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    Grill Express

    4.7 (74 reviews)
    Closed 11:00 am - 11:00 pm

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    David J.

    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.

    Not a busy night, but a nice clean restaurant, and I know I have good food coming...oh yeah!!
    Erich C.

    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!!

    Kofta Kebob burger and soggy baklava
    Patricia M.

    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

    Gyro Platter
    Robert V.

    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!

    Chicken Shawarma and Mixed Platter
    Emily L.

    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 :/

    Chicken Shawarma
    Jahmeel S.

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

    Gryo platter $14.99
    Daniel C.

    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.

    June 2024 Menu

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    Photo of Alissa D.
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    6 years ago

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    2 years ago

    it's delicious food and have family meals it's really big amount and enough for the family with reasonable price

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    3 years ago

    Really delicious foo. I had the falafel platter. This was some of the best faafels I've ever had, the rice was also very good.

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    5 years ago

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    4 years ago

    The food is very good! Do wish the portions were bigger, but overall the the service and food were great :)

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    4 years ago

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    5 years ago

    Wow this food is amazing! Chicken schwarma is excellent. I will for sure come back here

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    4 years ago

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    4 years ago

    I had their beef shawarma combo with seasoned fries and a drink. So good ! Everything was amazing and easy parking in the back

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    5 years ago

    Probably the best shawarma I had in a good while! I can judge shawarma places harshly but I'm pretty happy with this one!

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    5 years ago

    AJ is the man. Worth the money. Get extra sauce and get a shish tawook platter. HYPE.

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    5 years ago

    Always good to eat here, great middle eastern food experience. Great customer service and fair prices. Definitely a place to try

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    5 years ago

    Got the chicken shawarma. Amazing service, friendly staff and amazing food. Nothing more to say

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    6 years ago

    Best halal spot in Gainesville, staff is awesome. Give you tons of food for the price

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    Falafel King

    Falafel King

    3.5
    (130 reviews)
    3.3 mi
    $

    I have been eating Falafel King since 1984 and it is still as good today as it was back then. I was…read moreintroduced to it by words that became a staple every time I walked in, "My friend. Come and enjoy a falafel!" It was 1984, I worked at the Florida Bookstore and was sitting out back in the courtyard behind Chaucer's during my lunch break. That's when I heard those words. It was a smiling man sticking his head out of a kitchen window behind Cafe Gardens, which shared the courtyard with Chaucer's. "...enjoy a falafel!" "A flawhatel?" I asked. The man was Ghassan Chehab, and after serving me my first ever falafel, I ate there nearly every day. He soon moved out of the small shared-kitchen window to the famous 13th and University location, next to Burrito Brothers and Goerings Book Center - which I eventually moved to myself - and a block from my house. Falafel sandwich, spinach pie, strawberry-banana smoothie, and complimentary baklava - that was my go-to meal, always accompanied by great conversation with Ghassan. I left Gainesville in 1992 and The King moved out to Butler Plaza. I returned there a number of years later and was not only delighted to see the place still existed, but it was as good as ever! Ghassan was no longer there in person, but he certainly was in spirit. I continue to eat there whenever I pass anywhere near Gainesville, and always take home a bundle full of the falafel and pies. In fact, I'm actually writing this review with the taste of that falafel and spinach pie in mouth right now because I recently made one such trip. My friends, go eat a falafel at Falafel King!

    Falafel King is a hidden gem in Gainesville. The owner, staff and service are all very friendly and…read morewonderful to interact with. The food portion size to cost ratio is well balanced. We got the lamp chop platter and the lamb shank platter. Both were very yummy and came with big hunks of meat on a bed of rice with sides of tabbouleh and hummus to go with fresh warm pita bread. We also tried the mint lemonade which was incredibly refreshing but not overly sweet. We liked shopping around the grocery area while we waited for our food. There were so many fun treats and cool things to browse. Highly recommended with you enjoy halal Mediterranean food!

    Photos
    Inside dining area with wall art.
    Inside dining area with wall art.
    Food is great, excellent customer service, and you can find essential groceries inside the small supermarket the restaurant have
    Food is great, excellent customer service, and you can find essential groceries inside the small supermarket the restaurant have
    Outside

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    Outside
    Ali Baba House of Kabob

    Ali Baba House of Kabob

    3.8
    (189 reviews)
    88.2 mi
    $$

    Pros: We got takeout, and the order in the bag was…read morecompletely correct. That is always appreciated. The kababs were some of the best I've ever had. Very high quality meat, cooked perfectly. Good texture. Good seasoning. Very high level stuff. Cons: Unfortunately, their expertise in the meat department didn't spread to other foods. Between the bland version of adaspolo and the hockey puck-like falafel, I was a little disappointed. Tips: Get the meats, get some apps like the hummus, get some pita, and be wary of other things.

    It is one of those places that pleasantly surprises you. From the outside, it looks fairly…read moreunassuming, but once you step in, the interior tells a very different story. The dining space is spacious, well laid out, and has a refined, almost posh feel to it. With the Persian artwork, pictures, and wall hangings, it genuinely feels like you're dining in a traditional Persian restaurant rather than a casual strip-mall spot. Parking is never an issue, as the complex offers ample space, which is always a plus when dining out. The service was good--attentive and courteous--but the real talking point here is the food. We tried the chicken shish and the koobideh, and both were excellent. The meats were well seasoned, perfectly cooked, and impressively succulent. The saffron rice deserves a special mention as well--flavorful, aromatic, and importantly, not dry, which can often be the case elsewhere. We also ordered the falafels, which were quite filling and satisfying, making for a great accompaniment to the mains. If there's one suggestion for improvement, it would be to include some house-made breads, which are something many of us are accustomed to at Middle Eastern restaurants and would elevate the experience even further. That said, this was a very nice dining experience overall, and the pricing felt fair for the quality and portion sizes. Definitely a place worth revisiting, and we'll be back again.

    Photos
    Wall hanging
    Wall hanging
    514. Beef Koubideh
    514. Beef Koubideh
    Interior

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    Interior
    Beirut Restaurant & Spirits

    Beirut Restaurant & Spirits

    4.3
    (297 reviews)
    58.1 mi
    $$

    Sunday lunch buffet was delicious! Some other restaurants have lamb that tastes greasy and gamey…read morebut not here! The lamb tastes fresh, clean, and refreshing! For buffet standard the service was good. Welcoming staff, friendly, kept the empty plates clear and the drinks full. I will definitely be back!

    I really wanted to love Beirut and will give it another chance, but my first impression wasn't…read moregreat. I came in as a solo diner and was seated quickly, although my table was kind of nestled underneath the high outdoor bar. That meant hearing some of the bartender's phone conversations. I ordered a glass of Lebanese rose wine and liked it! But my meal wasn't impressive. The vegetarian grape leaves (one of my favorite dishes, generally) were OK, although several were split up on my plate (but hey, it happens). I thought the flavor was underwhelming; there was a lot of acidity but nothing else. I also ordered a side of "extra crispy seasoned potato fries" which just turned out to be generic crinkle fries with salt. Definitely wouldn't order those again. I thought maybe there would be some sort of twist on them? The big frustration was service. The restaurant was far from full when I went -- I counted maybe a dozen seated tables. After I finished eating, I spent more than 30 minutes trying to get my waiter's attention to get my check even as I sat with my plates pushed away, glasses empty, and credit card out. He walked by multiple times to wait on and check with other tables, and I saw at least five other employees working in the front of house and walking by me. Even when I got his attention for the check, it took quite a few minutes to get it, despite him walking out to other tables. (Although I will note he seemed busier than the other employees!) My check before tip came to $24, which felt on the pricey side for what I got. I hope I'm wrong, but I got the vibe that I wasn't exactly their favorite type of guest -- a solo diner who wasn't smoking hookah. (I noticed another solo non-smoker go similarly unnoticed by staff.) Maybe they heavily favor regulars, too. But they weren't at capacity, and I'd have gotten out quicker had I been able to pay. Maybe it was just an off night. But it's just not a great feeling to be ignored.

    Photos
    Beirut Restaurant & Spirits
    Beirut Restaurant & Spirits
    Outdoor new section

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    Outdoor new section

    Grill Express - mideastern - Updated August 2026

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