I stopped in this afternoon on a whim, noticing this shop on my list of places I want to try. I…read morewasn't super hungry, as I'd had a fairly late breakfast, so I was delighted to see that they offer a mini version of their chicken shawarma. Perfect! I took no pictures because I was eating in the car and just dove in, but it was well-wrapped for the journey. I was kicking myself after leaving for not remembering to ask for no onion, only to discover that, thankfully, they didn't put raw onion on it! I was delighted, and this may be the best chicken shawarma I've ever had. The meat was flavorful and plentiful for a small order, and to my utter joy there were strips of pickle tucked in with the meat! It was such a delicious mouthful that I was really wishing I'd gotten the full size after all! It's better that I didn't, and now I can't wait to go back again and try more things, like the shawarma fries! Parking can be difficult so be prepared to hunt and maybe walk a bit. The staff was all woman and while they weren't chatty, they were all diligently doing prep, which is necessary. I honestly can't wait for the chance to come back soon!

Shawarmaji had been on my hit list for years with friends and friends of friends swearing by the…read morerestaurant. Went for a weeknight dinner around 6PM and there was no line. Food did take a little bit to come out though, so I'd guess that if it's more crowded, you should be prepared to wait. Parking is a bit of a pain as they only have street parking and there's only enough seating for ~20-ish people at a time. The menu is pretty small, but pricing isn't bad as the wraps are pretty big. I will say everyone who LOVES this place said I missed out by skipping the fries, so that might've been the missing star. Chicken Wrap (Rabieh Style): Wrap was nicely toasted and the chicken is perfectly seasoned with a nice bit of caramelization. The garlic toum is sharp and the cheese added the perfect amount of salt. White sauce with the hot sauce add both creaminess and a bunch, all in all it's a good shawarma wrap. I don't know if I'd travel out of my way to try this, but if I was local, I could see being a regular.

Really loved this place! If you like Mediterranean and Egyptian food, you have to try it…read more Everything is 100% Halal, and the grilled meat was super juicy and packed with flavor. The outdoor lounge is definitely the best part. It has super comfortable seating, nice lighting, and a great relaxing vibe. The staff was super friendly and made us feel right at home. We will definitely be back!

If you're looking for halal Mediterranean/Egyptian food, this spot is definitely worth checking…read moreout! They have tons of options and are very vegetarian-friendly as well. Everything is made fresh to order, and you can really taste the quality in every dish. I especially loved the grilled meats -- they had that perfect smoky char flavor straight from the grill. The staff were incredibly friendly and took the time to explain the different dishes and the best way to enjoy them. Beef, Kofta & Chicken: Super flavorful and packed with spices, with an amazing grilled/charred flavor. I loved being able to build my own wrap with all the different veggies and sauces! Hawawshi Traditional (Egyptian Meat Pie): Similar to arayes, but even more flavorful and juicy. It comes generously stuffed, and the arugula paired perfectly with it. Chicken Breast Bowl: OMG, the fries were so good! The chicken and fries combo worked perfectly together. The chicken had subtle hints of lime and was served over a creamy mayo-style sauce that tied everything together. Salad: Light, refreshing, and topped with onions, pickled veggies, fruit, and vinaigrette. Overall, it's such a fun and casual place to hang out. There's an outdoor patio with self-serve tea and water, and I loved the cozy lights and tent setup. I'll definitely be back!

The food and service here never disappoint. I've been a frequent customer since 2009, and was…read morehooked at first bite with their beef kebab sandwich. Every dish is seasoned perfectly and not overly salted. I've tried just about everything on the menu and the meat is always tender. Vegetables here are top quality as well, which compliments the dishes nicely. And the green yogurt sauce is spicy! In a good way. I usually order an extra with the biryani plates, because *some* is just never enough. Their mango lassi is super mango-ey. I don't know what kind of mangoes go into this drink, but it has the most sweet, tart, and ripe fruitiness (emphasis on fruitiness), and the yogurt in it adds good balance. Perfect drink. There is a good variety of items to choose from, so I don't get bored eating here. You can tell everything is cooked fresh on a daily basis as well. Don't sleep on the desserts either. After trying baklava at many restaurants around San Jose, I regard Gulzaar Halaal's as my personal favorite. Crispy layers, firm yet chewy bottom, and never stale. Perfect balance of sweet, nutty and spiced. My favorite dessert though has to be Kanafeh. Soft-ish, melty sweet cheese (with rose water, I think?). Ask for it warmed. I've always felt relaxed when eating in the restaurant. Tables are frequently cleaned. The owner is very attentive, making sure customers are happy with everything. Their interactions with people are always very respectful and kind. Last but not least, the bathroom is clean, neat and tidy.

Great Food easy on the system delicious feel good food…read more Fantastic rice and salad Meat was amazing Every bite just tasted healthy I wished I lived closer

Holyland catered our staff appreciation lunch. I never had Middle Eastern / Mediterranean food,…read moreboy have I been missing out! This place is DELICIOUS! The hummus, meat skewers, rice, pita bread was absolutely amazing. I had to get up for seconds! This is a MUST TRY place!

Hella yummy Palestinian food in the Bay!…read more I've heard of Holyland but finally had the chance to dine there for a weekend lunch. These days it's always at the front of my mind that food spots that call themselves "Middle Eastern" or "Mediterranean" truly divulge who is the owner and chefs are. I'm talking about only eating from restaurants that can name the country their food comes from be it Falasteen, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, the list goes on. Holyland is located in the industrial part of Santa Clara, and they boast lots of interior seating (great for large parties and group meals) and also run a catering service. So there's loads of parking and plenty of space. My friend and I were hungry, so I got the lamb kofta and he had the beef plates. We were SO happy. It comes with a light tangy salad, delicious hummus with a kick of spice, a bed of delicious yellow rice and slender pita bread. They also have serve-yourself hot cardamom tea which is so delicious and perfect. They also serve a bunch of other refrigerated drinks like Salaam Cola and kefir. The mezze plate with x4 different dips looks so yummy, I would get that next time with a large group to share. Will definitely head back with a larger group. We saw other diners from couples, to solo to large families eating. The interior could use some sprucing up, but the quality of the food, staff, and authenticity of the place is #1. Delicious. Freedom for the Holyland Five and liberation for all of Palestine!

I ordered the beef steak with rice and my bf order the chicken suqaar with rice. The food took a…read morewhile to come out but when it did arrive, I immediately noticed the generous portions. Both meats were juicy, flavorful, and tender but if I had to pick one it would hands down by the beef steak.

we got the roasted goat cutlet platter and sambusa!…read more The sambusa was similar to a samosa, but honestly, I thought the filling was SO much tastier. Paired with the green and white sauces they provide, it was definitely the star of the dinner for me. I could easily eat 2-3 of these by myself The roasted goat cutlet was also really good. It was a little on the fatty side, but I actually liked the crispy, slightly charred ends--it gave the meat a nice texture and flavor. Overall, everything was flavorful and satisfying. But if I came back, I'd definitely be ordering the sambusa again!

We had a nice meal at Iraklis. The staff was charming and patiently explained the menu as there…read morewere some items we'd never seen before. Not all of the dishes were a hit, but we really enjoyed the appetizer sampler platter (baba ghanoush, hummus, labaneh) and chicken shawarma wrap Damascus style (w/ fries, garlic sauce, and pickles on the side). The best way to improve the meal would be to heat the pita that comes with the platter since it was a bit tough and chewy.

Ordered the platter and lamp plate ! The yogurt was good , the falafel was hard ! The problem was…read morethe pita bread was old ! The lamp plate shawarma was too greasy , nothing to Cheer about ! I'm not sure if they use msg , I was super dehydrated after that lunch ! They need to focus on quality !

This was my first time having uyghur food and i really enjoyed dining here! I enjoyed the flavor…read moreprofile of every dish. We were a party of 6 and were seated immediately. Service is friendly! At the end of our meal, we were offered free soft serve. I plan to come back in the future :) ORDER RATINGS - Pilaf served with salad and unsweetened yogurt dressing 9.5/10 This was my favorite dish from here!! - Golden crispy roasted lamb ribs 9/10 - Uyghur grilled lamb shank 9/10 Loved the seasonings that came with this dish. For both of the shank dishes, keep in mind they are a bit hard to share in a large group as you have to cut the shank yourself - Braised lamb shank with naan 8.5/10 - Big chicken plate 8.5/10 The hand-made noodles in this dish were so good!!! - Eggplant with mashed garlic 8.5/10 Great appetizer for a garlic lover! Has spice / a kick to it. Wish the egg plant was served in a more sharable way though

Overall okay ish. We need to try other dishes, we probably didn't order right…read more Cold eggplant with mashed garlic was excellent, juicy mildly flavored with oil. Lamb chao-mian the noodles were good with tomato sauce, onions and peppers, wood ear mushrooms. The lamb was little tough and dry and needed more quantity of lamb. We felt the same way for the grilled lamb kebab. They were dry and chewy but the spice powder was good. Everyone clearly raves about big plate chicken, mutton soup and lamb ribs will have to come back to try these.

Took my mom here for an early dinner and so glad I did! The…read morefood was delicious and the service was amazing! It's a hidden gem. I'm coming back with the entire family for dinner soon!

Had a chance to try Tamra for a work lunch and enjoyed the experience. The restaurant is located…read morenear a gas station, but when you walk in it's very cute. THe service here was really nice and the food was fresh. For our order we got: * 6 sampler dips - this was fun to try because there were so many options of dips to try. I really enjoyed the hummus and labneh as well as the other dip that looked like hummus. The pita you could tell was very fresh, but a little smaller in size than what I have seen before * Chicken skewers - this came on a bed of rice with roasted tomatoes and zucchini. There was also a sauce drizzled on top which was nice. This dish I enjoyed the meat. I felt the rice was a little off though and the tomato was a little thicker than it should have been. Overall though enjoyed the company and the time here!

Dishdash is the only Middle Eastern restaurant I love as a fellow Palestinian…read more The dishes feel authentic to our cuisine and since I am still learning my way through our recipes, so this spot is my go to! Firstly, the fact that you get an unlimited supply of Pita and Zeit / Zaatar oil alone makes it feel like home. Very similarly, my Siti (grandma) always has us well fed right from the start, maybe over fed, but that's besides the point and very connected to our culture, you won't go hungry. But be careful not to fill up solely on bread, plus you can use your bread to soak up all the sauces later on. My absolute favorite dish is the Mansaf which is a creamy yogurt based lamb and rice dish. The meat comes out veryyy tender and when you mix it all together with the sauce and rice, it's rich and decadent. It's a large portion and can feed 2-3 as a main if other bites are shared. Bites I recommend- the Falafel, Kibbeh and Hummus as starters. The staff was very attentive and friendly, making sure we were rightfully fed, had drinks refilled constantly, we felt taken care of. They play lots of upbeat old school Arabic music that reminds me of my childhood. Check out Nancy Ajram if you haven't heard her music.

This was my first time ever at this particular edition of Dish & Dash. Hee. I've been to the one…read morein Fremont and set up more as a fast food restaurant with nice tables, but very in and out style. Since this was for Father's Day, I was rather surprised my dad wanted to eat here considering I was used to the Fremont style of "dish and Dash." I was rather shocked to see actual groups and larger tables with my seating arrangement and even nice relaxing, looking comfortable chairs along with a number of decor that looked pretty authentic to keep up with the theme of the cultural food. Everyone in my family eat across the menu vegan, Vegetarian and meat eaters! Lol I'm somewhat in between and I got a chicken Shawarma and it was perfectly made. My brother got the Vegetarian delight and that looked better than my chicken Shawarma wrap because there was so many different flavors on his plate!! Granted, when he got his plate, it took the server a good 20 minutes extra until the pita bread was ready. Lol. My boyfriend got some lamb shish kebab dish that looked really interesting. There were different flavors and textures and he really enjoyed the dish itself. I did not partake. My dad and sister got some meat soup like dish that had lamb in it and they both loved their dish and said it had a lot of flavor and such a small size portion! They both took home leftovers! We were utterly stuffed and nobody had any room for dessert, but we will definitely be back again since this particular "Dish and Dash" can feed everything from Vegetarian to meat eaters! So a giant happy blended family! Hee

Been eating here for decades (!), best ever falafel, banana shake, fries & onion rings!read more

Best in town!!! Best falafel + Best customer service = Best…read morefriends for life! Their falafels are always made to perfection, and you can really tell they love what they serve & everyone who stops by.