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    Wally's Cafe

    4.6 (2.1k reviews)
    Closed 11:00 am - 3:00 pm, 5:00 PM - 9:00 PM

    Order Wally's Cafe Takeout or Delivery

    Wally's Cafe Photos

    Business Info

    WALLY'S CAFE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Divey
    Dogs allowed
    Good for kids

    Recommended Reviews - Wally's Cafe

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    Reviews With Photos

    madeeha k.

    Yummy food and super kind staff, they even gave us free app and dessert ! A little outdoor seating and some indoor seating, pretty cool watching them cook everything

    Lamb beef gyro with onion rings, homemade baklava, Moroccan mint lemonade
    Daniel S.

    4.5 stars $25.38 for Moroccan mint lemonade, lamb beef gyro, and a side of fried onion rings. Free lentil soup starter and home made baklava was just so welcome and unexpected, it made me instantly like this place. The gyro was fine but I would have wanted it more intensely seasoned. The lentil soup was delicious as was the lemonade and baklava. The service was 5 stars.

    Side entrance
    Diego R.

    We planned to try Oasis Kitchen, but when we arrived it was closed for painting and there was no notice on their website. To avoid a wasted drive from the South Bay, we went to Wally's Cafe instead. Wally's food was delicious, in my opinion, and the meal was prepared by non Middle Eastern; some family members who lived in Saudi had expected spit-roasted meat and a more traditional Middle Eastern presentation. If you want authentic rotisserie-style shawarma and a Middle Eastern cooking style, this might not meet that expectation, but if you're after tasty food and a solid fallback after a surprise closure, Wally's is a good choice IMO.

    Complimentary lentil soup
    Romelia R.

    A little confusing to get to because it's in an alley but it's next to a bar. There's some outside seating in the alley leading to the entrance of the restaurant. Inside it's cozy and there's a U-shaped counter around the kitchen. We ordered on an iPad and sat at the counter. We immediately were given a small bowl of lentil soup. It was okay. The mint lemonade was definitely my favorite. Very refreshing. Our entrees came out and the portions were huge! The veggie sampler had a good variety and everything was super fresh. The rice on the combo plate was fluffy but the winner of the night was the pomegranate chicken. It had like a sweet taste to it but it wasn't overpowering. I loved that I had leftovers and they reheated nicely the next day. The baklava was stale in our opinion. It definitely needed improvement. There was a private party at the bar next door and they were doing karaoke so it was loud and a bit chaotic because the door is shared and was opened between the two establishments. I did notice there was a lot of to go orders.

    Dolma, tzatziki, and "Greek" salad.
    Rick M.

    Good food. Not good value. And poor attention to service/order checking. Ambiance is ok. Unless you sit at the counter, this is a place with no real service other than food prep as everything is on the iPad order/pay model. As we ordered to go, there was no human interaction until the food was handed to us. The person handing us our bag was pleasant enough. First the Good: The food was delicious. We ordered a vegetarian platter/sampler which gave a small portion of all their veggie hits (2 dolma, 2 falafel, hummus, baba ganoush, tabbouleh salad, 2 small Kalamata olives, and salad) + 2 extra sauces; the lamb kebab plate (2 lamb skewers, subbed salad instead of rice, and tzatziki sauce). Both came with a side of warm pita, and a small container of lentil soup. Finally, I also ordered a side of fries. We were handed our food in a bag and took our bag to go so we could eat at home. I loved the variety on the veggie platter. Everything tasted fresh and had distinct flavors. Seasoning was on point from the dolma to the falafel to the dips. Tabouleh salad was more parsley than bulgur, and a little wetter than I like, but still good. Pita definitely came in handy with the dips. Portions weren't huge, but I was full from my dinner. Didn't even touch the lentil soup. Husband similarly liked his skewered lamb. It was well flavored, albeit a little chewier/drier than he prefers. But it wasn't tough. His mixed salad instead of rice was same as mine, and he enjoyed it. Now the Bad: Bad Thing #1 The place was NOT busy when we arrived at about 730pm. Only one other customer was there waiting. When our order was ready, it was already bagged so we picked it up and headed back home. When we sat to eat, there were no fries in the bag. Something like that is super frustrating. Normally I would shrug it off, but my frustration was compounded by Bad Thing #2. Bad Thing #2 Two dinner plates + fries + tip rang in at $80.25 ($63.95 subtotal + tax + a $10 tip). I feel like I ate well. But I don't feel like either of our plates was in the $30 per plate range. Mine was all veggies. Husband's subbed salad for what I would presume to be the more expensive rice pilaf didn't come with a price adjustment. And then there's the missing $6.00 fries. I hate the feeling of enjoying the food but then feeling angry about the value (especially in this economy) and the crappy customer service in not double checking the order. Yeah, I saw the prices while ordering and could have just not ordered and gone somewhere else. Hindsight is 20:20. I just can't make the math math on the value proposition with this take out model. And before someone barks about the labor and service bundled into the prices, I'll point out again that there's no customer service beyond handing you a bag of food at the end. No greeting, no customer interaction. Just an iPad instead of a server and a bag handover thats not even cross-checked. I really wanted to like this place but the combos of bad #1 & #2 on my first visit overshadow the good. There are other options.

    Complimentary lentil soup
    Grazie E.

    My God, my first time here and tried the Chicken Gyro, it was sooooo delicious! Super filling and no greedy portion! I will be back soon! Thank you to the Chef, I am so glad I found a truly yummy Shawarma spot! I loooooved the complimentary lentil soup in the beginning and as dessert their baklava! There's no other place that does this today! I plan to be back with my fam soon! (Its always my Latinos cooking in the kitchen-- gracias, por ustedes) Much love!

    Jack R.

    Decent food, not amazing, but great service and huge portions. I'm all about flavor and I felt that the lamb was too try and so was the falafel. The salad was plain and so were the side veggies. They had an old school diner feel about this place. I just don't think the flavor profile is what I'm looking for. I like spices and flavorful meat that's easy to chew and creamy and good tasting hummus and side dishes and I didn't find that here. I couldn't drink their overly salted complimentary veggie soup either. I can see why people give this 4 stars because of the portions, but this place a place I'd come back to. 3 stars for average.

    Lentils soup
    Elham S.

    It was a fantastic café! The shawarma was absolutely delicious. The portion was very large! They also treated us to lentil soup and baklava at no extra charge, which was such a nice touch. I'd definitely come back again!

    beef shawarma plate

    The food is amazing. I had the kofta kabobs and the flavors meshed so well together, there were spices that I've never tasted together, thinking I've already tried all the combinations (I'm Pakistani/Afghani). My wife ordered the beef shawarma plate, which also looked amazing. I had a bite of hers, and with the tomatos they cooked with the beef, it was also flavorful (though, I preferred my kofta more). The service was great. The restaurant is a cute one, with the seating being a bar-style and the cooks right behind the counter. The servers gave me and my wife complimentary lentil soup--which tasted great! I've gotta figure out how to recreate it at home, hahaha. They also surprised my wife and I with baklava at the end of our meal. The flavors here are no doubt some of the best middle-eastern food in the Bay. 5/5. Workers were also super sweet. I didn't catch their names, but we went on 4/14/26, the deserve praise for their kindness. :)

    Lynn N.

    After hearing so much positive feedback about Wally's, I was excited to try! I went with a friend for dinner, and we had a good experience. At first, we had a walk around the block to find the restaurant, but when we did, it was a good hole in the wall area! The place itself is fairly small with not a lot of seating. Luckily, when we came, there was no line and we placed our order on the kiosk. I got the Grilled Chicken Shawarma and it was okay. I felt like the overall flavor was fine, but it was not a special wrap. I wonder if their plate dishes would be better. The lentil soup was hearty, however, and their baba ganoush was fine. In my opinion, the baba ganoush tasted a little burnt? or too charred for my liking. Regardless, I had a fine experience and would not mind coming back to try a different dish.

    Beef plate + shawarma
    Jazel G.

    Wally's Café was incredible. I loved everything about this place. The lemonades were so refreshing, the soup was comforting, and the baklava was perfect. And the hummus... genuinely the best hummus I've ever had in my life. Bri, I'm not kidding, it was unreal. We ordered the pomegranate chicken, the regular chicken, and the beef shawarma, and every single dish was amazing. Everything was flavorful, fresh, and done so well. The space itself feels kind of random in the best way, like you're inside someone's kitchen, which honestly makes it feel even more special and homey. And the fact that this spot is ranked #6 on Yelp in the entire country is actually wild. Right in our backyard. A GEM!

    Viki N.

    I had to give this a try after seeing all the positive recognitions here! It's a literal hole in the wall, so good thing I looked up the exact location beforehand. But once inside, there's plenty of counter seats, and you can now order on a tablet and pay with card. I ordered a chicken shawarma wrap ($13.99). The price seems about average for the area, but I was surprised to also receive a complimentary lentil soup and piece of baklava! The homemade baklava was nice in particular. As for the chicken shawarma wrap, I actually wish they went heavier on the garlic sauce - it's my favorite part haha. The flavors in the chicken itself were different from what I was expecting or used to, but very flavorful nonetheless. I personally prefer the style at Shawarmaji in Oakland, which is more similar to most other shawarmas I've had. Perhaps it's a different regional flavor? Either way, I still think this is a great value lunch spot to try!

    Inside
    Christine B.

    This spot is a hole in the wall! Upon walking in you order on a tablet and then take a seat around the island. The server was so kind, and gave us complementary lentil soup & baklava! * Lentil Soup - 7/10 (my first time trying lentil soup, very hearty) * Beef & Lamb Gyros Wrap - 7.5/10 (i think the wrap came together really well. the beef and lamb gyro was tasty, but nothing too special in my opinion. i liked how fluffy the pita bread was & i appreciated the amount of lettuce given. the tzatziki sauce added a good amount of acidity & the ratio was good) * Baba Ghannouj - 8/10 (i liked how light the dip was & the roasted eggplant flavor really shined through. however, i am not a fan of the pita bread that was given to dip with. it was dry & not the fluffy pita i usually prefer) * Homemade Baklava - 7.3/10 (i liked how light & airy the layers were, but i do wish there was more filling since it was a bit dry) Overall, the service was nice & the portions are generous for the price! Glad we tried it, but I do think this place is average for good Mediterranean/Greek food.

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    Page 1 of 53

    Wally's Cafe Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Wally's Cafe

    What is the address?Address?

    3900 San Pablo Ave, Emeryville. When you arrive to this address, you'll find us in the back of the building behind the Bank Club Cafe.

    Do you take reservations? Is your restaurant takeout only?

    Hi Bonni, we do not take reservations. We do offer dine-in on our counter style seating.

    Are there sit-down tables in Wally's?

    Yes diner style tops no tables inside but bench tables outside

    Is it easy to find parking?

    Hi Elle, there is limited street parking right infront of our building. There is also more parking space available right across the street near Pak n Save. I hope that helps.

    Is it still cash only? I heard they're getting a new POS system.

    Hi Suzie, we currently accept CC payments through our website for delivery and pickup orders

    Does Wally's serve garlic sauce? All the Mid-eastern restaurants in the Detroit area serve white garlic sauce with their food. For some reason, I never see it here.

    Hi Sue, we definitely have garlic sauce. We offer it with all of our chicken plates and sandwiches. Also, we just updated our website to allow you to add it as an extra side to any plate or sandwich you order. Please let me know if you have any… Read more

    If y'all are closing at 8 regularly why not update your Yelp page hours?

    Are there gluten free options here?

    They have a really good chicken salad that I assume would be gluten-free.

    Does this place have an atm in it?

    I believe there's an ATM in the bar next door that most people are directed to.

    Gluten free falafel?

    No, just one kind of batter

    View All 13 Questions

    Shawarmaji

    Shawarmaji

    4.2(730 reviews)
    1.6 miUptown
    $$
    Halal
    Vegan friendly

    Decided to come here one day after my dentist appointment. I ordered the chicken shawarma wrap for…read morepick up. It's a good size for the price, the chicken is very tasty and I really liked the garlicky sauce thing that came with it. Would definitely come back here the next time I'm craving another shawarma. Service was friendly too!

    With my Chicago bestie Sarj in town, we were on the hunt for *standout eats* only during his visit…read more Heard many good things about this spot, for which he received two separate recommendations from locals (and I had coincidentally bookmarked to try my location in Santa Clara). We ordered a mini lamb wrap, mini chicken wrap, rose tamarind drink and mint lemonade. The lamb was gristly and dry, so I preferred the chicken wrap, but was disappointed to find that it featured only chicken (well-seasoned and juicy) and did not have any tomatoes, cucumbers, or other vegetables like the lamb wrap did. The chicken wrap was only chicken and lavash. Perhaps it was an oversight on the staff's part, even though the restaurant was not busy during a Friday lunch. And it also still took some time to get our orders out even though we were the only ones in line and they were only two other parties eating there. Maybe there were tons of to go orders they had to fulfill? I'll be sure to check out the Santa Clara location as well in the future, but for this luncheon, we had to temper our disappointment by going around the corner to get some Gregory's.

    Photos
    Shawarmaji - Chef Mohammad "The Shawarmaji" Abutaha

    Chef Mohammad "The Shawarmaji" Abutaha

    Shawarmaji - A 6oz jar of our signature Toum

    A 6oz jar of our signature Toum

    Shawarmaji - Classic chicken shawarma wrap with a scoop of our signature Toum

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    Classic chicken shawarma wrap with a scoop of our signature Toum

    Troy Greek Cuisine - Melitzano Wrap

    Troy Greek Cuisine

    4.0(370 reviews)
    4.2 miEast Solano Ave, Berkeley Hills
    $$

    My wife's 70th birthday happened at the end of January, 2026…read more We have eaten at Troy many times and always enjoyed the entire experience, so she decided to investigate Troy's catering options so there would be meat and vegetables options to suit all our guests' preferences, with the obvious bonus that all the choices would be equally appealing because Mediterranean food is awesome! Husam was our main contact and assisted us with making our choices, and Iris was very helpful in ensuring that our pickup time was adjusted to fit the busy schedule that we had on the morning of the party. She also confirmed our request for extra Red Chili and Jalapeno Garlic sauce. For those curious, the Red Chili sauce is the milder of the two, but both are savory and great on almost anything! Here is what we ordered, which was anticipated to feed 40 guests: 1 Full Tray of Moussaka 1 Full Tray of Pastitsio 2 Combo Appetizer Trays 1 Chicken Souvlaki 1 Beef Souvlaki 1 Lamb Souvlaki It was an immense amount of food, and it was all DELICIOUS. The souvlaki disappeared first, and both full trays of the Moussaka and Pastitsio received significant dents! The appetizer trays had large falafel balls that were thankfully cut in half, dolmas, a mountain of pita bread, and multiple pint containers, two each of hummus, baba ganoush, tzatziki, and the Red Chili and Jalapeno Garlic sauce. The pickup from Troy was a breeze, and we absolutely lucked out by getting a parking spot directly in front of the restaurant on Solano, which anyone who lives locally will tell you is no small feat on a Saturday morning! Husam kindly helped me carry everything out to our car. My one suggestion to anyone who is ordering catering, especially if you get a half or full tray of either the Moussaka and/or Pastitsio, bring a baking sheet to support each tray. While the trays are made from thick aluminum, the weight will make the bottom sag a little, and it will likely be too hot to support with your bare hands. All our guests raved about all the food, and we are still happily enjoying leftovers of everything for breakfast, lunch, and dinner for a week and after! Husam, thank you and Iris SO much for all your help! We are deeply grateful, and we look forward to seeing both of you again! "Zoi mas!"

    Excellent staff here, friendly and attentive. Cool space on Solano Ave. Food was similar to other…read morelocation of Troy Greek location in Martinez. Relaxed atmosphere. My advice, sit at the bar and watch tv with an adult beverage.

    Photos
    Troy Greek Cuisine
    Troy Greek Cuisine - Lentil Soup- so good!

    Lentil Soup- so good!

    Troy Greek Cuisine - Lamb Souvlaki

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    Lamb Souvlaki

    Saffron Kitchen - Spinach Qurma

    Saffron Kitchen

    4.6(179 reviews)
    1.9 miRockridge, North Oakland
    $$

    This was my first time ever eating at this restaurant and from once a separate told us we got there…read morejust in time. We had ourselves an early dinner around 3 PM and he said the restaurant had just cleared out. Apparently they were packed for lunch!! I've never had a style of food before so I asked my boyfriend what I should order since he likes the style. He actually ordered me a chicken curry dish and himself another meat dish, but I can't remember what it was called. Both items as well as appetizer it was delicious! I should've taken a picture of the items we ordered for the appetizer since it was a three portion combo plate, but the pictures are below! Ambience was very relaxed and I really like how there was a half steps down into a little patio area so it seemed like you were almost underground, but you could see out. It was cute watching people walk their dogs and families ride their bike bikes. I will definitely want to come back here and get and buy more dishes!

    We ordered a bunch of food to be delivered…read more Food arrived quite warm, however, - the potato bolanis did not travel well. The bola I had become soggy and the stuffing was spilling out - so hard to eat. - the chicken kabob was delicious - the filet mignon kabobs were tough and needed a knife - the kohbideh kabobs had disintegrated but were tasty - the Baba Ganoush portion seemed small for its price $12.50 - three tiny sauce containers for all this food, left us wanting! There was plenty of rice and bread. This was our first time order. Will try dining-in next time.

    Photos
    Saffron Kitchen - The bar area

    The bar area

    Saffron Kitchen - Happy hour spread! This place is amazing!

    Happy hour spread! This place is amazing!

    Saffron Kitchen - Private Room

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    Private Room

    Wally's Cafe - mideastern - Updated May 2026

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