Right across from Jeng Chi and all the other markets and restaurants in Richardson’s Chinatown sits Albaghdady Bakery & Café, a little hole-in-the-wall spot occupying two separate buildings: the bakery and the restaurant, which serves Mediterranean fare with great flavors in unpretentious surroundings.
The interior is sort of a mash-up of a traditional diner with booths up against windows along with several larger tables for family dining and a more secluded alcove in the back. A large mural proudly illustrates all the place has to offer in a whimsical manner, from shawarma to kabobs and even burgers. We took a table near the window.
There are several to-go-only specials available for those so inclined, like individual kabob skewers for around $4 each and buy four sandwiches get a fifth free. While we were there several people came in and took advantage of these options, but since we were dining in, we started perusing the rest of the menu while sampling the wonderful complimentary shorbeh (lentil soup) and hot tea.
Albaghdady has the typical things one expects from a Mediterranean joint like shawarmas, falafel, dulma, hummus, baba ghanoush and kabobs, but they also had something called tashreeb that sounded intriguing after we Googled it. Tashreeb is a broth-soaked bread topped with protein and vegetables, which makes sense since evidently tashreeb means “to soak” in Arabic. This Iraqi dish follows the common evolution from a meal first created by the poor out of necessity to something considered a delicacy by all. Think oxtails, tripas, pigs’ feet and even caviar. We had to try it.
At first, the price ($25) seemed high, but when this huge bowl arrived at our table, we reassessed the value. It could have fed a family of four. The large, deep bowl had a huge serving of bread on the bottom covered with a mélange of chickpeas, broth and spices, finally topped with an extremely generous amount of a shredded mix of both beef and lamb. The meat was clearly cooked slowly and gently, tender and juicy with some charred ends similar in style to pulled pork. The bread soaked up all those flavors and provided warmth and body to the dish. It was easily one of the best things we’ve had this year.
Several plates come with large bread or two sammon (a smaller yeast bread), grilled tomatoes and onions as well as pickles and rice or fries to accompany four skewers; half orders are also available. We went with a half order of shish tawook with rice, made with chunks of chicken in a yogurt-based marinade with lemon, garlic and ginger. These were perfectly grilled over a charcoal stove and came with a plethora of grilled onions, thinly sliced pickles and a charred tomato. The star of the presentation, however, was the extremely large tandoor-cooked bread that probably was the size of a manhole cover had it been unfolded.
We also wanted to try a sandwich, and we’d heard from other reviewers that the hamburger was excellent. Instead, we went with the humble falafel. This was pretty big for a sandwich as well, priced at $7.50. Instead of tahini sauce, amba was used as a dressing, which is basically a mango-chutney sort of sauce that added an interesting twist of flavors to the sandwich. We’re not convinced that it was better than tahini, however, but appreciate the different take.
Finally, we headed across the parking lot to the bakery just to take a look. Several sweets are available by the pound such as bulria, osh albulbul, kul shkor and bugsha, as well as two types of baklavas, pistachio or walnut, along with Turkish bruma, dahina, awama and tatly. We were pretty full on tashreeb, however, but this will give us an excuse to come back. We still need to try that burger, after all.
A welcoming interior with both family-style seating and booths, as well as a more private alcove in the back.
Hank Vaughn
There are several to-go-only specials available for those so inclined, like individual kabob skewers for around $4 each and buy four sandwiches get a fifth free. While we were there several people came in and took advantage of these options, but since we were dining in, we started perusing the rest of the menu while sampling the wonderful complimentary shorbeh (lentil soup) and hot tea.
Albaghdady has the typical things one expects from a Mediterranean joint like shawarmas, falafel, dulma, hummus, baba ghanoush and kabobs, but they also had something called tashreeb that sounded intriguing after we Googled it. Tashreeb is a broth-soaked bread topped with protein and vegetables, which makes sense since evidently tashreeb means “to soak” in Arabic. This Iraqi dish follows the common evolution from a meal first created by the poor out of necessity to something considered a delicacy by all. Think oxtails, tripas, pigs’ feet and even caviar. We had to try it.
At first, the price ($25) seemed high, but when this huge bowl arrived at our table, we reassessed the value. It could have fed a family of four. The large, deep bowl had a huge serving of bread on the bottom covered with a mélange of chickpeas, broth and spices, finally topped with an extremely generous amount of a shredded mix of both beef and lamb. The meat was clearly cooked slowly and gently, tender and juicy with some charred ends similar in style to pulled pork. The bread soaked up all those flavors and provided warmth and body to the dish. It was easily one of the best things we’ve had this year.
Several plates come with large bread or two sammon (a smaller yeast bread), grilled tomatoes and onions as well as pickles and rice or fries to accompany four skewers; half orders are also available. We went with a half order of shish tawook with rice, made with chunks of chicken in a yogurt-based marinade with lemon, garlic and ginger. These were perfectly grilled over a charcoal stove and came with a plethora of grilled onions, thinly sliced pickles and a charred tomato. The star of the presentation, however, was the extremely large tandoor-cooked bread that probably was the size of a manhole cover had it been unfolded.
We also wanted to try a sandwich, and we’d heard from other reviewers that the hamburger was excellent. Instead, we went with the humble falafel. This was pretty big for a sandwich as well, priced at $7.50. Instead of tahini sauce, amba was used as a dressing, which is basically a mango-chutney sort of sauce that added an interesting twist of flavors to the sandwich. We’re not convinced that it was better than tahini, however, but appreciate the different take.
Finally, we headed across the parking lot to the bakery just to take a look. Several sweets are available by the pound such as bulria, osh albulbul, kul shkor and bugsha, as well as two types of baklavas, pistachio or walnut, along with Turkish bruma, dahina, awama and tatly. We were pretty full on tashreeb, however, but this will give us an excuse to come back. We still need to try that burger, after all.
Albaghdady Bakery & Café, 327 N. Greenville Ave., Richardson. Monday – Thursday, 10 a.m. – 10 p.m.; Friday – Saturday, 9 a.m. – 11 p.m.; Sunday, 9 a.m. – 10 p.m.
