Jerusalem hotels, restaurants, attractions, tours & events. Helping since 2008

Jerusalem's unique position as both an international city and a burg at the hinge where East meets West makes for a cornucopia of different dining options, many of which often blend together in interesting ways.

But the city, which is home to a large population of Jews of Middle Eastern and North African descent, has developed something of its own niche with a local specialty cuisine that harkens back to those lands where kubeh and kifteh are king. Apart from the wide number of fine dining options that focus on this cuisine, like Darna, Minaret, Scala and Eucalyptus, Jerusalem is also home to a swarm of "fast food" Middle Eastern joints.

Décor in these places may mean a napkin holder with the Coke logo, and ambiance may be a picture of a rabbi staring down at you, but the flavor, price and authenticity make up for it - and then some. It's all about the Jerusalem mixed grill, skewers of meat, fresh-whipped hummus and golden balls of falafel. Here is our list of the best places in Jerusalem to get your Middle Eastern munch on.

Yemenite Falafel Center

The name may make it seem like a place where little balls of Yemenite chickpeas go to play basketball and leave their kids for day care, but in actuality the restaurant is the center of the Yemenite falafel universe, as least as far as you need to be concerned. There's only one thing on offer here. You guessed it: falafel, and many in Jerusalem claim it to be the best around. Service comes with a smile and, you guessed it, a falafel ball, and the s'chug (chili paste) is known for being extra spicy (read delicious).

Taami

Harlem may have Sylvia's, but Jerusalem has Taami. Not only is this Mizrachi soul food greasy spoon considered to be one of the best hummus joints in town, it's also one of the best Middle Eastern food places in general. While many flock, (and we do mean flock - finding lunchtime seating can be a near impossible mission) to the restaurant for its "hummus masbacha" blend of chickpeas, tehini, spices and more, the restaurant also serves up a wide array of authentic blue-collar Middle Eastern eats consisting of lentils, meats, beats and the like. And yes you can get eggrolls here (see note about interesting international fusion above).

Azura

In Jerusalem, the Mizrachi culinary world centers around Shuk Machane Yehuda, where the only thing fresher than the produce are the vendors' attitudes. So it's only natural that one of the best hole-in-the-wall Middle Eastern restaurants would be located here. Azura, which is wedged into a small space between the vendors of the Iraqi shuk, serves the best of Iraqi fare, from kubeh to shakshuka, stews and everything else Jews of Mizrachi descent remember their grandmother making.

Turkish Bourekas from Haifa

When it comes to fast food, the night time is the right time, or more specifically, the early morning hours - when all you want after a night of partying is a flaky potato or spinach filled treat you can eat on the go. Bourekas Turki is there for you. Situated conveniently near the center of town, the 24-hour restaurant offers large, round, flaky, oily, filled dough concoctions Turkish style, which is a bit heartier than other varieties, and of course comes with the optional but indispensable hard-boiled egg.

Chatzot

Nothing quite says local food like Jerusalem mixed grill (meurav Yerushalmi). You'd rather not know the details of from what it's made (trust us), but what comes off the griddle is a spicy delicious blend of meats that Jerusalem should be proud to have its name attached to. And nobody does the Jerusalem mix as well as Chatzot, located adjacent to the shuk, where several chefs recently teamed up to claim a world record for largest Jerusalem mixed grill ever. The joint may not be much to look at, but it serves up just about every kosher cut of chicken possible, and does it well. And as the name, which means midnight, implies, it's open late, so there's no need to stock up for when you get a late-night fever for mixed grill.

For those who would rather enjoy more domestic fare without having to wait (or resorting to the American chain food places), Jerusalem also has a number of solid, local restaurants that offer short-order deliciousness of other cuisines. Those receiving honorable mentions include Burger's Bar, which Jerusalemites, and now the rest of Israel, swear by; Village Green, a dairy cafeteria-style vegetarian restaurant; and Tarantino, whose meat-filled, Latin-inspired wraps bear no resemblance to that director whose name slips our mind. Woody Allen - that's it.