Cafe Munir

"The food at Munir, with influences from owner Rajah Gargour’s Lebanese background, is a vegetarian’s dream. The small plates of lentils ground with roasted garlic, house labneh, and sweet pears in savory tahini always impress. Patrons should check Instagram for seasonal items that keep the menu vibrant." - Harry Cheadle

"This small Lebanese restaurant is filled with fuchsia lighting, couples on dates, and excellent grilled meat. This is Cafe Munir, and it’s one of the best places in this city to eat Middle Eastern food while eavesdropping on other people’s conversations. Prepare for a substantial wait for a table, but know that it will absolutely be worth it for the steak and the chicken kabobs with garlic sauce. Don’t get us started on the garlic sauce." - aimee rizzo, kayla sager riley

"Owner Rajah Gargour has a shining gem in this Lebanese Ballard destination. Small dishes of warm hummus and ground lentils, koosa, and tahini comprise the bulk of the recent to-go menu, along with other popular items like spicy muhammara. There’s no shortage of vegetarian options, but omnivores should try the delectable lamb meatballs." - Eater Staff

"This Lebanese restaurant is known for small dishes of warm hummus and ground lentils, along with other popular items like baba ghanoush and a spicy muhammara. It also helps that it’s in a heavy residential part of Ballard, away from many of the main drags, which means that street parking nearby is usually available without having to search forever." - Gabe Guarente

"If you like someone so much that you never want the date to end, take them to Cafe Munir. Dinner here won’t last a lifetime, but we can promise about 30-45 minutes of wait time before you’re seated. And after walking around the block a few times and potentially spoiling your appetite with pastries from Larsen’s, you’ll be greeted with great Lebanese food like mezzes and kabobs that are meant for sharing. The whole place is tinted pink and smells like grilled meat, so if that sounds like true love to you, it’s going to be a good time." - aimee rizzo