Celebrating Damascus Gate

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Damascus Gate is a family-owned Halal food restaurant located at 807 W. Historic Mitchell Street, in a part of town that’s sometimes feels overlooked or forgotten. However, this casual sit down has some of the best Middle Eastern food around.

Living my 20s out in New York had me eating a lot of Halal food out of carts on the streets after a night out. I learned to love it for all its flavors and textures and was happy to see the famous Halal Guys make its way to Milwaukee after being a secret New York City spot known for its “white sauce” and late-night lines.

A friend brought me to Damascus Gate right when I moved back to Milwaukee after I was complaining about not having as much access to global cuisine. We each had the mixed grill plate which serves chicken and six-meat skewers alongside grilled veggies, hummus, baba ghanouj, salad (or fattoush), and pita bread. This time, I opted to try some other items and went with the hummus appetizer which is a mix of sesame oil and garlic served with pita bread, one lentil soup and a kefta kabab.

Depending on where you are in the world, a kebab is served differently but resulting in the same myriad of mixed meats, vegetables, sauces, and spices. Here, kebabs are wrapped in large shrak bread and look close to what we would call a wrap.

Everything was homemade fresh for me and delicious. I ordered with the intent to take some home for later, and I got what I wanted. Seems like a good place to order party platters for special occasions and gatherings. Who doesn’t love hummus?!

There were not many people dining in on a Monday at noon, but I would imagine their delivery has gotten popular since COVID-19 setbacks. I could hear the men cooking and speaking Arabic alongside the clanging of kitchen ware, evidence that everything is made fresh to order.

This is one of those spots in Milwaukee we should all go out of our way to try for ourselves and try to save. Once a big dining hall fit for large parties and buffets, it needs patronage to add the allure that the food deserves. I invite you to take a trip to Damascus Gate and taste it for yourselves.