Old Jerusalem has operated on Mission Street since 2005, when original owner Ahmad Nasser, from the West Bank, opened it as a neighborhood spot bringing West Bank and Mediterranean cooking to San Francisco. He later brought on Hajem Almukdad, from Syria, as a business partner, and the two have run it together since as a family-owned, casual restaurant.
The menu runs through sandwiches — shawarma, beef kefta kebab, lamb shish kebab, chicken shish taouk, falafel — built on lavash bread with tahini and hummus, alongside a spread of Mediterranean dishes like hummus, baba ganoush, and ful. The kunafa, made in-house on a cast iron griddle sourced from the Holy Land, is a signature dessert.
The restaurant has built a following as a steady presence in the Mission, drawing a regular mix of neighborhood regulars, college students, and tourists.
The menu runs through sandwiches — shawarma, beef kefta kebab, lamb shish kebab, chicken shish taouk, falafel — built on lavash bread with tahini and hummus, alongside a spread of Mediterranean dishes like hummus, baba ganoush, and ful. The kunafa, made in-house on a cast iron griddle sourced from the Holy Land, is a signature dessert.
The restaurant has built a following as a steady presence in the Mission, drawing a regular mix of neighborhood regulars, college students, and tourists.