Went here for lunch recently, and was greeted with a nice cup of hot tea. On a gloomy day, it was wonderful. Very sweet tea, but I guess that's the Jordanian way. We got the stuffed eggplant appetizers, which were very tasty, though not what we expected. They're very small eggplants in a brine, so they tasted a lot like olives. Then we moved on to a chicken shawarma, and a beef & lamb one. They were also good, with fluffy fresh-baked pita. We ordered hot sauce, expecting a red "zhoug" like in other Middle Eastern places. After several reminders, we got the homemade hot sauce, which was green, not very spicy, and refrigerated, so it was literally cold. FYI, there is a 4% discount if you pay cash. Upon leaving, we agreed the food was good, not great. The service was kind of slow, but it was only one person, and the place got more crowded while we were there. The three-star rating is because we both got diarrhea about two hours later. read more

Have been walking past it for months and their maqluba looked amazing so went to try that. It was pretty decent. Its a dish of rice covered with veggies and chicken. Good for two people. The ambiance and staff of place is nice too. Stay open late night. read more

Lava Shawarma - Middle Eastern Near Me - New York, New York

See all

Just had lunch there. It was a very mediocre experience. I dislike having to place an order at the counter via a QR code and then waiting. We ordered are food to stay and about a half hour later, it emerged. The music there is pretty loud and the seating feels like a fast food establishment. I am also unsure as to why none of the smoothies or specialty beverages are on the menu that needs to be scanned. It's placed behind a large tv near where you order, not very visible or easy to read. The food itself is pretty forgettable, very bland with not much spice at all and everything arrived at room temperature, so I am not sure what took so long. Portion sizes were ok. No reason to return. I understand why it's usually so empty, now. read more

Popped in for lunch the other day and ordered for takeout. Wait time was a bit long, but the food was really good, and I was posted a complementary hot tea while I waited. Eggplant salad had really good flavor, and the red lentil soup was vibrant and lemony. Would definitely come back to try other things! read more

See all

I agree with other people that this place takes sooooo long to get your food. It always takes about 30mins from the order to serve, and I would not recommend it if you are looking for quick lunch during work. They need to work on this. I tried both dine in and pickup, and both took soooooo long. read more

I enjoyed my delivery order of a Chicken Shawarma Plate, Falafel Pita Sandwich and Egyptian Koshari. Koshari is difficult to find, so I was pleased to find it on the menu, and really enjoyed it. The falafel sandwich came with tahini and hot sauce in small containers on the side, which is a good idea so the sandwich doesn't arrive soggy. The pita bread was soft and fresh. The falafel was nice and crispy and the tahini sauce was tasty. The chicken shawarma plate was a little dry, but better after I put tahini and sour cream on it. I would have appreciated more chicken. The delivery person was a nice man sent directly from the store. Packing was solid and neatly done. Recommended for some good Middle Eastern food with hard to find Egyptian Koshari, delivered carefully by someone who cares about handing over a decent meal. read more

See all

Great arabic/ Mediterranean food. Serving was extremely fast. Price of food is decent for NYC standards. The food tasted fresh and authentic. Complimentary tea was also provided which was great. Would come here now instead of going to Cava. read more

See all

12/19/24 Passed by multiple times on way home. Decided to finally check it out. Vast variety took a minute to finally decide. I liked the fact you are given tea once inside establishment. It was very yummy. I ordered fish and chips and chicken shawarma plate. Fish and chips were good my son enjoyed the shawarma. I will return to try others not to mention that delicious tea. read more

See all

4.5 Came here late at night after going to the Harry Potter store but really enjoyed the food! Good middle eastern option & good portion too! Got to try the mint tea drink also which was tangy and nice! Def a nice spot to check out if in the area! read more

Lava Shawarma - Middle Eastern Near Me - New York, New York

Service was top notch, food came out really quick, and everyone was served with complimentary hot tea on arrival. Ordered the lamb burger and the chicken zinger wrap. Both were amazing. The lamb burger was a unique offering that I personally haven't come across yet in the city. It was tender, well seasoned, and didn't taste gamey at all. The chicken zinger wrap was definitely a zinger for a my taste buds. Light, crispy, and flavorful chicken in a soft and quality pita that is way better than the average store bought pita. Great spot for a halal Mediterranean fix in the city read more

Lava Shawarma - Lamb burger - Middle Eastern Near Me - New York, New York

Went to the recently opened store on 23rd. Put in an online order for beef & lamb plate. It took them about 20 minutes to get the lunch box ready (waited in store for about 15 months). I was offered complimentary tea during the wait. The store itself is nicely decorated. I am bit surprise they offer variety of meals, Mediterranean and Indian dishes. I liked the beef and lamb, it tasted nice. But the rice and salad portion was too small. I finished the rice with quarter of the protein. Maybe I'll try the shawarma next time, which might be a more cost effective option. read more

See all

Super friendly service--incredibly attentive and nice for a fast casual restaurant. The cashier brought me water, checked that I got my drink with my meal, and checked in on me throughout my meal--really above and beyond. Ambiance is spacious and well maintained. Food was delicious although a bit pricey. Would definitely come back! read more

Lava Shawarma - Chicken Shawarma Arabic (Lava) - Middle Eastern Near Me - New York, New York

I chose this place wanting a quick bite before a hair appt. I'd never tried nor knew it was a chain within the city but wanted to find a plastic-free option to a salad from Trader Joe's which was my only idea at the time. Even before I sat down, a man in full cultural attire from a country which I'm not familiar offered me tea, to which I politely declined. I asked how long the sandwich would take, and the cashier said between 7 and 11 min. After I sat down in the very comfortable pillowed seating, it seemed like it arrived in 5. And of course the sandwich was bigger than I imagined and delicious. Here's to sitting down and eating your falafel sandwiches, esp. in the winter. read more

Lava Shawarma - Middle Eastern Near Me - New York, New York

See all

A nice addition to Flatiron. Service was attentive and friendly. They were easily able to accommodate our larger group, even without reservations. I love that they offer you free cardamom tea to start off your meal. We tried a variety of salads and the large Mix Grill for 4-6 people. This platter was HUGE and we had a ton leftover. We all agreed that our favorite was the beef and lamb chops. Our servers brought us tons of fresh pita every time we ran out which was much appreciated. Definitely would recommend. read more

See all

Unfortunately, I wanted more from this spot than I got. Excellent service, with complimentary sweet spiced tea immediately upon entering, and everyone was very friendly. They also work a lot with local community organizations to donate proceeds per their website, which is a huge plus in my book. I ordered the beef and lamb shawarma wrap, and my friend got the halloumi- both very good, but the portions were rather small. I expected whole pita sandwiches but both came out in small cut up rolls. The server who helped us ran my card but then asked me to leave a cash tip and hovered while I decided, which made me a bit uncomfortable. Overall, I think I'd give this restaurant another try, because I don't think it was at its best tonight. read more

My friend and I were walking by and we saw their sign outside for Dubai Chocolate bars (ironically we had a whole convo that morning about wanting to try them). They were also like half the price of the ones I have seen online! The staff was so friendly and helpful! The restaurant smelled soooo good inside as well. I would have ordered more food if we weren't on our way to another engagement. The chocolate was really good! So if you are looking for them the have them (and lots of options, we got milk chocolate but they had other as well). read more

Lava Shawarma - Middle Eastern Near Me - New York, New York

See all

During our recent trip to the Paris Olympics, we dined at a beautiful Lebanese restaurant. Since then, I have been a fan. Lava reminded me of the delicious, fresh, delicious dishes we enjoyed in Paris. In addition to being bright and well lit, Lava offers great customer service as well as delicious and fresh traditional meals. They also offer a range of vegan options on their menu. Separate grills are used to prepare these dishes. Lava is highly recommended by me. This is a great place for family gatherings, date nights, and friends to get together. read more

Tasty Shawarma place with actual shawarmas. So many places claim to have shawarmas when they dont its weird. This place has actual shawarmas and taste amazing. I come here all the time with my friends. read more

Lava Shawarma - Middle Eastern Near Me - New York, New York

This place has lots of untapped potential - their food is very solid but their process as a restaurant is so, so bad. They don't know how to deal with even a small lunch rush and make you wait 30-40 minutes for your food (again, not that busy to justify the wait....i was waiting in the restaurant and saw there was some ppl dining in and other ppl walking in to pick up who were also really pissed about the extremely long wait). My suggestion is that it's worth trying, but make sure you order ahead and have the time to wait if you're coming for lunch during the week. If they get an experienced restaurant manager in here who knows how to create some efficiency in their kitchen this place will be much better. read more

Food The chicken Arabic shawarma wrap was cut into 6-8pieces with sauce on the side! 5/5 for me! Service Stellar and attentive server! She kept refilling my tea cup with the delicious Arabic tea (cloves, cinnamon, and brown sugar!) Yum! Ambiance The decor of the place was designed in a way to make you feel invited and at home in their culture. I would go in the early morning when people are at work to have the space to yourself before lunch time kick in around noon! I'd come here again! read more

Lava Shawarma - Middle Eastern Near Me - New York, New York

See all

Good food. Relaxed atmosphere. Friendly wait staff. Reasonable prices for these days' high prices.

Love this place. You are greeted with a sample of their tea that was so nice on a cold day. We got their Dubai covered chocolate strawberries - delish!!!!! and then their chicken shawarma pita that was full of chicken that was tender and well seasoned. The strawberries are one of the best things I have ever eaten... in my life!!!!! Took some Dubai chocolate bars home. Really good! read more

Lava Shawarma - Middle Eastern Near Me - New York, New York

Got charged $8 for the lemon mint tea that said it was $5 on the menu, and only noticed when checked the receipt at home! Totally on me, but what the hell...so despicable and scammy. To make matters worse, food came out almost completely cold. read more

Popped in for lunch. This is a nice, clean, casual eatery. The staff was very nice but the visit had a few hiccups. After a conversation at the register about pita vs. wrap, I ordered a chicken shawarma pita and ended up with a wrap? Decided to try it regardless. The food presentation was nice as it's like a sliced up, toasted burrito. I thought the meat was dry with minimal flavor, and the sauce didn't pick it up. The people were nice and served a complimentary tea, but the signature dish needs to be better. I might give them a second try. read more

Lava Shawarma - chicken shawarma - Middle Eastern Near Me - New York, New York

Service below average. I ordered a wrap sandwish to go and it took longer to prepare. On top of that, it was over cooked, dry and no presentation. Helf of of the wrap was burned, the other was saggy and broken. read more

Lava Shawarma - Middle Eastern Near Me - New York, New York

Great, attentive and respectful service from the moment we entered the restaurant. We were given complimentary cups of tea from the start and duration of the meal by a gentleman decked in traditional garb. The gentleman also gave us a herbal coffee and cake at the end of the meal. The music in there was also bumping and the decor was pretty homey as well. My only "complaint" is that there was no actual hot sauce lol. read more

See all

Initially passing by you think ok typical in and out spot, WRONG, they offer indoor seating. The men who work there were welcoming. They bring you out a small cup of tea to cleanse your palate (really good). The food is delicious and comes in big portions. They have an extensive menu which makes it hard to choose from if you're indecisive like I am. They also give you free dessert with your meal, which was delicious. I had the almond cake, so good. For my main meal I ordered the chicken shawarma pita and mixed grill bowl, samosa on the side. The dishes were great, once I tried the lamb I was upset I didn't get that for my pita sandwich. The samosas are not what I expected reminded me more of wontons. For all my people who like alcoholic beverages they do not offer that. read more

See all

Good food, but takeout is so slow....How does it take 20 minutes for a shawarma wrap??? At 11:45am?

10/10 would recommend their shawarma and fries. We tried the chicken as well as the beef/lamb and all were amazing. The garlic sauce & tahini sauce were perfect. I enjoyed my fries with the garlic dip! Vibe is vibrant and lively and service was great. read more

Lava Shawarma - Chicken Shawarma Arabic (Lava) Lamb and Beef Shawarma Lava wrap Fries - Middle Eastern Near Me - New York, New York

One of the best Mediterranean food in NYC. Very welcoming and kind people. Ill definitely be back for more.

This is the second time I've ordered from Lava, and I just have to say wow. I'm Jordanian/Palestinian and can confidently say their food tastes just like my teta's. I will definitely continue ordering from here whenever I'm in the city. Highly recommend if you're looking for authentic Arabic food! read more

My reluctance to visit this restaurant makes no sense now. Employees showed both approachability and competence. Pure tastiness on every plate. The clean environment here offers a nice atmosphere. This restaurant will satisfy completely. read more

Vegan Arabic sandwich left me very full and satisfied. Bought a side of maqdous (eggplants stuffed w walnuts n chilis) cos I had never heard of it; discovered it's pickled. Went decent in the sandwich. One of the workers gave us a sample of tea while we were in line, which I did not mind at all! read more

Lava Shawarma - Middle Eastern Near Me - New York, New York

Service was horrible, sit there over 15 minutes nobody comes by. The server he was giving every table water but i was transparent to him, he looked straight to my eyes too. WTF Got up and walked out. read more

I've been a few times. Food is excellent here, and good portion sizes. No complaints there. They give you these cute cups of hot sweet tea while you're waiting, but service can be quite slow. I've been kept waiting a solid 15 minutes before when it's busy at lunch. I assume that means they're taking their time to prepare the food well. I appreciate that, but be aware if you're in a hurry. Why the 3 stars, you ask? Because the last time I went there just wasn't a menu in sight. Not on the gigantic 75" TV they have looping random scenic photos, not printed out sitting on the counter where you order. Nothing but a QR code. I'm just completely and totally OVER digging out my phone and scrolling around to squint at a tiny menu. Sorry, but I'm so sick of doing this and I won't go to restaurants with a mandatory smartphone policy. The girl was pretty rude about it too. Is it so much to ask to just print the thing, or put it on the gigantic screen that's sitting *right there* above the counter? read more

Food and everything is lovely, but neither the servers or kitchen is equipped to actually serve customers. What I mean is that it'll take about 30-45 minutes receiving your food even if you're the only one in the restaurant. It's alright, but if you have a job to go back to then it's not really feasible for most. PS. The girl working the front doesn't just hate working here, but also you too! read more

The kitchen creates magic while the staff creates comfort. Everything contributes to your enjoyment. I exit feeling properly fed and happier. The dishes and staff interaction were outstanding. This place outclasses the competition. read more

It's our first time in New York we were exploring we walked around the see the Harry Potter store near but, they were closed of course in Thanksgiving day kids got hungry we end up here as we can sit enjoy Witt kids from outside looks really calm and welcoming as we enter the restaurant the guy with traditional clothes gave us a hot tea it was so nice then the music my favorite Arabic music playing I asked them where they were from "Jordan" it was so great to meet them they take out orders I saw fruits in the backgrounds also they have bobas , smoothies and my favorite baklava too yum I will say little pricey but I loved every moment it wall art was my favorite also writing welcome in many languages cute place to visit I will remember them always read more

See all

Love this place! The food is fresh and delicious every time. The staff are so friendly and love bringing over free tea and other goodies when you dine in. The restaurant is very cutely decorated with authentic cultural items. The place is great for dates or just big groups as there is a nice amount of seating. I recommend trying the chicken shawarma bowl, the smoothies, and the wraps. read more

Lava Shawarma - Wonderful service and hospitality at this location. The lovely staff gave us a free dessert (: - Middle Eastern Near Me - New York, New York

Amazing service, very kind people, food portions are large, and the environment is very very very welcoming! read more

Lava Shawarma - Lit yummy food - Middle Eastern Near Me - New York, New York