Little Lebanon seems to be the equivalent to Edmonton’s Sunbake Pita Bakery. They make everything fresh, made to order but their selection of eats is more diverse than Sunbake’s. We came for a late Saturday lunch, around 3:00pm, and the place had a consistent flow of people coming in and out. I can see why.
Just look for the sign. They’re located across from a McDicks. Interesting that there’s a Korean place right beside them. Will have to check them out next time!
Hours. Closed Mondays. 9:00am – 9:00pm weekdays, 8:00pm weekends.
LL did renovations over a year and a half ago. The inside is clean, bright and there’s ample space if you want to dine in. That’s always tricky to find with Lebanese joints as they’re usually grab and go spots.
Menu starts off with plates. Don’t think you can go wrong with any of the three options.
There’s also the typical donairs, perfect for if you come solo.
The manakeesh is one of my favourite things to order. We’ll try to two of them this time. They even have pockets! Yup, we’ll try the spinach one.
Salads so that you can put some healthy things into your body.
And lastly, mezes. I like how there’s two sizes for all these. That just means you can try more things out!
The dessert is in a separate display case to the side but all of it looked really good. I’m not 100% sure but I believe they get their baklava’s from Manara Baklava Factory. That’s my guess based on the set boxes you could buy.
Look at the meat on those rotating spits.
Recipe for “love”.
Counter with all the fixings. Yes, we’ll take everything fully loaded.
Hellooooo garlic potatoes.
Humous original ($4.00 regular)
Chickpeas, garlic and tahini with lemon and olive oil. You can tell they make everything here fresh. Good start to our meal.
Baba ghanoug ($4.00 regular)
Blend of roasted eggplant, olive oil and tahini. The baba ghanoug was fantastic! I’m a sucker for anything eggplant (which I always say) but this one was top notch. Great mouth feel, creamy and that bit of roasting really accentuates the eggplant flavour.
Tabouli ($5.00 regular)
Parsley, tomato, bulgar, mint and onion. We ordered regular sizes so that we could try both types of salad (rather than a large for $8.00). You can taste the lemon juice squeezed onto the tabouli.
Fatoush ($4.25 regular)
I’ve had tabouli and fatoush several times now and have to say comparing both side by side, fatoush is the way to go. Tabouli is good eaten in small quantities but I could eat a whole plate of fatoush without tiring of it. This one was incredibly light and refreshing. The crispy seasoned pita chips add that bit of crunch that you crave in salads.
Kafta plate ($14.99)
Comes with rice, salad, pita and choice of garlic potatoes or humous. You get two beef skewers that were well seasoned, tender and grilled to order. Words can’t describe how good the rice is and the garlic sauce/dip is like crack. So garlicky!
Lahem b’ajeen ($6.50 loaded)
Mix of ground beef, tomatoes, onions, parsley and spices on baked dough. We got both fully loaded but in hindsight, we should have tried them without all the added extras. They were both still delicious. The loaded extras included sweet peppers, pickled turnip, pickled green beans (I think) and olives.
Manakeesh zaatar ($4.25 loaded)
Spices combined with EVOO and sesame seeds on fresh thin baked dough. Zaatar is such an amazing spice on it’s own and you get the full zaatar effect here. Same loaded extras added into the manakeesh here. I’ll order the regular next time to see the difference but I think that might be the best way to go if you’re a purist.
Spinach pocket ($5.50)
Think of the pockets as being Lebanese style calzones or heck, pizza pockets. These are baked fresh to order. Delicious! The spinach inside has a sour tone to it, which I completely loved. The dough was tender but baked perfectly. Get it! I hear the chicken pockets ($9.75) are favourites for regulars here.
Baklava
Baklavas on the house? Yes, please and thank you. One piece for each of us was the perfect way to finish our meal. Fresh, flaky, and just the right amount of sweetness from the honey.
Little Lebanon
3515 – 17 Avenue SW
Calgary, AB
(403) 217-0500
CHERRY BOB-OMBS 