Despite often being paired with Lebanese dishes on metro Detroit restaurant menus, Yemeni food has a distinctive taste and presentation that sets it apart from other Middle Eastern cuisines. Yemeni dishes often feature stewed vegetables and meats — frequently fork-tender lamb — served over rice or with a side of elephant ear-sized flatbread baked in a tanoor oven. Items like saltah and fahsah are served sizzling in a clay pot with sides of sauce like hilbah and spicy zhug. Yemen is also the birthplace of coffee culture, too, and Detroiters are fortunate to have a hookup for beans and sweet treats locally. In short: It’s high time everyone get acquainted with the region’s many excellent Yemeni restaurants.
A word of caution: Remember that no matter how normal it may feel to go out and eat again, dining right now is not the same. Takeout is generally considered by health experts to be lower-risk than in-person service, and drinking can lower people’s inhibitions, so be careful. Whenever possible (or required) it’s essential that customers wear a mask and wash their hands regularly. This is a tough time for the restaurant industry and its staff, too, so please, if you do choose to grab a bite, be kind and remember to tip well — even if you’re doing to-go drinks. From beloved Yemeni diners to coffee bars serving honeycomb cake, here’s where to find Yemeni food in metro Detroit.
A number of metro Detroit restaurants have resumed dine-in service. The level of service offered is indicated on each map point. However, this should not be taken as endorsement for dining in, as there are still safety concerns: For updated information on coronavirus cases in your area, please visit the state of Michigan’s coronavirus tracker. Studies indicate that there is a lower exposure risk when outdoors, but the level of risk involved with patio dining is contingent on restaurants following strict social distancing and other safety guidelines.
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