Mediterranean, salads and lighter food in Bellaire

Inside the city

Salata, at 5101 Bellaire Ct., Suite 190, serves salads and wraps. Its website describes a build-your-own model, with proteins and other ingredients you pick, hand-chopped ingredients and signature dressings, plus online ordering with quick pickup and a mobile app. The listing shows 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Sunday.

CAVA, at 5401 Bellaire Boulevard, is listed as a Mediterranean restaurant, and its listing shows 10:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day of the week. We could not read its website, so we describe the category and leave the menu to the restaurant.

Kebabs, wraps and plates

The Kebab Shop, at 4024 Bellaire Blvd., has a Houston address, about a mile from City Hall. Its website describes fire-grilled Mediterranean wraps, bowls and plates made to order, with menu sections for grain bowls, grilled wraps and chef's plates, plus fries and salads. The listing shows 10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. every day.

Fadi's Meyerland Mediterranean Grill, at 4738 Beechnut St., describes Lebanese-Mediterranean cooking, and its website mentions kabobs, shawarma, hummus, falafel, salads, grilled meats and desserts. The site places it across from Meyerland Plaza and says it is open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily.

Dimassi's Mediterranean Buffet, at 5160 Richmond Ave., is a buffet, and its website says it has more than 60 Mediterranean dishes, among them kebabs, shawarma, hummus, tabouli, falafel and salads, with vegan and gluten-free options. The website says desserts and drinks are included in the buffet price. It says it is open seven days a week, and the listing shows 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. most days and until 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.

Fadi's Meyerland Mediterranean Grill and Dimassi's both list falafel, hummus and shawarma, so the real choice is between a menu and a buffet.

Craft Pita, at 5172 Buffalo Speedway, Suite C, is listed as a Mediterranean restaurant. We could not read its website, but its listing shows 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, which makes it a weekend-morning option in this group.

Greek and bowls

Kriti Kitchen, at 4010 Bissonnet St., calls itself a homestyle Greek cafe serving brunch, lunch and dinner. Its website lists mezze boards, wraps, salads and brunch, along with prepared meals to heat at home for pickup or delivery. The listing shows it closed on Mondays, open from 9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, until 8 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, so Sunday is a brunch visit and nothing later.

Leaf & Grain, at 5525 Weslayan St., describes grain bowls, salads and other healthy options, and its website mentions a seasonal TexMex salad called El Rey, salmon dishes and sandwiches with burrata and heirloom tomatoes. Its listing shows 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. every day.

HS Green, at 5092 Richmond Ave., lists breakfast items, cold-pressed juice, salads and grain bowls, with vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options and catering. Its listing shows 6:45 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays, 7 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, and closed on Sunday, which makes it the earliest opener on the page.

Choosing between them

The categories overlap less than the labels suggest. A salad place, a kebab shop and a Greek cafe all sell something lighter than a burger, but they sell it in different ways. Salata and Leaf & Grain put the vegetables first. The Kebab Shop, Fadi's and Dimassi's put the grilled meat first and the vegetables beside it. Kriti Kitchen is the one that sells a board to share.

Fadi's Meyerland Mediterranean Grill and Dimassi's both list falafel, hummus and shawarma, so the real choice is between a menu and a buffet. If you want to order a specific dish and leave, Fadi's is the choice. If you want several small things and no decisions, Dimassi's is. For a vegan or gluten-free guest, Dimassi's and HS Green both list those options on their websites, which is a better starting point than guessing.

By the clock

Lighter food is often a lunch, so the closing times matter. Kriti Kitchen closes at 7 p.m. from Tuesday through Thursday and at 8 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. Leaf & Grain closes at 8 p.m. every day, and HS Green and The Kebab Shop close at 9 p.m. on weekdays. Only CAVA, which lists 10 p.m. every day, and Dimassi's, which lists 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, are open much later. For a true late dinner on this page, those are the two to choose.

The earliest openers are worth knowing as well. HS Green lists 6:45 a.m. on weekdays, Kriti Kitchen lists 9:30 a.m. most days, and Craft Pita lists 9 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Those are the three to choose if the plan starts with brunch.

Before you go

- Kriti Kitchen is closed on Mondays and closes at 2:30 p.m. on Sundays, according to its listing. - HS Green is closed on Sundays, and it is the only place in this guide that opens before 7 a.m. - Only Salata and CAVA are inside Bellaire, and every other restaurant here carries a Houston address. - CAVA and Craft Pita have no readable website menu in our sources, so check what they serve before you plan around it. - Dimassi's says desserts and drinks are included in its buffet price, so ask what that price is when you call.

Sources

- Salata: https://salata.com - The Kebab Shop: https://thekebabshop.com - Fadi's Meyerland Mediterranean Grill: https://fadismeyerland.com - Dimassi's Mediterranean Buffet: https://dimassis.com - Kriti Kitchen: https://kritikitchen.com - Leaf & Grain: https://eatlg.com - HS Green: https://hsgreen.menu - HERE Bellaire places file, open restaurant listings and hours (CAVA, Craft Pita and hours for restaurants above)

En español

Dentro de Bellaire hay dos opciones ligeras: Salata, en 5101 Bellaire Ct., Suite 190, con ensaladas y wraps que usted arma, y CAVA, en 5401 Bellaire Boulevard, un restaurante mediterráneo. A menos de tres millas hay más: The Kebab Shop, en 4024 Bellaire Blvd.; Fadi's Meyerland Mediterranean Grill, en 4738 Beechnut St., con cocina libanesa; Dimassi's Mediterranean Buffet, en 5160 Richmond Ave., con más de 60 platos; Craft Pita, en Buffalo Speedway; Kriti Kitchen, un café griego en 4010 Bissonnet St.; Leaf & Grain, con bowls de granos y ensaladas; y HS Green, con desayunos y jugos prensados en frío. Solo Salata y CAVA están dentro de la ciudad. Los horarios vienen de cada listado; Kriti Kitchen cierra los lunes y HS Green los domingos.