Oh lord, buckle up -- Nina's got opinions. Well now, let me tell you -- this place is somethin' else. When I saw Angus over at bingo flappin' her gums about tryin' the strawberry dubia cup, I knew right then and there I had to see what all the fuss was about... and I sure as sugar went to the best spot to do it. I got myself the dubia strawberry cup and a beef shawarma. And baby -- that shawarma was finger-lickin' good, I mean the kind of good that makes you close your eyes and thank the Lord. The dubia strawberry cup? Delicious too, don't get me wrong. Now I know what you're thinkin' -- "Nina, then why in the world is this only four stars?" Well I'll tell you why, sweetheart. Because that little ol' dub strawberry cup costs TWENTY DOLLARS for about five strawberries and a prayer. That's robbery with a smile. The shawarma, though, was priced just fine at thirteen bucks -- I was full after five bites, and that don't happen by accident at my age. But twenty dollars for a handful of strawberries? I wasn't born yesterday, just before nonsense. Still, I marched right back into bingo loud and proud and told Angus I spent twenty dollars on dubia strawberries -- which means I clearly have more money than her, 'cause she probably found hers in the trash. So I reckon that's a win-win. All in all, it's a great place -- tasty as can be, just a bit overpriced. I'll definitely be back, but next time I'll be skip-pin' the dubia strawberry and keepin' my dignity (and my wallet) intact. read more

Ara’s Shawarma - Cat that has their mouth open - Mediterranean Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Tried Ara's Shawarma on Sunset Blvd and ordered the family meal for 4-6 people priced at $99.99. With 9.75% tax and a 3% credit card fee, the total came out to about $112. Service was good overall. I first tried placing a pickup order through their website, but after several failed attempts I ended up calling the order in instead. The food was ready in 30 minutes as promised. The chicken and beef lula kebabs were tasty, juicy, and well seasoned. Unfortunately, the beef and chicken breast shashlik kebabs were very dry and lacked flavor. Side dishes including the roasted peppers, grilled Roma tomatoes, hummus, garden salad, and rice were decent but nothing memorable. The 10 pitas were also a little dry. Overall, it's an average spot like many others around Los Angeles. Glad I tried it once, but that was enough for me. Not really a place I'd keep coming back to. read more

I discovered this place on social media, and their videos made the food look amazing. As a big fan of this type of cuisine, I had high expectations but the actual experience was a huge disappointment. It took about 20 minutes to receive our food even though the restaurant was not busy. The dining room was very dirty, which was already a bad sign. The food did not look fresh at all. I ordered the beef lula kebab plate, and both the meat and the rice had almost no flavor. The skewer was bland and not seasoned well. To make things worse, they charge an extra 3% credit card fee, which feels unfair and was not clearly communicated. Overall, the experience was nothing like what was advertised online. Worst experience. Would not recommend. read more

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Everything was fresh, made to order. Very delicious. It was our first time having shawarma and he ran through the whole menu of what's popular and his personal favorite. I got the crispy beef and yeah it was amazing. definitely get the pomegranate and white sauce for dipping. Very clean establishment read more

Ara’s Shawarma - Crispy BEEF Shawerma Wrap - Mediterranean Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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Today I ordered to go from Doordash one lamb plate and one Shawarma plate, both with Greek salad! A true delight: the meat is super moist, and their food is really fresh They have three locations and I highly recommend that place for you guys to order! So delicious and tasty‼ read more

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Went here last night around 8pm, the vibe was cool, there is parking so thats is a plus, and the service was cool. The portions are nice but I was expecting it to be more like other pictures I had seen around on yelp or even instagram. The flavor was okay at best. It is the hype online about this place not somewhere you would return. read more

Ara’s Shawarma - 21$ Beef Chops Plate - Mediterranean Near Me - Los Angeles, California

I kept seeing this place all over Tik Tok and was really wanting to try their viral crispy shawarma wraps. This location was closer to me at the time, but I do need to note that the videos I've seen were mostly for Encino's location. I mention this because I feel like the vibes were completely different from the videos I saw. Someone please let me know if they're franchised and that's why the content varies. I do appreciate the fresh meat displayed and prepared to be grilled only when they're ordered. Unfortunately, while dining in, I got a crispy beef shawarma wrap that kept tasting/smelling like lamb. I'm still unsure if there was just lamb on the grill and the scent was overpowering or if my beef was grilled next to or after some lamb was, but I didn't like how gamey my beef wrap tasted because of that :( I understand they have to leave the wraps on the grill for a while to crisp up, but I do feel like both my chicken and beef shawarma wraps were on the almost burnt side. It didn't taste burnt, but I was surprised. We asked if they had any sauce for the wraps and we did get garlic dip, but I really wish there were pickled onions or some peppers I could bite into to add more dimension to the wraps My friend and I were pretty hungry, but we did both wonder when our food would come out because it felt like a 20+ minute wait. Overall, I didn't love it, but I also didn't dislike it either. I'm having mixed feelings, but I would come again and hope to have a better experience. read more

We found this place on social media, and drove one hour to get here but unfortunately we got disappointed with the dirty establishment, had ants and spider web around like they didn't clean for very long time, kind of gross honestly! The food was okay not as bad. They need a better management with being more clean. read more

Ara’s Shawarma - Ants and spider - Mediterranean Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Well I was having a craving for Mediterranean food and I had passed by this spot a couple of times and decided to give it a try! As I come in there's 2 ppl waiting for their order and a gentleman comes up to me and greets me was only him and the cook and he was very polite. I had done my research and went with #32 chicken thigh plate, came with a jalapeño, tomato humus and some kind of slaw and a huge pita tortilla I believe they use for thei shawarma. Everything was delicious although they can use a little more seasoning on the chicken but still very good and juicy and tender and soft cooked very well. It was nice and quiet and very clean inside which was a plus and you have a menu to choose from so take your time. We did run into some issues at checkout the machine kept shutting off but eventually it worked. I would definitely come back Only bad thing is the neighborhood and they serve Pepsi (Coke is better) read more

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Great tasting shawarma chicken flavor is better with extra crispy . No hummus on it and extra garlic was very yummy .

After eating the crispy shawarma, I had a very bad burning sensation in my stomach that lasted into the next day and even made me feel anxious. I've seen other comments from people feeling unwell too. I'm sharing this because I want the owners to succeed, but I really hope they can look into their food quality or the oil they use. I want to keep coming back, but health comes first! read more

I should have walked out as soon as I saw the first roach, but I tried to ignore it. I ordered food, sat down, and then noticed the "B" grade on the door. The door was open when I walked in, so I didn't see it at first. This place legitimately has roaches. Afterward, I did some digging and saw they were cited by the health department for having insects, rodents, birds, or animals present. I messaged the restaurant directly to explain what happened, but they read the message and chose to ignore it. Unfortunately, I will not be coming back. read more

Ara’s Shawarma - Food inspection report - Mediterranean Near Me - Los Angeles, California

I've been on a Mediterranean food kick lately and decided to check this restaurant out. I came across their IG and it looked incredible. I ordered the chicken shawarma bowl which included rice, a pita bread and cilantro and onions on top. The garnish threw me off a little but, I was trying to be open minded. Unfortunately, the chicken was not seasoned enough for my taste. The rice okay and overall it was simply ok. I definitely wanted to try the chocolate and strawberries. They have a nonstop chocolate fountain running and it looks amazing. The highlight of my experience was the dessert and I probably wouldn't go out of my way again for the food. You may love it, I recommend trying it. read more

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We were headed to a Pixies concert and wanted something light before. They have parking which made it easier for us to go there since on the street at the time we arrived- my car would have been towed. The teenagers working were friendly. We ordered a Garden Salad and the shawarma plate which came with cabbage salad and hummus. My teenager and I shared both. It was perfect pre concert food- although we both should have had a mint after. I thought the hummus was a little salty but my kid loved it. Would come back with a mint before another date at the Palladium. read more

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My experience was specifically for dessert. I didn't have a meal or any of the shawarmas here, but hope to come back and enjoy them in the near future. A good buddy of mine told me about about their strawberry/ Dubai style chocolate cup. At first, it seems a little pricey, honestly, I've seen this same dessert pop up at a lot of different spots now, and the pricing is on par or not out of range. And they seem to use quality ingredients - the strawberries were fresh, the chocolate is 100% Belgium (as it's advertised/ how I understand it), the knafeh had a nice crisp, and the pistachio cream was tasty. Definitely a tasty treat. With my budget, I probably couldn't come here for the dessert specifically on a regular basis, but this seems like a great example or representation of this bite that seems to be very popular right now. I came in around 3/4 pm on a Sunday afternoon, so it was that odd time between lunch in dinner, so there wasn't a line to order and there wasn't a big wait to get the treat. The person was friendly and the whole experience was really relaxed and chill. I can't speak how it is like in here when it's busy though. Plenty of street /metered parking around this area. I parked on the street and can't remember or I just didn't even think to see if they had their own lot. read more

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First time trying Ara's Shawarma in our neighborhood and had it delivered via postmates. First thing we noticed was that the bag of 3 plates was extremely heavy. It was a whole lot of food. They definitely give you so much food, that no one was able to finish their plates. The beef/lamb shawarma plate was very tasty, well seasoned and so was the beef Luleh kabab. We liked all the food, I'll definitely be back to try other items on the menu. read more

Ara’s Shawarma - Beef Lula Kebab Plate - Mediterranean Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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Ara's Shawarma serves a hearty and flavorful plate of Mediterranean food. I tried the chicken and onions over a bed of rice as a to go order. Even as leftovers, the meal remained tasty and filling. The chicken and onions are a standard combination that's hard to get wrong when done with the right seasoning. The dish is simple and satisfying for anyone who wants a solid meal. I skipped the hummus and salad and just having the rice with the meat and onions made for a very consistent experience. It's a reliable option for a quick and flavorful dinner that holds up well even the next day. read more

I was in LA and saw this spot on a viral tik tok. I came solely for the Dubai strawberry cup! Quick service. The place was kind of a mess! Ordered the strawberries and was on my way. Lady up front didn't smile much, but maybe it was a rough day - so all good. Trying this for the first time. It was yummmy! I love strawberries, they were sweet and the milk chocolate and pistachio were delish! Just the right amount of crunch with that amazing knafeh! I think I paid $18 for it... damn inflation. I feel like I could make this at home but was definitely a treat! read more

Ara’s Shawarma - Mediterranean Near Me - Los Angeles, California

I am not stopped in today cause I was local and wanted to make the trip worth the distance. Been here before hyped on the social media suggestions. It was good from what I can remember the first time I came here. But the shawarma.was terrible. Not only do they give you very little. But the quality of the meat was very fatty. I was picking out lots of climbs of fat pieces in both my bowl and plate there was very little meat left. I've since found two much better places a lot closer to to home that were not hyped up on social media that I will now got for shawarma. And this place is off the list for good. Customer service was still great and the wall murals give it a vibe. read more

Paid $20 for a wrap smaller than my tv remote. Never again. Go to any of the street venders for half the price. read more

Ara’s Shawarma - Mediterranean Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Stopped by Ara's Shawarma and had a great experience! We ordered the chicken shawarma plate and the Vital Dubai chocolate, and both were delicious. The chicken was flavorful and perfectly seasoned, and the sides complemented it well. The chocolate was a nice treat to end the meal! The staff was friendly and welcoming, and the restaurant was clean and well-maintained. Definitely a solid spot for shawarma--will be coming back! read more

Ara’s Shawarma - Chicken Shawarma Plate - Mediterranean Near Me - Los Angeles, California

I finally decided to stop by here for lunch, I tried their Pork Belly plate, it was delicious! I gotta try their other dishes and chocolate desserts. Uniformed firefighter can get a free plate of food. The place is nice and clean. Service is friendly and professional. read more

Bad service and bad food , laying in advertise and dirty place It was my worst experience

It was marketed 1.5 lb shawarma was a letdown, dont be fooled --the meat was dry and underwhelming. The crispy shawarma was like a mini burrito. Not worth the special trip. https://youtu.be/CR-NnSTOQ-4?si=WRRezxanTPhu8Wam https://youtube.com/shorts/w3UnpXqasUQ?si=EQYli8J3tCh8aVBD read more

This is a great place to grab a bite of super tasty freshly made food. I had the chicken shawarma and it was so delicious I wanted to ordered another one but I was fully satisfied with the amount I got. The service was excellent. When they delivered the food to my table the server said if I wanted more sauce to let him know. So I asked for some more sauce and Mike was handing me two containers and I said that one was enough and he said really take two. Then he came to the table later and checked in to see how I was doing. The service here is friendly and they are super nice people! The interior is artful, colorful, and fun! This is definitely going on my go to list of places to eat here in LA! read more

Ara’s Shawarma - Interior wall of Ara's Shawarma - Mediterranean Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Chicken plate tastes good. The beef shawarma wrap had a nice flavor, but it was a little dry. Just add the garlic sauce it helped. I was a little hesitant about this place because everything is hidden behind the wall. That bothered me. I did enjoy my food even though it was dry. read more

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This corner is cursed. No matter how good a restaurant is here, it never seems to last--so get your shawarma now while you still can. The indoor vibe is... interesting. Lots of random graffiti and an oversized dining area that feels like it's almost always empty. Definitely gives off "this used to be something else" energy. Food-wise, just know it takes a minute. They don't throw your order on the grill until after you order, which I actually appreciate for freshness, but you'll feel the wait if you're hungry. That said, the shawarma itself is solid--one of the better choices on this block. I just don't know how long this spot will survive in this particular location. Grab it while it's here. read more

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Great food, great customer service, very accommodating options. SUPER friendly! Will be coming here again

I've eaten here twice with wildly different experiences. The first was 4-4.5 stars. The second, 1-2. The lamb gyro and fries were fantastic, made me excited to come back. The chocolate strawberries were pretty tasty. A high quality product, if a little pricey. My second visit was sadly less fortunate, getting the Chicken shawarma. It was somewhere between inedibly terrible cat food and completely flavorless. The attempt to make up for quality with quantity of meat was unfortunate as I couldn't get past two bites. read more

We came here after having dinner somewhere else and saw this place had dubai chocolate so my review is mainly on that itself. While it wasn't bad, i thought it was fairly overpriced for what we had. $25 for chocolate strawberries and $30 for a chocolate bar seemed pretty steep. The service here was ok and fairly standard. You order at the front and grab your food either to go or eat at a table you picked. Not too much service going on. The interior was kinda cool with all the art they had. My only other issue is that it is East Hollywood so the surrounding area didn't feel too safe. This was an interesting first time trying dubai chocolate which was good but I wouldnt want it at that price. The bar seemed pretty thick and heavy so it felt a little difficult to enjoy more than one piece. If Im in the area again maybe I'll try the food. read more

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Tasty casual Mediterranean dining at an affordable price! This is a nice casual spot to get some tasty Mediterranean food. The chicken shawarma flavorful and juicy (a bit drier when I order it today though) and I love their sauce! It's a bit different from the Tzatziki sauce that I'm used to. Their combo deals are solid. Today, I got their $14.99 combo with chicken shawarma on a baguette. The size was massive! I have also tried their $10.99 combo on pita bread (which i think tastes better) which was a bit smaller but portion size was perfect with the fries included in the combo. Service was fairly fast. I definitely recommend stopping by to give them a shot! read more

Ara’s Shawarma - Mediterranean Near Me - Los Angeles, California

The location is very convenient if you're on foot, very easy to find on the corner side of the block. I went with this pretty huge version of their gyro, you definitely get your money's worth but it may fall out, so prepare to use a fork. The staff is mellow, chill, could be slightly more serviceable, but they're fine. It's a nice clean space with a good amount of seating, feels good to hang out or even get work done. read more

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Really wanted to be a fan of Ara's Shawarma and I love Shawarma. But something was lacking during my visit. The chicken shawarma lacked any flavor and was very bland. Not sure if it was an off day based on other reviews but I didn't even finish my food. I also asked for hot sauce and it was okay. Wasn't even spicy. The only thing I really enjoyed was the French fries. They have other options such as kabobs and gyros. I like how you can choose your kabob. If you're going to claim to be the best shawarma in Los Angeles then i would expect more. Would I try again probably not. Wishing them luck. read more

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This place kept popping up on my wife's Instagram, so she really wanted to give it a try. A few weeks ago, we were all in the mood for kebabs, so we ordered a variety of dishes to go - ground beef kebabs for our little ones and beef kebabs for ourselves, plus some dessert. Our kids, who normally love meat, wouldn't eat their kebabs. My wife tasted them and said they were oddly flavored. When I opened mine, the smell of spoiled meat was overwhelming. My wife called the restaurant, and the owner insisted it must have been the spices, but we're from Central Asia, so we definitely know the difference between seasoning and bad meat. Although the place has a no-refund policy, the owner did agree to replace the food, which we appreciated. I didn't even want to try the replacement, but my wife said it was acceptable. The desserts were actually pretty good. The owner handled the situation the right way by offering replacements, but I personally won't be ordering from this place again. read more

Amazing food, fresh and tasty Specially, the sweets good service good prices the workers are very plowed and very nice with the customers read more

Ara’s Shawarma - Mediterranean Near Me - Los Angeles, California

The food was amazing and delicious the lamb chops finger licking good. The service impeccable super friendly and knowledgeable Really clean restaurant.The restroom was clean.The atmosphere was amazing because they play good music i couldn't have asked for a great lunch today thanks read more

Ara’s Shawarma - Lamb chops - Mediterranean Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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gave me the worst food poisoning i have ever had in my entire life, i would seriously question their sanitization. Server was typical nonchalant kind of rude, but besides that the shawarma was pretty delicious. Be careful though. read more

Ara’s Shawarma - Mediterranean Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Order a beef shawarma for the first time cost $17 and change, generous portion. Staff was polite and friendly. Fast casual. Asked for hot sauce and they said it was an extra charge for condiments. I am not a fan of places that charge for condiments, extra charge for ketchup for fries No thank you I'll Pass on it read more

Ara’s Shawarma - Mediterranean Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Such a nice place, food is very tasty and good quality! Plus service is very good and she was so kind to give me a taste of the lamb meat to try it. So happy. Thank you Ericka read more

Ara’s Shawarma - Main dinner area - Mediterranean Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Their food is very good, they are friendly staff and anything you get will probably taste good. They have different type of wrap and protein to choose from. Or you can get a plate with different sides to choose from. Very good Mediterranean food. read more