This is such a great place with exquisite food. Ambiance: great chairs and tables, nice scripts on the wall reminding us that we're eating ethnic food. Service: friendly sweet family run place with a certain charm that makes you want to come back and support them. The food. Wow just wow. High end Restaurant grade meals for the price of chipotle. Absolutely wonderful. We had a feast. Lamb chops melt in your mouth. Fries were crispy, and the sauces make it, they truly do. read more

Zaitoon Kitchen - Mediterranean Near Me - Latham, New York

This place is fantastic. It's a order and pickup style (rather than waited tables), but that does not diminish it in any fashion. I tried their lamb rice plate, which came with naan, seasoned rice, the marinated and incredibly tender lamb, and a small side salad with house dressing. I ordered a hummus side and ended up with the small plate instead (which was a lot more than I expected) but it meant I had leftovers, so I'll take it. The hummus was homemade, and incredibly flavorful - not the "chickpea paste" often found at other locations claiming homemade hummus. The seasoned basmati rice was also quite flavorful, and paired excellently with the hummus, and I made myself little wraps of just hummus and rice and naan, they tasted that good together. I have no idea what was on the lamb, but it was somewhere between kabab and gyro, something entirely their own. I am going to make this place a priority, because I'm full but i want those tastes again. read more

Zaitoon Kitchen - Lamb kabab rice plate. - Mediterranean Near Me - Latham, New York

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Ordered a shrimp with rice dish, falafel, and hummus. The shrimp dish was very good, but the falafel was overcooked and seemed kind of "old". The hummus was nearly inedible due to an overabundance of lemon. I was looking forward to ordering from this place after reading the Yelp reviews but I was pretty disappointed. Probably won't return. read more

Every time I order here it is alway hot and freshly made. The rice is good enough to stand alone, but everything is great at a reasonable price. Healthy portion sizes make for a good value. Be sure to get some baklava too. read more

Very disappointed in the lack of customer care after consuming uncooked lamb burger on several occasions. The first few times, I tried to be understanding. Once I even tried to finish cooking it at home but whats the point in paying restaurant prices? It's beyond upsetting when no one returns your call or email but when nothing is even offered to make up for it other than, "Sorry about that..." you start to realize that it may be time to look elsewhere for halal meals. It's a sin for our people to eat raw or bloody meat - but this is what has happened on too many visits for me to continue to support this establishment. read more

Zaitoon Kitchen - Pink lamb burger made me very sick and it's not the first time it's not been cooked completely! - Mediterranean Near Me - Latham, New York

Great portion size and flavor!! I came with a group of four and we were starving so we ordered a rice platter each (chicken, 2 beef, and lamb) and dumplings and a side of falafel. I couldnt finish my rice but it wasnt for lack of flavor! Plates are generous with a salad and a large naan along with a huge mound of rice. The lamb was probably the most flavorful but I enjoyed my chicken! The dumplings i wasnt the biggest fan of because I thought they were saucy but I'm not that familiar with the cuisine so that might be the standard. Falafel was crispy outside and soft and warm inside. The restaurant was packed and we had to wait a little for a table - they move quickly though so it's worth the wait! It just goes to show how good the food is. Fresh and quick - can't complain. Staff was kind and competent. Would def come again when in the area! read more

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We had returned home from a week-long road trip and my body was feeling the effects of eating too much convenient fast food. I was in dire need of some real food. Recently I had seen some positive Yelp reviews of Zaitoon and decided to give it a try. I picked up some food to go on a Sunday and the inside of the restaurant looked clean and casual. It was mostly filled up with other customers. My boyfriend and I each had the beef kebob rice plate and added the recommended kabuli topping (caramelized carrots and raisins) as our main dish. It came with naan and a garden salad with a tasty, white dressing on the side (maybe a savory herbed yogurt dressing with a hint of mint?). The kabuli topping was nice to try, but next time I won't add as a topping since it made the rice a little too sweet for my taste. For side dishes we had the fattoush salad, hummus, and bolagni. Everything was fresh, tasty, and wholesome. read more

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This past week was my 3rd time getting food from Zaitoon. The first time I was given A LOT of rice and 2 & 1/2 little chunks of chicken. The second time I was given slightly more chicken, hence the 3rd order. Unfortunately this past week I received 2 chunks of chicken and again, a lot of rice - I wondered if it was just my bowl, but I checked the 2nd bowl I had ordered for my boyfriend to take to work, and it was the same deal. We both ended up cooking more chicken to add in. The taste is good overall but I don't think I will continue to order if I'm paying $14+ per bowl primarily for rice. I wish the portions would be more consistent. read more

This building has housed many restaurants. I'm hopeful this one stays! Customer service was great. Staff was more than willing to answer questions. Having been unfamiliar with the sauce and spices listed, they were quick to explain. The menu is simple but offers plenty of options. You can find the menu on their website. I chose the Rice Plate with chicken kabob. I chose the seasoned rice which was good. There was a sweetness, almost cinnamon like, to the rice. The chicken was moist with another spice on it. The salad was a nice assortment of crispy greens with dressing already on it. Naan was delicious! The plate was just right size for lunch. It's served with two sauces on the side. They serve Coke products, which I'm willing to forgive since the food is good. The place is small, probably less than 12 tables. There are several tables for 2, a few for 4 and one for 8 The chairs are comfortable. You place the order at the counter and then sit and they bring it to you. It took about 10 minutes, which was fine. If you are in a rush, you might want to order ahead. I will definitely be back and some day I might actually try Falafel! read more

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This is a great middle eastern place in the Capital region! It is fairly priced, fast, and delicious! I had the lamb chops plate to go, which was good! They give plenty of sauces and the plate was actually filling. The lamb pieces were juicy and full of flavor. Service was quick too! read more

Zaitoon Kitchen - Mediterranean Near Me - Latham, New York

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The official opening was today. First I'd like to say I am delighted by the recent diversity of dining options in Latham. For the longest time Latham was limited to mostly traditional "American" diner standards, fast food aka. chains or subs. I decided to get some take out for my husband and I. I'm glad I did. They have the menu board divided into four sections. First you pick your protein from a list that includes meats, fish and falafel. Next you choose to have said protein in a rice plate, salad or naan wrap. We tried the lamb in a naan wrap, The ground chicken kabab in a rice plate and a side of homemade hummus and naan. They emphasized that the naan is hand stretched daily and it shows. It was light and fresh with a wonderful texture. The hummus reminded me how different homemade is from supermarket hummus. The texture is creamy with a good drizzle of olive oil. The flavor is that of fresh chickpeas instead of siracha, everything bagel or the 101 other flavors that commercial hummus has. My husband was thrilled to see lamb on the menu something that's sorely lacking in many local restaurants. The meat was tender and flavorful and was wrapped in the homemade naan along with fresh vegetables. I opted for the seasoned rice (plain jasmine rice is available) with my ground chicken plate. The rice was plentiful and fragrant with cinnamon and some other spices and the two ground chicken patties were nicely spiced and pressed into long skinless sausage shapes and grilled. I also had a piece of naan. Both dishes came with a spicy cilantro sauce and a creamy yogurt dill sauce. I had plenty left over for the next days lunch. I am very optimistic and hope that they will stay around and become a regular place to eat in or get takeout. I look forward to trying the baba ganoush, fish, salad with sumac and homemade desserts on another visit. Oh yeah, the prices are very good too. Fingers crossed, jinx!!! Hope they stay that way. read more

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So good every time. The sauce is top tier I could drink a gallon of it. Chicken is delicious I love the pita wrap. Hummus is good too I recommend getting it as a side. Always come here if I want some good fresh food. read more

Visited for the 1st time recently and was impressed! super nice people patiently explained the menu and I got the chicken Schwarma over rice and it was incredible - seasoned perfectly and huge portions. And that "spin" sauce - perfect topping....Can't wait to go back - highly recommended! read more

Atmosphere: The atmosphere here is nothing special here. It is what you would expect from a chain fast food restaurant. Food: I was not very impressed with the food. I ordered the sample platter, my grandfather ordered the mantu dumplings, and my mother ordered the falafel wrap. The baba ganoush on the platter had no flavor and the hummus was just okay. My grandfather didn't like his dumplings, so he didn't finish them. Surprisingly, my mother thought her falafel wrap was pretty good. Service: The service was one of the best parts of this restaurant. The staff seemed nice, and the food was ready very quickly. I don't think I will be going back to Zaitoon. I would much rather go to a small, authentic business, with much better food. read more

My wife and I were searching for someplace to have a healthy lunch when she came across Zaitoon Kitchen in YELP. The reviews were favorable, so why not I am glad we decided to take the drive. The food was fresh, made to order and very tasty. The prices are very reasonable and the staff was extremely pleasant. Taking into consideration that the dining area and ordering process if very much "fast food" in style, the quality of food is NOT. Nothing was old or wore out - EVERYTHING was very good. I'd definitely make the drive to eat here again. Friends & Family recommendation = YES Fresh & Healthy = YES Affordable = YES Worth a return visit = YES read more

Great menu. My frequent go to spot for tasty take-out. Love the chicken kabob salad. The chicken rice bowl and borani banjan are great too. My kids loved the fish plate and French fries. read more

Looking for a place with outside dining and found this pleasant surprise. Wasn't sure what to order, but the young man behind the counter suggested I try the lamb, I was hesitant as I've never had lamb that I can remember liking. I had the rice platter with lamb, my husband ordered the naan wrap with chicken. Food and service were amazing read more

We stopped at Zaitoon Kitchen for dinner on a Friday night to find the restaurant packed - so much so that we had to wait in the parking lot for a few minutes for a spot to park (lots of people were in and out picking up takeout, so it wasn't too long of a wait). When you walk into the restaurant, you will find one large table reserved for parties of 6+ and a handful of small tables (plus some outdoor seating); we ordered our food to go after seeing how packed it was and then wound up being able to snag a table eventually to dine in (though I think in the future, I'd do takeout). We were not familiar with the menu, so we ordered a sampling of things to share. You are able to get a protein with either rice, a wrap, or salad - so I had the ground beef salad (which I think would even be keto friendly/low carb - not sure about the sauce/dressing) and the partner had chicken over rice (which also came with a small salad and naan). We also shared (and here's where staying low carb went out the window) the mantu dumplings, which were delicious, and the kadu, fried squash with sauce (which was very okay, but I'd try something else next time). Finally, we split the Faluda, a Pepto Bismol Pink ice cream, which was ice cream, shaved ice, rose syrup, sweet basil seeds, and milk mixed together. It was different, but not something I think I need to order again (plus, it wound up coming up about 10 minutes before the rest of our food, so we wound up eating dessert first). Everything was good, prices were very reasonable ($35 for all of the above, which included leftovers we brought home), I appreciated the healthy options, and I think we'll definitely be back for take out again. read more

Zaitoon Kitchen - Faluda - Mediterranean Near Me - Latham, New York

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Found this gem through Yelp. 5 stars hands down! We ordered beef & lamb rice platter and wraps, and beef kebob wrap. All are delicious, healthy and of generous portion. read more

Zaitoon Kitchen - Beef & lamb rice platter - Mediterranean Near Me - Latham, New York

If you order add a half an hour to whatever time they tell you food will be ready. Two for two on orders being delayed more than half an hour after being told would be ready. Not going back good is not that good. read more

Fresh and flavorful food, huge portions so there are always leftovers. I am especially fond of the rice and the herby yogurt sauce, and their hummus and spiced chicken are great too. read more

People don't usually like to go out to restaurants with me...I'm perhaps hyper critical. I was a private chef & caterer, so I figure I've earned the credentials. Not that I'm all that, but I do know good food. It seems that "post" Covid, many places are cutting corners & serving frankenfood. This is only the 2nd time I have eaten food from this little unpolished gem of a restaurant. Once was brought to me...lamb chops over salad. Delightful. Today we had lunch in person. It's not a fancy place, but I'm totally happy with that. It's clean! It's friendly! It's really delicious food. This time I had the lamb chops over basmati savory rice with a side salad. I asked for hot sauce as well as the white sauce. Even the hot sauce had a little something extra to add flavor. The lamb chops were well-done..but they weren't at all dried out. I personally like them slightly less done..but I'll specify that the next time. Portions are very generous. I got a piece of biscuit cake to go.. it was ok..I think next time will be baklava. Finally...extremely good staff; friendly, informative, polite. I look forward to trying other menu items. Yum! read more

Great food at very good price. Big fan of falafel wraps and spicy chicken sandwich. Deserts are average.

Food was delicious, fresh and plentiful. Staff were friendly and courteous. Even though we got there 2 minutes before they stopped serving dine-in, they had no problem with our eating at the table. We will definitely eat there again the next time we have a flight from Albany read more

This place is amazing, first off the food. Delicious fresh food with speedy service and amazing prices. Extremely clean and family friendly, this restaurant is where I go when I know I need clean, fresh, delicious foods with lots of variety! read more

I gave up meat a couple months ago and Zaitoon has made a meatless life less painful. I've been relying on fried chickpeas to sustain my fried food Needs. My first time having Zaitoon was on a whim while at work. Ordered via Grubhub (delivery fee is way too high) but the wrap I received was perfect. The falafel itself is well seasoned and fried perfectly. The naan is to die for. I've also had their seasoned fries which are tasty as well. The restaurant itself is small and quaint. The service is fast and friendly. You can tell the folks at Zaitoon really care about the product they provide to their patrons. I'll be back soon! read more

So yummy. Fantastic falafel. Great food. The place is very small but cute, comfortable, and conveniently located.

I love eating here. The food here is absolutely wonderful. Staff are always polite and wonderful to deal with. Somewhat small seating area, but always clean and tidy. Portions are big. Best tasting chicken kabob. One of the best tasting lamb chops I have had. read more

What a great find! Wonderful Afghani food that is quick, healthy, and inexpensive. We had the lamb, beef, and chicken kababs with rice. They were all delicious, but the beef was my favorite. The rice was nicely spiced, and we ordered one topped with raisins and carrots which added even more flavor. I like that you walk up, order, and sit down so you can get in and out quickly. I will definitely visit again when in the area! read more

I was nervous moving to upstate NY and not having good halal... but let me tell you!!! This is DELICIOUS!! I got the lamb kabob rice platter and was impressed! The presentation was great and the amount of food was perfect and more than I was expecting! The lamb was so juicy and flavorful. The white sauce is delicious and I am a huge fan of their hot sauce as well! The food is soo good you don't even need the sauces but they add such an amazing additional flavor to it. I def recommend. The inside is very nice as well. Ample seating. I love the vibe. I will be coming here more! read more

Zaitoon Kitchen - Lamb Kabob Rice Plate - Mediterranean Near Me - Latham, New York

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Lemme put ya'll on something: I don't know what it is made of, but that "white sauce" lordyyyy LORD I could drink it with a straw! My boyfriend and I came here unexpectedly after having to bring one of our furbabies to the emergency vet nearby & this food was EXACTLY what we both needed after the stressful evening we were having. We absolutely loved everything we ordered! Service was fast & kind, food was fresh & loaded with flavor. Seriously, do yourself a favor and go here!! read more

We came here for the falafels and they didn't disappoint. This is definitely a place to get quick food and service. I wouldn't say it's the best falafel in the area though - I recommend Mamouns on Washington Ave for that. The regular hummus and baba ganoush were very bland but the roasted red pepper hummus was okay. I'm not overwhelmed by Zaitoon and I honestly don't know if we'd come back. I think there are better options in the Albany area. read more

Zaitoon Kitchen - Mediterranean Near Me - Latham, New York

amazing food, I would highly recommend the lamb chops or the chicken and rice with the mint yogurt drink. If it's cold out side and you want to worm up with a cup of tea I would also recommend the biscuit cake. read more

Zaitoon Kitchen - Mediterranean Near Me - Latham, New York

Thoroughly unimpressed with Zaitoon Kitchen. After reading all of the rave reviews, I was expecting some pretty transcendent Afghan/Middle Eastern food. Maybe it's partly to do with the fact that we got takeout, and the food was cool by the time we were eating. The falafel was dense and a little doughy. The bolani would've been much better warm, so that is our fault, but as it was the filling was unidentifiable. The salads were pretty dull. Even the baba ganoush was lacking in flavor. You know it's bad when your party is saying, "Well, the rice is really good!" That said, the fried eggplant appetizer and kadu were on point, and the ground beef/lamb and straight up lamb & rice dishes were very good. So much promise here. I noticed the ratings seem to drop off after January. Wha happened? read more

Meh. Try the Halal Guys in NYC, Chicago, and Virginia, though admittedly, their menu is different from Zaitoon's. I was anxious to try a local halal-type joint and Zaitoon being close to Exit 6 off the Northway fit the bill. The building is new and clean, but has limited seating for the exterior size of the building. Maybe 10 tables. It was lunchtime on a weekend with no empty tables to be found. Luckily by the time the wrap I ordered was ready, we scouted a seat and raced to stake our claim to it. Plenty of other customers standing around waiting for a table too. I tried the chicken kebab wrap for about $8. The portion size was fine. The chicken was well seasoned, but lukewarm. The naan was very thin and cold, which caught me offguard. The white dill sauce was flavorful. I expected chicken and the wrap ttself to be warm, considering the amount of people working in the kitchen, however, it just wasn't. Zaitoon didn't get it done for me. Disappointed...and I outwardly sigh as I type this. read more

I ordered the falafel rice dish and a side of Baba. The falafel were fresh made, green and moist as they should be, but needed more spice/flavor. Way more bland than a falafel should be. The rice was soft, delicious and nicely spiced. The baba was a total disappointment- no smoky roasted flavor! Bland and served with store bought pita (as opposed to their naan, which is good). And no spicy sauce available?? Should be by the pepper. BTW, this is a counter service place. Clean with booths but cold. I left my coat on to eat. Lots of easily correctable items. I'll try again in 6 months. read more

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Yes this place is great! food is wonderful !even when they had a fire these good ppl were so nice to ppl even though some ppl were complete assholes about it -I'd give them a 10 star but I can't read more

I was hyped to try this spot when it opened on the circle and it did not disappoint! The servings were generous, the dishes were great and the spot was quaint and chill. T he prices are not bad at all, especially for how much you get. I got the falafel rice plate and was impressed with the helping - I took almost half to go! read more

Was really looking forward to trying this place. I asked the server if the naan was baked fresh in house. But clearly it is not. It is store bought tortilla wrap. The chicken kabobs inside the wrap was good. The chicken was well seasoned. That's probably the only good thing I tried. The chicken sandwich was another disappointment. The "chicken" was store bought frozen tenders. Tasted very salty because of all the preservatives. read more

Zaitoon Kitchen - "Naan" wrap - Mediterranean Near Me - Latham, New York

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Will definitely go back!!! Chicken was so tender and delicious. Rice had a great flavor. Only reason I didn't give it five stars is personally I like falafels with a lil spice in them and they didn't but was still very good!!!' read more

Zaitoon Kitchen - Chicken rice platter with side of falafel - Mediterranean Near Me - Latham, New York