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The Best Mediterranean Restaurants in Cincinnati, According to Our Readers

By on Mon, Sep 16, 2024 at 2:45 pm

Every year, CityBeat publishes the Best Of Cincinnati®, wherein readers and staffers alike decide which bars are the booziest, which people are the coolest and which shops are your best bet for dropping a pretty penny. When you're craving flavors from the Mediterranean, Greater Cincinnati offers a lot of delicious options, from Greek and Turkish to Kurdish cuisine. Whether you want falafel, kebabs, gyros or just a mouthwatering slice of baklava, these restaurants Mediterranean restaurants come highly recommended by CityBeat's readers.

Keep scrolling to see which ones you should add to your must-try list.
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Best No. 10 Mediterranean Restaurant: The Big Greek Cafe 1150 Harrison Ave., Harrison Must-Try Dish: Mousakas — a layered dish featuring fried potatoes, fried eggplant and ground beef, topped with a bechamel sauce and four cheeses. For dessert, try the baklava.
Photo: Google.com/Big Greek Cafe - Harrison, Ohio

Best No. 10 Mediterranean Restaurant: The Big Greek Cafe

1150 Harrison Ave., Harrison
Must-Try Dish: Mousakas — a layered dish featuring fried potatoes, fried eggplant and ground beef, topped with a bechamel sauce and four cheeses. For dessert, try the baklava.
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Best No. 9 Mediterranean Restaurant: Chicago Gyros & Dogs 201 W. McMillan St., CUF Must-Try Dish: The Falafel Pita is made with lettuce, tomato, onion and cucumber and served with Chicago Gyros & Dog’s Taz sauce (tzatziki).
Photo: facebook.com/ChicagoGyrosandDogsCincinnati

Best No. 9 Mediterranean Restaurant: Chicago Gyros & Dogs

201 W. McMillan St., CUF
Must-Try Dish: The Falafel Pita is made with lettuce, tomato, onion and cucumber and served with Chicago Gyros & Dog’s Taz sauce (tzatziki).
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Best No. 8 Mediterranean Restaurant: Cafe Mediterranean 3520 Erie Ave., Hyde Park Must-Try Dish: Get one of the kebabs; there are five kinds: the chicken, beef tenderloin and lamb kebabs, plus the Doner Gyros kebab (marinated shaved lamb served with a Turkish yogurt and cucumber mix called cacik) and the Iskender kebab, which is made with the doner gyro meat and served with pita, yogurt and fresh tomato sauce.
Photo: facebook.com/Cafe Mediterranean

Best No. 8 Mediterranean Restaurant: Cafe Mediterranean

3520 Erie Ave., Hyde Park
Must-Try Dish: Get one of the kebabs; there are five kinds: the chicken, beef tenderloin and lamb kebabs, plus the Doner Gyros kebab (marinated shaved lamb served with a Turkish yogurt and cucumber mix called cacik) and the Iskender kebab, which is made with the doner gyro meat and served with pita, yogurt and fresh tomato sauce.
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Best No. 7 Mediterranean Restaurant: LEYLA Mediterranean 7418 Beechmont Ave., Anderson Township Must-Try Dish: For yourself, get the Mix Grill for one. It comes with a chicken Adana kebab (which is seasoned with crushed red peppers), a marinated chicken kebab and a gyro kebab. It also comes with a salad and rice. There are also Mix Grill plates for groups ranging from two to five people to share.
Photo: facebook.com/LEYLA Mediterranean

Best No. 7 Mediterranean Restaurant: LEYLA Mediterranean

7418 Beechmont Ave., Anderson Township
Must-Try Dish: For yourself, get the Mix Grill for one. It comes with a chicken Adana kebab (which is seasoned with crushed red peppers), a marinated chicken kebab and a gyro kebab. It also comes with a salad and rice. There are also Mix Grill plates for groups ranging from two to five people to share.
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Best No. 6 Mediterranean Restaurant: Greek to Me 3415 Dixie Highway, Erlanger Must-Try Dish: Get the spanakopita (spinach- and feta cheese-filled savory pastry made with filo dough) for an appetizer, followed by the Uncle Jesse (named after TV’s favorite Greek uncle from Full House), which gyro made with sausage, onion, tomato, ketchup, mustard, tzatziki, fries and served in a pita. Have mercy on our cholesterol.
Photo: facebook.com/greek2me

Best No. 6 Mediterranean Restaurant: Greek to Me

3415 Dixie Highway, Erlanger
Must-Try Dish: Get the spanakopita (spinach- and feta cheese-filled savory pastry made with filo dough) for an appetizer, followed by the Uncle Jesse (named after TV’s favorite Greek uncle from Full House), which gyro made with sausage, onion, tomato, ketchup, mustard, tzatziki, fries and served in a pita. Have mercy on our cholesterol.
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Best No. 5 Mediterranean Restaurant: Andy’s Mediterranean Grille 906 Nassau St., Walnut Hills Must-Try Dish: The Chicken Hajjar: Boneless chicken thighs that have been marinated with Andy's special sauce. It also comes with hummus and a salad.
Photo: facebook.com/andysmediterraneangrille

Best No. 5 Mediterranean Restaurant: Andy’s Mediterranean Grille

906 Nassau St., Walnut Hills
Must-Try Dish: The Chicken Hajjar: Boneless chicken thighs that have been marinated with Andy's special sauce. It also comes with hummus and a salad.
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Best No. 4 Mediterranean Restaurant: Abigail Street 1214 Vine St., Over-the-Rhine Must-Try Dish: Try the wood-grilled octopus. It comes topped with merguez sausage, fried chickpeas, hummus, parsley, tomato, lemon and jalapeño.
Photo: Matthew Allen

Best No. 4 Mediterranean Restaurant: Abigail Street

1214 Vine St., Over-the-Rhine
Must-Try Dish: Try the wood-grilled octopus. It comes topped with merguez sausage, fried chickpeas, hummus, parsley, tomato, lemon and jalapeño.
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Best No. 3 Mediterranean Restaurant: Phoenician Taverna 7944 Mason Montgomery Road, Mason Must-Try Dish: The Warak Inab Blahmeh features grape leaves rolled with ground lamb, beef and rice and served with yogurt salad. You can also create a sharing-style meal by getting a mix of hot and cold mezes (small plates) like hummus, baba ghannouge and falafel.
Photo: Hailey Bollinger

Best No. 3 Mediterranean Restaurant: Phoenician Taverna

7944 Mason Montgomery Road, Mason
Must-Try Dish: The Warak Inab Blahmeh features grape leaves rolled with ground lamb, beef and rice and served with yogurt salad. You can also create a sharing-style meal by getting a mix of hot and cold mezes (small plates) like hummus, baba ghannouge and falafel.
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Best No. 2 Mediterranean Restaurant: Sebastian’s Greek Restaurant 5209 Glenway Ave., West Price Hill Must-Try Dish: It’s a West Side right of passage to try Sebastian’s classic gyro: meat sliced thin and wrapped in pita bread with tomatoes and onions, and don’t forget the fries.
Photo: facebook.com/sebastiansgyros

Best No. 2 Mediterranean Restaurant: Sebastian’s Greek Restaurant

5209 Glenway Ave., West Price Hill
Must-Try Dish: It’s a West Side right of passage to try Sebastian’s classic gyro: meat sliced thin and wrapped in pita bread with tomatoes and onions, and don’t forget the fries.
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Best No. 1 Mediterranean Restaurant: Aladdin’s Eatery 1203 Main St., Over-the-Rhine; 3664 Edwards Rd., Hyde Park; 9344 Union Centre Blvd., West Chester Must-Try Dish: Aladdin’s Favorite combo — It features beef kafta, shish kabob and shish tawook on a bed of rice with vermicelli. It’s also served with greens, sliced tomatoes, cucumbers and your choice of dressing.
Photo: Hailey Bollinger

Best No. 1 Mediterranean Restaurant: Aladdin’s Eatery

1203 Main St., Over-the-Rhine; 3664 Edwards Rd., Hyde Park; 9344 Union Centre Blvd., West Chester
Must-Try Dish: Aladdin’s Favorite combo — It features beef kafta, shish kabob and shish tawook on a bed of rice with vermicelli. It’s also served with greens, sliced tomatoes, cucumbers and your choice of dressing.
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