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!

Honestly crazy good value. I wasn't too hungry but my friends wanted to go out and eat so I got a…read moremini wrap and it was the perfect portion. Food comes quick and tastes great. Feels authentic and doesn't break the bank. 7.8/10

Went to Lazeez kitchen for lunch after reading all the good reviews…read more The restaurant was empty with one family before me ordering. I ordered the lamb and beef platter. It took like 25 mins only to find out they made it for Togo and it's just sitting there, not a problem mistakes happen. The meat was juicy and flavorful, the salad had lettuce , onion and one baby tomatoes but a lot of olives. Maybe they do it this way. The place is clean and tidy. I will try this place again sometime

Catering services has always been a pleasure with online ordering and call ahead for large groups…read more Love the falafels and the sharma chicken and rice. Salads are always a hit with arugula only my favorite or mixed greens. Large party trays with chicken, beef and falafels. Cannot do without the falafels some of the best. Beware for those who are spice sensitive the garlic yogurt is very spicy or just me lol. Definitely give a try and support local businesses!

I reserved their beautiful private room for a luncheon for my non-profit. The owner couldn't have…read morebeen more cooperative and anxious to please, providing an amazing mouthwatering menu with the variety and pricing that met our needs. Our guests were delighted by the warmth and hospitality of the owner, who came into our room to tell us about the meal he was preparing. He also told us about his background in Afghanistan, where his businesses trained and supported dozens of women and their families, providing them with childcare and fair wages for their services. This was more than a delicious meal - it was a rare opportunity to experience the true richness of the Afghan culture and the bounty of its culinary repertoire.

My friend and I randomly stumbled upon this absolute gem. We loved that the restaurant is below…read morestreet level. This was some of the best Afghani food I've had with friendly service too. The food was perfectly aromatic and fresh -- it will not leave you feeling heavy and greasy inside. Main entrees (not pictured): chicken kabob plate. The potato bolani is a must!!

Counter service with open seating concept indoor and outdoor. Service was friendly and helpful…read more Food was delicious and fresh! The hummus in particular was amazing! Great place go eat in a nice day as the indoor dining is still pretty open. It was busy but not noisy. I'm leaving this reviewing having noticed that they have unfortunately closed! My hope is they find a new location and keep the same menu!

We came to Pomella after seeing Check, Please where they featured Ba-Bite. Found that the owners of…read moreBa-Bite closed back in 2018 due to a landlord dispute and reopened as Pomella during the height of the pandemic. Pomella is located near Kaiser in Oakland. It's in the same little plaza as Dona. We ordered two items - a chicken wrap and the chicken tagine. Let me tell you, the wrap was full of pickled goodness. I loved the pickled veggies so much - perfectly tart and crispy that complemented the warm wrap and marinated chicken. The juices that kept dripping from both the pickled veggies and the juicy chicken was so flavorful that I would take bites from my wrap and try to use the drippings as a dipping sauce. I could probably get extra pita bread just to lap up the extra juice drippings. The chicken tagine, however, was a bit bland. Maybe it was an off day, but we didn't enjoy it as much as the wrap. The couscous was the smaller version and slightly dry.

Zaytoon on Solano in Albany, Palestinian-owned spot named after the Arabic word for olive and the…read morefood makes that heritage feel meaningful. Kefta wrap was the move, well seasoned meat, warm pita, comes together right. Lamb shawarma plate with the saffron rice and yogurt sauce was the other highlight, big cubes, proper seasoning. Mint lemonade is a must, fresh squeezed with just enough tartness. Room is bright with skylights and blue walls, feels elevated without being stiff. Sunday brunch is worth knowing about, they run the full lunch menu alongside brunch options.

Great food and friendly service…read more I enjoyed the spanakopita, which was a bit different from the typical Greek ones, but delicious nonetheless. The Brussels sprouts were really good. The lamb with cous cous was tender and had a simple, homemade quality to it. The staff was helpful and found a place to store some artwork we were carrying. They have a full bar. The atmosphere was lively and modern. I'd definitely come back.

Wally's Cafe is a great spot for Mediterranean food in the East Bay…read more We ordered delivery for this spot for a night in and it was the best decision. We wanted something that tasted fresh, healthy, and was filling and our friend that live in Alameda heard about this so we decided to give it a try. I got a combo plate to share with my boyfriend and it was such a huge portion. The flavors were so good and everything was delicious. Even split between two people, we had leftovers after. The delivery was pretty speedy and everything was packaged well and tasted fresh.

I have a thing for hole-in-the-wall restaurants in the truest sense. The focus is almost entirely…read moreon food, no fuss it's so to the point, and usually there are one or two things that are so good they explain why the place has a following. Wally's Cafe fits that description perfectly. You walk down a nondescript alley lined with flags to a simple counter, two tables outside, and the sound of the grill sizzling in the back. The first surprise was a complimentary lentil soup, garlicky and comforting, with little bits of rice running through it. But the beef shawarma wrap was easily the best part of the meal. The wrap came hot and toasted, packed with juicy pieces of beef with properly charred edges, tahini, tzatziki, onions and tomatoes. Dipped into the toum, every bite had that great combination of char, garlic, acidity, creaminess and freshness. I know a lot of people get Wally's to go, but I genuinely don't understand why. This is something to eat IMMIDIATELY, while the bread is still warm and the meat has just come off the grill. The chicken pomegranate wrap was good, but more similar to wraps I've had elsewhere and didn't have quite the same layering of flavors. Was hoping for more. And finally, complimentary baklava. Crispy, filled with pistachio and almond, and best of all, not soaked in sugar syrup. That's what I like about a real hole in the wall, a small menu, no distractions, and one thing good enough to make the whole trip worthwhile. At Wally's, it's the beef shawarma.

I've been here several times and the food is always delicious, warm, and fresh…read more The Chicken and Lamb Shawerma are my favorites. Sweets are delicious as well. Enjoy!

Whenever I get the urge for falafels and lately Chicken Shawarma wraps, I head to the Oasis Kitchen…read moreon Grand Ave. Just today, after weeks, I went and was lucky to have one of my favorite falafel expert makers, Mohammad. As usual they were great and Pro tio, eat them hot. The home made hummus is an excellent side for the falafels and today it was exceptionally fresh and good. The others who man the kitchen re also very good, I don't want to ignore them any way. I have been to a couple of other ME kitchens. The problem with some of them is that they make them in advance and reheat your order. Which make them too crispy on the verge of being burned.

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.

The food was overall was really good! The eggplant and…read morebread dip was delish. The cucumber salad was uninspired, not particularly fresh...and quite bland. The standout was the lamb shank, and the herbed rice with the crunchy bread bottom. These easily redeemed the other items. I also ordered the pistachio lemonade...it was just okay - it looked NOTHING like the image on the photos - which was really too bad. I would NOT recommend it. It was more like a lemonade cream. Luckily the main dish elevated what would have been a 3-star review. The overall ambiance was cute, the outdoors was nice but it was also street front on a corner, so if you don't like road noise, the inside is a nice, well-decorated option. Also, of note, the woman I was with was Persian, and the (older male) person I assumed was the owner, was quite rude with his comments, so much so she refused to tell me what he said. She did enjoy the lamb and the dip and said both were quite authentic and well done....but alas, we probably won't be returning unless for take out.

Enjoyed a nice family lunch at Kamdesh. The restaurant is large but we were one of two diners on a…read moreSaturday. The restaurant was pretty warm from the oven and no ac was on, there is a fan near the door. We ordered many appetizers, the best was the potato bolani, and eggplant borani. Unfortunately there was no pakora but they had samosas, which were ok. For mian dishes, we had a variety of meat and vegetables. For veg, I recommend the sabzi challow and green beans. And heard the lamb chops were good. Food came out hot and delicious but it did come out slowly. There was only one cook in the kitchen. Service was friendly, they allowed us to eat an outside cake in the restaurant. Would come back to eat again, maybe take out!

Recently I hosted a multi-day work event in Downtown Oakland where I was offering lunch each day,…read moreso instead of big chain restaurants or Doordash or EZ Cater, I actually called restaurants and spoke to managers/someone who could work with me on catering orders (talked on the phone? wow, shocking! But working with them directly helps them earn more than when it's through one of the delivery sites). I've always liked Kamdesh, sometimes during a busy lunch rush I've had to wait a little bit, but I felt like getting them a shot. I worked out a menu for a buffet lunch with different items and they delivered to my office in downtown. We had folks with dietary restrictions, and the person I talked to was able to walk me through some options. There were able to work within my price range per person and I could choose different items like kebabs, borani, etc. and they included cooked veggies, saffron rice and salad. It probably ended up being too much food but that's a good problem to have. Everyone enjoyed the meal, and we had leftovers in the fridge for a couple days.

Eating at La Mediterranee is like eating in the Mediterranean…read more Food is impeccable. A quiet restaurant to eat inside or outside. Big tables for Family style yum.

I ordered the Grilled Lamb and Beef Shawarma, not realizing that the lamb would come in very small…read morepieces, about the same size as the meat they use for a wrap. I was also disappointed that the food arrived cold. The very cold potato salad made it even worse, especially because everything was placed together on the same plate. Just looking at the plate, the presentation was not appetizing. The dish was described as Grilled Lamb and Beef Shawarma, but the lamb did not look or taste grilled, and I could not taste or find any beef at all. Overall, the meal was very disappointing--not only because of the temperature, but also because the dish did not seem to match its description and the presentation was not appealing. Unfortunately, this was my second time visiting this restaurant, and I was disappointed both times. I really wanted to give it another chance, but after this experience, I don't think I will be returning.