Comments (2) Best Cafe con Bellydancers - 2007

Michael's Cafe

You might be wondering: Is it a gas station, a restaurant, or a barç It's really a combination of all three. This former Texaco station has been converted into an elegant Middle Eastern eatery that specializes in alfresco dining, an experience formerly unheard of on bustling Kendall Drive. You can indulge in all of the traditional cuisine of the region — we recommend the beef shawarma platter, which costs a mere $11.99 and comes with delicious roasted meat, lentil rice, hummus, pita, and a salad. Although Michael's is a cafe, it functions just fine as a bar. The restaurant's owner, Michael Touma, made the most of the gas station's built-in glass-door fridges. Now Michael's offers what may be the finest beer selection of any Middle Eastern restaurant in the region. A sixteen-ounce Tucher costs a mere $3. Every night is hookah night, and on Fridays and Saturdays the typically calm scene is transformed into a live music and bellydancing haven, with a bevy of damsels in spangled clothes spinning and gyrating around the tables where gas pumps used to be.