If you're craving fresh Middle Eastern food without the whole sit-down restaurant experience,…read moreAl-Basha Take Out is definitely worth checking out! Everything is made fresh here. That even includes their pita bread, which is made right in house. We tried the chicken kebab, kofta kebab and lamb chops, which all come with an abundance of rice and salad. The platters are flavorful, tender and filling. Then we got into the mazzah which is essentially a bunch of dips worth trying! I loved the hummus which was soooo fresh. We also got the fried kibbeh, falafel and fried cheese. All of these items were super easy to eat, great finger food options as this is a takeout spot. And you can't forget the drinks! We tried their mint lemonade, regular lemonade and strawberry mango, and they were all equally refreshing. I loved how easy the whole takeout process is. You can order with someone at the counter or use their self-ordering system, grab your food and go. Everyone we interacted with was super pleasant. I really liked the clean dining area too. Perfect comfy spot for a quick bite.

Arriving at Al Basha felt almost otherworldly. It's tucked into a part of Paterson I'd never…read moreexplored before, surrounded by a large Middle Eastern community, and it had been on my radar for a while. I'd been dying to finally try their renowned Palestinian food. I came on a Friday night, and the restaurant was packed with families and large parties. They even offer valet parking--which tells you something about how popular this place is. And forget paying extra for bread. They start you off with a whole basket of 4-5 pieces of soft, house-made pita, along with pickled vegetables. The menu has both small plates (hot and cold mezze) and entrees, but we really wanted to sample as much as possible, so we went with the small plates. We ordered the fried cauliflower, fried cheese, lamb and beef sausage, and falafel. Everything was truly incredible, and the portions were very generous. The cauliflower was a little oily, but that's to be expected with fried cauliflower. It still had an amazing crunch, and they brought us complimentary toum and hummus for dipping, which was such a nice touch. The fried cheese was incredibly fresh and crispy with a light saltiness that made it hard to stop eating. But the falafel was the star for me--and probably the best I've ever had. Falafel usually isn't something I order first; I'm pretty take-it-or-leave-it about it. But these completely changed my mind. They're longer and more oblong than the usual round falafel, and the texture and flavor were fantastic. The lamb sausage was also really good. The only item that felt just okay compared with everything else was the beef sausage. On the drinks front, they don't have fountain drinks--only Boylan sodas. Sadly, no Diet Coke, but that was a very minor point. The service was amazing all night, and between the generous portions and all the different plates, we had plenty of leftovers to take home. They also have a smaller takeout location very close by if you can't get a reservation at the main restaurant. Overall: Al Basha absolutely lived up to the hype. Incredible Palestinian food, generous portions, warm service, and some seriously memorable falafel. Definitely worth the trip to Paterson.

My friend and I ordered a light meal. It was delicious :) The ambiance and the decor was very nice…read more Ziad the manager was very nice, I highly recommend!

We went to Abu Rass for the first time the other day. It is unassuming from the outside, but we…read morewere happy we came in to experience the delicious cuisine. Ambiance was nice with folks smoking shisha. All the food we had was delectable and my Egyptian husband gave his stamp of approval, which is not easily granted. We loved the fresh bread, crispy falafel, mint lemonade, hummus and baba ghanoush. Honestly everything was good. Service was also polite and attentive. We will be back inshallah!

Very nice. Love this place. The food is always amazing. Service is amazing too. Try their fahsa is…read moregreat!!

Yemen Cafe is one of those spots you keep coming back to. The food is consistently packed with…read moreflavor, the portions are generous, and the overall experience just feels comforting every time. If it is your first visit, the beef fahsa and lamb haneeth are the way to go. Both are rich, satisfying, and showcase what the menu does best. One thing I really appreciated was being able to self-serve tea throughout the meal. It is a small touch, but it adds to the experience and makes the whole visit feel more welcoming. I would definitely come back.

A group of us were here for brunch on a Saturday and we had such a great experience…read more It's a huge beautiful space with both indoor and outdoor seating and we chose to sit indoors. The staff was extremely warm, kind and welcoming and a special shoutout to Irem who was amazing, gave us some great recommendations and took care of us throughout. I went for the $39 prix fixe brunch which is honestly such a great deal and comes with quite a spread. I had the muhammara, hummus, shakshuka and dessert and thoroughly enjoyed my coffee too. We also ordered the tuna Niçoise salad, which is by far the best I have had ever. One of my friends was accidentally served the wrong order and they immediately replaced it with the right one and made her meal completely complimentary, which was such a nice gesture and something we really appreciated. We also loved that nobody was rushing us and we could just sit, chat and enjoy our brunch. Great food, beautiful ambiance, wonderful hospitality and even the restrooms were spotless and very well maintained. Overall such a positive experience and easily a 5/5 for me.

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.

I've lived in NYC for over 20 years and have tried some of the very best Middle Eastern food, but…read moreDUNYA blows my mind it is so good. It is incredibly fresh and flavorful. This is a destination-worthy spot. To add to the experience: the service is fabulous and the hospitality is superb. I love love love this place.

Eaten here before and really liked it. Had a takeout meal of chicken shish over salad. Tastes good…read morebut for what I actually got it wasn't worth it. A few thin tiny pieces of chicken and salad. The price doesn't justify what is served. Even though it's good taste I can get a better deal in other places.

Great Lebanese restaurant with middle eastern/Lebanese/Palestinian/Egyptian staples…read more This spot has shawarma, kebabs, hummus, tabouleh, meat and vegetable pies, tons of fresh salads (some vegetarian, some with meat), falafel, gyro, and more. We had: The chicken kebab--huge, juicy pieces of chicken full of fragrant spice. It comes with a side of your choice--I had the grilled zucchini, which was just the right level of firm and well seasoned. The shawafel--something we've never seen before (and we eat a lot of this type of food). It's a wrap chocked full of shawarma and falafel. Crispy falafel, moist chicken, tons of spice and fresh veggies. My husband loved it. We also got their spicy hummus with jalapeño and cilantro. It was good, but wasn't as spicy or flavorful as I thought it would be. We got the fried cauliflower with tomato and garlic. It wasn't heavy or greasy and they veggies really brightened it up. Delish. We also had their bread pudding and kunafah. The bread pudding was silky and creamy inside with a mild crisp on the outside. The kunafah is a Palestinian cheese pastry in syrup, so a little sweet and a little savory. Great spot with an expensive menu. Will definitely try more from them.

We happened upon this place after a midday movie and it was perfect. It was freezing outside and…read morenice and warm within. The decor is fun and the ceiling a treat for the eye. The tea was hot, the service was quick and the food was good. I've never had such fluffy falafel. The split pea soup had big chunks of fresh veggies which was lovely. My husband had lamb with was juicy and delicious. The bread looked homemade too. If I lived anywhere nearby I'd definitely be back again!

Au Za'atar in the East Village is an absolute standout! This place boasts a warm ambiance…read moreexceptional staff, and incredible food. Every single bite was delicious, and the portion sizes were nothing short of a feast. The tableside shawarma tower and mezze & dips spinner were clear winners! This all paired with an incredible bar and cocktail menu created a fantastic dining experience on every front. Whether you're going with a big group or a close friend, this place needs to be added to your list!

First of all I've been talking up Au Za'atar since my first visit, have sent many friends their way…read moreand have gone a few times since my first meal. My most recent visit this month changed all that. I went with my son because we were in town. As it was the first place we knew we wanted to eat, I made a reservation well in advance and we showed up on time. It was noisier than usual and pretty hectic. We ordered a few appetizers and meals and a drink. No one ever checked in on us or refilled our water. I flagged someone down for to go containers as we wanted to save room for dessert and a second drink. They brought the containers and then we proceeded to sit again with no one checking in. We had been there for approximately 40-45 minutes total and were still waiting on someone to come back with the dessert menu when the host came to our table and said "there's a party with a reservation who needs tho is table so could you please leave soon?" Never has this happened to me. How insulting. When I expressed confusion stating we hadn't even received a check so why would we leave, rather than offer a proper apology and/or a "can we get you anything else?" She just said "oh that's not what I was told." And then a server brought us a check. I asked him if 45 minutes was the usual amount of time they give customers with dinner reservations and he said "I'm not sure. We're just really busy and probably overbooked." Again, no offer to make it right. Initially I wasn't going to leave this review. I reached out directly to the restaurant via email to tell them about the humiliating experience of being asked to leave when we weren't even done. Instead of offering to make it right (anything would have been appreciated - a dessert on the house next time - just some token indicating they valued me as a customer) they just explained that there was confusion and that they've talked to their staff so it doesn't happen to anyone in the future. Both the experience and the response put a horrible taste in my mouth and sadly I will probably not be back.

(Unfortunately, this place is NOW CLOSED by the City) I've…read morebeen to Ayat several times since they opened in Bay Ridge. But this is the first two times that I've gone to their "NEW" sit down location' across from the original. The decor is really pretty and it pays homage to Palestine. The staff is great. I've gotten the Hibiscus Margarita (non-alcoholic - so good, you honestly don't miss alcohol); Got Muradad: rice/lentil/caramelized onions n some kinda yogurt; Chicken Shawarma salad; the measl comes with pita bread, olives in oil and another seasoned oil dish

Tip: if buying takeout, please make sure u got all your sauces (yogurt/hot sauce) in the bag!…read more I bought take out from here. I ordered the kefta and it wouldve probably tasted better if they gave us yogurt and hot sauce! Without it, the whole plate was dry. There was still some flavor on the rice and meat, but its not satisfying without the sauces. I didnt notice we were missing the sauce until i got home and i was not driving 20 minutes back over there to get sauce

Magnificent service and food. I tried the chicken hummus…read moredish with a side of FOUL (fava bean) . Served with bread. Absolutely delicious and plentiful. The swan tea is heavenly!! Thanks for all you do! I am smiling ear to ear.

Really fine experience here, mainly due to the food, which is extraordinary. Can't say the same for…read morethe service, which is no-nonsense, but that didn't affect our enjoyment. My dinner, the aromatic and tasty flavor bomb that is the Chicken Zorbian, was the perfect amount of food for dinner AND lunch the next day. Yemeni tea on tap was a nice touch as well. Don't sleep on this BR gem.

The pita bread is my favorite. It's hot, fluffy, and delicious. I also love the mint lemonade…read more Overall, good food and ambience.

Food is amazing--the flavor, the portions, the consistency!! And the service 10 out of 10!read more