GO! One of the best Middle Eastern restaurants I've been to outside of south Nashville (which has several amazing options). We just stopped in for a lite bite, a few appetizers to share. Ordered the grape leaves and hummus. Fresh and authentic are the two words I would use to describe, if I was narrowed down to two words. It just tasted like love. Someone put their heart into the dishes. Hummus smooth and buttery almost with homemade pita. Grape leaves melted in my mouth - warm, rice perfectly seasoned and the sauce was tart and the perfect accompaniment. Not sure when I'll find myself back in Asheville, but if I do I know where I'm going for lunch! read more

We really enjoyed our time in Asheville...this restaurant was within easy walking distance of our hotel (Townplace Suites by Marriott). I really enjoyed my falafel gyro for dinner. It came with lettuce, hummus, tahini salad, and pickle with a large portion of potatoes harra. Everything was delicious! There was a very good beer selection as well including Egyptian and Lebanese brews. Ambiance, pricing, and service were all on point. No room for dessert this time... read more

Delicious Mediterranean restaurant in downtown Asheville! I went here with my mom for a Saturday afternoon lunch. We were seated immediately. I ordered the falafel bowl. The dish came with basmati safflower rice, roasted cauliflower, house-made hummus, house-made pita, and falafel. The dish was vegan and they had other vegan and vegetarian dishes on the menu if that is your dietary preference. The falafel bowl was great! Everything tasted very fresh and the dish was a generous portion. Service was quick and attentive. The restaurant is nicely decorated and felt very welcoming. Just FYI - since the restaurant is located in the heart of downtown, there is no dedicated parking lot for the restaurant. However, there is an affordable parking garage behind the restaurant. We paid $1 for every 30 min in the first hour. And then it was $1 for every hour after that. read more

Jerusalem Garden Cafe - Falafel Bowl - Middle Eastern Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

This was hands down the best Middle Eastern food I've ever had, and I lived in San Francisco for almost 20 years, a city frequently cited as having the most restaurants per capita. My meat-eating, BBQ lovin' Southern boyfriend tasted my vegetarian platter and said he would order that next time, their food is THAT good. read more

We stopped in for lunch and had an amazing meal. The portions are generous and super tasty. I ordered the chicken gyro and it was outstanding. Service was great and the vibe was relaxing and cozy. Great place! read more

It was the front signage that caught our eye and pulled us away from a regular good ole restaurant that looked good. We looked across the street and we said we gotta go there. As we entered the Jerusalem Café, the ambience was exactly as expected. We sat down to the seat cushions in a low table and ordered what was recommended by the waitress Asil which was super nice. My bride had the Gyro and potatoes and I had the Lamb Gyro bowl, which was absolutely fantastic. I highly recommend the bowls as they come with hummus and pita chips and cauliflower and the meat was fantastic. I absolute recommend this place for the ambience the value and the food. It will be a treat for sure. read more

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This place is such a gem of a restaurant. So unassuming on the outside bc the inside is so homey. There's an area in the back where you can sit on the floor w cushions, best way to eat IMO. The service was very sweet. Had the fattoush salad and a baklava, both delicious and generous serving size. Food based out of Palestine and Syria, 10000/10 recommend! read more

Jerusalem Garden Cafe - Baklava - Middle Eastern Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

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The food was authentic, fresh, and delicious. I will definitely return to Jerusalem Garden Cafe next time I am in the area. The ambiance is perfect. The service was quick. read more

Jerusalem Garden Cafe - Middle Eastern Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

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Love this place! I got the vegetarian platter and it was delicious. Service was also great. Our waiter's name was Damien and he was wonderful. read more

Jerusalem Garden Cafe - Middle Eastern Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

Love the food here because it's so well-prepared, healthy, and delicious. I ordered their vegetarian plate. The baba ganoush is a favorite dish of mine and I was very pleased with it here. The hummus is the smoothest I've ever eaten. And I agree with the other reviews and the comment about the falafels. Perfectly crisp and crunchy. Definitely will dine here again. read more

Super yummy hummus, pita and lamb gyro! The interior was super pretty to look at as well. Only taking a star away because our waitress was a bit slow, but it's possible she had a lot of tables in the back I wasn't aware of. read more

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What a breath of fresh air! I found myself slowing down as I was eating so that the culinary party in my mouth could linger a little longer. I had the Lamb Chimi, what an amazing combination of lamb shawarma flavors in a Mexican chimichanga-style tortilla. It's like they chose all the best ingredients from all over the world and brought them together singing Kumbaya. The ambience, Arabic music, tent-style back room and the warm baklava. This place is special and absolutely worth a visit. Our server and the owner, Farouk "Frank," made us feel loved. We will be back everytime we visit Asheville! read more

Jerusalem Garden Cafe in Asheville absolutely delivered. We brought a large group for lunch and everything was smooth from start to finish. Frank, his wife, and the team were incredibly welcoming and easy to work with, and the space was perfect for a bigger party. The food was superb across the board, and the baklava is truly to die for. You can feel how much heart goes into this place. Highly recommend. read more

Food, service, and ambiance were all great! I had the salmon plate with hibiscus tea and everything was phenomenal. The hibiscus tea and the cauliflower were especially great, and I don't even usually like cauliflower! read more

Jerusalem Garden Cafe - Salmon plate, hibiscus tea - Middle Eastern Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

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On a Girls trip to Ashville and in search of falafel, we stumbled upon Jerusalem Garden Cafe. What a find! Not only was the food delicious, but beautifully presented as well. We started with Falafel and Kabees and we all agreed the kabees served with zaater pita were exceptional! I had the moujaddra and my friends all had the Jordanian chicken bowl that came highly recommended by a fellow diner. The portions were large and the service was excellent! I wanted to try the Kunafa for dessert but was too full! My friends did try the Baklava and said it was delicious! We will definitely visit again when in the area! read more

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The service was perfect! She didn't have any latte type drinks so she steamed some milk with mint tea. The food was excellent, and the bread that came with the plate was incredibly delicious! I even loved the flavor of the hummus and hummus isn't usually my favorite. Thank you for a great dining experience and very fresh and tasty food! I also had a baklava to go! read more

Jerusalem Garden Cafe - Chicken kabob plate - Middle Eastern Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

The food and service were really good! We started off with the cheese and hummus sampler. We loved everything except the one kind of string cheese. It had a funky texture and taste. The hummus and pita here is fantastic!!!! Our entrees came out, and we were pleased with the overall flavors and portions. It was a good deal for the price. The salads were large and flavorful. Service was friendly and efficient. She also clearly explained some parts of the menu I had questions about. I would definitely come back and recommend to others. read more

Amazing hummus and babaganoush - very fresh and fluffy. Excellent service. Both my gyro and my mom's bowl were excellent.

From baba ghanouj to baklava and entrees in between, they take authentic dishes from Syria, Jordan, Lebanon and Palestine and raise the bar on the presentation and the seasonings. The owners are delightful and make the food from scratch and their servers are attentive and friendly. Their hummus is so creamy! Brunch was a fun surprise. Shakshuka platter tasted as good as it looked. read more

Jerusalem Garden Cafe - Shakshuka brunch with lamb kafta and a fried egg over breakfast potatoes and a generous smear of hummus. Also- mango mimosa! - Middle Eastern Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

We were a group of seven and ordered 4 tapas and 7 entrees and everyone tasted everything. The food was amazing!!! We "ooh-ed and aah-ed" with every bite. And the portions were very generous but reasonably priced. As to that excellent and friendly service I highly this restaurant! read more

A nice little hidden gem! Came in on a friend's recommendation and was surprised. It was actually my first time trying Mediterranean food and we will definitely be back. We ordered the chicken plate and lamb bowl based on our server Damien's suggestion both tasted great and the portions were generous, especially for the price (which is rare for downtown). The bread that came with the platter was well seasoned and paired nicely with the hummus Service was quick and friendly we were seated right away even though it was busy. I'd recommend asking for a seat in the back room it's decorated with colorful tapestries and has a cozier vibe, plus it's warmer (it was a bit chilly near the front door) A few quick notes: there's not much street parking, so we ended up in a nearby garage and walked a few blocks. Drink options were a bit limited mostly canned sodas, but they did have a cool selection of alcohol I never saw before. read more

I recently visited Asheville for the weekend and was looking for a light Sunday morning meal before heading back home. A buddy had suggested Jerusalem Garden, so I decided to check it out. I stopped in for brunch on Sunday late morning. They were not very busy. I was greeted and seated immediately. Service was fast and friendly. I looked over the menu and decided on a lamb gyro. I added hummus and feta to my gyro. The food came out quickly and it looked good. It was tad messy, but that was my fault due to the added hummus and feta. The flavor was very good. The lamb didn't seem like the standard commercial meat product that one would normally find in most gyro shops. I was happy with my meal. Overall, I enjoyed my visit with Jerusalem Garden. The food was good and the service was great. Would definitely stop again next time I am in town. read more

Jerusalem Garden Cafe - Lamb gyro - Middle Eastern Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

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Had lunch here. Chicken gyro was phenomenal. Potatoes harra was pretty good too. Tasted like high quality food at a reasonable price. Atmosphere was nice. Wait staff were friendly and attentive. Would definitely recommend. read more

Food was good, service was good, atmosphere was good especially the decorations. Would recommend read more

Enjoyed brunch today. Were seated right away. Food was very fresh and flavorful and was served quickly. read more

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A delightful Mediterranean cafe nestled in the heart of downtown Asheville. We ordered the lamb gyro & lamb shawarma, both were fresh, flavorful & beautifully plated. The only drawback to our experience was the service-- we were one of two parties in the restaurant on a Thursday evening and our waitress was inattentive. We had to get up from our table to get her attention so she could take our order. They were also out of a few key products, including dinner napkins and Diet Coke. Overall, a must-go if you are craving Mediterranean in Asheville! read more

Jerusalem Garden Cafe - Lamb gyro with potatoes and harissa sauce Lamb Shawarma platter (the hummus was to die for!) - Middle Eastern Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

Sam B was our server. He was extremely thorough. Just his attitude and personality made the meal better. When the food came out everything was tasty. All of the hot items were the perfect temperature and the cool items perfectly accentuated the plate. The best hummus we've ever had in the US. Hands down. A truly great meal. read more

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This is some of the best Mediterranean food we've had! Service was great, very personable. Food portions are very large, so great for sharing and trying more things. Would definitely recommend and would come back. read more

This is our first time here, the restaurant is nicely decorated with authentic tables and chairs resembling Mediterranean style (not for tall people like myself). Since it was a late lunch we had water for drinks, my wife had Shak Shuka Kafta (Poached Eggs, kefta, Hummus, Batata Harra, Feta, Crema, Marinara, Pita Chips) that tasted very good and a good portion. I had the Chicken Gyro which was real good with a side order of Potatoes Harra. Although the service was adecuate we were never asked it we needed anything and the only thing I would suggest is that Claudia, the waitress, could use a little more people skills/friendliness training. We will return to try some of the other dishes though. read more

Jerusalem Garden Cafe - Shak Shuka Hafta - Middle Eastern Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

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Chicken kabob plate was really good. Lamb gyro sandwich was Ok. Customer service was not great. They were busy. read more

**5 Stars - A Must-Try Mediterranean Spot in Asheville!** Jerusalem Garden Cafe is hands down one of the best dining experiences we've had in Asheville! The atmosphere is so welcoming--cozy, vibrant, and full of charm--making it the perfect place to enjoy an incredible meal. And wow, the food was **next-level delicious**! We ordered the **Lamb Bowl** and **Kefta Kebab**, and both were absolute perfection. The lamb was tender, richly spiced, and paired beautifully with fluffy rice and fresh veggies. The Kefta was juicy, well-seasoned, and packed with flavor--every bite was a delight. Even the side salads and sauces were fresh and full of zesty, herby goodness. The staff made the experience even better--super friendly, attentive, and happy to offer suggestions. You can tell they truly care about their guests. If you're in Asheville and craving authentic, flavorful Mediterranean food, **run** to Jerusalem Garden Cafe. We'll definitely be back soon--thank you for an amazing meal! read more

We have eaten here many times and the food is always delicious and the service is outstanding.

We know Mediterranean food well. This is the real thing, reasonably priced. Good service. Pleasant ambience too. Bravo!

Very authentic Israeli food. Atmosphere is also as authentic as you can get in a downtown building in asheville. Staff was attentive but not hovering. The naan was INCREDIBLE, as was the hummus. I've only been once but can't wait to go back. read more

This place has become an Asheville mainstay for us. Whenever we assemble our eating itinerary for this city, we don't even discuss it. "Of course, we'll start out with some falafels at Jerusalem," James will say. Either that, or one of us will ask, "When will we go to Jerusalem?" as if it were some holy pilgrimage. Actually, given that we only come to Asheville every now and then, this falafel house really has become like a mecca of Mediterranean eats for us. Practically everything here is made in-house, and I keep calling it a falafel house because they are a thing of beauty here. Verdantly bright scoops of chickpea mixture are hot and freshly fried so that you have to gasp and mouth-breathe while you're chewing through the first few bites, but it's so worth the pain. We sprung for the vegetarian platter this time, which came with a disappointing number of those exquisite falafels, but we were rewarded instead with a plentiful plate of accoutrements - smooth hummus, baba ghanoush, tabbouleh, and warmed pita. I love that James didn't blink an eye when I ordered another side of falafels and baba ghanoush to go. Nor did he seem all that surprised that very little of it survived the five-minute walk back to our hotel. We were a little less than enthralled with our experimental order of a salmon wrap, which was far less protein than greens. But I'm totally a spud gal, and I had great fun dragging these fried potatoes through the leftover dips on our platter. read more

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Run don't walk to this hidden authentic gem. Jerusalem Garden Cafe where have you been? Seriously I cannot believe I slept on this place. Truly amazing food and great service. I cannot wait to return. read more

Jerusalem Garden Cafe - Middle Eastern Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

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We were immediately greeted and quickly seated by a nice young man. The ambiance is cozy and welcoming with jewel tone colors and gold accents. We had a nice glass of wine and shared the vegetarian appetizer platter. The babaganoush was amazing and we really enjoyed everything on the plate. I would love to visit here again and be able to try more! read more

Phoebe was so kind and friendly we loved her. Food was amazing and service was in a timely manner. Would give 6 stars if i could! read more

Jerusalem Garden Cafe - Middle Eastern Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

Service was very nice, friendly staff who were attentive to us. The food was fair, the Kafta was overcooked and tough and the pita bread was store bought and contained soy oil. Not good. I ordered a Turkish coffee which was just too sweet and asked to trade it for regular coffee. The server agreed but the coffee she brought was lukewarm and had been sitting a while. So not our favorite experience. We had heard great things about Jerusalem Garden - perhaps this was an off day or just off moment. read more

Amazing! I had the Vegetarian Platter and the food was perfect...fresh and full of authentic flavor! We sat in the back room and this enhanced the experience. Excellent service. Owners pride themselves on high quality in all areas. read more