This is a great restaurant, convenient location. The atmosphere was welcoming, the staff were friendly and polite. The chicken and the lump were delicious. The two platters that we got were excellent, large quantity and delicious. The lady who served us was excellent, she is the face of the restaurant, hard worker and respectful. This was my second time in the 2 years and both times she served us, a great person. We will visit her again if we are in the area. read more

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So, to say that the experience was bad is an understatement, which is sad because the food had so much potential, but did not deliver. First issue was that the bathroom was not working (a frozen pipe issue), which is a health concern to be honest because how does the staff wash their hands. I asked the waitress and she said they had a sink that worked but I cannot use it to wash my hands (honestly, we should have left then). Issue #2. I ordered the shawarma platter, which would have been fantastic if it wasn't half-cold. Issue #3. A similar issue but for a different reason. We also ordered a shawarma sandwich, which was served in small rolls (since it is the cold winter months, I would suggest serving the sandwich as is to preserve the heat). The service is also kind of slow. Our waitress disappeared at some point and we had to go get the box and the check ourselves. FYI for unsuspecting customers, the place charges 18% service fee. read more

Al Sham Restaurant - Chicken Shawarma Sandwich - Middle Eastern Near Me - Astoria, New York

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Food is good. Have had kebab all over the world. This place is pretty authentic. One thing I didn't like is the silly automatic 18% "service fee." Don't treat your patrons like fools. They are smarter than you. They are the heart of your business. I paid $11 for la kofta wrap, was charged NYC tax PLUS a baseless $1.98 fee. This is actually a slap in the face to every single customer who walks in here. read more

Al Sham Restaurant - Why is there an 18% service fee? I paid cash and picked up. Tim to report this to the BBB and Dept. Of Consumer Affairs - Middle Eastern Near Me - Astoria, New York

The food is so delicious and the seating in the back is spacious and perfect for the community that's not the problem the tall girl has a nasty attitude and has no hospitality or respect for customers. She was dealing with other orders behind the register for customers I asked her for an add on to my order and she screamed at me don't you see we're busy. I know mustafa and every worker there and never been treated like that. She speaks with her mouth open like she's special ed. It's sad to see poor low class workers in great restaurants tarnishing their reputation. Please rectify the situation and teach her some class. read more

In principle the food was good. But was shocked when they added $25 for service fee! I asked if it was the tip and they answered No its for sitting at the restaurant! Unaceptable! Is this legal? We spent over $150 were we supposed to sit on the floor? read more

I was pretty disappointed by this place. I ordered the chicken shawarma sandwich - which cost about $11 and it was not filling! It was also very bland and extremely oily. My stomach hurt a lot after eating, so I do not recommend. The service was also very slow despite no one being in the store! There is some seating in the store, but felt more like a to go place read more

Al Sham Restaurant - Inside - Middle Eastern Near Me - Astoria, New York

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I left this review on google a few weeks ago since it's friday (my typical order out day) the owner did reply ill fix it yet did absolutely nothing to fix it i figured i'd update yelp also which i usually do to, ORIGINAL REVIEW : The food at Alsham is delicious, but I consistently encounter issues with my orders. The first time I ordered ,online and I went inside to pick it up I told the lady that I had placed the order for pick up and gave her my name she looked and couldn't find me I showed her my confirmation and she still couldn't find me. I explained I went online and placed the order and then I got the confirmation stating that it would be ready and then she goes. Oh, I should've said it was online then she found my order. First of all, if your unable to see your orders all in one and a customer comes in and tells you they placed an order for pick up why not ask them how they placed said order? if it will make a difference on wether or not you'll be able to locate it!????? I let it slide because I genuinely enjoy the food , it's flavorful and satisfying. However, I keep encountering problems. There's always something missing or wrong when I go to pick up my order, and the transaction is never smooth. I don't live close by, so I can't use delivery; I have to drive all the way from JFK, often through heavy traffic, vanwyck nightmares, just to pick up the food I love. But honestly, it's becoming less worth the hassle. Today might mark the last time I make this trip. A few weeks ago, I once again placed an order online. My fiancé, who was in Brooklyn, went to Astoria to pick it up, only to be told that they had given it to a delivery driver. I can't order for delivery because I live too far away, and they don't deliver to my area! After a frustrating back-and-forth, they finally made me a new order. Another issue is their website. Sometimes it doesn't work properly, or maybe it's just tricky to navigate. On one occasion, I tried ordering directly from their site, but I kept getting a "domain unreachable" message. Today, I placed another order, which isn't cheap btw if i have not yet mentioned your dropping a pretty penny at this spot. I ordered the Alsham mixed grill and asked for extra white sauce, meaning I still expected the sauces that come with the dish. When I picked it up, I asked the lady if I had received the extra white sauce, and she assured me I did. However, when I got home, I found only one small sauce, no lamb chop, no tahini sauce, and none of the typical vegetables. In a previous order, they also missed some of the meats that should have been included, but I was too tired to argue about it. I'm just so sick and tired of being disappointed with this place. Yes, the food is good, but the service is lacking, especially for the prices they charge. There's always something missing, and it feels like they don't care to do anything about it. read more

Al Sham Restaurant - missing meats , sent them the picture of the time they forgot to include the lambchop also , always something, the mix grill is $30 ! - Middle Eastern Near Me - Astoria, New York

Overpriced. There is FLAT SERVICE CHRGE 18% if you dine in!!! I don't know for what!!! In addition, they ask for tips. The $10-20 listed above is only for takeaway sandwich. All the utensils and plates are cheap plastic. No glass for your soda. No diet drink option. They listed tabbouleh but per the waiter they stopped having it for months!!! The place is not clean and messy. So I don't know for what this 18% service charge!!!!!!!!!! The food was ok but nothing special. I ordered 1 kufta plate, 1 lamb chops plate, 1 kebbeh, 1 hummus, and 1 soft drink, my bill was $100. Ridiculous!!!!!! I don't recommend it. Will not go again!! read more

Please read this review CAREFULLY! if you know what you want there and are not exploring, you will leave very happy and would repeat! In my opinion, the Shawarma here is the best thing, and anything else comes to average or even bad! So if you don't have time to read! SHAWARMA beef and chicken are 5 STARS HERE! ORDER IT AND YOU WON'T REGRET IT ;) I found this place after I was disappointed trying to locate Farid Kebab food truck, and after being so frustrated walking back and forth ! I smelled a great smell ( notice that?? The smell brought me!) Then I saw 2 giant Shawarma skewers ! Massive! Like the ones I'm used to back home in Egypt ( in Egypt you can find all kinds of Shawarma, the Egyptian, the Levantine (aka Syrian , the Lebanese ( not so popular) and The Turkish Döner) . This is a Levantine ( aka Syrian ) Shawarma, that's even the name of the restaurant in Arabic . Al Sham = The Levant ! The menu is huge, but I was so focused on the Shawarma . My only problem is that I wanted only meat, and the items are designed to come with rice and bread and priced that way! Getting only Shawarma and salad for $20 was a bit over priced but again that was my situation and if anyone is getting the sandwiches $10 each , the combo or Platers I think it would've been just fair! You can't blame them for that! The Shawarma sandwiches ( I only saw them making it) are very authentic! The way they make it, wrap it, the toppings, and even the way they finish the wrap by touching it with the Shawarma fats and back to the grill is very authentic! Wow! I wish I had that! My Shawarma tasted like Shawarma heaven! The beef Shawarma was amazing and very tasty! The chicken was also amazing! Excellent Shawarma! The ambiance of the place is just matching with the area, and I'll leave that to your understanding! In my opinion it was perfectly fine! The service was nice but a little bit rushing because it was really busy at the time! I'll definitely go there again if I'm visiting NYC and maybe will try their Brooklyn branch! Try it, vote for the review , message me, or compliment me with any comment or question, and don't forget to ... Pray for me ;) read more

We ordered the hummus for appetizer which came with a basket of pita. The hummus was smooth and creamy in texture and the toppings of olive oil, fried nuts, and green chili's elevated its taste. For entrees we ordered the alsham mix grill with rice and salad along with a beef shawarma sandwich and ayran to drink. The meats were tender, juicy, and succulent to taste. Ask for the pomegranate sauce on the side to elevate the dish. Dishes are worth the price. Each dish was better than the next. Cozy seating area in the back. Also a good spot for a quick takeout. read more

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This business has opened their second location in Astoria on Steinway Street last month. This place is delicious!! All of the servers were so friendly and attentive. They were also very helpful in explaining some dishes that my mom and I weren't too familiar with. It was so great trying more Middle Eastern food and getting a taste of their culture. Restaurant is clean and nicely painted! They definitely went all out to give the restaurant an inviting ambiance. To start off, we ordered the Mix Appetizers- this comes with falafel, babaganoush, hummus, and a red pepper dip. Pita bread is also included with these dips. All of the dips were so flavorful and fantastic! One of the servers was so kind to even offer us extra falafels on the house :) Unfortunately they were out of the yogurt drink (Ayran) that we wanted to try, but we opted for a Moussy- this a non-alcoholic sparkling fruity drink. I would say the taste was pleasant. For our main course, we ordered the chicken shawarma- this comes with French fries, garlic sauce, and pickled vegetables. The chicken was seasoned very good and the wrapped bread was nice and crisp to bite into. The fries were crisp and seasoned good as well. For dessert, we tried the pistachio baklava. The baklava was amazing! It was fresh, crisp to perfection, and had the perfect balance of sweetness. Overall the food was a bit pricey, but totally worth it in the end. Wishing the business much success in the future! *Note* they only take cash tips. read more

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So, I recently checked out Alsham on Astoria Blvd, a Middle Eastern joint. Gotta say, it was a pretty cool spot! The food was a solid representation of Middle Eastern flavors, hitting the right notes. The kebabs were tasty, juicy, and had some killer seasoning. And let's not forget the hummus - smooth, creamy, and paired perfectly with warm pita bread. But my absolute fave was the shawarma; tender meat with all the fixings, it hit the spot! The staff at Alsham were really friendly and knew their stuff. They hooked us up with recommendations and made sure we had everything we needed. The service was on point, no complaints there. The vibe at Alsham was chill and welcoming. Middle Eastern decor added a nice touch, making it feel authentic. And gotta give props for keeping the place clean and tidy. All in all, my experience at Alsham was solid. If you're up for some Middle Eastern grub in a laid-back setting, give Alsham a go. It won't disappoint!"in the photos: Alsham Mix Grill, Chicken Shawarma read more

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Was there late last night with a couple of friends. As you know parking there can be difficult so as one of us was looking for parking, 2 of us went in to order. The girl at the register was incredibly rude from the beginning. She was impatient and had no manners. Asking about her menu was no-no. She stood there ans stared us down while we perused the menu and just to be clear there was no line. They ran out of beef shwarma, so we went with the lamb kebab platter and chicken kebab for takeout. AFTER we already paid, she said it would take 20 minutes. While waiting I asked if i could close the door because it was cold, and was met with a blank stare. I know you heard me. So we went inside the restaurant and stood away from the door, getting in the way of the wait staff and other patrons. After 20 minutes when the food was ready, our friend had found parking and we asked if we could sit in the restaurant. She said no it's a different charge... um, where is that the menu? Okay, we will pay the difference. With that. She said no. You can't stay. She was clearly in charge because the men wouldn't let us stay without her permission. . I'm gonna say because of the way she acted with the men verses us women, she has an issue with women. Food was good. Menu limited but a terrible overall experience in a hole-in-the-wall establishment. Waeem, do better.. Your attitude was unacceptable and you had no reason to treat like that. Especially because we were nothing but nice and polite. We were raised right. If you're having a bad day, take the day off. Don't ruin other people's night out. read more

I visited Al Sham as an alternative to another restaurant that had closed early. It was pretty quiet for a Thursday night in Astoria. The dining area is a bit unappealing; the booths were flimsy with large pieces of paper in place of tablecloths. The goal was to get some authentic mixed appetizers and shawarma. The kitchen was were out of Muammara, one of the main components of the mixed appetizers. Even though there were 3 hours till close, the server said that they wouldn't be making any more. We subbed it out for some fries and ordered one chicken and one beef shawarma sandwich. The mixed appetizers were nothing special compared to others I've had. The shawarma was decent. The meat was tender and seasoned well, but the dipping sauce was bland. The food and experience here were pretty mediocre. Neither were awful, but there are definitely much better options from the wide selection of Arab spots in Astoria. read more

A great find I need to come back again and visit this bakery sweet shop. A small shot of expresso costs $2.00, but there are a few interesting treats that I can't even pronounce. I tried a few samples tonight and left presently surprised. The total cost is $6.00 for a few samples; it's well worth the money! read more

Food was great, service amazing, the girl that helped us is so nice & pretty. They close late & we got there pretty late. When it was time to pay they didn't have working Apple Pay so we had to pay cash. That is the reason the other star removed because I never carry cash and yeah. Still payed though. The place is clean and everything was fresh and tasted great. They have a takeout menu and indoor menu. So 2 different type menus. The yogurt drink did not taste good. I'm sorry. read more

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Food is AMAZING. Authentic. Delicious. Fresh. I literally see them using fresh ingredients all the time. The service is impeccable. So polite, so homey. If you're respectful; you will be treated with respect. I see negative comments on here about the service that just seem to have an overwhelming racist undertone. Obviously, if you act hostile, you may not receive the best service. read more

Delicious and authentic! We love the hummus and falafel as well as the grilled meats. Good, quick service and very clean

Can't find zero stars that's why I gave one star! Horrible tastelessness food, my stomach got so bad after eating there. The chef was dipping his finger in the garlic sauce container and eating. Really disgusting!! The Cashier woman was so rude! Nothing good to say just Stay away from this place read more

Food is 10/10 absolutely recommend. From flavor to presentation to customer service, everything is great. read more

Al Sham Restaurant - Middle Eastern Near Me - Astoria, New York

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It's quite puzzling that this place doesn't higher ratings. This is far and away the best shawarma I've had in the States. It is delicious & perfectly crafted from the crispy wrap to the juicy and tasty chicken you'll be left licking your chops. The muthawama (garlic sauce) was also quite good, some might like it a little more garlicky but it is yummy. The only thing I'd say is I wish it was a tiny bit bigger, nothing to knock a star off over, though. Highly recommend. read more

Al Sham Restaurant - Chicken shawarma - Middle Eastern Near Me - Astoria, New York

The best food you can eat in queens you should try it it's really good and delicious I recommend it read more

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Like others mentioned ...food is good....service is zero....the employees there are rude and they look very unhappy working there.....messes up the whole experience. read more

We stumbled upon this place by accident and so glad we did. We only had the chicken shawarma and large fries and it was soooooo delicious. It was served with this creamy garlic mayo and pickled relish that was such a good complement. We can't wait to return and have all of their dips and salads with hot breads ... yum. Shout out to the waitress who works there. She was so friendly and invited us to come back during the week so that she can have more time to talk us... so sweet. read more

Food is good, portions are small, service is terrible one lady doing Everything. Ambiance is noisy more of a fast food vibe

This place is a JOKE! They have unprofessional, inexperienced youths operating the phones and working there so your order takes forever to be processed. If you try to speak to someone working there, you are met with excuses, condescension, and attitude, not actual solutions. In addition, they don't take any form of payment beyond cash- unless you are keen to spend exorbitant fees through third-party delivery, like Uber eats or DoorDash because they don't care about their customers getting their food... read more

Awesome place, excellent customer services, ordered Alsham Mix Grill, meat so tender accompanied with the sauce to give them even more flavor. Definately I will come back! read more

Al Sham Restaurant - Amazing! - Middle Eastern Near Me - Astoria, New York

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So delicious middle East food in nys Shawarma Grill Falafel Whole chicken Humos Italian shawarma read more

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Don't fall for this place I continue to get trapped by ordering from here and the customer service alone is negative zero.... I am surprised this establishment has lasted this long with multiple incompetent employees... even when they are wrong they are so disrespectful. Do not order from here. They will mess up your entire order and have the nerve to blame it on you. They are so cheap and to correct the issue they will come back to get the sandwiches instead of sending you new ones. Anddddddddddd my guest found staples in the mahamra read more

The food is incredible, tastes just like back in Syria, by far the best shawarma in nyc. the service is decent but the real issue is the fact that your 11$ meal becomes 17$ after taxes and 'service fees' and you're meant to tip on top of that. read more

I had gone to Al-nour today which a sunday and they are closed so i roamed around and found Al sham.food is way more expensive than other places in steinway.its not all together bad.The taste is alright but it is greasy.I wouldnt give them a negative review for that as i have had worse.But the lady at the register was a bad experience.she wasnt rude but she couldnt care less that i was waiting 30mins for a kebab platter.while everyone else is busy making food she is on a video call eating french-fries.she looked like the owner,she had an attitude that since i paid i should continue waiting. Inspite of reminding her that it is over 25mins she didnt think i need to be given any attention. Average food and bad manager/owner.please go somewhere else.these 3 stars are for the people who prepared my food. read more

absolutely delicious happy im going aagain soon , so scrumptious the shawarma is to die for read more

Al Sham Restaurant - Fries - Middle Eastern Near Me - Astoria, New York

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I wanted to try Middle Eastern food and wandered Steinway until I discovered Al-Sham. I wasn't disappointed: the food and staff were superb. We ordered a Beef Shawarma and Lamb Chops. Plus, they had complimentary hot tea and a sweet orange drink. Wonderful night and plan to return. read more

Al Sham Restaurant - Middle Eastern Near Me - Astoria, New York

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It is one of the most disappointing restaurants in New York. We were a group of four women with five children. As the children played with their iPads and conversed like children their own age, the oldest was only six years old! After finishing our meal and paying for it, the restaurant owner approached us and informed us that the children were too loud and that the other customers were being bothered by the kids' noise. He came to tell us that while we were already leaving! As a matter of fact, I asked the customers, who responded that they just kids and they did not bother them at all. Due to the owner's loud voice and rudeness, the children cried out in fear and he was too rude to us. Additionally, the food we ordered did not arrive at the same time, which caused the children to not even eat what they ordered. We were extremely frustrated by this experience. read more

Best shawarma in queens! The shawarma tastes great. It is authentic and done just right. Other places in the neighborhood do Shawerma with so much oil. At Alsham the Shawerma is tender. Hummus here is authentic too! If you haven't had hummus here, you don't know how good hummus tastes. I also had their mixed grill and it is amazing. Service is great and everyone is nice and professional. Highly recommend! read more

Al Sham Restaurant - Chicken Shawerma - Middle Eastern Near Me - Astoria, New York

I heard good things about this place, probably I went in a bad time, the food wasn't as I expected. There were barely any toppings on the sandwiches we bought, although the place was empty. read more

Overpriced and charged a service fee for nothing the food is greasy and very plain anything you want in a sandwich they charge extra for it very cheap and their portions are so small ridiculous for the price the charge read more