Aladdin Mediterranean Grill

Mediterranean Cuisine, Cozy Atmosphere

730 Lakeland Drive
Jackson, Mississippi 39216

meat and hummus on a plate

Aladdin Mediterranean Grill

730 Lakeland Drive
Jackson, Mississippi 39216

Website

Flavorful selections, competitive prices and a real neighborhood feel make Aladdin the kind of spot that invites regular travels, and that’s just as owner/chef Yoseph Ali intended.

Ali opened the restaurant on Lakeland Drive in Jackson in November 2004 and “it’s been great” since, he says.

Mediterranean cuisine wraps in flavors from Egypt, Morocco, Jordan, Lebanon, a bit of Greece. “That kind of food is what this place is, says Ali, who learned the cuisine from a Jordanian chef when Aladdin first opened.

“It’s one of the healthiest foods out there. I know in Mississippi, being across the street from the hospital, I thought it’d be an easy target.”

Mediterranean cuisine is now well-known the capital city, but that wasn’t the case twenty years ago. “When we first opened, there probably was only one other (Mediterranean) restaurant, and because of that, it was a little bit different and difficult,” Ali says.

In 2023, Aladdin added breakfast (Monday - Saturday, 7:30 - 10:30 am) and, from 7:30 am - 2pm, a barista to service a coffee station tucked inside the restaurant.

Aladdin Mediterranean Grill is located on Lakeland Drive.

Try the fried kibby plate - football-shaped pockets of nicely spiced ground beef and pine nuts, encased in a sirloin cracked wheat and deep fried to perfection. Tzatziki sauce is there for the dipping, but a pass through delectable hummus works as well. A green salad, rice and pita bread round out the entree.

Barramundi (tasty sea bass topped with bell peppers and onions), hummus with lamb or the Big Combo’s shrimp, lamb chops and chicken kebabs are also fitting choices.

Lamb is a best seller and specialty at Aladdin, and anything with lamb — lamb chops to gyros — finds scores of fans. Hummus, too — and here, the dip of tahini (sesame paste), lemon and pureed chickpeas turns into a silky smooth wonder made even better with extra virgin olive oil, a dab of jalapeño pesto and a dusting of sumac spice.

A yearly gift certificate sale — one day, first Saturday in December — raises money - a five percent of the profit donation to the community organization R U Hungry.

A Mediterranean grocery at the back has been part of the picture since about 2007, with ingredients ripe for exploration by home cooks, from making baklava or kibby on their own to tasting different olive oils, teas or cheese.

Aladdin is an oasis of Mediterranean cuisine. A front patio, tables and booths offer diners cozy nooks in the small space.

Writer Sherry Lucas contributed to this page.

Cuisines

Details

  • Breakfast
  • Coffee
  • Greek/Mediterranean

Amenities

Amenities

  • Wheelchair Accessible
  • Family Friendly
  • Takeout
  • Open Sundays
  • Open Mondays

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