This Is Seattle's Best Middle Eastern Restaurant, According To Reviews

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When it comes to Middle Eastern food, Seattle has no shortage of great restaurants. From Turkish cafes in Capitol Hill to Lebanese spots in Ballard, the Emerald City has a lot to offer in terms of creamy dips, juicy grilled meats, and must-try Middle Eastern street foods. But if you were to ask locals where to find the best rice or lamb dishes, many of them will probably come up with the same response: Persepolis Grill in University Heights. 

Seattle has a lot of hidden gem restaurants, and this family-run establishment is definitely one of them. With an emphasis on fresh ingredients and authentic Persian food, Persepolis Grill also serves plenty of delicious Middle Eastern meals that aren't just kebabs. After all, Persian cuisine is known for its slow-cooked stews, complex rice dishes, and blending of sweet and sour flavors, so it makes sense that the Persepolis Grill menu would reflect that. 

That said, from the tadig and ghormeh sabzi, Persepolis Grill even impresses its Iranian diners. One Redditor called it their "go-to" Persian restaurant in Seattle and another said, "My Persian family eats here a lot! It's the real deal." A TripAdvisor reviewer even said their Persian husband was "over-the-moon impressed" with everything they tried. "He is still salivating as he recalls our visit there." That should tell you everything you need to know. 

Many Persepolis Grill patrons rave about the grilled meat options — specifically the koobideh kebab, a spiced kebab made of ground beef that is quintessential to Persian cuisine. One Uber Eats customer said that they were "maybe the only good Persian kabob in seattle," with multiple others noting how much they loved them. But Persepolis Grill's koobideh gets rave reviews elsewhere, too. One customer on Yelp said "the koobideh is tender, juicy, and perfectly seasoned," while another said the meat was "bursting with flavor." Similarly, another Yelper who tried a few different types of kebabs said all the "meats were prepared very well with [the] right amount of spices," before adding they were "so tender and cooked perfect."

Persepolis Grill is much more than just its meats, however. Many mention the tahdig, which always is said to have caused one Yelper to "fight with [their] dining-mates for the biggest share." Meanwhile, a Google reviewer said they would "never get tired" of the dish, as "it's always so delicious with its own flair." This enthusiasm also extends to the restaurant's several stew offerings. For instance, one Yelp user said both the ghormeh sabzi and gheymeh were "delicious with deep flavor profiles and authentic." But perhaps the most telling was the Google reviewer who gave it a "100/10," writing that both the tadig and ghormeh sabzi "were fantastic like my mom made as a kid." 

The food isn't the only thing that stands out at Persepolis Grill – many also talk about the kind staff, who one grateful customer complimented in a Google review for "their warm attitude and great service [that] made us feel valued and appreciated." Between the excellent food and dining experience, Persepolis Grill is definitely worth a visit.