Mid East Market

Holy falafel moly, Mid East Market is officially my fave falafel (green) spot in the Bay Area. SO sad it's all the way up in San Bruno, but I'll drive there anytime for their homemade falafel.

Get yourself some tasty, Palestinian falafel and shawarma after you finish a gorgeous San Bruno hike. Mid East Market is easy to spot, right on the corner off of busy El Camino Real. There is street parking but also a few like 4 spots for customers. They're separated into a deli/hot food stand and if you decide to walk through the door on your right, it's the actual market/bodega. In the spirit of anti-genocide and Free Palestine, we bought some Palestinian olive oil for $13 which had a light, fruity and floral flavor to it in a 1L glass bottle as recommended by the store owner. I love using it to dip into my Palestinian hummus or some fresh pita.

For the deli and hot food stands, they sell fresh meat which is at an affordable price. The butcher grinds the ground meats in the store in front of you, so that was cool to see. Plus, I was today years old when I learned about Kufta, aka mixed and ground up meat mix with various spices! We didn't end up buying any of the meat, but we did order a lamb plate and falafel plate entrees and a container of their homemade hummus from the mini fridge. SO worth it. Their saffron rice (yellow) was SO tasty, it was flavorful and we couldn't get enough. The lamb was flavorful and not gamey, we don't usually go for lamb, but this dude knows exactly how to grill and season it. The fresh salata, cucumber and tomato salad as well as their pickled radish and pickles were the perfect sides to cut through the heavy meats. Their hummus I can't stop drooling over, and those falafel tasted hella good in the air fryer the next day.

You only have to wait like 10 mins for your hot food, might as well take a peek next door at their market to see if you want any Pali goods. The kind men working the shops are helpful and patient too. I swear I stared at their giant basket of fresh homemade falafel, and the sesame seeds were SO huge I could see it from the other side of the room. May Palestine be loudly, proudly free. End the Israeli oppression, and support all Palestinian products and businesses! Let's boost Mid East Market yelpers!

Good local food spot! Hands down, one of the best falafels - it's moist inside, lightly crisp to almost flakey outside. I ordered the lamb plate, the rice and hummus just as good; the lamb I would pass, no flavor and kind of tough chewing.

Good portions, and everything is made freshly onsite.

The market has fresh veggies (tomatoes, cucumbers), spicesGoo for purchase as well.

Worth coming back to tryout the chicken!

Delicious falafel, generous portions, extremely friendly staff, authentic food and items for sale, and service is very quick and very very FRESH!

You must try this place out, it's a best kept secret! Support this awesome family owned business and you will see what I mean!

Someone had recommended I try this place, and I'm glad they did. This is a small market, and in the building next to it, there is take out and a meat counter available. This is a very casual place. Friendly service, if you tip you'll notice even bigger smiles from the cook behind the counter. If you're ordering take out, the portions are fresh and generous. It looks like everything is made to order. I ordered falafels, and they were made right away. One tip is that after you order, you pay next door at the grocery store, and come back for your food. If you want to eat there, there is one table. Primarily this is a take out place for the food. And the food was fresh and delicious.

Great deli for Mediterranean cuisine - best falafel I've had in the Bay Area! Chicken was very good, and hummus was great

The service was great; I had them cater food for ~21 people and everyone loved their food, especially their hummus and falafels; I loved all of it too except I was a little disappointed in their rice; the rice was undercooked; the rice kernels were a bit hard; I had this happen before when I ordered a plate and thought it was a one-off, but this happened during a catering order; if the owner is reading this, my suggestion would be to ensure your yellow rice is fully cooked before serving...other than that, everything was great!

Been coming here for so many years now and the food and service has never let me down. The combo plate is amazing, and all the workers are very friendly. Their beef in the combo plate is seasoned so well, and the falafels are some of the best I have ever had. People are super hyped about mazra, which I enjoy as well, but please show some love to this hidden gem. You won't regret it!

My, oh my..shame on me for overlooking this place. I think back at what lengths I gone through to fulfill my falafel fix. I've driven by hundreds of times over the years but the big yellow sign never jumped out at me.
Always thought it was just a convenience store. Never did I read the small print and realized they served plates.

Told the cook upon arrival that it was my first time there. He then made a peace offering by taking the tongs, picking up a falafel and handed it to me.
This place is cool! Ordered my food and pulled out my wallet , before I even pulled out my card he pointed to the convenience store that was adjacent. "Pay there".
Went on over and saw that it was somewhat of your typical convenience store with a middle Eastern twist. They had sweets from the native land. Grabbed a few items there as well.
The baba ghanoush and falafel are delicious. I can see myself coming here at least once a week for the foreseeable future.

FOOD: Im so glad I found this hidden gem through my friend. If you're looking for something super low-key and quick, def check out the Deli here for shawarma plates, wraps, falafels, and much much more. I love coming here for the shawarma plates that are made to order. You can also buy meat by the pound here as well. While you wait for the food, you can check out the market that has a variety of goods for your pantry. Would definitely come back and try other things on the menu or buy way too many falafels for myself.

AMBIANCE: No indoor seating. Grab and go.

PARKING: Limited lot parking and mostly street parking.

Talk about a hidden gem! I've passed this convenient store/market up so many times without thinking twice. Well, I finally thought twice and made a stop, and so far, I've made several stops here already and I don't see myself stopping anytime soon!

They're pushing out some delicious food in the unassuming little deli area. I've tried the combo plate, the falafel plate, the chicken shawarma gyros, and I've gotten a few things inside the convenient market. All amazing!