Don't let the gas station location fool you -- that's correct! This spot serves some seriously amazing food. Everything was fresh, flavorful, and the portions were incredibly generous. The hospitality was just as impressive as the food; the staff made us feel genuinely welcome. One thing to note: on holidays and busy weekends, they do sell out of some popular items, so it's worth planning ahead or getting there early. Definitely a hidden gem and absolutely a place I'd stop by again. read more

Its a pickup place inside a gas station, They have open kitchen and make wraps fresh in front of you. Tried chicken shawarma wrap and food did have butter, but was tasty . It was more of frankie and not pita wrap. It wasnt busy so we could get food in 10-15 mins. read more

Omg! I live So Cal. Tons of Shawarma near me. This is the best! It sets the bar high for anywhere else. Love it is an understatement. The wrap and plate are excellent!!! I get it on the way up to San Cruz and on the way home! read more

Everything has so much flavor! First time trying and will keep going back. If you are trying to compare it to Dametras in marina, ca. choose this place instead! So fresh and so flavorful!! Plates came with hummus & warm pita bread- oil-Kalamata olives, Greek salad - feta cheese- cucumbers-tomatoes Meat of choice- onions and peppers - rice- sauce (don't know which ones) read more

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Thank you Yelpers for recommending this spot. It was worth driving off our route towards Sand City. Its really not too far off the path. The young men who assisted me were very friendly and patient. I had lots of questions. Hahahah, spice level and can the wrap be eaten while driving. The flavors were on point. The spice wasn't spicy at all. But I enjoy spicy foods. If I would have known it was this delicious I would have ordered double of everything. Its that good! And the price point was very nice. read more

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First time having a shawarma chicken wrap and it was amazing! Always wanted to try this spot since it opened and it did not disappoint. Looking forward to going back and trying other things and service was great and informative read more

This is our second time coming and they never disappoint. Now this is our go-to spot whenever we are in the area! We have had the spicy chicken plate and the beef/lamb plate and both have been amazing. While we were waiting for our food, I had a dry cough that just wouldn't stop so I stepped outside. One of the guys noticed and took a new stick of cough drops off the shelf and handed them to my husband to give to me. So thoughtful and generous!! We happily support a family business with truly nice and authentic people. Thank you for setting an example of how to run a business. read more

On yet another baseball game day, we are headed to the Monterey Peninsula area, the normal lunch time meal when we are out here is fish and chips and clam chowder, but today I found this little gem. Strictly based on other yelper reviews, I decided to try it out. Now stopping for food at a gas station is not anyone's first thought of good food, but let me tell you. It did not disappoint. I started with dessert, a delicious baklava rich in honey. I ordered the chicken shawarma plate for my lunch. The food was delicious, the service quick and helpful and the entire establishment is clean. Will totally come back for more. On a side note to the food. I used the bathroom while I waited and even the bathroom is super clean. You can tell the owners and or who runs the establishment are proud of their business. read more

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The best shawarma you will have on this side of the hill. Every single component of the plate was well made. Salad - fresh, hummus was clearly made fresh. One of the best hummus I have had in a really long time. Hummus was well flavored with garlic and came topped with olive oil and olives. Now lets talk about the meat - they have legit vertical spit!!! Meat was juicy, plentiful, well spiced (not crazy overly spiced with red sauces, if you know you know). Rice grains were perfectly cooked like a sitdown restaurant would, each grain separate, still holding its shape but completely cooked. Rice was well seasoned and flavored. Onion rings were hot, crispy and well seasoned. All in all amazing food and Yes from a gas station! When the food is that good the location does not matter. Places like this is why michelin guide was started, but as we know its clearly lost that aim! Its family run and the love put in the business shows. Clean, well organized kitchen, food prepared with hygiene and love! If you are driving on highway 1- Please make this small detour. Plenty of beaches, parks around for a picnic. I request the business to serve some sort of hot coffee drink to pair with the food - Greek coffee, turkish coffee, Balkan coffee, Karak chai, Shai Bi Na'Na literally anything will do. Definitley will be back. read more

Shawarma King - Beef and Lamb shawarma plate (Pita was included, not pictured) - Halal Near Me - Castroville, California

This food is top notch!! So upon finding it online I had no idea it was in a gas station. At first I was hesitant eating at a gas station. Let me tell you.. DO IT! It's very clean and everyone was so nice. Their food is authentic and reminds me of NYC restaurants. read more

Shawarma King - Lamb and chicken Shawarma plate - Halal Near Me - Castroville, California

Five stars for food at a gas station? I had to try it and I must say I agree. Delicious food made hot & fresh to order. Food counters were clean. I will come again when I'm in the area. read more

Wow! I would give this place 6 stars if I could! Who would have thought. When my husband said "let's go get shawarma at this gas station", I was skeptical. But the pictures looked so good and the reviews were all on point so we got in the car and drove up to Castorville. We got there around 12:30 on a Friday. One other person waiting for food. Very small gas station but with all the necessary snacks and on the far side is the kitchen. The first thing I noticed: it is SO CLEAN. Like shockingly so. The floor was clean, all the surfaces were clean, even where the meat was spitted was clean. A very handsome guy came up and took our order, we grabbed some sodas and then checked out and 10 minutes later he was boxing up our plates. I couldn't wait- the smell was divine. So I popped it open and started eating it in the car. It was 10/10. The caramelized peppers and onions, the sauces and seasonings drizzled on top, the mixed salad and hummus. I have eaten a few shawarma plates and this is definitely the best in the area, and probably second on my list of all plates in Canada and US. Will definitely be going back. I was very happy to see they are also on door dash so I can get it dashed down to Marina on my workdays read more

Shawarma King - Lamb & beef shawarma plate - Halal Near Me - Castroville, California

Was cruisin up from so cal to Santa Cruz was scrolling IG while driving , probably shouldn't do that, but ya... and some foodie review on this place popped up and said it was gasolina. And in a gas station. Tried it. Confirmed gasolina . I got the beef and lamb wrap. Will be back for sure read more

I was visiting Pajaro Dunes from Sac and found this place when searching on Yelp for local food spots. Don't let the looks of a restaurant in a Gas station fool you this was the best Shawarma I've ever had! I got the lamb and beef shawarma and asked for spicy. It was so flavorful and just the perfect amount of spice! I also got the chicken shawarma fries, I am dreaming about it as I am typing this, they were amazing! Again I asked for spicy and it was a mix of well seasoned chicken, onions, jalapenos, and peppers all over fries with a white sauce and feta cheese, insanely good flavors! This will be a definite stop on my way down here again. I wish it was closer to Sac. The guy taking my order was super helpful and polite as well. 10 out of 10, will not disappoint! read more

Shawarma King - Chicken shawarma fries, FIRE! - Halal Near Me - Castroville, California

I don't know where to start!! Holy moly from the time we placed the order over the phone, to three of the KINDEST gentlemen working there upon pickup, the cleanliness of the place, to the phenomenal food explosions happening in our mouths as I type this, I am in absolute awe. As strange as this is going to sound, I'm gonna say it anyways. Tears started falling as I was leaving this place, this has never happened to me before. Tears, simply formed from overwhelming kindness from these young men working here (I was having a bad day). To be honest, I wouldn't even have cared if the food wasn't great, I still would be going back!! So you can imagine my surprise when a whole flavor explosion erupted from a combination of unfamiliar deliciousness, hit my pallet!!! Wow wow wow!! What are you waiting for? Quit reading and get in your car and pick up some food! So far my husband and i's favorite is the euro and French fries. OMG!! I'm coming back tomorrow (p.s. we ate too fast for pics) Thank you for the experience Shawarma Kings, you earned your name for sure read more

"Who eats lunch at a friggin Chevron?!" That's what I asked my wife as we pulled into the parking lot. Well, let me tell you- this place is FIRE. I had the spicy beef & lamb shawarma and my wife had the chicken. Both were excellent. The guys here are a friendly family and hardworking. They're very nice, they care about the customers and the food is unreal. I don't live close to here at all but every time I go to Monterey from San Jose I'm going to stop and eat here. read more

I just got 3 lamb and beef shawarma tonight. The best Excellent! They are the top tier Mediterranean cuisine in the area check their highest reviews on yelp and google. Very friendly people. read more

In a gas station? Looks questionable to say the least. But the food was really good. Falafel wrap, gyro wrap, and a side pita. Gobbled it all up. The service was excellent. Very friendly and sweet with my girls, even gave a lollipop. No seating inside since it's in a gas station, so we brought our food to eat at a park just a few minutes away walking. read more

Shawarma King - Falafel wrap - Halal Near Me - Castroville, California

I decided to go try something a bit different for a change. So i headed up to Castroville to this little gem and i wss not disapointed at all. Friendly staff members. I really appreciated seeing the pictures on the wall so. I would know what each dish looked like. I am not used to eating lamb kebobs, so it was a little different from what i normally eat. But i was truly delighted how good it was. I would definitely go back to try other item, it was so good. I must add the place is really kept clean. read more

I had a feeling it was going to be good and it did not disappoint. Great shawarma and great service.

I have came here about 3 times and each time it gets better and better. The food has really good flavor and I love how they finely slices the lettuce now compared to the chopped they use to do. It was the very first time I ever ate a salad that was sliced like that and it was amazing. The employees are super nice and the guy that cooked our food was nice and funny. Overall great customer service and great food. It is inside a gas station which some may think it's off putting and there is only one bench to sit down and eat at but there are so many places that are just to go establishments and this is one of them which for me isn't that much of a big deal. The kitchen is super clean and so is the store. We ordered over the phone and answered any questions we had. 5/5 for food and service. Will definitely be coming back. read more

I almost gave this place a 1-star review when the night before I came to dine here and they had closed 30 minutes prior to their stated closing time, but I decided to channel my rage into patience and give them a chance on my way out of town the next day. I'm very glad that I did. Let's get into it.. Ambiance - This is a kitchen located inside of a Chevron convenience mart. Set proper expectations. There's no seating inside, but they have a picnic table outside where you can sit and eat if you want. I'm guessing most people just grab their food and go. I was a weirdo and decided to sit at the picnic table and eat because the only other option was my car. Food - I ordered a beef & lamb wrap and goodness it was incredible. The flavors were on point and each bite felt like a new sensation. Sometimes I'd get a good bite of delicious meat, another bite a cool/refreshing taste of lettuce/sauce/cucumber, some spiciness to it. It had everything. It looked like a super burrito in appearance. It was so filling that I barely ate anything for the rest of the day. Service - The folks that work the Chevron mart/food counter are both incredibly nice. I saw a lot of people going in and giving fist bumps to the staff and having casual conversation, so you can tell they're great people who others just enjoy interacting with. Overall, this was a fantastic meal and I'm so glad I stayed patient to try. It was the culinary highlight of my trip, and if you think you're too good to try a gas station shawarma restaurant then you're missing out on a hidden gem. I'd definitely return anytime I get near that area. It's that good. read more

I will never skip past shawarma king when driving through castroville again. Absolutely amazing food. Great people and service. Very convenient location read more

My friend and I were looking for a halal place with good food, and came across Shawarma King. Honestly, I'm not usually a fan of shawarma food but their food was DELICIOUS. I wish I was able to try their plates, but they were out. I got the fries (with cheddar cheese instead of feta) and it was one of the BEST loaded fries I've ever tried. They also have some outdoor seating, should you need a place to sit The customer service was also top tier. For a gas station, and for how busy they were, they were super patient, kind, and accommodating for my friend and I who were on a trip back from camping If I ever pass through Salinas again, I will definitely make sure to stop by again! read more

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Excellent food, made to order so it's a couple minute wait but fresh and so good. Excellent overall. Extremely friendly and kind staff offered up great service. This place is so unassuming - a food counter inside a Chevron gas station - DO NOT JUDGE if you haven't been here. This was our second visit and had the same awesome experience as the first. A must hit spot if you're anywhere near Castroville and like good food. We had a beef & lamb shawarma wrap and a gyro wrap. Top tier. read more

Shawarma King - Lamb & beef Shawarma wrap - Halal Near Me - Castroville, California

Ordered the Gyro plate and everything was absolutely delicious! Fresh and super flavorful! Highly recommend! read more

Shawarma King - The Gyro Plate - Halal Near Me - Castroville, California

Shawarma King was super good. The food was great, the service was fast and friendly, and the atmosphere was nice and chill. read more

Shawarma King - Chicken shawarma plate - Halal Near Me - Castroville, California

Place is straight gas and the people are some of the best. Cant recommend this place enough

We ordered food from here via DoorDash for lunch. Everything was so delicious. They threw in some Baklava with a nice hand written "Thank You" message written on the packaging. I decided to look up where this restaurant was and was floored that it is in a gas station mini mart. We were looking to see if we could have a nice dine in experience here. While we don't have the dine in experience, we will definitely be ordering food from here again. read more

Tried the shawarma chicken wrap and it was amazing!! Flavorful and delicious. 10/10! We even got vip service they delivered our food to our car! Definitely going back again to try the gyro and Philly sandwiches. read more

Very good Mediterranean food for being located in castroville and at a chevron gas station. Ordered chicken shawarma salad. Very good and authentic taste and presentation. $15.99 big portion enough for 2 people. Friendly staff. They are from Yemen read more

Very nice service, will give you tour destinations. Cook was very attractive. Worth the wait for snail of appreciation. You get what you pay for. Didn't skimp out on anything. Please open in L.A. Kinda wished they had a bench/stools & table against the wall for us to eat but it was still one of the best I've ever tasted. Great job! read more

Shawarma King - Philly cheesesteak - Halal Near Me - Castroville, California

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Went again today! Gyro wrap and falafel wrap was so damn delicious I had to write this just as I finished eating it. Still enjoying that level 10 heat on my gyro 0p read more

Did good wait is a little bit long but not bad, order ahead I suggest. Did not get the pita bread with my plate. Very congested area.

This place is GASSSSSS! The service is MUAH- chefs kiss! The food is eye rolling, moaning myrtle, hands to the sky, good! FINALLY a good place to grab food when I come to Monterey! Thank you, Shawarma King!!!! read more

Shawarma King - Spicy baby - Halal Near Me - Castroville, California

Food? High quality & delicious, with large portions at a good price. The chicken shawarma plate comes with a small puddle of hummus topped with 2 olives, a small amount of chopped salad consisting of shredded iceberg, and small diced tomato and cuke topped with feta. The chicken was so tender and beautifully spiced! It's fried up with well cooked (as opposed to raw) peppers and onion. Tender and delicious! It's accompanied by tasty, fluffy, yellow basmati rice. One pita comes with the plate. It is hot and fresh tasting. The plate is enough to feed two normal eaters. We've also had the falafel and it, too, is delicious; crispy but fluffy. For those not wanting Middle Eastern food, they have some darned good burgers, too! Service? Always friendly and helpful. Ambiance? None because this is a gas station! If you eat there, you eat outside at a picnic table. The place is clean and neat! It's great to have this cuisine in North Monterey County! We will be back often as it's a good value, and delicious. It's always great to support a small business! BTW, if I had a choice between Phil's and Shawarma King, I would ALWAYS choose Shawarma King! read more

I saw this place on Yelp and thought I would give it a try as I don't know of any good Mediterranean food places in the Salinas area as I travel up here for work. I've often got Mexican food at a gas station but never Mediterranean. The people were friendly as I entered the store and I ordered my favorite chicken shawarma to go. My plate came with chicken shawarma, hummus, rice, pita bread and little salad for a fair price. Everything was quite tasty and the shawarma had really good flavor. It had a sauce on it. I wish they gave me a little more chicken but the plate was filling. I give the Shawarma King 4.5 stars and it would be a 5 if chicken serving was bigger, but overall it was very good. I will return in the future and try another dish as this was a great first experience. read more

Shawarma King - Halal Near Me - Castroville, California

Finally made it to shawarma King after coworkers have been raving about it for months. First off all the staff were super friendly, it's nice to be greeted with a smile. I ordered the chicken shawarma wrap and my coworker ordered the lamb and beef shawarma wrap. We both raved about it. The homemade wrap was really good. We both commented that the filling had a ton of flavor. We will definitely be adding this to our Friday work lunch rotation! read more

I see why they have 5 stars. Their food is impeccable! The lamb and beef Shawarma is amazing! They flavors are so good, and the customer service is 5 stars. I knew that when I first drove up and saw that it was inside a Chevron that the food was going to be fire ...and I wasn't disappointed! read more

Wow! This place is 10/10! Service is great and the food has so many delicious flavors! The spices are perfect and nuanced - hard to describe, you just have to try it. Staff is friendly and knowledgeable, you can tell they care about the customer and the food. Salinas is lucky to have great Mediterranean food just up the road! read more