Jerusalem Garden

Heard a lot of great things about Jerusalem Garden over the years, so I thought I’d finally give it a try. Their new location is huge, making it an ideal place for large groups to dine together. Aside from the spaciousness and renovations, however, I didn’t enjoy much else of my first experience there.
To start off, the restaurant was abnormally cold. The restroom was oddly ten degrees colder, and it felt like it was 45 degrees in there.
As for the food, I was very disappointed with the plates they offer. The falafel plate was literally just a plate with three falafel balls, some hummus, and a side. While the falafels themselves are good, the simple plate left much, much more to be desired. I also had the pilaf and chicken, both of which turned out to be incredibly bland.
A few weeks later, I gave it second shot and that experience turned out better. Two discoveries: the wraps are much more filling and the meat pie is very well seasoned. Would definitely recommend these over the plates!

I will say that I’ve enjoyed Jerusalem Garden many times in the past. As an out-​of-​towner it used to be a must-​have whenever in the Ann Arbor area. Many memories of their old location — charming patio seating, great service, flavorful food.
Unfortunately our trip their tonight resulted in food poisoning from a potentially undercooked, or otherwise contaminated, chicken shawarma. Very sudden onset of persistent vomity hell after dinner. Pains me a bit to say this but it’ll probably be the last time me and my party are able to eat there, as memories of sickness are hard to shake. I truly hope J Garden is able to take note of this occurrence and ensure there isn’t something being overlooked in the kitchen. Hopefully this isn’t an outbreak of some kind.

Cold food and lackluster service.
After dropping our food off, no one came back to see how anything was until after we finished. We ate it because we were starving, but truth be told, the chicken shawarma was served to us at room temp and the «rice pilaf» was no different than Uncle Ben’s radioactive-​yellow rice. As a real middle eastern woman, I’m offended. The meat pie was just okay and the fattoush lacked any real flavor.
What a shame that the people of Ann Arbor think this is good middle eastern food. Visit the worst-​rated Arabic restaurant in Dearborn and you’ll get better food than what I had at Jerusalem Garden.
Also, the bathrooms were no warmer than 50°; I froze my tits off in there.
Just no.

Cold food and lackluster service.
After dropping our food off, no one came back to see how anything was until after we finished. We ate it because we were starving, but truth be told, the chicken shawarma was served to us at room temp and the «rice pilaf» was no different than Uncle Ben’s radioactive-​yellow rice. As a real middle eastern woman, I’m offended. The meat pie was okay, but the fattoush lacked any real flavor.
What a shame that the people of Ann Arbor think this is good middle eastern food. Visit the worst-​rated Arabic restaurant in Dearborn and you’ll get better food than what I had at Jerusalem Garden.
Also, the bathrooms were no warmer than 50°; I froze my tits off in there.
Just no.

This place is great. I’ve been eating at JG for years. Their new restaurant is so well done. It’s got a great low key vibe. The food is equally wonderful. The meat pie is so tasty. Can’t go wrong here for a quick bite or a full meal.

Service is fairly poor at the new location. Went for lunch when they reopened and the host thought wiping tables was more important than helping to seat the 15! people waiting to be greeted/​seated. I watched in open mouthed horror. Inept is the only word for this host.
Food was good as usual. However poor service is a major turnoff. Shame.

Get the grape leaves with the baba ghanouj. If they’re out and say that they’re making more, ask if you can wait. They will probably say yes and update you on its progress. And you will love them for it. That baba ghanouj is worth waiting 30 minutes for.
The grape leaves are ridiculously good. A little less acid, with some sweetness and more complexity in flavor. I could have eaten another plate.

I fell in love with this place when I was in college. Now apparently I’m an old man because I remember the cramped closet that place used to be with delicious food. Now it’s in a delightfully spacious clean room a dining experience like JR deserves.
Although I only have 1 check-​in here, I assure you, I’ve been here about 20 times. I’ve had probably about everything on the menu, and can say with confidence you will enjoy your experience here.
Something about the Kafta Kabob, the Hummus, the yogurt sauce in the Chicken Schwarma, the falafel, mmmm. I make a stop here every time I come home to Michigan.
If you go here, I recommend getting a sandwich: Kafta, Chicken, or Falafel. Get a large side hummus. If you can, get the Yogurt & Cucumber and the Fattoush. You wont be disappointed!

This is the best place in town for middle eastern cuisine. Their pita bread is delicious. They are well known for the quality of their shish kafta, falafel and chicken shwarma. Their rolled pita sandwiches are a good value especially if you’re in for a quick lunch. Very clean and conveniently located. They also have great smoothies and a good baklava. Great news! They have a new location on east Liberty near the post office around the corner from where they used to be.

If you are looking for a day out with family or friends then this is the best place to enjoy food while chatting.

SETTING:
Brightly lit, stained glass, clean and spacious. Noise level can get high when it’s prime dining time.
FOOD:
I’ve been here a few times and always go for the Chicken Shawarma Plate. Thank you for not skimping on the protein, JG. Many restaurants only give you a few pieces of chicken and fill the rest of the plate with carbs. Like we’re supposed to think, «Well the plate is full, so we’re getting a good deal!». Nope. JG respects the customer’s appetite. Multiple pieces of chicken, all grilled very well. Plus, there is more than enough rice that accompanies the chicken.
As for the two sides, #1 is the hummus. A MUST! It’s enough hummus for the meal and for future snacking. I always cut up some carrots and bell peppers from groceries, and dip away. The texture reminds me of frozen yogurt. It’s a weird thought, and I’m not going to put toppings on it anytime soon. But I digress, boy, is it good.
#2 is the meat pie. I tried the spinach pie once. It was a bit sour and wasn’t my favorite. The meat pie is better.
SERVICE:
I’ve only ordered to go. The staff are very friendly and patient when ordering. No complaints.
IMPRESSIONS:
I come here every now and then because of how much they give you for the price. Also, quality is solid. For something quick, tasty, healthy, and affordable, JG has your back. Sometimes they have samples of Baklava by the counter where you order. Do yourself a favor and snag one. Delicious!

What an improvement over the old, small previous location. There was actually a table for me and I did not have to wait until the Second Coming to be able to actually sit down.
Sorry, at the old place, squatting and waiting for a table with the smoking, cell phone chatting, goatee-​wearing, entitled hipster douchebags is for the birds!
Today, I had the beef kabob platter with spinach and beef pies as my two sides but there are plenty of options for chicken eaters and vegetarians. This is no Seva’s (SOL, carnivores…) but the food here is always excellent.
Do you like walking? (In the A2 snow)? Good luck finding convenient parking.
They serve upscale Roos Roast coffee (delicious) but besides sugar, (I am diabetic so cannot have) they only have Sweet & Low sweetener (WTF? Do they want to KILL their customers with known cancer-​causing agents?) and the horrible Vanilla fake «creamer». (Which I promptly banned at my office coffee bar… Yuck!)
They need Equal or Splenda (bring you own — I did, in fact, bring some packets of Splenda in a snack bag which half-​saved me).and some real milk and cream (next time, I’ll walk over and bring some real milk).
I wonder if they plan on busting down to some ordinary coffee like Folgers, Taster’s Choice, or some no-​name food service brand brewed in a Bunn coffee maker… Too bad, because the Roos Roast coffee is really delicious as long as you can choke down the awful Vanilla «creamer»…Acccccck!
I thought this was an upscale place…
The pistachio baklava for dessert is highly recommended.
Despite the niggling issues, these folks don’t screw around and serve EXCELLENT food.
Recommend! Will be back again. Enjoy!

Food is great, decent atmosphere, generally good portions. The flavors are good but, shawarma is supposed to be slow roasted on a giant skewer, not grilled!
But the biggest problem here is the service. Literally all the servers are unfriendly, incompetent and totally oblivious to people who need drink refills, their food, or their check.
I’d recommend carry-​out rather than dine-​in.

This place is a total institution.
Admittedly, I hadn’t been here in probably 12, 13 years — I had other shit to do, you know? Moving back to the midwest, floating from Chicago to Detroit to visit some family, the hunger struck me and mine as we were on I-​94 nearing Ann Arbor. Lunch in Ann Arbor? Yes, please (and thank you).
Acting like I still knew something, I envisioned the old space, right next to the Earthen Jar, and directed our vehicle accordingly. but as we approached the former locale, made «WTF» faces, saw that «new location» sign, we then took a short jaunt around the corner. Shit got seriously real, my heart got warm. Time marches on, you know? What was once a wee, deep-​n-​narrow eatery got a serious upgrade in space/​presentation.
In those 12 – 13 years, little has changed. The folks working there are still friendly and cool, students/​families/​old timers alike are chatterboxing and noshing on fresh, delicious food. but now I’m in the mix, m’lady and tiny lady in tow, and reveling in the feels, introducing a new generation to a staple from my own youth.

My favorite restaurant in Ann Arbor. Healthy, fresh, cheap, delicious.
You can’t go wrong with anything on the menu, but some of my favorites are falafel sandwich with hummus and fattoush vegetables, the chicken with fattoush plate, and the shish kabob sandwich.
Their new location has much more space for both dine in and take out. You can easily get a comfortable table now for a party of any size, even though they’re busier than ever.

WHAT I LIKED
The new location looks really hip, has a lot of room, and seating for larger groups.
Friendly, patient waiter.
Same great food: Inexpensive. Healthy ingredients. Don’t change a thing!
I love the vibrant green color of the falafel — lots of parsley.
WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE
Too noisy for a conversation with my mom. If you are even a tiny bit hard of hearing, this is a place to eat, and not talk. Maybe I’ll try carryout next time.

Jerusalem Garden is a favorite for many in Ann Arbor because it offers very clean (gluten-​free, etc.) and fresh Mediterranean food. Personally, I’m not the biggest fan as I usually end up still hungry after a meal.
Unlike other Mediterranean restaurants like Oasis and Palm Palace, the food is less greasy and is more reasonably priced. The yogurt sauce is more watery than thick but still is very flavorful. If you are looking for a heavier meal, check out other places — however, Jerusalem Garden is definitely worth checking out for friendly staff and fresh tasting food.

Literally one of my favorite locations in A2. The new restaurant is so beautiful. The food is still delicious. This is a must eat place in Ann Arbor! Eat here! You can get a delicious meal for about $ 10.
What’s good: shawarma plate, kafta, hummus, falafel, rice, meat pie, spinach pie
The workers are always super nice.
I always come back!

I’ve always been a fan of Jerusalem Garden and for good reason. They might possibly make the best hummus and vegan grape leaves in Ann Arbor, which is a city not short on good restaurants. As for the lentil soup, it’s some of the best that I’ve had, and I’ve eaten lentil soup at a lot of middle eastern restaurants, but I don’t know if it’s the absolute best ever, but it’s pretty dang close.
Whenever I crave Middle Eastern food when I come back to Ann Arbor, this is and has always been the place. Granted, the original space was tiny and nothing to rave about in terms of its location, but the food has always been consistent and pretty damn inexpensive for being in Ann Arbor. The newer location is a considerable upgrade, attractive and spacious.
Service is what it is, just average. Prices are bargain basement low for authentic middle eastern food in a fairly expensive city when it comes to restaurants.

Their new location is super nice but it kinda lost some of it’s charm. I went when it first opened and didn’t know what to do when i walked in. There was no one to greet us and such.
When we were finally seated it didn’t have the same atmosphere it was a little more difficult to talk to the person since it was louder but still nice.
I got the chicken shwarma hummus plate. The portions are a real good size. If I eat half I’ll be ate a good place but if I eat the whole thing I’ll be super full but still super happy. The hummus is Superb. The chicken is cooked really well and the rice just ties everything together.
The pistachio baklava was the perfect end to the meal. I finished it way too quickly and wished I had another piece.
I would definitely recommend this place. ALSO the falafel is SOO GOOD! I’ve never seen falafel so green. Lol

First of all… I love everyone that works here. They’re all beautiful people.
This is a very good place to eat if you are trying to bulk up and eat clean simultaneously. Lots of good protein, beneficial fats and healthy carbs. Alsooo the falafel here is crack. Definitely best falafel in Ann Arbor, but I recommend everything on the menu.
I have to be on my feet all day for my job and I also work out a lot so this place provides me the energy to keep going. If I didn’t have this place I’d probably have no energy and die from being malnourished.
Somehow I feel like the service is even better than the food. They make all the food super fast and keep you happy, even when it’s super busy.
Summary: Try everything on the menu. Sit at the counter. Smoke a fat j before you enter.

Was a huge fan of JG at their previous location and this new incarnation is just as delicious but with a better space.
The food is still fantastic. Nothing has changed there. I had the chicken shawarma with hummus and fattoush. The chicken was juicy, the hummus had a bit of a kick, and the fattoush was fresh and flavorful. A relief to know that nothing has changed in the move.
The space is a real winner. The previous place was very tiny and cramped but you stuck it out because the food was SO SO good. This new location is clean, bright, and provides plenty of elbow room. It now provides the best of both worlds – tasty eats in a comfortable environment.
I’ll definitely be dining in more often vs. previous take out adventures thanks to this shiny new location!