If you love high quality, reasonably priced, fresh Middle Eastern food and you are in Albany then…read morehead over to Zaffron. Some friends and I were passing through and came here. After tasting some of the food we all decided that we will definitely return. Absolutely an incredible experience.

Great spot for a quick, nutritious and filling lunch! I stopped by after landing at the Albany…read moreairport in search of a casual bite to eat before beginning a road trip and was fully satisfied. The young lady at the counter helped guide me through their menu options and made sure that I selected an option that would be best for my dietary preferences. Pro tip - the brown rice is cooked with chicken stock so if you're vegetarian, go for the regular white rice. I ended up with the falafel bowl and added most of their veggie toppings as well as the tahini sauce, hot sauce, and a lemon vinaigrette sauce. Sauce me up. The serving size was generous and everything tasted fresh. Just what I needed to fuel the rest of the day's adventures.

My son had stopped here on the way to visit and based on some of the leftovers, we knew it had to…read morebe on the list. Traveling within about 5 minutes on the way to visit a good friend, and it happened to be right around lunch time, the opportunity finally came. It's a casual place, lots of 2 and 4 top tables, but what caught my eye when we went in was the cooler full of amazing side options. Then you look up and there's a beautiful oven and a dough station. This is looking great. We sat and ordered lamb kebab and doner kebab. A couple minutes later, a large (~11x17?) wooden tray appeared with a piping hot lavash bread and a plate of dill yogurt sauce. If the meal had stopped there, I would have been a happy camper. We had just had a few pieces when the kebab arrived, each with a pepper, tomato, some red cabbage, and onion. Both meats were authentic and delicious. My favorite way to eat my doner was with a bit of the bread, a bit of the dill sauce, some onion and cabbage, and a bunch of meat - a mini gyro, if you will. We took away about 1/3 of the generous portions and ordered a large mixed plate (all 10 of the sides) and baklava to take to our friend. It's a bit of a drive for us, but any time we're anywhere close, we're going to be back for sit down (if it's mealtime) or takeaway if it's not. I highly recommend you do the same.

Alibaba is probably the oldest Turkish restaurant in the Albany area, and it recently got a nice…read moreupgrade -- from the furniture to the serving plates and menus. The place feels much more modern and inviting now. Our family especially enjoys the beyti kebab, the güveç, and their pide. I haven't tried the pizza yet, but since their pide is very good, I imagine the pizza would also be solid. For me though, the real highlight at Alibaba is the mezze. In Turkish cuisine, grilled meats and kebabs are almost always enjoyed with a variety of mezze. They might technically be sides, but they're a big part of the whole experience. These days there are several Turkish kebab places in the area, but none of them offer a wide selection of fresh, house-made mezze like Alibaba does. At many places you're lucky if you find one or two options, often just a basic ezme. At Alibaba you'll find around ten different mezze and each one tastes distinct and freshly made. Every time I tell myself I'll just take a little... and somehow I end up filling a big mezze plate. Honestly, even when we grill at home, our motivation is picking up mezze from Alibaba to go with it. I'm not sure if it gets the credit it deserves, but don't skip the mezze here -- you'd be missing out. In fact, start with the mezze and figure out the rest later :))

Had the combo Gyro platter and very happy with portion size as well as flavor…read more It was dinner time and the meat however was a little Dried out probably was shaved hours ago. The owners are very nice and appreciative. The Baklava was super good.

We follow alaturco on Facebook where they had placed out a post stating they had a st pattys day…read morespecial for $39.99. Sounded like a great opportunity to try a bit of all their food. The ordering was simple and I reserved my order through fb messenger a few days prior to 3/17. The order to the pickup went smoothly and it was sooooo delicious. They placed it together when I arrived. If you've never been to the Ballston spa location and it's your first time, things to know: - tables for about 12 people in the restaurant at a time (no larger parties) - it gets warm in there, no matter the season! - they serve canned drinks and bottled water, so if you're a guzzler, bring your large reusable water bottle My favorite part was how the hummus was the best hummus I've had in years. No other restaurant makes it like this in the area and you've got to go in and try it!

Noticeably spotless! The staff all smile and really seem to love being there. Very upbeat and super…read morefriendly. I did not realize there were several locations in the capital district. There is one closer to me so I think I will be visiting there real soon. I got a toasty Big Chicken Shawarma wrap. It was stuffed full of fresh ingredients. Every single ingredient complimented the other I can't even describe it. It was a nice size and I ate it all. Absolutely delicious. I don't think I've had a toastier wrap ever. It was perfect. Pics included! A nice relaxed atmosphere with apparently several locations. I would encourage you to try one!

Staff are very welcoming and pleasant. Food very good…read more Tomato soup excellent. Shawarma bowls very good with fresh quality ingredients. Rice and pita bread very good. Fair pricing. Quality utensils. Quick service. Place and bathrooms are clean. Management/owner doing a fabulous job! Will always return! And will try the desserts next time.

Drove past this hole in the wall for years and took a chance. Perhaps in Lebanon diners eat in an…read moreunheated enclosed narrow porch in February: Outside temp 40F -- inside 56F. Ate with coats on under skylights. Baba ganoush starter with hot pita triangles was the highlight, quickly went downhill. Naji Panini (eggplant) with French (not Lebanese) fries, very dry falafel with dry (ancient) potato salad. Lesson learned: Lebanese cuisine is best enjoyed in summer.

What a wonderful hidden gem in the Berkshire Mountains of Western MA. The authenticity of their…read moreLebanese food is unsurpassed imo, from soup to mezze and main course, you will be delighted with the quality, freshness and flavors. If you have or were to have a Lebanese grandmother, this is the kind of home cooking that stirs fond memories of those cherished bygone visits to grandma's house for one of her sumptuous homemade meals. Naji's menu is perfect, not so many items that you'll get lost but a perfect sampling of all the major categories plus some. Given a week's notice, they can accommodate just about any special requests you might have. If you like Mediterranean cuisine this is a don't miss experience in Lebanese dining, one that will leave a lasting impression. This little resto is worth a drive from anywhere in N.E., heck, maybe even further away than that. Super food, excellent hospitality, Naji's for the win win..!!

I stopped in on a weeknight and ordered from the kiosk. I got the Grilled Chicken Signature Bol,…read morewhich is chicken, white rice, tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, feta and their signature white sauce. I also ordered a side of pita and hummus. I was dining in and waited less than 10 minutes for my food. The portion was absolutely HUGE! I couldn't believe it. I barely made a dent in it! It tasted fresh and the sauce was really tasty. The pita and hummus were also fresh too. I grabbed a box for my leftovers and had another meal out of it. Overall, the place was clean, there was enough seating if you're dining in, the food was fresh and ordering was extremely easy. Definitely recommend!

As soon as I read some reviews and looked at Bol's menu, I made it a point to get over there as…read moreconveniently as possible to begin enjoying their food. The restaurant is clean and bright and comfortable. You can order either from the kiosk at the side, or at the counter - and they're really helpful at the counter. I crafted a bowl with grilled chicken. I was expecting the chicken to have a slightly stronger flavor, but all the extra items in the bowl plus the sauces I requested really enhanced the flavor. I'm a big fan of their hummus, and I'm almost addicted to their house white sauce, which has just the right amount of garlic in it. Their cucumber mint iced tea also has a great flavor, though I do find it a bit sweet. Be aware that it might take a few minutes for your order to be ready. Bowls with cooked ingredients will take slightly longer. Plus, they are already doing a huge take-out business, so you can't judge only by the number of customers sitting in the restaurant. This is a wonderful addition to the area, and I look forward to many more meals here.

The ambiance is a hole in the wall, but the food is some of the best. Baba ghanoush was wonderful…read moreand great chicken gyro sandwiches. It was more than we could eat and we will return. For reference, it is a stone's throw from the Fort Plain museum

Family owned restaurant, which offers table service and take out. Friendly service. Not fancy…read moreinside, but clean. Ordered the baba ganoush and the falafel appetizer, which was more than enough for two people. It came with a basket of warm pita bread. The prices were reasonable and the portions large. They had homemade baklava, which we tried and it was the best we've ever had!