Manakeesh Cafe Bakery

Pretty terrific baklava. Baklava is one of those things that I have a hard time walking past without tasting. The baklava here is one of the better that I’ve had, a nice balance of honey, pistachio, and flaky filo.
Very tasty coffee. The Turkish coffee was exactly what I was looking for. I also tasted some sweet coffee drink with raspberry in it that was surprisingly good.
The Beef Shaarma (wrap with spicy beef, tahini sauce, tomatoes and herbs) made for a great meal on the go. The bread made for a good base of the wrap, the beef was tasty and juicy.
I’d like to go back and try some more. The juice bar looked interesting, but we needed caffeine at this particular moment.
There was no room to sit when I was here, this place seems pretty popular. I can see why.

When I finally entered the physical building of Manakeesh (having walked by it several dozen times and ordering manakeeshes for lunch delivery), I was pleasantly impressed with the cozy café. You do go up to a counter to place your order, but the dishes are brought out to you. The walls leading up to its vaulted ceiling are adorned with tapestries. If you’d like, you can even seat yourself on a couch and kick back until dinner is served.
It seems silly to mention but their condiments and utensils were very neatly organized by the front door. I love a place that supplies lots of sauces to dress the dish to your taste!
This time I ordered the delicious grilled veggie manakeesh. It was just filling enough for a small person’s dinner. I mean to come back and try all manners of their manakeesh!

I grew up eating tons of Middle Eastern food and really want to find a place to get my fix of it in Philly. I heard this was the best place around, which doesn’t bode well.
The staff behind the counter move at a snail’s pace. We had to wait 15 minutes in line just to place an order. I have heard from others that this is typical. It was hard to find a table as this place feels more like a coffeeshop with people sitting on laptops and working. There was a big leak in the ceiling and a huge bucket splashing full of water next to us. The place was chaotic and dirty.
The food was average and expensive for what it was. I said I would never go back here. About 6 months later I went to a party

Oh, sweet Turkish coffee and baklava! We have scores of Middle Eastern options in West Philly, but Manakeesh wins my heart because of its full smoothie and juice bar, baked delicacies that cause me to cheat on my gluten-​free diet (sorry, GI doc), fresh and healthy lunch and dinner options, and mmmmmm, those tiny copper cups of thick Turkish coffee. If you need to eat gluten-​free, just tell them at the counter and they’ll adjust a platter for you. There’s also a gluten-​free appetizer plate on the menu. Right now I am enjoying a small (substantial!) Lebanese salad, to which I added chicken, and for less than $ 8 I have myself a tummy-​friendly meal.
If I had to find a problem here, it would have to be parking. But that’s not their fault. I have spent way too much of an hour circling around, trying to find a spot just for that exotic, spiced coffee. Walking makes more sense. The surrounding neighborhood is laced with adorable tree-​lined side streets, particularly on the south side.