Al-Mazaq Restaurant & Bakery

Where to Eat in Paterson, New Jersey | Eater NY

"Tucked in a cinderblock building advertising “special Iraqi bread” near a rail yard, we found the interior cozy with half a dozen neatly arranged tables and photos of Baghdad circa 1957. The menu is mainly kebabs and all-day breakfasts: we chose makhlama — eggs finely scrambled with ground lamb, tomato, and onions seeping a bit of sunflower oil — served with two breads (one round, the other diamond-shaped) and a bowl of mixed pickles with copious brine that made us dip the warm bread again and again. We also ordered an Iraqi kebab of four smoky ground-lamb kebabs wrapped in a pita with grilled tomatoes and onions, and washed it down with a minted drink called smoked yogurt, notable for its foamy white appearance." - Robert Sietsema