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    Shawarmaji

    4.2 (739 reviews)
    Closed 11:00 am - 12:00 AM (Next day)

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    SHAWARMAJI ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Trendy
    Moderate noise
    Outdoor seating

    Recommended Reviews - Shawarmaji

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    Mini lamb/beef wrap
    Everett L.

    Wraps are amazing. House salad with chicken is amazing. The spicy sauce and yogurt sauce is so good. Lots of flavor

    Alejandra C.

    You want actually GOOD food, for a very good price and to feel extremely satisfied and happy with what you ate? THIS IS THE PLACE!!! I can't believe i've lived here for a year and barely tried this place out. Our neighbor recommended it to us and boyyyy were they on the spot. Literally everything in the menu was great! We had: -Chicken Wrap (5/5) + Hot sauce, onion, tomato (Free of charge) -Lamb/Beef Shawarma fries-mini (5/5) I've never had an issue (if you want to call it that) with not enough fries lol this was staaacked with meat! SOOO good! It was the perfect size for me -Assorted Pickles (5/5) Perfect addition to everything! -Chipotle Toum, Shatta (Hot sauce), Garlic sauce (5/5) Looove me some sauces and loved the variety and flavors of all of them. They sell them all in glass jars and also their seasonings which I will for sure be getting next time. I ordered through their website (Highly recommend instead of doordash- Avoid extra fees!) Service was fast and my order was ready on time. Plenty of seating inside and outside in their patio as well.

    chicken shawarma
    Josh A.

    My 2nd time at Shawarmaji & I think the food is pretty good. Enjoyed the chicken shawarma and fries, and got a side of chipotle toum which is delicious. You can also buy their dips and sauces by the jar in store. I will definitely be getting a jar of toum at my next visit!

    Dianna H.

    Been meaning to check out Shawarmaji for ages and finally got the chance to do so recently. My advice is to get their addicting toum sauce with everything! My friend and I stopped by for a casual dinner Friday night around 6 pm and it wasn't too crowded. The menu is pretty straightforward with just one page, which made it easier to decide what we wanted. I asked what the difference is between a pita and the arabi plate, was told that the pita is smaller and doesn't come with any sides, whereas the arabi plate is a much bigger wrap and served with a side of your choice. I got a beef lamb pita ($10) with toum substituted in for tahini sauce and shared some of the chicken arabi plate + seasoned fries ($20.50) with my friend. To be honest, I wasn't a huge fan of the pita... the beef and lamb were kinda bland and honestly tasted a little dry. Maybe I came on an off day, but I was disappointed by the beef and lamb. However, the chicken more than made up for it. Plus I was obsessed with their seasoned fries. Also make sure you get extra toum sauce because you'll want to dip everything in it!

    Lamb/beef Shawarma Wrap. $10 for the "mini." Meat was dry. Needed sauces (tahini, toom, etc) to make it palatable.
    John N.

    I wanted to like this place, and I even gave it separate two chances before writing this review. Alas, it wasn't meant to be... I tried two of their supposed signature dishes--shawarma fries (chicken) and lamb/beef wrap. The good? Portions were decent and right at the cusp of what I'd expect to pay ($17.50 and $18, respectively). Now for the not so good. On my last go-around, the fries (and various accoutrements) were served to me ice cold. Like they had been sitting out for what seemed like no less than 30-45 minutes. This was a to-go order, so I suspect they simply had these plates ready to go ahead of busy night on DoorDash. I confirmed my suspicions because the box literally had a sticker reading "chicken" which meant they were grabbing these on the fly, not made fresh to order. I get that you have to do some prep ahead on busy nights (which mine was actually not), but where is the quality control? Compounding the issue, the entire dish was extremely salty. The meat itself was fine, but the combination of the pickled veg and overly-seasoned fries literally felt like I was eating a tablespoon of salt. Not well balanced. Poorly executed. Like they had just chucked a bunch of ingredients together without thinking how they would mesh. The lamb wrap was another let-down; the meat was dry, and honestly needed to slather on a combination of toom, tahini, and their house-made hot sauce (which was great!) in order to make it palatable. It also wasn't hot, not ice cold like the fries, but it tasted like the meat had been sitting. I also gave their falafel a try, and these were fine, nothing extraordinary. $0.50 ea seems cheap, until you realize they are quite literally the size of a quarter. Maybe this place was once great and their QC has slipped. Maybe we are simply lacking other high-quality Middle Eastern food in the area to compare. Maybe I came on two off nights. In any case, I won't be running back, and I don't suggest you do, either.

    Natasha S.

    We have been going to Shawarmaji since they opened their first restaurant during Covid and then moved a few years later to their now location. It's located in downtown Oakland so street parking is limited, especially during the weekday. The restaurant itself is large and an open space with lots of indoor seating. The menu is limited but lots of good options! I ended up going with the chicken shawarma on fries and it was delicious! Lots of chicken and toppings and the garlic and hot sauces were the perfect add on. I do wish they had plates (ex. shawarma with rice, etc) for those who aren't in the mood for salads or wraps. Will definitely be back!

    Abida H.

    Delicious! The chicken shawarma wrap hit the spot. It came with a side of garlic toum, olive toum, and a red sauce. Both toum were so good with this! Not pictured but also got a few falafel on the side and they were fantastic, perfectly crispy outside and soft inside Vibes were Arabic music playing, menus in both English & Arabic, lots of pictures depicting Jordanian culture. Loved Bummer they don't have one in SF because it would definitely be part of my rotation for casual eats

    Arabi plate (lamb). Comes with side and pickles.
    Denzel T.

    Shawaramji is just one of those spots that hits super well when you're in the mood for it. This spot serves a twist on Levant-style street food with a few different options to satisfy your shawarma cravings. I recently took some friends here and decided to go with the Lamb arabi plate which comes with a lamb/beef roll cut into multiple pieces. The plate also comes with some tasty pickles and a side of your choice. I ended being healthy and going with the side salad which also comes with a decent dose of pickles on it. The meat was tender and flavorful and paired well with Shawarmaji's excellent toum (garlic spread). I could probably go on a whole side rant about how good the toum is here... Needless to say maybe consider grabbing a jar of the stuff if you ever visit! It's seriously addictive. Shawarmaji's vibe is a casual eatery where you can enjoy a wrap or salad with some friends or just take your order to go if you'd like. They have a patio with seating outside as well if that's your preference. For real Oakland foodies, they are located in the old Umami Burger location off of Broadway. If you're in the mood for some Mediterranean food, you should definitely check them out!

    Wall with pictures
    madeeha k.

    My favorite place to get an authentic shawarma! I also absolutely love the chicken shawarma fries, great portion, great flavors, and just great food! Staff is also very kind and helpful, they're always attentive and friendly. Lots of indoor seating as well so you never have to worry about finding a spot :))

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    3 months ago

    amazing prices. I would give 10 stars on price point alone. small menu but they have falafel.

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    Shawarmaji Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Shawarmaji

    How big or long is the Mini chicken wrap? Is it enough food for one adult woman?

    Yes! Very delicious too :)

    The chicken shawarma wrap is gone from caviar/DoorDash again. When that happens, does that mean you ran out for the day? Or is it an app glitch? Thanks!

    Typically means we are out of chicken, I would always check our site, which you have an option for delivery also.

    Is chicken shawarma dairy free? Thank you!

    sorry, our chicken is actually marinated in plain yogurt to keep the chicken moist.

    Do you have outdoor seating with heaters (in winter)?

    Hi Saud, Yes, we have outdoor seating but no, we do not have outdoor heaters.

    Do they have halal options?

    from what I understand, and the owner can correct me, all their meat options are halal

    Do they still make chicken shawarma? I noticed all the chicken options are gone from Caviar...hoping it's a mistake but it's been like that for weeks!

    Gluten free options?

    You can get our meat by it self with sauce and pickles, or our shawarma fries

    Any plans for vegan shawarma? (Pretty please with date sugar on top)

    Yes we want to make a vegan shawarma special, but most likely not til 2022, we are working on a bunch of specials and collabs for the rest of this year, but we will definitely do a vegan shawarma special next year

    Are your falafels fried or baked?

    Fried! :)

    Do they have salad?

    They just have a tahini salad - tomatoes, cucumber, and parsley in tahini sauce

    Is the falafel gluten free?

    Yes it is! :)

    Is the meat hand slaughtered(zabiha)? I had called to ask and was told no.

    Our chicken is halal machine slaughtered Our lamb is halal hand slaughtered

    Do they serve Halal meat?

    Yes we do!

    Do you offer any gluten-free options?

    You can get the shawarma fries( our slow roasted meats on fries, topped with sauce and pickles) Or you can just get the meat by it self :)

    Can you get the fries or the sandwich plate in chicken instead of lamb?

    We offer both lamb and chicken :) you can pick whatever meat you like

    Do any of your meals contain peanuts?

    No peanuts in any of our dishes! :)

    I heard you closed! Are you opening your own location? PLEASE!

    Hey there! yes, we are! our new location on Franklin Street will be open at the end of October/November. you can help us fundraise and get cool Shawarmaji merch by supporting… Read more

    Who is your meat supplier for chicken and lamb? Thank you!

    We get our chicken from Wayne farms The lamb is from an Australian company I'm not sure what it's called but its Halal

    Do you use tortilla bread or Arabic bread?

    Tortilla

    Is your meat halal?

    Yes it is!

    View All 21 Questions

    Persian Nights Restaurant

    Persian Nights Restaurant

    4.4
    (174 reviews)
    0.4 mi
    $$

    The chicken and rice are awesome. Chicken was juicy and so flavorful…read more Yogurt and chive appetizer was great. The waitress recommended it and it was way better than I was anticipating. Tachin was something completely different. So many different flavors and textures. Great change up. Wouldn't be my go to. But once in a while I could enjoy it.

    We walked in and tried to get a table for 2. And the owner asked us if we had reservations. But…read morethere was plenty of seating inside and outside. Funny part is, no one walked in after us. We were then seated, the first girl asked if we wanted anything to drink which we did but we never got our drinks til another waitress came and asked us 20mins later. We told her we were ready to order and we had to wait another 10mins for another waiter to order. We got the chive/shallot yogurt, lollipop lamb chops, Koobideh and Joojeh Kabob. The kabeb dishes came with grilled tomato, grilled pepper, rice with tadig on top. They also make this pink butter to put on the rice. Food is good and everything was seasoned well and not over cooked. I want to give this place a try again but they need to work on their customer service. They catered more to other tables and we didn't even get offered the dessert menu like the other tables around us. Also, we had to ask for the check and no one even came to check if we were ready to pay we had to go up there.

    Photos
    Outdoor seating
    Outdoor seating
    Dessert saffron rice pudding & rosewater
    Dessert saffron rice pudding & rosewater
    Persian Nights Restaurant

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    Enssaro Ethiopian Restaurant

    Enssaro Ethiopian Restaurant

    4.2
    (1.7k reviews)
    0.6 mi
    $$

    I was introduced to Ethiopian food for the very first time here on one of the early dates I had…read morewith my ex of over 10 years of mine. The food is absolutely delicious and using your hands is an absolute must you definitely he gets to control your portions and just get in there and it's absolutely delicious. My favorite are the lentils within the Veggie Platter. Absolutely delicious try it today. This spot is my absolute favorite and I've been to several Ethiopian restaurants. Enjoy

    The food was delicious and prices were reasonable for the large quantity. Deducting a star because…read moreit's so loud here I could barely hold a conversation. I'm glad they've moving locations in a week. Wait staff was friendly. We got the veggie sampler for two ($40) and the meat sampler for one ($23). The veggie sampler was very filling, and each dish was flavorful. My friends enjoyed the meat dishes. The dishes came with plenty of injera. The spicy red lentils were my favorite as well as the carrot/cabbage/potato mix. I can't stomach onions so I was happy none of the veggie dishes included chunks in them. They were probably in there but blended or cooked down to nothing. My friend is diabetic so he couldn't eat a lot of the injera. We asked and the wait staff brought him eating utensils. When we entered, we stood around for a while and then figured out we were supposed to go to the back right where there's a few chairs put together for a waiting area. I flagged down a staff member and they had me put my name on a wait list. We were there early on a Friday (around 6pm), so we only had a short wait. Although this place has a decent amount of tables, I can imagine long waits during peak times. I'm glad they're moving to a new location in about a week and I hope it's quieter. We sat in the semi enclosed outside area and even there was loud. Voices echo throughout and since the restaurant is near a stoplight outside, cars and motorcycles blaring music go by constantly. Many were so loud just about the entire restaurant turned their heads to look at what was so noisy. As soon as we finished eating I suggested we leave since I could barely hear our conversation.

    Photos
    Menu
    Menu
    DORO WOT ( chicken stew ), BEEF Tibs, LAMB Tibs
    DORO WOT ( chicken stew ), BEEF Tibs, LAMB Tibs
    Amazing Cocktails: Espresso Martini, Honey Wine Pineapple Cider, Honey wine, Campari

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    Amazing Cocktails: Espresso Martini, Honey Wine Pineapple Cider, Honey wine, Campari
    Biryani Tika Kabab

    Biryani Tika Kabab

    4.5
    (435 reviews)
    0.5 mi
    $$
    Halal
    Healthy dining

    Fantastic Homestyle " Chicken Biyani - Bone - In ". Rice…read morePudding - A.k A. Rice Kheer w/ Almonds has a Special Touch !!! Always Tempting to Start with Dessert. " The Ayurvedic Way " !!!!!! Chef Owners are Awesome to work with !!!!!! A Clean Well Lit Space for Halal Indian-Pakistani Cuisine !!! Homemade Flavors Always !!!!!!

    Overall, would not recommend this place. I encountered very racist and bigoted treatment here…read more I placed an online order last night and went by for the pick up. When I approached the front counter, the lady present was very standoffish with me. I informed her of why I was there and she asked my name for the order. Upon giving her my name she then glared at me and literally asked me to recite my entire order lol! I showed her my online receipt in which she then insisted I still tell her my order. She brushed away my receipt and let another customer cut in front of me. Interestingly, the customer told her his name and she retrieved his order with no issue and was very friendly with him. To note, I was the only Black person present at that time. When I inquired as to why that customer wasn't asked to recite his entire order, she grinned and said that he's a "regular" and that I was "new." She went on to let a few other customers cut in front of me. I then asked for my money back in which she refused to return. Even when I asked for the manager, she said he was very busy. I made several requests for this resulting in her saying no and refusing to return my money. I then noted to her I'm calling the authorities in which I did. Furthermore, while servicing some of the other patrons, she would speak in another language with them while they looked at me and start laughing and staring me down. Eventually, the manager came out. He presented himself professionally and upon explaining what occurred he apologized and said it was unacceptable. He even offered me a drink with my meal and asked that I please accept the order instead and wanted to make things right. I took him at face value and said fine. While the situation was remedied, I definitely will not be returning to this restaurant. I researched some of the other reviews and came across several where other Black patrons have had similar racially motivated experiences here. That tells me there's a common practice of racism here. I refuse to support a business where this kind of behavior is tolerated. I have zero tolerance for bigots of any kind. Overall, the experience was a waste of my time and very dehumanizing. To hate someone you don't even know simply because of their skin pigmentation and ethnicity is irrational at best and bad for business especially in a place like Oakland where it's multicultural. My advice would be to not support this establishment. I especially advise any Black patrons not to come here as they clearly have issue with anyone who is simply Black, despite not knowing them as a person. Don't give your money, nor your valuable time, to hateful individuals who dehumanize others. All in all, this place gets a thumbs down.

    Photos
    Biryani Tika Kabab
    Biryani Tika Kabab
    Ramadan  presentations 2026

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    Ramadan presentations 2026
    World Famous Hotboys

    World Famous Hotboys

    4.4
    (2k reviews)
    0.4 mi
    $$
    Locally owned & operated
    Outdoor seating

    Simple takeout spot with lots of chicken-y goodness. There's street parking nearby…read more My order was placed online and I got a text after my order was ready. I ordered the sando and fries combo and enjoyed them at the picnic tables nearby. 5/5 Chicken sandwich I'm no fried chicken connoisseur, but I really enjoyed this sandwich. My mild fried chicken sandwich was crispy and savory with a hint of sweetness. The coleslaw was a creamy tangy addition that paired well with the sandwich. It's nice they offer various spicy levels; the mild is flavorful without burning off your taste buds. 4/5 Fries were nicely spiced with cajun-esque flavors. Not spicy at all. They included a mysterious (aioli?) sauce that went well with the fries. Fries were crispy though without the pillowy insides I crave. The portion was huge, quite shareable. I also tried a few bites of the thick gravy seafood etouffee. Other folks in my party were impressed with the flavor and generally liked it, but I didn't care too much for it. You might enjoy it if you, too, enjoy curry-type food. I don't often eat fried or hot chicken, but I consider this to be one of the better spots locally.

    Casual southern spot for fried chicken sandwiches. Don't be afraid to turn up the heat!…read more The menu offers flavorful versions of southern comfort foods. We ordered a chicken sando, the chicken and waffles, and a couple sides -- the greens and etouffee. The sandwich was the clear highlight: moist chicken thigh with a breaded crunch, covered by a thin layer of mayo coleslaw. The light, sweet crunch of the cabbage and carrots gave balance to the dark meat. The waffles were crispy but just soft enough you could wrap them around the chicken to make a sweet sandwich out of that dish too. The server was very friendly when we came. I expressed curiosity about the different heat levels, and he shared nuggets batter d in the medium and hot sauces. He shared our excitement at trying the hot stuff! For the record, the medium is hotter than your typical spicy chicken sandwich and probably a safe go-to. The hot level just cracks "painful" but not unmanageably so -- might be fun as a treat. TBH I was pleasantly surprised by how much flavor each sauce packed -- and how different they were. The medium is especially sweet. Go for the sando. Crank up the heat. It doesn't miss.

    Photos
    "Front" or exterior
    "Front" or exterior
    Chicken Sando Combo
    Chicken Sando Combo
    I forgot to take a picture of it before I bit into the Sando Combo LOL!

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    I forgot to take a picture of it before I bit into the Sando Combo LOL!

    Shawarmaji - mideastern - Updated July 2026

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