Authentic Middle Eastern Cuisine

Middle Eastern Restaurant Near Me

Taza Shawarma & Falafel brings the flavors of the Middle East to Falls Church, Virginia. Shawarma carved from vertical rotisseries. Falafel hand-formed and fried to order. Stone-oven manaeesh and specialty pies baked throughout the day. Fresh hummus, baba ghanouj, and labneh made in-house every morning.

Over 40 menu items, all 100% halal, with vegetarian and gluten-free options clearly labeled. Whether you grew up eating Middle Eastern food or you are trying it for the first time, Taza serves every dish with the authenticity and care that this cuisine deserves.

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Fresh Middle Eastern food spread at Taza Shawarma and Falafel in Falls Church Virginia

Vertical Spit Shawarma

Slow-roasted, carved to order

100% Halal Kitchen

152+

5-Star Reviews

12+

Menu Items

3+

Hours Daily

2 Days

Open Weekly

Our Menu

Explore Our Middle Eastern Menu

From shawarma and falafel to manaeesh and baklava, every dish on the Taza menu is rooted in Middle Eastern culinary tradition. All items are 100% halal. Prices shown are current.

Chicken Shawarma Pita - Middle Eastern food at Taza restaurant Falls Church VA
Best Sellerhalal

Chicken Shawarma Pita

from $9.95

The dish that defines Middle Eastern street food, perfected at Taza. Chicken marinates overnight in a yogurt, lemon, and garlic base enriched with a proprietary seven-spice blend -- cardamom, allspice, cinnamon, nutmeg, black pepper, coriander, and cumin. The next morning, it is hand-stacked on a vertical rotisserie and slow-roasted for hours. The exterior caramelizes while the interior stays impossibly juicy. Sliced fresh into warm pita with house-made garlic sauce, pickled turnips, and crisp vegetables. This is shawarma the way it is prepared across the Levant -- not a flat-grilled imitation.

Falafel Pita - Middle Eastern food at Taza restaurant Falls Church VA
Vegetarian Classichalal | veg

Falafel Pita

from $8.95

Falafel is one of the oldest and most beloved foods in Middle Eastern cuisine, dating back centuries across Egypt, Palestine, Lebanon, and Syria. At Taza, each falafel is hand-formed from ground chickpeas, fresh parsley, cilantro, onion, and cumin -- never from a powdered mix, never from a frozen puck. Fried to order until the exterior shatters to reveal a bright green, herb-dense interior. Tucked into fresh-baked pita with lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, pickles, and tahini. Naturally vegetarian, naturally halal, and universally loved.

Beef Shawarma Bowl - Middle Eastern food at Taza restaurant Falls Church VA
High Proteinhalal | gf option

Beef Shawarma Bowl

from $12.45

For those who want the depth of Middle Eastern flavor without the bread, the beef shawarma bowl delivers. Premium halal beef, slow-roasted on the vertical spit, sliced thin and served over your choice of basmati rice, mixed greens, or hummus base. Topped with Arabic salad, pickled turnips, garlic sauce, tahini, and fresh herbs. Available gluten-free on rice or greens. A complete Middle Eastern meal in a single bowl -- protein-rich, deeply seasoned, and satisfying in a way that grain bowls from chain restaurants simply cannot replicate.

Zaatar Manaeesh - Middle Eastern food at Taza restaurant Falls Church VA
Traditionalveg

Zaatar Manaeesh

$6.95

Manaeesh is the quintessential Middle Eastern breakfast flatbread, eaten daily across Lebanon, Syria, Palestine, and Jordan. At Taza, warm dough is brushed with a fragrant mixture of dried thyme (za'atar), toasted sesame seeds, sumac, and extra-virgin olive oil, then baked in our stone oven until golden and aromatic. Available all day, priced under five dollars, and deeply satisfying. If you have never tried manaeesh, this is the ideal starting point -- and once you try it, you will understand why millions of people eat this every morning.

Hummus - Middle Eastern food at Taza restaurant Falls Church VA
Must Tryveg | gf

Hummus

$4.95

Hummus has become a global staple, but the version served at most American restaurants bears little resemblance to what is served in Middle Eastern kitchens. At Taza, premium chickpeas are blended with tahini, fresh lemon juice, and garlic until impossibly smooth, then finished with extra-virgin olive oil and a dash of paprika. Made fresh multiple times per day -- never from a container, never from a pre-made batch. Served with warm pita bread. The texture, the tang, the richness -- this is hummus the way it is supposed to taste.

Lahm Bi Ajin Manaeesh - Middle Eastern food at Taza restaurant Falls Church VA
Family Favoritehalal

Lahm Bi Ajin Manaeesh

$8.95

Often called 'Lebanese pizza' or 'Armenian pizza,' lahm bil ajin is a thin, crispy flatbread topped with seasoned halal ground beef, finely diced onions, fresh parsley, tomato, and a blend of Middle Eastern spices. Baked in our stone oven until the edges crackle and the meat caramelizes. This dish has been a staple of Middle Eastern cuisine for centuries, and at Taza's price point, families order them by the dozen for gatherings, birthday parties, Eid celebrations, and weeknight dinners alike.

Sfiha Pie - Middle Eastern food at Taza restaurant Falls Church VA
Hidden Gemhalal

Sfiha Pie

$2.95

Sfiha is a hand-folded meat pie found across Lebanon, Syria, and Brazil's Lebanese diaspora communities. At Taza, each sfiha is filled with seasoned halal ground beef, onion, tomato, and pine nuts, then folded into its distinctive boat shape and baked until golden. The crust is thin and slightly chewy, the filling savory and aromatic. Sfiha is a category of Middle Eastern food that most Americans have never encountered -- and once they try it at Taza, it becomes a recurring order.

Rice Pudding - Middle Eastern food at Taza restaurant Falls Church VA
Dessertveg

Rice Pudding

$2.95

Baklava is the crown jewel of Middle Eastern desserts -- layers of paper-thin phyllo pastry brushed with butter, filled with finely chopped pistachios and walnuts, then drenched in fragrant rose-water honey syrup. The technique originated in the Ottoman Empire and has been refined across Lebanon, Turkey, Syria, and Greece for centuries. At Taza, we prepare baklava with meticulous attention to layering and syrup saturation. It is the proper ending to any Middle Eastern meal, and we sell out of it regularly.

Quick Price Reference -- Middle Eastern Menu

Chicken Shawarma Pitafrom $9.95
Beef Shawarma Pitafrom $9.95
Falafel Pitafrom $8.95
Chicken Shawarma Bowlfrom $12.45
Beef Shawarma Bowlfrom $12.45
Falafel Bowlfrom $10.45
Zaatar Manaeesh$6.95
Lahm Bi Ajin Manaeesh$8.95
Hummus$4.95
Baba Ghanouj$4.95
Labneh$4.95
Spinach Pie$2.95
Cheese Pie$2.95
Sfiha Pie$2.95
Lemon Mint$5.95
Rice Pudding$2.95
View Complete Menu with 40+ Items

How We Cook

Authentic Traditions, Modern Kitchen

Middle Eastern cooking techniques have been refined over thousands of years. At Taza, we honor these methods with the same dedication that kitchens across the Levant have maintained for generations.

The Vertical Rotisserie: Shawarma's Defining Technique

Shawarma is not simply grilled meat with spices. The word itself comes from the Turkish cevirme, meaning 'turning.' Layers of marinated meat are stacked on a vertical spit and slow-roasted for hours in front of a heat source. The fat renders downward through each layer, the exterior caramelizes continuously, and the chef shaves off the outermost layer to order. This method creates a texture and flavor profile that flat-grilling cannot replicate. At Taza, both the chicken and beef shawarma rotate on traditional spits from morning until close. The first bite makes the difference unmistakable.

Stone-Oven Baking: Manaeesh and Pies

Across Lebanon, Syria, and Palestine, stone ovens -- called furn in Arabic -- have been central to daily bread-making for millennia. Manaeesh, meat pies, spinach pies, and cheese pies are all baked at high temperatures on stone surfaces that produce a characteristic crisp bottom and soft, slightly chewy interior. At Taza, our manaeesh and specialty pies are baked in a stone oven that replicates this traditional method. The za'atar manaeesh, the lahm bil ajin, the spinach pies, and the sfiha all benefit from the direct contact with heated stone -- producing results that a conventional oven simply cannot match.

From-Scratch Mezze: Hummus, Baba Ghanouj, and Labneh

In Middle Eastern dining culture, the mezze course -- small shared dishes served before the main meal -- is not an afterthought. It is an essential part of the eating experience. Hummus, baba ghanouj, labneh, tabbouleh, and grape leaves are prepared fresh daily at Taza using traditional recipes. Our hummus is blended multiple times per day. The baba ghanouj starts with fire-roasted eggplant that is peeled and mixed with tahini, lemon, and garlic. The labneh is strained to a thick, tangy consistency and finished with olive oil and mint. Every mezze item is made in-house, from scratch, every single day.

Why Taza

What Makes Taza Different

Six reasons customers searching for a Middle Eastern restaurant near them keep choosing Taza over every other option.

Vertical Spit, Not a Flat Grill

Authentic Middle Eastern shawarma requires a vertical rotisserie -- there is no shortcut. At Taza, marinated chicken and beef rotate on traditional spits for hours, caramelizing the exterior while the interior stays moist and tender. Many restaurants cook chicken on a flat grill and call it shawarma. That is a fundamentally different product. One bite at Taza and the distinction is obvious.

Overnight Marinade, Seven Spices

Our chicken soaks overnight in a yogurt-based marinade with lemon, garlic, and a proprietary seven-spice blend: cardamom, allspice, cinnamon, nutmeg, black pepper, coriander, and cumin. Twelve hours minimum. The yogurt tenderizes the protein while the spices penetrate every fiber. Rushed marination produces bland shawarma. The overnight process is what gives Taza's shawarma its depth of flavor.

100% Halal, Every Cut of Meat

Every piece of chicken and beef at Taza is sourced from certified halal suppliers in the Mid-Atlantic region. Animals are processed according to Islamic dietary law by trained practitioners. Our kitchen is fully halal -- no pork on the premises, no alcohol-based ingredients in any recipe. For Muslim families searching for a Middle Eastern restaurant they can trust completely, Taza provides that certainty.

Fresh Means Fresh -- Nothing Pre-Packaged

Taza means 'fresh' in Arabic, and we hold ourselves to that standard literally. The pita is baked that morning. The falafel is formed and fried when you order it. The garlic sauce, tahini, and hot sauce are all made in-house daily. The hummus is blended multiple times per day. Nothing sits in a warmer and nothing comes from a squeeze bottle. That is the standard, every day, without exception.

Open 13+ Hours Daily, Seven Days a Week

Taza is open from 11:00 AM to 12:00 AM (midnight), seven days a week, including weekends and holidays. Whether you need a Middle Eastern lunch at noon, a family dinner at 7 PM, or a late-night shawarma at 11 PM, Taza is still serving food that was made from scratch that morning. Few Middle Eastern restaurants in the area offer this level of consistent availability.

4.8 Stars on Yelp (92 Reviews)

Taza has earned hundreds of customer reviews across Google, Yelp, and DoorDash from customers spanning all of Northern Virginia. Customers consistently highlight the same qualities: genuinely fresh food, real halal commitment, generous portions, authentic Middle Eastern flavors, and honest prices. The reviews speak for themselves -- and they keep coming in every week.

Middle Eastern Food Guide

Understanding Middle Eastern Cuisine

What Defines Middle Eastern Food

Middle Eastern cuisine encompasses the food traditions of Lebanon, Syria, Palestine, Jordan, Iraq, Egypt, and the broader Arab world. It is characterized by a foundation of fresh ingredients -- olive oil, tahini, chickpeas, lemon, garlic, fresh herbs, and an array of warm spices including cumin, coriander, cardamom, allspice, cinnamon, and sumac. The cooking methods emphasize slow roasting, stone-oven baking, open-flame grilling, and from-scratch preparation of mezze, dips, and bread.

Unlike many Western cuisines that rely heavily on butter, cream, and cheese, Middle Eastern cooking achieves richness through olive oil, tahini, and yogurt. The result is food that is naturally nutrient-dense, often high in protein and fiber, and deeply flavorful without being heavy. This is why Middle Eastern food has gained such widespread popularity in the United States -- it aligns naturally with health-conscious eating while delivering bold, satisfying flavors.

The Levantine Tradition at Taza

Taza's menu is rooted in the Levantine branch of Middle Eastern cuisine -- the food of Lebanon, Syria, Palestine, and Jordan. This is the tradition that gave the world hummus, falafel, shawarma, tabbouleh, manaeesh, baklava, and labneh. Levantine food is characterized by its emphasis on freshness, balance of acidity and richness, generous use of herbs and citrus, and a communal dining culture built around shared mezze plates.

At Taza, every recipe reflects this tradition. The shawarma marinates overnight in a yogurt-lemon-garlic base with seven spices. The falafel is formed by hand from whole chickpeas, not from a powder. The hummus is blended from premium chickpeas with tahini and lemon multiple times per day. The manaeesh are baked in a stone oven. These are not approximations or shortcuts. They are the same techniques used in kitchens across Beirut, Damascus, Amman, and Ramallah.

Middle Eastern Food for Every Diet

One of the great strengths of Middle Eastern cuisine is its natural accommodation of diverse dietary needs. Vegetarians have been eating falafel, hummus, baba ghanouj, labneh, manaeesh, and tabbouleh for centuries -- these are not afterthoughts or modifications. They are core dishes in the cuisine. At Taza, the vegetarian options are as deeply developed and satisfying as the meat-based ones.

Gluten-free diners can enjoy shawarma bowls and falafel bowls on rice or greens, plus all of our mezze items. Every item on the menu is halal, making Taza a reliable choice for Muslim families. And for groups with mixed dietary preferences -- which describes most families and office teams -- the breadth of the Taza menu means everyone eats exactly what they want without compromise.

Popular Middle Eastern Orders at Taza

Chicken Shawarma Pitafrom $9.95

Our #1 seller -- carved from the spit to order

Falafel Pitafrom $8.95

Hand-formed, fried to order, vegetarian

Hummus$4.95

Made fresh multiple times daily

Zaatar Manaeesh$6.95

Classic Lebanese flatbread, best value on menu

Lahm Bi Ajin Manaeesh$8.95

Lebanese meat pie, family favorite

Rice Pudding$2.95

Traditional phyllo dessert -- call to reserve

Related Cuisines

Explore More Cuisine Categories

Middle Eastern food overlaps with Mediterranean, Lebanese, and Arabic cuisine traditions. Explore these related pages to learn more about the food Taza serves.

Inside Taza -- Your Middle Eastern Kitchen

Authentic preparation, fresh ingredients, welcoming atmosphere.

Chicken shawarma plate with garlic sauce - Middle Eastern restaurant Taza Falls Church VA
Shawarma spit slow-roasting on vertical rotisserie - Middle Eastern restaurant Taza Falls Church VA
Crispy falafel platter with tahini - Middle Eastern restaurant Taza Falls Church VA
Taza restaurant dining area - Middle Eastern restaurant Taza Falls Church VA
Chef slicing fresh shawarma to order - Middle Eastern restaurant Taza Falls Church VA
Creamy hummus with olive oil and pita - Middle Eastern restaurant Taza Falls Church VA
Zaatar manaeesh from stone oven - Middle Eastern restaurant Taza Falls Church VA
Baklava and traditional Lebanese sweets - Middle Eastern restaurant Taza Falls Church VA
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Common Questions

Middle Eastern Restaurant -- FAQ

Answers to the questions people ask most often when searching for a Middle Eastern restaurant near them.

If you are in Northern Virginia, Taza Shawarma & Falafel at 5769 Seminary Rd in Falls Church is widely considered the best Middle Eastern restaurant in the area. With hundreds of customer reviews across Google, Yelp, and DoorDash, Taza serves authentic shawarma carved from vertical rotisseries, hand-formed falafel fried to order, stone-oven manaeesh, fresh hummus and baba ghanouj, and a full range of Middle Eastern specialties. The entire kitchen is 100% halal. Open 11 AM to midnight, seven days a week, with dine-in, takeout, delivery, and catering options.
Taza serves a comprehensive Middle Eastern menu with over 40 items spanning shawarma (chicken and beef, in pita, shrak wrap, or bowl), falafel (pita, wrap, or bowl), manaeesh flatbreads (za'atar, cheese, spinach, lahm bil ajin), specialty pies (sfiha, spinach pie, cheese pie), mezze and sides (hummus, baba ghanouj, labneh, tabbouleh, grape leaves, fattoush), smoothies and fresh juices, and traditional desserts including baklava and rose-water rice pudding. Every item is halal, and vegetarian and gluten-free options are clearly labeled throughout the menu.
Taza draws primarily from Lebanese culinary traditions, but the menu reflects the broader Middle Eastern and Mediterranean food culture shared across Lebanon, Syria, Palestine, Jordan, and Egypt. Dishes like shawarma, falafel, hummus, manaeesh, and baklava are common across the entire Levant region. Taza is best described as a Middle Eastern restaurant with strong Lebanese roots -- serving authentic recipes from across the region with ingredients sourced for quality and halal compliance.
Mediterranean food is a broad category that includes cuisines from all countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea -- Greece, Italy, Spain, Turkey, Lebanon, Egypt, Morocco, and more. Middle Eastern food is a subset that specifically refers to the cuisines of the Levant (Lebanon, Syria, Palestine, Jordan), the Arabian Peninsula, Egypt, Iraq, and surrounding regions. Taza serves Middle Eastern food that also falls under the Mediterranean umbrella. Dishes like hummus, falafel, shawarma, tabbouleh, and baklava are distinctly Middle Eastern in origin but are widely enjoyed as part of the broader Mediterranean diet.
Yes, 100% of the food at Taza is halal. Every piece of chicken and beef is sourced from certified halal suppliers in the Mid-Atlantic region. Animals are processed according to Islamic dietary guidelines by trained Muslim practitioners. The kitchen maintains strict halal compliance -- no pork is stored or served on the premises, and no alcohol-based ingredients are used in any sauce, marinade, or recipe. Muslim families can eat at Taza with complete confidence and peace of mind.
Taza offers traditional Middle Eastern desserts including baklava -- layers of phyllo pastry filled with pistachios and walnuts, drenched in rose-water honey syrup -- and rose-water rice pudding, a creamy, fragrant dessert common across the Levant. Both desserts are vegetarian and halal. The baklava in particular is a customer favorite and frequently sells out, so calling ahead to reserve your portion is recommended if baklava is a must-have for your visit.
Manaeesh (also spelled manoushe or manakish) are traditional Middle Eastern flatbreads baked in a stone oven with savory toppings. They are eaten daily across Lebanon, Syria, Palestine, and Jordan -- the Middle Eastern equivalent of pizza, but with their own distinct character. At Taza, manaeesh come in several varieties: za'atar (dried thyme, sesame, sumac, and olive oil), cheese, spinach, and lahm bil ajin (seasoned ground beef). Priced under $7, they are among the best values on the menu and an ideal introduction to Middle Eastern baking traditions.
While Taza opens at 11 AM rather than traditional breakfast hours, many of our menu items are classic Middle Eastern breakfast foods available all day. Za'atar manaeesh is the quintessential Lebanese breakfast. Labneh (strained yogurt with olive oil and mint) is a morning staple across the Levant. Hummus with fresh pita is eaten at breakfast throughout the Middle East. Cheese manaeesh and cheese pies are also traditional morning fare. You can build an authentic Middle Eastern breakfast-style meal at Taza any time from 11 AM to midnight.
Shawarma is a Middle Eastern dish in which layers of marinated meat -- chicken, beef, or lamb -- are stacked on a vertical rotisserie (spit) and slow-roasted for hours. As the outer layer cooks and caramelizes, it is shaved off to order, creating thin slices with a crispy exterior and juicy interior. The word comes from the Turkish cevirme, meaning 'turning.' At Taza, chicken shawarma marinates overnight in yogurt, lemon, garlic, and a seven-spice blend. Beef shawarma uses a different marinade with complementary spice profiles. Both are served in pita, shrak bread wraps, or bowls with fresh vegetables, pickles, and house-made sauces.
Yes. Taza provides Middle Eastern catering for corporate lunches, office meetings, birthday parties, graduation celebrations, Eid gatherings, weddings, and community events throughout Northern Virginia. We offer shawarma platters, falafel trays, hummus and mezze spreads, manaeesh and pie assortments, sides, drinks, and desserts for groups of 10 to 100+ guests. All catering is 100% halal. Contact us at (703) 340-1014 or visit tazava.com to request a custom catering quote.

Explore More from Taza

Browse our other pages for menus, cuisine guides, halal food information, and catering options.

Authentic Middle Eastern Cuisine

Your Search for a Middle Eastern Restaurant Ends Here

Shawarma carved from the spit. Falafel fried to order. Stone-oven manaeesh. Fresh hummus, baba ghanouj, and baklava. Over 40 menu items, all 100% halal. Open 11 AM to midnight, seven days a week. Order online for pickup or delivery.

Order Middle Eastern Food Now(703) 340-1014
5820 Seminary Rd Ste O, Falls Church, VA 2204111:00 AM - 12:00 AM100% Halal Certified