Jerusalem Garden

My first time at this authentic Palestinian restaurant that serves a variety of Middle Eastern food. I had the kafta and chicken platter with hummus. Both delicious and reasonably priced. Will definitely be back on my next visit to Ann Arbor. Ignore the ketchup on my plate. I did that 😋

The authentic Mediterranean cuisine.. lentil soup is just classic. Loved everything in vegetarian section. Falafel roll was my fav. Hummus is also decent. Service is excellent

Bright lively atmosphere, open kitchen, good staff. Ordered the chicken shawarma. Wrapped in delicate pita, grilled chicken, delightful garlicky sauce, crispy romaine and plump tomatoes. Mmmmm! There is a reason this place is a must-see in Ann Arbor! It does not disappoint.

First time here. The food was ok, I ordered chicken and hummus. In my opinion, there wasn’t enough hummus. The chicken was ok but a bit dry. I liked the rice however it was oily and I ended up not eating much of it. I got a side of fattoush, it was a good size but it wasn’t a real fattoush. It had lots of other veggies in it.

Our experience was very average across the board. Food portions were small for the price and rice was overly oily. The server would just leave items at the end of the table to be passed instead of delivering them to each person. They forgot one party members side of falafel. The baba ganoush was really bitter. The old building had more charm than the new digs.

Food was yummy, the con is the portions are a little small for the price. The fattoush salad was decent, hummus is yummy! I wish the hummus came with more bread, it came with maybe 2 pieces of bread. Staff very kind. Vegetarian, vegan and gluten free options. Love that it is Palestinian owned!

A bit surprised with their interior design. Really beautiful! Their staf really amazing. I recommend to buy beef shawarma, beef shihs kebob and fattoush salad. Big portion with affordable price.

Being right next to the U of M, its a nice location to be. Parking is on the street so can be hard to find if it is a busy time. Went at 12 on a Wednesday and there was enough space for us. We dined in and got seated right away with our food being delivered very quickly after placing orders. I got the chicken shawarma with 2 sides, the salad and hummus and 2 falafel patties. The chicken shawarma was soooo good. It came with a yogurt almost tzatziki like sauce and was cool and refreshing to match the amazing seasoned chicken. It was served with some brown rice that was amazingly done (4/5). The salad was refreshing and had some toasted pita bread on it for a crunch and was perfect for the summer heat (4/5). The hummus was one of the best hummus I've ever had, perfect in its taste (5/5). Lastly, the falafel patties, they were a bit crunchy and done on the outside but it was still so good when you get to he flavor in the middle (3.5/5). Lastly, couldn't leave without the dessert, pistachio baklava. This was so delicious and flaky. The amount of sweetness matched with the pistachio saltyness, one if the best baklava I've had (4.5/5). The atmosphere matches the food perfectly and service was friendly, would def visit again!

First time dining here; it was recommended . The food was very flavorful. Fattoush salad was excellent. Great service, friendly and quick. Our food was warm and drinks were cold. It's the Ann Arbor type of vibe. Great Saturday ambiance. We will be back

Food is good and reasonably priced but I have never felt so intimidated and insulted. I have been a longtime patron of this establishment and have always timed my order so it would arrive promptly. Today it came out late and not only did a gentleman claiming to be the owner seem unable to find my order online he all but belittled and derided me for daring to express concern. Rather than express any kind of apology he yelled at me "well I hope you get to live on a perfect planet one day." I hope so too, one where people who look like me are treated with respect. Please note I am a small woman and he is a very large man. I felt that his responses were almost at the level of harassment and I am only glad the restaurant was packed, otherwise I would have feared for my personal safety. This is not a restaurant that tolerates women of color advocating for themselves nor is at all concerned with customer satisfaction. It's sad, really, to learn that the owner has been here 35 years yet he clearly has no idea how to professionally deescalate a situation or handle a lunch rush without throwing a tantrum.

I was told I had to try the falafel at Jerusalem Garden so when I was in town for work recently, I stopped in to grab a few to take home. The employees were all super friendly and kind and they have a takeout order counter as well as plenty of room to dine in. I loved that they sell their falafel by the piece at 90 cents each. I got four and they were out in minutes. The menu is pretty large and includes lots of delicious items like shawarma, kabobs, desserts, sampler plates, and more. I really want to come back and dine in and try their kabobs, dips, and sides. The falafel were fresh and super crispy on the outside. I ate one right away and loved that it wasn't too dry. They were almost mini muffin shaped which I thought was interesting and different than falafel I've had elsewhere. I wish they came with a dipping sauce but I'm glad I got even just a taste of Jerusalem Garden.

Of course we went again when we got to town!!!!! Food was just as wonderful as I remember from 6 months ago. Best part aside from the food is that the awesome waitress from last time remembered me, where we sat last time and what we ordered. She's really something special. WE LOVE JGarden!!!!!

Ordered ahead for pickup today and it was ready and packaged well right on time which was a strong start. Place is cute on the inside. Hostess was a bit cold - not unfriendly, just wasn't the warm greeting I expect from someone in the hospitality industry. I ordered a small fattoush salad ($6), a side of toum with pita (3.50), and a beef shawarma sandwich with fries inside ($10, with fries $11). The food was delicious, there's no doubt about it. The beef shawarma was puzzling though because it was like cubed beef instead of the shaved slices you'd expect with a shawarma. Whatever I had was great but it was not what I was anticipating and I almost wonder if they gave me the kebab instead? Pricing was a bit strange. For instance, the wrap was massive at $10 but the fattoush salad was so, so small at $6. Also, the toum was delicious but a little goes a long way - I would love if they just offered a little container 1/5 of the size for $1 or something. Anyway, food is great and I'll definitely return. Maybe I'd try calling directly rather than ordering online next time to see if they'd be flexible on things like the toum, for instance.

From the outside this eatery looks small, but it's actually large! It sits on a busy street but once you find parking, it's really well worth your visit! Our food was so fresh and delicious! The service was excellent and the prices were fair.

Forever and always my go to place in Ann Arbor. They consistently serve the best food. Their portions are great and it always tastes delicious.

Let's start with the falafel.... Aka heaven on earth. You will not find better falafel in Ann Arbor. The chicken shawarma is always juicy and comes with the best garlic sauce. I highly recommend asking for a side of mujadarra rather than the plain rice. It comes with crispy onions and lentils. Delicious!!! Their hummus is soo creamy and flavorful.

Our food was good and the service here was friendly and quick. It's kind of like a cafeteria vibe inside, but they also have outdoor seating. The toum was especially good!

Worst Middle Eastern food I've ever had in my life. Being from metro Detroit, there are a lot of good options around, and this is the worst. Went here in 2019 with two friends. One had been going since she was a child and had some sort of nostalgia for it. The other friend, like myself, didn't. He ordered a burger and received a wrap. He grumbled the rest of the afternoon. I thought he was being a bit dramatic but whatever. I had the worst fattoush salad of my life. I put my falafel in it and the waitress glared at me. My friend (with the wrap) compared it to a cafeteria. Another friend told me he went here and ordered a chicken shawarma that came with chicken tender meat instead of shawarma meat and some sort of yogurt.

Great food and super service! Today I had chicken with hummus and tabouli and toum. The service is quick and the food is delicious. Erica is top-notch as server. The restaurant is always clean and welcoming.

Great fast food alternative. Healthy, freshly made and tasted great. Chicken kabob, grilled chicken breast, hummus, tzatziki, baba ghanoush all really good. Pass on the baklava as the portion was literally one bite; Embarrassingly

First time here! It was recommended by a couple of family members and it did not disappoint - food was incredibly tasty and abundant! The hummus was smooth, creamy and perfectly portioned. Pita was homemade! Lentil soup was a nice sized portion. Falafel was different then others I've had and cooked more done than I'm used to but tasty nonetheless. The Toum was a surprise - not strong smell but full of flavor & delicious especially if you like garlic and lemon We will come again someday. Service was quick & attentive

Jerusalem Garden continues to be my favorite spot in town for Mediterranean food. No one else makes falafel like they do!! They come out piping hot and perfectly crispy on the outside, while retaining its delicious jade colored interior. Yum. They've been a favorite catering option for recent larger group events I've attended. The packaging is neat and orderly, and ready to go for serving large crowds of people. They can wrap half-size portions of sandwiches and put them into "pizza-sized" cardboard boxes handy for transporting and have tubs of hummus and tabbouleh folks can serve themselves out of. My favorite foods to order are the chicken shawarma sandwich, chicken shawarma entree, tabbouleh, falafel,eat grape leaves, meat pie, and lentil soup. I did not realize I could enjoy lentil soup until I tried theirs. This is probably the only spot I would do lentil soup at. The desserts, especially the mamoul and baklava, are always on point. Love Jerusalem Garden, will definitely be back!

Jerusalem Garden hit the spot for three very sunbaked, tired, and hungry adults at the art fair. Very large and cute inside. It is counter top service and while the 3 of us ordered separately the food came out quickly at the same time. I had the chicken shawarma with a side of fries and baba ganoush. All delicious and very filling. The pitas are not the pillowy kind just an fyi.

Jerusalem Garden is my FAVORITE middle eastern restaurant in Ann Arbor! Their chicken shawarma and falafel are my go tos!! The pita sandwich is also a good option if youre trying to save money! The rice is so delicious and also LOVE the fattoush salad! Highly recommend if youre in the ann arbor area!

Hospitality: 4/5 Quality: 3.5/5 Value: 3.2/5 Their chicken shawarma/wrap was unsatisfying. Chicken was dry and the wrap tasted stale. Fries were decent but started to taste bland due to single frying process and low salt. Service was kind and helpful, but I'm not sure if I would go again.

I don't always give 5 stars, but this place gets it! Everything was amazing. I am so glad this place exists. As you can see, we feasted! Even my five year old daughter loved the food. This would be hard to resist coming to every time we visit Ann Arbor!

Great service! I had the chicken shawarma sandwich, it was outstanding! Highly recommend this place and will be visiting the next time I am in town. Delicious. Same day update: Listen, I'm not playing games here. I just ordered this again for dinner and added lentil soup and rice pudding. Stop whatever you're doing and get here. Everything they sell slaps.

The chicken shawarma sandwich was so good! I would definitely go back for it and it's at a great price point. We got some fries on the side that we had to pay for separately. The sandwich was probably actually enough food for me but the fries were a good addition. It was very easy to order at the counter and then get our food brought out to us at our table. We got a table outside but there are also tables inside. It was a little busy with the lunch crowd but it didn't take long at all to get our food.

We LOVE this place! Order at the front and enjoy seating in or outside and they bring it to you. Their gyros and hummus/pita were delicious. The food moves quickly but is super high quality. A great local spot to satisfy Greek lovers!

I'm a fan. Back in the day (like two decades ago) this was a hole in the wall spot around the corner next to the AAPL parking lot. Glad to see they were able to grow the business into what it is now. Most recently came here a month ago with a party of 6 on a Friday evening and boy was it crowded! Being the first major weekend of the college school year that wasn't altogether surprising I must say. We waited about 20 minutes to get to the front of the cashier line. It's a casual restaurant, you order and pay at the front cashier right inside the door and take a table number to grab a seat at an open table either indoors, or out on the patio during warmer months. The servers bring out the food pretty quickly, I think we waited about 10-15 minutes after being seated and getting water. The food visually doesn't stand out but certainly tastes good. The fatoush salad ($6) was super fresh and had a nice crunch served w/pita chips, my falafel and baba ghanoug wrap sandwich ($8.25) was tasty and filling. The falafel was crisp on the exterior and moist in the interior. The eggplant was creamy and savory and parsley added a fresh green note. My friends ordered chicken shawarma, chicken and beef kabobs and all enjoyed their food. Would recommend for small groups or take out. A convenient, tasty and affordable spot for a meal.

This has always been and will be a fan favorite. The portion size is my favorite part of this place. The price may seem "higher" than your typical casual Ann Arbor restaurant, but the size makes up for it. The food quality is great, and I've always enjoyed my food every time I have gone here. They do a lot of catering of lunches on campus, so you may have had a wrap at some point in your life. It's a great option for your organization/staff lunch if you're looking for an idea! Take your friends or family here, and order entrees to share (or your own). Either works well here. Also, big fan of the fries here. Very crispy.

Food (5/5) - got grape leaf sandwich and meat pie takeout on the way to the airport. Got stopped by TSA and had to prove that it was a shwarma sandwich... Really liked the grape leaf sandwich - the hot sauce is a nice addition to it, we also added toum and would highly recommend it. There is a lot of grape leaf though, so consider yourself warned. Also a more unique menu item you can't find many other places. Didn't like the meat pie as much, or perhaps it should just not be taken out. Bread was soggy by the time we ate it, around 30 minutes later at the airport. Service (3/5) - a bit of a wait (20 minutes) for food. the place didn't seem busy though. Late afternoon on a Saturday. Price (4/5) - fairly priced for the neighborhood, around 15 for everything

Food is delicious and authentic Mediterranean. Portions are more than generous. Service is so fast! As in less than 5 mins from the time we ordered to the time we were served. Highly recommend!

Been craving middle eastern food lately and this definitely satisfied me! Cute little restaurant with yummy yummy food choices. I got the kibeh wrap and it was absolutely delish. I stole a bite of my friends hummus and it was definitely top-notch. Will be coming back to try the falafel !

I got a salad and it was huge and very tasty. Service was fast. Nice place to stop to get out of the rain.

The food was fabulous and really good. The service was was a little slow. The atmosphere was awesome. I had the chicken Shawarma. It was like a party in my mouth but it was super delicious. I also had the really good garlicky Sauce it was super delicious. I would go back there again.

Wow, wow, wow. Every dish is delicious. We come here time and time again when visiting our kid at UofM. My kid even takes carry out when we are not with him. It's a "must dine at" kinda place!

I have frequented so many middle eastern restaurants in Michigan. Although this facility is decently decorated and super clean, the food was incredibly disappointing. I ordered fallafel, hummus and a beef shawarma. ALL were subpar and just not tasty. Service was also horrible. Stay away.

The chicken kabob was dry and tasteless. The rice was plain fry with no flavor. Not a good place to eat. But the green jasmin tea was good. I won't go back there ever again in my life.

I ate so much good food here it made me see Jesus at Jerusalem Garden. Chicken Shawarma was the bomb.

Order at the front counter for carry out orders. Find a table and sit down if you are staying to eat here at all. My husband wasn't able to find a parking spur within a half mile and dropped me off to get a salad. The ordering process is slow and inefficient. I considered calling in and order to get in a food order faster than waiting at the counter. It's a mess. Could be due to staffing issues, it seems. This family sat down to dine-in, per the sign and no one ever came to them at all. They ended up getting back in line after me to put in their order then. I have watched a few people walk out after their food wasn't coming out in a timely fashion. The family that ordered after me has received their food at their table before my simple Fattoush salad to go...hmm It took 30 minutes to get this salad. The salad was okay.

Feel bad about giving this place a negative review but the food is just so bad. I'm used to Dearborn level Mediterranean food and this is just not it. The chicken shawarma was literally pieces of chicken breast (not shawarma style) with some garlic sauce on it. Very bland. Also ordered what was advertised as a fatoosh salad but literally just chopped up cucumber and tomatoes with maybe 3 tiny pieces of lettuce! Like so confused how this was considered a fatoosh salad. We told the server and they took the dish back and were kind enough give us a refund for the fatoosh.

We went here for the first time since the pandemic and they are doing an excellent job of dealing with staffing shortages and COVID protocols. Their plentiful, pleasant, and permanent (as opposed to only on weekends) outdoor seating is a huge plus. They have stopped table service and instead you order and pay at the cashier and they will bring your order to you. Our food arrived really quickly. I had the kafta kabob sandwich and my husband had the chicken Schwarma meal with a spinach pie side. All very delicious and large portions. If you need to take some food home, they have carry out boxes and bags in the lobby so you don't need to flag down a server. They also have extra napkins, cutlery, sauces, etc. in the lobby if you need them with a carry out order. In these times of staffing shortages, it's nice to see a restaurant creatively adapt to the situation.

The falafel is just as good now as it was back in the late 80s when the restaurant was a tiny spot around the corner. Friendly staff, great food, unpretentious.

The shawarma sandwich was jam packed with chicken and delicious and the lemonade was also great then beef kabob sandwich was also so good!

What a delightful surprise it was to find this spot and decide to eat here. We had actually made plans to go to another restaurant but when we saw this Mediterranean spot had patio seating, it called our name! They have a good selection of sandwiches, combo plates, and a plethora of sides. For lunch I enjoyed a kibbeh ball sandwich (delicious, 10/10 spices) and tabbouli (a bit on the smaller side for $5 but still yummy). This was a order at the counter and seat yourself kind of place, which I found easy to navigate. All of the servers were attentive and very much helpful. Would definitely recommend this gem of a restaurant!

Got delivery from here today, the falafel plate with 2 sides. Added some baklava to the order. Amazing food, fresh, falafel was still crispy with the 30 minutes it took for me to get the food. The tabouli wasn't the traditional tabouli I've had in the past, yet it was still good, flavor was there, I liked the added crunch from the vegetables. The eggplant spread was a no for me, too sweet, it was almost like they added sugar, also too many other ingredients in there, didn't taste anywhere close to the authentic one. The spinach pie was very good, loved the kick at the end. The baklava was . Would order from here again for sure!

Great Mediterranean food! I really liked the chicken shawarma wrap!! Good hummus and fries! My friend got a delicious looking fattoush salad. I will definitely be getting that the next time!

My favorite Mediterranean food spot in Ann Arbor. The lentil soup is so good and the way they always have fresh veggies makes for such consistent service! I work at the local hospital and very much enjoy getting takeout from time to time

My first time here and it was so lovely, the weather was warm so we sat in the shaded part of the patio to eat. Truly, the food was great and the service was exceptional. My only miniscule complaint would be that the Spinach Pie had a bit too much garlic, which overpowered the appetizer. I got the Chicken Shawarma meal with rice and fries. The portions are huge and I could only get through half my meal. I would say my favorite part of the meal was the rice, it's fluffy and buttery. So yummy! Also the lemonade was delicious and refreshing!

This is one of my favorite places for consistently good carry out. Top 3 best pickles in AA. I ordered the chicken shawarma with house rice, tabouli, and pita. The only downside to my experience today was that the kitchen was extremely backed up and I had to wait 21 minutes past my projected finish time. This was quite inconvenient, but definitely understandable since I came in during a busy dinner time

Saturday night @7pm. Waited about 10 min for table of 3. Need to place order at counter and then be seated. Ordered beef shish kabob, chicken shawarma, falafel, and fattoush salad. Beef and chicken were over cooked and dry. I wish they served the pita bread warmed. The hummus was good but the fattoush salad was excellent. As far as service, we ran out of water and napkins and not a single person came by asking how we were doing the entire hour while dining.

In town for the first time with family and this restaurant caught my eye given Michigan's relatively high Arab American population. Everything was delicious! Had never tried mujadarra (side - lentils and rice with caramelized onions) before and so happy we did. Extremely flavorful! The fresh squeezed mint lemonade js great too. Atmosphere is somewhat casual, you order and pay at the register. All in all great Mediterranean food, everything we ordered - from baba ganoush to kofta - was scrumptious.

Food is delicious! The fries are AMAZING... the falafel was delicious and I love that they have fresh squeezed lemonade. My only wish is that the add some umbrellas to the patio. It was sweltering today and very few of their tables are in the shade.

Left JG feeling disappointed. The reviews are so good & the space itself is awesome, but it might as well be a chain restaurant. Do they make anything in-house? The pita comes from a bag. They use a powdered chai. At this point, I'm wondering if they even make their own hummus. Yes, it's silky smooth but I've had better. To be fair, I enjoyed the crispy falafel and fresh ingredients in the fattoush. But, the value also wasn't there. It was also partially my fault but don't get the falafel plate because it's $8.75 with 1 side or $11.75 with 2 sides but you can falafel patties for $0.65 each. So the plate comes with 3 = $1.95. The service was good but spotty -- very attentive but never re-filled water.

Jerusalem Garden serves very toned down Palestinian food in downtown Ann Arbor. They're quite popular, but I agree with some reviews that the food is on the bland and unmemorable side. The sandwiches are better value than the plates, which are mostly rice and not much meat. I had the chicken shawarma sandwich ($6.75), which contained garlic yogurt sauce, turnips, and pickles; it was fine -- the chicken was slightly dry and not very flavorful. The thin commercial pita they use is not very good. If you want stronger flavors and better pita, I recommend trying Loomi Cafe in Kerrytown (they have some Palestinian and Lebanese dishes) or going to Dearborn.

A very solid Palestinian/pan-Mediterranean joint downtown. Huge portions, great food, quick service, and reasonable prices. The rice plates with sides are huge. I didn't even finish my whole meal with two sides. I ordered the kafta kebab with a side of falafel and spinach pie. The kafta was seasoned perfectly and was moist and tender and the pilaf was flavorful and not too salty. The falafel is crisped to perfection and tastes amazing, a definite must have. The spinach pie, on the other hand, was not very impressive. It was a bit dry and too bready, which detracted from the overall flavor. My fiancee ordered the chicken and hummus plate with mjaddara (brown rice and lentils) instead of pilaf. The chicken was not dry at all, but rather plain, a blank slate for the hummus to shine. The mjaddara was amazing, the fried onions on top perfectly complemented the hearty brown rice and lentils. I will definitely substitute pilaf for mjadarra myself next time. I also want to try the kibbeh! As of June 2021, the restaurant is still doing outdoor-only dining, so seating space is tight. It's about 20-30 minutes wait to get a table, which isn't too bad, but something to keep in mind.

For a taste of the Middle East in the heart of A2, Jerusalem Garden is sure to please one and all. I visited recently when some friends were in town and had quite specialized dietary needs. One wanted a healthy meal with no salt, and one wanted to avoid beef, pork, and lamb. After perusing the menus of a few healthy-seeming spots, we decided on Jerusalem Garden and met up for dinner. We were promptly seated and greeted by a friendly and knowledgeable server. Everything looked good to me, so I asked for her recommendation. She suggested the fattoosh with a chicken kebab, and I took her up on it. A short time later some appetizers (hummus, pita bread, veggies) arrived, which we munched on until our meals arrived. My fattoosh with chicken kebab hit the spot! Packed with fresh veggies for a light but satisfying meal, and some perfectly seasoned chicken atop, it's one I will probably make a summer staple as it hit all the right notes. Portions are generous, and I was able to take some home for the next day, which is always a plus. The next time you're searching for something new and out of the ordinary, give Jerusalem Garden a try!