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…