This place is now my favorite falafel spot in all of nyc thate first and I just got back form Israel and they can match any and most of those as well. The shwarma was not the best I ever had but was one of the good ones for sure. So this will be my spot from now on for sure !! Shame i never seen or heard of them as all passed this block for the last 20 years . read more

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Happy to be back always. Interior changed ( I like the old style) but taste is still the same delicious :) I put one star off price went up lol :p read more

Pahal Zan - Ready to eat ! Spring 2026 - Middle Eastern Near Me - Forest Hills, New York

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Was in the area and love me some shawarma. Decided to give this place a try by getting the shawarma sandwich in a laffa. Restaurant is a small hole in the wall but the food looked and smelled great. Overall for the price, I was expecting more than a handful of pieces of meat. The laffa wasn't toasted, so it's like using dry tortilla wraps to make a burrito before the wrap is flexible. Shawarma 101 is always make sure the laffa/pita is hot so that it stretches when you wrap it. At first bite was all bread and salad, it was very unimpressive and for 6 extra dollars I expected a bite of meat and more impact. Service was good, nothing to write home about, good location plenty of standing area; food portion was lacking especially at the high price point. Overall, three stars, I would try more of the menu if I'm nearby, but I wouldn't come out of my way for this dive spot. read more

Pahal Zan - Lunch Turkey Shawarma Pita Sandwich - Middle Eastern Near Me - Forest Hills, New York

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Pricey but their salad is so good and refreshing on a hot summer especially. Their hours are odd so check before going. read more

Pahal Zan - 3.10.26 menu - Middle Eastern Near Me - Forest Hills, New York

This is one my favorite spots in the Forest Hills area. Their Falafel sandwich is the best I've ever had and I definitely recommend it, that's why I've been coming back for the past 25 years. As they are making your sandwich, you can choose among various add ons such as eggplant, salad, potato salad, corn, hummus and many types of sauce at no additional cost, everything for $10 (tax included). They offer platters and other dishes as well. The place is small and occasionally there's a small line but the staff is effective and your order is completed quickly. There are 4 stools inside and a few tables outside (during warmer months) if you want to dine in. Parking isn't easy around this area, I recommend you park on Queens blvd (metered parking). read more

I usually I drive to Main Street for a good falafel. So that evening I felt like having a falafel. I didn't want to drive to Main Street, so I went to this place, Pahan Zal in Forest Hills. Big mistake. The eggplant on top of the falafel balls was overly oily and badly overcooked. It didn't resemble eggplant at all--more like a dark, mushy porridge. Thankfully it was on top of the pita so it went straight into the garbage immediately. Then came the falafel balls. I had the distinct feeling these were yesterday's refried leftovers: dry, burnt, and bitter from being over-fried. I won't even describe the rest of the ingredients in between that tasted like nothing. Even though I was hungry, I ended up throwing away more than half of the falafel. Next time I'm going to Main Street for a good falafel. read more

Best food and service in Forest Hills! Fresh falafel and salads every day and kosher to boot! Small hidden gem in the heart of Queens!

great food, great service, glatt kosher the best and delicious. "Hashem yevarech etchem"

Everything made to order - can take a while if you have a big orders Pita is soft and fresh; even when reheated in the toaster oven. Falafel and beef shish kebab are delicious. read more

Pahal Zan - Middle Eastern Near Me - Forest Hills, New York

I really enjoyed my beef kabab pita sandwich. He added generous portions of extras. Appreciate it.

Delicious, fresh, and kosher! Love how healthy it is and I get all my veggies in! Very conveniently located in forest hills.

The best Falafel in Queens. It's a phenomenal place been around since the 1990's. Thank you guys read more

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I used to live in Forest Hills and have not been back in a very long time, but had the good fortune of visiting Pahal Zan today and enjoying a pita with chicken and salad. Wow! The flavors are great, everything tastes fresh and delicious. A great variety of salads. I wish I could take the lovely owners and move the store to where I live now... I'd be there at least twice a week Highly highly recommended. read more

Great food. Excellent balance of protein and vegetables. A pita sandwich that is tasty and healthy. Also the staff there are great!

I really love their salads: the only salads I crave in the neighborhood are served by the team at pahal zan. I'm particularly partial to their carrots and beets. I also love the baba ganoush. read more

I love this place. Very tiny place but the food has amazing flavor. The owner is very nice. I get the chicken pita and it's delicious.

Surprising find in the middle of Austin street, Forest Hills. I always passed by and see a short line in the tiny establishment. After you order, there is a short wait. I ordered a baby chicken pita with babaganoush and a side order of falafel. It was very tasty--juicy tender chicken and a large heaping of eggplant salad. Each bite was flavorful and made me want more. The falafels were a perfect bite of crispy, well seasoned yumminess. I think it is very comparable to Mamouns in the city. I saw someone else order the platter which comes with all the sides if you want. That will be next on my list! read more

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The BEST, I repeat, the BEST falafel in the tri-state. Always fresh, always delicious and authentic. If you know falafel, you will eat nowhere else. The side salads are also amazing. I lie the spicy selections: Moroccan spicy carrots, zhug (spicy red chili pepper of the best kind) , beets salad, tabouli, fried eggplants (yum yum!) with the "you can't eat falafel without" sides: hummus, Israeli salad, tahini, babaganoush and they have more. I had the falafel platter and since I knew not all the falafel ball with survive till I get home, I ordered extra serving of falafel so I can show you those perfect falafel balls. Go hungry! Leave happy! It worth your travel from anywhere! Enjoy! read more

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Arguably the best place to eat in Queens. Everything is super fresh, tasty, flavourful, high quality and clean. The owners are super kind and generous, and even when they are busy, they work together and get everything done quickly with perfection. The atmoshpere is cozy and just like Israel. They have indoor and outdoor seating. Prices are reasonable, and they don't nickel-and-dime you like other places do for salad, extra sauce, sides, etc. Great place. Beware: Their Schug is EXTREMLY!! spicy. Their Hummus is a must try read more

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If I could leave more stars I would. I tried a lot of middle eastern places near by and WOWW I cannot believe I never tried this place before. SO much flavor , so authentic, and SO SO delicious. I will definitely be coming back. Baby chicken kabobs had so much amazing spices and were not spicy which I love. Eggplant salad just out of this world as well as the 10 salads that came with the platter. Highly recommend read more

Pahal Zan - Baby chicken platter - Middle Eastern Near Me - Forest Hills, New York

Food was fresh and tasty. Really enjoyed my lamb kabob platter. Great salads to choose from

Best Shwarma west of the Promsed Land!! Great food all around. Fresh salads tasty eggplant a must in falafel. Quick great location in Forest Hills. Been going here for 25 years and it's only getting better. read more

Pahal Zan - Schwarma - Middle Eastern Near Me - Forest Hills, New York

tasty, fresh food. consistently good. that's it! and they are fast and friendly, with fair pricing. read more

Nothing but a horrible experience at this place. The staff, including the owners were extremely rude, making us wait a long time for our food and being very dismissive when we asked for water. I also saw the owner yell at a customer who questioned her when she was waiting over an hour for her food. The atmosphere didn't exist, it is a hole in the wall with no indoor seating and extremely little outdoor seating, only chairs for three people. Most importantly (aside from yelling at customers), the food was disgusting. You can tell just by looking at it that it is completely inauthentic Middle Eastern food, which is not surprising considering the owners and all employees are not from the Middle East. Calling themselves "authentic" is offensive to the entire region. Their hummus tasted worse than Sabra, falafel was clearly not fresh, the chicken kabab had ZERO flavor or seasoning, and everything was ice cold. Definitely disappointing and my friends and I will never return, which sucks coming from a Kew Gardens local. For ACTUALLY authentic and palatable - dare I say good - Middle Eastern food, try Astoria or Bay Ridge. I would absolutely not recommend. read more

I ordered on doordash. I walk over there and then when I get there they say "oh we don't use doordash we cancelled your order." Then I look at my doordash account just to make sure it was actually cancelled. No, it was in fact accepted and doordash says the restaurant is preparing the order. Then they ask me to call them to cancel. Why should I be burdened to cancel the order when you were too lazy to turn off your doordash account so no orders would be made on the platform? It was their fault completely that I was locked into the order and then they expected me to call and fix the issue. After discussing it with them, they said they would call when they had the chance--I said no problem, take your time. I expected that the order would be cancelled by that day the latest. Of course, they never called and I had to fix the issue. The food was good but what I won't be back. read more

Very good middle eastern carry-out. I keep their salads and spreads in my refrigerator. Tons of vegetarian options, I like their grilled veg salad a lot but there are lots to choose from, and the very non-vegetarian baby chicken pita and shwarma are delicious. read more

Pahal Zan is the type of place that you expect to find in NYC but are never easy to spot. A hole in the wall place that cares so much about their food but still is small and sort of hidden. Every time I go in I see all of their meats waiting to be grilled and every time I say next time I'll try something else. Something else always becomes the same thing that next time. I have only had their falafel pita. It is so good and so much better than any other I have ever had. The falafel is so crispy but not dense on the outside. They have a soft inside that bursts with taste. The vegetable are fresh and the tahini has no heavy sesame taste. The other thing that makes their falafel pita better than others is how they layer the sandwich. They put falafel on the bottom, a layer of veggies, a layer of falafel and another layer of veggies. Pahal Zan is kosher so they aren't open Friday nights and Saturdays. read more

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Super friendly, consistently delicious sophisticated spiciness. Always a great treat!

One of my favorite places to eat in Forest Hills for over 15 years. I love the falafel, chicken plate and all the salads. read more

Just the very best!!! Very quick and friendly service and superb Israeli salads... all more delicious than the other with each bite you take. Do get the Falafel platter and the baby chicken pita sandwich... and the house hot sauce, amazing! My son ate almost all of the falafel and salad spread... I'm going to have to head back this week (maybe more than once) lol read more

Pretty good Israeli street food. It is certainly satisfying the urge. The restaurant is very low profile and isn't even properly marked from the outside, so it is easy to miss it and walk by. I believe it is owner operated. They will custom prepare your food for you to your liking. Be sure to ask for Amba (a savory non-spicy mango pickle chutney souse), Thina, and Hummus. If you don't mention it you won't get it on your food. If you like hot and spicy ask for Harissa, or Skhoog. There is very little sitting (bar stools). It is better suited for take-aways. Owner is friendly and accommodating. read more

The Beat Israeli Food In Queens, possibly in the entire city. Great portions, great quality and an amazing staff of two gentlemen. Try the wide variety of salads on display as well as their tasty meats such as Lamb and Chicken or Falafel for the veggie crowd. read more

Great spot in Forest Hills right off the LIRR or MTA for a quick bite or a meal for your lunch or dinner on the way home. The falafel sandwich is the go to here. Great falafel, tasty and fresh. The add on toppings were also fresh and made everyday and the quality shows. The falafel sandwiches are probably the fastest to order and if you go for any grilled protein orders it can take awhile as they make it on the spot. The grilled chicken platter was delicious though and loved all the sides. Another dish which is a must order are the fries. Fresh cut and fried. Very tasty. No seating but stand up wall spots. Definitely a take out spot. Will be back. read more

So disappointed The chicken cutlet was thinner than a finger nail, and only one sliver of chicken on a $15 sandwich... definitely overpriced and when I went to talk to the clerk about it he was extremely rude and told me "you're the only one with a problem from my 22 years of working here". The service was so bad. The entire place has a hole in the wall vibe, no restroom, no where to sit but one spot.. just overall rude service. Clerk proceeded to explain that he's "undercharging"... and refused to offer any solution, I asked for a refund and was rejected. I asked what can be done and he offered another piece of paper thin chicken to add to my sandwich after 10 minutes of arguing. Never buying from here again. read more

Pahal Zan - Middle Eastern Near Me - Forest Hills, New York

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I'm sitting here eating leftovers for lunch, and I think wow I have to review this place. I come to Yelp and see that I left a review seven years ago! Well, it's still absolutely delicious after all these years. Truly everything is good, but I love the schnitzel, grilled chicken and all the salads. And if you're lucky, the platters for takeout/delivery will serve as delicious lunch the next day too! read more

You're unlikely to find better falafel anywhere in Queens. The food does take a while but the individuals are genuine. The pita is amazing. During our last visit, the falafel were a bit under. It is a tiny spot next to LIRR station so be ready for lots of noise. It is a great place to pick up and go. There are a few inconsistencies in service but overall a great place to get your vegan fix! read more

I needed a quick bite whilst doing some errands stuff in Forest Hills and saw that a few of you suggested Pahal Zan, so off I went! It's not a sit down/waiter service kind of place but so fondly reminiscent of all those little take away /quick bite eateries in Israel. Loved seeing the abundant display of the various salads and dips they offer and all of the marinated meats ready to be grilled up for you a la minute. Plus loved even more that they used gloves to dish out everything into the treasure or containers as well! Ordered the succulent baby chicken plate and the falafel platter. Everything was fresh and deliciously seasoned and prepared! Portions are very generous for the price as well. Service was very warm and personable too. Looking forward to many return trips to this spot again soon! read more

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Go here They have some of the best falafel I've ever had... better than places in even Israel. The salads are all fire. The marinated chicken cutlet is fire too. This place is definitely worth a drive out from Brooklyn. read more

Pahal Zan - Falafel Ball - Middle Eastern Near Me - Forest Hills, New York

I tried their beef shish kebab platter which comes with 2 pitas and an assortment of salads. I reheated the pita bread, the beef quickly and some cold flour tortillas from Tacombi in a pan for a few mins so I could make sandwiches/wraps. The platter comes with hummus, baba ganoush, lettuce and tomatoes, potato salad, carrot salad, red cabbage, beets, pickles.. basically a sample of everything I think. It was delicious. I would've been perfectly content with simply eating the veggies alone since I'm not really into meat but the beef was marinated nicely and the grilled flavor was so good. It doesn't come with a lot of meat but definitely enough for 1 person or shared with 2 with extra bread on the side. I had my first meal at 7pm and that's pretty much all I needed. Everything was so flavorful I didn't need the tahini sauce. The carrot salad was just a lil spicy, I didn't add their hot sauce. We really enjoyed everything, L loved the beef but all the veggies in the platter were so tasty wrapped in the tortilla. So delicious and fresh... read more

Great food, totally unreliable for delivery. Should've learned my lesson the first time. About a year ago I ordered delivery for dinner on a weeknight that never came. I called and called, but they didn't answer. I eventually had Seamless refund me. They ended up delivering my food over two hours later. I only did pickup for quite a while until I was hosting family recently midday, and I figured it might be less busy earlier. I ordered on Seamless and even got an updated order time after I placed it. Food never came. I called and called, but no answer. I eventually walked there, and they're closed. Do yourself a favor and don't order delivery. If you happen to go in person, expect good food and rude service. read more