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Ali Baba Restaurant
Categories: Restaurants Middle Eastern Restaurants Turkish Middle Eastern, Turkish [Edit]
126 MacDougal StNew York, NY 10012
Neighborhood: Greenwich Village
(212) 505-0941
- Nearest Transit:
-
W 4 St (A, B, C, D, E, F, M)
Christopher St - Sheridan Sq (1, 2)
Houston St (1, 2)
- Good for Groups:
- No
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- No
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Price Range:
-
$
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- No
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Late Night, Lunch
- Alcohol:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- No
47 reviews for Ali Baba Restaurant
Review Highlights
47 reviews in English
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Review from Bryan B.
3/7/2012
Lamb Shawarma and a pistachio Bird's Nest...great for lunch or closing down the bars! Make sure to get hot sauce. Place is a dive, but really good food.
A little investment in the decor and they would draw a bigger line out the door.
I know this place as Falafel King when I'm stumbling home -
Review from Chris P.
New York, NY
2/18/2012
Sure, the place is in a basement; it's shabby, cramped, and happens to be across the street from a more famous and popular restaurant serving the same food. But the shawarma here is the best shawarma/gyro/doner or whatever you call it in your language. I have sexy dreams about this shawarma meat. The hot sauce is on fire. The prices are comparable to the other Middle Eastern places on the block.
Bottom Line: Great little neighborhood hole-in-the-wall. -
Review from Thomas D.
Hoboken, NJ
12/21/2011
Very nice restaurant good vibes, not too big and pretty quiet where you actually can talk without screaming to be heard. Food is very good and the service is very friendly.
Remove the mendatory 15% to 20% (not sure how they even decide) for bills up to $50 if you want my fifth star. You don't even need this you offer an excelent service!
I recommend and will definitely come back. -
Review from Will R.
5/9/2012 5 Check-ins Here
In an absolute shit hole basement you find perhaps some of the finest falafel in this city. Across the street from the vaunted Mamouns, sits this shabby dungeonesque hole in the wall. But, despite the awful facade and the subterranean digs, one bite into their heavenly falafel pita sandwich and all the shitty decor disappears. Their falafel balls are made with a unique spice blend that blows Mamouns away. The delicate flavors of ground coriander seed mixed with fresh cumin and lemon are phenomenal. As a tour guide recently proclaimed outside the restaurant: "I don't understand the line at Mamouns, maybe it's simply because the name sounds cooler than Ali Baba's" That aside, who gives a rats ass whose name sounds better- to be exacting, Ali Baba's kicks Mamoun's ass because their falafel tastes better. And, dear Gawd the sauce- Ali Baba's hot sauce is like hot sauce plus Southern BBQ sauce plus some sort of Mexican fusion with it, it is divine. My advice: look past the shitty exterior, avoid the lines across the way at Mamouns, and enjoy some of the finest falafel in NYC.
-
Review from Jim P.
12/17/2011 1 Check-in Here
Is this business trying to corner the market with it's name?
Listed as Ali Baba, but also includes Falafel king and Schwarma on it's marquis.
The falafel in pita that I purchased was quite good for the inexpensive price, but the register guy tried to short me $5, thinking I was too drunk to notice.
Nah.
Decent enough food. A bit dirty interior. There are other options. -
Review from Stephen W.
Manhattan, NY
2/21/2012
Best falafel in Manhattan (at least the best I've found so far). Fresh, delicious, and not dry like a certain other falafel place across the street. Awesome Spinach pie and baklawa as well. Very good hummus. They tend not to be crowded, and the service is fast.
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Review from Aya K.
Brooklyn, NY
12/4/2011
Without fail, the best chicken kebab sandwich, at any hour on any day.
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Review from Dino S.
ROOSEVELT ISL, NY
1/7/2011
Not in the mood to wait more than a minute or two for a falafel sandwich. And this place makes it happen. They make an excellent spiced tea. Give it a shot. The spices are fragrant and strong. The falafel balls are redolent with coriander seed and plenty of parsley. You bite in, and the thing is green on the inside. Their pita comes from Damascus bakery, which is why they're so good. Also, ask for the hot sauce on if you like it spicy, which I do.
Best part? No douchey hipsters to sit next to, because everyone's having an orgasm over waiting in a queue for half an hour across the street. Score.
Baklava is awesome. Spinach pie is awesome. Hummus is lemony and heavy on the tahini, just as I like it. Less than $10 gets you plenty here. -
Review from Tyler L.
2/23/2011
I used to work around this area and came to this place quite a lot back in the day. I usually only come here for the falafel sandwich or one of their desserts.
Yes, this place is a grimy hole-in-the-wall with sticky tables and floors. However, the food here is delicious. I like their falafel better than Mamoun's across the street. The balls have just the right crispiness and flavor and I love their tzatziki sauce too. The two desserts that I like from this place are the baklava and the kadaif (also known as a bird's nest). Both are very sweet and soaked with honey - only for those with a sweet tooth. -
Review from james m.
SoHo, New York, NY
8/20/2008
Ali Baba?
more like Shmally Baba.
Rule number one of felafel: do not open your restaurant across the street from Mamoun's. Ali Baba's balls are not as big as Mamoun's, nor as fragrant.
Mamoun's has an ATM outside, so must Ali Baba?
How much felafel can one MacDougal contain?
Why must we have felafel on MacDougal like bondage and porn on Christopher? -
Review from K L.
New York, NY
3/8/2011
Ali Baba gets +1 star for the memories it created, but judging on the food/atmosphere, there will not be a repeat visit. I met some old friends here and we hung out in their dark, dingy alleyway that Ali Baba likes to call their restaurant area. This is where a few tables are shapelessly thrown against the wall, and we were seated against the peeling walls, shuffling every so often to allow room for other patrons, and the workers coming back and forth delivering supplies.
The shawarma was weird and texture was tough, the veggies were small and diced, and the sauce was tart and odd. In total, the shawarma sandwich was the first time I found myself force-feeding a stuffed pita down my throat, as I don't believe in wasting food and I usually love these things! Both entering and exiting the restaurant, I found myself staring longingly at the crowd outside Mamoun's and wondering what I was missing there....quite a bit I would say. -
Review from Sean K.
11/25/2007
I really need to try other sandwiches there but I've had the falafel a few times and have no problem saying that its the best falafel in the village. Look at the line coming out of Mamoun's and walk across the street and treat yourself to a better sandwich sans the wait.
I have not tried other sandwiches yet if nothing else because the falafel is so damn good. However, I will be trying to the shwarma in the near future to see if Ali Baba has a good depth of menu but they are certainly off to the right start. If the shwarma is as good as the falafel, I'm going to return and give this puppy five stars.
Still, I can't say that Mamoun's is that bad. The falafel is good - this place is just far, far better. Mamoun's still has the best lentil soup I've had on MacDougal. I live in the neighborhood and I've been spending too much money recently anyway so I'm up for trying a few more things.
Update: Had to do it. I haven't had good shwarma in a while and this was fantastic. I came in pretty late and the meat was a tad bit dry but I was way past caring considering my prior experiences and how flavorful it was. -
Review from DJ MONSTER JAM D.
Brooklyn, NY
1/14/2010
This place is the dark horse of falafel stands in the west village. Awesome prices too. I think it's $2.50 for a BOMB-ASS falafel sandwich. Everyone is always blowing a load over Mamoun's falafel sandwiches, but the truth is that Mamoun's is pretty mediocre.
The falafels at Ali Baba are fan-fuckin-tastic, especially when they're hot and fresh. Also, the hot sauce is AWESOME. It stands on its own. The shawarma is decent, but not a life changer.
Falafel Sandwich - MONSTER JAM
Hot Sauce - MONSTER JAM
Lamb Shawarma - Jam
Baklava - MONSTER JAM
Jam To Crap Score: 7/8 - *87.5%*
*Certified Crap Free* -
Review from Adam P.
Brooklyn, NY
1/31/2009
Why doe people sweat Mamouns?
Ali Baba is grimy and great! Don't Beleeda Hype!
Im always a sucker for Baklava or any other pistachio/honey variation of middle eastern desserts. This place has several options on which I can gorge myself on.
But, the place is absolutely gross in the back. Hot sauce bottles are caked with greasy grime and could easily be a host of any number of rash causing bacteria.
And honey, you don't want that rash on your mouth, do ya? No you dont, good girl! -
Review from Celia S.
Los Angeles, CA
5/14/2009
Ali Baba's is my Favorite place for Falafel!! It's 10x better then that place across the street! --More veggies and Spicy sauce!
I always seem to feel super rushed at Mamoun's, the guy that works at Ali baba is super friendly and makes sure you get your order exactly how you want it!!
Falafel sandwiches are only $2.50 and baklava is $2 --its ridiculously cheap!!
They have a small eating area in the back and two plastic benches out front! --its awesome to just chill out with your sandwich and relax to the Arab tunes playing in the background! -
Review from Ben B.
New York, NY
8/30/2006
Ali Baba makes a very good falafel. It is moist and tasty. Unfortunately, like most falafel joints in town they merely use a packed pita that they heat on the microwave (unlike better places such as Hoomoos Asli or Chickpea that use fresh, thick, puffy pitas.) If you are on MacDougal and hankering for some falafel or shawarma you should not hold this against Ali Baba. They are much better than Mamoun's and for the same price, or less, much friendlier. That it is less crowded than it's over-rated neighbor should not be viewed as an impeachment of it's quality.
The shawarma is also very rich and juicy.
I would advise against the fruit drink however since when I had once one it was so sweet my stomach started hurting. However, I should mention that I don't drink much soda anymore and that Mountain Dew has always upset my stomach so you might not have a problem drinking something so cloying.
Go and find out for yourself. -
Review from Paul D.
Brooklyn, NY
8/28/2009
WORD UP!!
This place has bangin' falafel and very cheap prices.
The dude behind the counter is not overly friendly but will make you a great sandwich super quick.
Grungy, but not in a dirty way-more like in a cool secret spot way!!
YUM! -
Review from Adam A.
Brooklyn, NY
4/29/2007
Updated review:
The price went up and the quality went down. I don't find myself stopping in very often anymore. -
Review from Juston P.
New York, NY
11/16/2008
Ali Baba is like a blimp: you wouldn't think to seek it out, but you're kind of happy when it forces itself into your life.
"Hey look! A blimp."
"Oh, yeah, cool. I kind of like those things."
"Hey let's go to Ali Baba!"
"Oh, yeah, cool. I kind of like that place."
In conclusion:
Ali babababababababababababa! -
Review from Chino X.
Brooklyn, NY
9/11/2009
LOVE that mango juice a lil pricey but hey city prices... falafels are pretty damn good the schwarmas badass and they dont have a mamouns line out the door and its pretty cheap def coming back
Docked a star because theirs not enough seats whenever im their the chairs are always ALWAYS taken smfh -
Review from Evon L.
New York, NY
5/9/2010
You want a late night, mid bar-hop falafel? Get in line across the street at Mamoun's.
You want an awesome, stick to your ribs, soak up the alcohol, get-you-a-second-wind shawarma? Ali Baba. -
Review from kelvin t.
New York, NY
5/7/2010
Don't be afraid to try new places - I got the urge to have a shawarma but was not in the mood to line up for 20min infront of Mamoun's (WV). I 'm glad i was adventurous. Overall a better shawarma, the lamb was succulent - where as Mamoun's is usually dry and crunchy and more tasty than Bereket. Service was friendly and the falafel was made to order not like other places where they are pre-fried.
Pros: Meat and taste, made to order, no lines
Cons: Hot sauce ripped me another one !!!, not enough veg in my shawarma -
Review from Mike B.
12/25/2010
the long-delayed ending to Mike and Keane's Excellent Saturday Night Adventure comes...with a 2-star review.
but hey, at least it came, right? (that's what she said!)
our heroes were in full-on shawarma mode. they acquired two basic shawarmas here...and were summarily let down. the meat was actually somewhat bland. not bad, just bland (bland shawarma is strange tasting). the veggies were not as crisp as hoped for, and the sauce was mediocre.
on the plus side, this place has...a fair amount of seating, with small tables and randomly picked chairs. well, damn.
if you want to summarize our experience here, it was just like in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade - we chose...poorly. -
Review from Bob S.
Manhattan, NY
1/6/2012
I still have diarrhea from this place two days later!
-
Review from Pat C.
Hackensack, NJ
9/4/2009
bada bing.!@#$@ What's the middle eastern equivalent to that term? I love ali baba's schwarma. Definitely, one of my favorite sandwichs in the City. I always kid around to my other buddies when we have a craving for ali baba's schwarma, let's go get some middle eastern pastrami sandwich at the BABA! The sliced up lamb/beef mix that they have melts in your mouth & does not leave any of the after taste of lamb that other places do. The meat really reminds me of a melt in your mouth pastrami all bundled up in the pita with tomatoes, lettuce, and onions in that aromatic yogurt sauce. Throw in a little spice and you are golden. The middle eastern music and the location of the restaurant in the basement adds to personality of the place.
What was the name of the other place across the street? Who cares if you have Ali Baba. Macdougal streets best! -
Review from Sara C.
New York, NY
5/6/2009
Ali Baba is a pleasant little place, with great food very inexpensive
The lebanese food they prepare are very tasty and they use the spices very well. Ive been going to Ali Baba's for over 20 yrs. and there food
keeps me going back. The lebanese desserts are awesome.
The young man that prepares the food is very nice and friendly.
My son and cousin go there as well and enjoy there food very much.
we only go to Ali Baba. -
Review from Captain D.
Las Vegas, NV
5/5/2010
Favorite falafel place in the city.
It's really out there, with the satellite tv playing in the corner and the painting of the Venice canals.
It's a neat place to hang out with my friends in the middle of running around the village. -
Review from deb d.
Bayside, NY
4/18/2011
Bad food, unsanitary. Saw a rat. Hair in food. Falafel tasted good until I saw the hair.. Then as i waited for other people to finish eating, a big rodent ran across the floor.. So disgusted. Server lied about broken bathroom cause some white dude just busted in there anyway. But he got scolded by the owner after.."you have to ask." if he asked like we did, owner would've said "bathroom broken." kudos to the guy who just busted into the bathroom!
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Review from David L.
11/17/2008
Best falaffel sandwich in the area -- fresh big chunks of tomato, perfectly seasoned chickpeas perfectly fried, fresh lettuce, fresh onions, great tahini, extremely flavorful richly complex hot sauce, with a hot pickled pepper on top... MMM... I always get just a sandwich, because it's big delicious and cheap, I think their falaffel platter could be a dollar or two cheaper... Their schwarma is fantastic, never over-salty, never over-greasy, never over-cooked, never dry, and the meat is just great... They keep their sodas very well chilled unlike most places of this sort at this price point... Their desserts are really delicious -- their Halvah is perhaps the best I've ever had, though I can never eat the whole thing at once... The service is very friendly...
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Review from Karen M.
Manhattan, NY
3/9/2011
Disclaimer - I've never been to Mamoun's and I always only get the $2.50 falafel in pita. But, the falafel is really good and the service is really fast.
You do not go here for ambiance, though the one time I did eat-in here there was a foreign action movie playing on the TV in the back and all the hot sauce you wanted - pretty awesome. -
Review from Victor L.
Brooklyn, NY
4/11/2007
Made with a tiny bit more care than Mm's across the street, its very good stuff, almost as cheap. Nothing to complain about, although as with most shawarmas and falafels, mixing the ingredients a little better would be nice, or maybe not stuffing it to the point where the pita breaks and there's just a hot mess on your hands. Its a quieter place, and just less hassle than across the street. It is what it is.
-
Review from Livia H.
Manhattan, NY
3/9/2011
This place was utterly horrible. First of all, the prices on the menu are "wrong" or so I was told.
They charged me over 35 dollars, for two platters and two pcs of baklava. I asked for the white sauce on the side, and they said it was a dollar extra. I agreed because I thought it would be a substantial amount. NO! it was a lil container about the width of a quarter. One of those containers that you can put ketchup in. A DOLLAR EACH, also for the hot sauce. I ended up paying THREE dollars EXTRA for just sauce.
I wasnt made aware of this until after the food was ready, and I was about to pay. I calculated it in my head, and when i told them they were wrong, all they said was no you are wrong, those are the prices. I pointed to the sign RIGHT above the head and he said no those are old prices. SO what is the POINT of having prices up if they are WRONG!
The guy even had the NERVE to complain about not having a tip!!!
This is the worst place, and I'll never come again! Much prefer YATAGAN RIGHT DOWNT HE BLOCK.
OH! and also! he put my packets of hot sauce with the baklava, so when i ate it THE BAKLAVA WAS SPICY. how disgusting!!!!! -
Review from Alex E.
New York, NY
1/5/2010
It's amazing the best falafel is actually ACROSS the street from Mamoun's. Complete hole in the wall, recommended for takeout. The young guy doesn't really like to talk, no matter how many times I come in, but I won't hold that against him. He seems bewildered by everyone who comes into his shop. Prices are about the same as Mamoun's (aka CHEAP).
-
Review from Ransom B.
Brooklyn, NY
11/1/2005 1 photo
Across the street from Mahmoun's, Ali Baba is a less famous place for shawarma and falafel sandwiches and platters. Less famous, but better. The shawarma sandwich has so much delicious tender meat oh god.
Listed in: Cheap Eats On The Go
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Review from Stephanie B.
Springfield, NJ
8/11/2008
I've only tried the falafel so far... still a little bit nervous to expand my culinary horizons. However, it's more than worth it to take a trip down to Greenwich village just for a falafel from Ali Baba. Plus, it's open mucho late... after spending your night in any of the local bars a falafel from Ali Baba is very necessary!
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Review from Alan T.
New York, NY
12/27/2008
Don't believe the hype: Mamoun's is great, but Ali Baba is the King of Falafel in the village.
Listed in: Media Bias
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Review from Chris T.
ROCKAWAY PARK, NY
4/29/2010
Hands down the best falafel and Shawarma on the block. The ideal late night, after gig stop in the village. There's a mish mash of tables and chairs and a big flat screen usually showing falafel-western movies with subtitles. I'm going to submit this place to the publishers of "Emmett's Worldwide Shawarma Guide" and see how it stacks up. Maybe they will review it next time they're in town.
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Review from MichLee A.
New York, NY
10/10/2010
Me: Hey can I have a falafel sandwich please?
Guy who works there: OK
Guy proceeds to take half of a pita that was just sitting out on the counter and pop it in the microwave (uncovered) for 10 seconds. He then adds to the pita two falafel balls which were cold and made a while ago, puts a little bit of lettuce, chopped up cucumber, and squirts some tahini on it.
Me: Do you have any other vegetables or some hummus?
Guy: Those are extras.
Me: No thanks.
I pay $2.50 and proceed to bite into a sandwich. I now know what a Mamoun's sandwich would taste like if it was left out at night to be sold the next morning...
Honestly, don't come here. It's not worth your money when there are so many other good places on the same street.
(also, notice how the guy didn't even say thank you or hello to me) -
Review from Jarrod S.
Brooklyn, NY
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Review from George B.
Greenwich Village, Manhattan, NY
4/4/2010
Went here on the advice of someone at Mamouns, so I will compare the two restaurants. I don't know why people think this place is better than Mamouns. The atmosphere is cold and sterile, while Mamouns feels cozy and fun. And the food: the falafel here is definitely good, there is no denying that. But when compared to Mamouns, it is less flavorful and less filling. The Baklava here, however, was quite good. Being a vegetarian I can't compare the meat dishes. Anyways, there are a ton of excellent falafel places in the village, but Mamoun's is king for a reason. If you don't want to wait in a 5 minute line or need an ATM, then head over to Ali Baba. But if you care about quality and atmosphere, Mamoun's is where its at!
