Baba's Pantry
Deli · South Kc
1019 E 63rd St, Kansas City, MO 64110
Highlights
Velvety hummus, crispy falafel, vibrant decor, family warmth
Velvety hummus, crispy falafel, vibrant decor, family warmth
"Velvety hummus and tender falafel studded with sumac onions helped land Baba’s Pantry on Bon Appétit’s 2022 best new restaurants list. But the real draw at this colorful Palestinian cafe is the deli case, which brims with incredible sauces, spreads, and dips. Try the labneh torshi, dirty martini dip, and Baba’s Ganoush. Know before you go: On Saturdays, the team opens up the bakery next door to sell sweets, such as toasted sesame-turmeric sugar cookies or pistachio-rose cinnamon rolls." - Liz Cook
"A Palestinian deli in Kansas City celebrated as one of Bon Appétit's Best New Restaurants of 2022 that aims to reclaim and proudly state Palestinian identity after a history of being labeled simply “Middle Eastern.” The shop honors diaspora creativity and fusion—exampled by Bambi’s Nachos made with homemade tortillas topped with salata Arabi, torshi, olives, tahini, hummus, yogurt sauce, shawarma chicken, sumac onions, pickled turnips, and olive oil—and traces its roots to a family patriarch who helped introduce hummus to the city. The owners view food as a nonviolent protest and a way to share joy and connection." - ByElena Dudum
"Also worth visiting are new local restaurants like Palestinian-American café Baba’s Pantry, which got a shoutout on Bon Appetit’s 10 Best New Restaurants of 2022 list for hummus that editors dubbed 'the best we’ve ever had.'"
"A Palestinian American café launched during the pandemic when a family moved their downtown grocery stall into a brick-and-mortar; it was named one of Bon Appétit's 10 Best New Restaurants of 2022. The 62‑year‑old founder insists on authentic, no‑shortcuts Palestinian cooking—building on the falafel wraps and tahini‑lemon hummus he made at the grocery—and runs a tightly family‑run operation: one son marinates shawarma chicken and developed a jackfruit shawarma to attract vegan diners, another son handles tables and deli organization, the wife and a daughter fill the pastry case with baklava and hilbah, and the youngest manages social media. The jackfruit shawarma was created to mimic the texture and distinctive flavors of traditional Palestinian shawarma while welcoming meat‑free customers." - ByEmily Wilson
"A light-filled Palestinian American café in Kansas City run by the Kamal family that radiates a deep familial warmth and an unapologetic embrace of Palestinian identity. The hummus is rich and velvet-smooth, crowned with a luscious mound of aromatic shaved beef and lamb, and other staples like falafel and bread are prepared as they would be in Palestine; preserved lemons are even sold by the jar. The menu blends reverence for tradition with playful adaptations—examples include plainly labeled items like “yogurt sauce” instead of tzatziki and a jackfruit shawarma developed to honor local vegan culture—while the team emphasizes sourcing the best ingredients and engaging, welcoming service. The space itself is personal and homey, filled with plants, sun-faded and family photos, and antique radios salvaged from the family home, and the operation was made possible by community support (including a successful GoFundMe) as the father, who immigrated from Palestine in 1979 and had run multiple food ventures, finally opened the first restaurant he could truly call his own." - ByAmiel Stanek
