CLE Takeout Guide: Sanabel Middle East Bakery

Owner Norma Touma has been turning out fresh baked pita and house-made Lebanese food from this nondescript Akron storefront six days a week for 17 years. The dedication has built quite a following, requiring customers to call ahead and place orders before arriving early to pick them up. “We cook everything fresh every day,” Touma says, noting she and her three-person staff go through 100 to 200 pounds of flour daily to make enough pita to satisfy her loyal customers.

“Sometimes, after lunchtime, everything is gone until the next day,” she says. “When it’s gone, it’s gone.” Touma started the business after her husband died and she needed to work to support her sons, then 3 and 5. Previously, she had done catering out of her home. “I said, ‘I’ll give it a try. If it works, that’s fine,’ ” she says. “Thank God, I’ve been in business since then.”

Sandwiches come wrapped in warm pita, with fillings such as falafel or kafta, an onion- and parsley-infused beef paired with pickles and hummus. Other popular items include hummus, tabbouleh and an assortment of pies stuffed with meat, spinach or other veggies. Daily entree specials, such as rice with chicken served with cucumber, yogurt and pita, also go fast. “It’s like mama’s cooking,” Touma says. “We don’t do anything fancy. It’s like you’re cooking at home, fresh every day.”

Try This: Lentils and rice, called m’jadara ($8.50), which come topped with caramelized onions and served with pita and a side house salad, available on Wednesdays and Fridays.

How To Order: By Phone

308 E. South St., Akron, 330-253-4505, facebook.com/sanabelbakery