Yafo Kitchen has become my go-to spot in Charlotte, largely because of one dish: the schnitzel. If you're a schnitzel fan, stop reading and order it. Two generous pieces arrive shatteringly crisp with a beautifully seasoned panko crust that's never greasy. The chicken stays tender and juicy, and the fresh lemon wedges bring everything to life. It's one of those dishes that keeps pulling me back. My favorite side is the shell macaroni and cheese. Rich, creamy, and unapologetically indulgent. Together, the schnitzel and mac and cheese are comfort food perfection. I also love the self-serve organic Tractor beverages, the open kitchen concept, and how consistently clean the restaurant feels. The team is friendly, the food comes out quickly, and you can watch everything being prepared right in front of you. Parking is easy thanks to the shared shopping center lot, the outdoor patio along East Boulevard is pleasant, and the portions are generous for the price. Clean restaurant. Friendly people. Consistently delicious food. Yafo is one of those places that simply gets it right. Life is too short not to eat well, Charlotte. read more

My boyfriend is in love with YAFO. We stumbled across them while exploring the city. It is a very cool, fast, casual Mediterranean dining experience - almost like chipotle, where you get to choose your toppings to build your bowl or your pita. I chose to build your own bowl while my boyfriend chose the pita and we selected the filling options for each. Everything was really good and we would definitely want to come again. They had some seating outside that we elected to sit out to enjoy the weather service with patient for us as it was our first time and they were really polite. Would love to see something like this concept in South Florida read more

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I have been loving YAFO for years. It's where I go to get a balanced meal on the go. I have been doing to go orders and they are surprisingly fast at preparing them. I have been ordering the salad bowl and it's been so delicious. I ordered the falafel for the first time and it was so good. It's not easy to find good falafel. It's always clean when I visit and the staff are friendly. Great restaurant with many great options. read more

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Yafo is one our go to weeknight dinner places. We love that it has the perfect balance of being healthy and delicious but also fast and affordable. The service is always friendly and they love accommodating our 4-year-old daughter. She is the one who is most often requesting that we come here for an easy week night dinner and since it is so affordable and healthy, we are happy to accommodate. read more

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So yummy!! We got the hummus bowl with falafel. Hummus is creamy and delicious. The greens are bright and fresh. The topping choices are very filling, plentiful, and delicious. They have wonderful, tasty drinks beyond soda. We can't wait to go back. The only criticism I have is the falafel was cooked too long. read more

Been a bit since I've been here and over in the plaza area but boy that food does not miss! Service was friendly and quick and didn't have to wait long, got a bowl with a mixed bag and it delivered. It's always 5/5 for me, Yafo the goat read more

Really enjoyed this spot. Similar to cava but with slightly different topping options. I especially liked their side dishes, the cauliflower Brussel sprouts and Mac and cheese were fantastic. I wish they had more meat options than just the three types of chicken but regardless it was delicious read more

So quick and convenient, so many options, so friendly/accommodating and most important, SO delicious! With just one visit, I'm already a huge fan of YAFO and plotting my return. I love a good build-your-own bowl, who doesn't, and the choices may seem overwhelming at first, but the patient staff has got you! And if you don't want to even think about it, there's a bunch of other decided-for-you options as well. I ordered a romaine base with two kinds of hummus (loved the Tunisian), olives, hot peppers, falafel (four giant falafel!), hot sauce and tahini. I'm kind of drooling over the memory, if you must know. I tried my friend's roasted cauliflower which I stupidly forgot to add on and regrets, I have a few. Even the pita is nice and pillowy, when normally you'd expect that flat, flavorless stuff that I normally leave off the order. You do all of this at a counter but mid-way through lunch, another employee came by to make sure we didn't need anything, which I thought was such a nice bit of unexpected customer service. Prices are excellent, also unexpected in these days of small plates for thirty dollars a piece. If I had gotten a rice base, this would have been two or three meals in one. As it was, I couldn't finish the falafel. read more

Notes: fresh and outstanding! Seems like everyone but Anchorage now has these fresh/fast Mediterranean Chipotle-style concept eateries now, and I'm here for it. Many of the places I travel to have MULTIPLE. The food here was fresh, varied, flavorful, and relatively healthy. What more could you want? Oh, it's also in a pretty walkable part of town! read more

This is a great go-to spot especially for takeout in the Plaza-Midwood area. I think it has gotten pretty expensive but the food is always great. I'm a big fan of the new caesar salad they have with the schnitzel chicken. The Greek yogurt Mac and cheese is also fantastic. Appreciate that you can get as many different sauces as you want (at least they've never given me a limit or charged me extra). Quick, easy, and relatively healthy. read more

If I lived in Charlotte, I think I would eat here everyday. I was visiting the city for a work trip and my colleague and I grabbed a late lunch here on a Tuesday. The concept is similar to Chipotle and CAVA, but I liked the options a bit more. I built my own bowl, and went with the shawarma chicken as my meat, which was tender and juicy. All of the veggies were fresh, and the sauces are fun and flavorful (especially the Green Schug). The service was fast and friendly, and while we were some of the only ones eating in, they were consistently cranking out online takeaway orders. I couldn't finish my bowl in one sitting, but this made excellent leftovers later on that evening. The team even gave me some extra sauce to-go. I would love for YAFO to expand to the Nashville area, pretty please!! read more

YAFO Kitchen - BYO Bowl - Shawarma Chicken - Mediterranean Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

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Fresh, Fast, and Full of Flavor! Connor, the GM, took incredible care of us--making sure we could try whatever we wanted. The food? Absolutely amazing. Super fresh, packed with flavor, and made to perfection. Their watermelon and strawberry drinks (made in-house!) are a must-try--truly gems. The line was quick and smooth, the staff was friendly, knowledgeable, and the atmosphere was simply lovely. YaFo is must try--can't wait to come back! read more

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SO GOOD!! The bowls are amazing and so are the sauces to top. It's a little pricey but it's high quality food and they give you so much so it's worth the price. Will be a regular spot for me for sure. read more

YAFO Kitchen - Build Your Own Grain Bowl - Mediterranean Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

Over the years Yafo has become one of our staples in the neighborhood and it's always good food. You can get a dinner for under $20 and honestly I always have left overs so it's even more affordable. The food tastes fresh and the customer service has been great. I always went with the stuffed avocado bowl but yesterday I put together my own bowl and added fresh falafel! Omg it was soo good. We mix it up between take out and sit down! In the cold winter months we like to get cozy at home with our food but on a nice day, getting a bowl at the location in plaza and then go local shopping around the neighborhood is also fun! If you haven't tried it, this is your sign! Oh by the way their signature bowls start at $11! Such a good deal! read more

YAFO Kitchen - Mediterranean Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

Signs describe the surrounding neighborhood as "historic", which in this case means that it is rather difficult to drive or park in due to the small roads. I found some space a block behind the restaurant. The entrance was a bit confusing, but once I figured out that I needed to bear left to find the beginning of the line, I was treated to a quick fast casual build a bowl experience with great options. Greens as well as grains were available to start, and their kale with colorful shredded vegetables mixed in was a worthy choice. There were plenty of vegetable toppings, including even grape leaves, and I was treated to a colorful arrangement. Their falafel was tasty and dusted with extra salt, but still not overwhelmingly salty. The hot sauce and bread that came on the side were excellent enhancements to the flavor of what was already a pretty dynamic bowl. They had a lot of fountain drinks and I might have gotten some if I hadn't overloaded with other beverages. It's not a cheap bowl, but the quality is there and until I actually try such a cafe in Israel, I can only hope this is the sort of food I'd find there. read more

YAFO Kitchen - Falafel Bowl - Mediterranean Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

Yafo never lets me down. The food is always delicious and fresh. This was my first time trying the Kibbeh Pita Tacos and it will not be my last. They were sooo good! The portion size filled me up before even touching my side of hummus. Also, be sure to have your hummus dressed up and garnished. You'll thank me later! The tacos will take a bit longer to prepare than the food that's already prepared. They are so good and worth the wait. The staff is also very friendly and helpful. If you have any questions or need suggestions, they're your go-to. Parking can be a bit tight but you also can park at the apartment complex next door inside and in their garage in designated retail parking spots. Also, the music inside can be a bit loud so just be prepared for that ahead of time. read more

YAFO Kitchen - Kibbeh Pita Tacos - Mediterranean Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

Parking? Horribly limited and very tight spaces. Customer service? Great! They're very friendly. Food? Delicious. Give them a try. It's best to place an order and pick up in the 15 min parking spaces because otherwise there is shared street parking between several other restaurants. read more

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YAFO is still one of my favorite places to eat in Charlotte. Now that they've expanded locations, it's even easier to get the Yafo I love without trekking to South. The ambiance is rustic and casual, with indoor and outdoor seating options. The service is always prompt, keeping the line from being too long, even during peak times. Their food is incredibly fresh. Their scratch kitchen commitment is evident in every bite. I love their lamb and falafel and get it in their bowl as it allows me to enjoy all the layers of flavor the best. I get a side with half brussels sprouts and half mac and cheese or half mac and cheese and half potato wedges. All three sides are delicious, but the mac and cheese is the show-stopper for me. The Greek yogurt is the perfect complement to the creamy cheese sauce. Yafo is one of the most consistently perfect, fast casual dining experiences in Charlotte and beats out chain options like Cava every time. read more

YAFO Kitchen - Mediterranean Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

I love Yafo. I'm here weekly getting the Greek yogurt mac and cheese or falafel and granch. The fresh pita, the bowls, the sauces, everything is delicious and no seed oils is a bonus! read more

I have always loved Yafo but now their new burgers have taken it to a whole new level. Holy cow they're good. Please please roll them out to all locations. read more

hey. so yafo kinda has a cult following and lets be honest, I think im the newest member. This place slaps. I got a bowl, quinoa, and essentially every topping. I had a side of the mac and cheese. Heres the thing, the food was DECADENT. Lucious, beautiful, smokey, powerful, rich, tangy. what a BOWL. It was insane. So so so good. My one small qualm: the bowl is so shallow. Dont get me wrong its a lot of food but I felt like I ate the toppings and had only quinoa leftover. There was no room to mix. My tactic for next time is to dump it into a bigger bowl to mix and get the ratios better. And the mac and cheese deserves a shout out of its own. So creamy and luxurious. Truly might be one of the best mac and cheese ive ever had. The breadcrumbs toasted on top added nice texture. the choice of the big shells allowed for the perfect pockets of cheese and flavor to be encapsulated in each bite. She is kinda expensive tho... so its kinda a treat. Will 100% be coming back. read more

Stop what you're doing and go here for food !!! The food tasted so fresh and was a decent portion for what you are paying. The ambiance was clean and the staff was super friendly. I got the rotisserie chicken with garlic potatoes and mac and cheese. GET IT. My husband got a build your own bowl (not pictured)- we loved it so much we went the next day and got some more items on the menu. SO GOOD read more

YAFO Kitchen - 1/2 Rotisserie Chicken and 2 Mezzes - Mediterranean Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

Dear Yafo, I love you. Your Greek yogurt mac n cheese is TO DIE FOR. The unlimited toppings on your SUCCULENT bowl - absolutely amazing. Your staff is so amazingly chill- always going to extra step to make sure I'm comfortable and prepared. Your ambiance is similar to viva chicken, not my first choice but the outside seating is very pleasant. GO TO YAFO - GET THE GREEK YOGURT MAC N CHEESE AND A CHICKEN SHAWARMA BOWL, NOW! read more

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Love the salmon bowl. I always get the yogurt Mac n cheese as well. Customer service is great as well. read more

YAFO Kitchen - Mediterranean Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

I forgot how good YAFO is. I have had the chicken pita tacos twice in two weeks. The quality and value is appropriate and appreciated. I have ordered online each time with timeliness of order readiness and accuracy. The staff is also attentive and kind when picking up the order. The restaurant space is clean and open without harsh lighting. read more

YAFO Kitchen - Chicken pita tacos - Mediterranean Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

Love, love, love me some YAFO!!! I remember a time where the South Park location was as good as it got. But with the addition of the Plaza Midwood location, YAFO is a little bit closer for me to enjoy. Despite my best efforts (ok maybe I don't actually try that hard), I can't seem to stray from my go-to order of potato wedges, brussel sprouts, and cauliflower. I wish there was an option to order a sides combo instead of just ordering them all a la carte, which gets a bit pricey. I did manage to deviate slightly from my usual order and try one of the canned ciders that was available. I dined in on a Monday evening with a couple of friends. The restaurant was pretty busy. All of the staff worked hard to attend to the needs of all the guests and get orders out quickly. My food was good as usual. I enjoyed the cider as well. Maybe I'll try something different next time....or maybe not! Pro-tip: Be sure to sign up for their rewards program that will track your points across all locations. read more

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Came across this gem on Door Dash, and decided to dine in once we picked up the food. First of all, I loved the decor even before I walked in. There's an awesome mural on the outside of the building, and it is just as colorful inside. When I opened my grain bowl, my eyes almost popped out of my head. So. Much. Food!! That first bite was glorious with Greek lemon chicken, seasoned beets, feta cheese, onions, quinoa, and more I can't even remember! Absolutely amazing!! I also got a great review on the Chicken SpanikoPita. The side of hummus that came with that was quite sizable. Needless to say my bowl was a 2 for 1 deal, cuz I definitely had leftovers. Happy to say I found another fave in Charlotte! YAFO is alright with me! And be sure to check in and get your free homemade juice. I highly recommend the watermelon mint limeade or the cucumber mint limeade! read more

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I have loved Yafo since it first opened in Charlotte, but it continues to get better over time. It started out as just the BYO bowl concept, but Shai has really expanded the menu recently and I love it. This location tends to be where they experiment with new things first. His most recent addition is weekend brunch. We got to try it at an Unpretentious Palate even yesterday and we loved it. It's weekends from 11-1 for the next 4 weeks only at this location. They may do it again in May at East Blvd. For brunch you get 8 mezze, yogurt, and bread to share between two people. Then you pick an entree to share. It's $40 for two people and we were full after. You can also add on mimosas for $10. The mezze were my favorite part. I loved the variety and uniqueness of them. We went with the Shakshuka which was delicious. As for more bread if you run out. My husband is dying to try the french toast casserole, so I'm guessing we'll be back. read more

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Hey I was looking to speak to someone higher up in your company for a complaint I had about a manager at your plaza midwood location. Today I came in with my child and coworkers and my service dog. We ordered a bunch of food and sat down and halfway through our meal we were approached by a manager asking us how are food was to then demanding me to leave bcuz I had my service dog in the dining area to eat. Stating my dog jumped at him and barked when he was never supposed to approach my dog in the first place. Demanded to see a card to verify my dog is a service dog and even after telling him we heard him and were packing up to leave he kept talking mess to us about my dog and us being there. Embarrassed me and my coworkers and children in front of multiple guests and I had truly the worst experience I ever had today at that location. The manager came over condescending smiling while being rude thinking that was a proper way to get us to respond, then stares at us while we packed our food up to eat outside continuously harassing us and then making smart remarks before we left to eat outside. Once again the most unprofessional interaction and I need this to be rectified asap please and thank you! Update* then upon your response you lie and say that my dog was being disruptive when he wasn't bothering nobody and was quiet and you guys didn't even know my dog was there til he approached us and we never asked him to come over there. Also you could've seen we were already halfway through our meal... So of course I would be upset, I already told you he came over with a condescending attitude when he could've simply talked to me regular. After me telling him to calm down and talking to us more nice he continued and that's when my dog got up. Please I really don't want to have to deal with you guys and a suit for defamation and discrimination. read more

Close to work this location was perfect for a quick lunch option. The parking is kinda tight and I mean tight. The spaces even seem small. I got my normal order half salad half grain bowl. This time I got the chicken on the side. I feel like I was able to reheat the chicken up later since it wasn't mixed in with all the toppings. Plus I can never finish one of these bowls in a setting so it was nice to have that reheat option for the protein. Everything was fresh and tasted like it normally does from the other times I've got it from other locations. I was in and out. The staff was helpful and very quick. Yafo is another great option for fast casual Mediterranean style food. Yafo Kitchen 1331 Central Ave Ste 101 Charlotte, NC 28205 (Review 519 overall, 63 in 2021) read more

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I absolutely love Yafo! I come here about once a week or so, whenever I want a quick and healthy-ish meal. It's very much a "Mediterranean chipotle" where you can build your own bowl with plenty of veggies/salads and hummus. There are hot sides you can add as well for an additional charge as well as a bunch of meat options you can add. I love the cauliflower, Mac and cheese and crispy eggplant to top my bowls. The service is always quick and attentive, and they have online ordering in case you don't want to order in-store. There is plenty of seating inside as well as a small outdoor patio as well. The only downside to this location is the parking is a pain, but that's just everywhere in plaza midwood. read more

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A tasty & fresh lunch option. Plenty of seating both in and outdoor. Similar to CAVA. Fast casual Mediterranean food.

A wonderful option if craving a healthier meal. Yafo is very much like Cava. A customized salad or grain bowl is yours depending on your imagination. I am docking one star here because there are simply too many up charges. I drew the line at the extra charge for cauliflower rice. It makes the whole ordering process too complicated and at the end of the day you could be walking away with an $18 bowl!! Anyways, ordering was easy. You start with the grain and then you pick your dressings. I chose to have half salad and half cauliflower with baba ghanoush. For veggies I chose cucumber, onions, and cabbage. I chose the shawarma chicken which was one of the few options without an extra charge. All in all my bowl with one fountain drink came out to $13. The meal itself was very good! The flavors were excellent and the portion size was actually pretty big. I enjoyed eating outdoors. There is on site parking making it easy to get to. Staff was friendly as well. read more

YAFO Kitchen - Shawarma chicken - Mediterranean Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

Out of all the YAFO locations, this one seems to be the most inconsistent. Sometimes I go and have a great meal, other times I go, and what's available for the BYO bowl isn't worth the price. Unfortunately, my past two visits, it's been the later. I understand they have changed some items (I miss the beets and the naan over the new bread), but they didn't have the beetroot/carrot slaw this time, nor did they have babaganoush (sp?), and a few other items. The shawarma chicken that was on my bowl was mostly the gristly/fatty end pieces, which was also disappointing. They also only had one lettuce choice, instead of the usual three. So I paid the usual price for 3 average toppings due to the lack of variety (slaw, cucumbers and olives). They also only had one of their custom drinks available, when they usually have an array of great, non-soda options. I completely understand all the supply chain/cost issues, etc. that are plaguing restaurants, but the inconsistency of this location compared to the others just saddens me, as it's close to my work, and I love YAFO for lunch. 3 stars because the staff is awesome, and the place is clean, but the food at this location has just been lackluster. read more

YAFO Kitchen - BYO bowl - Mediterranean Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

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Amazing staff! Quick service! Food delicious! First time here really recommended! Place was clean! read more

Good is really good. People are friendly but do not take criticism well. They need to work on being more green and not waste so much plastic. Don't put a lid on orders that aren't Togo and don't use plastic bags for non Togo orders read more

Yafo has become one of my favorite lunch spots. They offer a variety of vegetables, cold & warm. They gave a delicious macaroni and cheese dish. The staff were very friendly and welcoming upon entry. You have the option to make a rice bowl or pita. They give a lot of food for a great price. Parking can be a struggle because of the area but it's worth it. I left feeling full and healthy. read more

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Okay so if you're lucky enough to score a parking spot you're winning. Parking can be really tight so beware if you have a big car. BUT the food is DELICIOUS! So fresh, flavorful and enough that part of my lunch became dinner. Unfortunately my friend had her toddler with her but she was unable to let her use the restroom because it was so dirty. 4 stars for that reason. read more

YAFO Kitchen - Bowl with cous cous, kale and a whole bunch of other stuff, no meat - Mediterranean Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

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Had a hankering for Mediterranean but didn't feel like driving, so I had Yafo delivered hoping it would satisfy since I hadn't eaten there before, and I was truly craving falafel. Had fingers and toes crossed, and OMG...delicious! The falafel was perfectly crispy on the outside and SO flavorful with a little kick of spice! Yum yum yum! 6 come in an order and I smashed them all. Lol. I decided I needed a vegetable, so I went for the Brussels sprouts + dates, and I'm so glad I did! The southern girl in me gave them a grind of sea salt, but other than that, they were among the best I've had. The dates gave them a certain sweetness that apparently I've been missing all my life. They were neither over-sauced nor mushy. In fact, I ate nearly all of them before getting to the chicken. And oh that chicken! I opted for the 1/2 rotisserie, all white meat. Juicy, expertly seasoned--I don't know how they make it, but I want the magic potion. The spices worked so well and permeated beyond the skin into the meat. Sosucculent! Y'all! I can't explain how pleasantly surprised I was by this food, especially with it being a delivery order. They have a fan in me! Excuse the foil and takeout containers in my pics. read more

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Yafo is one of my favorite fast casual places. I love the ability to try different types of bowls that are of Mediterranean flavors. I tend to go with half grain half greens with a scoop of hummus. The service was great the last couple times that I've been here. The only frustration that I have about this location is the parking. read more

YAFO Kitchen - Mediterranean Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina