Emily's Lebanese Deli — Restaurant in Minneapolis

The economical aspect really makes me want to give this establishment a 5 star because I am a firm believer in affordable good food, but if I stay true to how good the food tastes, then 3 to 4 would be the most appropriate, so balancing all factors, a 4 is the most prudent rating in my opinion. A lot of their dishes are small in portion and are well below $10 even to this day, which is rare, and still offer a great experience.

My favorite dish is the tabouli salad, and I can easily have a whole container of it without complaints. They make a whole bunch of tabouli salad each morning and upon request, scoop from a giant container of such. Sometimes I visit this place just to get a bunch of takeout tabouli salad and that would be my meal for the day. They also have very solid grape leaves (dolmathes), hummus, and various types of kabobs. Most of the kabobs have been juicy enough to flavor the rice underneath because they use garlic butter for such. The baklava and crema, their only two desserts, are on the okay side in comparison to other dishes, but still solid, in conventional ways.

Relatively, I have more critiques about their spinach pie (spanakopita) and their stuffed zucchini, both because the vegetables have been very dry. The stuffed zucchini not only had dry vegetables, but also had dry rice, so eating it felt like I was having something that was at least 2 days old. The spinach inside the spinach pie was old and tasted weird, and the outer layer looked kind of artificial. One could tell by the color of the spinach that it was far from fresh, and the smell and taste would confirm such. It was unfortunately one of the worst spinach pies I have had anywhere, so I never ordered it again.

With all that said, however, if one asks me whether or not I would recommend this establishment to anyone, it would be a resounding yes. Lebanese food representation in the Twin Cities has already been very rare, and having this establishment be this level of economical and still serving solid food for most of their items on the menu is a blessing. If nothing else, try...

baba ghanoush- Puréed; gives me baby food vibes, Not smashed Roosted eggplant not very detectable, seems more tahini than eggplant Bread- Cold, old, and hard Chicken noodle soup- Microwaved soup, lukewarm; warm and cold bites, although it is flavorful Traditional salad- Refreshing, was actually very good Kofta kebab- Was really good, surprisingly made freshly on the grill after hearing the microwave go off so much. Chicken kebab- Same grilled to order and juicy and not overly seasoned. Rice- For the chickens rice, it was weird and also microwaved cold with some bites warm. The rice for the Kofta was very flavorful but sadly MICROWAVED!! Crack sauce/garlic sauce- I don’t even know, not like any garlic sauce I’ve had idk what it was sadly. Heard the microwave go off about 5 or 6 times the hour I spent in there, why would it take an hour when you’re microwaving 70% of the meal? Waitress had a bad attitude seemed like she hated her job sadly. Was really excited to go here to try something that is supposedly famous, I don’t see the hype. I was honestly just so disappointed, the two things that I’d get IF I HAD to come back; the kofta and the crema. Crema was so good, so good!

Filfillah Mediterranean Grill Olive and Lamb The restaurants I wish we would have tried and not something that was on TV it’s like they got their fame and stopped caring about cooking, it was $55 for 2 plates and one appetizer with tip added. I’m giving a rate of 2 stars other wise it would have been a 1 star review; because the flavor is there just that microwave and baby mush with crackers...

Not only is Emily's a neighborhood institution in northeast Minneapolis, it is also hands down by far one of the best Middle Eastern restaurants in the Twin Cities! Emily’s is one of the first of its kind opening its doors in 1973. Emily's is a taste of Lebanon. If you enjoy Greek, Turkish, or Iranian food, you will not be disappointed when visiting Emily's. Truthfully, there is a great deal of culinary overlap when comparing Lebanese cuisine to other Middle Eastern & Eastern Mediterranean varieties.

I personally recommend the homemade grape leaves or dolma. They sell them by the pound at the deli. Their house made cucumber & garlic sauces are next to none making great additions to your dolmas; when served hot, the sauces truly enhance the flavor. Traditional staples like hummus & eggplant with tahini are good. The baked kibbeh & falafel are phenomenal. For the "adventurous foodie," I suggest trying the raw kibbeh with olive oil; not for the faint hearted.

I have tried the raw kibbeh, but I prefer it baked. The seating area is relatively small compared to other Middle Eastern restaurants in the area. With that said, it fills up fast on weekends. Admittedly, I have yet to try their baklava.

If their baklava can outperform the baklava offered at Nicollet Avenue's Christos, in my opinion, they will have earned top spot for best baklava in the...