More Than Music at The Middle East

The Middle East Restaurant and Nightclub is known mostly for the latter portion of its name, but beyond coming to hear music almost every night of the week, people also trek to the Middle East for its authentic Middle Eastern cuisine.

Vegetarians will enjoy an extensive menu catered to their tastes. I loved the fool m’dammas, a slightly spicy soup comprised of Middle Eastern staples like chick peas and fava beans, as well as diced tomatoes and onions. The falafel was also tasty, but I found the tahini accompanying it to have an almost musty taste.

The Middle East offers a variety of entrees including kabab dishes made with your choice of meat or tofu. Each kabab plate is served with rice pilaf, a small salad, and beans (the pilaf is to die for so order it as a side if you’re not going with the kababs!). Other Middle Eastern standards like cous cous served with chick peas and a tomato sauté, as well as lamb shanksappear on the menu.

Dinner prices are fairly reasonable, with most dishes falling in the ten to fifteen dollar range. Lunch (served from 11am to 4pm) is more of a bargain, but the menu is limited to mostly kabab dishes and a select number of vegetarian options. The Middle East also runs a weekend brunch from 11am to 3pm on Saturdays and Sundays.

Fool M'dammas

Be prepared for long waits and loud noises on nights when a crowd-drawing act plays. View The Middle East’s events calendar at http://mideastclub.com/scheduleall.html.

The Middle East Restaurant and Nightclub

472 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA‎

(617) 864-3278‎