The Best Hummus in Dallas

Dining at Café Izmir changes your perspective on Middle Eastern/Mediterranean cuisine. With dishes like garlic infused hummus, freshly prepared pita bread and spicy Eegra, you won’t regret trying this eatery. Falling into a food rut seems like a fairly common issue for me, I usually wait until I can’t wait anymore before going to eat somewhere, and by that time finding a new place seems like it isn’t worth the effort. But if I plan ahead to branch out, I almost always discover a new favorite dish. Because I love free things, I make sure to sign up for every discounted site including Groupon, Gilt City, Thrillist and ScoutMob, among others. ScoutMob gives you a 50% discount for certain places if you use during certain days. One such deal expired the next day, so feeling adventurous, Justin and I headed out the door to sample the acclaimed restaurant Café Izmir, who supposedly serves the “Best Hummus in Dallas” according to Yelp.com and “The Observer”.

Cafe Izmir hummus, aka, the best hummus ever!

Everyone who submitted reviews of Café Izmir complained about the valet parking situation, but in reality, anywhere worth going in Dallas will bring with it parking issues, this place is no worse than the rest. Although we did wait about twenty minutes for a table, the staff was very friendly and even gave me a complimentary glass of wine. To start off, we ordered hummus, Eegra, (a warm, spicy eggplant and tomato dish), marinated baby portabellas and piping hot pita bread. The hummus hype was not exaggerated, it really had the consistency of butter, I enjoy hummus but am often put off by the gritty texture. I have no idea what the chefs in Café Izmir do to those chickpeas, but it was the creamiest, most delicious hummus I have ever eaten. When added to the Eegra, the creaminess took on a hint of spicy tomato quality; it is bar none the best hummus of my life. Between wondering the secret behind the hummus and the contents of the mushroom marinade, the meat items really passed over me. I enjoyed the lamb roll and this creation called Piroshki, which consisted of spiced ground beef and goat cheese wrapped in a tortilla, grilled to perfection. When I return to Café Izmir, I know what I will be ordering; I only wish I could buy it in bulk…