Cheap Eats: Lebanese food made with love at Tiger Bakery

1/11/2018
BY MARY BILYEU
BLADE FOOD EDITOR
  • Tiger-Bakery-meat-fatayer

    The generously stuffed meat fatayer (pie), fresh fatoosh, and complementary pita bread at Tiger Bakery and Deli.

    THE BLADE/MARY BILYEU
    Buy This Image

  • Our weekly search for the Toledo area’s best cheap eats finds us at Tiger Bakery and Deli today, a much-loved local favorite.

    Of course, you know you could get hummus or baklava at this Lebanese restaurant for very little money. But as you peruse the dozens and dozens of options in the deli case, both hot and cold, you’ll find that you can enjoy an absolute feast on our mandatory $5 per person budget.

    Fatoosh — brightly colored and flavored with cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, parsley, and lemon juice — costs $5.49 per pound. Order a half-pound for $2.25 and pair it with a generous $1.99 meat fatayer stuffed with beef, onions, and a touch of pomegranate for a wholesome light meal. (Vegetarians can order the cheese-filled variety, creamy with ricotta and feta, or a spinach one for the same price.)

    Lebanese dishes shine at Tiger Bakery and Deli.

    Za’atar flatbread — topped with thyme, oregano, and sumac — cost $2.25. They could be paired with falafel patties that are only 99 cents each or with a couple of stuffed grape leaves ($7.99 per pound). A hot serving of soup for $2.99 per pound (lentil, orzo, and vegetarian are just a few of the options) would pair beautifully with bureek, a beef and pine nut-filled phyllo-encased treat, or with a chicken fatayer (a wrapped burrito-like sandwich), each of which costs $1.99.

    Don’t forget dessert, such as the orange blossom-scented rice pudding for $2.99, which could easily be shared because the serving is so hearty. Pastries and other sweets will tempt you at the cash register, singing a Siren song to you because they look so delicious, and all of them come in well under our budget.

    Whether you’re looking for something sweet or savory, Tiger Bakery offers a wide range to choose from, letting you mix and match with incredibly inviting prices.

    Tiger Bakery and Deli, 4215 Monroe St., 419-473-8942 and 6710 W. Central Ave., 419-842-0047, tigerbakery.com.

    Contact Mary Bilyeu at 419-724-6155 or mbilyeu@theblade.com, and follow her at facebook.com/thebladefoodpage.