Last week, a friend of mine took me to this dinky hole in the wall for lunch and I had, by far, the best gyro I have ever tasted. I find that much of the Mediterranean cuisine in the area tastes as though it is produced by the same cookie-cutter franchise. Aladdin, on the other hand, must have a magic lamp of flavorful goodness stashed away somewhere. The spices they use on their meat produces a uniquely delicious and highly superior gyro. The restaurant (Not to be confused with Aladdin Gyro-cery down on 42nd) is located along the West side of the Ave between 45th and 47th. It is cozy like a shoe box, containing perhaps three small tables and an equally tiny counter top. The nondescript atmosphere really contributes to the sense of discovery on the first visit. read more

What this place lacks in pretty much everything, it makes up for by one, being located on The Ave (University Way) and two, staying open super late most of the week to handle the late night college drinking crowd. I found this place because I am a Postmates delivery guy and I was sent here about 5 times in a row one night. Last night I stopped in to have a gyro. It was good but I ordered it spicy and even though it had good flavor, it was nowhere near spicy and severely lacked much tzatziki sauce. If you're looking for some late night food in the U-District, they have two different locations. Both on The Ave. The place is filthy and tiny but you'll be able to overlook that if you are as drunk as most of the people who patronize the joint. I would eat there again but then again, I like dives. I would think that these places make money by the barrel but I could be wrong. If that's true however, they could spend some of that money to clean up the place and maybe remodel it a bit. Oh well. Maybe that's why I've never been able to stack up enough capital to open my own place and that's the bottom line. PUN intended. Thanks for reading. read more

I really wish my gyro meat spent a little more time on the spit, maybe because at lunch time the place in run over by students, but I always miss out on the crispy bits that I love the most. Tips: Have cash, order before the rush, skip the salad, opt for the soup or fries. read more

We walked here for dinner in search of some top notch falafel while staying at Hotel Deca around the corner. We were not disappointed. Ordered the Aladdin Falafel with the Greek fries. The falafel is among the best I have ever eaten. The fries, smothered in creamy garlic sauce with feta cheese, were borderline naughty. I've been talking about this food since we left. Don't be turned off by the small, sometimes not the cleanest tables. This food is fabulous. read more

I decided to place an order on postmates then realized there was no option for a tip so I reloaded my phone and retyped in my order to see if I missed the option for a tip but there was no option! I always give a 25% tip so I feel very uncomfortable not being able to give one! Anyway, I went to the place the guy there wasn't very friendly As soon as I told him my order he huffed became even more hostile, grabbed my food, and literally threw it at me! I was for sure definitely going to give him a tip but after him throwing it at me it didn't seem very hospitable! AND THE FOOD LITERALLY TASTED SO BADD I'D EXCEPT MORE FROM SEATTLE! IT'S SO DISGUSTING! PLEASE SAVE $20 AND NEVER COME HERE! read more

This place is the definition of hidden gem. I usually try to stay away from cliches but "gem" is the only way to describe this place. The food is absolutely amazing- fresh and so full of flavor. My friends went with the traditional gyro but I went in for the Aladdin fries after seeing another table chow down on them. The Aladdin fries are beyond description. It starts with chunky, thick-cut fries cooked to perfect crispness without being greasy. They are topped with ample amounts of feta, the creamiest tzatziki and your choice of gyro meat. I chose beef (not a fan of lamb) and the meat was so tender and tasty. They also didn't skimp on the meat. Super delicious and very filling but reasonably-priced. I couldn't ask for more! My friends' gyros looked well-stuffed and they really enjoyed them. Its a bit easy to miss this restaurant, especially since it may be overshadowed by the (in)famous Thai Tom's next door. The interior is pretty small and not anything fancy, but it is generally nice and quiet. But I'm telling you- even if you're not a fan of mediterranean food you should definitely check this place out. You won't be disappointed. read more

Tzatziki on my gyro. Tzatziki on the bench I was sitting on. Tzatziki on the book I was reading. Tzatziki on the ground. Tzatziki all over my face. But no tzatziki on my 'business casual' garb, yay! I'm no gyro expert, but I've had a few in my day and if I didn't know any better, I'd say this was one of the best gyros I've had. I can only give thanks to my fellow Yelpers as I'm working in the U-District this week and was looking for some good grub and found the great reviews for Aladdin's. They're all right! Loaded with lamb, lettuce, other goodness and of course, tzatziki, my gyro was fantastic. A forewarning, however! Take the gyro out of it's pale yellow wrapping at your own risk, as you may very well lose half your gyro to the tzatziki gnomes! I also appreciated how most of the prices come out to even dollar amounts - gyro, $5; gyro + fries, $6. read more

OM NOM NOM NOM NOM OM NOM NOM NOM NOM OM NOM NOM NOM NOMMMMMMMMMMMMM SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO GOOOOOOOOOOOOOD. Did I make that clear enough? Also, it's pretty cheap. This is my favorite place on The Ave, hands down. I can die for their beef and lamb gyro. And their greek fries. And their falafel. And the cute guys working there--I MEAN friendly staff. :) They're also open late too, great place to hit up when you're starving around midnight. read more

Delicious. Fast. Delicious. Best testimony: I had a friend visiting from out of town and made sure to take her to all of Seattle's best restaurants. We ended up at Aladdin's on a low key evening and both enjoyed our meals immensely. It wasn't until months later talking to her on the phone did I realize how highly she regarded the meal. Apparently she still raves about this Seattle falafel to all of her friends and said it was the best thing she ate on her trip, despite the fancy foodie places I was dragging her around to! It really is that good. read more

The dingy yellow awning, cliché name (and fact that it's not actually on a corner) shouldn't dissuade you from trying Aladdin. I experienced it late night as drunken hordes of frat monkeys swarmed around a steaming gyro griddle greedily soaking up fumes of freshly cooked lamb chunks. After shoving my way to the front, I scored a countertop position, affording me an intimate glimpse into the madness as the proprietor, a witty gent with a gigantic schnoz took food orders from the swaying mass, adroitly mixing underhanded condescension with genuine repoire. The next morning I experienced a torrent of noxious flatulence that rudely awakened me from my fitful slumber, however it was a small price to pay for the significant hangover reduction quotient (I'd say at least 35%) experienced as a result of those freshly cooked lamb chunks, which thankfully got busy in the wee hours of the morning soaking up the toxins swimming in my stomach. read more

I love falafel, but I haven't tried it here yet because the Aladdin's Gyro is so fantastic. They offer a regular gyro, sliced right off the gyro log and put into a pita, but you would be crazy not to spend the extra buck or two for the Alladin's Gyro, which is sliced and then put on the flat top with onions and a magical garlic sauce to caramelize a bit before it's put into your sandwich (or onto your plate). The fixin's that go into the sandwich are nothing special: just iceberg lettuce, tomato slices, feta, and tzatziki (called "special garlic sauce" here), but you don't need to dress up the deliciously grilled meat and onion combo. And let's talk about the garlic sauce. It is not messing around. If you hate garlic, you probably shouldn't even come into the place. If, like me, you love garlic, the Greek fries, slathered with a generous portion of the tzatziki plus feta are to die for. I'm pretty sure it's like a 50/50 ratio of garlic and yogurt. They have a bunch of other "Mediterranean" standards that you'd expect to find at a gyro place too, but I can't say anything about those. Maybe someday I'll try the falafel, but since the gyro is so good (I think it's better than both Mr. Gyro and Santorini in Kirkland) it might take a while. read more

Their Greek Garlic Fries are to die for! My girlfriend and I make a joke about how they sprinkle crack on it because it is so addicting. But either way, the garlic sauce and feta they use is delicious! On top of that I have tried a few gyros and the best one has been the Aladdins Gyro, it has supreme taste and I love the grilled onions in them. Not only that the beef is tender, juicy and is seasoned very well! I honestly would say they have the best gyros because their wraps are cooked perfectly, the meat is juicy and tender, the feta and garlic sauce is some of the best sauce I have had to compliment the gyro and fries! Not to mention that their Baklova is amazing! If you go there you need to get the chocolate Baklova roll! It is super sweet, moist and is one of the best Baklova rolls I have had before. Now, I am not saying all of this because it's the only Greek restaurant I have been to, because I have been to over 10 different Greek restaurants, and if you are looking for the best gyro and fries then you need to go to Aladdin's! However, if you are looking for a five star restaurant, with waiters in suits and isn't a hole in the wall restaurant then I wouldn't go. But if you can get over the fact that it's a hole in the wall, and you want the best Greek food then you need to go here. They will treat you very well, will crack jokes with you, and heck I even learned how to pronounce my name in Irish! Definitely a must go! read more

The only problem with this place is that you have to stand in line! It's popular! Sometimes you get behind someone who has to ask questions, " what is a gyro? Why is there air?" Breathe.. exhale.. you are on the Ave.. it'll be over soon. Then your turn.. mmmmm salivation begins. Gyros, falafels, fries! They have fries! All excellent. I didn't realize it remained open so late.. I am nto a night owl, butt here you go! read more

Food is average. Place is dirty. I can see this being a go to place for the local college kids who haven't experienced better. I've traveled all over Greece and the U.S. In my travels I have found way better places for the same price. But at the end, I gave it a 1 star for it being dirty. And the people running it were not practicing the best food safety. It really just took my appetite away. If they took the time to clean it up I would give it a 3 star for what you get. It's a hole in the wall place for when you are dying for a gyro and don't have any other options. Fries portioning is large. Tomatoes and onions not fresh (seemed a couple days old) Meat had a good flavor. read more

Hands down, the best lamb gyros in the northwest bar none. I drive up from Bonney Lake for no other reason than to eat their gyros, it's definitely worth the drive. Also try #22 lamb & beef or chicken dinner special comes with basmati rice, frta cheese salad, hummus or baba ganoug, pita & drink of choice (no alcohol). Their greek fries are worth getting as well, it comes with homemade garlic sauce and feta cheese. They're open until 2am every morning. read more

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Aladdin Falafel is a pretty decent place to pick up some cheap Mediterranean food. It's a pretty small space: there's the counter next to the door and an adjoining side room with a few tables and chairs. It's another one of those cool places where you can be sitting at the table observing them make your food while also catching a little people watching on the Ave. They are pretty quick and moved a long line of people through efficiently. I had a falafel (since it's the name of the place, I figured it had to be tried) which was rather good. Just the right amount of sauce and the bread was soft and chewy. The prices are also hard to beat; for two of us with drinks it was $11. read more

My family and I have been going to Aladdin's for many, many years. It has been our go-to spot for gyros, schwarmas, and greek fries. Our visits probably average at least twice each month. With the current COVID-19 stay-at-home order and restrictions on dine-in eating, it has been really important to me and my family to support our favorite small, local businesses. We had actually just enjoyed a meal on Thursday night without issue. Today was different. I called Aladdin's to place a to-go order (2 jumbo lamb and beef gyros without veggies, 1 chicken schwarma without pickles, and 1 large greek fries) at 2:56 pm on 4/26/2020 and was told it would take 20 minutes. I arrived early and waited in my car for awhile, and went inside. As the only customer in the restaurant, there was only one person working and I let him know I had already called in my order over the phone. He responded something along the lines of them having just switched shifts (to my understanding as he had a thick accent). Thinking nothing of this, and as my family and I do every time we pick up food, I jogged his memory and said "yeah the 2 gyros, 1 schwarma, and 1 greek fries" which he wrote down on his pad. He proceeded to charge me, and I tipped him 15%. He then tells me it will be about 5 minutes still and I saw that he already had some of the food going on the grill. After waiting, he hands me my order and I say thank you and leave. When I get into my car which is parked directly in front of the restaurant, I discover that my order was incorrect. Instead, I received 3 lamb and beef gyros, not jumbo, with veggies, and no chicken schwarma. The only item correct was the greek fries. I immediately return to the restaurant, sure that this was someone else's order, and very politely informed him that my order was incorrect and listed the items that I actually ordered. He then immediately cuts me off saying "No, no, no, you ordered 3 gyros, and 1 greek fries and points to his order pad". When I tried to calmly explain that I had ordered over the phone 20 minutes prior and tried to jog his memory with my order, he immediately cut me off, repeated the same thing over, and very curtly added "this is what I charged you for, this is what you get!" He then began to turn his back to me, and headed back towards the grill. Out of the corner of my eye, another female customer watched our exchange with a startled look on her face. Feeling simply defeated and misunderstood, I left the restaurant with a completely incorrect order knowing I just tipped this man almost $5 on top of everything. This is the first time ever that I felt so disregarded as a customer. I'm calling it as it is - I suspect the treatment I received is because I am a woman and I was alone. My only regret is that I didn't get his name or take a photo of him but here is my description: Older male, maybe in his 40's, almost completely bald, burgundy red T-shirt, and dark complected. This person was not one of their usual really laid back, very kind younger employees who you see so often behind the counter. There are far too many places to spend your hard-earned money to support local businesses, especially under the current COVID-19 circumstances, so this will be the last time I will be eating at Aladdin's. One bad apple can really ruin a business for customers, even regulars, as it did for me. read more

This place is one of my favorites and I definitely don't go here enough. On top of having awesome gyro and falafil sandwiches, the prices are great, and I love how its set up with a bar and bar stools to eat at while you can watch the guy who works there make the food. They always have some nice tunes playing as well. This place also won my heart over when my friend and I, several years ago as drunken 21 year olds, had to outrun some scary guys who were chasing us late at night after the bars closed. We were rescued and let inside Aladdin falafel corner, told to hide in the bathroom, and the dude who worked there threatened to call the cops on the guys who were following us. We were allowed to hang out there until it was safe. It was extremely nice of them when they could've just turned the other cheek and not become involved, which is what most other people in seattle probably would've done!! read more

YUM! I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE their fried cauliflower gryo & my boyfriend swears by their jumbo gyro. Amazing vegetarian selections (outside of the standard "falafel"). Good sauces (hummus, tahini, etc). Greek fries are crispy, covered in mayo (?), feta, fresh herbs & spices.Food is big & will fill you up. They do take credit cards now. 2 drinks, 2 gryos & a large greek fry was $18 last. Don't be scared if you see a crowd - it's most likely for Thai Tom next door. read more

My taste buds are still praising the gods for such a delicious and fresh gyro. I'm a huge fan of gyros so after reading the reviews from fellow Yelpers I had to give it a try. AMAZING!!!! The meat was super tender with an excellent taste, the veggies were crisp and fresh, and I loved the green bell pepper that was added. I'm not a fan of onions and they were happy to accommodate. My guy got a Shawarma and said it was perfect. He got to try his share of exotic finds during his stint in the military and he said this Shawarma beat out all of the stands in Bahrain. We added an order of fries and a soda. Like everything else, the fries were made fresh ... yummy!! We are both ready to go back, hungry for more!! **Side note: There is an extra charge to use an accepted credit card (visa). We were told they do not accept AMEX or Discover.** read more

Yum! Our favorite for Friday night delivery. We get the vegan cauliflower wrap and a side of rice. It's very comforting. Also the fires are tasty! Well priced and delicious read more

My absolute favorite place to eat...to get gyros, falafel, baklava, baba ganoush, for dinner, for lunch, for late nights, even for a late breakfast! It's about as big as a closet, but don't let that fool you. The owners are super-friendly, as everyone has already mentioned. I only wish that I had found Aladdin Falafel sooner. I would eat there every single day if I could... and definitely pay with cash. They charge a small fee for credit cards, but it's worth it if that's all you've got. read more

So, I know what you're thinking. It would be pretty awesome to wake up miraculously fit/toned/tan with a check for 3 million dollars lying next to your coffee machine, which by the way happens to be dispensing liquid charisma, talent, and wit. The doorbell rings and the mailman arrives, handing you a small package containing the keys to a brand new ferrari. Within said ferrari is your celebrity of choice, naked, except for the pile of diamonds in their lap. Yeah, that would be nice. Aladdin's Falafel Corner is by far the second best thing. Im not shitting you. Go in there and order up a number 9. Receive it, made fresh, in a matter of minutes. Consume. Experience bliss. No joke, this place is a food group for most UW students and District residents who aren't afraid to traverse the ave'. Additionally, they're open late. When bars close late. Added bonus. In fact, I think I'm ready for a number 9 right about now... read more

I have a love hate relationship with gyros, they have to be made a very specific way for me to like them and this place is on point. I am a lover of garlic, which this place has plenty of. I always get the Aladdin Gyro which rather than tzatziki sauce on it is covered in the same garlic sauce they use on their amazing Greek fries. They are very friendly and rather quick with making our food. Another big plus is that they are open late (2am on the weekdays 4am weekends), after a few drinks this place really hits the spot. They have a really large drink selection which is a big plus in my book. The gyro itself had very juicy and tender meat, tons of cheese and feta cheese and a good amount of onions that have been grilled with the meat. They sprinkle a bit of spice afterwards to bring out one last bit of flavor. In my opinion this is one of the best places on the ave, and is by far the best gyro I have had around town. Definitely worth a stop in if you enjoy a gyro. read more

Placed an order for pick up through grub hub. Note 1 Don't do this when I went to pick up my order I noticed they are charging an upwards of $10 for each plate online vs in person (doesn't matter if you are picking up your own order). A plate on their menu will be $8 and online will be $18. My order was missing 4 items and specializations that were paid extra for were ignored. read more

This is one of the greatest restaurants i have ever been to. 11 years of eating here and i am still not sick of it. $5 for a huge amount of food, great people and fairly quick service. Jumbo gyros no tomatoes has been my comfort food and this place is the only place that makes it right. Everyone who i have brought here has fallen i love instantly with the wonderful food if you are in seattle, this is somewhere you MUST eat at. read more

Ordered the beef shawarma sandwich and the Aladdin fries (every hung-over college kids' dream). The sauce of the sandwich was very good. The bread was soft and fresh. The fries were very good- covered in garlic sauce, gyro meat, and feta. It's like middle eastern carne asada fries. Delish! read more

Aladdin Falafel Corner - Aladdin fries - Mediterranean Near Me - Seattle, Washington

I came here at 2 AM last night so this is a very biased review. Biased in the way that I was drunk and I had beer munchies. Nevertheless, this place was delightful. I had the following: Beef/lamb gyro - The meat was perfectly cooked and seasoned. I love the yogurt sauce that they throw in this. Fries - Yum! Perfectly crispy and seasoned with a little cayenne (I think). Most of all, I loved the hot sauce that they have. I'm a hot sauce addict and seriously I could eat cardboard with the hot sauce that they had but glad it accompanied delicious food :) read more

So freaking good. I always get extra sauce on my gyro. It's crazy that you get a massive heap of fries with your sandwich for such a cheap price. The combos are the deal of the century. read more

Food is okay, Service is Sloppy. Price is cheap, you will get what you pay for. Will not recommend. read more

These guys are the best! I haven't been there in a year, saw them just buy the tobacco shop next door and were just starting the remodeling. I've eaten at the old location for years, got off the freeway after 5'oclock heading to Everett (you KNOW how bad traffic is at that time!), on the way to work and being late for stopping there, drove from DT or Northgate just for lunch, caught the bus from 45th and Stone just to go there on a Saturday afternoon, these guys are worth it every time. Hmm,,I think I'm gonna go by there tonight! The food it always fresh, always hot, always good. I admit that I have not been as adventurous as I should be, but I know they always give me the "nod" hello, never mind waiting, they are all good guys that they've got working there. They are open till 3:00am, gawd I have NO IDEA why I haven't been by there after getting off work at the bar!?! There is never any bullshitting around here. I've been there all hours, seen all kinds of crowds there. You place your order, and unless there are 20 people ahead of you, your pita bread gets slapped on the grill in the next 15-30 seconds. You can see what's cooking, shout at him, "no onions, extra onions", he'll look back, "this one here?" give you a nod and go back at it. Always nice guys, you feel appreciated as a customer, the owner has never known my name, but I feel like I've known him for years. read more

The Aladdin empire sprawls from one end of the ave to the other. This is the other location. It's smaller and is really just a take-away food place. Dodge the pseudo-homeless and the drug slingers and stop in here for some gyro action. read more

What's better then a gyro, gyro fries!!! I've been taking trips to Seattle often over the course of four years and only now my brother (who attended and graduated from UW) has introduced me to Aladdin's fries!! Forget chili cheese fries, forget truffle fries, forget garlic tries, forget any other kind of fries for that matter, because gyro fries is where it's at!! Soooo good, whether you're drunk or sober. read more

Aladdin Falafel Corner - gyro fries!! must try!! - Mediterranean Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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Nevermind my mediocre, detail-less review. I had a great experience the last time I was at Aladdin. I was pulling an all-nighter to catch an early flight and felt hunger grow as the night wore on with nary a bite to eat in the cupboard. I trekked down in the snowy U-District and found that Aladdin's and the rest of the ave was deserted. He said it was the slowest night of his life and got my delectable falafel sandwich at a heavily discounted blizzard rate right when I needed it most. I couldn't have been happier. read more

I've seen better Mediterranean restaurants. I asked to toast my gyro, didn't get to that. Got the chicken shishtawook sandwich. The chicken was burnt. They have ayran (salty yogurt drink) which is a positive. Had a side of falafel, which was too salty and overly fried. read more

This place is on the top of the food chain when it comes to gyros on the Ave. What sets them apart is they grill the gyro meat to reheat it, and as they do so they add extra seasoning to it on the grill, which makes their gyros the best tasting. Other places don't do this, only reheating and serving. With Shawarma (with the thin pita), they take care to rotate the Shawarma on the grill and get a bit of a crust all around so that when you bite into it, the texture has contrast. I personally prefer the chicken shawarma over the other kinds because with the others, the grease tends to pool in the bottom of the Shawarma as you eat, and since it doesn't mix with tzatziki sauce, you get a mouthful of tzatziki/grease in a halfway-mixed sort of yin-yang puddle of nasty at the end. But don't be turned off by that, the Shawarma is absolutely delicious otherwise. Great joint, this place. Just keep in mind that it really is a fast food place for college kids at the end of the day, not your grandma's organic vegetable garden. Delicate it is not. read more

Delicious delicious delicious.. This place over met my expectations. The gyro/chicken are both worth trying; so tender, flavorful, and extremely fulfilling. The rice had a perfect fluffy texture and the white garlic sauce was a perfect compliment to the beef/lamb as well as the chicken. I live in Los Angeles minutes from thousands of Arabic food choices but would still prefer to come back here. Original and delicious. Customer service is fantastic, the employees will go out of their way to make sure you are happy.. What a fabulous find in Washington!!! read more

Aladdin Falafel Corner - Half Beef/Lamb half Chicken Dinner platter.. DELICIOUS - Mediterranean Near Me - Seattle, Washington

The owner and employees at Aladdin are friendly and gracious; the falafel is fried to order; and the pita is homemade, but the end product still falls short of delicious. The falafel balls were acceptable but Aladdin needs a nice acidic contrast in the way of fillings; all we got was shredded lettuce and thick tehina (I think it was tehina; didn't taste like hummus). Had there been some lemon to brighten the tehina, or maybe a little tabouleh, the sandwich would have been infinitely better. But there's an overall heavy, uninteresting, boring mash of flavors inside the falafel sandwich, all cradled in an overthick pita. Until I see some tomato or lemon inside the falafel sandwiches, I don't expect to come here ever again. Additionally, whatever the red spice is that they sprinkle over the sandwich (is it really just paprika?) tastes pretty stale. read more

I've been to this place twice so far. My first experience was not so pleasant. I went about two months ago on a Friday night. I didn't have any problems with the food. However, like many other reviewers said, it took FOREVER for me to get my food. The restaurant wasn't even that busy; I think there were only three other orders before mine. Yet, it took about 25 minutes for me to get my shawarma sandwich. I went again this past Sunday, and got my food in less than 10 minutes. Granted, the place was nearly empty. This place has a pretty impressive selection of gyros and shawarma sandwiches. I like how you have the option to order a small, regular, or large. I might have to get a large sandwich when I'm real hungry. The chicken shawarma sandwich here is so delicious! The meat is so tender and juicy. The pita bread is grilled just right; a perfect moist and crispy texture. I can't vouch for how authentic the shawarma meat is, since they use the same meat from their gyros. There's plenty of seating room in the restaurant. The interior is nothing special, but people come here for the food anyways. Can't say much about the service. The cooks have the decency to bring the food to your table. The water is self service. This is my go-to place for shawarma and gyro sandwiches! Regardless of the slow service, I still highly recommend checking this place out! read more

I have to admit, despite it being greasy and slightly salty, the lamb/beef gyro was oh-so-deelicious... AND affordable! This is the first meal I had in Seattle after being picked up from the airport in the middle of the night. It is good on the go and I had it again on my trip back to California. Next time I visit Seattle, I will get my gyro fix here. One thing to remember, bring CASH. They won't accept credit cards. read more