Zaatar Bistro — Restaurant in Fresno

I have the highest of hopes for this place after my experience today. We stumbled into their "rehearsal day" (before the soft opening - for friends and family only). They graciously let us come in because they wanted some honest feedback from real customers. The menu has a distinct Mediterranean slant but it's way more than the typical kebabs and pilaf that Fresno is overrun with. As a matter of fact, no kebabs/pilaf on the menu at all. We had one of their signature salads, a lamajeen (seasoned ground beef inside crispy fried pita flats), and a wonderful dish of fried pita strips, chickpeas and sliced steak topped with a mint/yogurt sauce. Their pita bread is made on site and is served hot from the oven, still puffed up. Best I've ever had, so soft and pillowy. Great with the assortment of dips on the mezze appetizer. They don't quite have their liquor license yet; I think they said April for that. But they have an outstanding offering of specialty teas and coffees. Try the Pistaccino, a cappuccino with some type of pistachio influence. A subtle yet oh-so-delicious flavor. We also had one of their desserts, (which are made in house daily) - the Lotus cheesecake. If you like Biscoff cookies, you will LOOOOVE this dessert. The inside is beautiful and they have two outdoor patios. As good as the food was, the people are what truly made the experience memorable for us. Every single person came to talk to us, to tell us about the food, to ask our opinion, etc. I'm sure once things are up and running they won't be able to spend this amount of time with each customer but I can tell you that these people truly care about their product and their customers. Pay them a visit, you will not regret it. And if you do visit shortly after their grand opening, be patient as they work through the kinks every restaurant experiences when...

Zaatar is a family run business. When you walk in you are greeted with a friendly welcoming smile. The food is just like eating at your grandmothers. The portion sizes are enough for sharing (a typical Lebanese house). The food is Lebanese with a European flair. You have to try the Sahleb coffee; delicious cold or hot. The perfect way to either start a day or end an evening. My family order the Fattouch salad with Spinach Pie Manakiche and the Steak Fatteh. For appetizers we had the Mezza with fresh baked bread. And, fresh baked means exactly that fresh baked. It was warm in the basket. When we ordered more bread, it had to cool because it was so hot. Although we thought we were ordering enough for four, there was easily enough for six to seven. For dessert we had the Summit (ice cream surround with cotton candy with a chocolate drizzle topped with pistachios). Our dessert sounds like it will never work, but at Zaatar’s it worked and was delicious. I can’t wait to try the Knafeh (traditional Lebanese). Once you have eaten at Zaatar’s Bistro, you will look forward to the next time to try something different. The menu is diverse. They don’t have to make anything special for a vegetarian because the menu has vegetarian meals. Zaatar’s is on my PERMANENT LIST. I will keep returning until I eat EVERYTHING on their menu. I can’t wait for Zaatar’s dinner menu to...

My Aunt and I visited because I read a January 2025 article in the Fresno Bee that proclaimed Zaatar was the best new Fresno restaurant of 2024. I was encouraged to try Zaatar because of the positive reviews on Google and my Aunt and I love Eastern Mediterranean cuisine. Most Google reviews discussed breakfast and brunch. This makes sense since the restaurant is open daily from 8 - 3 for breakfast and brunch and Thursday - Saturday from 4:30 - 9:30 for dinner. My Aunt and I liked our drinks. I ordered a Hazy IPA (the waitress did not know the name of the brewery) and my Aunt ordered a spicy Bloody Mary. But the pita bread was bland and the Fatteh were disappointing. My Aunt ordered the Chicken Fatteh and I ordered the Steak Fatteh. My Aunt said the chicken was seasoned. My steak was not. Also, the menu said that the dish included 8 oz of steak. No way was there 8 oz of steak. The problem with both dishes is that they were like a cold yogurt soup with chickpeas. We found the dish odd and did not finish our order. But we both agreed that it would be good to return and try something for breakfast or brunch. The restaurant is beautifully decorated and located in a high-end shopping center. Highly recommend making...