Love this place. The falafels are delicious and the owner Rami Al-Jebori is one of the nicest people you will ever meet. Yes it takes a while to get your order but remember this is a Halal restaurant so the food is made when you order it. read more

BEST FALAFEL - crunchy on the outside and still moist and fresh on the inside. Not oily. Bread fresh and chewy. Didn't last long on our plates. Really reasonable pricing. Friendly cashier - we grabbed a booth and he brought our food right to us, and quick - within 5 minutes of ordering. We grabbed some baklava for later on our way out, and were assured (by the owner?) it was the "best baklava in Seattle" and told us to bring back the box for a refund if we disagreed. He wasn't lying - dense layers of flaky chewy filo, in between real crumbed chunks of fresh pistachios (not just some vaguely-green-and-nutty pistachio paste kind of deal), and just the right amount of honey/rosewater syrupy goodness to make it all hold together without being sickly sweet. Never going anywhere else for baklava. read more

I'll keep it Short. If you eat here once you will eat here at least 3 more times . By far my fav spot to fill up at in Seattle . Reasonably priced , and made to order .Good -hot food made with a blend of ingredients that leaving you wanting for more ! Great recipes ! I recommend to start with a Chicken Shawarma plate . read more

We ordered the kabob combo plate, hummus, and dolmas from the Graham location via Postmates and were not impressed. The meat was low quality and the chicken was overcooked, while the beef was undercooked and mushy,and the lamp was tough. The dolmaa were mediocre, and the hummus was among the worst I've ever had. The only good part of the meal was the side salads. I don't think we'll ever be ordering from this restaurant again. read more

I had a really good takeout lunch here. I had the #4 veggie combo (falafel, spanakopita, dolomathes, salad) and it was great. Falafel was just right, hummus and side sauces were excellent, and the attendants were very kind! Great for a quick lunch in the south end. read more

Really sweet woman behind the counter made two wonderful sandwiches - gyro and schwarma. She wouldn't accept money until after we ate, and then graciously accepted our money and compliments. Very filling nicely spiced sandwiches at very reasonable prices. Wish I lived in the neighborhood - some of the menu really made me curious. read more

This is far and away the best Middle Eastern food I have ever eaten. Outstanding in both the vegetarian and meat departments. The owner cooks each dish to order. This can mean that wait times can be long, particularly, if there are a lot of people, but, trust me, it's worth it. I noticed some of the reviewers complained about long wait times and I wonder if the bargain prices give the impression that this is a fast food joint, like a Pita Pit (actually it's even CHEAPER than a Pita Pit). The cheap prices might have set up an expectation that they will get their food super fast. But really, this is NOT fast food. It is prepared to order and the care really comes through in the amazing taste. The falafel in particular is the most delicious falafel I have ever eaten: the outside has a light crispness and the inside is tender with just the right amount of moisture. Heavenly. My friend who accompanied me said it was BETTER than falafel he has eaten in the Middle East (he lived throughout the Middle East for several years). So I don't understand reviewer Theresa R's comments. Seems like she is confusing her annoyance at waiting with the quality of the falafel. As for the meat, don't get me started about the amazing chicken schwarma and lamb schwarma. Succulent, tender, delicately spiced... Incredible. I will be back, again and again. read more

Rami is the da bomb!!!!! If you are seriously looking for excellent falafel, gyros, and shwarma dishes, at very reasonable prices this is the place to go! I have been going to Mawadda's over a year now and it is one of Seattle's best hidden gem when it comes to Middle Eastern food. Most of the time I just ask Rami to fix up whatever he feels like and guess what? So far he hasn't failed me yet! In fact when I think of gyros, falafel, or any Mediterranean food I think of Mawadda's cafe. I drive all the way from Bellevue just to get my fix of Rami's cooking. Don't be in such a big rush when you're at Mawadda, because Rami lovingly and meticiously prepares each dish fresh from the scratch. His cooking it sure is well worth the wait! If you want fast food then go to Burger King, McDonald's or Taco Bell. Do what I do, I call ahead on my way to there. But as my grandma used to tell me good food takes patience and love to make. While waiting just chill, relax and enjoy the chai. It's one of the best around Seattle and Eastside. And if you're still hungry get the baklava it is absolutely delicious! Rami is not only friendly and gracious but he definitely takes pride on his cooking. I have brought many friends over and they are simply amazed on the high quality of food for the little amount of $$$ they are paying for. Not only is it inexpensive but it is just really awesome food. Every neighborhood should have a Mawadda 's cafe around it's corner. Writing this is making me hungry so guess what guys? I'm headed to Mawadda's for dinner. read more

the food is amazing and the owner makes everything himself. He let us sample the baklava, which was fresh with big chunks of pistachios. He also makes his spanikopita fresh, which was by far the best I've ever had -- flaky, not droopy and greasy like place that let it sit around. My only complaint would be the wait since he really puts a lot of effort into making each dish, so call ahead! mmmm gyros.... read more

Today at lunch we shared the lamb shish-kabob and a vegetarian platter of spanakopita, stuffed grape leaves, falafel, and hummus. Everything on the vegetarian platter was prepared with loving care and it was delicious. The shish-kabob was preceded by a very good salad and it was presented atop sublime rice scented with glove and orange. We disagreed about the lamb shish-kabob--my dining partner thought it was excellent whereas I found it to be tough and to lack a distinctive lamb taste. I would have taken it for beef if beef shish-kabob were on the menu. The place is clean, the reception is warm, but the service was comically slow and that is why I gave three rather than four stars. We waited over thirty minutes for our platters to be delivered though there were only two other people dining in the restaurant while we were there. read more

Best Falafel in town! Period! Amazing inexpensive Gyros! Love this place. The owner may come off as a bit of a tough personality but he's fiercely proud of his food. Made fresh every time and you may have to wait a bit for that freshness but it's worth it. And the Chai Rocks for 2 bucks! read more

Almost everything on their menu is delicious. If I want Italian, I would prefer to get it at an Italian restaurant - the Italian dishes are good but not great. The food takes a while, so it's not a great grab and go place - you are better off calling in ahead of time if you are in a rush. The owner is friendly and the Chai tea is great. the gyros are also great. I found the plates to be nice and filling. read more

Amazing, authentic food!!! We eat here several times a month. I have never been disappointed. The Chai tea and gyros are the best in the city. read more

Absolutely scrumptious! I have been here three times in one week because I can't get enough of the #5 combo- Falafel with Baba ganoush. It also comes with 2 dolmas and a really fresh romaine salad, and 2 dressings. The complexity of the flavors is outstanding and caters to my love of garlic. In fact, you better love garlic because it is a very prominent flavor in all the food, which is perfect for me. The falafel do not leave an odd flavor in your mouth like some other falafels, they are soft and crumbly, but crispy on the outside. I always order a side of Hummus because they also have the best hummus in Seattle. They take a good 15 min to make this dish, so it can be worth it to call ahead. But that just means they take time to make it well. I can't speak for any of the meat dishes yet, as this dish is what I'm addicted to now. read more

Best Shawarma and sauces ever, and Romy, the owner, is a sweet heart! Also, do not leave without trying his home-made chai. This is a diamond in the rough! read more

Hands down best Gyro in Seattle. Service is excellent and if your nice enough you may be lucky enough to try his famous Chi-Spiced-Tea. There is a reason I eat there twice a week! read more

Im not a huge fan of this type of food.However everything Ive had here is pretty awesome.I forget what it is called(sultani?) but I get a dish which is served with seasoned rice w/ cloves,3 skewers of meat(chicken,lamb,and a hambuger patty type thing?) a side salad and pita bread with hummus.Its not cheap,if I remember correctly its about $16-18 but its worth it.I usually get a side of fries with cheese(goat cheese?) on top,its served with a white garlic sauce..If you love garlic,this sauce is amazing,you can taste the fresh garlic and a homemade taste. Parking is usually limited ,location is in a kinda shady area at night. I used to eat this almost everyday until I moved away.I still crave it often and next time Im in the area Ill be sure to stop by. read more

Ordered take out, knowing that we would not pick it up for at least 30 minutes, due to the preparation time. We order the Sultani platter and the Falafel Salad at 7:10 pm and did not leave our house to pick it up until 7:35 pm but it was ready when we got there! My husband also ordered a chai and the owner wondered why I didn't want one. I HATE chai, but I relented and let him give me a small sample which I actually enjoyed! He was very hospitable making sure that I knew I didn't have to buy it if I didn't like it. BTW chai is only $1 for a 12 oz. size. Incredible! When we got home we dug in to amazing kebabs of lamb, chicken, and ground beef and lamb, crisp round falafel, and crunchy salad. The lamb kebab was savory yumness and the falafel was delish as well. Also, b/c it was our first time there the owner let us sample the baklava, which was perfect and amazing, though we did not take any home with us. We'll save that for next time. read more

I had a most enjoyable lunch with my coworkers at Mawadda today. The food was fresh and tasty as ever. I am trying to work my way through the menu and so far it has all been delicious. The portions are very generous and I usually have a few left overs to savor at home. I have taken different friends and each one has been impressed. The food is carefully and lovingly prepared so it may take a bit longer to be served but well worth the wait. For those in a hurry call ahead. This is not fast food. It is an experience. Enjoy read more

their tzatziki sauce is definitely not for the faint of heart. it's LOADED with garlic, but i love it! their gyro was just a-ok hence the 3 stars. there just wasn't a lot of meat to it and they were very thinly sliced. their chicken shawarma is pretty good once u mix everything all up. it's a good portion too AND they use dark chicken meat - BONUS for me bc i loveeeeee dark meat!!! :). it's missing all the wonderful veggies you get from med mix if you order the same thing though. if you're talking south seattle vicinity go here for the chicken shawarma and that awesome garlic tzatziki sauce. for the gyro stick with banana grill. read more

This place was amazing!! From the moment you walk in the front door you are treated like family. Owner recommended I tried the chicken shawarma and told me if I didn't like it he would make another item and lunch was on him...... needless to say he didn't have to honor it as it was AMAZING!!!! You read more

I love this place and am a regular visitor. The gyros are delicious and the greek fries are the best! We usually do take out - call about 20 mins in advance. The food does take a while but it's fresh. Try their chai if you get a chance - very spice-ful (is that a word?) and amazing! read more

This place is THE BOMB! It's the type of food you savor and then you crave and then you quickly return to try something else. I've worked my way through some of the menu and am anxious to get back for more. Schwarma, falafel, hummus, oh my! You will not be disappointed! read more

The food at Mawadda Cafe is exceptional. I have had the chicken and falafel sandwich, and the gyro plate. When you order a dinner plate, it includes rice, hummus and pita along with the most flavorful meat I have ever tasted. I would also recommend his chicken sambosa as an appetizer. Mawadda also has a large vegetarian selection, and if you order a salad do not pass up the house salad dressing, a pomegranate dressing that is to die for. Rumor has it the owner, Rami is expanding his menu to include Italian dishes as well. I would recommend calling in your order ahead of time, as it can get busy at lunch. read more

I have been eating here since they opened.Let me tell you I an very picky when it comes to my food since I cook as well..I don't go out to eat alot..just go to some great places for some of my favorite things to eat..I went there tonight because I was craving a Lamb gyro and this is one out of three places I go to..As I walked to the door a man with gloves on and trashbags in his hand was about to open the door..so gladly opened it for him..I walked to the counter to order and just as I began my order that same man that was taking the trash out walked back in and walked straight to the kitchen and began to touch stuff..."oh no wait a minute"I said to the man at the counter taking my order "he just came in from taking out the garbage with those same gloves on" "and now he is touching food"..the three men began to speak there language Loudly hands moving wildly..so now the man at the counter say to me"you want food or not"No thanks I replied and walked out..man I once loved this place but I love my great health better..eat there at your own risk. I know some crazy people don't mind a little food poisoning with there food...for some restaurants it's just about the money and to hell with everything else..this made me wonder what other rules they are braking??? read more

Simply put, if you are ever in the Rainier Beach area, (and lord knows why you would be if you don't live there), make a stop at Mawaddas. I guarantee you will not be disappointed. The Chicken Shwarma sandwich is in my top 3 favorite sandwiches in Seattle behind Paseo and Tats. The wait can be a little long so call ahead if you can, trust me on this. I have brought visitors from out of state to this place and they want to come back before they leave. read more

I would've gave this place 4 stars if it wasn't for the other day. I love their greek fries and the lamb shawarma plate. We ordered a few things on the menu and it came out cold. Our fries were cold so the cheese didn't melt. My rice plate was also cold. The only thing that came out hot was the gyro sandwich because they made that last. read more

The wait was RIDIC, BUT considering that we were a party of eighteen (and practically filled the entire space) and that there were only two men running the place, from what I could see, another visit is called for before I decide whether the wait is worth it. It was also upsetting that they made so many mistakes. I get that with so many orders, it's easy to trip up, but I'm not sure how you can overlook several entrees, after they'd already written all our orders down. We had to ask them for our missing plates, and several times, no less, for my fries! I was definitely disappointed with the portion too. $2.99 for ten or twelve fries? No thanks. On top of that, the fries were supposed to be a separate side, but they shoved them on a plate with my sandwich which I'm sure meant that I got fewer fries. :/ Other than that, we ordered a bunch of plates, the most popular of which were chicken and lamb shawarma. I tasted the gyro and one of their combo plates (either #14 or #12). The gyro sandwich was packed! And I admit, the tzatziki sauce is perfect. The other combo plate was good too, except I just couldn't get over the flavor of the stuffed grape leaves--I suppose that's a taste I have yet to acquire. All in all, the food's pretty decent if you have the patience to wait for it and you'll definitely get that hole-in-the-wall feel here. read more

If not for my pastey white skin, I could easily be Greek! I'm curvy, sassy, and I dig the food. OK, OK, not really, but Greek/Med. cuisine is one of my faves. This little joint, south of Colombia City, is a rare find. The parking lot can be a little tight, but don't give up too easily. Inside you'll be greeted with the aromas of spiced meet, the display of baklava, and an interesting menu of delights. I'm a big fan of falafel, gyros and hummous, so co-workers and I decided to get a little of this and that and share. 1 gal got the vegetarian plate-genourous portion of salad, and those dips and falafels. I got the gyros, and the third pal got the shwarma. Yes, service was slow-I think it was just the owner, and 2 other tables when my posse came in. We all enjoyed the food-not too spicey (for a wimp like me), very fair prices, and some garlicky good sauce. At the end of the meal, as we were paying, the owner gave us some pieces of Baklava on the house. With service like that, I will return. read more

Food was fantastic, even for a hard to please food conoseur(sorry one semester french in high schhol), but I think if they added a server, things would be much better. I had to clean my own table, which took away from a 5 star review. I would still go and enjoy their food. Plus, being halal means that the meat is organic and animals are not raised in squalid condtions. read more

Very tasty, but can be a bit salty. Their garlic sauce is amazing. Grilled meats, falaffel, veggie plate are excellent. They make the food fresh, so be prepared to wait 10 minutes at least for them to make you your meal. read more

I have been to NY twice and got this AMAZING greek food (corner of the NY hilton). i have been looking everywhere for a place that has the same stuff. THis has been the closest i have found. the food is pretty bland but the tzasziki sauce (white stuff) is delicious. it makes the food come to life. i keep the sauce to the last drop. i ate the spaghetti there once and it was average... nothing to rave about. also after eating a full meal there i feel very sick and GARLICY!!! make sure to brush after eating! read more

I've visited this place a couple times. The food and chai is great. My only complaint is that it takes longer than average for the food to be served. read more

Best gyros and greek fries I've ever had. The only reason why I gave it a 4 star is that if you're ordering by phone and want to pick it up within the time frame they givebyou, is never ready. Still worth the eat, you might want to order in person for a quicker service. read more

This place is completely awesome. I hesitated to write a review because it's a small place and I don't want it to be swamped, but they REALLY deserve a ton of business. Food is incredibly fresh, made to order (no chafing dishes in sight), and he (the owner and head chef) really cares about each dish. As a bonus, the Chai Tea is the best I have ever had. If he ever franchised the drink out, he'd be a millionaire. Oh, and there's always a variety of fresh baklava to end the meal. The only negative I can give is the wait time can be a little trying, but that's what you sacrifice for FRESH food. Prepare for that, and you won't be disappointed. read more

Excellent food, great chai. On my first visit Rami had me taste a little bit of everything before I ordered, and it's all amazing! The food is made right when you order it, which means on a busy day it might be smart to call ahead. Anyway, the owner is incredible and makes any visit there worth the wait. Great spot for lunch, so glad he's in the neighborhood! read more

Best gyro, best falafel, best chai, best bakalava I've ever had. I see a few people on this site have commented on the wait- I didn't think the food took much time at all since it is made to order. But if you have to wait a while, rest assured that the food will be worth it. read more

Get in the car and drive here now. The best food ever. Don't be intimidated by the location or the notorious wait. My family has been coming here once a week (we had to limit it to that or it could have been 2, 3 times, who knows) for about a year & 1/2. We even had our son's 4th birthday catered. The owner is wonderful-friendly, proud of his food, willing to share. He always asks my husband how I'm doing and is super nice to the kids. He once pulled a tub of spices off a shelf and stuck it under my nose when I asked if he mixed the chai himself, maybe even had me taste it. Oh yeah, the chai. I had one today, What? only $1.50, yes. Be ready for it, sweet, spicy... wait too spicy? Oh no- never. Just perfect. All the food is great, shawarma is my favorite. I've been searching for a good one for 15 years to match one from a shop that closed long ago. Here it is and even better. Someone mentioned crack in their review, try the baklava only if you are willing to accept the inevitable addiction, baklava is the new crack. read more

This place is superb - every dish made from scratch. The propietor couldn't be nice and, for a little strip mall place, quite clean. Highly recommended. read more

Delicious! From the garlicy salad dressing to the light cinnamon spiced falafels to the flaky, buttery spanakopita.....oh and of course...the perfectly balanced chai... High quality cuisine for a great price. A really nice option for vegetarians too as there aren't many in this neighborhood. We've come a few times now and we'll definitely be coming back! read more