Middle East Halal Market & Bakery — Local services in Westlake

I love it so far. very very unique finds and I am looking forward to the grill/bakery opening as well. the owners are welcoming and accommodating. the store is clean and not cluttered.

Edit: It's unfortunate, but on my third time coming here, an incident occurred that left me quite uncomfortable.

I had stopped in before lunch to get the Markouk and a couple of other items. [I had taken a liking to the Markouk after the first couple of times - It's exactly what I have been searching for]. With the Markouk being located near the register, I shopped around for the other items first. An interesting mayo and, I was undecided on getting another item.

After making my way over to the Markouk and finding that it was out of stock [confirmed that with the owner], I considered an alternative, but decided against it and walked back over to the aisle where I had found the mayo that I had originally planned to eat with it.

before putting it back on the shelf, I went to take out my phone from my backpack to check a text. In that moment I was approached by the stocker woman about letting her know if I needed help. I said ok, I'll let her know. then she disappeared. I then placed the mayo back on the shelf and rechecked a couple areas of the store before concluding on what I was getting.

After deciding on a pack of wafers, at checkout I was confronted by the owner about the mayo. Apparently there was strong suspicion that I had taken it. I told her that I had put back anything that I changed my mind on, to which she replied that the other woman (the stocker) didn't think so.

I offered to have her search my bag and she declined, saying that she felt bad. I asked her if she normally makes a habit of watching people like this, and she said no, she doesn't. but she remained standing there, hesitant to complete the check out process. she then asked to walk over to the shelf together where I had put back the mayo. I willingly did so, which seemed to make her feel a little better. After completing checkout she apologized before I left.

However, the damage was already done. when I come to think of it, it's no wonder that I kept being followed, bothered, and bumped into by both the the owner and the stocker, about a dozen times each time that I entered the store. I couldn't turn down an aisle or browse for more than a couple seconds without this happening, which would lead to me having to circle around the store more than once in attempt to be in my own head. they likely thought this was suspicious as well. I initially mistook these behaviors as forms of hospitality, when in fact they were forms of harassment stemming from distrust.

There's nothing wrong with taking some precautionary measures such as watching customers from afar or setting up cameras, but what these owners are doing is wrong and also bad for business.

I don't intend on returning to a place where I cannot freely look around and make final selections without being harassed or falsley accused of theft. No one wants to feel that way.

I was honestly taken aback over this occurrence after establishing a connection with the owner the first two times. I initially respected the owners and gave them the benefit of the doubt, expecting them to do the same for me. I thought it was a great store and would have been a...

The store is newly renovated and I was surprised by how big it is inside. They have products from a wide variety of countries and I enjoyed exploring the shelves. I’m originally from the UK and was amazed to even find some British favorites of mine, like Bounty bars and HP Sauce, which earned them an immediate 5-stars from me! I was told that if a customer is looking for something specific, they’ll do their best to stock it if it’s feasible. The staff are friendly, speak English and Arabic, and are happy to explain any items you’re not familiar with. I’m new to Middle Eastern food but I highly recommend Basterma (cured beef) and Dubai chocolate. They’re still in the “soft open” stage but already offer some prepared foods. The spinach pie was great. Looking forward to...

I love coming here!!! I LOVE the babaganoush and Jasmine pita bread. There are so many wonderful things to get from black olives to cookies to mixed nuts. I have been missing the Middle Eastern bakery I used to go to in another state but this place is even better! The owners are sweet and so helpful!! I chat with them every time I visit. They are a mom n pop shop and I commend them for aiming to make a great place to eat, shop and enjoy their products. In this day and age it’s tough for small grocers to make it so I offer my support and loyalty to give them my business. I wish them all...