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    El Toum

    4.7 (98 reviews)
    Closed Closed

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    EL TOUM ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Romantic
    Outdoor seating

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    Recommended Reviews - El Toum

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    Maram A.

    Sami is wonderful and welcoming. He cooks everything in house, freshly made in the kitchen. It's small but plenty of magic happens there. The mixed grill is delicious. ALL the meats have a nice seasoning and flavor on them. The salmon was good but too soft for my liking. The artichoke appetizer was enjoyable but I wish it had some sumac and a bit of tahini on top of it to give it more flare. The tabouleh, famous, hummus and baba ganoush were very flavourful. The garlic was prominent. We also got the burger on a different day and it was perfectly cooked. The fries were thick. Very good fries. Dessert... I love that he doesn't add a lot of sugar syrup to his desserts. They are balanced so well. The taste of rose water with the sugar coating the phillo sheets is comforting. The restaurant decor is simple. I love the mosaic candle lights and the random welcoming signs and pictures of Lebanon landmarks. Mera's Tip: eat here

    Menu
    Tal K.

    Small out of the way place which I never would have found without help from a facebook group. Owner is the cook and it shows. I came in for one thing on the menu which is ful madames. It's not as popular as hummus and very hard to find here. Can't go wrong with a real middle eastern breakfast. Hummus with Ful some salad falafel balls and hard boiled eggs which is not on the menue but I will ask if he can make it next time. Very extensive menu which I saw people all around me eating but I was just enjoying traveling back in time to a breakfast I used to eat.

    Great ambiance.
    Suneel D.

    A genuine welcome by Sammy, the owner! A good man, 1 man show! He's on top of his game- service with attention to details, guest relations, quality of his items on menu and always with his smile. Kudos! A nice small Lebanese restaurant. Warm and cozy. Friendly environment. People come and enjoy the ambiance. I loved my small app of Hummus and Salmon as my main served w/ sweet pot's and roasted carrots. Made my day! Voila! Definetely a sit in-out place. Success belongs to you‼

    Chicken kebab with roasted veggies
    Kern C.

    This is a solid restaurant . I didn't care for the chicken shawarma . It is smothered in what I presume is a sumac based sauce that is overpowering . Besides that , I loved everything else from their grilled chicken , crispy fresh falafel , breads and hummus . Very fresh feel good after you eat kinda food .

    El Toum Burger
    Tommy H.

    Really the best burger in the neighborhood. The patty is about an inch thick and cooked to perfection!

    Knafeh
    Stephanie G.

    A small business owned neighborhood restaurant that really feels like a neighbor. The food was amazing. The hummus came with beef, pita bread, and salad -- making it the perfect combination. The subtly citrusy salad really balances the nutty hummus. The beef and hummus combo is out of this world. THE KNAFEH!! Omg, it's soo good! It's not on the menu, but I've had knafehs before and I loved it, so I had one. I swear the people sitting next to me ordered one too after watching me eat the knafeh. I couldn't be quite over how good it was. The chocolate baklava was also really good! The service was amazing. The chef/waiter/(potentially) owner of the place was so friendly and he gave us an extra el toum when he saw my partner digging into his last spoons of it for his lamb shawarma. The price was also reasonable -- the perks of being in Jackson Heights/Queens. We had the hummus and beef, lamb shawarma, Lebanese tea, Knafeh, and Baklava for less than $50 before tips. Overall, I'm really satisfied to have found this little middle eastern food gem in Jackson Heights. Will come back and bring more friends!

    Salmon

    It was a packed Sunday night. But I invited 3 friends who drove all the way from Hempstead, Long Island. I told Sammy we are willing to wait. He found a way to accommodate us. And he didn't fail! My guests loved our lamb chop, burger, chicken shawarma, and my salmon. BTW, I am a regular. And guests or business brief discussion, i bring them here. The sweet dessert went fast also.

    Half lamb shawarma sandwich and half kofte sandwich

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    5 years ago

    Loved the lamb shawarma and the falafels. The portions are really generous and the owner is super friendly.

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    Page 3 of 3

    Ask the Community - El Toum

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    ilili NoMad - Lamb & Beef Shawarma (6.5/10)

    ilili NoMad

    4.1(2.9k reviews)
    5.1 miFlatiron
    $$$

    Gorgeous upscale dinner spot in midtown! We came as a group of 7 and were seated comfortably, lots…read moreof room within the restaurant. Great place to share several food items with a group. It was a little hard to hear and converse at times as it gets crowded, but the food was delicious and there are really unique items on the menu. Food: The duck shawarma was one of our favorites! The lamb and scallops were also flavorful and tender. The dips were delicious with the pita, but I wish the serving size for the dips were bigger. The fries were great - well seasoned! Also recommend the milky pudding, it was a nice refreshing way to end the dinner. Service: Our server was super helpful in letting us know what items are more shareable and his suggestions for cocktails. Definitely try some of the arak based cocktails. Vibe: Gorgeous interior, the mirrors and lighting really elevates the space and makes it a lovely spot for group dinners or dates.

    We went for Mother's Day brunch. When we arrived a few minutes early we did have to wait a bit. The…read morerestaurant had two floors, nicely decorated and cozy. We were lead upstairs to a table. There were 7 of us The seating was cozy but not cramped. We started with 7 family style small dishes: Hummus with Falafel Pops (chickpea purée, tahini, falafel, olive oil), Spring Burrata (roasted cherry tomatoes, toast, basil oil), Hamachi Crudo (passionfruit vinaigrette, citrus zest, cucumber, mint, sesame tuile), Scallops (carrot puree, serrano pepper, brown butter sauce), Tenderloin Skewer (zaatar chimichurri, fresh herb salad), and Shiitake Stuffed Grape Leaves (tomato coulis, yogurt foam, herbs). Everything was delicious. The hummus was well seasoned the falafel had a nice crunch. It went well with the warm puffy gyro bread that came to the table. The burrata was wasm and creamy. I love the vinaigrette on the fish. I ended up eating most of it. The scallops were the sweetest, most tender ones I have ever had. The tenderloin skewers were tender and well seasoned. I liked the grape leaves but the rice consistency was very soft almost mushy and you can barely tell there were mushrooms. There was barely any mushrooms flavor. Next we all chose an entree. I got the duck breast, my husband and daughter each had the beef tenderloin. The duck breast was smaller than i expected. The skin was nicely seared and very crispy but boy did it give my jaw a workout. It was done medium rare. It was juicy but tough. The small beef tenderloin was tender and smoky. The waiter poured the sauce over the tenderloin for added flavor. Finally dessert was a fruit plate with ice cream and pudding. The fruit was fresh and the flavors of the ice cream and pudding unique. It was a nice end to a good brunch. The price was a little expensive at $85 a person.

    Photos
    ilili NoMad - Ilili Restaurant NYC's outdoor dining

    Ilili Restaurant NYC's outdoor dining

    ilili NoMad - Brussels Sprouts

    Brussels Sprouts

    ilili NoMad - Glass of Chateau Ksara 'Blanc de Blancs' 2023 (~$17)

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    Glass of Chateau Ksara 'Blanc de Blancs' 2023 (~$17)

    Al Nour - Chicken Shawerma plate, Beef Shawerma plate, Hummus, Baba ghanouj, Kibbeh, Kufta Kebab plate,

    Al Nour

    3.7(31 reviews)
    1.6 miAstoria

    We were craving a shawarma wrap and found this spot. They have a grocery section, butcher shop in…read morethe back of halal meats and they have a hot food bar too. They have some seating available for you to eat in too. My husband and I ordered a chicken shawarma to share. - Chicken Shawarma: we ordered without onions. The shawarma came with fries, lettuce, tomatoes, hummus, and garlic sauce. This was a pretty overwhelming combination to me and my husband. So many flavors mixed together. The chicken was delicious- perfectly cooked, moist, and very well seasoned. I ended up picking at the shawarma halfway through and just eating the chicken pieces. Based on typical Lebanese shawarma standards, the fries didn't taste fresh (they seemed like they'd been sitting out), and there was something in the shawarma that had a bit of a refrigerated taste (probably the hummus). I'm giving it 4 stars because what we had was a traditional Lebanese-style shawarma. While we personally would've preferred a simpler wrap with just chicken, pickles, and garlic sauce, that's on us- we came to the wrong spot for that, but we also could've asked for it with just those components.

    Always delicious food, great service and a homey ambience!…read more Came in on Christmas Day to pick up a hefty amount of food and they were open regular hours. Thank you for amazing food and service! Makes me miss Damascus every single time.

    Photos
    Al Nour - Inside shawarma grilling area and menu

    Inside shawarma grilling area and menu

    Al Nour - Chicken shawarma

    Chicken shawarma

    Al Nour - Outside

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    Outside

    Hen House NYC - Childhood Crispy Rice (~$18): with shish taouk

    Hen House NYC

    4.6(105 reviews)
    5.2 miEast Village

    My friends and I arrived fairly early on Friday to dine in for brunch/lunch. We were greeted warmly…read moreby the cashier who told us to sit. The seating area is fairly small, which surprised me. We ordered the crispy garlic rice, the Piri Piri chicken sandwich, and the famous knefeh and chicken pancake. The server was so nice, she offered us a sample of the seasonal lemonade, which had rose water and turmeric. It did take a little bit of time for all the food to come out. We chit-chatted while we shared the garlic rice (a little crunchy, very mild) and the chicken sandwich. The PiriPiri sandwich came with a huge piece of fried chicken that was spiced and fried well. The chicken was juicy and not super dry. The little bit of pickled cabbage helped keep things from becoming too greasy. After a bit of wait, the pancake was served. It was such a fun experience with the crunchy kadayif noodles and the cheese hidden underneath a super fluffy pancake. The salty and cheesy flavors of the pancake went well with the rose maple syrup. The spice from the chicken added another note to the dish that made it such a great combo of flavor. I could not stop picking at this huge pancake. It's definitely meant to be eaten by at least two, if not three. If we had known, we probably wouldn't have ordered the other chicken sandwich. Overall the contrast in the chicken and knafeh pancake alone was enough to want me to visit again. The textural crunch, the melted pull of the cheese, the sweet syrup against salty and spicy flavors of the chicken. Not only was the whole presentation beautiful, but the dish itself tasted amazing. I would visit Hen House again for the experience.

    All I had heard about Hen House was their cozy, innovative dishes and was excited to go. They're…read moreknown for their falafel and other creative flavors and I went with the staple shawarma plate. It was served with lackluster presentation, standard ingredients, and lack of creative flair I was expecting and heard about. I wouldn't count Hen House out, but believe this was a one-off, standard, experience.

    Photos
    Hen House NYC - Inside

    Inside

    Hen House NYC - Lamb Shawarma Platter with Batata Harra

    Lamb Shawarma Platter with Batata Harra

    Hen House NYC - The catering that gets done by Hen house is some of the best in the city. Custom menus, bbq kits and more.

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    The catering that gets done by Hen house is some of the best in the city. Custom menus, bbq kits and more.

    El Toum - lebanese - Updated May 2026

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