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Alhana Foods
Categories: Food Grocery Restaurants Mediterranean Event Planning & Services Caterers Grocery, Mediterranean, Caterers
25 37th AveSan Mateo, CA 94403
(650) 349-3300
- Hours:
Mon-Sat 11 am - 8:30 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- No
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Quiet
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
186 reviews for Alhana Foods
Review Highlights
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"They have a good selection of Middle Eastern goodies." In 25 reviews -
"I also usually add some Falafel to my order." In 50 reviews -
"I also can't say enough about the hummus." In 47 reviews
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186 reviews in English
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Review from .Nette T.
Updated - 5/22/2012
Thank you for all the good meals and great service, Alhana. *sob*
Closed.2 Previous Reviews: Show all »
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12/3/2010
I'm happy to report that Alhanas still delivers.
Instead of the usual Chicken Shawerma, I tried the… Read more »
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Review from Roger A.
Burlingame, CA
4/8/2012 1 Check-in Here
Alhana foods is a nice restaraunt with some grocery options. most of the grocery items are from the middle east/arabic region. some asian stuff too.
Price seems fair.
The restaraunt on the other hand.. they have great food and a good price.
I bought my favorite Tabouli salad and some garlic fries.
The seating area isnt too big, but can hold a few folks.
The people there are really welcoming and friendly.
Parking is metered, at times can be hard to find, but its free 2hrs.
they also have a falafel bar too. -
Review from Diane B.
3/10/2012
I hadn't been here for quite awhile, decided to take my newly interested in Middle Eastern son for lunch today. The owner outed me immediately as having not been here for quite some time, because my "get 10 lunches receive one free" card was a color he stopped using about a year ago. Embarassing!
I got my old fav - falafel deluxe, only no potatoes, just eggplant. It was very tasty and I definitely like their falafel. The texture is perfect, although it could have a little stronger parsley taste, and it was too salty today. I was hoping they'd up the eggplant, since I didn't have any potatoes, but it was scarce. I would have welcomed more of my little nightshade friend. I love that they include pickled turnips, just like the real Middle East.
My son go a shwarma wrap and loved it. He tasted mine, and said his had more flavor. There was no tasting reciprocity, because he inhaled his before mine was even half eaten. He also got a Stewart root beer. Total bill was about $13
All in all I give it two thumbs up! -
Review from Boris M.
San Leandro, CA
5/2/2012
Love this place.... have a lots of cool staff food is fresh and amazing .....
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Review from Naomi K.
2/28/2012
2.5 stars-Hmm, maybe I ordered the wrong thing here, but the gyro shawerma ($8) and the beef kabob sandwiches ($11) were really not that impressive. Seriously- $11 for beef with a lot of onions wrapped up in a pita? The flavor was ok, but not much to rave about. It took us a good 10-15 minutes to get our order, so it was a bit of a wait.
I was much more impressed with the grocery side, there seemed to be quite a bit of variety, everything from charcoal briquettes for your hooka, to henna to dye your hair, to fresh baklava from a Fremont bakery. Some of the pita bread, and the other pickled items on the shelf seemed a little questionable on how long they had been sitting there.
$7.50 minimum for credit cards, which doesn't seem to be a problem, since most of their sandwiches are expensive enough to make the limit. -
Review from Rashim M.
San Mateo, CA
2/3/2012
Alahana is both a grocery store and a restaraunt. The food here is great and they are quick. Being a grocery store, you can always browse and pick anything else you may need to have with your food. They have amazing kulfi here which similiar to ice cream for dessert.
One thing that sucks is that although they have a permit for wine and beer - you can only take it out but not have it with your food there. -
Review from Richard B.
Campbell, CA
5/11/2012
Loved, loved, LOVED eating there. Past tense...because they seem to be out of business. :-(
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Review from Stella S.
Newark, CA
2/14/2012
Food was good, the flavors didn't have the wow factor and some details that could be better. I had the Chicken Shawerma plate and my hubby had Combo Shawerma plate plus a small side of Babaganush. The wait was a bit painful because it's so cold inside, the door was open on a very chilly but sunny day. Once the food came, it looked good. The Chicken Shawerma to me didn't feel authentic, it was more stew-like with some tomatoes. The garlic-flavored yogurt drizzle was alright, it added flavor to the lack of flavor punch of the dish. The rice was good although not as dry as other places (it's moist not 'broken' if that makes sense) which lends for authenticity. The pita bread was served cold, basically they just cut up the pita round into 4 slices. I wish they warmed it up or toasted it. Babaganush was good but a tad too acidic.
Overall, the food was passable, just not something I expected from a place that got so many 5 stars. -
Review from Miranda W.
San Jose, CA
1/30/2012
When I first arrived at Alhana, I thought.. oh shoot, it's a grocery store and not a restaurant. But I was wrong - there is a sit down area and a restaurant inside as well. Though it might look like a random location far away from most other restaurants, don't be fooled.. it's a gem in the rough.
Service was great! I asked for a cup of hot water and the guy gave me a free tea bag just in case I wanted it, free of charge! :)
Had the chicken shwarma and the lamb gyros sandwich and both were DELICIOUS. The Chicken schwarma plate comes with rice, hummus and pita, and a tomato salad. Definitely hit the spot.
They are starting up a falafel bar soon, and I'll definitely be back to try it! -
Review from Christina D.
San Bruno, CA
3/1/2012
Came here for lunch last week because of all of the positive reviews. I just don't get the hype. It was mediocre at best. Kind of expensive for what you get, my chicken plate was served with cold pita and I swore some of my chicken was still raw and the employee heard me ask my husband if it looked raw to him and she then informed me that it was a tomato. This is the first time I have ever been able to mistake a tomato for raw chicken. Hummus was just ok and I didn't dig eating at a table in the middle of a middle eastern grocery store. but the one thing I did really like here was the spicy sauce on the tables. I prefer Waterfront Pizza (also a mediterranean restaurant) if in this area with a craving for Mediterranean but I'm going to keep up the search in this area as there seems to be many choices.
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Review from Yelp'y Yelper T.
Fremont, CA
Super great eats at great prices. Quality, taste, everything is up to par. I hit this place couple times a month and it has never disappointed, not one time. Keep up the great work Alhana. Yelpy ~
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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3/31/2010
Hands Down, The best Mediterranean place on the peninsula. If you know of a better place anywhere in… Read more »
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Review from Alecia R.
Campbell, CA
9/9/2011 1 Check-in Here
I was not very satisfied with my food here.. I had the chicken schwarma(?) plate and instead of rice i asked for salad..
The meat looked like it was a mixture of dark and white mean which i was not very pleased with.. the salad was a major disappointment as well it was more of a salsa then a salad.. it was tomato and cucumber for the most part and no lettuce
overall the food was just ok at best -
Review from kate y.
San Leandro, CA
10/21/2011
I can here for dinner before heading home last night. I was seriously looking forward to the deluxe falafals because of all the great reviews.
But what a let down.
The service was great, the man at the register was super time. The first few bites were really good, falafal was crispy and not oily-- so yummy! but then i bit into this pickle veggie and it tasted odd. It wasnt spoil, but it was ...... slightly offensive. It was a little bitter and a little sour (like pickled sour). Are these suppose to be picked in falafal sandwiches?! I didn't think anything of it and picked out most of the pickled veggie and went on with my night. Feeling good and made a mental note not to get the sandwich (at least tell them to leave those picked veggies out) and try to plates instead (possibly the chicken plate).
BUT! about 4-5 hours later-- late late at night, i got light headed and my stomach was a little queasy. I couldnt go to sleep because i just had this urge to throw up.....
I dont know what happen, if there are suppose to be pickled veggies or the veggies spoiled after the lunch time rush, but i'm dont think i even want to go back to try the other dishes-- even tho there are 4.5 star on yelp.
This experienced scarred me. I never threw up from a bad meal before. never! -
Review from Xanthia R.
San Mateo, CA
10/29/2011
The food here is quick and great. Awesome falafel. Not precooked, formed and fried as needed, and it completely makes a difference. The husband gets the schwarma and is enamored as well. Much better than some of the other places around here, and isn't too pricey.
I have to say I get the salad with the pickled veg all the time (since I get the falafel plate instead of the sandwich) in the evening and have never gotten sick.
The service is excellent and they really pay attention to what you would like. My husband tends to buy a metric ton of candy when we come in since they have a few international choices which is very cool. -
Review from Hannah S.
San Mateo, CA
7/14/2011
I came here for lunch and I fell and love! I'm part Middle Eastern (Persian) and I'll be honest, I don't know too much about my own culture. The falafals (spelling?) were amazing! It wasn't too pricey and it came with some hummus (yummyyyy) and a salad and some pita. Loved it and I will be back! When I got my food I got very happy because it smelt delicious!
I also bought some French Feta cheese and some whole wheat pita bread. I ate them for a snack today and loved it!
I am definitely coming back, and I would recommend you too as well!Listed in: FOOOOOOOODDDD
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Review from Kathy C.
Burlingame, CA
12/17/2011 1 Check-in Here
Cozy middle eastern place tucked away in San Mateo. Cashier guy and chefs were nice. Chicken shawarma was seasoned well, and very tender. Pita bread was alright, was pretty soft but tasted kind of old, but rice was good as well. Gyro wrap was pretty good too, but if you don't like a strong lamb flavor & aroma, then I would suggest staying away from that. I might come back to try their falafels since the plate was only 5-6 bucks! But for $10 chicken plate, I expected more.
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Review from ceana k.
Menlo Park, CA
7/14/2011 1 Check-in Here
REALLY good garlic fries and roasted chicken. Need I say more?!
Though I think they really need to improve on their falafels.
Easy parking, quick service and casual environment. -
Review from Sabine S.
Redwood City, CA
3/24/2012
My husband left a plate of falafel sitting on the counter which he had picked up last night. I can't stand falafel because I need meat and it always tastes like too much grain, some weird flavor and extremely dry like eating straw. This one, although cold, was sooo tasty, a tiny bit spicy (I don't like spicy normally), really good mix of spices and ingredients, and it was delicious! He goes there all the time since he is from Lebanon, I haven't gone yet but I gotta try their shawarma. I used to eat at Alladin's on 4th in San Mateo and really loved their food but they shut down. I'll be updating :)
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Review from James L.
Mountain View, CA
1/28/2012
I've eaten here twice. They make delicious food. I had delicious lamb/beef shawerma plate. Low key, casual. Good place for a quick bite.
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Review from D M.
San Mateo, CA
1/26/2012
Best hummus and Baba ghanoush on the planet--bar none. I know, I live for middle eastern food and dips like this. What I like best about their Baba ghanoush
is the fresh almost smoky flavor. Mmmmmm. Just as good are the selection of pitas. So fresh. So good. You can not go wrong here. Plus, rumor has it they're putting in a falafel bar. I can't wait. -
Review from Sylar Z.
Los Angeles, CA
12/7/2011
okay...to be fair, my friend highly recommended this place...so I tried the Beef plate, and it was 10x better than chicken. Might have to go back for the beef plate! Portions are okay, not huge but not small.
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Chicken Shawerma plate - mediocre at best. I've never had a chicken shawerma plate served over STICKY rice. At $10.99, I wouldn't go out of my way to come back here. -
Review from Sonny S.
Redwood City, CA
1/15/2012 2 Check-ins Here
I really like the Arayes here,
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Review from Aasim K.
5/25/2011
My buddy took me here right before getting on a red-eye to Philly. I usually have trouble sleeping on flights but after having their Rotiseree Chicken Plate I was floored. I am not sure my neighbor appreciated it, but I was a happy camper.
The chicken was amazing, succulent, and spiced perfectly. The garlic sauce they serve it with was amazing. I put this place in my top-10 for fast-middle eastern food.
Note: This place is a grocery store so don't come here expecting anything more than that! -
Review from Nader F.
Mountain View, CA
6/23/2011
Some of the friendliest staff plus VERY delicious food led me to come back two days later (and will be returning regularly).
Good variety, affordable, clean!
Get the #2, you won't regret it. -
Review from Steve L.
It's been more than a year since I've been here. I had we week off from work, so I had a chance to come back here for lunch.
As with the earlier visits, the store and restaurant remains to be clean and very well lit. Tables are always cleaned, and settings are always in place, ready for the next customer. Whether there is a person behind the counter, or stocking the shelves, there is always someone to greet customers as they enter the store.
After I ordered at the register, I chose a table next to the store window, facing the street. I was pretty much relaxed, checking my email on my cell phone, really pretty self-absorbed. What seemed like a few minutes, my order was ready.
I wasn't in a vegetarian mood that day, so I ordered the kufta kabob platter, and a Peach Tazah soda (http://www.yelp.com/bi...).
The kufta kabob was resting on a bed of rice pilaf, accompanied by a refreshing cucumber salad, hummus, tumeric-dusted onions, and grilled tomatoes. The kabob was hot, juicy, and nicely seasoned and marinated. It was wonderful as I took a piece of the kabob, wrapped it in a piece of pita, then topped with with the onions, and a bit of the hummus.
For me, there's nothing satisfying as a simple, seasoned and grilled meat for lunch.
I'm glad Alhana is still as good as before. Hope to be back soon!Listed in: Local Eats Along the Peninsula, Thank you Yelp
2 Previous Reviews: Show all »
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4/1/2009
I had the day off from work. My wife called before lunch and said she'll being leaving early from… Read more »
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Review from A C.
San Mateo, CA
2/7/2012
I love this place! The food is delicious and always made fresh. They recently opened a falafel bar, which is great because there is over a dozen condiments I can pile onto my falafel sandwich. Also, the owner is always willing to suggest something new for my adventurous palate. If your ever in the mood for great mediterranean food, this is your place to go :)
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Review from Mona W.
After eating here I felt really compelled to tell everyone about this place. That was the best gyro I had outside of some fancy Michelin restaurants. Chicken shawerma was fresh with loads of flavors. The meat had the perfect texture and the taste was explosive. Everything from the pita to the rice were addictive.
It is not hard to understand why there are so many loyal customers at this place. I don't say this often but the food is truly phenomenal. The staff were very friendly and service was excellent. The grocery selection seems very interesting as well. I can't wait to eat here again. -
Review from Francis L.
San Jose, CA
1/25/2011
I cant help but this place is trying to do everything all at once. The rice plate looks promising enough so I went for the shwerma plate. Salad good, flavors rice good, lamb chunks are horribly dry! The flavor of everything is overall very good. I went with a co-worker and she said that it was very good. I was puzzled. Perhaps her plate tasted better with a different meat? It looks identical.
Well to be fair I am not that big a fan of Mediterranean foods. I do enjoy the lamb at other Mediterranean restaurants so my 3 star isn't without basis. Perhaps the dry lamb is just a fluke? I guess i will try it one more time but no more after ok? No use stabbing myself in the foot when I know I'll get 3 star food. -
Review from Igor P.
Sunnyvale, CA
11/10/2010
I have to say this is the best Mediterranean food place I've ever been to. I ordered a lamb kabob/lamb shawerma combination plate.
The hummus was good, the salad was good. What impressed me is the rice, it was cooked perfectly, each grain was separate from the rest.
Both the shawerma and the kabob were amazing. It wasn't too dry or overcooked or too hard. Just simply delicious.
Although I would have to say that this is more of a $$ place than a $ place. The combination plate was around $16, a plate with one meat type is around $10 or so. -
Review from Curt J.
Dublin, CA
5/12/2011
should've stayed at work for lunch and ignored my cravings for some substance....but instead, I venture out to this place.
Pretty Damn Good.
I had the Gyro sandwich.
Tasty pieces of lamb and beef....not the processed type but real cuts of meat.
Prices are kinda high for me but everything will get expensive anyway real soon due to our falling value of the dollar....thx obama and bernanke for printing more money spending like there's no tomorrow. Sorry, i got on my conservative rant.
GO VISIT THIS PLACE....
As we say in Hawaii...."REAL ONO". -
Review from Tony L.
10/6/2010 1 Check-in Here
I've been here once, and I'm definitely down to come back. Sure, there are an assortment of Middle Eastern groceries and such, but since I'm usually in the area scavenging with my hungry pack of coworkers for a bite to eat, it's always great when you find a place like Alhana.
I had a gyro with a basket of garlic fries. I have to say, these are some of the best, crunchiest, most flavorful fries I've ever tasted. The gyro was great. But I could dream about the garlic fries, they were so good. I'm looking forward to coming back and trying a few other things on the menu. Definitely recommended.Listed in: Lunchtime at Redwood Shores…
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Review from EurJean C.
Santa Clara, CA
8/23/2010
We walked by after going to see John at JJ's Alterations down the street (the best for original hem jeans) and decided to stop in for lunch to try the food.
We ordered the falafel plate and shawarma (gyro) plate. Both plates came with meat, rice or pita, hummus, salad, and tahini sauce on the side. The meat did not seem made to order (a bit dry) and the pita was just ok. The hummus was actually my favorite part of the meal, nice and creamy.
Overall, the best part of the experience was the service. Everyone was very friendly and the food came out quickly. I will have to try the wraps or sandwiches next time. -
Review from matt h.
San Mateo, CA
4/22/2011
3.5 Stars
I like to eat at this place occasionally...its "pretty good"...food is pretty good, price is pretty good, service is pretty good...it's in a grocery store so if you're looking for ambiance, go elsewhere. If u want some pretty good mediterranean food at a pretty good price, check it out....
As others have commented, their hot sauce is good...it's similar to chinese chili sauce. garlic fries are also good...and everything is cooked to order so it's nice and hot when you get it. -
Review from V b.
San Carlos, CA
9/5/2011 1 Check-in Here
Good Place to get a quick bite to eat. The best thing about this place is, everything is homemade!
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Review from Kimberly S.
San Mateo, CA
6/28/2010 2 Check-ins Here
I've been used to the way Falafels Drive In in San Jose served their falafel sandwiches - stuffed in a pita with cucumbers, lettuce and tomatoes, topped white sauce, and all falling out after you take your first bite. Totally not the case here. Their falafel sandwiches are wrapped in a flat bread, and then grilled. I ordered one to go, and they gave it to me wrapped up in foil looking like a long, skinny burrito.
The preparation wasn't the only difference: grilled onions, pickles, and some kind of purplish red pickled vegetable were discovered inside my wrap. But something else was discovered in here - delicious, crispy, tasty falafel balls! Just as good as Falafels Drive In, I think. Add a little bit of their hot sauce and I had myself a nice, tasty wrap that I did not have to eat with a fork.
They even have several tables inside if you want to dine-in, silverware and all.
I browsed the grocery section while my wrap was grilling. Saw some extra large pita pockets and flatbreads, whole bunch of different spices I've never used, and a variety of sweet snacks. I picked up some sesame cookies (always gotta satisfy my sweet tooth) and pita bread since I also purchased some of their fresh homemade hummus. Hummus is a staple in my fridge, so I'm always trying to find a good store brand. But Alhana's is SO much better than that store bought stuff (although I do have to say that Trader Joe's Mediterranean Hummus is a pretty darn good).
Alhana is my new favorite spot for falafels, and better yet, it's nearby! I'm definitely coming back for more.Listed in: My New Hood - San Mateo!, More Than PB&J
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Review from kevo m.
East Bay, CA
7/31/2008
Wallace and Gromit didn't have to go to the moon for their cheese. They could have come to Alhana.
Lancashire, Cheddar, Wensleydale, Philadelphia, Tesco's... We don't even have a Tesco's here, much less any of their cheese... I'm guessing Safeway cheese is similar to Tesco's.
I stopped by to pick up some Haloumi for a bbq. Huh? That's right! Cheese you can grill. (not grilled cheese, but grill-able cheese) IT DOESN'T MELT! We put it on the grill and let it get a little crispy. Then we put some sliced tomato on it. Yummyyy! Another delish way to prepare is to lightly toast slices of french bread, broil the haloumi on it, then top with tomato, basil, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar.
Haloumi is "GREEK" according to Kara D., if you're into that sort of thing. So is baklava... who wants to butter my phyllo and nuts?
Haloumi is SHEEP cheese and I picked up two packets for $6 each at Alhana. We ended up grilling only one. The other one... well, we'll just call him Shorn!Listed in: My Best of the Bay Area List, Peninsula or Isthmus?
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Review from Lolia S.
San Francisco, CA
3/13/2008 1 photo
It's been weeks since I last had shawerma? Too long.
I had the chicken shawerma plate ($9.50) with hummus, cucumber & tomato salad, rice, shaved chicken, pita, homemade pickles, and toasted almonds. Attractive presentation, more than I expected from a deli inside a grocery store. The chicken was very flavorful and I really liked the almond slivers and fluffy rice. The pita was okay, standard. Good portions but you get more at Aladdin and it's cheaper there too. Aladdin recently expanded.
I also had the spinach pie which is a small triangle - filo dough on the outside. The filling was rather sour so I didn't like it that much. I actually ordered the shawerma wrap but received the shawerma plate. I didn't say anything because Abe was so nice.
The market is clean and stocked with all sorts of interesting imported Middle Eastern groceries (though not much in terms of fresh produce). I picked up some candy and cookies from Israel. They carry tea, cheese, bread, filo dough, CDs, pickles, frozen foods, liquor, drums, hookah supplies, candy, cookies, tea kettles, and spices. They have two spits, one for chicken and one for the beef/lamb shawerma. I've been to a couple of Middle Eastern grocery stories and Alhana has a better than average selection. I even found a brand of avjar that I haven't tried yet.
Abe the owner is very attentive and friendly. He took my order, suggested that I change tables to avoid the draft, chatted with me, brought my food, and gave me a piece of Merci chocolate to try.
They have a frequent buyer program for lunch and if you buy $150 worth of groceries, you can spin the wheel and possibly win a prize. By the way, I'm rating the market and the deli as a single entity. -
Review from David P.
8/29/2008
An action and flavor packed falafel sandwich to had here!
Falafel balls cooked to perfection combined with lightly herb infused cucumber & tomato salad, pickles and tahini sauce in an oversized pita. Yes, its a bit unwieldy and ultimately messy but I was too busy inhaling my lunch to care. -
Review from Lily N.
San Mateo, CA
9/15/2011
Hits the spot if that's what you need, but definitely not that best I've ever tried. I worked nearby, so it was good if I was hungry. I've always gotten the falafal schwarma. It's good fresh and warm, but the the falafal is always kinda dry, and I can never taste the tahini sauce as much as I'd like.
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Review from Asha S.
San Francisco, CA
4/5/2010
Hummus is so deliciously versatile.
I have it with pita bread, chips, homemade turkey wraps, sandwiches, burgers, cucumbers, etc etc... and of course, on its own. And so far, after buying all sorts from all sorts of grocery stores, I can say with confidence that it is NEVER as good as when it's freshly made.
Alhana's hummus is, so far, the best I've found in San Mateo.
We've ordered:
* HUMMUS
- [4.5/5 - Smooth creamy goodness.]
* FALAFEL
- [3.5/5 - Fresh, tasty, crispy on the outside, soft on the inside.]
* CHICKEN SHAWERMA (GYRO)
- [4/5 - Very well seasoned juicy bits of chicken. The cucumber salad was refreshing.. and mmm more hummus.]
