Zaatar Lebanese Grill — Restaurant in San Antonio

So....when you can't really review the main entree because you eat too much of the sides and sauce first, you know this is a place you should return to!

But seriously. I first visited right at grand opening, as covid was starting, and I ordered the trio of pizza, which pleasantly surprised me as it came three separate kinds and all were super tasty. Around then, I met the owner and he was awesome, personable and nice even tho he wasn't on the job when I ran into him. He didn't know if he'd wind up opening and tonight, 8 months later?

Soooooo glad he did!!! Tonight I went in to togo order and y'all, I am telling you - while their competitors across the parking lot are well established and offer some of the same foods, the dishes here just taste...brighter, somehow?! Not to mention Mohammed let me try a falafel that was the best I've ever had even if the tahini sauce hadn't been awesome (I loved the zing of lemon!), and hooked me up post-order with some of all the sauces.

Now I live on the other side of town so don't get out much to that side of town, and I was resigned that since I can't eat in Jummah traffic, my pita would be rubbery, the rice dry and everything else (I ordered the kibba beef kabob plate) lukewarm. NO!

I got home, opened the bread to eat with a little conglomerate of sauces and WOW GUYS!!! So...hummus with their red garlic/spicy sauce? Mmmmm yes! I'd bought some lebne and put that with both tzatziki and then the garlic mayo and put my tabouli in it? That could be a pita sandwich with a side of pickles all on its own.

The rice reminded me biryani (what I originally was going to have for dinner; desi food y'all got competition now!!!), as it wasn't just plain but yellowed and flavored and worth eating. My kabobs were surprisingly still really moist and tender and well seasoned, and will totally be worth eating the remaining 1.5 tomorrow for breakfast since I made pita-hummus-sauce scoopers for dinner basically.

Service was so great and things looked so clean that this is the only restaurant since covid started where I even accepted food to eat during my wait, and one of the guys working with Mohammed also let me try a baklava (they have different types; I ate the birds nest, which was good. I loved that its not drenched in honey but more just like what holds the crunch together).

If you haven't had this place you should totally go, its money well spent even in these hard up times. Just...be sure to pace yourself once your tongue gets kinda happy, or else you'll over stuff and have to go on a walk like I have to do now!! THANKS MOHAMMED!!! SEE...

Incredible Food! I love Lebanese, Greek, Mediterranean and Afghan food. Lebanese is my favorite when I can find it - and this did not disappoint.

Everything was delicious, fresh, and had its own unique yumminess.

We got the chicken shawarma plate. Succulent, beautifully seasoned chicken, golden yellow rice and their signature salad with a light lemony dressing. Comes with pickle slices.

Also got the regular mezze plate (there is a larger option). The tabouleh is fresh, tangy and delicious. The hummus also delicious. But the eggplant babaganoush and the falafel were to die for. I'm not kidding. This falafel was, hands down, the best I've ever had. It was light, crispy and so tasty! Most falafel is over cooked and comes from a powdered chick pea mix. It seems others over season and over fry it to make up for it. This place has figured out how to make it just right, but I suspect they use fresh chick peas. It seems too delectable to be from a powder.

Lastly, we got the kibbeh. Oh my goodness- just like the falafel it was lightly fried to the perfect crunch and loaded with delicious seasoned meat inside.

We were so hungry I forgot to take pictures when it was all new and pretty. But you can tell from the photos just how generous the portions are and how delicious things look.

The portions are very generous, they give you tons of bread , garlic sauce and tahini sauce. We will have a great leftovers-lunch tomorrow.

The final touch? We went through the drive-through and our dogs got two giant succulent pieces of chicken. That might be the best treat my dogs ever got from somewhere LOL.

Cleary family run with pride and love. If we lived in Texas we'd be here...

As so many of the other 5 star ratings that came before us for this best kept secret on the North East Side..Theres not much to say other than Yes this restaurant is absolutely worthy of 10 stars!!! Were kinda picky as to where we sit lol so of course we picked the only table that needed to be cleaned...As the saying goes we want what we want ....Our server Mayaseen A as the ticket named her haha urgently stopped what she was doing and immediately cleaned off the table and we were seated within minutes...Might I say there were only 2 young ladies running this gambit and was handling it with ease!! You can tell this was not their first day at the Zaatar Rodeo...Who goes to a Lebanese restaurant and orders Quesadilla's when there are 10,000 quality Mexican restaurants in SA..Who??? I do lol and let me tell you OMG by far the best I've had yet just shy of ole' Mexico Herself...:)I highly recommend the Beef Shwarma Quesadilla plate and add the Roasted Garlic potatoes OMG there was so much food I had to get a togo box on purpose.. Kudo's to the Owner/Management team that put these 2 young ladies out front and center to handle their Front of the House..We will definitely be back!!!FYI the prices were the best we have seen since most restaurants have jumped on the price gouging train...ZAATAR HAS NOT JOINED THAT CROWD..THANK YOU FOR DELIVERING GREAT FOOD, GREAT CUSTOMER SERVICES WITH GREAT PRICES..I WILL NOW STEP DOWN FROM MY SOAP BOX

REGARDS, EXTREMEMLY SATISFIED...