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Ali Baba's Cave - CLOSED
Categories: Restaurants Greek Restaurants Mediterranean Greek, Mediterranean [Edit]
531 Haight St(between Fillmore St & Steiner St)
San Francisco, CA 94117
Neighborhood: Lower Haight
(415) 255-7820
- Price Range:
-
$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- No
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
214 reviews for Ali Baba's Cave
Review Highlights
-
"They make an amazing falafel sandwich." In 32 reviews -
"Don't forget to ask for the hot sauce when you order." In 40 reviews -
"Lamb shawarma is goooooooood." In 12 reviews
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214 reviews in English
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Review from Akshay D.
Portland, OR
Just had the chicken shawarma and it was amazing. Mediterranean food is usually hit or miss for me.
They don't skimp out the shawarma, I could barely finish mine. The marinated chicken is tender and flavorful. Make sure you ask them to make it spicy if that's your thing. -
Review from Sarah D.
San Francisco, CA
Good thing this place closed down... 3 of my friends have gotten painfully ill from this place. I think it was the lamb...
Funny thing is, one of them got sick on two separate occasions - you'd think he'd learn his lesson the first time around! -
Review from Anne Marie M.
Oakland, CA
Ali Babas is one of my favorite for quick cheap eats in the city. Thier schwarmas are MASSIVE and can easily feed me 2 meals. Fresh,quick and delicious.
It also appears they have recently redone the interior! I love the little cave space where rugs and pillows make it fun to chill and munch. -
Review from Grant F.
San Francisco, CA
I was walking down Haight st. one afternoon with a falafel shaped hole in my stomach, and good fortune directed me inside Ali Baba's. With no reservations i can say that this is the best Mediterranean/Greek food I've had since i moved to San Francisco three years ago. Fresh quality ingredients combined with classic simplicity. Not one morsel of food left behind from the caravan of flavor.
I can't comment on the service, being that me and my lady were the only two in the place. I highly recommend this restaurant. -
Review from Alexandra N.
San Francisco, CA
18 INCHES OF PURE FALAFEL PLEASURE!!!
Well, I didn't have a ruler on my person at the time, but the falafel sandwich I ordered at Ali Baba's Cave in Lower Haight very well could have been a foot and a half long.
Yes, it was huge (okay, I'll bring a tape measure next time for accuracy) and I made three meals out if it, practically. But did I mention it was tasty?
Wrapped up in a lavash and grilled, the sandwich comes with french fries, roasted eggplant, cucumber-tomato salad, falafel, and a plethora of other items that I can't remember right now but taste sooo good.
The restaurant itself is kind of funky, smell-wise, and the tables and chairs are a little dirty. But, who cares-- it's really a take-out kind of joint anyway. Four stars for Ali Baba's Cave!Listed in: Thatz my hood!
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Review from Shannon B.
San Francisco, CA
I am OK with dirty restaurants and all but you totally gave me food poisoning.
I am now scared of you. -
Review from John S.
San Francisco, CA
Strangely enough, although this location is much closer to my house, I've been to the Mission Ali Baba's Cave much more often. In fact, although I've had food from here a bunch of times, today was the first time I ate at the Haight Street, um, shaft.
The food is just as delicious as at the Mission store. (I want to say "as at the original," but I don't know which one came first. Does anyone know?) The hummus is killer, and in general you get a lot for what you pay.
It gets only three stars, though, because the interior looks too much like the Lower Haight itself. I'm all for grunginess, but I prefer the tables I eat off of to be a tad bit cleaner than the sidewalk. And when I was here today, all the tables were messy. Seriously, I tried most of them. The staff weren't too busy, but instead of wiping the tables or getting more cups for water, they were checking out the girls who walked by. -
Review from Maria D.
San Francisco, CA
I am a big girl, and basically eat like a truck driver. But I'm telling you right now: I wasn't able to eat my entire lamb shawarma. Even on a day when all I'd had was half a cup of coffee. I just couldn't do it. So much yummy grilled tender lamb. Delisious. How much do I love working close to Lower Haight? A whole fucking lot.
Okay, people. I have to come clean. My Ali Baba's Cave love affair is losing some of its passion. The last few times I've been I've ordered felafel instead of lamb (bc I've decided that meat is a luxury and not a daily occurence) and while it is a very inexpensive sandwich and the felafel itself is tasty, the hummus is chalky and it may as well be called a parsley sandwich. If you order it with hot sauce, all you taste is hot sauce. I think I'm going to give up on it for a while. Maybe if I come back in a few months it'll be like having sex with a great old lover you haven't seen for a long time and it'll be all fireworks and magic? I hope so, Ali Baba. I hope so.
Edit: My faith in Ali Baba's has been restored with discovery of their out of this world turkey shawarma. God damn. It's so good! -
Review from Justin N.
I couldn't believe the super falafel when I saw it. I was in awe, from the minute he started making it for me I could tell it was going to be the biggest wrap, falafel or otherwise, that I've ever gone head to head with before. For $5.99? That is a steal for a wrap the size of a 6 month old child. Due to the monstrous size I even had the pleasure of eating it over the span of 2.5 meals, not bad at all.
I love falafel, so when I found this place and saw the options to have the usual falafel fixin's but also add potatoes and eggplantI just knew it was ON. I'm a dangerous living guy, so of course I went with some of their hot sauce too which worked out oh so well.
Such a cheap-yet-still-tasty option. Seriously, it weighed like 32 pounds, I swear.Listed in: SF: Vegan spots
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Review from Archie R.
If I once dated a girl that I didn't really care for just because she lived across the street, am I really going to be that discerning with restaurants that are across the street?
Nope.
Decent food but the items tend to get stale towards the end of the evening.
I still eat it.
History repeats itself.
Bastard. -
Review from Greg G.
I definitely enjoyed Ali Babas
What can i say that hasn't been said already. This place is pretty good and they have a great selection. The choice of pastes and sauces are great, the pitas warm and fluffy, the rice if good. I really enjoy eating here.
When I've gone in the past i get the Chicken Shawarma(kinda my staple for Mediterranean places) and i loved the whole meal. The plate was big and the servings were generous.
I will say the dinning area is a little sketchy, though. I mean, they keep it clean, just the place could use a little updating.
I plan on going back again soon, and I would recommend going here to other people. -
Review from Erin O.
Ok, so I am basing this review on the two times that I have eaten here. Fair enough I think.
The first time was great, I got a lamb schwarma took it to the park and enjoyed it two times that day. It was huge and the lamb was delicious. I was definitely impressed since it was the first time I had ever had one.
Yesterday, I got another lamb schwarma and I had been anticipating this moment for awhile. Somethine was clearly off. The lamb was dry and soooo fatty. The eggplant was sooo mushy. These two elements made me gag several times through the meal.
I no longer have stars in my eyes for the schwarma. -
Review from Cat S.
Very satisfying falafel plate with 4 falafel and generous sides: tabbouleh, hummus, 2 sliced pitas, a bowl of raita (yogurt-dill sauce), spicy hot sauce, and green olives. All together, the plate makes a very hearty and delicious meal for just $5. The falafel wrap has marinated eggplant and potatoes in it... sooo good (even better with the spicy sauce), and again, around $5. I walked out with a happily full and food-coma-inducing tummy.
They take debit, which can be hard to find in the Haight. Plenty of places to sit in the late afternoon on a weekday. The bathroom is pretty dirty but still well-stocked... I guess dirty bathrooms don't freak me out so much. I've learned to do my business while making minimal contact with nasty bathroom stuff.
I would definitely come here again. Great spot for a frugal vegetarian. -
Review from Alexis B.
San Francisco, CA
Update: Other roomie got some dolmahs to go the other night. She picked up one and it was kind of soggy with a milky white substance coming off of it.
To quote her as can't come up anything that is more hilarious and spot on:
"I love it when my dolmahs are soaked in cum"
And then she ate it anyway. Nomnom.
__________________________________
While I probably will come here again, it will probably be too soon.
Everything was soaked in oil, the dolmah leaves where soggy and overall was just not doing it for me. The hummus was fine and the atmosphere was cute. Until my dinner partner saw a mouse scurry across the floor.
My roommate swears by this place and I now know why. It's cheap, uber cheap in fact. He says the food is good. That was not my experience but whatev. It's hard to come by good food at $5 a plate.
The best part about this was when he asked me how I liked it I said,
"It's was fine. There was a mouse"
Roomie: "Oh yeah I've seen him before"
!!! -
Review from Patricia D.
San Francisco, CA
S-H-A-D-Y.
I've been to the Valencia St. location before, and I found the women working there to be super friendly. Unfortunately, the Haight St. location is down the block from where I live, so I thought I'd give it a try.
When I walked in the door, the lone guy behind the counter was on the phone and stayed on the phone for a solid 2-3 minutes before acknowledging my presence. Strike one.
There was a funky odor. Foul tip.
When the dude finally decided to make my sandwich he did a lousy job of it, and skimped on most of the trimmings. At the end of this prep process he swept something from the cutting surface into my sandwich. Uh, gross? Strike two.
Then dude #2 came from no where to relieve the rush, and rang me up for my food. Except he charged me a different price than what was on the menu. Already exasperated from the wait and grossed out by their lack of health standards, there was no way I was letting them rip me off. Strike three.
"We change price. Everybody pay new price."
"Well, I'm not paying it. It's your loss, now."
[Exit Patricia, stage left.] -
Review from Naeem N.
San Francisco, CA
The food is special and creative and damn good. The wraps are made with love and with: french fries, shawarma (chicky or Lamb), yogurt cucumber sauce, sauteed eggplant, hummus and hot sauce make there lavash bread wraps the best in the City. I only wished that their atmosphere matched their quality food product. It's a bit dingy, no music, and the hookah bar vibe in circa 2005. The staff is cool, affable and always have a smile. They were out of straws tonight and their bathroom was/is jacked yo!
The shawarma wraps are huge (I had Shawarma envy- 12 footers habibi), filling and tasty. I recommend take out... -
Review from Erin R.
San Francisco, CA
How this place passes health inspection is beyond me.
It looks like the floor/counters haven't been swept since the 60's and the ingredients/condiments have probably been sitting out just as long. That said, it was a bit cleaner than the schwarma joints that I've been to in the Middle East...
Lamb and turkey shwarma were pretty good and I appreciated the fact that the wraps were HUMUNGOUS! Hot sauce was pretty hot. Got a hummus and pita appetizer (which was definitely not necessary based on the hugeness of the schwarmas). Of course, the pita to hummus ratio was way off. I mean 4 little pita sections to sop up like 1/2lb. hummus? What's up with that?Listed in: The 22
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Review from Laura B.
San Francisco, CA
Eww. ew. ew. ew. ew.
The food here was INEDIBLE. (and I love to eat!) The falafel was greasy and overcooked, the salad was soggy, and the pita they gave me still in the plastic bag had MOLD the size of DIMES on it. As much as I hate waste, I actually threw the meal away. (Ok, ok, I composted it.)
In addition, the counter staff was incredibly rude. The two young men quite obviously talked about me in another language, and I could tell by their expressions that they weren't being charitable. I've heard from friends that they do this to women who come in.
Never again! -
Review from B H.
San Francisco, CA
What happened here? I used to frequent this place all the time, took a 2-3 year hiatus from this location and place looked a little more disheveled & dirtier. The folks behind the counter were nice but didn't have the consistent sandwich rolling technique down like they did in the past. Portions have always been large but never to the point where the lavash bread is busting out with the filling. It felt like they were just trying to load off day old food before the days ending.
Too bad, hope it was just a fluke day, because I really like(d) this place.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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12/4/2007
I've been frequenting this location since the early nineties (wow that's retro by today's… Read more »
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12/4/2007
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Review from Stacy T.
Meh. I was super excited when I saw that the meat wasn't a giant cone of pre-fab pressed meat product, but when I got home and tore into the lamb schwerma I found it lacked flavor and they were all chintzy with the meat. Yeah it was a big burrito like mass, but it was filled with potato wedges, eggplant, and other fillers. I wanted meat! Gobs of it, but alas. It was only ok and I think I'll stick to my old standby at 7 Pleasures.
Also - I asked that they didn't put in the cuke tahini sauce and what does he do? He piles it on. Way to listen to your customer. Boo. -
Review from Bryan R.
Long Beach, CA
It's probably been almost 3 years since the last time I ate here - but I'll be damned if it is STILL not the best falafel I've ever had. I can't believe it only gets 3.5 stars on here!
The falafel must not have been as big as it used to be, because I was able to finish the whole thing this time around. Still a pretty gnarly falafel though.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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2/12/2007
This place was great. Easily the biggest falafel sandwiches I've ever seen. We laid them out next… Read more »
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2/12/2007
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Review from David L.
San Francisco, CA
I normally love their shawarmas, but I had two chicken bones in my sandwich, which one cut my mouth. I went back to tell them (and showed them the bones) it was horribly gross and ask how there could be bones in a shawarma. He told me there hadn't been a bone in one for over 20 years! Really, 20 years?
Anyway, I only asked for my $7.00 back, he refused and only offered me another shawarma.
Ali Baba, I used to be one of your biggest fans, and sadly, I'm going to eat there anymore. -
Review from Hasan S.
I hate to give a 2-star to one of the only places in the Haight with shawarma and the like but this place just plain sucks. Maybe I was there at the wrong time, no one else was in the building, but I got a horribly made and completely messy wrap that wasn't all that tasty. Not sayin it was nasty or anything, totally edible, it just wasn't impressive (at all).
The service on the other hand is incredible!! Always greeted with a smile and very friendly people. I have yet to, but perhaps I'll give it another go. In the mean time...
PEACE!Listed in: My Neighborhood
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Review from Corrina S.
Los Angeles, CA
YUMMMMMMMM!
Falafel heaven :). Huge portions at great prices! You definitely have to try this place if you love med wraps. The fries and eggplant are fantastic in the wraps, not something I expected. It's a tiny place, if you weren't looking for it you'd probably walk right by without noticing it. Minus a star b/c it was hard to convey exactly what I wanted (esp if you're picky like me.. :( )... language barriers at least from my experience. What I love most about Ali Baba's Cave is how it doesn't try to be anything else but a great place to chow down on delicious shawarmas! -
Review from Vijay N.
Boston, MA
Not the best shawarma I've had, but certainly not the worst. Meat was flavorful and hummus was tasty. Certainly don't like that they put soggy fries inside - totally useless. Roasted eggplant was mushy and kind of flavorless.
2 stars for surviving in the shadow of Toronado and Rosamunde which are meccas in my book. -
Review from Stephanie K.
San Francisco, CA
I broke a tooth eating the falafel. Okay, not really - but I did have to use a knife to saw through the outer crust and break down the petrified chunks into slightly more edible, bite-sized morsels.
And theeen I saw the cockroach.
Never again.
This all happened on my first visit, so maybe the falafel rocks were an accident...but I would be willing to bet that the cockroaches are probably still kickin' it behind the counter. -
Review from Tania C.
San Francisco, CA
Lamb shawarma is goooooooood. Try it.
The place is not the cleanest. Somewhat small. But convenient location in Lower Haight (I live in the 'hood). Friendly staff. Affordable food! Overall good experience. I would recommend it. -
Review from Joe G.
Los Angeles, CA
Mmmmmmm lamb shwarma....
I love this place, though I really have to articulate no hot sauce because for some god awfull reason, whenever I get it, it feels like a lava momster is beating the shit out of my face. -
Review from Ben W.
San Francisco, CA
"07/16, 07/17/08 (Wednesday/Thursday): Ali Baba's Cave is GOOD!
For some odd reason, I've been on this Mediterranean binge lately. I've been trying to find worthwhile Mediterranean restaurants in my area, even though I've never eaten much of it before.
Order the "Shawerma Sandwich" (with lamb if you're frisky)!
The sandwich is basically two pita breads with hummus, special hot sauce, egg plant, potatoes (actually french fries) and lots of lamb all wrapped up together. It's one humongous burrito and it's DELICIOUS-O.
It's big. It's spicy. It's tasty. Hey! I came here two days in a row for lunch just to have it. That must count for something. -
Review from Kendra G.
San Francisco, CA
Living in the neighborhood, I've never bothered to eat in, but that might have something to do with the fact that I am terrified by the back half of this place. Cavelike it is.
But when I am in line, nothing else matters. I only ever come here when I have the appetite of a teenage boy, as they roll some 12" long sandwiches. Like with a burrito, the eyes decide they can finish it all and the stomach begs for mercy. Like with a burrito, you think you can save the second half for later, only to discover that you have made a terrible, terrible mistake. I've done this with both chicken and lamb shawarmas, and was asked point blank if someone took a dump in our fridge.
For me, nothing is better than the falafel sandwich with medium heat and no awkward potato wedges to ruin the party. The staff is friendly and chatty in their way, and I like to see them lovingly toast my baby shaped sandwich on the open flame. The paper bag isn't necessary but the nap is. -
Review from Emily S.
San Francisco, CA
All I really need to say is tasty, spicy, cheap and superfilling falafel. That's all that really matters to me and Ali Baba's comes through every.single.time. I really should stop eating there because I've had it way too many times and I feel like I should expand my eating habits, but god damn, you can't mess with greatness.
The giant falafel sandwich comes packed with hummus, hot sauce, french fries (!), grilled eggplant and tahini. Am I missing something? I'm sure I am.
I once split a sandwich with a buddy and we were both full throughout the day, leaving us able to traipse through town without stopping for more snacks. Hearty! -
Review from Charles K.
Los Angeles, CA
Yeah, everyone knows. This place is DIRTY, but the food speaks for itself. Fries, roasted eggplant (on request), HOT HOT HOT sauce, fresh parsley, onions, falafel, etc. The shawerma here is ridiculous. I've seen it go from HUGE, to mediocre, to #2 pencil, back to HUGE again. It's great!
I really suggest everyone request for the roasted eggplant in the shawerma. It's a world of difference!!!
One of the best shawermas I've ever had, to date! -
Review from Louis M.
San Francisco, CA
I write this and reminisce my days in Europe, eating shawarmas on a regular basis (read: alarmingly regular basis) and my relentless search for an equivalent in SF. While this was definitely different, Ali Baba might be what I've been looking for.
The lamb is real - none of this pressed and formed BS. It spins on that cool vertical roaster and is so moist and juicy. Staring at the service counter, I'm thinking "there's no way they'll put all this in there". Sure enough: grilled eggplant, humus, a touch of that delicious hot pepper sauce, potatoes, onions, tomatoes, yogurt sauce and, of course, that delicious meat. Huge portion, totally satisfying. My brother and I also shared a side of falafel which were good but not warm (had probably been sitting out a little while). Delicious nonetheless.
Just a few downsides for balance: they don't have beer which, if you're pre-funking for a show at The Fillmore, only slightly slows down your buzz. And the bathroom...well, it's funky and weird, not exactly clean, and there's a weird minivan car seat just chilling in there. Umm, OK. Beyond that, thoroughly enjoyed and will be back...great taste and a great value. -
Review from mero cocinero k.
Newark, CA
This is the first Ali Baba's Cave I use to go to when I was younger.
Here, the owner, who is a god of men, showed me the secret inticacies of his culinary skill.
How he can take the sacrifice of lamb of cow and pay homage to them. How even my Vegan brothers and sisters can feel at home because Hussein will take care of everyone.
This is a particularly great place I like to take my love, the Vegan Lunch Lady, because of the dark light and the pillow room. Also, everyone treats my like a special proletarian because they know deep in my heart I respect their secrets, and when you are a customer with corazon, your cooks will be of corazon tambien.
Que Viva Ali Baba's Cave -
Review from Patrick K.
San Francisco, CA
*** Note: Soon to be renamed Fatoose per the new owner. Confirmed the menu stays the same, but he'll be adding a few more things. Ouf! ***
I used to hit the one in the Mission on 19th and Valencia for my falafel sandwich fix. But since I've moved over to the dark side of town ... I'm hitting the place on Haight and Fillmore. Just a MUNI 22 bus ride away.
I'm just gonna come out and say it... the falafel sandwich kicks ass here too!
It starts off with the lavash bread, hummus, spice, parsley, onions and ... the kicker ... fries! then eggplant and the falafel patties. Dress it with the cucumber in sauce then lightly heat the sandwich and dig in.
There's kind of a neat story behind the fries in the sandwich. I asked if it was a Lebanese or French thing and the new owner simply told me the fries were in demand as a side and one day ... someone asked to have them in the sandwich. Et voila! The rest is history as they say.
One would think this thing is rather starchy and a handful. That it is, but it's surprisingly tasty and if you take your time ... no problem. I just keep coming back again ... and again. Maybe a once a month affair for me.
Can't beat the price either.
They also have chicken and lamb shawarmas that look pretty good too. Veggie platters look damn good. Baklava is available for the sweet tooth as well.
Drinks wise, I don't think they have a beer and wine license. So it's the usual sodas and water.
Atmosphere wise, I agree it's a little sparten and the "cave" is a little dungeon like. In reality, I think the place suffers from poor lighting and no windows. So it does feel like a cave in a way... But you have to look beyond this and think more about the food. Take it to go if you have to.
The new owner is pretty cool and made sure I was happy with my sandwich and appreciates the regulars and newcomers alike. I could tell he's putting a lot of effort into keeping his new place clean and tidy, so things look promising.
Recommended... -
Review from Hebrew K.
San Francisco, CA
For the record, some of the staff can be a bit rude. Whatever. They aren't paid to be your friends, just order your shit and sit down.
They're always nice to me.
If your a person looking for sophisticated ambience from a schwarma shop in the Lower Haight, you should just stop frustrating yourself.
There is a kind of room tucked around a corner with pillows and a low table. It can be fun with a group, especially a drunk one.
Yes, the decor is sparse at best. Why does this matter? Apparently serving you quality food isn't enough. Restaurants have to dazzle and entertain your hipster design sensibilities. Get fucked.
Now eat your food. Best hummus in the city bitches.Listed in: I Eat Food., Lower Haight Bitches!
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Review from Jason B.
Perhaps the best mediterranean wrap in the city. Or I was just hungry and my stomach is enhancing the memory. Either way, it was outstanding. Hummus forms the base. Delectable chicken and turkey come together for the main attraction. Potatoes, parsley and veggies (which wasn't included on the official menu description, but they added at no charge) topped it off. The guy helping me expertly rolled everything up in lavash bread (fun healthy fact - only 70 calories and 0 fat grams in the brand they use), placed on the grill for a quick sear, and delivered to my anxiously awaiting hands.
As I left to walk home, I found myself smiling while eating.Listed in: Dinner
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Review from Yan M.
San Francisco, CA
We've been looking for gyros and kebabs in the city for awhile now but none has seem to be able to satisfy....until TODAY! We grabbed a sausage from Rosamunde to share and I told bf that I really wanted to try the Mediterranean place two doors away....We came in here and ordered the shwarma, we asked for turkey shawerma but for some reason we received the lamb shawerma. We are not big lamb fans but holy mackerel, it was really good and tasty!! We ordered the plate which came with a side of hummus, tabouleh, tahini salad and pocket bread. The meat was just so tasty and yummy!!
But yes, the place is a lil creepy and the floor was a lil dirty with spilt chips pieces which were not cleaned up. The toilet was filthy. Sigh....
The Shawerma Platter deserves 5 stars but everything else, errr....minus 1. -
Review from Kim F.
Sunnyvale, CA
A homeless man told us to go here. I'm not kidding. He played his harmonica and sang for us, and then told us to cross the street to Ali Baba's for some terrific lamb shawerma. Oh, and bummed a dollar off of us.
And all I can say is, MMMMMM YUMMY. Huge falafel and shawerma wraps. The lamb is very good, not too gamey tasting. Neither of us girls could finish our wraps, but our male friend polished off his lamb shawerma plate and wiped it clean. The hot sauce is pretty spicy though; it was all concentrated on one side of my wrap and it burned the side of my mouth a bit.
Cheap, yummy food in good quantities. The guys at the counter are nice too.
Thank you, homeless man. -
Review from Melissa Y.
San Francisco, CA
Not even close to authentic med food. Really rude staff that always seemed annoyed to be there.
Truly med has far superior goods.
