Kindest staff ever! Ordered the Lamb Kebab and it was so delicious. Great price for the portion you are getting.

We found this place on a whim looking for Mediterranean food in the area It blew our expectations out of the water! I am very picky about falafel and baba ghanoush and pita bc I have tried a lot of variations and the entire veg plate was incredible. My bf also got the chicken shawarma plate and he loved it. The customer service was also outstanding and the owner and staff absolutely went above in beyond for us. Highly recommend trying it if you find yourself in the area! read more

Lava Shawarma - Vegetarian mix platter - Middle Eastern Near Me - New York, New York

See all

Fab lunch spot if you're in the area. The employees are very nice, and the complimentary tea is also delicious Arabic chicken and arabic beef wrap: loved both, preferred the beef if I had to pick Beet humus: delicious and the bread it comes with was very fresh Lava beans: it's pretty bean-ey, not my fav read more

Extremely overpriced Dubai chocolate bar. It's 95% chocolate and 5% of the actual filling you think you're paying for. Don't fall for the scam like I did :( read more

Lava Shawarma - Middle Eastern Near Me - New York, New York

I don't want to type a lot. i've been in the Mideast and this was like being there again. Families, regulars, Arabic, Sweet tea as a welcoming treat, and all the great dishes in a traditional manner. You go a few times and come back. read more

I have tried this place twice now; once for Mediterranean food and this time for Indian and both times the food quality has been fairly bad Chicken 65 tasted like Chicken Chilli and was bad even from that standard; Chicken was extremely dry. Chicken Biryani Bowl was equally bad; it tasted more like chicken tikka masala instead of Biryani itself Service is pretty average and extremely slow on a weekday with just 3-4 tables occupied read more

Lava Shawarma - Chicken 65 - Middle Eastern Near Me - New York, New York

The best Egyptian food, this side of Cairo! The staff is unerringly, polite, and the food is freshly made - so it takes a little longer - and mouthwatering! To the management: bring back the paper menu! Get rid of the stupid QR code! It's almost enough to make me walk out without ordering - read more

The food is amazing. The staff is kind, and the Turkish coffee was perfect. You get a lot of food for the price. If you go early night the restaurant is nice and quiet. read more

My family of 5 liked everything we ordered. Delicious, tasty food. Great friendly service. A+++

The food is amazing and everyone that works here is so sweet. They give complimentary tea. Their smoothies are amazing. And the portions are very generous read more

Lava Shawarma - Middle Eastern Near Me - New York, New York

Giving it one star. Although the food was decent, the portion is tiny compared to many other shawarma spots, especially for the $16-17 price. Would have gotten two or three stars, but my wife's shawarma had a dead fruit fly in it. Disgusting. This place needs to increase their portions or decrease their prices, and clean better so bugs aren't in the food. Avoid it if you like being full and not having bugs in your food. read more

Lava Shawarma - Dead fruit fly in the lettuce - Middle Eastern Near Me - New York, New York

See all

I didn't try their food, but their Dubai chocolate they sell for $10 is a big scam. It's handmade, and basically thick layers of chocolate with the thinnest layer of pistachio. If you're craving Dubai chocolate like I was, you better off getting it somewhere else because what they sell is not Dubai chocolate. And very very small. read more

Tried this little spot today and did not regret it! The restaurant itself was very homey, the staff were very friendly and attentive quick to bring us anything that we needed. The owner was also very nice, he brought us complimentary tea to start off with and then a dessert that was also very good followed with a coffee to end the meal with. The hummus was so good it had a nice flavor as well as the pita being so soft, fluffy and fresh (best I've had) I had the chicken shawarma wrap with fries which was so tasty and filling. My girlfriend had the chicken shawarma plate that was super flavorful, the rice was fluffy and complemented the chicken well and she doesn't like cucumbers but loved the salad and flavor! read more

See all

First time to try koshari so I'm not sure how authentic it is, but it tasted like rice & penne pasta + very few green lentils mixed with straight up marinara sauce, fried onions. I walked in not knowing there was table service so ordered at the cashier. I then sat down for a while waiting, and a waitress came and asked if I'd like to order. I told her I already did, so she asked what it was to probably check with the kitchen. When it finally came, my first thought was it looked microwaved. It was a huge comforting bowl, but I felt it was something I could easily throw together at home for a fraction of the cost. About halfway through, the cashier came over with chili sauce and said that's how it's eaten in Egypt so wanted me to have an authentic experience. I thought it's pretty spicy, so use with caution if sensitive. Also, before the koshari came, a man dressed in traditional clothing came around with a small bite of a dessert for everyone to try. I thought it was only ok. Not sure what it was, but seemed dry to me and a bit too sweet. A nice gesture though, and it looked like they have several dessert options in the glass case up front. He and the waitress also made rounds with tea, but skipped me. I was curious about the tea, but in a rush so didn't ask to try. It seems there are still hiccups in the service aside from the above. I overheard tables around me inquire about their orders like there were mistakes in meat choice, etc. English was also not the waitress' first language so she misunderstood someone and was about to clear their table, but she had a good attitude. The interior transported me out of NYC with cozy cushioned seating, patterned tiling, and brick wall with greetings in different languages. 2 large TVs--one playing soccer and the other I assume, their culture/geography. I would give this spot another try if nearby. read more

Lava Shawarma - Koshari - Middle Eastern Near Me - New York, New York

I'm determined to try every casual eatery on W 23st between 5 and 6 avenues. I popped into Lava yesterday to grab a bite. I ordered a Grilled Chicken Pita and I dined at a table. The sandwich was tasty and the portion was generous. Guests are given a small cup of Cardamom tea to begin. Would somebody please tell management that the "Sheik" may frighten some guest's. If you go bring cash because Lava adds a surcharge for diners who use credit. My bill with a modest gratuity was $20. Thank you next! read more

This place did not disappoint so far. The prices are fair for location, portions are decent, and the food was fresh. The service was good as the worker who took the order was very nice. The place was clean, spacious, and appealing. By far, everything I tried was fresh and absolutely tasty. The humus was one of the best I've had, delicious to be exact. It was quite the treat. I would recommend this place to anyone looking to eat in the area. read more

See all

They were so sweet and attentive to my group of friends and i. Gave us complimentary arabic tea. The atmosphere was really nice and clean. The food was so filling and satisfying. The shawarma is really really good!!! read more

Lava Shawarma - Chicken Shawarma Arabic (Lava) - Middle Eastern Near Me - New York, New York

It was great food and very friendly people. It was super busy with customers. Inside it was warm and not loud.

Wow! Such a great restaurant with even better service. First time visiting NY and was suggested by family. We were welcomed with tea, selected our order, and offered dates and other sweet treats. The food was delicious! The restaurant was clean, inviting, and comfortable. From start to finish it was an amazing experience! read more

Absurdly overpriced, low quality, Dubai candy bar - basically no filling. Like not even a uniform thin layer of the knafeh filling. If they put maybe triple the amount of filling it would be acceptable. read more

I never write reviews but everything about the experience was great. Comfortable seat, delicious food and thoughtful service, glad I stopped by. read more

Consistently outstanding food and very attentive service. Best falafel pita sandwich I've had in years. So glad they're located right next to my office! read more

Wow food is amazing, people are nice and attentive, the guy in traditional Jordan clothing is amazing and brings a special experience to the place read more

The food was good but the man with the long hair was extremely rude. He told me I was not allowed to have refridgerated drinks and gave me a warm sample from the counter. He gave my friend a cold drink from the fridge. He yelled at me in front of all the customers to sit down when I was ordering the food when other people were standing in the store. I am so embarrassed. read more

Ordered a few things from here now and nothing has disappointed! Very tasty food, great service, and great variety on the menu!

Amazing food! I liked the Thompson street location and was thrilled they opened up the flatiron location as it's closer to me. I went for dinner the other night and they had an amazing Ramadan spread out. I ordered from the regular menu but the staff was still kind enough to come around with complimentary hot tea and iced hibiscus tea. Everything is delicious and fresh, I'm really happy I discovered this place. read more

the food was SO GOOD!! I ordered the falafel wrap for pick up and got a free chai sample on my way out :) 10/10 recommend this spot!