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Souk Al Shater

4.5 (288 reviews)
InexpensiveLebanese, Falafel
Open 8:00 am - 8:00 pm

Order Souk Al Shater Takeout or Delivery

Souk Al Shater Photos

SOUK AL SHATER ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Moderate noise
Casual
Good for kids

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Recommended Reviews - Souk Al Shater

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Reviews With Photos

Chicken Shawarma
Gab G.

Needed a quick lunch and the chicken shawarma here was excellent - my favorite part was the pickles! Pistachio baklava was ok. Friendly employees.

Chicken Shawarma
Donna M.

Authentic Lebanese food at reasonable prices on Queens Blvd. The employees are friendly. [[HIGHLIGHT]]A few seats inside but more of a grab n go deli type of establishment.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Got the chicken shawarma pita which was quite flavorful, not too spicy. Also picked up some pastries, got a kanafeh and a pistachio mini.

3 Skewer Combination with grilled chicken, beef kafta, beef cubes, salad and rice
Kenny S.

We have been coming to Souk El Shater for the past 7 years. It is a small family run Lebanese restaurant / grocery store. Souk El Shater makes the most delicious Lebanese dishes at great prices. My family and I often make special trips in from Nassau County just to order their 3 skewer combinations and shish taouk platters. In addition to great food, they also make delicious sweet and savory appetizers like baklava, kounafa and spinach, meat, cheese pies and the best falafel. If you're in the mood for some awesome middle eastern food, you have to try Souk El Shater.

JiHae L.

I walk-in and automatically see unsanitary conditions. A guy behind the counter without his mask over his nose. Someone touching money and rearranging the food right after which was gross. At least wear some food preparation gloves. People coming in without masks on and coughing all over the place. I wanted to leave but couldn't as I already placed my order before all of this occurred. I doubt I will be going back for awhile. The food was alright, it wasn't amazing. The lunch special was a bit confusing. I asked tons of questions and they were all answered. All in all, won't be going back for awhile as it wasn't clean to me.

Desserts
Melanie M.

Wow wow wow! Souk El Shater hits the mark for Lebanese food! This takeout joint brings their "A" game with everything they serve. Shawarma sandwich with Toum (garlic whip) is the perfect combo of meat, garlic, pickled vegetables all wrapped up in a pita. Order a couple kibbeh for an appetizer, eat them hot as soon as you get them or be sure to reheat if you can't eat it immediately. Check out the daily the rotating daily specials; moussaka, stuffed cabbage, stewed chicken, rice with lentils topped with fried onions to name a few. Grab some pies; Za'atar, meat, spinach, chicken, or potato -- it's hard to decide because they are all delicious. Finally, grab a baklava for dessert. Not sure what to order? Ask for help, the staff is happy to answer any questions you have. Whatever you order will be well worth it and super inexpensive! **we have eaten all food/dish mentioned in this review**

Menu
Jando S.

After many years spent on 43rd Ave, Souk El Shater seems to have finally found its groove in its current space on Queens Blvd. Though it's been several years since their move, I feel they have never been better. Who would've known that one of the borough's best Lebanese options would be in the heart of Sunnyside? (#1) A family owned and operated business, they've low key become a standout eatery in the entire hood (#2), which is no small feat. The spot is still pretty small, as it operates primarily as a takeout spot and Middle Eastern grocer. There is some limited seating on a counter, but most folks are in and out of here with bags of food. For large orders, call ahead of time to ensure availability as they often run out of popular items. Speaking of the food, where does one start? I could talk about their delicious lamb and chicken shawarma rotating on a spit or their deliciously creamy hommos (hummus) or baba ghanouj. Perhaps I could rave about their addicting kibbie (kibbeh) or gush over their quality variety of pies that range from spinach, meat, and cheese to thyme, kishk, and cheese. Their sweets are also fantastic; kadayif and baklava are wonderful as the kounafa (kanafeh) with cheese and their nammoura (semolina + yogurt slice) is stupid delicious. My absolute favorite thing as of late has been to come by for their daily lunch specials, which are priced between $7-9 each. Whether it's small or large, they do an incredible job of stuffing the container till it's ready to implode. Given that they change daily, there is no guarantee what one loved one day is available the next day. When in doubt, call ahead of time or come in early and score something fresh. Their Lebanese lasagna is sinfully good. It's the ultimate comfort food and usually served on the weekends only. I also love anything in yoghurt which is fantastic over rice. They use a lot of ground beef usually in tomato sauce or yoghurt with either vegetables or beans or all of the above. Really, no one can go wrong with these choices as they're filling and tasty all throughout. Now that COVID + pandemic is in full swing, they've now managed to jump onto Instagram (#3) and embrace Yelp more than ever. I am hoping to partake in what they do best often because this is seriously too good of a place to pass up. ____________ (#1) And not in Little Egypt (Steinway) or east of Flushing. (#2) A neighborhood that has some of the highest rated restaurants in all of NYC. (#3) @soukelshater ... follow them immediately!

Combo shwarma

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So Many times I leave a shawarma place disappointed this was not the case here amazing food and and amazing people!

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6 months ago

I love this place their food is amazing and the closest I have ever tri in New York City

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4 years ago

One of the best/amazing shawarma spot in Queens!! Tried other places around the area, and this spot definitely fills the shawarma craving!!

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Didn't have a reservation, but was able to get a table for a party of two on a Friday evening. It…read moredid get more busy as the evening went on so making a reservation is recommended. There's so many options (vegetarian, meat) - something for everyone on the menu. Our hostess was also very nice as she also provided some recommendations since this was my first time being here. The food portion sizes (even the dips) are huge. There was also unlimited pita bread for the table. Would definitely come back next time to try other items on the menu.

I genuinely wanted to like Au Za'atar, which made this experience even more disappointing. During…read moreour brunch visit for 3 on May 9th 2026, I experienced the first significant allergic dining reaction of my life. Rather than immediately posting a public review, I contacted management privately because I believed they deserved the opportunity to address the situation professionaly. Their initial response was that they would review the incident internally. After I followed up, they specifically offered to send me a complete ingredient list for everything we ordered so I could review it with my healthcare provider. I accepted that offer but, the ingredient list was never sent. Months later, there has still been no meaningful follow-up. My frustration isn't about demanding compensation or proving what caused the reaction. It's about customer care and accountability. Making promises that are never fulfilled leaves the impression that guest concerns only matter until the bill is paid. Once our $471 tab was settled, the commitment to help simply disappeared. The food and atmosphere may attract people, but how a restaurant responds when something goes wrong is what defines its hospitality. Unfortunately, based on my experience, the follow-through did not match the promises made, and I can't recommend a restaurant that handled a serious guest safety concern this way. Its NYC, 1000s of restaurants will charge less serve higher quality ingredients and treat you with greater hospitality, and this place is located in midtown east.

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4.2
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2.5 mi
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Live music was great, ambiance was very pretty, food was portioned well with plenty of different…read moreoptions. The menu was huge, and waitstaff were ready to answer any questions and make any customizations to menu items. Would recommend this place for upscale dining with a relaxed pace or for a nice celebration. Food was flavorful.

3.5 stars, a beautiful dimly lit dining room and huge no less. There are a few steps walking up to…read morethe dining area. Great for groups of all sizes, reservations suggested but on this weekday visit, it was not too busy. We had a resy any way. Service was fair. Our waiter checked in with us once after we ordered and we had to beckon him twice - once for water refill and second for condiments/questions. What I didn't appreciate but understood, since we were two people dining, we got a corner table for two. It was not busy so we asked for the table next to us since we ordered plenty. They did not accommodate us saying they may need it for later. I did not think that was necessary since the place was not busy. This was 6pm on a Wednesday. And to boot, huge dining room - plenty of seating available. This was off putting as we said we ordered plenty. Our plates barely fit and they brought everything almost at once. Onto the food, I may not have ordered their popular dishes but nevertheless, nothing to rave about. Portions were shareable but it was just okay. There was not one stand out dish. I had higher expectations based on other reviews and photos but it was likely what we ordered. This was a vegetarian meal for me since I was dining with a vegetarian. - Moussakaa, this was a very tomato based sauce dish. Fried eggplant and chick peas combined had a nice texture. Mild flavors. - Arayess cheese - sorely disappointed. Very little flavor and I love my cheeses. It needed something to make it more appealing. It literally looked like cheese in a pita. And yes, by description it was. No condiments or side of anything to offset the plating. Visually flat. It could've used a sun dried tomato paste or some acidic side dipping sauce. - Yara Fries - shockingly simple, zaatar and spices. But they didn't put enough. It still looked like regular fries. And by the name, I expected more punch of flavor. It was not there. - Falafel - tricky dish if it's not cooked well. Simple again by name but the ingredients were just mild in flavor. Crunch was perfect. The chickpea, onions, cilantro and garlic was not pronounced. It was ok. Not memorable. - House wine, by the glass, decent and went well with what we ate. Would I return is the question... Likely not. The menu was so promising but nothing to bring me back.

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ilili NoMad

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3.5 mi
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Gorgeous upscale dinner spot in midtown! We came as a group of 7 and were seated comfortably, lots…read moreof room within the restaurant. Great place to share several food items with a group. It was a little hard to hear and converse at times as it gets crowded, but the food was delicious and there are really unique items on the menu. Food: The duck shawarma was one of our favorites! The lamb and scallops were also flavorful and tender. The dips were delicious with the pita, but I wish the serving size for the dips were bigger. The fries were great - well seasoned! Also recommend the milky pudding, it was a nice refreshing way to end the dinner. Service: Our server was super helpful in letting us know what items are more shareable and his suggestions for cocktails. Definitely try some of the arak based cocktails. Vibe: Gorgeous interior, the mirrors and lighting really elevates the space and makes it a lovely spot for group dinners or dates.

We went for Mother's Day brunch. When we arrived a few minutes early we did have to wait a bit. The…read morerestaurant had two floors, nicely decorated and cozy. We were lead upstairs to a table. There were 7 of us The seating was cozy but not cramped. We started with 7 family style small dishes: Hummus with Falafel Pops (chickpea purée, tahini, falafel, olive oil), Spring Burrata (roasted cherry tomatoes, toast, basil oil), Hamachi Crudo (passionfruit vinaigrette, citrus zest, cucumber, mint, sesame tuile), Scallops (carrot puree, serrano pepper, brown butter sauce), Tenderloin Skewer (zaatar chimichurri, fresh herb salad), and Shiitake Stuffed Grape Leaves (tomato coulis, yogurt foam, herbs). Everything was delicious. The hummus was well seasoned the falafel had a nice crunch. It went well with the warm puffy gyro bread that came to the table. The burrata was wasm and creamy. I love the vinaigrette on the fish. I ended up eating most of it. The scallops were the sweetest, most tender ones I have ever had. The tenderloin skewers were tender and well seasoned. I liked the grape leaves but the rice consistency was very soft almost mushy and you can barely tell there were mushrooms. There was barely any mushrooms flavor. Next we all chose an entree. I got the duck breast, my husband and daughter each had the beef tenderloin. The duck breast was smaller than i expected. The skin was nicely seared and very crispy but boy did it give my jaw a workout. It was done medium rare. It was juicy but tough. The small beef tenderloin was tender and smoky. The waiter poured the sauce over the tenderloin for added flavor. Finally dessert was a fruit plate with ice cream and pudding. The fruit was fresh and the flavors of the ice cream and pudding unique. It was a nice end to a good brunch. The price was a little expensive at $85 a person.

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Al Nour

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3.7
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We were craving a shawarma wrap and found this spot. They have a grocery section, butcher shop in…read morethe back of halal meats and they have a hot food bar too. They have some seating available for you to eat in too. My husband and I ordered a chicken shawarma to share. - Chicken Shawarma: we ordered without onions. The shawarma came with fries, lettuce, tomatoes, hummus, and garlic sauce. This was a pretty overwhelming combination to me and my husband. So many flavors mixed together. The chicken was delicious- perfectly cooked, moist, and very well seasoned. I ended up picking at the shawarma halfway through and just eating the chicken pieces. Based on typical Lebanese shawarma standards, the fries didn't taste fresh (they seemed like they'd been sitting out), and there was something in the shawarma that had a bit of a refrigerated taste (probably the hummus). I'm giving it 4 stars because what we had was a traditional Lebanese-style shawarma. While we personally would've preferred a simpler wrap with just chicken, pickles, and garlic sauce, that's on us- we came to the wrong spot for that, but we also could've asked for it with just those components.

Always delicious food, great service and a homey ambience!…read more Came in on Christmas Day to pick up a hefty amount of food and they were open regular hours. Thank you for amazing food and service! Makes me miss Damascus every single time.

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Inside shawarma grilling area and menu
Inside shawarma grilling area and menu
Chicken shawarma
Chicken shawarma
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Outside
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I have driven throughout Edgewater for years and have not seen Madison Café and Grill. Thanks to…read moreYelp, my curiosity was piqued and I'm so glad that I visited. The restaurant has an interesting history. Even though the original opened in Cresskill, NJ, it unfortunately has permanently closed. However, not only is the Edgewater location amazing, but it had the guts to open during COVID (2022), survived, and is succeeding. The restaurant is beautiful inside and outside. Their decorations are tasteful, the presentation of the food is award winning, and the service is stellar. I started with a Mocha Cappuccino and it was so good. Served in a large mug, an airy/creamy top, and had the perfect amount of mocha happiness throughout. Before the meal even started, we were graciously given Za'atar (a popular Middle Eastern spice blend with an earthy, tangy, and nutty flavor, toasted sesame seeds, and sumac, with salt). It was crunchy, drizzled with oil, and I enjoyed how each thin pita bite made the spices explode all over the table. The entrees were: Strawberry French Toast. The next was the Falafel Platter (chickpeas and fava bean balls, served with tahini sauce, pickles, turnips, tomato, and mint). The last selection was the Avocado Toast (Citrus cured salmon over multigrain bread, tomatoes, onions, capers & citrus vinaigrette). Not only were all of these dishes beautifully presented, but all were filling, as well. My Avocado Toast kept me full for the rest of the day and the salmon was enjoyably salty, thin, and delicious. I noticed a dessert in their display case and ordered it. The dessert was the Riz Bil Ashta (Lebanese rice cream, infused with orange blossom water, blended with milk and cheese, and topped with crushed pistachios). This dessert tasted like a regal custard and the pistachios added an enjoyable texture that makes it recommended. Of course, I had to cap the meal with a Mocchiato. This amazing beverage followed the rest of the meal..... delicious, eyes closed good, and every sip was full-flavored. Thank you, Madison Café and Grill, for presenting a memorable meal and I wish you continued success.

Photos
Avocado toast
Avocado toast
Dining room
Dining room
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Pistachio Lamb Chops

Souk Al Shater - lebanese - Updated July 2026

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