Basha Mediterranean Eatery
2900 Monroe Ave.
417-5006
Before I can even walk through the front door, Bassam Khalil, owner of Basha Mediterranean Eatery, stops at one of the several gardens on the front patio and hands me “the best Lebanese cucumber.”
I usually like to give some backstory before I jump into reviewing food, but I want to lead off with this: Everything tastes very clean. You know when you eat something that’s just good for your body and you can feel how good it is? That’s every dish at Basha. The food is filling, flavorful, healthy, and authentic, and for whatever my opinion is worth, I honestly think it’s the best Mediterranean in town.
Originally from Beirut, Lebanon, Khalil grew up cooking—it came naturally to him. When he immigrated to America, a friend of his suggested he start a business in a gas station, laundromat, or restaurant, and the choice was easy. Khalil started Basha in 1983 and moved to his current location on Monroe Avenue in 2017.
“We had farming land in the south of Lebanon, and every summer my parents would send people to the land, and we made all the food we needed—from tomato paste, jelly, wheat, flour, everything. In the wintertime, they’d bring it to Beirut, and we’d use all the oil, olives, figs, everything from the land,” Khalil says.
His recipes are rooted in tradition, and the food is authentic, but Khalil puts his own spin on each dish. And while there are other Mediterranean restaurants, his vision makes the food at Basha stand apart.
“Even in Beirut, as small as Beirut is, every street has its own recipes, every family has their own creations,” Khalil says. “Everybody has similar foods, like tabbouleh—it’s a traditional Lebanese salad made of parsley, tomatoes, onions, and usually cracked wheat or bulgur. I use quinoa—nobody else does it with quinoa. Many people make grape leaves with meat; I do them with rice and vegetables. All my bases are vegan unless you add something to it—cheese or meat.”
Lebanese and Mediterranean diets are rooted in being healthy, and Khalil has carried on that standard at Basha. He shops from local farmers and picks up ingredients daily, going from place to place finding what he needs—he doesn’t use a supplier, and the food is always fresh.
I can’t wait to dive into the veggie combo. The portions are huge—the plate consists of hummus, baba, tabbouleh, falafel, spanakopita, and grape leaves. Where to start . . .
The hummus is hearty and super filling. I could go through the entire bowl of bread just dipping it in that. The falafel has the perfect crunch—I love falafel and try it everywhere and this is excellent. It isn’t greasy; it’s dry on its own (in a good way), and, with a little tahini sauce, it has the perfect kick to it. Moving to the tabbouleh, it has such a zest. It tastes like I could eat bowlfuls of it, but it’s so jammed packed with flavors I don’t think I could overstuff myself (again, this is a good thing). The herbs are seriously incredibly fresh.
Halfway through trying everything on this plate I’m back to thinking, “Dang, these portions are huge.” The spanakopita has the perfect polarity between the cool flaky shell and warmth of the spinach and feta cheese inside. Charbroiled eggplant flavor fills my mouth as I try the baba—it’s zesty and the grilled taste lingers perfectly.
I’m a big fan of grape leaves, and save these to try last—wow. Something about the texture just does it for me. They’re so easy to bite, melt in your mouth, and are amazing on their own but also so good with the hummus. I don’t eat red meat, so the fact that Khalil makes these with a vegetable and rice base is amazing.
Up next is the ChickBasha. This is something I would buy all the time, a perfect lunch or dinner pita wrap. I cannot stress the flavors enough—every single ingredient packs a punch. It has just the right crunch, and the grilled chicken, like everything else, tastes clean and feels healthy. My favorite part is the homemade garlic sauce—not too wet, not too dry, doesn’t ooze everywhere, but there’ll be a couple drops left on your plate.
Some of the other popular dishes include the mashawe plate, which is a combination of four kinds of meats, and the beef shawarma. This comes with the same ingredients as the ChickBasha, except the beef is marinated, grilled slowly, and coated with a tahinim sauce, spicy or not, instead of the garlic sauce.
Aside from good eats, Khalil strives to create an atmosphere that matches the food experience. Herb and vegetable gardens line the sidewalks, light music plays in the background—it’s a little oasis tucked away for the community.
“Relaxation for the mind, soul, and eye, that’s what I hope to bring to people. You see the garden, you can feel it, when the wind picks up you can smell the basil, thyme, dill, and cilantro. It’s piece of mind, even on the avenue,” Khalil says.
Find more information on Basha on the website at bashamed.com or on socials: @basharoc.
This article originally appeared in the September/October 2025 issue of (585).
Views: 113
