Columbus keeps its Mediterranean and Turkish tables spread across the city and its counters, from Short North lunch lines to plain storefronts that have run the same order-at-the-counter routine for a decade. This list covers the actual range: hummus and shawarma shops built for a quick weeknight plate, a Turkish room built for a longer sit, and one Italian bar for when the group wants something else entirely.
№ 01
Sababa Mediterranean Grill
$
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The kalamata olive and harissa salad is the reason regulars keep ordering here, paired with a rice bowl or grilled kebab that travels well on delivery apps. The room stays clean and the counter staff moves orders fast, which makes this a dependable weeknight stop in Columbus rather than an occasion restaurant. Good for a fast dinner without ceremony.
What to ordersalad with kalamata olives and harissa, rice bowl, grilled kebab
№ 02
Mazah Mediterranean Eatery
Grandview Heights $$
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Hummus, falafel, and kebab anchor a menu built for groups and coworker dinners, and the kitchen holds its quality across busy nights. Mazah has picked up a following during restaurant week promotions, where a several-dish combo makes it an easy value pick. Table service stays attentive even when the room fills, which matters for the Columbus lunch and dinner crowd it draws.
What to orderhummus, falafel, kebab
№ 03
Pita House
Bexley $
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The chicken shawarma plate with two sides and pita is the order to know, and the hummus gets made fresh daily with a texture regulars call the best in the city. Pita House runs counter service in a plain room, and it has held its regulars for over a decade without changing what works. A dependable Columbus lunch counter, not a special-occasion room.
What to orderchicken shawarma plate, gyros, hummus
№ 04
Pita Hut Grill
$
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Hummus, shawarma, and falafel come out fresh and fast from a storefront wedged between a bar and a cigarette shop, easy to drive past and easy to regret skipping. The plain interior does no favors for the food, which longtime customers rate as some of the freshest Middle Eastern cooking in Columbus. Worth the plaza parking lot for the shawarma alone.
What to orderhummus, shawarma, falafel
№ 05
Agape Mediterranean
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Greek salad, souvlaki, and a build-your-own bowl format make Agape the fast-casual answer for Mediterranean in Columbus, with portions that outrun the price. The ingredient quality reads well above typical counter-service bowls, and a second location in Grandview Heights has widened its reach. Good for a quick, satisfying plate without a wait.
What to orderGreek salad, souvlaki, mezze platter
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The shrimp kabob draws repeat orders on its own, served with lavash bread and hummus that customers have trusted for years without a dip in quality. Lavash's hot sauce gets a specific mention from regulars: real heat without overwhelming the plate. The staff runs a friendly, consistent room that handles both dine-in groups and steady takeout orders well.
What to ordershrimp kabob, lavash, hummus
№ 07
Brassica in the Short North
$$
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Customizable sandwiches and salads move fast at this counter-service Mediterranean spot in the Short North, where hummus and fresh toppings anchor a menu built for volume. The room gets packed at lunch, seating fills at the bar first, and the pace rewards diners who know what they want before they reach the register. A reliable stop amid the neighborhood's heavier foot traffic.
What to ordercustomizable sandwich, salad, hummus
№ 08
Olive & Lime Cafe
$$
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A platter built for three with hummus, pita bread, and baklava on the dessert end makes Olive & Lime a strong carryout choice for groups. It runs order-at-the-counter with ample dining room seating, and the pita bread draws specific praise from regulars who plan return trips around it. Quick, friendly service keeps the format simple for a weeknight grab or a family meal out.
What to orderhummus, pita bread, baklava
№ 09
Sumac Mediterranean Grill
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Grilled lamb skewers, falafel, and hummus come out fresh in large portions, and customers describe the room's two operators as attentive from the moment guests walk in. Sumac has built a reputation among regulars as one of the strongest Mediterranean kitchens in Columbus, the kind of place people default to even outside their normal routine. Good for a full, generous plate without pretension.
What to orderhummus, grilled lamb skewers, falafel
№ 10
Shawerma Bite
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Chicken and steak shawarma anchor the menu, with corn as a side that sells out on busy nights alongside the steak option. Shawerma Bite draws comparisons from customers who have tried other shawarma counters around Columbus and keep coming back to this one specifically. Fast counter service suits a quick lunch or dinner, though a second Easton location gives diners a backup when this one runs short.
What to orderchicken shawarma, steak shawarma, corn
№ 11
Cafe Istanbul Easton
$$
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Kebab, meze, and baklava anchor a Turkish menu built for groups settling in for a full dinner rather than a quick counter order near Easton. The room has drawn regulars back after gaps in visiting, and the menu gets refreshed periodically, which longtime customers notice. Service can slow on busy nights, but the kitchen's Turkish cooking holds up as a rare full-sit option in this lane.
What to orderkebab, meze, baklava
№ 12
Z Cucina di Spirito
$$
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Short rib, orecchiette, and meatball make a strong case for a full Italian dinner here, with a kitchen that sends out a dessert for celebrations without being asked. Z Cucina runs a bar-forward happy hour that fills up fast, so arriving early matters if bar seating is the goal. Sports play on the televisions, making it a solid pick for a casual group dinner with a game on.
What to ordershort rib, orecchiette, meatball
Frequently asked
What is the best Mediterranean restaurant near me in Columbus?
It depends on which side of the Outerbelt is closer. Pita House and Pita Hut Grill are dependable Columbus storefronts, Agape Mediterranean has a Grandview Heights location for the west side, and Cafe Istanbul sits out by Easton for Turkish specifically. Each entry here was picked on signature dishes and how the room runs, using its Insider Score, and no restaurant paid to be listed.
What is the difference between the Mediterranean and Turkish spots on this list?
Most entries here serve the broader Mediterranean and Middle Eastern lane: hummus, shawarma, falafel, kebab. Cafe Istanbul Easton is specifically Turkish cuisine, with meze and baklava built around a fuller sit-down dinner rather than a counter order.
Are these mostly counter-service or full sit-down restaurants?
Most run counter service built for speed: order at the register, grab a table or take it to go. Cafe Istanbul Easton and Z Cucina di Spirito are the two built for a longer table service dinner, with Z Cucina also running a bar and happy hour.
How were these restaurants ranked?
Ranking is based on each restaurant's Insider Score, drawn from its signature dishes, cuisine, and how the room actually operates according to the public review record. No restaurant pays for placement on this list or for a higher spot.
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The data first, then the verdict
We start with the review record, not a press release. Every room here is a real kitchen with a strong rating across a meaningful number of reviews, ranked on our 10-point Insider Score. We weight consistency over time and the rooms locals return to, not the ones tourists pass through once. The list updates as the data does. How we work →
Amina Warsame
Staff Writer · Top of Columbus
Amina Warsame is a Staff Writer at Top of Columbus. Born in Mogadishu and raised in Northland, she grew up between her mother's kitchen and the grocery-cafes of the Somali malls. She writes the guides, sweeps the whole Outerbelt, and covers the Somali and East African tables as the beat she knows best.
