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    Al-Basha

    4.5 (331 reviews)
    Closed 10:00 am - 10:00 pm
    Updated 1 month ago

    Al-Basha Photos

    AL-BASHA ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Classy
    Good for groups

    Recommended Reviews - Al-Basha

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    Reviews With Photos

    Hummus
    Tom T.

    We came in a group of 4 and ordered the Mix Mashawi platter which had filet mignon, chicken kebab, kofta kebab, and beef shawarma slices. The flavors across the board were really good. The kofta and shawarma especially hit. The filet mignon and chicken were cooked a bit past where they should've been so the filet got tough once it cooled down and the chicken was on the dry side, but the seasoning was definitely there. The hummus with shawarma on top was excellent, and the fresh baked pita was some of the best we've had. The Mint Lemonade is a must-order! It's easily one of the best we've tried anywhere. One thing to watch out for: they automatically add 18% gratuity for parties of 4, but the receipt still shows an open tip line as if gratuity wasn't already included. If you're not carefully reading the itemized breakdown, you could easily double tip without realizing it. The food is worth coming back for, but make sure to check your bill before you sign.

    Helen S.

    This Middle Eastern spot has been on my list for a while, and it definitely lived up to the hype. The Crooks Ave location is dine in, while the takeout spot is just about four minutes down the street. Parking is mainly street parking, but they do offer valet which honestly helps because oh my god, this place was PACKED. Even with how busy it was though, the service never lacked; everyone was super attentive and on top of everything. The sparkling mango drink was mind blowing, I literally got two because it was that good, but the mint lemonade was also really refreshing. We started with the hummus platter for the table and it was so fresh, light, flavorful, and honestly one of the best starters to share. Then we got the meat platter and it was a LOT of food, but everything paired together perfectly. The meats with the jasmine rice and fresh salad were such a good combination. Overall, every dish felt well balanced and flavorful, definitely a spot worth coming back to!!

    Arayes
    Ivy C.

    Thought this spot was pretty good! Things I liked: the garlic sauce, free pita and pickled veg, mixed mashawi grill was pretty good! The filet in the mixed grill was definitely dry. Also didn't love the arayes, I wouldn't order them from here again. Don't love that they don't offer a tap option seemed like just bottled water. My partner got the mint lemonade and it was good. It's a blended drink. We got seated after only a 10 min wait went on a Monday at 7.

    Catherine A.

    Absolutely delicious Palestinian food! The mezza platter is an absolute must. We went to the takeout location which had a considerable amount of seating. The service was absolutely excellent and we're given these Palestinian sodas to try. I do recommend double checking your order prior to leaving since I've had an item missing in two separate instances.

    Mezze
    Jalen R.

    Food here is amazing with good portions. I came here on a Friday night and it was packed. The Al Basha mezza which is their mixed spread is great for someone wanting to try all the different dips they have. We immediately got pita when we sat down, they do come around and refill your pita bread for free. I came here with a group of 5 and al basha mezza and mix mashawari for 4 was enough to feed all of us and was left stuffed. The presentation of the mixed meat was the star of the show and was absolutely delicious with the rice, salad and garlic sauce they provided with it. I also recommend ordering the limona drink, majority of the table around us ordered it as well. Service can be a bit better, it was hard to get a hold of our waiter but other than that, great spot!

    Amazing Food!!!

    The food was extraordinary. Every dish had it's own hero. The service was amazing. The staff always had a smile!

    Angela L.

    Service was quick for a Friday night without reservations. We got seated 5 minutes after arriving around 6 for four people. Our food came quickly , and our waiter was decent. Had the mix mashawi and it was decent nothing extraordinary. The rice was good was tasty... the filet and chicken were okay nothing too memorable. Good ambiance looks upscale but can be for casual dining

    Al basha mezza, mix for 1
    Justine W.

    Solid spot for Palestinian food in nj. Came here for a party of 2 and ordered the Al basha mezze which is a sampler of all sorts of dips, it's a good way to try variety of their delicious dips and comes with complimentary pita. We also ordered the mix for 1 and all of this was good enough and we were left full. The only downside was they didn't have tap water, only bottled water and it was hard to find parking around the area or you can do valet parking. Overall service was nice and quick with our foods. Definitely a place I would come back for.

    Mixed grill for 1
    Zaid N.

    Best service in all of the US by far for a middle restaurant. Great ambiance and the food is just phenomenal. All reasonably priced and delish options. Loved the service the most and will recommend anyone to go there just one complaint which is parking. I feel like this is an issue for many restaurants in the Jersey area!

    Just Us @ Al-Basha Restaurant
    Chris E.

    THE GOOD ---------------- + Middle Eastern food at its very finest! ++++ Complimentary pita bread and Starter Arabic (Cucumber Tomato) Salad - Was a perfect way to start the meal. The bread was nice and warm and the salad was super fresh, however, the bread does not come with any dips or sauces, so make sure to order one from the menu's list of spreads. ++++ Mix Mashawi (for 2) - Was super duper flavorful and the meats (Filet Mignon, Chicken Kebab, Kofta Kebab, Shawarma ) were very tender! Typically, Chicken Kebob meat can be dry, but it was really good here. The portion was huge too - so big that we only ate half of it and brough the rest home. The Jasmine Rice was spot on too. ++++ Mint Lemonade - I have 2 words for this - GET IT! The drink is so refreshing and addictive. ++++ Sparkling Mango - Was good and was like a Mango seltzer, but I preferred the Mint Lemonade more. ++++ Pistachio Ice Cream - Possibly the very, very, very BEST pistachio ice cream I've ever had. The ice cream was creamy and the pistachio flavor was strong, but it was sooooo good. THE NOT SO GOOD ---------------------------- - 18% gratuity was automatically applied to our bill ... for 2 people? I read about this and, like others, am a little baffled at why it's automatically applied. - No private parking lot. All customers must park on the surrounding residential streets. MIXED THOUGHTS --------------------------- = Service was up and down. ++++ Food arrived fairly quickly. ---- Our waiter was pretty on point and cordial, BUT we were never checked on to see how things were and we never were provided water. RANDOM OBSERVATIONS -------------------------------------- = It was busy even on the Monday afternoon of New Year's week. The restaurant wasn't jam packed by any means and there were still tables, but they had a steady stream of customers. CONCLUSION -------------------- = Yes, Al-Basha comes with a monstrosity of foodie hype, but, make no mistake about it, the grilled meats here are undoubtedly the real deal!! Are they the cream of the crop? Having grown up in NYC, and being spoiled by the list of world class options to choose from, it is hard to say if they are up, up there. However, we would DEFINITELY come here again though to try other things!

    Dolly C.

    - Very spacious restaurant with sleek, modern décor; a full wall of floor-to-ceiling windows floods the space with natural light, and there's a private dining area tucked in the back - Steady flow of diners on a Monday afternoon lunch; moderate noise level - Service was efficient and attentive, but interactions felt more transactional than warm or welcoming - Food was delicious overall: the Mixed Mashawi (for two) includes filet mignon shish kebabs, kofta kebabs, chicken kebabs, and a generous mound of beef shawarma atop paper-thin shrak bread; all the meats were perfectly seasoned and cooked--tender, juicy, and full of flavor; Arabic Salad was light and fresh; rice was warm and fluffy; could have used much more yogurt sauce! - Complimentary warm pita and spicy pickled vegetables were a nice touch - Mint lemonade and sparkling mango drinks were cold and refreshing; the pistachio ice cream was excellent with bold pistachio flavor and covered with crushed pistachios--though a bit pricey at $12 - Portions were generous with enough leftovers for another meal

    Sharika M.

    Reviewing the take away store front! Got the chicken shawarma which wasn't too fatty, as in it wasn't drowning in sauce. It came with some toom garlic spread on the side. They have kiosks for order or you can order from the front. It took awhile for the shawarma to come out, kind of defeats the take away concept to an extent. Also thought the speciality drinks priced around the same as a shawarma isn't fair. Looks pretty clean!

    Complimentary bread
    Bea R.

    After having such a great experience the first time coming here, I was looking forward to dining in again for a second time. We came in on a Sunday evening around 7pm as walk-ins for a table of 2. The restaurant was bustling and packed! Tons of big groups, lots of noise, and a continuous flow of traffic. We waited around 15-20 minutes to be seated. For starters, we received complimentary pita bread, pickled vegetables, and a tomato & cucumber salad. The pita was fluffy and fresh and the salad was refreshing. Now for the disappointment of the night. We ordered the Mix Mashawi for 2 ($48). The dish is a combination of char grilled signature meats- chicken kebab, filet mignon, kofta kebab, and shawarma. Halfway through munching on our apps, we were told that they ran out of shawarma... which was a bummer because that was my absolute favorite meat :/ They offered to substitute it for any of the other 3 meats, so we opted for chicken. All of the meat was seasoned and cooked well. And of course I had to wash down all of that meat with a mint lemonade ($7). I can never get enough of this drink. So refreshing and tarty!

    Tomato and cucumber Salad

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    3 months ago

    The food is really, really, good, the ambience is really unique and comforting can't wait to go back and try more of that great food.

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    Page 1 of 9

    Al-Basha Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Al-Basha

    How is parking by this location? or do they have a parking lot?

    No Parking lot, you need to find street parking. Be careful and read street signs. Some sides of the streets are with residents' permit only.

    Do they have hookah?

    The Crooks Ave location doesn't.

    Is this place byob?

    I don't think they allow alcohol. They are a Muslim establishment. Might be best to call and ask.

    Do they serve alcohol?

    Nope

    Is this a byob place?

    Probably not as they are Muslim

    Do they still bake their pita bread fresh in-house?

    Looks and tasted fresh

    View All 7 Questions

    Meat Moot

    Meat Moot

    3.2
    (37 reviews)
    0.8 mi

    We decided to try this place. The atmosphere was warm and welcoming. The hostesses were polite and…read morehelpful. The menu is easy to read and understand. We ordered the brisket, it was cooked to perfection, the side dishes included salad, rice and mashed potatoes. Food tasted great. Next time we are in town we will come back and try something different from the menu.

    Paterson, NJ - like many patrons, my husband came across this place via their tantalizing Instagram…read moreposts and urged us to go. They were busy at dinner time on a Sunday night. As many reviewers mentioned, no one bothered to acknowledge us when we arrived, so I flagged down a waitress who said we could sit whenever we want. We chose to sit in the airier covered outdoor area (which isn't exposed to the elements so is perfectly temperate even in cold weather). There were no instructions on how to order either - this seems like a basic customer service fail: is it that hard to slap up signage explaining 1-2-3, or for someone (anyone!) to greet you and ask if this is your first time here and walk you through the process? Anyway, I'm glad I read the reviews and checked out what we wanted to order beforehand, and asked questions at the cashier. Sure, it's not that hard, but one really shouldn't have to actively track down multiple staff for directions on where to go or how to order at a restaurant. The deal is: decide which meat(s) you want from the poster (there is no menu), place your order (sold by the pound) with the cashier, pay, go to your table, and a server will bring the food to you when it's ready. The meat is (at current writing) $45/lb with unlimited sides and soft drinks. We ordered 1 lb each of beef brisket and lamb shank (1 lb = 2 shanks), which was the perfect amount of food for us 2 hungry adults, 2 teens of modest appetite, and a toddler of negligible appetite. The meat is simply seasoned (Arab bbq style) and came out lukewarm, but is off-the-bone tender and we enjoyed them with the variety of sauces. There are four types of sides: cucumber & tomato salad (good), spring mix, saffron rice (fine but my toddler loved this), and mashed potatoes (bland). It is a well-balanced meal, not too heavy. The chefs are friendly and we watched one film a demo almost certainly for social media. He even let us taste some of what he was seasoning, though there were no pyrotechnics as I had hoped from seeing some of the reels. The service wasn't bad - not terribly proactive but not non-existent either, and we always received what we requested. They could do better with customer guidance, but now that I know what's up I'd come back for the food and would like to try some other meats next time. Meat Moot has many franchises across the Middle East and Turkey, and NJ is one of only 3 locations in the US (the other 2 being in the Midwest). Street parking only.

    Photos
    Tables inside (there is an extension to the left that's a covered outdoor area)
    Tables inside (there is an extension to the left that's a covered outdoor area)
    Lamb shoulder
    Lamb shoulder
    Meat Moot

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    Kanoon

    Kanoon

    3.7
    (127 reviews)
    0.9 mi
    $$

    We went to Kanoon for my mom's birthday and we had a wonderful time. They did a little show in the…read morekitchen area which was really fun. The presentation of the food was excellent as well with a smoke show. The food was incredible too. I followed the reviews and got the smoked chicken which was a great choice. We also got the ribs and brisket. I definitely liked the brisket more than the ribs in case you are looking to make a choice. I got their special fries and I absolutely loved them. They were so lemony and garlicky. They have sauces that they serve with the food and some that are on the table as well. I think the sauces are definitely necessary. The meat is delicious but mildly seasoned. I live a bit far and I loved the food so much that I got brisket and smoked chicken to go as well. The brisket makes such an amazing sandwich with some sriracha aioli and cheese. The service was excellent throughout. We were seated immediately and everything was taken care of efficiently.

    We have been dying to make it here and so glad we did finally! There is a small parking lot to the…read moreside of the restaurant otherwise it's street parking (all free parking). We arrived on a Saturday the place was absolutely packed but we were seated within about 5 minutes. We were seated right near the smokers and it was so cool to watch them prepare each dish. The presentation here is phenomenal as is the quality of all the meat here. A fresh salad with oil was brought complimentary to the table and it was delicious. We ordered the Buffalo smoked chicken wings and Baba-Ghanoj for appetizers. The chicken wings were so tender that as you picked them up the meat literally fell off the bone! The sauce was subtle but had a nice Buffalo kick at the end. The baba-ghanoj was served cold and was perfect with a little sprinkle of salt. The fresh pitas paired perfectly with it. I'm glad I did my research on this spot as everyone recommended the fresh mint lemonade. Wow amazing and refreshing I love that it came out as a slushy like consistency. I could easily drink them all day and they're probably amazing to eat outside in the warmer months and enjoy. We each ordered the meat platters in 1lb portions which are served with fresh smoked rice that is so good and filling. I wanted the beef shank but sadly they were out and ordered the smoked beef short rib. They served everything on a platter for us which the presentation I must say is outstanding . My boyfriend ordered the smoked brisket and it was so tender and flavorful he kept saying "it's terrible you won't like it because he didn't want to share it at all LOL". We had no room for dessert but I cannot wait to return for our next dinner date night! I would definitely give it 4/5 stars. Nothing was terrible the only complaints I had is once we were seated and our order was taken our server asked if we want appetizers first which we said yes and everything came out at once. Which is fine not terrible just our table was packed and hard to eat. Additionally once our food came out it was hard to get anyone's attention for more drinks but it was no too much of an issue that it ruined the night as they were definitely way too busy and seemed to be short staffed. I definitely want to return and check out the rest of their menu. I highly recommend making the trip to Kanoon!

    Photos
    Seating area
    Seating area
    Grilled Lamb Chops
    Grilled Lamb Chops
    Brisket

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    Brisket

    Al-Basha - mideastern - Updated July 2026

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