Jerusalem Garden wins 2025 Best Ann Arbor Mediterranean Food

A glass sign reads “Jerusalem Garden.” Caleb Rosenblum/DAILY. Buy this photo. The entrance of Jerusalem Garden. Caleb Rosenblum/DAILY. Buy this photo.

Slotted neatly between office buildings on Liberty Street lies an outdoor patio with ornate chairs welcoming guests to a well-lit, decorated oasis of Mediterranean cuisine. Over the years, Jerusalem Garden has cemented itself as a community staple, earning the Best of Ann Arbor’s Best Mediterranean Food award year after year.

Since the establishment’s humble beginnings in 1987, Jerusalem Garden has grown strong historic ties to the Ann Arbor community. In 1993, current owner Ali Ramlawi took over restaurant operations from his father, Ribhi Ramlawi, after his unexpected passing and, later on, moved the business to a much larger building.

In an interview with The Michigan Daily, Ramlawi said the restaurant has a deep connection with those in and around the city, even receiving community support during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“During (COVID-19), when it was the early days of the shutdown, we had students at the University of Michigan raise money to save the restaurant,” Ramlawi said. “I had a parent come with $800 in cash, money that the students raised for their favorite restaurant. I thought, ‘Look how cool that is. That’s amazing. You mean so much that people do that’.”

The restaurant has a strong commitment to serving authentic food with an emphasis on quality. Ramlawi said Jerusalem Garden is dedicated to using fresh ingredients, like soaking their own chickpeas and using fresh meat and vegetables.

“When people tell us what they like, they like the freshness,” Ramlawi said. “They say it’s fresh, it’s clean, it’s not so greasy and heavy and oily.”

Ramlawi said his favorite part of Jerusalem Garden is its ties to the community and its ability to retain the same quality despite its transition to a larger establishment.

“My whole existence is an extension of Jerusalem Garden,” Ramlawi said. “I know everybody through this place. I know thousands of people that I would never know if it wasn’t for Jerusalem Garden.”

Daily Staff Reporter Quinn Mittlestat can be reached at qlouise@umich.edu.