Mezze

Seriously the best breakfast pizza I’ve had! The crust was so flavorful, cheese and meats were perfect. Just awesome do yourself a favor and try it.

I really want to like Mezze, but I think it’s time that I finally admit the truth to myself and my wallet — it’s just not that great. I’ve been to this stand in the Reading Terminal Market at least 10 times, and in theory, I love their food and their menu. It’s just the kind of stuff I like to eat — wraps, soups, salad, veggies, hummus, Diet Coke…
But something is always just a bit off. Their soup broths are always extremely heavy and greasy, even for things like vegetable soup, that should be light, and they don’t have great flavor. Their salmon wrap has the potential to be bangingly awesome (is that a thing?), but instead is always really oily and bland, except for the fish which is pretty good. The hummus and dressings usually have a skin on them, like they haven’t been stirred in a while, and their salads are kind of limp and sad-​looking, like the lettuce just needs a hug. Womp womp
The other thing that bothers me about Mezze is their service. Today while I was waiting in line, a guy behind the counter accidentally dropped a piece of pizza in the soup terrine, and simultaneously not-​accidentally dropped the F-​bomb (which, between you and me, is a standard word in my vocabulary, but saying it loudly in front of customers just rubbed me the wrong way). Then, when another person in line ordered a sandwich that they had just run out of, the customer asked what else was available, and the counter-​dude rudely told him to go walk around and see for himself because it’s not his job to know. Wait, but isn’t it actually your job to know?
There are so many awesome places in RTM — Mezze just isn’t one of them. :(

The breakfast pizza is epic.

I visit Mezze often with my husband, mostly for a late breakfast/​early lunch. Their pepper egg sandwich never disappoints me. I’ve tried many of their other sandwiches and they are tasty and very well made. The service is very fast, even when Reading Terminal is very crowded. The staff is also very friendly. This place has never failed me.

After a short, hunger-​fueled search around the Reading Market, I chose a Mezze sandwich for my lunch. And, true to their name, the sandwich was a little «mezze.»
(See what I did there? Mezze = messy? Kinda? No? Ok.)
I can’t remember the name of the sandwich — I’m not sure it even had one — but it was Eggplant with Prosciutto, Mozzarella, Tomato, & Basil on what looked like an Onion Roll.
I was dismayed to find that the sandwich was majority bread, the filling had slid to one side, and the roll was just a little too hard for me. But I was starving, so I pressed on. The sandwich itself was pretty good, though the eggplant kind of slides out of the sandwich, so I wouldn’t eat this if you have somewhere nice to be after your lunch break. Like I said before, some of the roll didn’t have any filling inside, so I ended up not eating part of the «crust.»
All in all, the food was okay, but not great — and in a place with such a huge selection of lunch options, I would probably try my luck at a different place before stopping here again.

Came to Philly for a couple days and was excited to see crab cakes on this menu! I ordered the entrée version and it came with seasoned rice and roasted veggies. The crab cake was good– not great. They use a fair amount of breading and it didn’t have a ton of flavor. The rice was also good– not great. Seasoned well but nothing special. Well priced but I would probably choose a different restaurant next time because there are so many other options in reading terminal market. However if it was the only thing available I wouldn’t be opposed to eating there again.

This place was decent. The food tasted fresh; however, when I asked for the sandwich and pizza slice to be heated, the food was barely above room temp. I was kinda disappointed with it. I also got the tortellini salad, which tasted like a caprese salad, but was missing something… it more than likely would have been a bit better if they had added some balsamic vinegar.

Food looked and smelled good. I ordered a chicken sandwich with broccoli raab and provolone. The only thing the sign neglected to say was that mayo was also on this sandwich. I was highly disappointed when I realized this. I was looking forward to this sandwich, and the mayo killed it. It was douced in it. I’ll give this place another shot, but I’ll be warned their signs aren’t accurate to the contents of their food. If you have specific alergies, I’d avoid mezze.

Where to begin… food wasn’t that great. I ordered a few things here and was not impressed at all.
Chicken & Rice soup — so bland! And I felt like it was beyond fatty broth (maybe it was old or something) It was like eating baby mush. It was not enjoyable at all.
Chicken pasta — it was ok. Felt the pasta was overcooked, but it was probably bc it was sitting in the heater area for so long. The flavor was good though.
Crab cake — ugh, I hate when places use tons of fillers. I couldn’t even taste crab in it. The only thing I enjoyed about this meal was the side items and even that wasn’t that great (rice and mixed veggies)
The stuff does look good, but I wouldn’t base this place on looks again. Maybe I need to get their salad or sandwich and avoid the hot food section.

HANDS DOWN my favorite place in the RTM. The food is so fresh and with such few ingredients it is so flavorful. THey have salads, soups, pasta, sandwiches. It’s a bit pricey, but when i buy a sandwich ($ 8.25) from them i eat half for lunch one day and save the other half for lunch the next day. So it’s worth it to me!

Refused to serve me a sandwich without cheese. Eff you, too.

Mezze is my go-​to place in RTM. The sandwiches and wraps are delicious and fresh. There are a lot of healthy options, especially for vegetarians. Mezze makes great soups– minestrone, bisques, and seasonal delights. My favorite thing is the gazpacho. I look forward to it every summer. Some gazpacho and half a wrap make a delicious lunch. I do hate that there is no clear place to stand to order, but that’s part of the fun of RTM.

I occasionally get a salad and soup from Mezze on my lunch break as I work very close to the Terminal.
The food is expensive here. A salad and soup usually runs me $ 12!
The salads come as a small 2.75 + .75 for each topping and I believe a large 3.25 +.75 for each topping. Chicken and other proteins are extra. It seems like it’d be cheap but by the time you put on 3 or 4 toppings it gets quite expensive.
I’ve also noticed that they recently downsized their small salads. It used to come in a larger container but now it comes in a small bowl.
The pasta and bean soup is pretty good but the only reason I keep coming back here is the Mediterranean dressing for the salad. It is really really good and worth trying.

Fresh and bursting with flavor, Mezze’s wraps and sandwiches have never disappointed. The veggie lasagna explodes with ricotta cheese and fresh spinach. The grilled salmon wrap is not to be missed — but be sure to get there early because Mezze always sells out of the salmon wraps by the middle of the lunch rush.
Yes, the prices here are steep, even by touristy Reading Terminal Market standards ($ 8.95 for a slice of lasagna), but you’re getting great flavor and healthy fare (or so I like to think). Mezze is my go-​to place almost every time I dine at the Market. I bet it will be yours, too.

Who roasts green peppers? Cheap people. I was shocked when I dissected my roasted pepper, artichoke heart and mozzarella sandwich to see the green guys dominating the ingredient list. There also was barely any mozzarella — I counted three little slices, each about as big as a half-​dollar. What are you trying to say, Mezze? I know I’ve gained a few inches this winter, but really, be nice.
The bread was nice, and the girl who served me was nice, but for $ 8, you ought to get a better sandwich. With sooo many choices in the Terminal, I won’t be eating lunch here again. Consider yourself warned.

Food is great. The prices suck.
Lots of vegetarian options that surpass their competitors in the Market.
I go there when I am at RTM but I wouldn’t go out of my way to go there otherwise.

Guess I am going to hand Mezze their first 5 star review! Mr. Owner, if you are reading this — time to pass on some thank you coupons ;)
Mind you, I am quite picky about my food and don’t dish out 5 stars very easily. The sandwiches and the salads here are extremely fresh. Definitely on the pricey side they are — but I am usually willing to pay higher for fresher ingredients and tastier food.
Also, will agree with other reviewers that I have never been wowed by their service and find the fact that there’s no clear line to be somewhat annoying because you never know who was there first — but all this gets washed away when I sink my teeth into their sandwiches. I’ve had at least 4 different kinds of their s/​ws and yet to taste anything that didn’t leave me pining for more. And come on, if I were looking for a side of sweet-​talk with my food, RTM is not the place I’d be heading.
All in all, my absolute go-​to place whenever I am in the RTM for lunch.

It’s hard not to like any place in Reading Terminal, especially when you finally find a table during the lunch rush, listening to the sounds of bustling people and live river-​walk jazz…
But that’s not the point — Mezze. Damn-​good Mediterannean food! I had the lemon chicken sandwhich and lobster bisque and it was great — great ingredients and the soup was just right (can’t stand salty-​soup). The price was a little on the high end, but it wasn’t ridiculous. What I was on the fence with was the roll my sandwhich was on being a little hard. Maybe that’s me and I’m just used to a nasty falling apart Philly-​cheesesteak, but hard rolls with soft ingredients make for a tough-​to-​eat sandwhich.
Aside from that, I have no doubt that I’ll be back to Mezze and I suggest you do the same.

I love Mezze! :)
I hate the prices :(
They have some bitchin’ ingredients to make the most AMAZING salad in Philadelphia, but once you’ve added it all in– its like 15 bucks and you’re feeling a bit sheepish for asking for so much aren’t you. That being said– it truthfully will be the most delightful salad of your life. At least it was for me. But again, my poor wallet, I do such horrible things to you. Sorry man.
Anyhow. Their pre-​made sandwiches are interesting and different– though not always perfect. I always get distracted and order a salad when I mean to eat a sandwich. But I believe it’s all pretty good.
The guys who work here are usually pretty on the money, and organized, but I mean, everyone has their off day– and when you’re in here a lot you realize that in RTM anything goes, so if you have an off interaction, it may have just been a bad day.
Anyhow, I will continue to be a fan, mostly because they have salmon, feta cheese, and sundried tomatoes for their salads. yummmm.

Mezze’s booth is surrounded on three sides with windows of fresh foods — ingredients to build your own salads, a display of their various sandwiches, three or four hot foods options and a small rack with hot crab cakes. Overall, though, this place is better in theory than practice.
When I ordered a crab cake sandwich and asked for no mayo, the man behind the counter huffed at me and told me it would «have to be on a different roll, then, because we’re out of those rolls.» He was planning to give me the sandwich that had been sitting in the display window instead of a fresh one. For almost $ 10, I expected more freshness and less attitude. There’s no clear area to stand in line, either, so people are constantly jumping in front of one another to order.
I’ve eaten here three times, and have been a bit disappointed each time. For the cost, there are far better options at RTM.