Some really solid shawarma here, as the name implies. That lamb shawarma wrap is mightily long and filled from one end to the other with tasty, slightly crispy roasted lamb. The sauces they give you are super garlicky but delectable. And a nice supply of unusual drinks too (no alcoholic drinks though). Definitely worth a visit. read more

Shawarmaji - Lamb wrap - Middle Eastern Near Me - Oakland, California

I love supporting black and brown businesses .. I'm definitely putting this restaurant on the top of the list.. the love of good food and flavor is in this place.. and im here for it.. it's been a few weeks since I ate here and I'm ready to circle back.if they aren't in this location check across the street where the old burger restaurant sat and hey will be moving there soon.. MAKE SURE YOU BUY TOUM SAUCE TO TAKE HOME. Fries would be the same without it.. it's soo good.. the food was so good flavor the falafel was on point . My never order is definitely gonna be the sharama fries.. i played it safe with a chicken sharama with a side of falafel my first time coming.. the service was amazing felt like I pulled up to get food from my older cousin.. it was great experience.. also feel free to grab a drink or fresh sides and seasoning to add your collection of seasonings read more

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After an almost 5 hour flight that did not have any good lunch options, I was starving by the time I got into Oakland. Luckily, I saw that Shawarmaji was a quick 5 minute walk from my hotel. I ordered a Chicken Shawarma pita on their website for pick up and 5 minutes later, it was ready when I got there. It came with ample garlic sauce - my absolute favorite. Everyone who worked there was incredibly kind and welcoming. It's a very cool spot too with some outdoor seating! Highly recommend! read more

Came here for a quick takeout meal. Ordering & pick up was quick & easy. Really good lamb shawarma wrap.

Shawarmaji is a small hole-in-the-wall restaurant in uptown Oakland. I work directly across from there in the Center 21 building, which actually happens to be the same building that Shawarmaji will be relocating to! Yes, they have bought out a larger dining space right across the street from their current location so diners can expect a larger space soon. In the current location, the ambiance is dimmer mood lighting and there is plenty of seating. It is nicely decorated with plenty of wall decor and artwork. I believe the owner is Palestinian, so there is also pro-Palestine posters on the exterior glass and other middle eastern decor (although more contemporary). The cashier attended to me quickly and the food was brought to my table in a matter of minutes. The menu is not too varied-- the main meats are chicken, beef or lamb and the menu entree selections are mostly a variation of wraps. They also have vegan and vegetarian options in the form of salads and falafel. I got the chicken wrap. It was decently large (long?) for its price and I thought everything was seasoned very well. I don't eat a lot of middle eastern food and this was a great introduction. This place specifically I think is specialized in shawarmas/wraps, so don't expect to find a ton of middle eastern dishes to choose from. It might go without saying but this is an also good spot for anyone with a halal diet. I will also point out that the menu is written in both English and what I believe may be Arabic. All in all a great local restaurant for anyone looking to grab a quick bite with middle eastern flavors. read more

Shawarmaji - Middle Eastern Near Me - Oakland, California

Chill vibes. Harder to find than expected since it was in an ally. You'd have to find parking so I paid an extra $6 to try this place out... wasn't all that tbh. I ordered the chicken shawarma wrap and the beef/lamb shawarma wrap. The bread and meat were both dry and lacked sauce. The flavor was there, it was just extremely dry. I did however, enjoy their fries... the chicken shawarma fries were good, but again, the chicken was dry and the sauce made up for here it here. As a side dish, I had Batata Harra, the potatoes were not cooked all the way so this was also a fail. I also ordered the hibiscus tea: this is a 5/5, but overly priced. Overall, I gave a 3/5. My expectations were really high for this place, and can get there eventually with the proper love and care, but as of now, it's as mediocre as their customer service. read more

Shawarmaji - Inside - Middle Eastern Near Me - Oakland, California

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The chicken shawarma wrap is my go-to! The chicken is moist and flavorful, with some veggies and great sauce in it. I love to add the Chipotle toum if it's available, which is a nice touch of spice while still getting the garlicky toum-- or you can also buy a jar to always have it around. For the wraps, I love that you can get the full size, mini size, or have it cut up depending on how hungry you are that day. Additionally, their fries are very crispy and well seasoned, and taste great with the toum sauce! The customer service here is great. They are very thoughtful and kind to explain any dishes or options! There is only a handful of stools and small tables available for seating inside, but up the block, there is also some public outdoor seating if the weather is good. read more

My husband was eager to try this place. Across the street from the pandora building in oakland. It was just okay. My food was pretty dry. There is a good sauce that comes with the shawarma that's cut but not with others. Rice pudding was ok. Just a meal. They do give you tons of French fries that are decent. But overall it was just meh. read more

Small menu, but VERY yummy options! Shawarmaji has me in a chokehold at the moment and I can't get enough their toum is extraordinarily tasty, and their fun take on Shawarma fries with beautiful array of pickled vegetable is mouth watering! *salivating as I type* The portions are usually pretty generous when ordering delivery. read more

First time trying shawarma , would definitely go back for the larger one . Service was excellent knew the food was guna be good when I seen RAZA in kitchen read more

Its two stars are based on one star for food and 2.5 stars for ambiance. Oh, boy... Their shawarma wraps taste like fast food burgers and a pretty bad fast food at that. Oily, greasy feeling dominates their dishes, from shawarma to falafel. Sadly, can't recommend. read more

I tried Shwarmaji again and this time it was as good as everyone claims! I ordered online for pickup and they included all the sauces for my order of the chicken wrap and the lamb wrap. We also tried the house salad which had a really nice tangy sumac vinegarette dressing. The service for pickup was great and my order was ready on time. I drove about an hour away and all the food was delicious. read more

I came on a Sunday afternoon around 1pm and saw this place was busy! It's a small store but with a few tables. Everything is ordered at the counter and definitely fresh. A few things we ordered and some thoughts: 1. Lamb shawarma half wrap - the half wrap is actually really thin and skinny. For the price ($9) I would've expected something hefty but the meat is thing and overall wrap is quite skinny. Flavor is good though but I do with it had more toum (garlic sauce that is LIT) inside 2. Falafel sandwich - this was really good and would definitely get again. Very filling and definitely worth the price 3. Chicken shawarma fries half portion- this is more than enough. They pack the little takeout container and definitely something I would order again. Pro tip: ask for extra garlic sauce or hot sauce on the side. It definitely made a difference. P.S. While the online menu says there are half arabic wrap, I don't think i saw that. You can either get a half shawarma wrap or a full wrap but not a wrap called "arabic wrap" P.P.S. Get ready for very heavy garlic breath after this meal lol read more

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Shawarmaji is so good. Like so good. It's a limited menu, and I dig it. The falafel sandwich is delicious and not your typical pita varietal, but rather on a roll with fresh purple cabbage. The arabi plate is so good. Their very long wrap grilled with protein that comes with pickled veggies and fries, and their fries are good. It also comes with toum. Toum is this very garlicky spread that is addictingly good, but you will be burping up garlic for days. You pick it up, and they're blasting Jordanian/Arabic music (the owner is from Jordan), they have a ton of fun middle-eastern sodas available and the 2x I've been, staff at the front has been so accommodating and on it. It's a ton of tasty, high quality food for reasonable prices. So why not five stars? Honestly, it's so good, but it's also insanely salty. Both times I ate here I was so dehydrated when I went to bed that my fingers were swollen and didn't get the best night's sleep. It could be coincidence, but my husband seconded my notion. Is is the protein? Is it the toum? I'm still gonna eat when I'm craving medits eats, because I don't know if you'll find better schwarma, but I'll just have to chug gallons of water with it. May you consider this a recommendation! read more

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3.5 stars, actually. Perhaps the move is to come here with another person and each get an Arabi plate with a different kind of meat. I wanted to try both the chicken and lamb, so I did half of each as a wrap. It is a bit pricy for the amount that you get (on the smaller side) without any accoutrements like pickles or even a small container of toum. For $9/$11 for each half, some other places would even give fries I would think - although I did not expect this since it's clear the Arabi plate is the one with fries. I wasn't worried when I saw how skinny the wrap is, since I understood this is the style, but there were barely any pickles and no sauce to speak of inside either one of my wraps. I was so confused I went back to look at the menu and see if I was supposed to order it as add-ons, but jope it says there are pickles and toum inside. At least the meat was well-seasoned and I enjoyed the crispness of the wrap itself, but overall it was a disappointment after having been on my bookmarks list for so long and reading so many rave reviews of how special this shawarma is. read more

Shawarmaji - Half wrap of lamb and chicken shawarma - Middle Eastern Near Me - Oakland, California

Got the falafel wrap and it was great. The sause it came with was slightly spicy but hard to get on the wrap since it was pretty oily. Great filling lunch. read more

Shawarmaji - Falafel wrap - Middle Eastern Near Me - Oakland, California

Good food at fair prices. Lots of room indoors with an outdoor dining area also. The service was prompt and polite.

Awful customer service & Long wait times despite a fully staffed kitchen. Not worth the money

I order the Lamb Shawarma with rice pudding. This was a part of a large group order for my law firm. After biting into my sandwich I choked on something hard and felt sharp going down my throat. When I inspected my sandwich with the person who ordered we discovered a large piece of plastic and when we unfolded the plastic it got even bigger. I called the restaurant and was hung up on when I let them know the situation. I will be taking this further since the restaurant doesn't want to communicate. read more

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UH-MAZING! This was one of the best meals I've had in a long time. I came in for dinner yesterday, and I got the vegan falafel sandwich, no add-ons. I'll start with my one complaint: the portion size was small and I felt hungry afterwards. Now let's delve into the part that really matters. The flavors were spectacular. The bread tasted really fresh and almost butter-like. The falafels were a unique and fresh taste. There were actual slices of lemon it, which was super interesting. The best part of all was the mint chutney in it. It was truly a party in my mouth. I cannot recommend enough and I can't wait to be back. I also loved the ambiance with the Arabic music playing, the pop art with Arabic writing on it in the bathroom with a candle burning, and the large window open with indoor and outdoor seating. It felt really good to be there. Other notes are that my partner has been here a few times whereas it was my first and shared that the portion sizes are usually larger and every time there is a different taste to the sandwich, all in a good way. The main thing to share is that if you haven't checked this place out yet, get your butt over here! I look forward to more vegan options being added like the rumored vegan shawarma that might make an appearance next year. read more

Shawarmaji - Vegan Ma'ali - Middle Eastern Near Me - Oakland, California

Excellent shawarma, wraps, meat, and sauces! The chicken shawarma fries was a huge portion with lots of chicken and sauce and pickle chunks on crispy, nicely seasoned & salty fries. The lamb/beef arabi style was lots of juicy meat inside a crispy wrap with lots of sauce to dip in. And finally the falafel pita was small but packed with very nice falafel (great flavor and very moist!) and other toppings. The tabouleh salad was only OK, but everything else we had was great! read more

Chicken Shawarma is spot-on--tender, juicy chicken drenched in creamy garlic sauce with just the right tang from crisp pickles. It's simple, unpretentious, and absolutely packed with that authentic Middle Eastern flavor that instantly takes you back home. Price is a little much, but not bad for the best shawarma in the area. If you're craving a perfectly balanced shawarma, this is the place. read more

Was looking for a quick bite and found this place from Yelp. Hmmm it was OK. I would not say it was the best chicken sharwana I have ever had. The garlicky sauce nice read more

Shawarmaji - Middle Eastern Near Me - Oakland, California

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Great casual fare! I got the mini chicken shawarma wrap and it was delicious. Saucy flavor in every bite! My friend got the plate with fries on the side - she also thoroughly enjoyed her meal and got additional sauces too. Would recommend if you're in the area. read more

I ate shawarma at this place a few times. The service got better, but I think the ownership changed and I think the quality of the food got a bit worse. read more

Super greasy. Very little toppings. It was mainly just meat, no lettuce, tomato, tzatziki, cucumber, onion, very little pickked veggies etc. Nowhere near an authentic traditional Shawarma. Sadly, with all my travels, I can only find these in the East Coast. I'm not sure why the West Coast doesn't know how to do this. Always miss the mark. read more

Shawarmaji - Unbelievably greasy - Middle Eastern Near Me - Oakland, California

The Chicken Shawarma and fries were so good. I loved it so much. They also have a lot of drinks and the ones I tried were so good. The worker/s are so kind. They treat you like family. THE BEST SHAWARMA PLACE EVER!!!!!!! read more

*Open for takeout and delivery* Kept seeing Shawarmaji pop up on my Yelp before they changed locations, so decided to give it a try. Was excited to get a wrap, but then saw they had loaded fries! Food: - Chicken Shawarmaji Fries: this dish is huge! This can definitely be shared amongst more than one person or fill up one person. This took me a couple meals to finish. The pickles were such a nice balance with the heat of the hot sauce and flavor of the fries. The mints were also a nice touch for after. Will definitely try this place again for the other dishes as well. read more

Shawarmaji - Hot sauce and mints - Middle Eastern Near Me - Oakland, California

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The chicken shawarma wrap was delicious! I asked for my wrap to be cut in half which made it a lot easier to eat. There's also the Arabi style option which is a wrap cut into ~8 pieces. The chicken was perfectly seasoned, but some pieces were a little too rubbery and chewy for me. I especially loved the pickles inside the wrap - I've never had a shawarma like this! Don't forget to get some extra toum (white garlic dip) and chili sauce on the side. Even though previous reviews raved about the seasoned fries, I opted for a healthier side of tabouleh salad. It was so fresh and light and paired perfectly with the shawarma. read more

Shawarmaji - Tabouleh salad - Middle Eastern Near Me - Oakland, California

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Solid shawarma spot that lives up to the hype! Wraps are crisp, clean, & packed with flavor. The shawarma fries are tasty too but are Enormous - brought my appetite but had to break it up in 3 different meals to go. Haha great for sharing though :) read more

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The shawarma fries are good and a generous portion for even two people. These fries are loaded with pickles, white garlic sauce and shawarma meat. Sadly, my falafel wrap was overwhelmingly tart with loads of pickled lemon rind plus pickled cabbage, and very little actual falafel. The chicken shawarma wrap was huge but again needed more sauce abs had too much bread compared to meat. read more

Shawarmaji - Chicken shawarma fries - Middle Eastern Near Me - Oakland, California

First time having Shawarma and it was crazy good . I got the grilled chicken shawarma with extra fries ( +$1) and let me tell you , everything about this shawarma was perfect . They did not skim on the meat. The chicken was perfectly cood and well seasoned, combined with the yogurt and grilled onion made everybite so flavorful. Online ordering was easy on their website and my order was ready when I arrived . read more

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Updating my previous review based on my interactions with management/owners. It's clear that they DO CARE about the experiences of their customers and desires that each customer feels heard, valued, and satisfied. While our visit had some issues, I would be willing to try them again in hopes of a different outcome-- perhaps we have the experience that the owner's intend for every customer. read more

Shawarmaji - Middle Eastern Near Me - Oakland, California

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This place is my #1 discovery of 2023!!! Put it on your list to try and then up-vote it and go!! What's to like? Quality ingredients -- the chicken on my shawarma was top quality, cooked to perfection. Distinctive preparation -- the seasoning and the wrap and the pickles and sauce for the shawarma are flavorful, bright and delish. Nothing but net in terms of going down the hatch happy and never brewing any afternoise. Making the drab delish -- ok, so falafel. Generally somewhere btw a hockey puck made outta lawn clippings and spherical seasoned Triscuit. Not here!! These are the Gift of the Maji -- crunchy on the outside, seemingly fried in ghee, and fluffy and moist!! like a triple stack pancake inside. Price -- really reasonable, great value given the quality Convenience -- easiest street in the 510 for doing a drive up / run in / snag and go on your order. read more

My absolute first time eve trying a Shawarma wrap. I'm impressed. They don't have many items on the menu. I ordered a Chicken Shawarma with fries & cheese added inside! My baby got the half chicken half lamb Shawarma wrap. Can I start off my saying these wraps are HUGE! Almost longer than my forearm! My chicken was seasoned nicely. Juicy & tasted/looked fresh. Not gonna lie, my boyfriends lamb smelled nasty. I'm not a fan of lamb nor was he. But he ate it. Cause we don't waste food over here. They have Shawarma fries. The fries were seasoned good the white garlic sauce is sooo good! I will definitely be back. I wouldn't order anything other than the Chicken Shawarma though! read more

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Everything was good. I love how there are two sizes of wraps and shwarmas. The chicken was seasoned perfectly and was cooked perfectly. I will be back again and again! read more

Still 10/10! My favorite place to get a shawarma sandwich. Tastes just like the wraps you get in the Middle East. Staff is extremely welcoming and friendly. I come here often and never leave disappointed. read more

Shawarmaji - Middle Eastern Near Me - Oakland, California

I was recommended this place and it was really good! Plus for being super fast and near the theater! I had the chicken wrap plate and tbe beef lamb wrap. The wrap is so crisp! The right crunch and flexibility. The chicken one had pickles veggies in it and was just the right amount of seasoning and sour and savory. The white garlic sauce was just perfect as well. The seasoned fries were good and freshly fried. The pickled veggies were good, some were pickled in different flavors and had a distinct taste but still crispy and crunchy. The beef/lamb- I think was eh, it had a chaulky texture/taste to it. The bathroom was really clean. read more

The best shawarmas I've ever had! The bf and I ordered the vegan and chicken, and are thinking about the next time we'll be back. Parking: Paid street parking Price: Total was $22.94 for two generous sized shawarmas lasting us until dinner. Vegan: Filled with falafel and crunchy cucumber and tomato tahini, this one was refreshing as well as delicious Chicken: I don't eat too much meat, but this yogurt marinated chicken and cucumber pickle combination was perfection. Service: Quick and efficient despite COVID times Can't wait to be back to try the shawarma fries. read more

Shawarmaji - Chicken - Middle Eastern Near Me - Oakland, California

The food here is excellent! I got a veggie falafel wrap. My friend got the house salad. Both of them came with plenty of extra condiments on the side and the quantity is enough that you're really full and probably need a walk afterwards. You order at the counter and then go up to get your food when they call your name. The place is pretty small and doesn't seem very kid friendly menu or seating wise. Would definitely come here again for a catch-up lunch with a friend. Little too informal and crowded for a team lunch read more