By Madelyn Curtis

Pita bread.

As someone who had never eaten Lebanese food before, I was extremely nervous to try Lebanese Bakery. My tastes in food are quite basic and not really varied. I usually play it safe at restaurants, ordering a salad or sandwich, and I am always hesitant to try new foods when it comes to meals. But, determined to change my mindset in 2021, I jumped at the opportunity to try a new type of cuisine. Recommended by Upper School English teacher and Match adviser Vlastik Svab, Lebanese Bakery seemed like the perfect place to expand my tastes.

Located in a strip mall at the corner of Horsepen Road and West Broad Street, Lebanese Bakery is small and easy to miss, yet the inside is spacious.

Pita chips.

Entering through the door, customers order at the counter in the center of the restaurant, with a view back into the kitchen area. There are freezers and refrigerators for to-go food on the walls on the right and left, such as pints of hummus, tabouli, and baba ganoush. There is also a shelf for takeaway desserts like baklava. Several tables take up the main space in front of the counter, and then more seating options wrap around the left side of the bakery. Despite not being able to eat in the restaurant due to social distancing restrictions, the tables available looked perfect for grabbing a casual dinner. 

On a Monday night, there was no line, and I was the only customer. As I probably seemed a little confused when I was ordering, the server who took my order at the counter was extremely helpful. I think he could tell I was new to Lebanese food, so he helped me figure out which type of pita I wanted and how many of everything to order.

Once the server took my order, I waited for about 15 minutes before it was ready. From the waiting area, I had a clear view of the kitchen in the back, so I got to watch the workers make the pita bread and the bread for the fatayers from scratch. Finally, I got my order and headed home to share with my family.

Left: tabouli. Right: hummus. 

We decided to start with pints of the hummus and the tabouli with pita chips as an appetizer. The pre-packaged pita chips were fried and the right amount of crispy, a perfect complement for the hummus and tabouli. I have tried hummus before, but just from the grocery store. The hummus from Lebanese Bakery was thick, rich, and very fresh. 

However, tabouli was a new food for me. It’s described on the restaurant’s website as a “salad of parsley, cracked wheat, tomato, diced onion, mint and lemon,” so I was a little hesitant to try it. Luckily, I was pleasantly surprised. The tabouli was very leafy and had a strong flavor of mint that complemented the parsley. The dip was just moist enough, and the lemon added an extra tang. My sister Alexandra Curtis (‘27) really enjoyed the tabouli as well, saying “the texture of the parsley went well with the pita chips.”

Along with the pita chips for the dips, we ordered a pita bread as well. Very light and fluffy, the pita bread was mouthwatering. I ate it both by itself and with the hummus and tabouli. 

Spinach fatayer.

For our main dish, both my sisters and I ordered the spinach fatayer. The fatayer was a giant pita bread triangle filled with spinach, and it was delicious. Besides spinach, the fatayer can also be filled with chicken and beef. I was completely surprised by the size of the fatayer, and neither of my sisters nor I could finish all of theirs. The thick layer of pita paired well with the spinach, which was covered in oils and spices for flavor, as well as lemon juice which, added a kick to the taste. My sister Claire Curtis (‘24) thought that the flavor of the spinach was a “perfect mixture of sweet and sour.” While we all loved the fatayer, I thought there was a bit too much spinach inside of it, overpowering the balance between the pita and the spinach.

For her main meal, my mom Kelly Curtis ordered the cheese manakish, which was two pieces of a flatbread with several different cheeses in between. She described the cheese as “gooey and creamy” and the bread as “doughy and salty.” I tried the cheese manakish as well, and I thought it was delicious and very rich. The five different types of cheese blended together for a unique, decadent taste.

The only thing we ordered that I did not like were the grape leaves: a green, wet leaf wrapped around rice, parsley, and tomato. The moist texture of the leaf and the rice was not for me. On the other hand, my dad enjoyed the grape leaves. He described them as having “an interesting, but delicious taste.” 

Cheese manakish.

I would say my trip to Lebanese Bakery was a success. I really enjoyed trying all of the new foods, and my favorite was definitely the spinach fatayer. Although I was probably not as adventurous as I should have been, I am so happy I branched out and tried some new foods.

Lebanese Bakery is an excellent restaurant with a large variety of options for appetizers, entrees, and sides. The food was fresh, and the customer service was great. I would definitely recommend Lebanese Bakery to anyone who is already a fan of Lebanese food or someone who wants to expand their tastes like me.

All photos by Madelyn Curtis.