Photo by Robert Cohen (Post-Dispatch)
The Palm Trees
If the Palm Trees is the first Saudi Arabian restaurant you’ve visited, you’re probably not alone. “Our cuisine stayed around us,” owner and chef Fedda Alsadeq told the Post-Dispatch in a 2017 interview. “Now it’s getting outside.” The menu can be familiar — hummus, falafel, shawarma — but for the full experience try Saudi Arabian specialties like kabsa (lamb or chicken with rice cooked in lamb broth) or kabli hijazi (lamb or chicken with rice, potatoes and an orange-zest sauce). Alsadeq opened the Palm Trees with the encouragement of friends who’d eaten her home-cooked Saudi Arabian fare. Eat here, and you’ll encourage friends to try it as well.
Hours: Dinner Tuesday-Sunday, lunch Wednesday-Sunday (closed Monday)
Last year's ranking: New this year
Opened: 2016
Must order: Lamb mandi ($17.99)