Stuck in the Office? Options For Food Delivery in Beirut

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Here in the heart of Beirut, we’re flanked on all sides by food delivery options. Beirut may as well be dubbed the world capital in transportable edibles, because any and every eatery in town knows how to package their food, liquid or solid, and latch it onto a moped. Call us lazy, call us resourceful, but no one goes hungry in this country.

With the myriad of choices, there’s naturally major confusion. Who’s good? Who’s consistent? Who’s punctual? And quite necessarily, who’s affordable? Tame those stomach pangs, for I’ve gone and done the grunt work for you from the luxury of my desk. It’s hard work, I know, but someone’s gotta do it.

Here’s where you should be trading your greenbacks for some delicious grub in and around Beirut.

Bou Melhem

From: Sin el Fil

When: 10 am – midnight

You really can't undersell US$ 10-12 for a 3-course lunch whose generous size renders it a meal for two! During a week-long stint, my order was always punctual and occasionally 5-10 minutes early. Contents arrived totally intact, thanks to the firm packaging and compartmentalized lunchbox. 

Try the stuffed zucchini with grape leaves, sided by a trio of lamb chops, plain yogurt, fattouch, and a fruit salad (all for $12 -- right?!). Through and through, tastes are evocative of home, and the meal is hearty, healthy, and fresh. Other memorable dishes include the rice and lentil pilaf (mjadra), beef and chicken grills, the spinach and goat labneh salad, and the creative smoked hummus with crushed caramelized almonds sprinkled on top.

Spinach salad with goat labneh, dried fruit and walnuts

Dania’s Delicacies

From: +961 3 388 930

When: 12 – 3 pm (M-F)

This option is so new, it hasn’t even been listed in Zomato’s directory! Dania’s Delicacies is a nascent home enterprise serving 3-4 daily dishes crafted with love by recipe developer and menu consultant Dania Dayekh. Delicious, original home cooking includes the likes of a supreme chicken black bean enchilada; savory fettuccini alfredo with fresh mushrooms and spinach; and an inimitable chicken-pesto-walnut mash inside focaccia with a side of kettle chips. Prices hover at about US$ 10, and portions are hefty! Brownie points for the eco-friendly packaging.

Chicken and black bean enchilada

Casper & Gambini's

From: Verdun and Karantina central kitchens

When: 8 am – 11 pm

For years, I couldn't get past the deliciously fresh salads at Casper & Gambini's, an upper-end casual eatery that's long defined the Lebanese dining scene. Then they introduced a salad bar spanning everything you'd demand from a self-service cart: marinated grilled chicken breast; shreds of Swiss and turkey; roasted bell peppers; and much, much more.

More recently, I discovered their delivery service, which certainly doesn't cut corners, as you'll find with the heartwarming lentil soup, copious salads, delectable burgers, and gourmet pizzas. For pescetarians, the grilled salmon filet with a side of basmati and soy-kissed vegetables is alluring. Now that's a feast for the office. 

Salmon teriyaki with jasmine rice

The J’s

From: Tallet el Khayat, Verdun

When: 10 am – midnight

Enough with rehashed salads and sandwiches, have the namesake burger! 180g of Black Angus beef form a densely packed meat patty that is tender and moist. A layer of melted cheddar, lettuce, tomato and a slather of light signature sauce serve as garnish inside a simple, seed-free bun. The burger could use a hint of sweetness, which ketchup will wonderfully lend. Ask for twice the coleslaw, as it strikes the perfect balance between savory and sweet.

The J's Burger

Bento

From: Achrafieh (Adlieh)

When: 8 am – 9 pm (closed Sundays)

Bento (not to be confused with Sushi Bento) is a cafe serving a selection of salads, sandwiches, burgers, wraps, and mains. They offer a very efficient delivery service, with food presented piping hot and intact in plastic containers, with thick paper bags for packaging.

Try the Passion salad, which features a bouquet of mixed lettuce cradling sliced chicken breast (served cold), in addition to slices of mango, avocado and red bell pepper in a tangy mustard-citrus sauce. It makes for a very diet-friendly option.

The chicken teriyaki main is another healthy number, boasting three skewers of sesame-kissed cubes of chicken breast, a skewer of grilled pineapple chunks, sautéed veggies, and a generous portion of steamed jasmine rice. 

Passion Salad

O’Grill

From: Hamra

When: 24/7

Sometimes, all you need are some good old-fashioned Lebanese grills, animated by garlic paste, pickles, hummus and spuds. I mean, who doesn’t crave the tender, juicy marinated chicken cubes lovingly known as “taouk,” or succulent veal dressed up with a lick of chickpea-tahini puree? O’Grill, a new establishment along Rue Makdessi in Hamra, serves up a slew of grills, whether in sandwich or platter form. If you want to upgrade to banquet level, order your skewers with the mezza essentials, baba ghannouj, fattouch, and tabbouleh.

Mixed grills

Mini Guette

From: Salim Salam

When: 7 am – 1 am

A word about the jazzy packaging, which has boxes for the paper-jacketed sandwiches and burgers, as well as plastic bowls for the salads. Unwrap the magic: the signature chia bread, engineered by a dietitian and catering to the health-conscious, is delicious, supple and firm all at once, and rich with seeds, even in the dough!

The Chicken Mushroom (8,000 LL) comes generously packed with strips of chicken breast and shreds of lettuce, free of the overwhelming sauces and spreads you’d find elsewhere. The smoked salmon with cream cheese and capers (11,000 LL) is exactly that -- no surprises; only fresh, tasty ingredients. I might tack on lemon wedges, rocket leaves, and mashed avocado for a bit of flair.

Salads are a hit. Pomegranate & Rocca (8,000 LL) merges walnuts, pomegranate seeds, grated Parmesan with tangy balsamic vinegar dressing. Mango Chicken (10,000 LL) fuses the savory and sweet, with a tender marinated chicken breast sliced into strips resting on a bed of French lettuce, cubed mango, grated carrot, and a load of sultanas. Honey mustard dressing marries all the flavors together.

The sweet finish in equally strong. A sesame bun slathered liberally with chunky peanut butter and Nutella chocolate spread (4,500 LL) is worth your while, as is the vanilla-chocolate chip muffin (2,000 LL) with a chocolate pudding core. 

Mango Chicken Salad

Cup N’ Cake

From: Ashrafieh

When: 10 am – 7 pm (closed Sundays)

I wouldn’t be true to my sweet tooth self if I overlooked a dessert option in this collection.   

Ever find yourself clambering for cupcakes that are not ready-mix and actually have a unique touch to them? Cup N’ Cake’s your winner, and there are a number of flavors to pick among: carrot cake, red velvet, Oreo, lemon, Nutella, and chocolate. I recommend refrigerating them before consumption, as it gives the cake texture a pleasurable density. The cream cheese frosting is cloyingly sweet but decidedly delicious, and the crumb of the cupcakes is soft, fluffy and fresh.

A half dozen cupcakes with different flavors