Great service, great food! Consistently quality taste and attention by the staff. Gets a little…read morecrowded at times, but doesn't affect the food at all.

I've developed a new craving in the last few years - halal platters and fries. I usually get my fix…read morein NJ from Shah's but wanted to try a new place in the city. I had high hopes for this place, but was sorely disappointed. Twice. The first time, I got their Chicky Fries. People raved about them on Google & they were the most ordered on various food ordering platforms. I mean the chicken was quite good. The sauce was delicious, but man the fries were HORRIBLE. Stale and hard. For a dish where half of it is fries, I was very very disappointed. The second time, I got their combo platter. The toppings were good and the rice was fine, but the chicken and lamb themselves were dry and NOT to par. I added fries for an extra charge, hoping my first time was just a fluke... but nope. They may have been worse. Note - I ordered at the counter and picked up, not delivery... so fries getting stale shouldn't be an excuse.

Solid lamb gyro if you are craving one! The flavor of the lamb was surprisingly good. I got extra…read morewhite sauce, because who doesn't like extra sauce! I also added lettuce. I got onion, pepper, green sauce, hot sauce and bbq sauce on the side. The hot sauce was not too spicy. We ordered online and our order was ready in 5 mins. Everybody was very welcoming and friendly when we went pick it up. Definitely recommend it!

When I walked in, I wasn't sure what to order at first because I'd never been to a Shah's Halal…read moreFood before. But the man serving customers at the counter (on a Sunday afternoon) was so: gentle, kind, polite, welcoming and respectful that he immediately put me at ease. I relaxed into this new environment. And I read their menu two or three times; then, I decided on a falafel gyro. It was only 9.99, which makes it really affordable for the UWS! Plus, I got to choose which veggies and sauces to put on it. I enjoyed that sense of agency with my food...I'm not a picky eater, just highly selective. : ) With that, he patiently assisted me in making a beautiful and colorful falafel gyro, which I enjoyed quite a lot. I even texted some of the following photos to my Dad, since I thought this dish looked so gorgeous! : ) My Dad agreed. Hehe ~ With that, this place's low key and friendly vibe paired with its inexpensive pricing (for what you're receiving), makes it a wonderful neighborhood attraction. The food was so delicious, and the location was so convenient! (It's just one street and an Avenue away from the 1 train at 96th.) Go check out Shah's today -- you surely won't leave hungry! : ) With Gratitude, Peace & Love, Katherine "Kat"

I stop in with Red today, even though we had already had lunch. We have been wanting to try it for…read morea long time. We order two full lamb pita sandwiches. Red can't have the onions and the attendant faithfully picked out the meat and packed her gyro to the hilt, and then a couple of generous scoops on mine. We both ask for some white sauce. That and two drinks only set us back 25 bucks and change. Considering the fullness of the sandwiches, we can't complain. The sandwich is so full we need the provided forks to pick up all the meat that falls out. There is just no easy way to eat it, and that is what makes it great. Fair price for a full sandwich. It's my fault I didn't get ketchup and other sauces to enhance the flavor. Definitely worth a try. I look forward to returning.

tried this spot in my area last weekend. the food was good and we had excellent service. everything…read morewas good, but just was a little confused with the rice being a brown rice. i was hoping for a yellow rice i have had at other platter places. wanted more flavor for the rice base. i got the chicken and that was flavored amazingly. and i was able to choose toppings - i got salad, chickpeas, and cucumber tomato. also can't forget the white sauce.

I. Atmosphere (4/5) - Space is small and intimate. Warm with good seating options - can probably…read moreaccommodate up to 8 if needed. It's a mom & pop shop so nothing super fancy, but well-kept. 2. Food (4/5) Babagannoush (APP, 5/5) - TAKE. MY. MONEY! Man I love me some good baba and this was exceptional. Velvety with great mouth feel and lovely smokiness this was so good w/ their table bread Turkish Ravioli (Manti) (APP, 3/5) - Chewy little nuggets w. yogurt filling, it was pretty enjoyable though my colleague gave ma "Meh" since she makes them at home and probably has high bar. It was good for maybe the first 3 or 4, so perhaps better ordered for larger groups. Shepherd Salad (APP, 4/5) - Fresh, bright(as in vinegar), and herbaceous, we added feta cheese to it and it was perfect balance to our entree. Kofte Kebab (MAIN, 4/5) - Not too dry with packed flavor of all the herbs & beef, I really enjoyed my dish. Went great with all the other accouterments such as slightly cinged wedge of tomato and onion slices, all frolicking on a bed of warm rice that had a nice bite. Adana Kebap (MAIN, 4/5) - My colleague had this one, and I tried a piece. It was juicy and had no hint of gaminess which is always a plus for lamb. 3. Service (3/5) - This being a mom & pop store, I think they're short on staff. Usually they're all in the back cooking, so you do need to be a bit patient to flag someone down. But I'm sure they're more attentive during busy hours. (We went during weekday) Overall, Hakki Baba is a solid turkish mom & pop shop that delivers on great authentic flavor at a reasonable price. In the sea of turkish restaurants in Cliffside Park area, this one is one of my favorite. Pay them a visit!

Food tasted fresh and was tasty. Service was nice and overall pleasant for lunch with a friend…read more They offer a lunch special which is always a plus. Street parking was available early afternoon

Located right outside the 1 subway station and in front of the now enclosed Columbia Univ courtyard…read moreis Hooda Halal. Stopped by on a weekday early afternoon when class was in session. A line of a few ppl but moved fast I got the chicken over rice no salad. $10. Fresh. Fries on top. Fair portion. Not as greasy as other halal carts. Seemed healthy esp with cooked carrots as part of the mix. I ate at a seated bench in the middle of the N and S way of Broadway. They don't have Green sauce but have white and hot sauces. They operate 2 shifts but basically are open 8AM to 4AM. One of the better Halal carts in the city Hooda.

Very good Chicken and Lamb over rice platter - probably the best I've had from a halal cart. It's…read morepacked with flavor and so filling! I can definitely get about 2-3 meals from one of these platters. I love that the ingredients are fresh and they are not shy about putting veggies and proteins in there. The red sauce is pretty spicy (in a good way). Great option for food near the Columbia campus.

Ordered: 3 Mixed Appetizers (~$19): hummus, babagannush,…read moremuhammara Mixed Kebab Platter for Two (~$55): combination of lamb shish kebab, lamb adana kebab, chicken shish kebab, chicken adena kebab, and lamb meatball; served with rice, bulgur, and plain salad Aya's take: There are a number of Turkish restaurants in Cliffside Park and we found ourselves at Cinar for dinner. It was 5pm on a slow Monday so we were seated right away. The interior is cozy, quiet, and clean. We started with 3 Mixed Appetizers along with their complimentary warm bread. The 3 dips were all solid but nothing out of the ordinary. Good flavor, smooth & creamy texture, and great for sharing. I love ordering dishes like the Mixed Kebab Platter for Two as we get a taste of everything and it's family-style. The presentation was beautiful, the meats were tender, and I like that they paired it with rice, bulgur, and some salad. All the meats were tender and well-seasoned but could've been hotter in temperature. I particularly enjoyed the chicken & lamb adana kebabs. My other minor complaint was the sides were not enough to share and the ratio compared to the meats was off. We definitely could've used more rice with the meats. The staff were super kind & friendly the entire time. Decent try overall!

We went there with my friends-spontaneously and really enjoyed the food. The karnıyarık had a super…read moreauthentic, traditional taste--so yummy! The only thing is, as Turkish people, we would have liked the portion to be a little bigger The ambiance is cool, but the servers forgot a few times to bring us water. Still, overall it was a great experience!

I had high hopes for the spot as the reviews were good. Unfortunately, this is probably the worst…read moreHalal food that I've had in the city. First to start off with the quality of the food, we ordered for chicken over rice plates. In every single plates, there were many pieces of inedible chicken. This is extremely disappointing as this has never occurred at any other Halal spot before. Second, and one of the plates there was something solid, which later turned out to be a piece of plastic. Again, this is quite disappointing and a sign of a lack of quality/inspection. Third, for the price of the place, they greatly skimp you on the meat. The plates consisted of 60% Rice, 20% salad, 15% fries, and 5% chicken. Add almost any other Halal spot, the meat covers the dish, however, here you get almost none. The restaurant does try to attempt to cover this by flooding the dish in sauces. Unfortunately, the sauces do not taste good. The white sauce is lacking greatly in flavor, and the red sauce has a nonexistent spice. I do not recommend the spot as it left a lot to be desired.

They are always so quick, and the food is delicious. And it's usually a ton of food for the money…read more I usually save half and have leftovers the next day.

Delicious Turkish food in a very cool restaurant. Had several appetizers: Ezme - delicious with a…read morelittle heat. So hard to find it this good; lebni yogurt appy;cigari boriak (sorry, I don't know how to spell it) falafel in a bed of a mint pesto and babaganoush . Their online menu isn't loading right now so I can't post the entrees that we had, but everything was excellent. Service was wonderful - our glasses were never empty of water and our kind waitress kept our pita basket full of their wonderful homemade pita bread. They must be doing well bc they're building a patio extension! Not my first time there and certainly won't be the last!

It's too bad that this is a BW review, as I really enjoyed my food and experience here. But given…read morethat I came here under a different name and for the entirety of my meal I was one of three patrons and it seemed to be in an out-of-the-way strip, I can't say I am entirely surprised. I'm not surprised but I am saddened. The restaurant business is tough, y'all. Support your faves. I knew that I wanted to hop over to Edgewater. I'd heard that the views were nice and late spring was going to be about the best time of year to take them in. I also knew that I didn't want to eat inside and I wanted something ethnic. The jelps led me to Marmaris Cafe and I was happy they did. I was greeted by a very nice women (owner) who led me to a seat I wanted and invited me to explore the menu. Even though the inside was sparse, you could smell the seasoning in the air. That was a good sign. I began my meal with the red lentil soup. Despite being red, the soup color was yellow (thanks to the tumeric and carrot?) and more blended/liquidy than I expected. The flavor, though, was deep, layered and hearty. With my belly primed, I helped myself a hot, heaping bowl of lamb sac tava (and white rice). Oh man. This was incredible. The lamb was nicely seasoned in a rich marinade, ensconced in tomato, pepper and garlic. I mixed the rice in the thick (but bite-sized) pieces of lamb and veggies and let the starch soak up the delicious juices. The food looks straight-forward but I struggled to finish it all. Deceptively filling. Helping with digestion was the piping hot Turkish tea (strong black tea served in beautiful glassware). I left full, happy and very pleased with myself. I am sorry to know that Marmaris/Tosun is no more. I can only hope that was a decision of the owners and not something forced upon them. Eat local. Support small businesses.

Everything went great! Enjoy the atmosphere and the good food. The service were fast and agile.read more

Great experience, sat at the bar! So friendly and the food was amazing! Came before a show and it…read morewas the best choice ever!

In passing by this relatively new spot decided to check it out. After having for many years…read morefrequently overcooked kebab and chicken meat from street vendors like the Halal Guys, the experience turned me off, but was interested in trying this food from somewhere other than a food cart. So glad I did! Decided on a Combo Salad, with lamb and chicken, adding a wide range of fresh and prepared toppings they offer, plus tahini, white and green sauces. Different than the other experiences I've had, the meat was freshly grilled to order, with onions and peppers at my request - that makes a huge difference! It was a delicious sizable portion, fairly priced. The person behind the counter was friendly and did a great job making my tasty, large Combo Salad! Keep in mind, it's a to-go place with nowhere to sit. Definitely would return again and recommend others checking Halal Bitez out!

New halal spot in town. Prices better than most halal places including the carts. A takeout place…read moreas they don't have seating inside. Friendly staff and good food!