What to Order at a Mediterranean Restaurant (First-Timer's Guide)
Ray Aqel has been preparing Mediterranean and Palestinian cuisine for over 15 years. He opened Pita Kabab in Cedar Rapids in 2025 to share family recipes passed down through generations. Ray is also the owner of Captain's Fish and Chicken in Cedar Rapids.
Reviewed by Ray Aqel, Owner
TL;DR
Start with chicken shawarma pita ($9.99) or the mix grill platter ($23.99) to sample multiple flavors. Falafel pita ($6.99) is the best vegetarian pick. Everything at Pita Kabab is halal-certified and made fresh daily.
If you’ve never eaten at a Mediterranean restaurant before, the menu can feel like a foreign language. Shawarma? Kafta? Baba ganoush? Don’t let the unfamiliar names hold you back — Mediterranean food is some of the most approachable, flavorful cuisine you’ll ever taste. This guide will walk you through exactly what to order at a Mediterranean restaurant so you can walk in with confidence and walk out completely satisfied.
This guide is written for first-time visitors to any Mediterranean restaurant, with specific examples and prices from Pita Kabab’s menu in Cedar Rapids. We cover the most common dishes, how ordering works at a counter-service restaurant, vegetarian options, and practical tips. We do not cover cooking techniques, nutritional information, or the Mediterranean diet here.
What Is Mediterranean Food, Exactly?
Mediterranean food refers to the cuisines of countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea — Lebanon, Turkey, Greece, Israel, Egypt, and others. What ties them together is a shared pantry: olive oil, garlic, lemon, fresh herbs, chickpeas, and charcoal-grilled meats. The flavors are bold but not overwhelming, savory but balanced with brightness. Most dishes are naturally fresh, and a significant portion of the menu tends to be vegetarian or vegan.
If you’re looking for the short version: Mediterranean food is seasoned grilled meats, creamy dips, fresh salads, and warm bread — all designed to be shared and enjoyed.
Quick-Reference: Common Mediterranean Dishes Explained
Use this table to decode a typical Mediterranean menu before you order.
| Dish | What It Is | Flavor Profile |
|---|---|---|
| Hummus | Blended chickpeas, tahini, lemon, and garlic | Creamy, earthy, tangy |
| Shawarma | Marinated chicken or beef, slow-roasted and sliced | Savory, warm spices, juicy |
| Gyro | Seasoned ground lamb or beef, oven-roasted on a vertical spit | Rich, herby, slightly gamy |
| Falafel | Deep-fried chickpea and herb patties | Crispy outside, fluffy inside, earthy |
| Kafta Kabab | Ground spiced beef or lamb, grilled on a skewer | Smoky, savory, slightly charred |
| Baba Ganoush | Roasted and blended eggplant with tahini | Smoky, silky, slightly bitter |
| Grape Leaves | Rice or meat stuffed into pickled vine leaves | Tangy, herby, dense |
| Tahini | Ground sesame paste, often used as a sauce | Nutty, rich, slightly bitter |
| Lentil Soup | Slow-cooked red lentils with cumin and lemon | Earthy, warming, smooth |
Start Here: The Best First Orders for Mediterranean Food Beginners
Not sure where to begin? These four dishes are the safest, most universally loved entry points into Mediterranean food — and all of them are available at Pita Kabab in Cedar Rapids.
1. Chicken Shawarma Pita — $9.99
Chicken shawarma is the single most popular item at Pita Kabab, and for good reason. It’s the perfect introduction: tender, marinated chicken with warm spices (think cumin, coriander, and a touch of cinnamon), stuffed into a fresh pita with your choice of toppings like garlic sauce, pickles, or hummus. It’s familiar enough for first-timers but flavorful enough to feel like a discovery. If you only try one thing, make it this.
2. Hummus — $7.99 small / $12.99 large
Hummus is made fresh daily at Pita Kabab and is unlike anything from a grocery store container. It’s smooth, rich, and brightened with lemon and garlic. Order it as a starter and scoop it with warm pita bread. It sets the tone for the entire meal.
3. Lentil Soup — $3.99 small / $6.99 large
If you’re nervous about ordering, start with a bowl of lentil soup. It’s deeply comforting — silky red lentils cooked down with cumin, a squeeze of lemon, and a drizzle of olive oil. It’s $3.99 for a small and an easy, low-commitment way to ease into the flavors of the Mediterranean.
4. Mix Grill Platter — $23.99
If you want to try several things at once, the Mix Grill Platter is your best move. It comes with beef kabab, chicken tikka, and shish kabab — all charcoal-grilled — along with your choice of two toppings and two pitas. It’s the sampler that lets you figure out exactly what you love before your next visit.
Mediterranean Food for Beginners: How Ordering Works
At most Mediterranean restaurants, including Pita Kabab, you’ll have a few format choices for most proteins:
- Pita: The protein is wrapped or stuffed into a round flatbread. Handheld and casual.
- Wrap: The protein is rolled in a larger flatbread, similar to a burrito.
- Platter: The protein is served over rice or with sides, alongside your choice of toppings. A more formal, sit-down-style presentation.
At Pita Kabab, it’s counter service — you order at the register, take a number, and your food comes out to you. Sandwiches and pitas are ready in about 10 minutes. Platters, which are charcoal-grilled to order, take closer to 20 minutes. There are no reservations required, and walk-ins are always welcome.
Choosing Your Toppings
With platter orders, you get to choose from 8 toppings: tahini, hummus, garlic sauce, baba ganoush, green salad, house salad, jalapenos, and pickles. For first-timers, the safest and most popular combination is garlic sauce + hummus. Both are creamy and pair beautifully with grilled meats.
Vegetarian and Vegan Options at a Mediterranean Restaurant
Mediterranean cuisine is one of the best options for vegetarians and vegans — roughly one-third of the menu at Pita Kabab is vegetarian or vegan-friendly.
Best Vegetarian Orders
Falafel Pita — $6.99 / Falafel Wrap — $9.99 Falafel is the definitive Mediterranean vegetarian dish. Made from ground chickpeas, fresh parsley, garlic, and spices, then deep-fried until golden, falafel has a satisfying crunch and a dense, flavorful interior. It’s been a staple of the region for centuries.
Vegetarian Plate — $13.99 This is the best vegetarian value on the menu: 4 pieces of falafel, 3 stuffed grape leaves, hummus, your choice of 2 toppings, and 2 pitas. It’s a full meal that showcases the breadth of plant-based Mediterranean cooking.
Hummus + Baba Ganoush as Starters Both can be ordered as standalone dips. Baba ganoush ($7.99 small) is made from fire-roasted eggplant blended with tahini — it has a distinct smokiness that hummus doesn’t. Together, they make a great shared appetizer for the whole table.
What Makes Mediterranean Food Different From Other Cuisines?
Mediterranean food relies on a few key techniques and ingredients that set it apart:
- Charcoal grilling: The smoky, slightly charred flavor from a real charcoal grill is what you can’t replicate at home. At Pita Kabab, all platters are cooked over charcoal.
- Spice blends: Dishes are seasoned with combinations like za’atar (thyme, sumac, sesame), baharat (allspice, black pepper, cinnamon), and cumin-coriander blends. These are aromatic rather than hot.
- Fresh acid: Lemon juice is used liberally to brighten heavy dishes — you’ll notice it in the hummus, the lentil soup, and most sauces.
- Tahini: This sesame paste shows up everywhere. It’s the base of hummus, a dipping sauce on its own, and a finishing drizzle on falafel plates.
- Halal meat: At Pita Kabab, all meat is halal-certified, meaning it adheres to Islamic dietary standards for preparation.
Mediterranean Restaurant Menu Guide: Tips Before You Go
A few practical tips for your first visit:
- Come hungry and share. Mediterranean food is designed for the table. Order a dip to start, a couple of proteins, and pick at each other’s plates.
- Don’t skip the bread. Pita is the vehicle for everything. Use it to scoop hummus, wrap your shawarma, or soak up garlic sauce.
- Ask about the combo upgrade. At Pita Kabab, you can add fries and a drink for just $2.99 with any sandwich or pita. It’s the easiest value upgrade on the menu.
- Try something new each visit. The menu is broad enough that regulars rarely order the same thing twice. Start with shawarma, then come back for the kafta kabab platter ($19.99) or the gyro.
FAQ: First Time Mediterranean Food
What is the most popular Mediterranean dish for beginners?
Chicken shawarma is consistently the most popular entry point for Mediterranean food beginners. It features familiar grilled chicken elevated with warm spice blends and served with creamy sauces in a pita or wrap. At Pita Kabab, the Chicken Shawarma Pita is $9.99 and is the restaurant’s top-selling item.
Is Mediterranean food spicy?
Mediterranean food is generally not spicy in the chili-heat sense. It is heavily spiced — meaning aromatic and flavorful — but not typically hot. If you want heat, jalapenos are available as a topping at Pita Kabab. The default dishes are mild and approachable for all heat tolerances.
Is Mediterranean food good for vegetarians?
Yes. Mediterranean cuisine has one of the strongest vegetarian traditions of any global cuisine. Dishes like falafel, hummus, baba ganoush, grape leaves, and lentil soup are all plant-based and are central — not afterthought — items on the menu. At Pita Kabab, approximately one-third of the menu is vegetarian or vegan-friendly.
Ready to Try Mediterranean Food in Cedar Rapids?
Pita Kabab is located at 3100 6th St SW, Cedar Rapids, IA 52404. It’s counter service, walk-in friendly, and one of the few halal-certified Mediterranean restaurants in the area. Whether you come in for a quick $9.99 shawarma or settle in with the full Mix Grill Platter, the goal is the same: leave satisfied.
Call ahead at (319) 440-3709, or stop in any time — no reservation needed.
First time here? Tell the team at the counter. They’ll point you in the right direction.
Allergen Notice: Pita Kabab uses sesame, sesame oil, wheat, eggs, milk, tree nuts, and fish in our kitchen. Dishes may contain or come into contact with these allergens. If you have a food allergy or sensitivity, please inform our staff when ordering so we can help you choose safely. For questions, call us at (319) 440-3709.