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Published by Jeremy. Last Updated on February 12, 2026.
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When looking for a new restaurant to visit downtown before a Pittsburgh Penguins game, Yaba’s Middle Eastern Street Food, just across the street from PPG Paints Arena, caught our attention.
A fast casual, build-your-own bowl and wrap concept focusing on Middle Eastern flavors? All at a reasonable price? Sign us up!
As it turns out, this restaurant, tucked away on the second floor of an assuming building near the stadium, packed a punch. If you’re in the mood for a quick and reasonably priced Middle Eastern meal while downtown, Yaba’s is worth the stop.
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Build Your Own Middle Eastern Bowls and Wraps at Yaba’s
During our first visit, we stuck with the build-your-own menu and went for one rice bowl and one wrap (although we were really tempted by the hummus option over rice- next time!).
If you’ve been to other restaurant concepts with build-your-own-style meals, the menu layout here should be rather familiar- just with Middle Eastern flavors. You pick a base bowl, wrap, or salad, add on a protein, pick up to five toppings, and two sauces, and a delicious meal will be out your way in moments.
On our rice bowl, we went with falafel, a spread of pickled vegetables, hummus, and garlic paste, plus the house white sauce (a yogurt and mayo mix) for good measure.
To say this bowl was large is probably an understatement, and it was quite the feast for one. The falafel was especially crisp with a thick fried exterior, and we did not go wanting for flavor thanks to the abundance of toppings. All the toppings came in generous proportions, and we definitely struggled to finish this one in a single sitting (but we did our best since we were going to a Pens game after and couldn’t take leftovers).
For the wrap, we made it a true shawarma with lamb, pita chips, more pickled vegetables (sumac onions were a standout!), garlic paste, and the Yaba’s red spicy sauce.
Although the portion size of the wrap was a bit smaller than the bowl, and it is a few dollars cheaper as a result, it was much more manageable as a regular-sized meal. This one came bursting with so much flavor that we’d argue the combination of ingredients here, as noted above, was quite the winning combination. The pita chips really brought it all together, adding a bit of texture to the mix, while the Yaba’s red sauce brought a bit of heat without being too spicy overall.
Beyond the build-your-own menu, Yaba’s has a decent selection of halal burgers, wings, and fries, so we also opted to try the fries for a different kind of side. These felt a bit like classic diner fries, with a rough and crispy exterior. Decent enough for what they are; however, we do admit we’re a bit curious about the burgers and wings for a future visit- spots like these are often a surprising find, and it got our attention for our next meal.
Overall, Yaba’s Middle Eastern Street Food is quite a delicious spot across from PPG Paints Arena. Whether you’re in the area for a Pens game or something else, swing by this one for a delicious build-your-own meal!
Yaba’s Middle Eastern Street Food is located at 1022 Fifth Avenue in downtown Pittsburgh. Please note that they are located on the second floor and accessed only via stairs as far as we can tell.
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