Photo courtesy of Holy Land Grocery & Bakery Facebook page
Restaurants that operate out of international grocery stores are something special. Often owned by immigrants, the restaurants cater toward the same community. Because of that, you’ll likely find traditional food preparations and, thanks to being in a grocery store with high turnover, super fresh foods.
The restaurant inside Holy Land Grocery and Deli (2722 W. Ramsey Ave.) is small and tucked away in a front corner of the space. Order at the restaurant’s counter, then take your ticket to the grocery store’s registers to pay, or just tell them what you ordered. If you’re eating in the bare bones but bright seating area, grab a drink from the coolers before you pay. The kitchen is small; you see most of it behind the counter where skewers of meat are kept and sandwiches are put together, so the menu is not huge. It’s a greatest hits menu of Middle Eastern fare, though, and my favorite thing on it is the falafel.
You’ll see it being formed by hand on a mold before being dropped into hot oil in a large, ancient-looking iron skillet—not an electric deep fryer. If there’s a batch being fried when you get there, you’ll smell it as soon as you walk in the door. The end result is fluffy on the inside, with a deep, thick crust full of nutty sesame seeds. You can get them a la carte (six pieces for $1.99; a dozen for $3.99) in a brown paper bag or in a downright deal of a sandwich ($3.99). They always seem to add one or two extra falafel in your bag, too; just one of the little touches that demonstrates the hospitality of everyone I’ve encountered here.
Other sandwiches include chicken shawarma ($4.99) or lamb and beef shawarma ($5.99). Both meats rotate on vertical rotisseries with caps of fat at the top to melt down over the meat. The chicken is tender and carved in thick pieces with minimal seasoning, while the beef and lamb doesn’t skimp on the more expensive of the two (the lamb). They’re wrapped in fresh flatbread with pickles, bright pink pickled turnips, veggies and tahini.
Lamb is also prominent in the kifta kabob ($5.99 for a sandwich; $8.99 for a plate)—a mix of ground beef and lamb with onions, parsley and garlic. It’s shaped on a metal skewer and grilled to order with plenty of charred flavor without being overcooked. As a plate, it’s served over yellow rice with grilled onion and tomato wedges, hummus and Jerusalem salad. A sprinkle of toasted, slivered almonds over the rice and meat lends great crunch and nuttiness.
Shish tawook ($9.99) are skewers of grilled, cubed chicken and are seasoned beautifully with spices like cumin and turmeric. Beef shish kabob ($9.99) is plenty tender but a little bland compared to the chicken. You can try both the beef and chicken, along with a kifta kabob, in a combination plate ($10.99) if you’re undecided. Order a side of bright red hot sauce if you’d like to heat things up.
Beside the falafel, hummus ($3.99) is an outstanding appetizer or side; it’s silky smooth and creamy with a mild tahini flavor. A bright green relish, drizzle of olive oil and stripes of spices add to its appeal. Baba ghanoush ($3.99) of roasted eggplant, a chunky foul ($3.99) of stewed fava beans and lentil soup are all popular. Mop all of it up with outstanding, hot pita bread that’s baked fresh in store (and purchase some from the back of the store on your way out).
Though it’s not part of the restaurant itself, you’d be remiss if you didn’t stop at Holy Land’s bakery to take some sweets home with you. It’s in the little storefront next door, and you choose what you want from huge sheet pans filled with pastries. Most are made with nuts, like pistachios, walnuts and almonds; some are rolled, some are layered, some are sold by the pound and others by the piece. All are coated in sticky sugar or honey syrup. If they have cheese knafeh—a flat, dense sweet made with fresh cheese and sprinkled with pistachios—get a square.
Holy Land has been around for more than 15 years, and in that time, they’ve made a name for themselves as one of the best places to get Middle Eastern cuisine. Given the charm of the store, the friendly employees and the quality of the food, I definitely understand why.
