I know it's an unpopular opinion, but this place is SO much better than its Drake Road counterpart. The food is always totally fresh and delicious. The staff is a bunch of sweethearts. I had a friend give me goat for a muslim holiday, andhaving never prepared it before, I mentioned it to the staff here. They graciously wrote down directions for me to stew the goat. That was an additional piece of customer service that I loved. read more

Had an amazing meal that I called in and picked up. The King Shawarma dinner for 2 was enough for 4. The salad and meats were amazingly flavorful and fresh. Ive tried the other Shwarma restaurant and it just didnt compare. I write this review as I currently am,waiting on my order to arrive!! Haha read more

See all

Great place for lunch breaks. Their buffet remains the most consistent in the Kalamazoo area. Decent prices as far as buffet takeouts and dine ins. They also take regular menu orders which include their famous beef/chicken shawarmas and the kebab sandies. The place is family owned and is well taken care of by their owners. read more

Friendly service, fast and always fresh! Good value for the price! Great selection of Lebanese food. Lentil Soup is the best, fresh salad and roasted chicken are yummy too. Food tastes healthy and non-greasy. I have come often for take outs. read more

Wonderful buffet with a great price. They included salad, soups, pita bread, rice pudding and desserts along with multiple chicken and beef options. Surprisingly good! Hummus and fried pita chips as well. Highly recommend read more

I'm going to be honest, after craving this place for a week straight, I knew only the buffet would do. I took myself on a lunch date here and I have no regrets. Yum! It's rare I find a buffet that's worth the splurge, but this, my friends, is the exception. Fresh. Quality. Delicious. Along with my favs (broiled chicken & fattoush salad), I got to try new things. All of the things.... Shout out goes to the Molokhia (collard greens). That's right, I said collard greens. Did they look appetizing? Eh. Do collard greens ever look appetizing? I say not. Were they flavorful and delicious, you betcha! Also, the beef blew my mind. I've opt out for a chicken shwarma here in the past, but after trying their beef, I might have a new champion. Hummus, baba ganoush, and amazing lentil soup! I could go on for days... read more

Shawarma King Buffet - Shwarma chicken - Buffets Near Me - Kalamazoo, Michigan

See all

Wow, what a nightmare, not sure where to start. Service: No one up front to greet customers. Finally asked if I just sit down, prepay,etc. I guess someone moved the "seat yourself" sign far to the left of the doorway. Sat down, waitress came by, got my drink order and told me help myself to the buffet. Some time later, I noticed that certain diners had ordered sandwiches. Did not know that was an option, as the buffet turned out to be pretty nasty. Shame on me for not just walking out. Should have looked the buffet over before sitting down, but reviews here are pretty positive, so i was not suspicious. At no point did the used plates get taken off my table, no refills. The place was busy, so its hard to service patrons with one server/cashier working the entire restaurant and one cook in the back. Food: Well, again where do I start? Was anything good here? NO! -Falafel: dry -Chix Swarma: Dry and no taste -Meat Swarma; Dry beyond recognition and no taste. I could not even identify or taste if it was beef, lamb, combo? Who knows... -Kefta: floating in a warm broth. No taste and not sure that is how kefta should be served. Isn't is supposed to be grilled? Does tossing it in a warm broth to sit on the buffet line improve its taste? -Hummus/Baba Gannouj: Watered down to a point that you have no idea what you are eating. -Pita: Paper thin, cold and presented in a sandwich bag. I also saw a whole bunch of these little baggies in a cardboard box in one of the booths. The food was cheap, but for $12 you should be able to get a decent meal at most Middle East restaurants. Heck a decent combo platter at most fast food M/E places runs about $8-9. I am at a total loss as to how this place can score positive reviews. Are people blinded by price and quantity? read more

Shawarma King Buffet - Yeah that's how I like my pita : thin as a sheet of paper, cold and tucked into a sandwich bag. - Buffets Near Me - Kalamazoo, Michigan

It's easy for me to forget about the Shawarma King buffet, because it's such a reliable standby. I've been there at least once a month (and usually more often) for years. This is a great place to feed a hungry crowd a relatively healthy lunch. The buffet has great options for omnivores and vegans alike. The menu is pretty stable, but you'll see some variety (shish tawook some days, chicken biryani on others). Everything is good, but particularly spectacular are: chicken and beef shawarma (look for the burnt bits around the edges -- so good), mlokiah (these spicy collards are not to be overlooked), lentil soup, hummus, baba ghannouj, and the best of all: the garlic sauce. I put that stuff on everything. The buffet-to-go option is excellent, and dirt freaking cheap at less than $5/lb during lunch. The fact that it's a buffet means it's a great option if you're in a hurry. Where else can you go from parking to stuffing your face with good food in under 60 seconds? I don't think I'll ever stop loving this place. read more

See all

Rejoice in the buffet! Here you can try a little bit of everything for an excellent price. We skip dining in and instead fill to-go boxes with all of our favorite eats. The buffet offers 3 kinds of rice, kafta, chicken, falafel, fried pita, hummus, baba ganoush, salad, and other staple Middle Eastern foods. The garlic sauce is my personal fantasy and I can eat it by the spoonful. I also like to grab a 50-cent piece of baklava for dessert, but let's be honest: I'll eat the pastry in the car ride home because it's too good to save for later. Included free-of-charge are packets of pita bread, but I usually pass 'em up--they're bland and not worth the stomach space. I recommend you take the pita bread home and toast them in the oven for a crispier, yummier chip. You pay by the pound for the take-out buffet. $6 buys me a satisfying meal. If I'm spending more than $7, I'm looking at leftovers. Service is the friendliest kind! I kinda want to be friends with the people who work here because they are so nice and hospitable. read more

The quality of Shawarma King Buffet is less than satisfactory when compared to its better sibling, Shwarma King on Drake Road. My friend and I had the buffet and felt that it was not worth the $17, although we paid $16 as there is a nice 10% discount for dine-in students. The chicken and lamb was all very dry and was lacking greatly in flavor. What helped was the garlic dip and hummus but I lost my appetite when I found a piece of hair in the hummus. I thought the potatoes were slightly better. The rice was mildly good but was much too buttery to the point of being watery. I also had the salad, which had a satisfactory dressing and had some decent fried pita chips. My greatest enjoyment came from the lentil soup, which is not saying much as it's soup. There was also some pita bread which was very basic but complemented the overall blandness of this meal, which was quite tasteless to say the least. The staff was kind, however. The only reason I'd go back to this restaurant is if I was absolutely famished and had no other options. Otherwise, I have a lot of difficulty justifying the price point for the quality of the buffet. I can't comment on any of the fresh dishes. I have left full but unsatisfied. read more

Wonderful food! Service is good. Cleanliness is amazing. Staff is polite. Atmosphere is calming.

This is my favorite Lebanese restaurant of all time! I drive 25 minutes one way, every chance I get, for this place. Buffet style dining is the norm but you can order some menu stuff. It's pretty much the same items on the buffet every week. Beef and chicken Schwarma, salad, rice, lots of veggies, cabbage rolls, soup, kafta, and rice pudding just to give you an idea. Lunch will run you about $10-$12 while dinner after 3:30 is a few dollars more. Walk in, seat yourself, and start filling your plates. Help will stop by for your drink order and check on you periodically. When your done, just walk up to the register and pay. Take out is available also. Let them know at the register you want takeout. Grab some containers and fill em up. Don't forget to pick up some baklava at the register. Hope to see you there!! read more

See all

It's busy, it's mostly clean, it just wasn't for me. The food was ok, but it might just be me because locals pack this place. Give it a try, but don't confuse this place as shawarma king on drake road ( they are amazing) read more

First full disclosure: I'm a long time fan of Shwarma King on Drake. Nevertheless a friend wanted to go here so I agreed to give it a try. Had a falafel wrap. The falafels too big and not crispy. Took half the sandwich home (it was huge) but it later just wasn't appealing and got tossed. I don't do buffets - just don't eat enough for the higher price to make sense. read more

**Received a comment from a Yelper about previous review: To clarify, I meant Shawarma "delivers" figuratively, and not literally. To REITERATE, this location does NOT DELIVER TO YOUR HOME. I meant they delivered, as in, the food was consistent.** They must have changed owners because EVERYTHING, well, almost everything except for the pita bread in baggies, has changed. I can't believe that this was the same place that I adored while living in Kzoo. Now, everything is just lower quality, and the recipes are all different--even the salad dressing! My plan was to have lunch there, and to get some takeout for the hubby, but after my meal, I vowed to never go back. The chicken was flavorless, the hummus really watery, and even the rice pudding was a major disappointment. :( read more

Shawarma King was an absolute Delight. The food was fresh and refreshing and tasted amazing. Knowing that everything that I put into my mouth was halal was an extra value add. The servers were kind the wait staff quick and efficient. Our drinks were brought to us in a timely fashion and refilled right away. The menu consisted of chickenl shawarma, beef Shawarma,okra with tomatoes, there was baba ganoush, hummus, various sides, lentil soups and many other delicacies. There was a humongous well dressed salad. There were plenty of different food offerings to choose from for the vegetarian eaters as well as people like me who are great carnivores. I was dropping my daughter off to "K" college, and am thankful and grateful for the yelp reviews that led me to this eatery. read more

Best garlic sauce I've ever had in my life. Service is always great. Location appears to be very clean and well kept for buffet options. Roasted potatoes are A+. read more

Very dirty place. When the owner does not even clean the windows it makes me wonder how clean the kitchen is. Basically this place is a lot of basic Mediterranean food in heaping piles for the starved. A very big turnoff to me read more

Great food. I had the buffet and sampled a little of everything. Great service. Smiling, happy people, quick to help.

please bring back the original fries!!! they were the best I've ever had anywhere in Kalamazoo

Shawarma Chicken wrap is the ultimate "Grab & Go", get the yogurt cake dip for the wrap. Kibble for the ride home!! Great carry-out service!

I live for this place. I think I am addicted. I loved the mujadara, potatoes, broccoli, sauces, and meat dishes. The servers work hard and stay busy with cleaning and checking on people. Rice pudding is just ok but I am happy they have a dessert of some sort. I did not love the lentil soup the first time I tried it but it was better the last time. The salad dressing is good but the salad is overdressed. The meat can get a little dry but that happens at any buffet with the heat lamps. The baklava is too dry for my taste. Overall it is a good healthy option. This is one of my go to places in the area. read more

This place is really cute. Small on the outside and bigger on the inside. You seat yourself at any open table. And a staff member comes over to take your drink order. With your drink, you are given a few bundles of Pita bread. Then it's off to the Buffett! There's over 20 different dishes to choose from. Including Baba Ganoush, Beef Shawarma, Hommus, greens, roasted potatoes, and more! As you eat a staff member comes by, picks up empty plates, and refills drinks. So if it sounds so good, why does this review have three stars. Most of the meat was dry, the food on my plates were cold, and some dishes were missing ingredients. The meat (both chicken and beef) dishes were nearly empty. Like a few pieces in the bracket. Which I'm assuming they were making more, or waiting for it to run out. The coldness I could determine two things for. The first time we came, the food was piled so high, of course it was gonna get cold. Yesterday when we came it was hot outside so the air conditioner was on. With things barely being filled, of course everything got colder faster. We did let someone know, but you can't rush food cooking. The new batch wasn't done by the time we had to go. Now the missing ingredients were just for a rice dish and the salad. The rice dish didn't have very many onions, the salad was heavily missing tomatoes. Which is not that big of a deal. Mostly it's the cold food that was the most disappointing. Which should not happen, especially for $13, that's a bummer. read more

See all

Shwarma buffet is like a hug for your mouth. It is Kalamazoo's best hangover cure. I generally get carry out. It's a wide variety. Vegetarian options are plentiful. Always great service. Also garlic sauce, this garlicky ambrosia is the stuff dreams are made of. Also it is cheap and can feed an army. read more

Shawarma King Buffet - When you are hung over feeling like the floor of a taxi cab, Sharma king buffet to go is the only cure - Buffets Near Me - Kalamazoo, Michigan

What can I say...I really like Shawarma King! Good solid food at a great price. The staff is friendly. Recommended.

We have a 5 & 3 yr old. They charge nearly $9 per child. That's OUTRAGEOUS for kids that young, especially when they can't eat but an item or two. NOT FOR FAMILIES WITH YOUNG KIDS!!! read more

In short: This place had a great buffet. To speak on the experience further: After dropping our name at a couple nearby big name spots on a Saturday night and staring down an average wait time of at least an hour we went plan B and went here for the take out buffet (approx. $6/lb) and I must say this place delivered. The shawarma meats were both great. The rice was flavorful. But the FALAFEL! On point and sooo good. Can't speak highly enough of it. I ate way too much but I did it with a smile. :) I'll be back. read more

Stopped in when running errands, a friendly family owned restaurant with good food and fair prices, will be back.

Shawarma King is one of things I miss from Kalamazoo. Now if you are not from Kalamazoo it is important that you know there are two Shawarma King locations, but only one buffet. Both locations are awesome, and I visit both for different reasons. The buffet is where it is at for a long lunch. They have a great variety for middle eastern cuisine. From lentil soup, to salad, to falafel, to kafta, to rice pudding- this place has you covered. They also serve a great mint tea which is not to be missed. We always receive good service when we dine here. It appears to be a family owned business, and they clearly care about their customers. Its a must visit for anyone visiting the city and wants to experience the diverse community that is Kalamazoo. read more

This was a fast lunch. Buffet was quick and food was fine. I felt the chicken (sliced) was quite dry but overall good food. I felt it was really cold which made the lunch uncomfortable for me. With tip it was a 26.00 lunch for two which I thought was plenty. read more

One of our favorite places in Kalamazoo. The buffet is always good and the people that work here are the friendliest. It's a staple.

I used to be a faithful shawarma-ite. eating there up to two times per week. the last few experiences have been sub-par, and now that I don't eat meat, it's really sort of pointless to continue to patron your establishment instead of the one on drake. The meat was always much more tasty on the buffet, and that's probably due in part to the amount of oil they put in the pan in order to keep it moist while on the buffet line. We had some good times, and I appreciate the buffet option because i can try a little of everything for cheap. But, now, It tastes cheap. Why are you changing all your recipes? You had a good thing going. Now you've gone and put black pepper in your moujadrah rice (which had no sauteed onions), your lebanese salad is made from leaf lettuce and has minimal (if any) dressing, and your tahini is lacking any lemony bite it once had. When you've made the changes back to your old ways, I'll come back, until then good luck in your endeavors. I would say as a vegetarian, this is not the best shawarma option in Kalamazoo for flavor. Sure, it's cheap because it's a buffet and there are a lot of options, but overall, I have been very dissatisfied in my last few experiences. read more

This is by far my favorite restaurant in all of Kalamazoo. My favorite things are the Kafka, Falafel, and the garlic sauce. My husband likes the beef shawarma and the rice pudding. The vegetable soup is wonderful! The young ladies that serve us are always wonderful and attentive. I can not wait until we get to visit again! read more

I can't rate this highly enough!!! We have zero good food like this where we live and if this was anywhere NEAR where we live...we'd be in trouble. The food was constantly being replenished, so fresh, nothing was short of delicious...and the garlic sauce...oh the garlic sauce. I would eat it on EVERYTHING. I took some pita and hummus home too. Staff seemed really great. You could tell they knew their regulars and I love seeing that. I know a few places we go where we live know us like that and it really makes patrons feel welcome and valued. If I ever return to Kalamzoo...I'm beelining for this joint! read more

Shawarma King is a pretty straight deal: it's quantity over quality. If you want the best Mediterranean and Middle Eastern food you've ever had, look elsewhere. If you want bang for your buck, this is the place. As the title says, it's a buffet style. It's a little pricy to sit and eat, but the take-away price is a reasonable five-odd dollars per pound. With that fair price, you can fill up a Styrofoam container with a myriad of meats and veggies, and make several meals out of it. Shawarma King is a Kzoo favorite. Not the best food in town, but one of the best deals. read more

Love love love this place! You can't beat the lunch buffet price. Dinner is cheaper than going to Shawarma on Drake and getting an entree. Obviously, with a buffet, the food quality will always be slightly lower, but they do an excellent job of trying to keep stuff fresh. The garlic sauce is AMAZING and should be eaten on everything! read more

I love this place. I eat here a couple times a month. The buffet is great. Everything seems very fresh. There is quite a selection of meats and vegetables as well as salad and soups. They offer a great sandwich combo that includes a drink, salad or soup, and fries or rice for a reasonable price. My only complaint is that the buffet is very consistent. It would be nice to see some new choices once in a while. There is a full menu for those not interested in the buffet. read more

Hard to argue with this place if you're looking for good shwarma in town. The buffet is not the snazziest or most extensive one you'll ever experience but it has a nice variety, is reasonably priced, and you'll never go hungry. Ordering off of the menu CAN get a little pricey but the portions are well-sized and the food travels pretty well. Amazing garlic sauce, can't rave enough about it- you'll just have to try for yourself. It isn't the prettiest restaurant in town but you go for the food. read more

I love Shawarma king buffet. Fantastic take out, great value and very reasonable prices while still having good quality food and flavor. This is my go to place for cheap, good take out in Kalamazoo, and is some of the best Middle Eastern food I've had. I can't wait to go back and try the buffet! read more

This place is like heaven on earth to me! I'm a huge fan of Lebanese food and I was not disappointed in the least once I came here. All you can eat chicken schwarma, hummus, lentil soup, and as much garlic sauce as you want! Of course they have a few more things but I go straight for my favorites. I'm drooling just thinking about it. Eat here, you will not leave hungry! read more