Stopped by Alaturco Gyro and really enjoyed it. The food was fresh, flavorful, and the portions…read morewere generous. They also have a lot of vegan options, which I loved. Next time I definitely want to try the vegan falafel, and I'm really curious about the Greek moussaka too. Service friendly and welcoming, and I also loved the cute tables outside. They've added flowers around the outdoor area and it makes the whole place feel really charming and inviting. Definitely a spot I'd come back to.

We follow alaturco on Facebook where they had placed out a post stating they had a st pattys day…read morespecial for $39.99. Sounded like a great opportunity to try a bit of all their food. The ordering was simple and I reserved my order through fb messenger a few days prior to 3/17. The order to the pickup went smoothly and it was sooooo delicious. They placed it together when I arrived. If you've never been to the Ballston spa location and it's your first time, things to know: - tables for about 12 people in the restaurant at a time (no larger parties) - it gets warm in there, no matter the season! - they serve canned drinks and bottled water, so if you're a guzzler, bring your large reusable water bottle My favorite part was how the hummus was the best hummus I've had in years. No other restaurant makes it like this in the area and you've got to go in and try it!

The food was so delicious. The spinach pie would be one of my must haves if I lived in the…read moreneighborhood. The hamburger was just as good and the French fries were excellent. Came on a Monday and the owners were happy to have us stop by with all of our helmets and camera gear spread out over their large square tables. Loved the homey neighborly feeling.

The ambiance is a hole in the wall, but the food is some of the best. Baba ghanoush was wonderful…read moreand great chicken gyro sandwiches. It was more than we could eat and we will return. For reference, it is a stone's throw from the Fort Plain museum

Great food, good value, fast and friendly service! It's also a nice, clean place with plenty of…read moreseating sit and enjoy your meal. I highly recommend it to both locals and those traveling through the Capital Region. It's only about 5 minutes off the New York State Thruway exit 21B.

Guys I found it! I…read morefound my favorite capital region eatery. Specifically, the "quick", easy, and cost effective food spot. I don't consider it "fast food" but sure, it's an assembly line bowl place, similar to the "chipotle" concept. I've now tried both the Albany (Stuyvesant plaza) location and the OG - Coxsackie one. Both were amazing. The big bowl at Coxsackie was ~$12 and it totally fills me up. Tastes delicious, and you can customize it, and I don't feel they nickel and dime ya, with up charges. Everything tastes fresh and the portion for price is on par and great for what you get. Pita is included with every bowl. Now, I can't wait to taste and try the entire menu and zero in on my favorite bowl, or do a make your own. Thanks Simones. You'll see me a bunch. If it was walking distance or closer, I'd go weekly!

Noticeably spotless! The staff all smile and really seem to love being there. Very upbeat and super…read morefriendly. I did not realize there were several locations in the capital district. There is one closer to me so I think I will be visiting there real soon. I got a toasty Big Chicken Shawarma wrap. It was stuffed full of fresh ingredients. Every single ingredient complimented the other I can't even describe it. It was a nice size and I ate it all. Absolutely delicious. I don't think I've had a toastier wrap ever. It was perfect. Pics included! A nice relaxed atmosphere with apparently several locations. I would encourage you to try one!

Staff are very welcoming and pleasant. Food very good…read more Tomato soup excellent. Shawarma bowls very good with fresh quality ingredients. Rice and pita bread very good. Fair pricing. Quality utensils. Quick service. Place and bathrooms are clean. Management/owner doing a fabulous job! Will always return! And will try the desserts next time.

The food is phenomenal. I am in town on business so I checked yelp for what is close by. When I saw…read morethe 4.6 rating, I order immediately! I ordered the Santorini Salad and initially I hesitated because chipped chicken is typically dry but OMG, this chicken. Is so moist and flavorful. The salad itself is yummy! All my directions were followed (dressing on side and no olives). The falafel and tahini and hummus are so good! I was in Greece two months ago, and ironically, I visited SAntorini and other islands. This meal can easily stand up to any dish I had on my trip! Excellent and highly recommend!

Great food, great service and great location. The portions…read moreat big! I loved the small picnic tables outside for eating. All around a great experience.

Delicious fresh food, a lovely staff and Naji is such a lovely, personable man. What more do you…read morewant? Oh, you ant good food, too? Good thing you stopped at Naji's! I love the baba ganouj and the grape leaves (with meat and without). Also delicious is the za'atar pizza, what I know as lamejun. Any combination of these or all three is a perfect meal. Last time I was there I got the beef gyro and it was so much food! Best of all, it was delicious! There are lots of vegetarian options on the menu and many things that can be made gluten and/or dairy free. When you stop in, be sure to pickup a package or ten of their halvah. I am not a halvah person, but I always make sure to bring some home. I've seen plain, chocolate . . . and pistachio at the register. So, so good! If you are anywhere between Canaan and Stockbridge or even further afield, be sure to stop into this hidden gem.

Drove past this hole in the wall for years and took a chance. Perhaps in Lebanon diners eat in an…read moreunheated enclosed narrow porch in February: Outside temp 40F -- inside 56F. Ate with coats on under skylights. Baba ganoush starter with hot pita triangles was the highlight, quickly went downhill. Naji Panini (eggplant) with French (not Lebanese) fries, very dry falafel with dry (ancient) potato salad. Lesson learned: Lebanese cuisine is best enjoyed in summer.

My son had stopped here on the way to visit and based on some of the leftovers, we knew it had to…read morebe on the list. Traveling within about 5 minutes on the way to visit a good friend, and it happened to be right around lunch time, the opportunity finally came. It's a casual place, lots of 2 and 4 top tables, but what caught my eye when we went in was the cooler full of amazing side options. Then you look up and there's a beautiful oven and a dough station. This is looking great. We sat and ordered lamb kebab and doner kebab. A couple minutes later, a large (~11x17?) wooden tray appeared with a piping hot lavash bread and a plate of dill yogurt sauce. If the meal had stopped there, I would have been a happy camper. We had just had a few pieces when the kebab arrived, each with a pepper, tomato, some red cabbage, and onion. Both meats were authentic and delicious. My favorite way to eat my doner was with a bit of the bread, a bit of the dill sauce, some onion and cabbage, and a bunch of meat - a mini gyro, if you will. We took away about 1/3 of the generous portions and ordered a large mixed plate (all 10 of the sides) and baklava to take to our friend. It's a bit of a drive for us, but any time we're anywhere close, we're going to be back for sit down (if it's mealtime) or takeaway if it's not. I highly recommend you do the same.

Alibaba is probably the oldest Turkish restaurant in the Albany area, and it recently got a nice…read moreupgrade -- from the furniture to the serving plates and menus. The place feels much more modern and inviting now. Our family especially enjoys the beyti kebab, the güveç, and their pide. I haven't tried the pizza yet, but since their pide is very good, I imagine the pizza would also be solid. For me though, the real highlight at Alibaba is the mezze. In Turkish cuisine, grilled meats and kebabs are almost always enjoyed with a variety of mezze. They might technically be sides, but they're a big part of the whole experience. These days there are several Turkish kebab places in the area, but none of them offer a wide selection of fresh, house-made mezze like Alibaba does. At many places you're lucky if you find one or two options, often just a basic ezme. At Alibaba you'll find around ten different mezze and each one tastes distinct and freshly made. Every time I tell myself I'll just take a little... and somehow I end up filling a big mezze plate. Honestly, even when we grill at home, our motivation is picking up mezze from Alibaba to go with it. I'm not sure if it gets the credit it deserves, but don't skip the mezze here -- you'd be missing out. In fact, start with the mezze and figure out the rest later :))

My husband and I came here for lunch while in town for a concert. I had a glass of Riesling that I…read moreenjoyed. My husband had the crab bisque and I had the pumpkin bisque. The soups were definitely the best part of our meals. Then we shared the spinach pistachio salad, crab cakes and bang bang shrimp. The only thing we didn't like was the salad. It was huge and fresh but the dressing tasted like plain puréed strawberries and it was way more lettuce than anything. Definitely needed more and better dressing. And more cheese. Service was great and the outdoor seating was nice. Had a nice time. Just recommend you skip the salad.

Lovely evening. Food reliably good. Lovely service though they were very busy. The restaurant had a…read morevariety of seating areas.

When I used to work in Brooklyn there was a falafel cart that had the best falafel I'd ever had…read more Since then I've tried various falafel places and I've made them a few times at home. Nothing has come close. When I come to a decent sized city I look out for good restaurants to try. I was excited to see how the falafel was at Mazadar. Walking in I was greeted by friendly staff. There was a casual atmosphere. The felafel was the best I've ever had. I've had felafel all over the world in authentic restaurants. This was the best. From the bread to the balls to the salads to the sauces. Pure perfection. Everything was so fresh and so delicious.

I can't believe I haven't rated mazadar before. Their falafel wrap and spicy falafel burger are one…read moreof the few things in the area I crave and get regularly. Truly I think the falafel burger is the best vegetarian burger in Albany. The fried onion rings and bbq with their falafel is so good. And it's reasonably priced and comes with fries! Plus it's always super clean inside and the staff is very kind.