5 Best Restaurants in Dearborn, Michigan to Try

A powerhouse of automobile history and Arab-American heritage, Dearborn is one of America’s most unique food cities: old diners, Lebanese bakeries, neighborhood grills, and ambitious bistros all within a few square miles.

Eating here is a journey—through family traditions, transcontinental recipes, and the best Middle Eastern food outside Beirut.

1. Al Ameer Restaurant

Internationally celebrated, this bustling Lebanese banquet hall has earned Michelin acclaim, James Beard awards, and hometown devotion.

Servers glide between tables of families and business travelers, ferrying platters of perfectly tender shish tawook, smoky baba ghanouj, crisp fattoush, and lamb shawarma carved to order.

Highlights like sujuk (spicy sausage), cheese-stuffed pastries, and fresh-squeezed juices make Al Ameer a full-on event (and affordable).

Expect to leave with leftovers—and with servers wishing you “ahlan wa sahlan” as you go.

2. M&M Café

Part Greek diner, part Detroit brunch staple, M&M is open from sunrise and still packed at 2 p.m. every day.

The menu includes homemade pancakes, stuffed grape leaves, classic cheeseburgers, feta omelets, and creamy rice pudding. Servers greet you by name—even if it’s your first visit—and the art deco booths haven’t changed since the ’70s.

Lavish homemade soups and “whatever’s best today” are hallmarks; the lines move fast, but locals linger for hours.

3. Shatila Bakery

A marvel of sweets—floor-to-ceiling cases of honey-soaked baklava, airy pistachio cookies, creamy knafeh, mango mousse cakes, and half a dozen kinds of mamoul.

The shop’s perfume of rosewater and fresh pastry lures lovers of both coffee and confections, and afternoons fill with multigenerational families picking out treats for big celebrations.

The ornate boxes leave with every immigrant family and local hospital staff alike.

4. Ford’s Garage

Blending car-culture nostalgia with juicy burgers and a “made to order” American grill, Ford’s Garage has Model Ts hanging from the ceiling, tire tracks stamped in the floor, and engines roaring from the speakers.

Menu highlights include their signature burgers (try the “Model A”), patty melts, gourmet mac and cheese, and thick milkshakes. Local drafts and craft cocktails energize the after-work crowd, and the staff might quiz you on automotive trivia.

5. La Pita

Another Lebanese stalwart, La Pita’s humming dining room serves enormous, affordable falafel plates, shawarma wraps, chicken kebab, and bright, refreshing tabbouleh.

The family staff remembers nearly every customer; late nights fill up with teens, shift workers, doctors, and families.

Their garlic sauce is legendary—so strong you’ll taste it the next day—and takeout is always stacked for picnics in Ford Woods Park or family tables at home.