Nunu's Mediterranean Cafe & Market in Oklahoma City: Where Deli Counter Meets Grocery for Levantine Food

Nunu's is a combined cafe, takeout counter, and retail market in Oklahoma City that specializes in Levantine food—the cooking of Syria, Lebanon, Palestine, and Jordan. Rather than table service, you order at a counter, collect your food, and either eat at a handful of small tables or take it with you. The market side stocks imported goods, olives, oils, and prepared items that support both casual lunch traffic and home cooks restocking their pantries.

What Nunu's actually is

The space functions as working proof that Mediterranean food in Oklahoma City extends well beyond Greek or Italian. Levantine cuisine centers on grilled meats, slow-cooked vegetables, legumes, and bread—shawarma, kibbeh, muhamarra, hummus, and fattoush are the backbone. Nunu's treats these not as exotic curiosities but as everyday food. The cafe occupies a modest footprint; order, wait five to ten minutes for made-to-order items, and seat yourself at one of four or five tables, or leave with a bag.

Menu and pricing

Sandwiches anchor the pricing: chicken shawarma and beef shawarma run around $8 to $10, served on flatbread with tomato, onion, and tahini sauce. Combination plates with protein, hummus, rice, and salad cost $12 to $16 depending on choice of meat. Appetizers like hummus, baba ganoush, and kibbeh range from $4 to $7. The market sells jarred items—olives, preserved lemons, muhammara—at $6 to $12 per jar. Coffee is standard diner-style, $2 to $3. Prices are consistent enough that you can plan a lunch budget of $10 to $15 per person for a full meal; contact the cafe directly to confirm current pricing.

How Nunu's compares to other Mediterranean options in Oklahoma City

Oklahoma City has multiple Mediterranean entries, but they serve different purposes. Cafe Kacao, also in the metro, offers casual Mediterranean-inspired bowls and sandwiches but does not stock a retail market component. Nunu's leans deeper into specific Levantine preparation: the shawarma is vertical-spit roasted in-house, not ground and reformed. The hummus is made fresh daily, not from a wholesale bin. If you want a quick lunch sandwich, either works; if you want to buy preserved lemons or authentic tahini to cook at home, Nunu's is the only option in Oklahoma City that combines both. Mediterranean restaurants with full table service (like those emphasizing Greek or Turkish menus) offer wine lists and longer dining experiences; Nunu's trades ambiance and alcohol for speed, lower cost, and authenticity of ingredient.

Who it suits and who it does not

Nunu's works for professionals grabbing lunch within 15 minutes, families stocking up on imported goods, cooks hunting specific ingredients, and anyone craving Levantine food cooked from first principles. It does not suit diners seeking alcohol, a long sit-down meal, or a quieter environment. The tables are informal; expect surrounding conversation and quick turnover. Those new to Levantine food should not expect a server to explain dishes; a brief glance at the counter and menu board is your guide.

What the first visit involves

Walk in, survey the menu board above the counter, decide on a protein or vegetarian option, and order. Ask if something is available now or requires waiting. While you wait, browse the market shelves: olive oils, spice blends, canned goods, fresh flatbread sometimes available. Collect your food at the counter, find a table, or leave. Most first-timers order a single sandwich to test the waters; regulars often grab a plate with rice and multiple sides.

Hours, parking, and logistics

Nunu's operates as a neighborhood counter cafe with limited parking in front or street-side availability; arrive at lunch hours (11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.) expecting modest crowding. Confirm hours directly before visiting, as they may shift seasonally or for holidays. The location is accessible by car; public transit access depends on your starting point in the metro.

Nunu's fills a gap in Oklahoma City's food landscape by treating Levantine cooking not as fusion or novelty but as the serious, everyday cuisine it is. The combination of a functioning counter cafe and a stocked market means one visit can feed you and restock your kitchen.