Amazing Iranian food and service, the shop has everything you need also to cook great meals from the Middle East

TL;DR: A great neighborhood Middle East market with delicious treats. Thoughts: My friend and I stopped by this place after a light breakfast on a Sunday noon. Inside the store you can find a variety of Middle East food/snacks/condiments! You can also find Turkish delights and baklavas. We got the Gheymeh and Koobideh skewer. The Gheymeh is very flavorful with lots of split peas and diced meat. The Koobideh skewer was very meaty, but I wish it's more juicy or has a more complex flavor profile. read more

Middle East Market - Koobideh Skewer; Gheymeh Stew - Grocery Near Me - Berkeley, California

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I have been going for years, often every 3-6 months. I had loved the folks who had been working there and thought the food was authentic and closest I could find to the armenian and persian food I grew up with. I had seen maybe a year ago that it felt like it changed ownership. Unfamiliar faces behind the counter, though still very warm. I was hesitant to believe that things would remain the same. Its nature that everyone may have a different approach. ...now, a year later - I have gone there probably 4-5 times. Each time the food has retained the qualities as before.... the unfamiliar faces are now becoming familiar and there is a wide selection of all of the same groceries. Job well done if this was a business tranfer. Thank you middle east market! read more

Great catering service! We used Middle East market for our party (around 100 guests). They provided the dinner, appetizers, desert + professional staff for serving food and drinks. The best catering service I had ever had / with attention to details. I highly recommend them and will use them again. Guests kept giving me compliments regarding the food and professional staff. This place is a gem! Thank you Amir for all your hard work. read more

Best Turkish Delights I've ever had!!! Such a variety and exceptional quality. Do yourself a favor and buy one of each.

Middle East market has pretty much everything I need to make dishes that I make back home. The grocery portion of the store literally has everything I need to make traditional middle eastern dishes I grew up with, and was a staple for me during Ramadan. The store is family owned and Amir is always so sweet. It's a nice feeling when the places we visit remember us. They also serve food for take out and on a lazy day where I don't want to cook it's nice to have them have ready to go food for me to take out and share with my housemates. read more

This place is very consistent with their food. Always good quality Persian food. Chicken thigh kabob with salad is my favorite. Kids will love Koobideh Kabob Ghormeh Sabzi is not bad either. read more

Hidden gems are harder to come by these days, but MEM's prepared Persian food is one of them. OVERALL: Mouth-watering, high quality, reliable GLUTEN-FREE food with generous portions and friendly people. WHAT I LOVE ABOUT MEM: - Menu is clearly marked ("All entrees are GF, except for wraps. Everything is halal.") - Well-prepared, consistent & great quality - People are kind & helpful - They make Ghormeh Sabzi like my auntie Fereshteh used to make - I order 2 meals, but it ends up feeding us (2 ppl) 2.5 times over - I can't stress how clean it is. It might sound like an underhanded thing to say, but as a person with allergies (wheat, crustaceans) that likes to also enjoy life (and food!), it's worth jumping up & down a few times when you don't have to worry about cross-contamination. Today, we had the Koobideh + Chicken Fesenjan. If you haven't had Fesenjan, it is a dark, rich sauce made of pomegranate and ground walnuts - like a sweeter Persian mole maybe ? My only gripe is to myself: Why didn't I order another charred tomato?? read more

Middle East Market - Sweet, dark & rich Chicken Fesenjan (upper L) + juicy lamb/beef Koobideh (only 1/2 of a piece pictured). Dolma + charred tomato. - Grocery Near Me - Berkeley, California

I enjoy the food here. It's not the highest gourmet quality, but it's still tasty and it's as good as a fancier nearby Persian restaurant. And the atmosphere is friendlier. I confess I've never had the kebabs. And their fesenjan is too sweet for me. But i keep coming back for the Ghormeh Sabzi and the Gheymeh Bademjan (with eggplant). And they have a nice selection of polos (that's pilaf to Americans) such as Baghali Polo (fava beans and dill), Zereshk Polo (barberries and saffron), and "plain" basmati rice with a generous amount of saffron, and they use real saffron. And i love saffron. Just a note: Hummus is not Persian. Falafel is not Persian. Persian places serve these because Americans keep asking for them. Order the Persian food, folks. In fact, i'm going to head over there this afternoon. read more

the food is average Persian cuisine, not the finest, the better meal is the lamb and bath Ali polo. Not good kebabs. the sweets ( Napoleoni and roulette are basically very rich creamy frost. zoolbia is average) and the tea are not to die for. the staff are very kind and helpful. the atmosphere is not really joyful but the place is clean. a good place to do grocery without produce. read more

I'm obsessed with this place. Don't be deceived by the fact that it's a supermarket - this place serves some of the best hot Persian food ever! I've enjoyed everything I've ordered from here, including: - Lamb Shank - Chicken Fesenjoon - Koobideh Kebab - Shirazi Salad - Rice with barberries (forgot the name) Call ahead, because they're usually busy and the hot foods can take 15-20 minutes to prepare. They also have a huge selection of middle eastern sweets, including many different types of baclava. They're not my jam, but I think many people enjoy them. The staff are always so friendly and they are all Persian/Iranian. Many of the clientele are Persian too. I'm not, but coming here feels like a little window into a different culture. read more

I occasionally buy groceries here (Armenian cracker bread, canned dolmas, frozen lahmajoun, etc.), but I'd never had a meal from their deli. Today I got gheymeh (beef and split pea stew), rice, house salad, and a Coke, plus a complimentary cup of hot tea. Everything was very good. The total including tax came to about $30, which seemed a bit pricey -- until I saw how much food there was. There was enough for THREE very substantial meals! I mean, I can eat quite a lot at one sitting, but even if I were really hungry, I still would have had plenty of leftovers. What a deal! read more

Pre-gaming for Chez Panisse's Meatless Monday menu with a chicken thigh and koobideh kabob at Middle East Market. Perfectly grilled and seasoned, kabobs are served with onion, grilled tomato, and the rice of your dreams. Many customers came in for Turkish delight, but we had to conserve space for Alice Waters' efforts. Will definitely be back. read more

Wow, our first visit to this wonderful Middle East Market and I was very impressed in what this market has to offer. Phenomenal selection of Turkish Delights! The variety is amazing and soooo delicious and it all comes directly from Turkey. Such friendly store employees with such efficient and kind service. The market itself is filled with products everything from baked middle eastern goods (all looked so delectable) to various nuts, jams, and products I wasn't familiar with but looked simply delicious. The amount of various middle eastern products in this great market is amazing. Bought myself some various teas and just had to buy some amazing Turkish Delights. If I could I'd buy all of the different flavors! The nice smiling young man behind the counter offered my friend and I a few Turkish Delight samples, OMG, so good! The little restaurant offers numerous dishes and had we not already eaten we would have definitely eaten here. Next time for sure! I highly recommend The Middle East Market, if anything it's a good way to familiarize yourself with all the middle eastern products available in this market. Absolutely amazing. And the ambience is warm, friendly and for me exciting and interesting. We will be back. read more

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If you are looking to walk in a place and feel positive energy, a homey environment, surrounded by amazing, kind staff, with AMAZING AUTHENTIC Persian food then Middle East market is the place for you. As somebody who has been going there since a child and now an adult, I'm so proud of this place and how they have maintained excellence and impeccable service. This place is owned by a father and son who are some of the kindest hard working people you would ever meet. Wide variety of food, deserts, and an amazing market section make this place an absolute gem in Berkeley. If you haven't stopped by Middle East market yet, make sure to mark this down and you will be asking yourself why you haven't been there sooner! read more

I'll give them three stars for now. Definitely will come back to try other things on the menu. I had about 40 minutes before my meeting in Emeryville. This was my first meal and it was around 1:30. Service is very kind. But it just took a lot longer than I expected. I thought I had enough time to eat there, but opted for to-go after waiting 20 minutes. It wasn't that busy, a few people were ahead of me waiting for their food. As soon as I Said, I need to take it to go, he walked out with my wrap. I ate as I drive, it was a long wrap. Tasted fresh. Just needed some hot sauce. I would of liked to have the wrap a bit warm. Meat was flavorful, worth the $10. read more

Middle East Market - Lamb and Beef - Grocery Near Me - Berkeley, California

I love the Persian Foods there.It's like a whole new world there.It has a great sense of smell/feeling in there. Also,I like the pictures/music there.In all, l love Persian food. (especially my Mom's food.)It has nice and healthy food.I wish I could make Chelo kabab, though I could if I had a backyard! read more

Middle East Market - Grocery Near Me - Berkeley, California

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The food is fantastic and the staff is very welcoming. Loved this place and will be back when we are in town. Portions are generous and the hot tea is delicious. read more

Amazing food! Great customer service, really excellent! I have been going here for months and they make wonderful Iranian and middle eastern food! read more

Delicious food & great service! We've enjoyed their wonderful meals several times and the quality is fantastic. Ash reshteh soup, kabobs (koobideh, chicken), fesenjan, and gormeh zabzi were delicious. We haven't had to wait too long when we've eaten at the market or ordered takeout. We need to go again soon! read more

I, myself, have never gone to the market so I can't speak on my impressions of the actual place, but I've definitely had their food more than once! Flavors are so unique and tasty! My favorite dish is the "burnt" crispy rice bottom along with a tomato based stew. I don't know the name of it because I'm never the one ordering, but the people at the market recommended it and it's always my go to! I think my family has had everything on the menu and nothing has disappointed us thus far. Definitely coming back for the crispy rice. It's so decadent and delicious. It is quite buttery as well just a heads up. I love crisping it up again at home before eating it. read more

This is the place to go for Persian groceries. If you are like me and love the food but aren't familiar with all the ingredients, ask. A family owned business, Amir is usually at the register or available to answer questions. His advice is fantastic. He has steered me towards some of my favorite items in the store. Looking for hummus? Buy some of their house made hummus at the deli counter. It is better and cheaper than the packaged brands. While I do dabble in Persian cooking, I often go there to pick up ingredients for a mezze type platter. I get pickles, olives, spreads, feta, dolmas (Athens brand is my favorite), pita, and zatar (a mix of green herbs, spices, and sesame seeds). It is a quick and easy meal that is vegetarian. Perfect for a meatless Monday or any time you want something easy and healthy. In the picture below are some recent top picks. Left to right: zaatar, Pik Nik brand feta, sumac (tart spice/garnish), Sima brand eggplant relish, sour cherry jam, Sima brand pickled vegetables, Zirrin brand cornichons, and Hamati brand pita (tasty when warmed or an open flame on a gas stove). If you are looking for a delicious Persian restaurant, this is also your spot. The atmosphere is friendly and casual, the food is terrific, and the place is clean and tidy. read more

One little area for improvement- the fesenjoon. I keep "giving it another go" hoping it will taste better because I so want to like it and it's so convenient. But it's just too sweet and the flavors feel artificial and not complex enough. Adding a review here hoping the owners can try playing with the recipe? I know this isn't my mother working 2-days to make the perfect stew but maybe... it can be a bit better? read more

Great hummus & friendly staff. Good selection of fresh & packaged foods. Definitely recommend checking it out.

The people who work here just look like they're having fun... all the time! It creates a warm and homey atmosphere just upon walking into the store. I stopped by for some zesty pistachios and happened to find some of my favorite sweets: Turkish delight! They had a wide assortment in the deli area as well as pre-packaged Turkish delight. The guy behind the counter was extremely friendly and walked my boyfriend and I through the different flavors, and also got us to get a piece of baklava--YUM. 500 stars to this place. Next I've gotta check out more of their food selection! read more

The food is awesome. Full of flavors and the owner was very hospitable. Excellent Customer service. Quantity was great too. I suggest getting the yogurt with your dish too. Overall Perfect experience. Will definitely visit again read more

Before moving to Berkeley, one of my primary concerns was whether there was quality Persian food nearby. I'm so thankful that Middle East Market exists and is able to fill the craving I get for Persian food at a reasonable price. * FOOD: Everything I've ever had here has been delicious and is really reminiscent of the food I ate growing up. It's a lot less oily than a lot of the Persian food I've had from other restaurants, and their rice is nicely cooked (i.e. fluffy + not hard) too. Their khoresh is really good, so if you're in the mood for a stew, definitely check out the Ghormeh Sabzi or Gheimeh (even better with eggplant/bādemjoon)! In terms of kabob, I'm not even the biggest fan of koobideh/the ground meat ones, but when I've tried my friend's orders, they do that really well too. The meat in the chicken kabob is always cooked just right and super flavorful. As with any Persian restaurant, get the tahdig! I highly recommend their sweets, too! The fāloodeh in the freezers is pretty good -- it would be better with sour cherry syrup/lemon juice, but I'm not complaining. It's so refreshing after a good meal + won't make you feel bloated like ice cream with dairy. On that note, though, they have delicious rose water + saffron/pistachio ice cream sandwiches, too. I can't speak to the selection of bāqlavā + most of the turkish delight since I'm allergic to nuts, but I've heard good things from my friends. The bāmieh (bite-sized donut-ish bites) and zoolbia (not even sure how to explain this one, might have to Google it) are also delicious and go so well with the tea. Overall, I highly recommend this place as far as food goes. It may be 50% restaurant 50% store, but in my experience, these kinds of places usually offer the most authentic and delicious experiences. * SERVICE The service here is phenomenal. The owner and his son are kind + welcoming and truly embody Persian hospitality. The little interactions and conversations I've had with them are such nice experiences and really top off the experience of coming here. * PARKING/ETC I can't really speak to the parking situations as someone who primarily uses rideshare apps or public transit. The two times we did come in a car, though, we did have to park a block or two down. I think San Pablo x University is a pretty common AC Transit stop, though, and the 51B stops there if you're coming from UC Berkeley's campus! read more

So happy I found this place! The food is soooo good and a kabob plate was enough for 2 meals for me. My food was ready for pick up at the time I requested. I ordered online in the morning and was able to set a time for pick up. They have an option for curbside pick up as well. I always go the Tokyo Fish Market which is just down the street so now I will have to make a stop here as well. I bought some labne to go with my plate and it was delicious too! Definitely will be back. read more

Middle East Market - Grocery Near Me - Berkeley, California

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The service is fantastic! This little international market has everything you need. Dried fruit, nuts, tea and bread. Love this place!

Made the mistake of paying $10+ upfront and was told "10 minutes". After being ignored for 35 minutes I was finally handed 5 tiny chunks of dry, grisly chicken. "Here" is all she said. Note to management: Often a simple "sorry about the (wait, bad service, bad attitude, whatever) will make the difference between having a customer merely write your restaurant off vs writing a bad Yelp review. You get both. UPDATE: I was impressed with the owner's response to my review & convinced he cares about providing good service and tasty food. He assured me my experience was an anomaly. Future patrons can judge for themselves whether this is true. Five stars for the response. read more

They have very good take out. There is a large selection of sweets with unusual flavors at the counter.

It's hard to find a business that scores on all levels! The food is outstanding and authentic, but better than that the friendship you walk away with after experiencing the culinary art is even more outstanding! Come & come again and bring your friends!! read more

Food was good. Very friendly service. I was surprised about the high prices. Restaurant prices for a market place.

Came here for gormeh sabzi and left with falafel mix. This place has a lot of middle eastern staples if you are looking for an ethnic market. The gormeh sabzi is absolutely amazing as is the gheymeh. I have been missing good authentic Persian food and I love that I found it. It's also relatively inexpensive and a large portion. They have more than Persian stews here and I've tried their ground meat kabob (which was delicious btw), but Persian stews have a special place in my heart that will never go away and this place is a winner. read more

For years we have been shopping at Middle East Market for our Persian cooking needs, however this was our first time catering a family get together through them and it was a huge success! We got so many compliments. The food was super delicious and super prompt with great home delivery! We also felt like the food was a great value overall. We will cater through them again in the future! read more

Lovely (seemingly) family run business that is grocery store/bakery/eatery. You can order things at the deli area and get it to go or sit down at the tables near the front of the store. The store itself is filled with a large variety of (I assume) Persian staples. Many things were new to me but they did have things I did recognize and some things that are normally hard to find (like fresh nutmeg). There is a bakery in the back and you can get fresh bread with your meal and buy it to go. We got a large variety of food, the kebabs I obviously did not try but others said they were very good. I had the ghormeh sabzi, which was amazing! It is a herb stew that had kidney beans in it. I think it's the fenugreek that gives it its distinctive flavour. It was a little sour but also savoury. It was very good with the rice. I also tried the falafel, the fried rice crisp thingys, and bread (sangak I think) and they were all good. Would definitely have the fried rice crisp thingys (it's like the rice that is stuck to the bottom of the pot but these were buttered) again. Definitely worth going to - whether or not you are familiar with Persian cuisine! read more

My friend took me to this Grocery/Restaurant on Friday. I had been here before but now it is under new management and I must say I was so impressed by the hospitality of the owners, the cleanliness of the place, the selection of products available and the fact that all the items are fresh and not like the neighboring markets where they sell stale outdated products. We had the khoresht ghorme Sabzi with tahdig. I would go here again. I wish the owners lots of love and hope they prosper as they are truly deserving of all the good things coming their way. read more

Middle East Market - Grocery Near Me - Berkeley, California

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Love this market. The owners are nice and homey. My favorite food is vegetarian Ghormi sabzi, fava beans with dill rice just by it self, shallot yogurt is by far my favorite. Their rose ice cream is good. Raisin cookies ,lavashak( Iranian version of fruit roll up) and the teas are awesome just like back home. read more

I am writing this review from New York, almost 6 months after I last was in Berkeley and went to Middle East Market. I have missed their food so much that I just had to write this review. Middle East Market is a family owned restaurant and a grocery store. The food is reasonably priced for what you get and is very delicious. Amir and all others working there are extremely nice people and it is always fun to grab a bite there and hang out with them. I can't wait to go back to Berkeley to visit this place again. read more

Middle East Market - Koubideh with bread. - Grocery Near Me - Berkeley, California

TLDR; Good food at an affordable price. Friendly service in a local neighborhood community vibe. Market attached has special ingredients that you may not find elsewhere. --- I've only tried a few Persian restaurants but this is a great local market and deli. Food: For two people I ordered the Ghormesabzi, and a Koobideh plate. Both dishes come with a very generous amount of rice and can be a little on the oily side, but very delicious. I had plenty left over for lunch the next day. For dessert a (log shape?) baklava, and tea! Koobideh: This kebab made of lamb and beef is really savory and tender, not dried out! I like that the ridges make it easy to cut and create perfect bite sizes with the right portion of rice to meat and sometimes onion ratio. It also comes with a grilled tomato. The tomato was a little under ripe so that could have been slightly better. Ghormesabzi: I don't actually know what really good Ghormesabzi is supposed to taste like. My dining companion, who lived in Tehran in his youth, said it was good but maybe not as mind-blowingly delicious as a home cooked version from a masterful aunt or family member. That said, I think it's a tasty dish and it's worth giving it a try. savory, a little tart, and hearty, this stew paired with basmati rice is really a comfort food. We tried this carbonated yogurt drink as well, I guess it's common place in Tehran, and this drink by itself looks a little separated and not necessarily enticing, but it's actually a good compliment to the food. The tartness sort of cuts through the oiliness. I wouldn't say this drink is for everyone though, because it's not sweet and you have to carefully turn it over like a rotisserie chicken to get the separated yogurt/carbonated water mixed without it exploding all over you. Both rice plates also had tahdig, a crispy piece of thin bread (or lavash) placed at the bottom of the pan that the rice is cooked in, soaks up the oil and becomes crispy and a tasty break from your rice. I saw other customers who ordered additional tahdig on the side, a large rectangular slab of crispy delight served on one of those large oval plates. Baklava: I got a baklava (the log shaped kind) served with tea for dessert. I have to say I've had a more crispy version of this elsewhere, but it was still pretty good, and paired excellently with the black tea, fragrant with a little bit of cardamom. Service: This place has really good service. They ask you to sit and bring everything to your table, even though there is a self serve area with napkins and spoons and forks, it felt like they went the extra bit for us, which was really nice! I really love the atmosphere and friendly neighborhood quality of this place, it's half a deli and half market, so if you wanted to, you can browse the shop leisurely before or after your meal. Overall a pleasant experience and a great lunch spot! read more

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