Aladdin's Eatery (McKnight-Siebert)

If I were so lucky to unlock a genie in a bottle and it granted me three wishes, and one of those wishes was to pick a place to have Mediterranean food, day-in and day-out for the rest of my life, then that choice would be Alladain's Eatery. 

So it was a sunny, hot afternoon excursion that I found myself at Aladdin's on McKnight Road in the McKnight-Seibert shopping plaza, and it was a delightful experience. 

I was only familiar with a little bit of the menu. Moreover, from my limited palette, considering that the breadth of my experience with Mediterranean food consists primarily of hummus and pita and some various chicken and lamb wraps, I was not sure what to expect. Would a pizza and sandwich guy like this kind of food? 
 
Lucky for me my wife was with me on this day. Being a big fan of Aladdin's and their wealth of plant-based, vegan options, she wanted me to try many of the dishes that they offered in the authentic Mediterranean and, more specifically, Lebanese cuisine. 

At the top of the list was Falafel. These are crispy, fried vegan patties made with ground chickpeas, fava beans, onions and herbs, and served with tomato slices and tahini lemon dressing. Second was a Tabouli salad, a delicate mixture of chopped parsley, sweet onions, diced tomatoes, bulgur, lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil, and fine herbs. Both were fresh, crisp, and very tasty.
 
Another item we ordered was the sampler Vegetarian Combo platter, a sampling of hummus, tabouli, baba gannouj, falafel, and dawali and served with tahini lemon dressing. This dish contained just about a variety of everything on the menu, and it was terrific.
 
I was mainly a big fan of the Mujadara Plate, lentils, and brown rice topped with Lebanese Salata and fried onions. Hey, for a Pittsburgh guy, I loved the taste of fried onions-kind of reminded me of having onion rings. 

The food overall was fresh, tasty, and delicious. More so than anything, Aladdin's is a place where you will find amiable service-oriented staff, and they are readily pleased for you to enjoy the food they bring.
 
One of several Alladin's Eateries in the Pittsburgh area, this regional chain is certainly a welcome addition to the North Hills and the Pittsburgh area in general. The food is fresh, the service is neighborly, and this is an excellent option for lunch and supper when you want to have a taste of the Mediterranean in the North Hills of Pittsburgh, in the heart of Ross Township.