Middle Eats nails value, convenience and quality

By GABRIELLE  LAWRENCE

I grew up in REO Town, in a house that’s a century old. When my husband and I bought our first house, we stayed close to my roots, but we soon figured we would outgrow the historic but smallish house on Sparrow and headed to Groesbeck. Once settled, we learned that many Grosebeck homeowners turn their house over to a younger family member when they choose to downsize, and that many families have several branches within blocks of each other. (Talking to you, Lum clan!) After a few years, we understood why. The neighborhood is quiet and peaceful but close to highway access, grocery stores and entertainment. The neighborhood school is, in my opinion, the best in the district. There are kids everywhere you look, so telling your 7-year-old boy on just about every summer weekend to be “free-range Eddie” and “go find a friend” is not a pipe dream but a reality.

When we decided two years ago that the layout of our two-story ranch wasn’t working for us, it was an easy choice to renovate instead of move since we’ve developed close friendships with so many neighbors, which I know is rare and a blessing. We’re months into the major overhaul of our entire first floor, and there’s drywall dust everywhere. We’re subsisting on prepared foods from Costco and air fryer chicken nuggets. Considering that this month’s subject of review, Middle Eats, is a four-minute drive from my house and has easy online ordering — and that Mr. She Ate and I both love Mediterranean food — I put my back into this assignment and, in the meantime, found a new standby favorite.

I started, as I always do, with the chicken shawarma bowl ($12.99). It was seriously large: I ate a big portion of it for dinner and still had a completely satisfying lunch portion left over for the next day. The yellow rice base wasn’t the kind of rice I’m used to in Middle Eastern food, but the chicken was plentiful and well spiced, and the freshly chopped toppings of lettuce, tomato, onions and pickles were plentiful and crisp. I also enjoyed the dillio sauce, which added just a little more flavor to the already flavorful bowl.

On another visit, I tried the vegetarian bowl ($12.99) and loved the grilled peppers, onions and thinly sliced eggplant, which tasted so much better than anything I’ve ever attempted with eggplant in my own kitchen. The next day, for the lunch remix, I added falafel from Costco and extra peppers and cucumber to bulk it up more.

For yet another lunch, I had the fattoush salad with chicken. When I think of fattoush, I think that the part that I love the most is the pita chips. In actuality, the best part is the shredded red cabbage. Red cabbage, frankly, slaps. It has flavor and texture. I love to eat it raw, but it’s also a welcome addition to a braise or a stir fry. This salad was super fresh and scratched all of my itches, and although a $13 takeout salad with a $4 upcharge for chicken is pricey, it made for two full meals.

Mr. She Ate, also known as “he who rarely has leftovers,” would have eaten the classic chicken shawarma wrap ($7.99) on every single visit if I’d allowed it. Not to be confused with the standard chicken shawarma wrap, which includes lettuce, tomato and onion, his preferred version is simply chicken, pickles and garlic sauce. For someone who’s focusing on increasing their protein intake, this wrap would be an excellent choice. For someone who’s never contemplated adding pickles to their chicken shawarma, this wrap is a must try. The tanginess of the pickles is a perfect complement to the richness of the chicken.

My children are french fry goblins, and I decided to get a large side of fries ($5.99) to supplement their chicken dinos and green grapes one night. Let’s be honest: Takeout fries are usually a letdown. By the time you get home, they’re soggy and lackluster. While they’re good enough for a 5-year-old, I’m not going to eat them. However, believe me when I say that Middle Eats has hacked this problem. These fries were shatteringly crisp. They were hot, they were salty, and they didn’t stand an iota of a chance in my house. If you hate shawarma and, somehow, red cabbage, go get some fries. Whether you’re 5 or 55, you won’t be disappointed.

 

By BRYAN BEVERLY

Fall is a hectic time in the Beverly household. Hot on the heels of what felt like the fastest summer of all time, the chaos of melding work, school, sports and community schedules has taken over. With four girls at different stages of life, my much better half and I are typically frenetic throughout the week and certainly don’t slow down on the weekends. We also work on MSU’s campus and live on the west side, which has been so much fun with construction. Some days, I crisscross the city six different times for meetings, practices, games, school events and family obligations.

All of this means that time for cooking can be limited, and having the energy to do so is even rarer. We’re often guilty of choosing the quicker but less healthy option of dining or taking out. So, where does one find quick, healthier food options?

Enter Middle Eats, which opened a location in Frandor in September 2024. A cousin of chicken hotspot Wing Snob, the Warren-based chain aims to be fast, fresh and healthy, offering bowls, wraps and salads. It also strives to be convenient by offering a drive-thru and online ordering to expedite service. The full menu is customizable, much like a Chipotle or Qdoba, but absent is the ability to watch your food as it’s prepared.

What’s good

The spicy chicken shawarma wrap ($8.99) was stout, packed with tender and flavorful shredded chicken, pita chips, lettuce, grilled onions (optional, 99 cents), pickles, garlic spread and spicy dillio sauce. Dillio is a yogurt-based dressing with garlic, shallots, lemon juice and dill. It was yummy but not overpowering or overly fiery. Altogether, this was a reasonably priced handheld that was big on yum and filled the hunger pangs.

Not as healthy, but also supremely tasty, were the loaded shawarma fries ($11.99). I ordered them with steak ($2) and was happy I did. Thick-cut, carnival-style fries were topped with meat, feta cheese, diced onions, jalapeños and spicy dillio sauce. This dish was large enough to share among the family, and we had leftovers. As an added bonus, the pita bread on the bottom soaked up all the delicious drippings.

What’s really good

Middle Eats will be a go-to at our house for years to come because of its bowls. Whether you choose rice or lettuce as a foundation, you can load up the rest of the bowl with a variety of proteins and veggies. My wife ordered the falafel bowl ($12.99), which is a strong choice for vegetarians. Crisp, lightly fried falafel (deep fried balls of ground chickpeas and herbs) is joined by your choice of hummus or garlic spread, regular or spicy dillio sauce, lettuce, feta, onions, pickles and tomatoes. The falafel was satisfying, with a crunchy exterior and a warm and fluffy interior. The herbaceous flavors melded well with the hummus and veggies.

On a lunch visit with a colleague, I ran into a high school friend who was there with her daughter. She revealed that Middle Eats has become their restaurant of choice for Mediterranean fare because of the convenience and value. My teammate and I both ordered bowls, him the chicken shawarma ($12.99) and I the surf and turf ($21.33). Both of us were satisfied with the heaping mounds of meat and veggies and the accompanying sauces.

Best bite

A special nod goes to the fire-grilled shrimp ($6.99/skewer). Plump and juicy with just a touch of spice but a ton of flavor, these crustaceans rival those at many of the top seafood restaurants and steakhouses in the area. Added to a salad or bowl, they’re incredible, but they’re also divine on their own atop a bed of rice. I look forward to finding time to enjoy them in new ways, such as in a wrap or on loaded fries.