kabobs. In winter, a cup of their steaming Turkish coffee or tea is the ultimate belly warmer. 2207 E. Colfax Ave.
Jasmine Syrian Food
Jasmine Syrian Food, the first restaurant inside immigrant-focused community outreach center Mango House, serves the family recipes of owner Mohamad Alnouri. That means tasty stuffed kibbeh (the national dish of Syria; breaded, deep-fried lamb, beef, and onion), seasoned kabobs, and hearty fattoush. Every meal here should be finished with the tasty sooksay “snowballs”—buttery biscotti-esque cookie balls made with chocolate and coconut. 10180 E. Colfax Ave., Aurora
Jerusalem Restaurant
Jerusalem Restaurant has been racking up awards since the Clinton years, so yeah, it’s earned a bit of a following. Besides the chicken kabobs, beef and lamb gyro platters, and sambusa (fried pockets of potatoes, lentils, and onions), it’s probably best known for feeding University of Denver students (and other nocturnal noshers) late into the night. While it’s not 24/7 anymore, the restaurant is still shaving lamb off the rotisserie until 3 a.m. 1890 E. Evans Ave.
Chef Zorba’s
Sometimes you just need a side of huevos rancheros to complement your plate of hummus, which means that sometimes you need to head to Chef Zorba’s, the convivial Greek diner that’s been fulfilling our simultaneous cravings for diner food and vertically skewered meat since 1979. The atmosphere is a step above the typical greasy spoon diner—just don’t get so comfortable that you forget to grab something from the pastry case on your way out. 2626 E. 12th Ave.
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