Most people drive past Gilgamesh Restaurant & Bakery without a second thought. It sits in a shopping center on Terrace Drive in Richardson, the kind of address that doesn’t announce itself. That’s a mistake worth correcting, because what’s happening inside that kitchen is some of the most authentic Iraqi cooking in the Dallas area.
The menu is rooted in Mesopotamian tradition — the kind of food that gets passed down through generations, not invented for a trend. Bread baked fresh daily comes to the table first, and it sets the tone for everything that follows.
Start with the appetizers. The hummus ($6.99) is made in-house with chickpeas, tahini, lemon, and garlic, finished with a drizzle of olive oil. The baba ganoush ($6.99) uses smoked eggplant as the base, and you can taste the difference. The hummus with meat ($11.99) takes the standard a step further — creamy chickpea puree topped with sautéed seasoned beef and more olive oil. The fattoush ($6.99) comes together with lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, radishes, bell peppers, and toasted pita in a lemon and olive oil dressing. If you want to work through several starters at once, the mix appetizers plate ($25.99) lets you choose six from the full starter list.
The breakfast menu is worth knowing about even if you come later in the day. The jelfrai ($15.99) is an Iraqi skillet of beef or lamb with onions, tomatoes, peppers, garlic, and traditional spices, served hot. The makhlama ($14.99) is similar — eggs, tender beef or lamb, sautéed onions, tomatoes, and Middle Eastern spices cooked together. The baqla bil dahn ($14.99) is broad beans slowly cooked with pure ghee and eggs, a dish that’s deeply Iraqi and rarely found outside a home kitchen. The shakshuka ($12.49) rounds out the morning menu with poached eggs in spiced tomato and pepper sauce.
The grill program is where the kitchen really shows itself. Everything comes off charcoal, and that matters. The Iraqi beef kebab ($29.99 for four skewers, $18.99 for two) is minced meat blended with traditional Iraqi spices and grilled until the outside is properly marked and the inside stays juicy. The shish tawook ($25.99 for four skewers, $15.99 for two) marinates chicken in Iraqi spices, yogurt, and herbs before it hits the fire. The lamb ribs ($29.99 for five pieces, $18.99 for two) come with rice, roasted tomatoes, and caramelized onions. The smoked whole chicken ($26.99, half at $16.99) takes 30 to 40 minutes over charcoal — order it as soon as you sit down.
The plates section covers the more involved dishes. Iraqi dolma ($35.99) is grape leaves and seasonal vegetables stuffed with seasoned rice and meat, slowly cooked in a tomato and pomegranate sauce. It serves two and takes an hour to prepare — the kitchen will tell you upfront. Lamb quzi ($28.99) is slow-cooked lamb over fragrant Iraqi rice, topped with nuts and raisins, with a side from the appetizer menu. The adlaimiyah with lamb quzi ($29.99) layers that same slow-cooked lamb over basmati rice on a base of fresh-baked bread that soaks up the broth underneath. The red tashreeb ($27.99) does something similar with lamb braised until tender, then served over Iraqi flatbread soaked in rich broth — hearty and deeply satisfying. The beef shawarma plate ($23.99, half at $15.99) slow-roasts the beef and serves it with rice, fresh salad, warm bread, and garlic sauce or Iraqi sauce.
The sandwich section is a strong option for a quicker visit. The beef shawarma in saj bread ($12.99) wraps the slow-roasted beef in traditional saj bread with tahini, tomatoes, onions, and pickles. The Iraqi kebab sandwich ($9.99) puts grilled kebab in a soft roll with tomatoes, onions, and traditional spices. The falafel sandwich ($6.99) builds on diced cucumber, pickles, tomato, parsley, mint, and tahini — and you can upgrade to a falafel mix for $2 more.
The drink list goes well beyond what you’d expect. The smoked Erbil yogurt drink ($3.99) is yogurt blended with water and a touch of salt, then lightly smoked — it’s the traditional pairing with grilled dishes and shawarma, and it works. The qamar al-din ($5.99) is a traditional apricot drink made from premium dried apricot sheets, soaked and blended smooth, served chilled. The Gilgamesh juice ($5.99) mixes tamarind, Vimto, and apricot nectar into something sweet and tangy that you won’t find on many menus in North Texas. Iraqi tea ($0.99 a glass, $4.99 a pot) is strong black tea brewed slowly and served in small glass cups — the way it’s always been done.
Gilgamesh Restaurant & Bakery is at 300 Terrace Drive, Suite 301, Richardson. Hours are Monday through Thursday 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., Friday 10 a.m. to 11 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m. to 11 p.m., and Sunday 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. gilgameshdallas.com | (469) 206-7138
