Located in Greenfield, Lebnani House is bringing the taste of classic Arabic dishes to south Milwaukee. This Levantine-inspired restaurant sits right off of 27th Street and has been serving Middle Eastern fare since it opened in the summer of 2022.
As soon as you walk in, you’re greeted by the smell of rich aromatic spices and a bright, welcoming interior decorated with colorful artwork and hanging blown glass orbs. A tree with soft pink leaves and plush sapphire blue chairs serve as the focal point of the intimate, yet inviting space.
While there’s lots to talk about when it comes to the ambience, there’s even more to go on about when it comes to the dizzying array of flavors in each and every dish.
You’ll find hearty dishes like chicken maqlouba and fukhara (slow cooked stews) along with grilled dishes like beef, chicken, or kafta shawarma and kebabs, and lighter seafood options like fish simmered in tomatoes and or tahini.
To start, we ordered the Hummus Trio and the Zaatar & Cheese Manoushe. The hummus trio came in three flavors: red chili pepper (mild), basil, and beetroot. All 3 were topped with a generous drizzle of olive oil and served alongside the freshest, fluffiest pita bread we think we’ve ever had. The pastel green basil hummus was a favorite of the three.
We had no idea what to expect with the zaatar and cheese manoushe. The round flatbread came out piping hot and heavily coated with a thyme and oil topping. While it was an unexpected herb explosion in your mouth, it didn’t disappoint.
For the main dishes we ordered:
Chicken Maqlouba: A mound of seasoned rice with baked chicken thighs, eggplant, potatoes, and served with a side of yogurt sauce. The amount of food they give you is insane, we probably have enough leftovers for 3 nights. The chicken maqlouba was delicious, and even better when cut with the tang of the yogurt sauce.
Lebanese House Chicken Shawarma: You can never go wrong with shawarma, and the Lebnani House didn’t let us down. The chicken was seasoned in their signature peanut butter and spice marinade and then grilled to perfection. It came with pickled and chargrilled vegetabels as well.
Kafta Kebab: If we had to compare it to something, we’d say it’s pretty similar taste-wise to a gyro that Lebanon’s neighbors across the Mediterranean Sea are known for. Ground beef and lamb mixture kebabs are served over rice with a side of grilled vegetables. Only thing we wish we had was a yogurt sauce to go with it to add a bright contrast to the meat.
We also got the sugaf, which was tender cuts of beef served alongside grilled vegetables and the shish tawooq which was a marinated, grilled chicken dish served with a garlic cream sauce. Overall, the food was wonderful and we’d definitely come back to try the other items on their menu in the future, and get another hummus trio (so good!).
A second location is set to open in Shorewood this summer. If you’ve been looking to expand your palette and try flavors from halfway across the world, don’t sleep on Lebnani House!