If you stop by here you MUST I repeat, YOU MUST TRY the Chai Tea! I live on the east side and come down here just to have their Chai! The gyros are yummy too and the salad is my favorite. The dressing is ahhhhmazing! The owners are sweet. Definitely will be back! read more

The best Middle Eastern food on the South end. They have the freshest ingredients, friendly staff, and their prices are super humble. Take all my lunch money, Mawadda! read more

For the past year or so the quality of the food has been hit or miss. Sometimes it's perfect & something it's just not. Unfortunately the last time I ate here I got really sick because either the meat or produce was not fresh. So I won't be going back. Hopefully they see this review and moving forward make sure nothing is spoiled. I'm giving them three stars because the times the food was good, it was really good. read more

Unfriendly. We usually this place sometimes with family everything seems but sometimes we feel unwelcome. If you're Somalis and trying to eat place just let you know this guys will not welcome you . They are more into white forks then someone with brown skin. We were surprised how they treat people different. So alert . read more

First time here. As a middle eastern I expected much more from this place. Food was OK and nothing more. No tahini and the rice was tasteless. I gave them 2 starts cause the place was very clean which I consider to be very important. Unfortunately I won't be back. read more

Mawadda Cafe - Middle Eastern Near Me - Seattle, Washington

I got sick!! Kafta-tahini was still raw and Meso kebob wasn't cooked too well either. After having those two for dinner ( I finished half), I've been sick all damn day. Holy pukefest. I knew they were too raw to eat. This is what happened when you crave kabobs on a Monday night! Both Caspian & Prespopolis were closed. I had to look for the next best thing and came across this place. With all that glowing review: you'd think the food will be better. Maybe I went on the slowest night. Maybe it was because I went right before they were closing. Maybe this, maybe that. But holy hell. I haven't been able to keep ANY food down. It lasted a good 20 hours. Talk about a crappy food poisoning. I'm all for little tiny hole in the wall places. Getting sick all day from it however isn't my idea of a good meal. read more

As far as Gyros go this Rami, the chef/owner, has got it dialed in. Some of the most tender slices of meat (and lots of it!) to go between a pita pad and complimented well with some tasty tzatziki and fresh veggies. This is a recent gem of a discovery and I am always on the hunt for some good Gyros and I had yet to find one in the Columbia City area. The place is clean and small with a couple of booths a table and a bar counter that seats about 3-4 peeps. Here's the thing... you WILL wait for your meal because as the menu states meals are made to order. So, call ahead even if you are planning on eating in. I called in a to-go order and asked how long and he was like "brotha it's busy gimme 30 minutes". Dayum! So, I get there 35 minutes later and sure enough he was busy for this little joint... not line out the door busy... but busy creating his food. There were probably 8 diners there and only a table of 3 were getting their grub on. He remembered me from the day before when I came in for lunch so he chatted me up telling me some odd stories that happened during the week and is the coolest cat and I simply couldn't be pissed at the whole sitch. Thinking that I am the only one in line while having this convo... and during a break... I peak over my shoulder and sure enough there was a damn line out the door. Dude was busy. Word is getting out about this place apparently. So, they have some Italian dishes to offer which to me is kind of an odd mix to his Middle Eastern grub. But ahhh... wait! I find that Rami was a chef for good ol' Olive Garden for many many years. So it makes sense to me. Anyhoo... moral of the story... CALL AHEAD and then tack on 5-10 minutes and then get on down there and get your grub on. Good Grub: Check Friendly Service: Check Cooked with love: Check Good portions: Check Keeper? : Check Now if they only had a liqour license.. *sigh* read more

I will have to give them three stars instead of the five I gave them last time. I went back to dinner there last week, not only the service was slow but the Falafel is not what it used to be, it was just average instead of being great. Also, when we order two side of Falafels with other dinner items, they brought the Falafel with the dinner almost 30 minutes after we ordered when we were the only table there. Why can't they bring the Falafel first...? it only takes five minutes to cook the Falafel if not even less...? they also put it on the same plate with one of the gyro orders instead of having it nicely on it's own plate. I noticed that the original owner was not there and I think since he opened another place in W. Seattle, the quality of the food has suffered and so was the service. I don't mind waiting little longer to get fresh food but half an hour is a long time. Also, get the Appetizers items out first and get them quick ........?? I still love the place, good food over all and perhaps they will get back to the basics and take care of business. I think that since they have several location now and the original owner is not there at all time, the place is not what it used to be and will not be the same again. The owner used to take care of every little thing in this place and now, this is just another gyro place. Very Sad.............. read more

Mawadda Cafe - Mix Kabob Plate with a side of Falafel - Middle Eastern Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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I guess the people who are griping about how long the food takes are used to eating at Burger King or something. This is not a fast food joint and it's not touted as such. The food is delicious and the prices are quite good. I usually stop by to get shawarma, gyro or falafel sandwiches and all have been lip smackin good. I notice they have a Mawadda Cafe van which means to me that maybe they cater?? I want to hire them for a party or something! read more

Please note that I am one of a usual customer, but I usually come during dinner. Today, my friend and I decided to come here and eat lunch. Right as we walked in, no greeting but a stern look from the owner behind the cash register. My friend and I ordered our food: two gyros and greek fries. I specifically asked for my greek fries to come on a separate plate, vs. on my plate with my gyro and the owner gave me an attitude telling me that it always does. Ok.... Than he told us to pay for our food. We sat down and we were wondering when they were going to serve us water. He came with our food, and so we asked for some water. He came back and gave us two water bottles. As we were eating, a white family came in along with who I am assuming are friends. I saw a complete 360 in attitude change from the owner. He even told them to pay after their meal. Racist owner much? We enjoyed our food and we got up to leave. As we were about to leave, he stopped us to pay for our water. No complimentary water? Nice. Mawadda, you have such great service. Not. You seriously just lost one of your usual customer. Don't get me wrong, the food was delicious, but service was tremendously unacceptable. read more

This has been the best Mediterranean food I've ever had. I'm from Southern California and don't visit often. We had the best service and the food was extremely mouthwatering. We had to take home some. It was so good and so much! Next time we're in town, we're coming again. read more

Undoubtedly my worst restaurant experience in years. I stopped in for take-out on my way home from work. I arrived around 5:15. All I ordered was two falafel sandwiches to go. So how on Earth did I not get out of there until after 6:00? As if that wasn't bad enough, it was the worst falafel sandwiches I've ever had. Granted, I lived in Detroit for 6 years so I'm a bit more discriminating when it comes to Middle Eastern food, but seriously -- this was bollocks. Don't go. UPDATE...Oy, to set the record straight it was my hubby that wrote the bad review above. Rather than setting up his own yelp account he just pretended he was Theresa R. That said, I do remember not liking the falafel very much BUT I am definitely more of a gyro girl than a falafel girl. Plus I've been having some serious middle eastern food cravings lately. so, the next time a gyro urge hits me i might just walk up the street (calling ahead of course, based on other people's advice) and get me some meat, give some to the hubby, and if he likes it then i'll make him eat his words. peace. read more

Sweet baby Jesus!!! What can you get for $8.00 & under around town for lunch? Where I work, you've got a couple of options: McD's, awesome cheap tacos from the taco bus, and of course, your terriyaki joints. Add Middle Eastern / Mediterranean food. Rami is the chef & owner at the Mawadda Cafe. To date, I've had two dishes: The lamb gyro, and a "special" chicken dish that is as spicy (caution: hot) as it is delicious. If you're a first timer, Rami will probably let you have samplings of whatever order is cooking on the grill, as well as his fresh humus & sauces. He swears that everything is made daily, and has the taste to back his claim. The rice didn't have as much flavor as I had hoped, but you'll be surprised at how it complements the rich flavors of the main dishes. Don't forget to try some of the Chai Tea. Definitely not your watered down Starbux latte. All in all, a great place to swing through for a good lunch, and an awesome addition to the Columbia City / Hillman City restaurant lineup. read more

I love the gyros here. Everything is good, but I am addicted to the gyros. Staff is friendly. Unfortunately, most of the very few tables that they have are piled up in the corner, I assume for corona distancing. I look forward to the dining area returning to its prior condition. This is a great little neighborhood find for those who like Middle Eastern food. read more

Mawadda Cafe is my favorite gyro restaurant ever, hands down. I've tried nearly everything on Rami's (the owner) menu and everything is so delicious I couldn't recommend one dish above the other! For what I usually get, the Falafel Gyro and Greek Fries are my favorites I could never get tired of. The falafel is crisp on the outside and moist and flavorful on the inside topped with fresh veggies and the best tzatziki sauce in the world! While I must point out that the service time may be a bit slow, it is worth every minute of the wait. Rami makes all his dishes cooked to order so you can bet on your food being hot and fresh every time. Also, Rami's kitchen is a one-man show so I give him respect for taking his food preparation seriously and top quality. Be sure to try his [homemade] tzatziki sauce and garlic sauce - they are IMMACULATE. If you are not willing to wait the usual 30 minutes for some great food, Mawadda Cafe is not for you. If you can wait that long for the best gyros ever, Rami is very friendly and will keep you company during the wait! read more

This is the worst ever middle eastern restaurant I have been to. I ordered a shawarma sandwich, I asked the employee to put only onion, tomato and tahini on it... no cucumber no lettuce no garlic sauce... the sandwich came with all the above, loaded with lettuce.... the so called shawarma meat doesn't look like shawarma, doesn't smell like shawarma and doesn't taste like shawarma. This kind of restaurants are ruining the taste and reputation of middle eastern food. They thrive on customers who never tasted the real middle eastern food. These restaurants are undermining the good reputation of middle eastern cuisine. I wish they name their sandwich something else but not shawarma. read more

Dropped by Mawadda Cafe for some take last night and I was blown away with the quality of the food. The lamb shawarma was perfectly seasoned, moist (eww), and down right delicious, while the falafel was the best I've had in Seattle. The greek fries were a bit of a let down, but they weren't bad, just a bit boring. This was my first trip to Mawadda, so I have high expectations for my next one! read more

Authentic Middle Eastern food - don't leave without trying the chai! The location could be better - the door does not face the street, and the parking can be dicey. However inside is clean, although small. But the food is big - real authentic lamb and chicken and rice like you never had in your life before. I had the shawarma and it was real - not some cheap gyro knockoff but a meal in itself. Of course, I HAD to try the baklava - which looks expensive at $2 a piece but just suck it up and order a piece and you will know what authentic baklava tastes like - SOOOOO GOOD! This place just became my favorite Mediterranean place in the Seattle area. Definitely should be more crowded than it is. Go today. read more

Yummy Mediterranean food. There were a lot of take out orders, but I recommend dining in and experiencing the character and charisma this small cafe and neighborhood offers. We ordered the basha and the veggie combo platters. They serve the salad, dressed with garlic sauce which we ate to the last leaf. We took our time savoring every bite of the main entrees. A lot of thought and time went to this meal and we were going to enjoy it. The spiced meats (gyro, chicken, and lamb) - delectable. The falafel has a fun crispy outer crust and scrumptious flavor inside. Really the best I've had. I debated between ordering another side of falafel or more dolmas. I defaulted to four more dolmas and saving the last two bites of falafel for the end. I favored the hummus while husband sided with more tzatziki sauce. We couldn't get enough. At the end we were treated to a sip of the delicious chai and a pistachio filled baklava. Husband had to enjoy most of it because of my sugar restrictions - but I can tell you the little bit I tried was amazing. The chef/owner really loves what he does! PARKING LOT NOTE: We recommend backing your car into the parking spot. It's a small lot with a lot of customers and apparently no parking restrictions despite the "designated spots". read more

When I first dined here about a year ago, the chicken kabob plate was not good. Very dry chicken, bland rice. The service was awkward - I couldn't really understand what the counter person/server wanted me to do - pay now? pay later? The food came out really slow even though we were the only ones in there. I decided at the time that I would not come back. I was convinced by the BF to come here again because he had a great experience a few days ago. I trust his taste in food so we visited again together. The food was much better. Great hummus! The gyro sandwich was quite decent. Comes with fries which is yummy when dipped in the hummus. The gyro is not the "best in Seattle" as their door sign would claim but still worth trying! ....The service has not improved a lick. It is still awkward AF and basically non-existent. First awkward moment was when I wanted a Chai tea and the employee just points to the right - wha? Where? the fridge? oh, the thermos? OK - where are the cups? OH - I see. *Pours self drink awkwardly...* Second awkward moment was when we wanted to order extra pita and hummus but the cook/service person basically told us no. HAHA! We never got an explanation - we just never got it. Flat out DENIED! ...And they only gave us 1 napkin for the BOTH of us., no utensils either. I walked up to the counter looking for some napkins and utensils but they were nowhere to be found and the 2 people working that day ignored me...Weird place! We also noticed a couple that was in there before us - they didn't have their food when we walked in and they still didn't have their food when we finished and walked out. ...Are they still waiting~? Haha... read more

Drove from Tacoma because I was jonesing for some good middle eastern food. I must say it was delicious! I was impressed. I had the schwarma which was perfectly spiced as was the rice. The salad was fantastic w/ it's wonderful dressing. I look forward to coming back to this place on my next trip up from Seattle! read more

Greek Fries...Check Gyros...Check Chicken Schwarma (Or however you spell it)...CHECK! Plus you can get it spicy! Sure you may be tasting it for the next 24 hours, but just make sure you get your significant other one too, and everyone wins. Someone told me to come here otherwise I never would have. Thanks random someone! read more

Let me preface this by saying I have a new favorite restaurant: This is the most delicious falafel sandwich I have ever had. It was light and crispy - not hard and heavy like other falafels. It had layers of different spices including a hint of cinnamon. The hummus and chai where tasty too, as well as the baklava. My husband and I showed up right before closing time after a long day and were starving. The owner was so kind to us, putting the music on, telling us to sit down and relax, and later giving us samples of the chai and baklava for dessert. We talked to him for awhile and he is passionate about his food. It shows in how scrumptious and fresh everything is. Mmmmmm.... I could use a falafel sandwich about now..... read more

I am impressed!! I am from Baton Rouge, we have a HUGE middle-eastern influence and believe it or not, we are home to one of the highest per-capita rate of Middle Eastern restaurants in the country. I grew up on this stuff. Love it and can spot crap from a mile away. ;) So I moved into this hood about 3 months ago. Saw this place several times as I waited across the street at the taco truck. Just never made it in though. Well today on our way back from the dog park I pulled in and ordered the lamb kabob plate. It was DELISH. The garlic sauce is crazy strong, just like I used to get from a Lebanese guy in Lousiana. ;) Serving size of hummous is a little lackluster, but as garlicy as it is I really don't mind. Also wish you would get more than a 1/2 of a piece of pita with your meal..hard to wrap up a mixture of rice, lamb, sauce and lettuce with only one grubby piece. ;) Would I go back? In a heartbeat! This man let me sample his gyro meat, chi tea, baklava all because I mentioned that this was my first trip in. He was quite sweet but not overly talkative. You can tell that he just likes what he does. read more

Mawadda is the kind of place we are all looking for. That little unknown shop with a chef that's on his way to becoming a legend! I have been eating falafel and schwarma for years and Rami has perfect both of these dishes as well as all of the others I've tried so far. My wife loves his vegetarian platter (made vegan if you substitute sambusa for the spanikopita), but I just can't get enough of the perfectly seasoned chicken. Whether it's on a pita, or over seasoned rice it is always perfectly cooked, and the subtle yet complex flavors are way too good for under 10 bucks. I always know that even if the food takes some time, Rami will never serve anything that is not his absolute best. If I can ever get over my schwarma addiction I'll have to try some of his Italian dishes. My recommendation: EAT AT MAWADDA AS MUCH AS YOU CAN BEFORE RAMI MOVES ON TO A BIGGER (and probably much more expensive) LOCATION! read more

I think it would be pretty hard to find better Middle Eastern food for the price anywhere in Seattle. Super super authentic dishes, really fresh, great taste, and makes for awesome leftovers. This is definitely more of a take-out spot. read more

Yaaaahhhh! I love middle eastern and mediterranean food and even love better finding a local "hole in the wall" spot in my community that I can support! Gyros and kabobs are tasty treats, and I am eager to try more morsels of heaven soon!!! Don't you just love finding that place that offers both bits of heaven in scenery, taste and good customer service. THANK YOU!!! Thank you more because I can show you off to my Bay Area friends who rave they have all the good eats, but not anymore!!! =D read more

I've been eating here for over a year and Rami has never failed me. The only thing you must know is that fresh is priority number one, so call ahead if you don't like waiting a little bit. I love the chicken shawarma. But I grew to love it, first coming in for the gyros. So if this style of food is new to you, the gyros are awesome. If you've been a few times try the garlic sauce and shawarma. Overall--some of the best food you can have at this price range in Seattle. read more

Mawadda Cafe is one of the best of best restaurant in Seattle. Their food is so good, but it will take some good "minutes" for chef to prepare them. So, don't go there if you need your food in your mouth within 3 minutes. My bf and my friends are big fan of Mawadda Cafe, too. I have had some different food in the menu, yet the falafel sandwiches are the best for me. Mawadda Cafe will give you the awesome food which you'd usually get from fancy restaurant. If you think you LOVE yourself, you should be able to wait good minutes for Mawadda's food. Try it. read more

Another hidden gem off of Rainier Ave. If you're looking for a great place for gyros, then this one is for you. This place packs the gyro with meat. They're definitely not skimpy at this place. The sauce just adds to the already awesome flavor. The service is very friendly and fast. The atmosphere is laid back and extremely clean. There isn't a lot of room for huge parties, but there are enough tables/booths to break up, if necessary. Lastly, the price is great for this place. Well worth it! read more

This place is super yummy! I have already been here several times already. I love their chicken shawarma and French fries. The workers are nice and very welcoming . I will keep coming back! read more

I came by for dinner a few weeks back. After all of the reviews, I was looking forward to really great food. I had been wanting to go try this place out for a while and perhaps my expectations had built up too much, but after dinner, I thought the experience was good, but not great. I thought the shish-kabob plate was a little on the pricy side considering the amount of meat provided compared to the fillers (rice, pita, salad). I liked the chicken and beef sambosas, but the veggie version was a bit lacking because the veggies tasted like they were the previously frozen version. The falafal sandwich was pretty good, but kept on falling apart on me. All in all, an okay experience. It's nice to have the additional option to consider when wanting to eat in the neighborhood, but I can't say that my experience will make me a regular. read more

Went for a walk while drooping a friend off down the way at a boxing event. The staff was so friendly and it was a homie vibe like the food was cooked at home it was so amazing. Portions were enough for me and and my friend both full and happy with our meal now time to go to our event read more

Seriously - we are LOVE-ing our new hood, and we love Mawadda Cafe. Corner of Graham and Rainier, there's a little parking lot too to park your car if you want to go in and/or grab your food to go. Food takes a little while to prepare after you order it - if you have good company, the wait just flies by. Both times I've been there, I had their gyro sandwich (meat cheat eat for me). So good. If you like spicy, I would take it to go and then add on the Sriracha sauce at home for an extra kick. Couple notes: -- Mawadda means "LOVE" in Arabic. -- Their chai tea is yummy, extra spicey with the punch of ginger flavor. read more

Great food, but get at best average service. This place has such a chance to be unbelievable with some personality at the service counter and even a heads up if there's a wait. My wife and I love all the sandwiches. read more

Fantastic find. Smoking shawarma and kabobs. Good takeaway as well. Hidden gem in the southend. Although you can get it to go, I encourage you to talk to the chef, sit and eat, take your time. It's really worth it. The garlic sauce is amazing. read more

Mawadda Cafe - Your Kebab Fu is very strong. - Middle Eastern Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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Gyro was a good size, greek fries were awesome. A bit of kitchen chaos that lead to a little bit of a wait. They seem to be very unorganized, with that remedied I would give 5 stars. No straws... They sell soda in a can, but don't have straws. read more

Where do I begin? I've been coming to Mawadda Cafe for 9 years and I go just about every other week. The owner Rami has become sort of an uncle and a dear friend who always gives me the best life advice when I'm needing it the most. The other staff members are the sweetest people and we always get a good laugh in every time I visit. I mean it when I say Mawadda Cafe has the best falafel, hummus and garlic sauce I've ever tasted. The chai tea is also phenomenal. The food takes time to prepare and cook and that's how you know everything is fresh and is made with love. With the lovely people and delicious food combined, this place makes for one of the greatest restaurants in Seattle. read more

I got there before my time and it was being prepped. Got great hot food.

this place is delicious. I got into middle eastern food after my brother brought me to this gyro place over in renton next to dicks sporting goods. Mawadda cafe beats them hands down. Although the wait time is a little long, its worth it. try the basha and the sultani, by far my favorites. read more