Authentic and delicious Middle Eastern food is found at this bright and boisterous eatery popular with locals, students, and yuppies. The cheerful, efficient counter staff serves up huge rolled lavosh sandwiches, and a succulent lamb or chicken shawarma sliced from the rotisserie when you order. Pita sandwiches come with a variety of fillings above and beyond the usual falafel while the sides of baba ganoush, cucumber salads and hummus could almost make a meal in themselves.

With simple decor, Palmyra isn't famous for its ambiance. What it is popular for is the mouth-watering Middle-Eastern and Mediterranean specialties it serves. As you step through the unassuming doors, the aroma of fresh coffee and roasting meats welcomes you in. With generous portions, and a budget friendly menu, popular favorites include the chicken shwarma, lentil soup and fattoush. The restaurant is popular as a quick lunch time spot or for delivery and take-away. Their friendly and quick service ensures a good number of regular customers stopping by for a meal.

A small and intimate cafe, La Mediterranee, just off Market Street, serves freshly-prepared Mediterranean food. Family-owned and operated, this restaurant is perfect for a quick snack or a more elaborate Mediterranean meal. Appetizers include hummus and Baba Gannoush, both served with freshly-baked pita bread. The lunch and dinner menu features Middle-Eastern chicken served with spinach and feta cheese and Lebanese kibbuto (fresh lamb seasoned with Lebanese spices and pine nuts). All menu items can be spiced and seasoned to the diner's personal taste.

The Fly Trap Restaurant is an exquisite Persian restaurant run by chef Hoss Zaré. The restaurant combines Mediterranean delicacies with Persian flavors, using local produce. The restaurant also has an extensive wine list with imports from several European countries and cocktails that are sweet and fruity. The ambiance is cozy and intimate, the interiors adorned with Persian decor. Being a popular local outlet, the place is frequently visited by those who want to enjoy a quiet dinner and a different food experience.

Kokkari Estiatorio introduces Greek essence to the Embarcadero waterfront. The success of the Levi's Plaza favorite can be attributed to its elegant ambiance and top-quality food that patrons admit is flawless. It is christened after the fishing harbor in Samos Island and illustrates welcoming hospitality signature to the village. Traditional Aegean specialties and rustic Hellenic fare is presented with a modern take and includes the likes of moussaka, kolokithokeftethes, soutzoukakia and spanakotiropita. Multiple dining areas feature warm fireplaces, hand-made furnishings and ethnic accents to create the nostalgically charming Mediterranean vibe it aims for.

The owners have made the most of this store-front eatery in the Sunset, installing sleek counter seating around the walls and painting every inch, inside and out, in the vivid shades of blue that you would see on a sun-drenched day on the coast of Crete. The heavenly aroma of the slow-cooking shawarma greets you as you enter, setting even a vegetarians taste-buds aflutter. Fortunately, there is a good vegetarian menu of traditional Mediterranean foods, such as the tasty falafel and rib-sticking spinach and feta pie. All the meats used are hormone and antibiotic-free from Nieman Ranch and Rocky Range Meats. The owners themselves are usually behind the kitchen counter serving up food that they are obviously proud of.