Chill vibes. Harder to find than expected since it was in an ally. You'd have to find parking so I paid an extra $6 to try this place out... wasn't all that tbh. I ordered the chicken shawarma wrap and the beef/lamb shawarma wrap. The bread and meat were both dry and lacked sauce. The flavor was there, it was just extremely dry. I did however, enjoy their fries... the chicken shawarma fries were good, but again, the chicken was dry and the sauce made up for here it here. As a side dish, I had Batata Harra, the potatoes were not cooked all the way so this was also a fail. I also ordered the hibiscus tea: this is a 5/5, but overly priced. Overall, I gave a 3/5. My expectations were really high for this place, and can get there eventually with the proper love and care, but as of now, it's as mediocre as their customer service. read more

Shawarmaji - Inside - Middle Eastern Near Me - Oakland, California

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I had two good DoorDashorders from this place and reviewed them well. Today my order, same items as before, all arrive with issues of inedibility. The chicken Schwarma: the chicken is reheated and gristly, kind of disgusting actually. The fries are stone cold. I received the wrong salad. The salad is the only reason I ordered from them but a $50 dinner4 goes into the trash. DoorDash and local restaurants participating are ruining food in the Bay Area. There is no reliability. There's no standardization in the kitchens and because we can't tell the restaurant how bad it was, we get no help whatsoever. Worse becomes worse; even ok places don't keep up standards. This is tragic for the Bay Area food scene. We could impact this easily if we held them responsible and didn't accept that DoorDash refuses to be responsible for anything. Should we organize a cancel around Door Dash memberships? It's the only thing that will make them deliver a real product instead of giving us all bad dinners from kitchens that have no accountability. read more

Excellent shawarma, wraps, meat, and sauces! The chicken shawarma fries was a huge portion with lots of chicken and sauce and pickle chunks on crispy, nicely seasoned & salty fries. The lamb/beef arabi style was lots of juicy meat inside a crispy wrap with lots of sauce to dip in. And finally the falafel pita was small but packed with very nice falafel (great flavor and very moist!) and other toppings. The tabouleh salad was only OK, but everything else we had was great! read more

I came on a Sunday afternoon around 1pm and saw this place was busy! It's a small store but with a few tables. Everything is ordered at the counter and definitely fresh. A few things we ordered and some thoughts: 1. Lamb shawarma half wrap - the half wrap is actually really thin and skinny. For the price ($9) I would've expected something hefty but the meat is thing and overall wrap is quite skinny. Flavor is good though but I do with it had more toum (garlic sauce that is LIT) inside 2. Falafel sandwich - this was really good and would definitely get again. Very filling and definitely worth the price 3. Chicken shawarma fries half portion- this is more than enough. They pack the little takeout container and definitely something I would order again. Pro tip: ask for extra garlic sauce or hot sauce on the side. It definitely made a difference. P.S. While the online menu says there are half arabic wrap, I don't think i saw that. You can either get a half shawarma wrap or a full wrap but not a wrap called "arabic wrap" P.P.S. Get ready for very heavy garlic breath after this meal lol read more

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Shawarmaji is so good. Like so good. It's a limited menu, and I dig it. The falafel sandwich is delicious and not your typical pita varietal, but rather on a roll with fresh purple cabbage. The arabi plate is so good. Their very long wrap grilled with protein that comes with pickled veggies and fries, and their fries are good. It also comes with toum. Toum is this very garlicky spread that is addictingly good, but you will be burping up garlic for days. You pick it up, and they're blasting Jordanian/Arabic music (the owner is from Jordan), they have a ton of fun middle-eastern sodas available and the 2x I've been, staff at the front has been so accommodating and on it. It's a ton of tasty, high quality food for reasonable prices. So why not five stars? Honestly, it's so good, but it's also insanely salty. Both times I ate here I was so dehydrated when I went to bed that my fingers were swollen and didn't get the best night's sleep. It could be coincidence, but my husband seconded my notion. Is is the protein? Is it the toum? I'm still gonna eat when I'm craving medits eats, because I don't know if you'll find better schwarma, but I'll just have to chug gallons of water with it. May you consider this a recommendation! read more

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Shawarmaji has become a staple spot for Oakland whenever I visit. I am not lying. Whenever we drive over for a weekend trip, I put in the directions for Shawarmaji and that is always our first stop. Each and every time, the Shawarmaji himself greets us with a huge smile and delicious food! They moved across the street into a bigger space and it looks nice. Genuinely, to this day it is the best shawarma I've ever had. We get the chicken and the lamb/beef mix because it's so hard to decide which is better, and the wraps reheat so well so we never ever mind the leftovers. The sumac fries and falafel are always crispy and seasoned and make the best sides. We even came in one morning while they were prepping a massive catering order, asking them to make unwrapped shawarma plates for us to freeze for later and take home, and without hesitation hooked us up with all the ingredients separated and ready to pack away. Because of this we got to enjoy one of our favorite restaurants right at home. This guy is making memories and bringing joy through food in times he doesn't even realize it. I can't wait to stop back in on my next Bay area trip soon, and I'll definitely be checking out Teta Nahla! (Mohammed's new Arab soul food restaurant!) read more

3.5 stars, actually. Perhaps the move is to come here with another person and each get an Arabi plate with a different kind of meat. I wanted to try both the chicken and lamb, so I did half of each as a wrap. It is a bit pricy for the amount that you get (on the smaller side) without any accoutrements like pickles or even a small container of toum. For $9/$11 for each half, some other places would even give fries I would think - although I did not expect this since it's clear the Arabi plate is the one with fries. I wasn't worried when I saw how skinny the wrap is, since I understood this is the style, but there were barely any pickles and no sauce to speak of inside either one of my wraps. I was so confused I went back to look at the menu and see if I was supposed to order it as add-ons, but jope it says there are pickles and toum inside. At least the meat was well-seasoned and I enjoyed the crispness of the wrap itself, but overall it was a disappointment after having been on my bookmarks list for so long and reading so many rave reviews of how special this shawarma is. read more

Shawarmaji - Half wrap of lamb and chicken shawarma - Middle Eastern Near Me - Oakland, California

The chicken shawarma wrap was delicious! I asked for my wrap to be cut in half which made it a lot easier to eat. There's also the Arabi style option which is a wrap cut into ~8 pieces. The chicken was perfectly seasoned, but some pieces were a little too rubbery and chewy for me. I especially loved the pickles inside the wrap - I've never had a shawarma like this! Don't forget to get some extra toum (white garlic dip) and chili sauce on the side. Even though previous reviews raved about the seasoned fries, I opted for a healthier side of tabouleh salad. It was so fresh and light and paired perfectly with the shawarma. read more

Shawarmaji - Tabouleh salad - Middle Eastern Near Me - Oakland, California

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Everything is amazing. Food, service, ambiance, cleanliness. Always love to stop by or get it to go.

I was really looking forward to this meal but it was a bit underwhelming, especially when the whole meal costed around $25. The lamb/beef was dry and tuff and tasted like the meet was cooked long before my order. read more

First time having Shawarma and it was crazy good . I got the grilled chicken shawarma with extra fries ( +$1) and let me tell you , everything about this shawarma was perfect . They did not skim on the meat. The chicken was perfectly cood and well seasoned, combined with the yogurt and grilled onion made everybite so flavorful. Online ordering was easy on their website and my order was ready when I arrived . read more

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Totally amazing. Delicious and healthy too. And great service. Got a salad and the lamb.

UH-MAZING! This was one of the best meals I've had in a long time. I came in for dinner yesterday, and I got the vegan falafel sandwich, no add-ons. I'll start with my one complaint: the portion size was small and I felt hungry afterwards. Now let's delve into the part that really matters. The flavors were spectacular. The bread tasted really fresh and almost butter-like. The falafels were a unique and fresh taste. There were actual slices of lemon it, which was super interesting. The best part of all was the mint chutney in it. It was truly a party in my mouth. I cannot recommend enough and I can't wait to be back. I also loved the ambiance with the Arabic music playing, the pop art with Arabic writing on it in the bathroom with a candle burning, and the large window open with indoor and outdoor seating. It felt really good to be there. Other notes are that my partner has been here a few times whereas it was my first and shared that the portion sizes are usually larger and every time there is a different taste to the sandwich, all in a good way. The main thing to share is that if you haven't checked this place out yet, get your butt over here! I look forward to more vegan options being added like the rumored vegan shawarma that might make an appearance next year. read more

Shawarmaji - Vegan Ma'ali - Middle Eastern Near Me - Oakland, California

Updating my previous review based on my interactions with management/owners. It's clear that they DO CARE about the experiences of their customers and desires that each customer feels heard, valued, and satisfied. While our visit had some issues, I would be willing to try them again in hopes of a different outcome-- perhaps we have the experience that the owner's intend for every customer. read more

Shawarmaji - Middle Eastern Near Me - Oakland, California

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We've order from Shawarmaji at least 3 times now, always for takeout. I can't speak for the interior of the restaurant. The cashiers/servers I interacted with were always efficient. The food was tasty and filling. Definitely intend to order from them again! read more

This place is my #1 discovery of 2023!!! Put it on your list to try and then up-vote it and go!! What's to like? Quality ingredients -- the chicken on my shawarma was top quality, cooked to perfection. Distinctive preparation -- the seasoning and the wrap and the pickles and sauce for the shawarma are flavorful, bright and delish. Nothing but net in terms of going down the hatch happy and never brewing any afternoise. Making the drab delish -- ok, so falafel. Generally somewhere btw a hockey puck made outta lawn clippings and spherical seasoned Triscuit. Not here!! These are the Gift of the Maji -- crunchy on the outside, seemingly fried in ghee, and fluffy and moist!! like a triple stack pancake inside. Price -- really reasonable, great value given the quality Convenience -- easiest street in the 510 for doing a drive up / run in / snag and go on your order. read more

Was looking for a quick bite and found this place from Yelp. Hmmm it was OK. I would not say it was the best chicken sharwana I have ever had. The garlicky sauce nice read more

Shawarmaji - Middle Eastern Near Me - Oakland, California

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Still 10/10! My favorite place to get a shawarma sandwich. Tastes just like the wraps you get in the Middle East. Staff is extremely welcoming and friendly. I come here often and never leave disappointed. read more

Shawarmaji - Middle Eastern Near Me - Oakland, California

The food here is excellent! I got a veggie falafel wrap. My friend got the house salad. Both of them came with plenty of extra condiments on the side and the quantity is enough that you're really full and probably need a walk afterwards. You order at the counter and then go up to get your food when they call your name. The place is pretty small and doesn't seem very kid friendly menu or seating wise. Would definitely come here again for a catch-up lunch with a friend. Little too informal and crowded for a team lunch read more

I was recommended this place and it was really good! Plus for being super fast and near the theater! I had the chicken wrap plate and tbe beef lamb wrap. The wrap is so crisp! The right crunch and flexibility. The chicken one had pickles veggies in it and was just the right amount of seasoning and sour and savory. The white garlic sauce was just perfect as well. The seasoned fries were good and freshly fried. The pickled veggies were good, some were pickled in different flavors and had a distinct taste but still crispy and crunchy. The beef/lamb- I think was eh, it had a chaulky texture/taste to it. The bathroom was really clean. read more

*Open for takeout and delivery* Kept seeing Shawarmaji pop up on my Yelp before they changed locations, so decided to give it a try. Was excited to get a wrap, but then saw they had loaded fries! Food: - Chicken Shawarmaji Fries: this dish is huge! This can definitely be shared amongst more than one person or fill up one person. This took me a couple meals to finish. The pickles were such a nice balance with the heat of the hot sauce and flavor of the fries. The mints were also a nice touch for after. Will definitely try this place again for the other dishes as well. read more

Shawarmaji - Hot sauce and mints - Middle Eastern Near Me - Oakland, California

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This place is a hidden gem, met the owners and staff who are some of the nicest people I've ever met, very friendly. Noooooooooowwww let's talk about the food OMG!! DEEEEELLLLIIIISSSSHHHHUUUUSS DELISH!! Very cute little spot. You gotta try this place and their Brontosaurus sized sandwiches!! Much love!! read more

Solid shawarma spot that lives up to the hype! Wraps are crisp, clean, & packed with flavor. The shawarma fries are tasty too but are Enormous - brought my appetite but had to break it up in 3 different meals to go. Haha great for sharing though :) read more

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The shawarma fries are good and a generous portion for even two people. These fries are loaded with pickles, white garlic sauce and shawarma meat. Sadly, my falafel wrap was overwhelmingly tart with loads of pickled lemon rind plus pickled cabbage, and very little actual falafel. The chicken shawarma wrap was huge but again needed more sauce abs had too much bread compared to meat. read more

Shawarmaji - Chicken shawarma fries - Middle Eastern Near Me - Oakland, California

This place has amazing shawarma and falafel! The restaurant isn't a big space so not a place for big groups -- though you can always order take out, which many people seem to do so based on the number of takeouts while we were there eating. When there's a good number of takeout orders, it does take a while for your order to be ready so plan accordingly especially when it's around lunch or dinner time. The ambiance can be nice when there's aren't many people, but if the restaurant were to be at seating capacity, it can be pretty loud. We had chicken shawarma wrap, lamb arabi style, beef shawarma fries and falafels. The falafels are a so good! They were crispy on the outside and so soft and moist on the inside. When eaten with their house garlic sauce, it's heavenly. I would be totally content even just having falafels with that garlic sauce. The chicken shawarma wrap had good texture, and taste with all that's in the wrap. One different thing about their wrap compared to many other places is how thin the wrap is which we prefer so it's not like you're having those thick pita wrap which kills the texture of the wrap. Lamb arabi style was excellent as well. Definitely good with the tahini sauce and the fermented vegetables it came with. The beef shawarma fries would place last among the entrees and sides we had. So not our preference and not something I would order again because the other three were so amazing and I am guessing I don't need a fusion dish as this isn't traditional way of having shawarma anyways. One thing that we recognizing was missing from our order when we were en route home is that they didn't give us our rice pudding. Sad... read more

Pros: Place is very clean. Staff is friendly. Service is rapid. That said... the food was just alright. The shawarma wasn't anything special. The sauce had far too much garlic in it. Best part was actually the french fries, which I don't mean sarcastically. They were really good fries. So, yeah, this place is fine, but at 4.5 stars (as of the moment I'm writing this) it's a bit overrated. read more

My husband's family is from Jordan, and with that being said, I was thrilled to find Shawarmaji. This place has terrific Middle Eastern food made Jordanian style. We ordered the Arabi plate and chicken shawarma wrap with a to-go serving of toum (BEST. IDEA. EVER.), and I've been dreaming of when we'll be able to come back here. The service was great - place your order online, pick up in store. Decor is modern and the restaurant itself was clean. Come hungry, and make sure you pick-up extra sides of pickles and toum with your order. read more

Ngl, let-down by the falafel wrap after hearing a lot about Shawarmaji. It felt like a bunch of fresh veggies stuffed inside a pita, and the falafel itself wasn't crunchy or memorable. I was excited for the spicy sauce too but that didn't fire up the taste buds and wasn't reminiscent of the fantastic spicy sauce you find at mediterranean restaurants, all in all a rather underwhelming meal and I didn't end up finishing the wrap. read more

My absolute first time eve trying a Shawarma wrap. I'm impressed. They don't have many items on the menu. I ordered a Chicken Shawarma with fries & cheese added inside! My baby got the half chicken half lamb Shawarma wrap. Can I start off my saying these wraps are HUGE! Almost longer than my forearm! My chicken was seasoned nicely. Juicy & tasted/looked fresh. Not gonna lie, my boyfriends lamb smelled nasty. I'm not a fan of lamb nor was he. But he ate it. Cause we don't waste food over here. They have Shawarma fries. The fries were seasoned good the white garlic sauce is sooo good! I will definitely be back. I wouldn't order anything other than the Chicken Shawarma though! read more

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The chicken shawarma fries are incredible. Go for the half order for an awesome lunch or the full for sharing. So many flavours. So saucy. Lots of crunch from the pickled veggies. read more

ShawarmaJESUS the food is GOOD!!! My partner and I devoured the chicken wrap, and it was enough to send us to heaven! The service was quick and straightforward. The vibe was unassuming and low-key, though the garbage bins were overflowing. Bustling open kitchen. Overall, definitely recommend! read more

Shawarmaji - Middle Eastern Near Me - Oakland, California

Really enjoyed my first visit to Shawarmaji and it's in a great part of Oakland. Service was friendly and informative and there was a bustling crowd for the lunch hour. I enjoyed my falafel wrap but thought it could use more sauce of some kind, perhaps yogurt based and a spicier option. We also liked the chicken wrap very much. The Jordanian iced coffee hit the spot and it had a unique spice mix unlike other middle eastern coffees I've tried in other places. If I go back I'll be sure to try their fries! read more

I've been here a few times and have found the service to be quick and straightforward and the food to be tasty. I do wish they offered a dairy free chicken option and included some kind of spicy sauce with their takeout, but otherwise no complaints. read more

Shawarmaji - Chicken fries - Middle Eastern Near Me - Oakland, California

Great food for a quick lunch. Really enjoyed my wrap and salad. The only suggestion I would have would be to post your menu on the wall so you can choose a bit easier while in line. Organized and decorated well inside with friendly service. read more

Ordered online - tried the chicken arabi, a shwarma arabi, chicken pita, shwarma pita, and falafel pita. They charge you a $1 for ordering online + tip. When we got there, no one greeted us or acknowledged us for at least 5 minutes even though there was maybe 6 people total in the store. We stood around the cash register until someone finally asked to take our order, but we just notified them that we had an online pickup. The toum was sooooooo good. I could dip everything in it. Falafel was meh. My friends' pitas looked meh and portions are small, so would recommend going the arabi style - the lavash is better than pita anyway! Even though service wasn't great, I would come back for the food. read more

The location in Oakland was the worst experience I've ever had in my life!! The employees were rude, disrespectful, unprofessional, & racist!! The food made me throw up, it was just completely inedible! My first time there & never again will I be back or recommend this place! read more

The best shawarmas I've ever had! The bf and I ordered the vegan and chicken, and are thinking about the next time we'll be back. Parking: Paid street parking Price: Total was $22.94 for two generous sized shawarmas lasting us until dinner. Vegan: Filled with falafel and crunchy cucumber and tomato tahini, this one was refreshing as well as delicious Chicken: I don't eat too much meat, but this yogurt marinated chicken and cucumber pickle combination was perfection. Service: Quick and efficient despite COVID times Can't wait to be back to try the shawarma fries. read more

Shawarmaji - Chicken - Middle Eastern Near Me - Oakland, California

I made the trek to Downtown Oakland to try this place after my friend raved about it. Parking is a bit annoying, and given my mediocre experience here, I don't know if I'll make the trek back. Today, I tried the lamb wrap which looked dauntingly long. However, the lamb wrap is mainly just meat and wrap, so it's not hard to finish. The lamb was thankfully not dry, as other reviewers warned, but the wrap became less and less interesting as I ate it. It could definitely use some more vegetables or other flavors. The chicken fries were decent. The best part were the pickles, underscoring a common motif here -- a need for more vegetables or flavor to break up to monotony of the carbs and meat. Although I thought the food was average, I appreciate the moody ambiance and quick service. The restaurant also has wifi and outlets, in the unusual case you need to do work here. read more

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Delicioso chicken shawarma pita. It's a a family business they adam also cater and do parties. Great food read more

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Be careful about ordering online through their website. Adds 20% automatic gratuity for takeout and the user interface is not intuitive in showing it. read more