Despite thrilling new technology, there is still no toaster that can turn a grilled cheese sandwich into a full Middle Eastern meal. For $20, today's Groupon fills the belly with $40 worth of Middle Eastern fare and drinks at Fattoush, where traditional recipes and modern culinary aesthetics are blended together and colorfully arranged on a plate.

Fattoush hosts a sunny environment with a dining room reminiscent of an indoor Middle Eastern marketplace and a lush patio area accented by flowers and tree branches. Lunch crowds are invited to a lineup of fresh wraps and salads such as the Barhoumi wrap with sautéed chicken or lamb, mushrooms, and grilled onions seasoned with hummus and spicy shatta sauce ($11); or the signature Fattoush salad, where pita croutons sit atop a nest of cucumbers, tomatoes, green onions, fresh mint, and grilled eggplant coated with sumac and a pomegranate-lemon vinaigrette ($10).

Fattoush's dinner menu rings in small plates such as bulgur tabouli ($7), musaka'a (a grilled eggplant dish with grilled tomatoes and a lemon-garlic sauce, $9), and more before calling on the fuller plates. Dine on tabsi, seasoned lamb and beef under an eggplant, onion, pepper, tomato, and garlic sauce with mild curry, dry lime, and rice ($18); or for sea cravings, try fresh mashwi, which skewers lemon cumin-marinated prawns and Alaskan halibut in the company of grilled veggies and rice ($21).

International eating doesn't have to be a dangerous adventure through customs, where the customs officer asks you to open your bag, and you refuse, which prompts him to teach you about manners by reading select Goofus and Gallant comic strips. Fattoush is open for lunch Wednesday–Friday 10:30 a.m.–2:30 p.m. and for dinner Monday–Saturday 5 p.m.–10 p.m. (9 p.m. on Sundays).

Not valid toward brunch.

Reviews

The San Francisco Chronicle praises Fattoush's ambience:

• Fattoush goes for a cozy casbah look, with rows of pillowed banquettes, a tile floor and large paintings above wainscoted walls. It's welcoming in its Church Street neighborhood, especially when a foggy wind is blowing outside. – Miriam Morgan

Nearly 200 Yelpers and five Yahoo! Locals give Fattoush a solid four stars, while Citysearchers give it a near-perfect 4.5. Zagat has not rated Fattoush yet, but three of its members fawn over it:

• A find! Wonderful interesting chicken/yogurt dishes, tender lamb; medium spiced with unusual combinations of flavors. – DavidO5687, Zagat
• The flavorings of the food (particularly the fish) are very unique and delicious. – a Yahoo! Local user
• The Fattoush Salad is my favorite with no oily salad dressing but with alot [sic] of add-in's that makes this salad a one of a kind. I need to have one every week. – patchan, Citysearch