El Cedro

"I remember seeing something on Instagram about El Cedro when it opened—a Lebanese-Mexican spot, right in the strip of Brooklyn’s Atlantic Avenue where I go for Middle Eastern groceries (over at Damascus and Sahadi’s), great Yemenite stews at Yemen Cafe, and Palestinian food at al Badawi (their new uptown location recently appeared on this list). I had faith from the geography: it’s in good company. I was also intrigued because, as you may or may not know, there’s a huge Lebanese community in Mexico (that’s where the al pastor spit came from, after all), so it seemed like a pairing we should have been waiting for. The kismet was that, when I visited, I went with both a Mexican friend and an Armenian friend, and I got to watch the two of them delight at seeing their favorite childhood ingredients living beside one another on the same menu. There are gorditas made with labne crema and chicken cooked with sumac. There’s a quesadilla with gooey cheese and za’atar (a simple standout). The $17 Armenian torta, which has both a sujuk patty and cured basturma in it, is zingy with pickled cucumber as well. The space is casual, and you can tell they’re just getting into the swing of things—but the blend of food is beautifully satisfying, and (to me) totally creative. —Megan Spurrell, associate director, articles" - CNT Editors

"The stretch of Atlantic Avenue in Cobble Hill has long been a destination for great Middle Eastern food. This relative newcomer marries Lebanese cuisine with flavors from another part of the world: Mexico. Cheers to the happy couple! Named for the cedar tree on Lebanon’s flag, this fusiony taqueria has excellent tortas, a crisp za’atar quesadilla, and—if you can snag one before they sell out for the day—a taboule ceviche tostada loaded with herbs on a crunchy homemade tortilla. Pop in for a very good lunch or weeknight dinner and enjoy the cheerful art that remixes imagery from Mexican and Lebanese cultures (a luchador here, a tube of Le Phare du Cap Bon harissa paste there)." - willa moore, molly fitzpatrick, bryan kim, neha talreja, will hartman

"A Lebanese taqueria offering dishes like the hashwe burrito with roasted lamb and Lebanese spices. Also recommend the carne asada taco and bandera dip." - Melissa McCart

"Burritos with lamb. Guacamole with pita. Tacos with shawarma. Lebanese Mexican food isn’t new — the combination is responsible for foods like tacos Arabes and al pastor — but El Cedro put a modern spin on the cuisines when it opened in 2024. The owner, Maher Chebaro, was born in Beirut and worked in restaurants in Miami and Chicago before opening in Cobble Hill." - Eater Staff

"El Cedro wants to put queso in your kibbe. In the same way the colorful, whimsical prints on the Cobble Hill taqueria’s walls remix imagery from Mexican and Lebanese cultures—a luchador here, a tube of Le Phare du Cap Bon harissa paste there—the restaurant stops short of reinventing diners’ understanding of either cuisine, but makes very good food that playfully references both. El Cedro is open all day, so stop by for lunch or a casual dinner, and try to snag a taboule ceviche tostada before they sell out. Herbs piled high over diced tomato, onion, and cucumber and tender little shrimp, all atop a crunchy homemade tortilla, make for plenty of brain-tickling texture variation. The pollo milanese torta is a standout, with super moist, dukkah-spiced chicken on a pillow-soft roll generously spread with harissa mayo. Carne asada tacos, featuring homemade tortillas and avocado tahini.photo credit: Molly Fitzpatrick" - Molly Fitzpatrick