Mezze (also spelled meze or maza) is the Middle Eastern tradition of starting a meal with a table full of small plates to share. Dips, salads, pickles, warm pita. At Royal Palace Grill, mezze are made fresh every morning, and they're the part of the menu we're asked about most by first-time guests.
The big three
Hummus
Chickpeas cooked soft, blended with tahini (sesame paste), lemon and garlic, and finished with a pour of olive oil. Ours is smooth, not grainy, and it tastes of lemon and sesame rather than of the can. $8.99.
Baba ghanoush
Eggplant roasted over the fire until the skin blisters, then whipped with tahini and garlic. It's lighter than hummus and distinctly smoky. If you've only had the bland supermarket version, ours will change your mind. $8.99.
Tabbouli
A salad that's mostly finely chopped parsley, with tomato, a little bulgur wheat, mint, lemon and olive oil. Bright, fresh and the perfect counter to grilled meat. $8.99.
Round out the spread
- Fresh Arabic Salad ($8.99) — chopped cucumber, tomato, onion and herbs in lemon and olive oil.
- Falafel ($6.99) — crisp chickpea fritters, vegan, served with tahini.
- Toum ($2.99) — whipped garlic sauce. A little goes on everything.
- Royal Palace Maza Platter ($34+) — a shareable sampler of our cold and hot starters, the easiest way to try them all.
How to eat mezze
Tear the warm pita, scoop, repeat. There's no order and no etiquette beyond sharing. A typical table for four will go through two or three dips and a salad before the kabobs arrive. For a party, our Hummus / Baba Tray ($34+) and Tabbouli Tray ($40+) feed a crowd, and the catering guide explains how much to order.
Everything on this list except the toum is naturally vegan, and all of it is made in our West Bloomfield kitchen the same day you eat it.
Questions people ask
What is the difference between hummus and baba ghanoush?
Hummus is made from chickpeas; baba ghanoush is made from fire-roasted eggplant. Both are blended with tahini, lemon and garlic, but baba ghanoush is lighter and smoky.
Is tabbouli gluten-free?
Traditional tabbouli contains a small amount of bulgur wheat, so it is not gluten-free. Our Fresh Arabic Salad is a gluten-free alternative.
Are your mezze vegan?
Hummus, baba ghanoush, tabbouli, Arabic salad and falafel are all vegan. Our garlic sauce (toum) is made with oil and garlic and is also plant-based.
