Manakeesh House

Anaheim’s Al Amir and Forn al Hara bakeries are two of Little Arabia’s best-known restaurants to experience manaeesh/manakeesh – Middle Eastern flatbreads that are similar to California-style thin-crust pizzas in size and texture, but typically completely different in toppings, lacking tomato sauce and sometimes cheese in favor of layers of za’atar spice, labneh, egg, or ground beef. During the spring of 2026, a new alternative named Manakeesh House opened at a perfect location in Anaheim, immediately next to the Masjid Al-Ansar mosque and West Coast Islamic Society. Beautifully decorated inside with gold, white, marble, and wooden elements that reminded us of now-shuttered Yemeni restaurant Monasaba, Manakeesh House seats around 50 people in its main dining room, which sits next to an open kitchen space with an oven, ordering counters, and fridge for canned Shasta sodas and waters.

As the younger sibling of Shawarma House, a Palestinian-owned restaurant near Jerusalem Coffee, Jerusalem Roastery, and Urban Punjab, Manakeesh House focuses almost exclusively on manakeesh ($6 to $15) and “pizza manakeesh” ($10 to $13), plus a few other options: rotisserie and charcoal chickens ($18/half, $30/whole), Jerusalem kaaka sandwiches ($16), wraps ($11 to $12), bowls ($15), and a collection of typical Middle Eastern appetizers ($4 to $10). “House plates” with kebabs, grilled salmon or shrimp, or filet mignon are also available for $17 to $23, each including rice, salad, hummus, and a pita.

It’s worth noting that most of these prices (especially for the flatbreads and pizzas) are very reasonable given recent inflation – part of the reason we saw multiple families here getting lunch together on our visit. Manakeesh House also goes out of its way to appeal to kids and others looking for Americanized options: “Speciality” chicken manakeesh made with Buffalo ranch, chipotle, or fajita elements are available for $16 each, while $13 dessert pizzas with M&Ms, marshmallows and nutella, strawberries and pistachios, or Lotus Biscoff cookies can provide sweet endings for meals here – assuming you’re not already stuffed by that point.