Your Guide to the Best Kebda Sandwiches in Egypt
“Eat your iron” - a simple phrase that becomes every parent’s motto as soon as their kids turn six and lasts up to a lifetime (depending on how devoted to their iron the child in question is). It’s not bad advice - we do need our iron - what made the phrase so scarring is its delivery. More accurately, its delivery in bowls upon bowls of spinach, or worse, taro, whenever our parents suspected a weakness in us. It isn’t until you’re on the brink of adulthood that you learn, one way or another, that you can get your iron in much more delicious ways.
Ways that involve no traumatic greens (except for the occasional hot pepper). Ways that come fried, grilled, and seasoned to perfection. In fact, ways that mostly come wedged in a heavenly loaf of traditional fino bread, shyly waiting to rejuvenate you both spiritually and physically: kebda sandwiches.
Whether you’ve got a mandatory check-up coming up and a point to prove, or you’re a health guru with a knack for the delicious, or you’re simply a true-to-form who can’t go too long without a good kebda sandwich, this guide is for you. Read along to find out about the best 13 spots to get your kebda sandwiches across Cairo, Alexandria, and El Gouna.
Kebdet El Fallah
Attarin, Alexandria
In recent years, Kebdet El Fallah has become a better-known representative of Alexandria than the Great Lighthouse - a feat that can be attributed to the comforting effect of the sight of the spot’s piling kebda sandwich trays. El Fallah is a landmark of the kebda sandwich in Egypt, and a pioneer in the world of ‘eskandarani’ kebda.
Samy
Bahary, Alexandria
Now, just because El Fallah is notoriously good doesn’t mean that’s where ‘eskandarani’ kebda ends; Samy is a destination for families and friends who are on the lookout for a nice kebda spot that doesn’t have them seated on rickety chairs in an alley.
Farag Abu Khaled
Bahary, Alexandria
A spinoff from Abu Khaled’s butcher shop, Farag Abu Khaled’s speciality lies in the quality of their meats: liver from Farag is nearly guaranteed to be delicious and nutritious. Plus, their classic outdoor seating area about 7 steps from the sea is not to miss.
Saleh Fattouh
Branches all over Alexandria
Perhaps an unfamiliar name to the non-Alexandria-savvy, Saleh Fattouh is a restaurant chain that rose to fame in the suburban confines of a neighbourhood sports club in Alexandria. Before long, though, it had spread across the whole city, popularising its delicious, made-in-front-of-you, clean sandwiches all around.
El Refaay
Sayeda Zeinab, Cairo
A culinary landmark of old Cairo, El Refaay is your go-to for Egyptian dinner in the Sayeda Zeinab, and their liver is impeccable. After all, a long day of historical sightseeing could only be made complete by the sight of traditional Egyptian cuisine at its best.
Sobhy Kaber
Shoubra, Cairo
Boasting years of experience and unwavering support from the Cairene carnivore community, Sobhy Kaber is an easy go-to when in need of kufta and molokheya alongside your shish taouk.
El Berens
Imbaba, Cairo
Your experience of Cairo is simply incomplete if you’ve never visited kebda landmark El Berens. With its slightly kitschy, try-hard interior, its in-the-street outdoor seating on chairs that look like they just finished their shift in a ‘mouled’, and its service workers that feel more like family - El Berens is Egyptian dining at its finest.