🫒 There’s a new reason to detour into southeast Mesa, and it smells like garlic, sumac, and good olive oil. Zeitouna has officially opened at East Gate Plaza, a 17-acre mixed-use development on the northeast corner of Ellsworth and Elliot in the fast-growing Eastmark area.
It’s already turning heads as one of the more ambitious Middle Eastern openings the East Valley has seen in a while.
The family-owned spot centers its menu on Lebanese cuisine while pulling in dishes from neighboring Iraq, Syria, southern Turkey, and Greece – think a regional tasting tour rather than a single-country menu.
What’s on the menu
Dishes include silky hummus crowned with beef shawarma, muhammara-style Egyptian spiced eggplant with jalapeño, whipped ricotta with fig and pistachio, and hand-rolled grape leaves, alongside classics like baba ghanoush, labneh with walnuts and pomegranate, and flaky spinach-and-feta phyllo pastries.
What sets Zeitouna apart from the grab-and-go shawarma spots that dominate the genre locally is intent. It strives to fill a gap for a genuine sit-down experience – a place designed to feel like Lebanon itself, complete with wine and liquor service for anniversaries, birthdays, and date nights – rather than just a quick meal.
Even the name is intentional: Zeitouna means ‘‘olive’’ in Arabic, a nod to the ingredient that anchors Middle Eastern cooking and carries its own symbolism of peace.
Hours
Open 4:30-9 p.m. Monday, 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday, and 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Friday-Saturday.
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