Boonton, NJ - walking into Alhara, we were hit with an uncanny sense of déjà vu, and quickly realized it used to be the location of another favorite Middle Eastern eatery called Al Aqsa. Despite the surface similarity, it is a totally different restaurant with new owners. Alhara brings a regional focus on Syrian cuisine in a fast-casual format, featuring shawarma, falafel, build-your-own bowls, loaded fries, salads & soups, and dips and sides like labneh, hummus, and babaganoush. On paper, it sounds familiar and formulaic, but lemme tell ya, Alhara is anything but ordinary. Mediterranean and Middle Eastern food is everywhere in NJ & NY, with no shortage of pretty excellent options. I've eaten my way through a fair share of them, but found the quality and flavors at Alhara to be distinctive, exceptional, and a cut above. The homemade sauces are unlike I've had anywhere else, with unique taste profiles that are flavorful and complex. The garlic whip and babaganoush are out of this world, the falafel is just perfect (crunchy and fluffy in all the right places), the long grain rice is delicious and seasoned just so, and the shepherd salad holds its own. Nothing is bland or average. Be sure to try the pomegranate sauce - not homemade but an uncommon condiment that'll pleasure your palate with a sweet-tart zest. Being first-timers, we wanted to try everything and ordered a couple of bowls with all different kinds of toppings, sides and sauces. My bowl was so heaping with all the fixin's that the sauces had to be served on the side. You can order from a digital kiosque or at the counter. The owners (a lovely couple) were friendly and patient with our questions even as we stood over the kiosk for an eternity with decision paralysis over what to get. Alhara has been open for about 7-8 months. Boonton is full of good eats, and this is a welcomed addition to town and definitely a new favorite! read more

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I rarely write reviews. This area of NJ has middle eastern cuisine scattered every few blocks and it's all pretty solid and some great. Alhara Schawarma was fantastic as soon as I walked in. Told the owner I'd never been before but had walked by numerous times, and he said let's change that. Had a beef/lamb schawarma sandwich with crispy Saj bread - thinner than a tortilla - fries and then drizzled with pomegranate sauce that breaks the savory and salty flavors in the sandwich. Delicious. Served with plastic gloves as the "pomegranate can make it messy", but probably wasn't needed but a nice touch nevertheless. Also had cup of lentil soup served with lemon, was very nice. The owner wanted me to try the chicken schawarma, so gave me a small cup. Delicious. My new favorite find in the Parsippany area. read more

What a delightful discovery! I was on a road trip from Vermont to West Virginia, and searched Yelp for a gyro/shawarma joint near my hotel. I found Alhara Shawarma and decided to try it. I'm so glad I did! The pomegranate sauce on the lamb/beef shawarma was amazing! The shawarma was wrapped in some sort of flatbread that was closer to a tortilla than a pita. I'm assuming it's a traditional Syrian bread, and it was delicious! I saw the meat rotating on a vertical spit in the kitchen, and I immediately knew that it was going to be far better than any grill-fried processed meat product. While I prefer an all-lamb shawarma, the lamb and beef was fantastic. The pomegranate sauce was an extra surprise. I love pomegranates! The tartness and mild sweetness of the sauce complimented the earthy taste of the meat. I tried the pomegranate ginger ale, which I think was imported, since it had Arabic writing on it. I loved it. Whenever I'm eating somewhere new, I will usually order something that I don't know. I'm usually pleasantly surprised, and that was true this time, too. I can't get to the menu while I'm writing this review, but I ended up getting something that turned out to be pita bread with a yogurt-based sauce that reminded me of tzatziki. It was perfect for dipping my fries into. The staff was super friendly. I placed an order to go, then went out to the sidewalk to wait for my order with my dog. Even though I told the guy who took my order that I would come in and pick it up, he brought it out to me. I didn't stay long inside, but the dining area was clean, and the kitchen looked clean, too. I'm so happy I skipped the rest area restaurants and got something unique for dinner. I will definitely be returning! read more

Beautiful place, great quality authentic food and very welcoming atmosphere. We ordered Al Hara chicken shawarma wrap and chicken bowl with side of pita chips. Everything was very flavorful, fresh and I definitely would like to come back and try more dishes. We came in between lunch and dinner so it wasn't busy and service was fast. Got to meet owner, he made sure we had a good first time experience. read more

Alhara Shawarma - Al-Hara Chicken Shawarma wrap and chicken shawarma Momo Bowl, very flavorful and chicken was tender and juicy. - Middle Eastern Near Me - Boonton, New Jersey

Wanted to love this place. Service was great. We ordered 2 OG Shawarma Wraps. Waited a few minutes to be served. Took a bite and the sandwich was good and flavorful. However I noticed fresh blood on both sandwiches on the Saj bread. I was sick. Took both sandwiches to the counter and showed the girl the blood. She took them to the back. She came back and asked if we wanted new sandwiches. Absolutely not! She refunded our money. Big disappointment. Really wanted to have another great place for Shawarma. Unfortunately it's NOT this place. read more

It was not all that long ago that a new Middle Eastern restaurant opened in Boonton, offering the finest authentic Palestinian cuisine in large quantities at reasonable prices. And when I say the finest, I mean out of all Middle Eastern food I had ever eaten. So I was very sad to find out they had suddenly, unexpectedly shut their doors early this year. Luckily for me and Boonton, it was replaced by... a new Middle Eastern restaurant, offering fine Middle Eastern cuisine at a reasonable price. There are seats, but it's not necessarily a sit-down restaurant. On the other hand, although there's a counter, it's not necessarily fast casual. They will prepare your order fresh when you place it, searing and melting and heating as needed. You will taste the freshness. In addition to great taste, excellent customer service. We chatted while they made my order. They added a custom Saj bread at my request (very thin flatbread), no charge, and then I noticed they have a summer menu item of watermelon salad with haloumi cheese. Well, since it's not summer anymore, that salad is out... but the cheese was in stock! So they seared the cheese, wrapped it in the bread, and heat-pressed it for extra deliciousness. Again. No. Charge. (I left a generous tip for that one.) This one's going in my regular rotation. I hope that it won't close. Ever. read more

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This was my first time ordering here. I used the kiosk and ordered a beef and lamb shawarma with a side of fries. It took a little over 30 minutes for my food to come out, which I could understand if the kitchen was busy, but when I finally got my order the meat was wrong - I received two small beef patties instead of shawarma meat. On top of that, the entire batch of fries was overcooked. For a meal that cost over 25 dollars for a platter and fries, I expected much better quality and accuracy. Unfortunately, I wouldn't return based on this experience. read more

Alhara catered my wedding and my wife and I are so incredibly grateful for how amazing the food was and how helpful Mohamed and his staff were! He went above and beyond to make our day as special as possible and I highly recommend them to anyone. read more

This place is amazing! The owner and his wife are so nice. They provide hospitality unmatched by other restaurants anywhere! We drove 48 minutes to try this delicious Syrian restaurant based on the reviews. I am so glad we did. The hummus and bread were a perfect start. I had the chicken shawarma sandwich with the pomegranate sauce. The chicken was tender and spiced well. The pomegranate sauce really turned it up! My daughter had the chicken shawarma over fries and my husband had the chicken shawarma over rice. My daughter proclaimed she will come here every night for dinner once she gets her drivers license (she's 7! Haha) My husband added the hot red sauce and he loved it. Ate every bite! We finished it off with delicious baklava. They have different types of drinks that you won't find elsewhere. We got the tangerine Schweppes and the Lemon mint. Very refreshing. Don't miss the bathroom! He put a lot of thought in making the entire place an experience! The restaurant is clean, modern, beautiful, and worth a 48 minute trip any day. Thank you Mohammad and a high five to your wife for sticking to her Syrian roots! read more

Alhara Shawarma has the most delicious chicken shawarma and the toppings are so fresh, flavorful, and pleasing to the eye. I've never had shawarma like this before! Everyone is so friendly there and it feels just like family. The ambience is beautiful and the restaurant has a lovely mosaic waterfall inside. I want to try everything on the menu! read more

Fast, friendly service. Clean, open, and welcoming interior. I had the Alhara Shawarma Sandwich and a side of hummus. The former was one of the best shawarma sandwiches I've had (great flavor with a balanced texture) and the hummus was absolutely excellent (especially accompanied by the fresh pita that came with it). I sat in for a quick dinner and couldn't help but overhear a conversation between the staff and another guest. The owners who run the restaurant are very passionate about their food; everything is made from scratch and the quality definitely shows. Please try them out if you're in the area! read more

This restaurant in Boonton is incredibly delicious. If you never had their chicken you are in for a treat! The chicken as well as the babbagous and humus is fresh and delicious. Their homemade lentil soup (served with lemon) is also fantastic. I tried the falafel yesterday and it was really good too. An additional surprise was their own garlic sauce - which was so good I even took what was left home ! The husband and wife owners and staff are all very friendly and helpful in telling you everything about the food. In other words - if you have not visited this place yet, get over there soon cause you will return ! I have been eating there twice a week since I tried their food. See you there! Denny read more

The service is so friendly & helpful, informative & willing to answer questions, I felt so welcomed, the interior is beautifully decorated, & the chicken shawarma was one of the best I've her had, I can't get enough of the garlic sauce! Overall great experience & reasonably priced for the quality of food read more

Al-Hara Restaurant absolutely delivered on Syrian and Egyptian flavor. We tried the Al-Hara shawarma and the beef/lamb shawarma, and both had an incredible flavor profile with wraps that were perfectly crispy--seriously satisfying texture. We also sampled the loaded falafel, which had a great mix of crunch and softness while staying really well balanced. Everything was so flavorful on its own that we didn't even need extra sauce. Easily a spot we'll be coming back to. read more

Service, food, and ambiance are excellent! Muhammad is exceptionally polite and generous. I'll definitely come back whenever I'm in the area. Highly recommend! read more

I got a rice bowl with chicken shawarma and I was given 3-4 small pieces of chicken and half a cup of rice with a ridiculous amount of onion and sauce. My guest got the lamb beef shawarma and there was little to no meat at all, and once again, packed to the brim with onion. The hummus I ordered was oversalted. Genuinely felt awful coming out of the restaurant. read more