This is the best middle eastern food in Gainesville. I've tried the beef shawarma which you can't find anywhere in Gainesville, gyro meat and the falafel which is exceptionally phenomenal. Ehab the owner knows what he's doing! I grew up on Lebanese food and this is authentic read more

Grill Express was absolutely delicious! Everything is clearly made in house, including the incredibly amazing hummus. The beef in the Beef Shawarma Platter was well cooked and the rice was so flavorful. I would say definitely don't skip out on the hummus or adding the garlic sauce! The portions are also amazing. The owners are super nice and the service is great. The ambiance is definitely simple, not much going on, but I can't complain when the food is so good. One recommendation for them would be adding some more of the salad! It was great with the sauce and I wish I could have enjoyed it more. read more

The interior at Grill Express was clean, but I waited about 30 minutes for my food to go. I ordered a beef shawarma sandwich with feta fries. The sandwich was on the smaller side, but I liked that it was crisped up, and the beef was juicy and flavorful. The feta fries were overcooked. So crispy and hard that a fork couldn't even puncture them. The cheese topping was okay and nicely spiced. Overall, the meal was a little overpriced for the size and cost, but the sandwich itself was tasty. read more

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I found this place via Yelp and was soooo happy I did! They have generous portions and such tender meat! Every time I go here I get the gyro platter. It comes with seasoned rice, few slices of pita bread, gyro meat, and salad. I usually have the salad removed and there's never an issue with my modification. The white sauce they put on top truly is divine. The pricing is within standard pricing as other Mediterranean restaurants. It's always hot and fresh. They have tables inside which are always clean and it's very quiet outside of some music playing. Overall this is one of two favorite gyro spots in Gainesville that I'd recommend others to try out! read more

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Grill Express - Gainesville, FL The location is quaint and tucked in, for a quick meal or takeout. We did pick-up this time, and it was quick service, smooth and easy. Started with hummus and falafel--both had good flavor. Love a good falafel crunch. The sauces? Fresh. More tzatziki, please. We needed to quickly cater for a friend's get-together, so we got the Family Platter, which came with a choice of 3 meats: we chose gyro meat, shawarma chicken, and chicken shish, served over seasoned rice, plus fries, salad, and pita. The gyro meat was nicely seasoned and flavorful. The chicken was a little dry, but still worked when mixed with the sides and sauces. Flavorful Middle Eastern food overall, would try again, maybe switch up the protein. read more

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Probably the last of our dining adventures during our mid-week "get away" from home (40 minutes) is the Grill Express on University in Gainesville. If Mediterranean cuisine turns your crank, this place will more than deliver. It looks like a complete hole-in-the-wall place (and it is), but they serve up some of the best Mediterranean food we've had in Florida. We shared an order of feta fries and ordered two platters: falafel (falafel, Jasmine rice, salad, hummus & pita bread) and mixed (chicken shawarma, shish tawook, sliced gyro meat, rice, salad, white sauce &pita). Amazing! The flavors were so good! Truly a hidden gem in Gainesville! There is a limited amount of parking, so if you can pick a weeknight rather than a weekend you will probably be fine. The guy behind the counter was very nice and brought our food out as soon as it was ready. read more

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As I walked in, I saw a woman in a hijab with a boy, that I assumed was her son. I ordered the chicken shish platter with a side of hummus!! (a winner dinner) He came out to give them their food, and he was speaking to the boy in his native language. I didn't understand a word, but you could hear the love and nurturing support in his voice. I let him see my smile, as I could not hide it. I come in here a lot, and he knows I did not understand, but it was a universal thing that transcends spoken words. My food was SO good, that I had to share it! I could smell it, as I drove to my best friend's art store to share with him! I told him the story, and we both enjoyed a little international humanity. It was peaceful, a very peaceful restaurant! Highly recommended!! read more

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The family who runs this restaurant is so friendly and nice and the owner will talk you through all of the food on the menu. Everything we have tried so far is delicious. The falafel are my favorite! The garlic sauce is addictive. The lentil soup is blended and smooth and very flavorful -- a perfect light lunch. Otherwise there is enough food in the platters for two meals! The wraps are delicious and hot pressed. Both types of chicken -- both shwarma and kebab -- are wonderful. Platters are accompanied by perfect rice and fresh veggies. A hidden gem. read more

The food was mediocre. I had the Chicken Shish it lacked flavor, and the salad was lettuce with a cherry tomato- nothing like the photo. To top it off, the owner/ employees' kids were screaming and crying. read more

Excellent and tasty food - always consistent...their falafel and hummus are some of the best I've ever had and I've eaten a lot of this all over Jacksonville. Whenever I am in Gainesville, this is my go-to food place for take-out. Delicious!! read more

Good: ingredients seemed fresh. Greek salad was good. Meh: the beef and chicken shawarma was ok. It had a very powerful clove flavor that I was not expecting and stayed with me long after the meal was finished. The Bad: The fries left a lot to be desired. Very little seasoning and kind of mushy. Wife also said the her gyro lacked enough sauce and Was dry. read more

I've ordered food from this place twice. Once for take out and once from DD. I won't be back. Ordered the Kofta Kebob platter and Baklava. The Baklava was beautiful. Sadly... it was put on top of my hot Kebob platter which sat in transport for more that 25 minutes in a plastic bag. It was so soggy and soft. My Kofta Kebob platter was beef and "little bits' of lamb smashed into a burger patty and cut up into pieces on top of rice. Set next to warm wilted salad with two small pieces of quartered cucumber, a sprinkle of feta and two tomatoes.. Yum Frankly, what made this dish tolerable was the sauce and the seasonings I used, mixed into the fragrant rice that came with the dish. The rice was perfect. The meat was overly cooked and not a Kofta Kebob read more

Grill Express - Kofta Kebob burger and soggy baklava - Middle Eastern Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

Absolute fire, love this spot. Got takeout here many times back when I went to school at UF and it never disappointed. Had to come back to it when I visited gainesville and it's as good as ever. Staff is friendly (shoutout AJ not sure if he still works there) and usually pretty quick. Sometimes they run out of rice but the fries can substitute and are also amazing. Will always love Grill Express! read more

Grill Express - Gyro Platter - Middle Eastern Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

Excellent service by grill express, grill express is great outfit in the community and it is an honor to eat there.

This place has amazing flavor but I was underwhelmed with the portion size for a $20 meal. For $20 I expect a super filling dinner. This was not it. I had to have a second dinner after it. The salad did not even fill up half of the small box it came it and it had stale lettuce, a couple tomatoes and a few cucumbers. The chicken and rice and sauces were amazing though. Great flavors. The pita bread was good but nothing too special and there was not enough of it. Worker was super nice and the order was timely so I wish it was worth all $20 :/ read more

Grill Express - Chicken Shawarma and Mixed Platter - Middle Eastern Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

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Amending prior evaluation. Subsequent orders were perfect and I highly recommend this place!

Chicken shawarma wrap and feta fries were delicious. I could eat the Greek feta fries everyday. read more

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We ordered our meal to our hotel and it was fresh and delicious! I forgot to take a picture of the food because it was that good.

the location is a little sketchy but the food is awesome. its great! maybe don't show up if your a girl by your self (staff nice tho) food came out fast. goated sleeper pick read more

An unforgettable experience. The vibes were just there and the food was delicious. I ate din-in at the small cozy place after a nearby appointment, and the food came out in 15 minutes, looking very pretty as well, check the photo. As of this review, the gyro platter was $14.99 before tip. But the part that made this unforgettable were the other people that day. There were plenty of Arab women with their husbands while I waited in line, and they spoke in Arabic to the owner who was the only employee that day. It's always a good-sign when the locals are all there. After placing our orders we sat around in the restaurant and turned our chairs to each other, so we could discuss. Before I got the food, first I asked if anyone had been here before, and a woman told this restaurant is probably the best halal in the entire country! She said she was born and raised Saudi Arabia, and the food here rivals if not exceeds most of the places in Saudi! Her husband who is a war veteran told us the same. So I was licking my lips already. The discussion varied from there. I remember one of them claiming that Middle-Eastern cuisine tastes the best because is is the cuisine of the "Creoles" or the first humans. Another said that Arabia is becoming green again, lush with springs and palm trees like a millennia ago and the Euphrates drying out--a sign of the end-times. We closed with anti-war sentiment, especially in the Middle-Eastern regions. Some of the husbands were veterans so they had a lot to speak about, the PTSD, innocent casualties, destruction of culture on a vulnerable populace. An informative and intusing discussion to say the least. Oh yeah the food. Delicious, that is all. read more

Grill Express - Gryo platter $14.99 - Middle Eastern Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

I love this place. Food is really good & decently priced. I like to get the chicken Shawarma. Added a pic of the current menu for anyone who wants it. read more

Grill Express - June 2024 Menu - Middle Eastern Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

I absolutely recommend this place!!! I don't eat halal food too much just because there's not many options, but this place as absolutely delicious. I got the gyro platter and it was the best i've had. The meat was so tender and flavorful. The pita bread was delicious, and it also has a salad and rice underneath it. It also comes with amazing tzatzki sauce and a good garlic sauce. I loved every single bite i took and literally came back the next day. The inside is super authentic feeling and the staff is kind. Overall it is a very very good deal in my opinion and definitely recommend this to anyone in Gainesville. You just might see me here too. read more

Dined in tonight around 5pm on a weeknight. Super casual local family owned/operated type place. Nothing fancy. Drinks are in cooler to the right of the counter where you order. We were promptly greeted by a friendly gentleman. He asked if we had any questions about the menu and if we were dining in or doing takeout. We dined in. Both of us had the chicken shawarma platter. Food was out in maybe 5-7 minutes. It was hot and fresh and as pictured in prior reviews here on yelp. He automatically gave us both 2 extra sides of the creamy garlic sauce. It's served with a basic salad which tasted tummy with the garlic sauce and naan bread.The naan bread was warm and soft. The chicken was cooked well, moist and flavorful. Rice was cooked as it should be. The food was served in a to go tin which turned out perfect because we each only ate half. Great price for the quality and quantity. Will most certainly be returning. I'd definitely look for this type of place when asked about non chain locals hidden gem, hole in the wall with great food. read more

Delicious! We got chicken shawarma, falafel platter and baba ghanoush. Super flavorful and fresh. I like the baba ghanoush on top of the rice. Kids loved it too! read more

Absolutely perfect. Food is hot, filling, and perfectly seasoned. Im an blown away by the consistency and quality of the Gyro Platter in particular, which I recommend. The owner is a kind and gracious man. He truly cares about his food as well as his customers. If you are looking for a clean restaurant and delicious gyro meat, this is the place to go. read more

Grill Express - Gyro Platter - Middle Eastern Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

This new kebab place has been very impressive. I loved their gyro. It has probably the thickest meat slices in Gainesville. I had a stressful day and so I had their crazy box with a can beer and wow.. It was better than getting exercise to reduce stress! Highly recommended in my book read more

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It was a rainy Friday evening, the weather was cool, and I needed something to eat that would warm the soul... so what better way to do so than to have a gyro sandwich or two?! Grill Express in Gainesville, having taken the spot of Faith Vietnamese, has only recently opened (their business license was issued in late December). I wonder on the name, as the sign on the door features the 808 of the address prominently, so I am not sure if it is just "Grill Express" or "808 Grill Express". Frankly, I really like the latter... sort of reminds me of Leonardo's 706... Anyways, I digress. I walked in, and while the furnishing is simple, it is adequate... you could certainly eat a meal there for lunch or dinner, no problem. I was doing a carry-out, but I did sit in one of the seats and it was comfortable. I got my order in, and then waited about five minutes for the order to come out. They make everything to order, so you know it is fresh. Price was right too! Getting home, it was time to dig in. I got two standard gyros, which is all I really needed. Both were excellent to taste. About my only complaint is that the pita was a bit dough-y and too soft... could have stayed a bit longer on the grill to crisp it up a bit. Other than that, a great gyro! I will certainly be returning to the store, now that I know it is there! read more

The food is delicious! I got the Greek Salad. The romain lettuce , cucumbers and tomatoes are fresh and crisp and very lightly dressed. I added a lamb kabob and kofta kebab. Both meats were very good the lamb was my favorite and not gamely at all. Enough for 2 meals for me. My husband had the gyro wrap and fries. Very generous portions. He said it was the best gyro he has had. read more

Grill Express - Greek salad with added lamb kebab and kofta kebab. - Middle Eastern Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

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Ordered the chicken shawarma platter $15.99 and Greek Feta Fries $6.99.Absolutely delicious and plenty of food for the price. The chicken shawarma platter comes with salad, rice, and pita bread. I recommend you check this place out. read more

Grill Express - Chicken Shawarma Platter - Middle Eastern Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

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Sandwich was delicious and the man working the counter was very nice! Received food very quickly which I appreciated being able to get in and out for lunch. read more

What a delightful place to grab a quick bite or have a full dinner! Love all the vegetarian options! I usually just come for a falafel wrap to go. Wait is sometimes kind of long, but it's worth it! read more

Grill Express is authentic, delicious and worth every penny! We spent about $70 and got enough food for 4 people. Hubby and I split the meal and saved the rest for a meal later. We had the chicken and beef shawarma sandwiches- hubby really liked the chicken the best although both were quite scrumptious! I ordered the dolmades which were soo flavorful and delicious! I also ordered the hummus and it was a lot, super creamy and very satisfying! I had a Greek salad as well which was refreshing and full of feta- my fave! I also ordered the mixed platter which was packed with flavor and filling! The restaurant was clean and not crowded. The staff was welcoming and we enjoyed a nice lunch. We will definitely be back! read more

!!! This was my first time eating here. The food was very good. The two gentlemen running the restaurant had a great attitude and were thankful for our business. I will definitely do it again !!! read more

Food was really great! We got the falafel, gyro platter, and lamb gyro! The lamb was tender with a nice crust on the outside. The owner, Ihab, was so friendly and generous. read more

Grill Express - Middle Eastern Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

Orders Gyro sandwich via grub hub. Was still warm and yummy! Would order it again. Perhaps Falafel or some shawarma next time!

The food was amazing. It's a quiet little shop but it was exactly what I was looking for when it comes to something Mediterranean. I ordered the classic lamb gyro, and it was GREAT. I was in town for the VA hospital and just needed something other than hospital food. This place hit the spot! read more

Great authentic restaurant though the price is a bit expensive for Gainesville it is definitely worth the quality and quantity of food given. Got the chicken Shawarma which was delicious but a little dry for my taste. My friend got the Shoah Tawook which had a curry sauce that I enjoyed even more. Will be back to try more in the future! read more

Grill Express - Middle Eastern Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

Love this place, my husband passes it on the way to work constantly and dragged me here for a quick dinner. We were the only ones in the store and decided to eat in. Our favorites are the chicken shawarma and gyro wrap, their fries are delicious and covid safety precautions are top notch. The food is made fresh, so be prepared to wait about 10 minutes, unless you call your order in ahead of time. There are about 10-15 tables inside, with no outdoor seating available. PS- the fries in one combo are easily enough to feed two people. Unless you are super hungry and have no self control when it comes to french fries. In that case, get your own, and the feta fries are good too. read more

We stopped here on a lazy Saturday afternoon when we had a need for some Middle Eastern Cuisine. I'm pretty basic and went for the chicken shawarma (I asked for no pickle!) and was not disappointed. It was the perfect amount of food and absolutely delicious. My fiancé enjoyed his gyro, but agreed that my choice was better. We ordered the Greek Feta Fries solely because of how popular they were with the Yelpers. I'm not really into feta, but I loved the taste of these! Be warned that feta doesn't really melt the same as other cheeses so you kind of have to stick it to the fry. Totally worth it. This place doesn't look like much from the outside, but that's because this restaurant is worrying about the food. It reminded me of some of our favorite Middle Eastern eats on our trip to DC. Definitely recommend this spot for lunch! read more

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OMG absolutely phenomenal! This place is delicious. Definitely check them out. I got the gyro platter and it doesn't disappoint. read more

Grill Express - Gyro plater - Middle Eastern Near Me - Gainesville, Florida