Eli’s Jerusalem Grill is a dream come true for Birmingham, Alabama residents hungry for authentic Mediterranean food.

The food is heaven-sent for faithful Eli’s customer Alexandra Hodges, who has enjoyed eating at Eli’s U.S. Highway 280 restaurant since she discovered the Mediterranean offerings. Her favorite meal is Eli’s lamb and chicken shawarma with a side of all-organic vegetables, washed down with organic iced tea.

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“I love Eli’s Grill,” said Hodges, a 23-year-old UAB nursing student who works at a Birmingham hospital. “It’s always good. You can count on the food being fresh. I try to eat organic.” Away from work, it’s not unusual for Hodges to drive 25 miles for dinner at Eli’s Jerusalem Grill.

Those are comments Eli Markshtien loves to hear, knowing his food “hits the spot.”

Customers can partake of lamb chops, beef kabobs, chicken schnitzel and shakshuka, an Israeli Tunisian dish of eggs poached in a spicy sauce of tomatoes, chili peppers, garlic, onions and cumin, and many more Mediterranean dishes. Several fresh salad sides are offered: tabouli, Moroccan carrots, roasted peppers, red cabbage, red beet, Israeli salad, hummus and baba ganoush.

Meals at Eli’s Jerusalem Grill are made from fresh, organic and non-GMO ingredients. (Brittany Faush / Alabama NewsCenter)

Many customers try appetizers such as hummus and/or baba ghanoush, a dish of eggplant, garlic and seasonings that can be dipped with Eli’s fluffy pita bread.

Customers are never shortchanged on taste, he said.

“The cooking is straight from Israel, using my Mom’s and Grandmother’s recipes,” said Eli (pronounced “El-lee”), who has been in business for three years. “There’s nothing like that here. We have organic chicken, grass-fed beef and lamb, and Moroccan-style fish with a lot of flavor.”

It’s all thanks to Markshtien’s nearly lifelong desire – and a gentle push from his wife and business partner, Laurel, and her mother.

With Laurel’s business acumen and his mother’s treasured family recipes, the restaurant quickly became a booming success. The first Eli’s Jerusalem Grill at Highway 280 in Inverness is busy morning to night, and the new Eli’s Grill at Pizitz Food Hall in downtown Birmingham is attracting lots of people.

Food born in Israel, 6,500 miles away

Markshtien has come a long way from Sha`ar HaGolan, Israel to becoming an “Israeli-Southerner.”

Walking into the Highway 280 store, many customers say they feel as though they’ve been transported to the Old City Market in Jerusalem. The left wall of the restaurant features a large-scale photo of the ancient limestone blocks that compose the Western Wall (or “Wailing Wall”).

Markshtien lived in Israel nearly 23 years. He served in the Special Forces for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) for five years.

Beef and lamb shawarma are made from grass-fed meats, slow-cooked on a rotisserie. (Brittany Faush / Alabama NewsCenter)

Chicken shawarma contains organic chicken slow-cooked on a rotisserie. (Brittany Faush / Alabama NewsCenter)

Eli’s Jerusalem Grill specializes in savory dishes. (Brittany Faush / Alabama NewsCenter)

“In Israel, everyone serves in the IDF,” Markshtien said. “I did what I was supposed to give – it’s the way you live your life.”

The restaurant features Israeli dishes that are organic, non-GMO and grass-fed Israeli dishes. About 90 percent of the meu is gluten-free and organic – perfect for customers who like to eat healthy. Eli’s Jerusalem Grill uses organic spices and non-GMO oils.

“It wasn’t easy to do this,” he said. “The ingredients are expensive. Non-GMOs are expensive. At Eli’s Jerusalem Grill, we pay attention and make sure we have high quality ingredients such as organic, non-GMO and grass-fed items. What we put into our bodies is so important to our health.”

Try Eli’s Jerusalem Grill at Highway 280 at Inverness (shown) or the newest store at Pizitz Food Hall in downtown Birmingham. (Brittany Faush/Alabama NewsCenter)

Employees make fresh pita bread twice a day. Focusing on using only the freshest ingredients, the restaurant doesn’t have a freezer.

There are 14 beverage options.

Diners can satisfy their sweet tooth with baklava or kanafe, a dessert served in Israel. Kanafe is made from shredded coconut, almond, sweet cheese, citrus blossom syrup, and garnished with raw pistachio.

“We have many faithful, repeat customers,” Markshtien said. “One of the biggest compliments is when our customers bring their friends to visit us and try our food. Good, tasty food can also be good for you. I want my customers to leave us happy and filled, having been served very well.”