Nothing worse than trying a new restaurant, then having a bad experience and having to find myself here to write about it. Before writing this review, I did call the restaurant to discuss, but was met with their version of what they believe happened and I'm sooooo confused. 8^( Hungry after a very long hike with my dogs, I oftentimes grab to go so that when I get home I can go into a food coma mixed with the endorphin high from my long hike. I have been wanting to try Karama for a while now and last night was the night! Inside I was pleasantly greeted by the young lady behind the register. I wanted a mezza platter but didn't see one on the menu, so I opted for the falafel platter (4 falafels & creamy hummus) Falafels were dry and hummus nothing to write home about. I asked the young lady if they had an eggplant dish and she immediately said yes, we have moussaka; this was MUSIC to my ears and it started a roar within my belly. Excited, I repeated to her 2xs, "wow, you have moussaka" OMG. I love moussaka. Yes. I'll have the moussaka. She rang me up and the costs was incredibly cheap (my 1st clue). I asked her if she wrang me up for an entrée, and she said yes and that it came with pita bread. Then she asked if I wanted anything else. I said, no, if it's an entrée, that combined with the falafel platter should be enough for me for dinner. Picking up my to-go bag I noticed it was pretty light (my 2nd clue), but figured perhaps it was a medium size slice of moussaka and the pita was on top; the bag was stapled and I didn't want to open because I've got dogs in tow and another grocery bag to carry home. I thanked the young lady and went on my way. When home opening the to-go bag I pulled out the falafels which were placed in the same container as the Hummus - that sucked. Then I noticed the large amount of Pitas sitting atop a container of BABA GHANOUJ. I took them out of the bag HOPING that there was one more container in it, only to realize I paid $29 for four falafels, two dips and 3 fluffy pitas halved. The Pitas were yummy, and sadly the star of my order. I'm sure you can imagine my TOTAL DISAPPOINTMENT. I'm exhausted; I don't want to have to walk another mile back to the restaurant to figure out what happened and exchange it for what I wanted. I figured I'd eat what I had and call them today to see where the confusion was. Today, I look at their menu and no where on the menu does it say MOUSSAKA. I figured perhaps it was a daily special - some restaurants do this. I called and asked to speak with a manager, the young lady who answered asked the chef who the manager was, and he repeated her question to her then answered, "tell them you are the manager." Granted, they probably thought I was someone trying to sale them something; I dunno, I'm guessing. The young lady came back to the phone and said, "I'm the manager." I laughed and said great, and then asked her if they have Moussaka on the menu. She said no. What is Moussaka, I don't know what moussaka is????? I further explained my version of what I experienced and she immediately became defensive and asked me what time and what day this happened, then said she remembered me and she remembers telling me Baba Ghanouj. me thinks; NOT! Baba Ghanouj sounds NOTHING like MOUSSAKA. Not to mention, I clearly know the difference between the two and I DON'T LIKE, nor would I have ordered Baba Ghanouj. As we talked, Mike, the chef grabbed the phone from the "manager" and asked me "What's the problem?" What do you have a problem with? Then bring it back and I'll refund you the $10. I thanked him and said goodbye. And now I'm writing about it. ARGH!!! I hate giving bad reviews. But this review is more about a LESSON learned. READ THE MENU, ASK MORE QUESTIONS, SHOW ME WHERE the suggestion IS ON YOUR MENU, ETC. Will I go back? Yes. But only AFTER studying the menu and knowing what I want before walking in to order. And I won't be ordering falafel again. read more

The food and presentation are so good!!! We got the chicken shawarma. Highly recommend:)

Great value - love their beef/lamb shawarma!! Delicious food!! I have been here twice and each time I'm impressed. They also have great sauces :) read more

Food is delicious and incredibly flavorful. Speedy service. Can't wait to be a regular! read more

Karam - Fattoush salad with chicken - Mediterranean Near Me - San Francisco, California

Huge fan. Since they moved into the neighborhood I've been eating here at least twice a week. Highly recommend the Shish Taouk and the Beef & Lamb shawarma. Great staff, great vibes - awesome addition to Polk. read more

Great new spot on Polk street. We ordered the chicken shawarma plate and lamb kabobs and both were delicious. The shawarma had a generous amount of chicken, enough for two meals. Both came with salad, rice and warm pita bread. We will definitely be back! read more

I tried the arabic schwarma here, it was amazing! The restaurant has a very warm welcoming environment. The waiter was very kind, and overall I loved going here. 10/10 Would reccomend! read more

Omg so happy to have a new amazing place to eat good food on Polk Street. Love it so much!!

So happy to see this great remodel from the old taqueria that was here. Great casual lunch spot. I had the chicken shawarma. Served with great garlic and hot sauces :-) read more

Best food on the block! The preparation is incredible. Flavors are perfect. All sorts of spicy items which can dimension to the item. This Kafta was incredible. They really know what they are doing. The decor is very pleasant. The skylights warm and art beautiful. Super friendly, kind staff, putting a lot of care into the service. read more

I went there for the first time last week. While the food was good, I can't say the same about the service. There was only one waitress and the owner. The waitress took my order fairly quickly. However, after I got my order (which took a while), I did not see her again for a good 30 minutes. I wanted some water and had to wait forever, until she finally saw me raise my hand. During all that time, she didn't seem very busy. I noticed another table where the people waited half an hour for the waitress to take their order! She even took the order of another table that had arrived much later before taking their order. I am surprised they were so patient. While they ignored most tables, the owner spent a lot of time catering to one table of two, bringing them different plates and talking to them (I assume they were his friends). During all that time, he never checked on any of the other customers. They really need to improve their customer service! read more

I just had dinner there, absolutely delicious authentic food. Fresh and tasty, just the right seasonings. A delicious blend of Lebanese and Syrian style. I had the combo kebob skewer plate of chicken, kafta, and filet mignon beef kebab, with hummus, rice pilaf and salad. Salad dressing was excellent and the hummus was absolutely perfect. Even the pita were delicious, served warm. Plate served with hot sauce and garlic paste. Very nice service. Good price for the high quality of food. Highly recommended. read more

Lovely new middle eastern restaurant on Polk! Immediately, it was evident that the owners of the restaurant are dedicated to their craft. Everything was delicious, and the presentation on each plate was beautiful. We will be returning! read more

Excellent new restaurant! Had the chicken kebobs which were perfect - nicely spiced, not at all greasy and very tender! My friend ordered the lamb/beef shawerma combo which she enjoyed. They also serve up the BEST hummus and pita bread I have ever had!! Very nice friendly staff. Will be returning!!! read more

Beef-lamb Schwarma was amazing and good price and the service was welcoming. The protein was cooked perfectly such that it was tender. Would recommend for simple, and tasty middle eastern food read more

Delicious food and great service. The babaganoush was unreal. We came in with our sleeping baby and the offered to turn down the music a bit to make sure he didn't wake. Will definitely be back or get take out! read more

Literally the best Mediterranean food I've had in SF. The staff here was so nice and they have us such large portions. I'd highly recommend getting their FAROOJ MESHWE (GRILLED HALF CHICKEN) and BEEF & LAMB SHAWERMA, both were so delicious. Fresh lemonade was on point read more

Polk Street just got an amazing new restaurant! They just opened and this week have free baklava after your meal. The owners are from Syria and so sweet. Get the chicken breast skewer, it's some of the best chicken breast I've ever had. The baklava is great and not too sweet also. I will be back soon!! read more

Karam - Chicken Shawarma Arabic style - Mediterranean Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Fantastic new addition to Polk Street. I struggle to find delicious and healthy food that makes me feel good after. This covers everything. Amazing selection, friendly staff, and the restaurant is very welcoming and cozy. Highly recommend making this your new haunt. read more

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My partner and I bused in from Marin on Thursday evening; we had a huge desire for food from the Mediterranean. The 5 star rating on Yelp along with the hours open guided our choice to Karam. We had a delightful experience here. The food was most flavorful, taken from a large amount of choices! The service was lovely, the décor leaned toward homey, spacious and clean! I felt nearly transported to a place in the world I've never actually been. The vibe was welcoming. We shared a Fattouch of enormous proportion (easily enough for 4). The Reyash lamb rack had such an unusual flavor yet the lamb's freshness was perfect below the marinades flavor! I had hoped to be lucky enough with a delicious falafel and I was delighted by theirs; delicate, light, perfectly textured, exactingly crispy. All in all the whole meal was just wonderful. We certainly look forward to returning to sample and enjoy their nicely extensive menu again. Oh...and do not miss the Baklava Pistachio...omg it was heavenly! Balance of flavors and freshness here epitomized the entire meal. read more

This is the best shawarma in the city. No contest and yes I've tried MANY. Insane moistness and flavor. But this isn't just a shawarma spot. It may be one of the best middle eastern restaurants in the city. The dips and homemade hot sauce are incredible. I cannot wait to try the other plates. The photos of food on the front window make it seem like this restaurant isn't the serious culinary powerhouse it is. Recommend x 10000. GO. EAT. My picky chef boyfriend is also obsessed. read more

This place is AMAZING!! My boyfriend is Syrian and always tells me how he missed the shawarma/food from home, so when I found this place I knew we had to try it! Me and him, especially him were so in awe of how wholesome and genuine the owners were and even more impressed with how delicious the food was. He said that the food reminded him of home and nearly brought tears to his eyes, so for me this place is 100000/10! read more

The food here was really good and the staff here was so welcoming. Totally recommend the beef and lamb shwerma!!!

Amazing food!!!! Ordered the lamb hummus appetizer and it was great. Really good service too

The food was so good!!! Pita bread was freshly made and the baklava was delicious. I will definitely be going back whenever possible.

Meet is juicy and flavorful! Best middle eastern food in the city. Highly recommend!

Best Lebanese food I've had in the Bay Area. This is what San Francisco has been missing, everything I had was 10/10. Great service and ambiance as well. read more

Food was unbelievable, prices reasonable (free baklava and soda with any entree), and very kind staff! Definitely give this new spot a try!

If not the best it's for sure one of the best kabobs and shawarmas in the city I tried almost everything on the menu every thing tested like back home cooking. I highly recommend this spot for anyone craving Arabic food keep up the good work . read more

Great new spot on Polk! I got the beef and lamb shawerma wrap and it was delicious and super filling. All of the dips that came with were great. The staff were very friendly and welcoming! read more

Absolutely love the food, we ordered the okra, combo, and the Fatooch was splendid, tabbouleh also was great, the one place that i didn't need to add anything to it. Baklava was a delightful and delicious as well. read more

Fantastic new spot on Polk with a super friendly staff. We ordered to-go, but they have a nice dining section in the back and a high-top seating section in the front. Ordered the chicken shawarma plate - the portion was really good for $23, came with sides of salad, hummus, and pita bread with 2 sauces. Will definitely be coming back often, highly recommend! read more

Food and service were great! We order the beef shish kabob entree. The beef was tender and with a tasty seasoning. The rice, and salad was excellent. Everything was fresh and made to order. The staff were very friendly. I would highly recommend. read more

nIce ambiance and beef and lamb shawarma was really good. they give pitas too :) Love the food and people nice too