For our next #abqrestaurants #restaurantreview, I'm obliged to let y'all in on a secret I love it…read morewhen we find a new place to visit, and further love it when I find an equally rare gem of a small business that we have driven past many times before. This location, was in a grocery store (several of which we reviewed before) and initially we were the only customers. The owner was the only one working in the store so there were boxes of groceries that were in the middle of being stocked, plus he also cooked for us and others that had ordered takeout, so that more than made up for the slower service time and lack of offer for water (that someone else had previously mentioned) in a small, but beautiful dining room with a TV that was set to an arab channel (currently a work in progress, but again, considering he's the only employee in the store, we give him a LOT of credit!) This was our first time eating anything Afghan, so I was really excited. I ordered a flatbread appetizer and my husband ordered a chicken kebab, plus we had this yogurt drink with mint, similar to kefir (which my husband felt was sour then enjoyed it as I explained how to drink it (If you focus on the flavor of the mint and contrast it to the yogurt, you'll see how well it works together!). Plus, the tart of the yogurt dissipated the longer it sat on the table. The food was equally delicious. The chutney that came with my appetizer was moderately spicy (which I prefer ) and the yogurt drink served as a complementary offset. Unfortunately we didn't stay for dessert this time because we needed to run to the store before it closed, but were grateful to have enjoyed the meal we ordered! (Total cost around $40 for two people but reasonable for the quality ) #gourmetrecovery #foodfreedom #Intuitiveeating #supportsmallbusiness

Stopped in the other night, had not been by all year since covid started, but ive really been…read moretrying to hit the small markets. It's silly to stand in a long line at a grocery store, when there are little neighborhood markets scattered around town. And the small restaurant there is also still doing take out, picked up some bread(it is like a yard liong flatbread, yogurt, (all the folks looking for yeast and flower and other things a few months ago? they have had plenty. Got some beans, spices mostly some little things to help replenish my pantry at home. i've been getting more adventurous at cooking and going through many things. they have plenty of frozen meats. (all halal) lovely candies. Nice to be in a small shop not crowded. not feeling guilty if you read a few labels because there are people waiting for your slot in the store. Spend your dollars at these places, you can't get everything there, but you can get enough.

overall 3.75/5 the food was fresh and very nicely presented. my only lack of in opinion was the…read moremenu was very small. as well as the reviews on the page isn't current at all. the menu there vs online is different. it's alot smaller. the wraps were great the hummus was okay, the fries were gross they were the plainest general fry you can eat. the place is very pretty, clean, welcoming and a great place to be in, when i went with my friend we were the only two people there. they did tell us though that they are expanding there menu so in a in some time it can be changed and maybe that will have different taste and or recipes as well

I got a falafel sandwich here recently as takeout. It was fine, but underwhelming. Granted, I am…read morepicky about the flavor and texture of my falafels. These were lacking in flavor. Fine for a quick dinner, which is what I needed, but I've had better for sure. They are located in a cute little complex on Silver Ave. that feels like an old house, so it would be worth dining in.

This non-pretentious, family owned restaurant and market is truly a gem. The dining area is humble,…read morebut always very clean and well staffed. The food is fresh and is delivered to your table promptly, and the waitstaff is very kind and courteous. You get enormous portions and they are very reasonably priced. My favorites are the tabouli salad and the eggplant sandwich. It is a dream for vegetarians or vegans, or flat out carnivores. They have something for everyone. The french fries are literally the best in town. Sometimes I will go there on my way home just to get the french fries. I'm not sure what the spices are, but they are so crispy and flavorful. Lunch for three with appetizer and drinks came out to $43. We all had takeout containers. I suggest you call in an order as opposed to using any of the apps, if you go to takeout route. Or order directly from their website. Definitely check out the market as well. I can't recommend this place enough.

Falafel was what I wanted. Will be back for gyros or lamb sangwitches…read more Great selections of food also.

As a Delivery Driver: waited 5-10 minutes to find out they couldn't make the order.?…read more The food looks and smells good.

Absolutely Devine! The Baba ganoush was soooo creamy and flavorful! Got the vegetarian plate 2. I…read morenormally don't love falafels but these were so soft and good. Omg the bread was awesome. Highly recommend stop. They were quick. Kind staff. Clean bathrooms.

First time going to this location. I'm sad to say it wasn't as stellar as I had originally…read moreanticipated. This start off by saying the employee there was not very friendly. He walked away as I approached the counter. I was confused as I wasn't aware I had to order on the tablet on the counter. When I began using the tablet I was in search of the new mushroom burger they sent me an email yesterday about. Of course you know it's what I wanted to try. Sadly it wasn't on the menu on the tablet. When I called the employee for help I basically got the vibe he didn't want to be there and he was hesitant to approach. When he did come to the counter I asked about the burger even showed him the email to get told it's not out yet and it was coming soon. I found myself wondering why I even got the email if this was true. Needless to say the food came out really fast. I thought well that's good at least. The presentation was better than the experience. The cheese on the queso fries was pretty skimpy. There were way more fries than cheese which was disappointing. The burger I wasn't a fan of either. It needed more cheese and the stackers sauce tasted strange like it a chipotle sauce it wasn't the same as I recalled. I'm sad to say this is the second location I've had a bad experience with. It's really disappointing because I really loved this place. I guess I'll have to stick to the central food hall because so far that's the only location that hasn't disappointed me like this yet.

Still excellent I just wanted to make sure that I didn't confuse Indian food with Pakistani food…read morebecause that could get me in real trouble went again this evening and it was still fantastic.

I drove past this place a couple weeks ago and thought it'd be nice to try sometime. Tonight was…read morethe perfect opportunity to pick up some nice Mediterranean and this place was a big win. If I walk into the place, I noticed it was open and clean and colorful. There were a couple of folks sitting at tables and walked up to pick up my order which I put in ahead of time and noticed all the food that was pre-prepared and ready to put in the orders all looked wonderful and fresh. I had ordered two number 3 plates. One was with gyro meat and chicken. The chicken tasted wonderful and wasn't overcooked. The second plate was shawarma & chicken and the shawarma was better than the gyro meat. The pita bread was the best I have ever had. We had gotten the hummus, sharizi, mast-O-Khair, Miriam ghasemi and plenty of the pita. Of all 4 dessert items the baklava cheesecake took the cake for sure lol. Quite honestly I have to say this was the best Mediterranean meal I have ever had!

Very good food. Clean and comfortable…read more I ordered a plate and it was deconstructed sandwich. It was fun making small one bite sandwich experimenting different combos and dips. Overall everything was fresh and delicious.

We found a very mixed bag at the original Menaul outlet of El Chamo Arabe today. Food is tasty and…read moreplentiful for the toll. Service is fine, if not welcoming. The room is pretty but overly warm and reeks of grease. And there were some additional cleanliness issues. I want to return for the food, but if the other issues aren't addressed it may be the last time. Tons of grease smoke hanging in the air (the kitchen needs more serious ventilation - I texted and warned a friend not to come, as she hates the smell of cooking grease in her hair) when we came in at the early end of lunch (the place filled up pretty well behind us - it's Tuesday). It's a nice enough room (loved the painting of Bolívar and the Venezuelan tchotchkes in the case by the door) with plenty of seating - grab and read a menu, order at the front - it prompts you for a tip (went on the heavier side even with the counter ordering because I want El Chamo Arabe to stay around) and the counterwoman (not the friendliest person, but not rude) delivers everything to your table when it's ready (which will be a minute - but you're not here for _fast_ food). The room is pleasantly decorated but overly warm and - well, there's that grease smell issue: it was bad enough that we had to change clothes after eating here. Okay, prices seem reasonable. But when the food comes, prices seem downright _good_ - these folks give you a LOT of food. We got a $5 dolmas appetizer to start (juicier than what one usually finds; quite good) which came with the grape leaf rolls sitting on a pretty tasty dressed salad. We sure didn't need it, though: our mains (a shwarma plate with gyro meat and an arepa picada with one of chicken and one of beef) were really large. Really large. And it's tasty food. Enormous salads with both $14 plates: dressed well with great, fresh romaine leaves cut just right for easy eating. I'd note with some surprise that both the shredded chicken and beef on the arepas were pretty tasty, but was surprised to find the chicken grabbed me more. There is habañero salsa (albeit in a greasy bottle) on the tables if you need piquancy (why not? we're in New Mexico), and that was great. I'm not sure that the plentiful quantity of the mustard/ketchup (or was it Russian dressing?)/mayo sauce drowning of the arepa picada salad was a good thing. It was pretty, but it got to be a bit much for my taste down toward the bottom of it all - I'd ask for it lighter next time. The lunchmeat turkey and American-type cheese slice and perfectly cooked round fried egg certainly added to the salad, and the arepas themselves were a delight. My wife liked the rice and gyro meat and salad of her shwarma plate. Here's the thing: in addition to the grease-in-the-air situation, there were some cleanliness issues. The table where we sat (it was dead when we arrived, except for some waiting DoorDash drivers) hadn't been properly wiped and there were some old rice grains on it. The bottles of habañero and other salsas on the table were grimy and needed to have been wiped. The tray on which the silverware was brought to our table was greasy - repositioning it on the table to make room for our food made me want to wash my hands. And there was a hair (not ours) in the salad under my dolmas: I didn't mention to my wife because she would have stopped eating and I also didn't bring it up with the counterperson since the small restaurant was at that time full of lunching customers who didn't need to be troubled by hearing about it. And I know mistakes happen and I was not interested in a refund or apology; things happen. But I hope El Chamo Arabe customarily pays more attention to keeping things sanitary - the food is good enough that I want to come back and see. Food - 5 Service - 3 Atmosphere - 2 (lose the grease, fix the temperature and it's a 4) Cleanliness: 2 Value - ?

If I could give a zero I would. We placed an order for a chicken shawarma bowl and a beef shawarma…read morebowl with drinks. It came to over $40! This is for take out mind you. I asked her for a reminder buzzer to pick up when ready, and the girl claimed she gave it to my daughter. She did not. I went back to ask for it. She had to place a call to someone in the kitchen, in a separate building for my order number to get the right number. We sat down in the communal dining area for all the other mini restaurants there and waited over 20 minutes. I had gone back to see where the take out was. Finally I saw her bring it through the door from another location outside the food court. The chicken shawarma bowl was in the tray, but instead of the beef shawarma was a chicken shawarma wrap and cold French Fries. I told her she brought me the wrong order and begrudgingly she took it back outside to where she had brought it and 20 minutes later I got it. The bowl was 1/2 yellow rice, 1/2 romaine lettuce with almost no dressing and 3 of the skinniest sliced tomatoes I have ever seen and some cooked beef, very sparingly scattered on only the rice side of the bowl with a drizzle of a nondescript white dressing. My daughter was mostly done with hers when I got mine. I also orders the fried plantain side. It was 4 pieces, equivalent of one small plantain on one side of the cardboard serving boat and some shredded mozzarella on the other side! Now that is a bizarre combination! With almost no meat on either of our shawarma bowls, it was such a huge disappointment. The girl kept rolling her eyes with her mistake and then giving me dirty looks from behind the counter. In the 35 minutes we were there, we were the only people who had placed an order. With the lack of service, and overpriced items, this place will go out of business soon at The Block, just like the overpriced Thai place in the same complex that only lasted around 2 months!

This was a straight up delicious smashburger. So good, that it was easy to overlook the calamity…read morethat acquiring it turned out to be. So I got into Albuquerque early, and wanted lunch even though it was a little before 11am (having come from the east cost). This place inside the 505 food hall was recommended to me by Mia, the local Albuquerque community manager. I got there about 10:55, they open at 11, and knew what I wanted to eat about two minutes prior to that. I approached the counter... and well... was told not to for two more minutes, pretty curtly. OK fine, i can respect that, and the fact your day must not be off to a good start. So I come back at 11:01 and place my order for the El Burqueno burger with fries. That's a double smash cheeseburger with fried onions, green chiles, and a garlic ailoi on a grilled buttered bun. I grab a seat nearby to wait, and can see a commotion forming around the kitchen. Apparently, their frier would not turn on, so basically fries were taken to another restaurant in the food hall, brought back, and served to me. Which made things take a little longer, but was more a point of craziness for the staff than me. Neither the fries, or the burger suffered at all. In fact, the burger was one of the most on-point smashburgers I have had in recent memory. A wonderful brown crust on both smashed patties, and skirted with lots of melty cheese. The bun definitely had a rich buttery flavor, and it all came together nicely. So, mild curtness and foibles aside, this was a great stop, and I would recommend it to others seeking a smashburger adorned with chiles.

Food Ordered door dash. Single mustard burger and tots. It…read morewas ok. The single is very single not much meat. Veggies on burger good. Seemed mike more bun than beef. The tots are marginal seemed undercooked. I give it a 3 out of 5.

My daughter and I saw cafe Istanbul and had to stop in. It's a nice Mediterranean market and cafe…read more I had a chicken shawarma and my daughter had the beef kabobs. We also shared the cabbage wraps. Everything was great. Full of flavor. The service was good. It's basically a takeout place with some tables and chairs. Many folks ordered food Togo, but we chose to eat in. We will definitely be back and take some time to shop in the market. Thank you for a great meal.

The food here is delicious! I got the chicken shawarma platter twice at this point and I highly…read morerecommend it. I've gotten it later in the day before and the chicken was dry but mid-day it was super fresh! The rice, salad, and sauce are also delicious and incredibly flavorful. I recommend, if you're getting to go, to order your food then shop around in their store and buy the time you're done your food will be ready! All of the desserts are homemade and also very delicious. I highly recommend trying some of their baklavas. The owners have been there for decades and are very nice. It's a nice space where you'll feel like you're in a restaurant somewhere in the Middle East. Definitely felt at home here and will be back for more.

Gave it another shot. Much better. Food was prepared well and it was flavorful. Staff is efficient…read moreand attentive. Good spot for a quick bite. They need to continue to monitor the quality of the food they serve. I'll be back. Affordable and tasty.

The worst meal I've had in years. It took 18 minutes to get…read morethe worst, most overpriced meal I've had in years. The chicken was burnt. The oil was RANCID (and tasted like bad pot). Staff tried to be pleasant, but couldn't pull it off. $23.30 for an inedible meal that took 18 minutes. Won't try it again.