We don't order Mediterranean food enough, especially considering how many places we have available…read moreto us in Syracuse. This place was close by and relatively new, so we gave it a go. We've been jonesing for a good shawarma for ages, so we went with beef shawarma over rice, and lamb chops over rice. We threw in some beef sambusas and eggplant salad. The only complaint we had was the wait time. We showed up when they told us to, but ended up waiting about 25 minutes in store for the food. The staff were really friendly, and had we not ordered to go, it would have been a comfortable place to dine in. The lamb meat was tender and delicious. Not a ton of seasoning, but probably because it didn't need it. I'm seeing more and more places doing red and white sauce like the Halal Guys in NYC, and I'm all about it. The red sauce is bold and spicy, the white sauce is cool and refreshing, like Greek yogurt. They go amazing together, and I'd eat them on anything. It included two heavily seasoned pieces of pita. I'm guessing they were seasoned specifically for this meal, because the fresh mint garnish added a huge layer to the lamb meat. If you order this, I recommend asking for a ton of extra pitas seasoned just like that, even if you have to pay more. The shawarma is one of our favorites. They're not stingy with the sauce, and there's a good mix of veggies and lettuce. Extra credit for Lebanese pickles, they went a long way. The beef was a little chewy, but packed a punch. It's coated in a thick brown sauce that tastes similar to A1, but the meat itself is packed with different tastes - most notably nutmeg. I'm guessing they season it with garam masala. We definitely would have ordered some pitas if we knew it didn't include them. The sambusas were packed full of ground beef. The texture was pretty tough, but once you get past the corners they're so packed it doesn't matter. It seemed to be mostly just ground beef with little or no seasoning, but it came with a pretty flavorful dip. Not sure if it has a name, but it's Greek yogurt whipped into a frothy mixture and mixed with mint. It had a super light and airy texture that didn't match our expectations for a yogurt based dip. If you leave it for too long, it'll fall back down into an unpleasantly thin liquid like whipped cream. Texture aside though, the taste is immaculate and turned a bland sambusa into a full spectrum of flavor. Finally, we have the eggplant salad. This was our first time trying it, so I have nothing to compare it with. We tried to Google it to get a feel for what we were ordering, and the images were all over the map. I'm not sure if there's a standard or if it's a free for all. What we got was a very creamy mix of eggplant, roasted red peppers and onions. I'm guessing a lot of the creaminess is tahini, which gives it a toasted/smokey taste. It was unlike anything we've ever had before, and we're absolutely hooked. I'll definitely make sure I have pitas for it next time, it's pretty intense eating something this creamy by itself. This has been one of our favorite take out meals in a while. I hope these guys are here to stay.

I visited this new restaurant today for lunch. I have never had middle eastern food, and I had NO…read moreidea what I was missing. my husband and I chose two very different things to try... both delicious. we live right nearby and will definitely be visiting again. the prices were reasonable, the decor was lovely and most importantly it was delicious. this is my first review I've ever left on Yelp... it was that good.

The people are SO kind. Just wanted to start off with that. I've mainly done takeout, but even when…read morei've dined in, the crew has greeted me with a smile, even as they get swamped. Food-wise, I love a good chicken shawarma platter, and they got a good one!

Was working nearby. Try the skewers beef and the beef shawarma. Very very good . They also have…read morenatural juices freshly made. I will be back for sure

I ordered a rice plate with half chicken and half lamb; so delicious and the portion is generous…read morefor the price . The service was amazing. friendly and sweet staff. The place is also clean. Highly recommend!

Delicious! I was always told how quick and delicious Syracuse Halal is so I had to try it myself…read moreand I couldn't agree more! I had ordered it through Doordash and it was delivered warm, stacked to the brim, and so flavorful! I had the combo box that comes with chicken and lamb and I also chose spicy rice with lettuce, banana peppers, white sauce, green sauce, and hot sauce and the flavors all go super well together. I also really appreciate that it comes with sliced pita pieces. I had ordered this on Wednesday and immediately ordered again Friday night. This might become one of my new go-to's! Their servings are easily big enough for two meals or one to share.

Excellent food that fed a bunch of jacked up pro wrestlers performing in town over 3 days…read more Amazing taste. Supreme service. Authentically delicious. -I|I

The food here was absolutely delicious and so flavorful! They have many options but I went with the…read morefalafel bowl and chose the baba ganoush. The falafel was crispy and cooked well, and the baba ganoush was creamy. The sauces tied everything together and the veggies were all very fresh! Service was decently quick, since it's in the food hall they give you a buzzer so you can come back when it's ready. It was a nice little stand and the seating area for the food hall is decently spacious.

Another great chicken and rice dish yet even more!…read more Welcome to another takeout thursday! This week we have Pita Dream! I ordered the Dream Platter and boy was it a dream come true. Chicken, beef and lamb over rice with salad and sauce with two slices of pita over the top to soak up the juices! All for $15. I really feel like i got more than my money's worth, enjoyed the meal, and would go back hoping to try something else but would likely get this again because it was so good. Filling, flavorful, and Full sized. I ate about 3/4s and will have some more for tommorrow.

I really enjoyed the hummus with pita and dream fries. The chicken platter/bowl wasn't bad but…read morewasn't necessarily great. Overall friendly and quick service, no wait time and a few tables available inside.

I ordered takeout from here one night and found myself asking "how have I not ordered from here…read morebefore?" The restaurant is on Westcott Street and has been open literally longer than I've been alive. It very much has the vibe of a local spot that probably has regulars. Parking can be tight on Westcott itself but there is a small lot that they share with Mom's diner. Inside there's a bar and a second dining room with a stage where I think they do trivia. Lots of nice decor. It feels very homey. I heard they had a hummus shake and was intrigued to try it. They have a bunch of syrups they can mix in to flavor it. It was interesting. Very very syrupy sweet, and the taste is unusual at first but kinda grew on me. The real star was the savory food though. I went for a shrimp gyro. As a pescatarian, I was psyched to see this on the menu because most places around here only have falafel or meat, so it was nice to have another option. The shrimp were SO PLUMP and well seasoned. Very big size and quite full inside the pita. Felt that I was getting my money's worth. The vegetables were very fresh, pita soft, and sauce perfectly tangy. To be honest I'm still dreaming of this. I'd try more of their options. Also worth noting, when I called in my takeout order the hostess (/server?) was so incredibly courteous and friendly in a way that feels fairly rare anymore.

I think these guys have the flash in the kitchen. Within 10 minutes of ordering the beautiful…read morepictures below were brought to us. My chicken gyro bowl was packed with flavor and well arranged so I could eat different things on the plate as I wanted. This included the chicken, rice, a salad, toasted pita bread, pickled onions, and a zesty cheese dipping sauce I couldn't quite place but I lived. Had to take the rest to go. My gf got the hummus dinner with veggies and pita and some falafel. I tried some just so flavorful. Dinner, tax, tip, $32 seems good in this economy.

Kofta Burger is what I get when I'm having a bad day. Their burgers are some of the best I've had…read moreand I just love the char they get on the patties. I wish I had a picture but I've also gotten their lamb mac and cheese and WOW! That's a comfort dish right there!

Service was quick and friendly. Clean interior with minimal decor. Comfortable seating and several…read moretables. My order came up quickly and you can see your order being made. The burger was tasty and the wedges were flavorful and crispy. I just wish there was some more sauce on the burger.

I was really impressed with our meal from here, especially considering it was delivered via Uber…read moreEats. We ordered the whole charcoal chicken platter, and it was both delicious and enormous. The chicken was incredibly flavorful and fall-off-the-bone tender, pairing perfectly with the rice and sauces. The greens were fresh, and every component of the meal was spot on. As a bonus, the portions were so generous that we have plenty of leftovers to enjoy today. Highly recommend!

Located at 6378 Thompson Road in East Syracuse, the Middle Eastern eatery Ali Baba offers a variety…read moreof halal food prepared fresh, from mixed-grill skewers and gyros to chicken shawarma on top of rice or in a sandwich. The restaurant also serves chicken wings and tenders, seasonal soups, tabbouleh, falafel, hummus, and jalapeño poppers, and a couple of its walls are lined with pre-packaged candy. There's also a selection of cakes and smoothies, with flavors of the latter including strawberry, mango pineapple and banana. Kaib Saleh, who goes by the nickname Adam and runs the restaurant with his brother Shihab and their Jordanian business partner Alaa, says he opened Ali Baba because he likes to share all the different Arabic and Middle Eastern food there is to offer, plus the sweet stuff too. The establishment had converted what was briefly intended to be a smoke shop into the sweets section to give off more of a family-friendly and kid-appropriate atmosphere. Starting out, the business was meant to be a convenience store with a carry-out deli, but when the owners noticed that people were sitting down to eat at the chairs and tables used for the grand opening, the trio decided to take out the shelves and pay the extra licensing fee to properly turn their place into a sit-down restaurant with takeout and delivery options. I work in East Syracuse and have driven by Ali Baba every day since it's been opened and thought "I gotta get lunch there one day." I love Mediterranean food, so I decided it was time. I was able to easily order online on their website, and went with the simple chicken over rice combo to try them out. There's a small parking lot to park in, and this isn't an extremely busy section of the city, so there's always open parking spots. Went in and my food was not ready yet. The girl at the counter didn't tell me my food wasn't ready, just took my name and walked over to ask and then stood waiting for it, but she seemed pretty shy so no big deal. It's very nice inside, not at all what I was expecting, with several tables to sit and eat, and a couple tables outside to eat at as well. My food was ready about 5-10 minutes after I arrived. I decided to just eat thee at one of the outside tables, as it was a bright sunny day outside. Everything was tasty, although I could've used a little more of the white garlic sauce personally, and it was enough food to feed me twice. Prices were comparable to similar other restaurants in the area. What I love about the place is that it's open 24/7. I honestly am almost never out late at night, or even near the area other than for work, but I like knowing that if I ever were, there is a place I could go to to get fresh cooked, delicious food at any time, in an age where there are very few late night food establishments open anymore. I definitely plan to go back and try other stuff.

Very quick friendly service, apple desert very tasty simple crisp puff pastry with warm Apple…read morefilling a bit of whipped cream dusted with cinnamon and lovely treat!

I was on a short road trip to Syracuse New York, and thought I'd try out a few places recommended…read morefrom Guy Fieri's DDD series, and was really looking forward to it, given the yelp reviews. The place was pretty small and unassuming from the outward appearance. Upon coming in, there are limited seats, but everything was neat and clean. I could smell some enticing aromas from the kitchen. Not sure if they are short staffed, but it took a while for someone to come to the counter to take our order. I really was looking forward to having the lamb gyro, so that was what I ordered, as well as ordering a baklava for dessert. The food took a while to come out, but I'm fine waiting for something great to eat. They did have a number of takeout orders that were served while we waited, maybe 3 of them. Once the food came out, the lamb was pretty nice, and there was a reasonable portion of meat in the gyro, as well as some tomato, lettuce, and onion on a nice pita bread. But the tzatziki was very disappointing, it was very thin, and didn't have much flavor. That sort of killed the whole gyro. The baklava was very tasty, and had nice pistachio crumbles on it, but the honey was a bit too much, giving it a very soggy bottom. Flavor was good though, and I don't mind a little messy dessert. All in all, I was a little disappointed with the meal. I tend to be a little generous in my reviews, so I gave it three stars, as I felt I couldn't rate it as a 2, but I couldn't quite give a four star rating. I'd give it another try, but maybe not go for a gyro.

The smoothie was great. I got a pineapple, grape, pomegranate, and berry. He also added dragon…read morefruit to it as well. The service is A plus. Also I love grabbing a smoothie right after attending the gym.

I love gyros and I love coming here…read more We ordered beer and lamb gyros, fries, and drinks. All of our orders came out as we ordered, and everything was fresh and delicious. I recommend this place if you're looking for a flavorful gyro!