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Category: Middle Eastern [Edit]
Neighborhoods: Carroll Gardens, GowanusCarroll St (F, G)
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Great middle eastern cuisine at a super reasonable price!
The schwarma platters and sandwiches are solid,
and their thin crust pizzas are really unique too.
Definitely get the appetizer sampler (choice of 5) if you're in a group.
Despite being BYOB, the intimate atmosphere is perfect for casual dinners and dates. Fast delivery also!
Bleh.
I was not impressed in the slightest- Olive Vine is still number one in my heart.
Zaytoons tried, but failed miserably with my falafel. It was burnt to a crisp and totally over-fried. The pita didn't seem all that fresh- it had a microwaved re-heated taste.
The decor is not "comfortable" (although the bathrooms are pretty cool) and there was a definite lack of music- the kitchen noise was overpowering and not very good for conversation.
The pitza was good, but pretty much average.
Not worthwhile, in my book.
Pizza at a Mediterranean place? The pizza was made from a pita/flat bread and it was so good. There was a burst of flavor with every bite, mostly thanks to the combination of goat cheese, mozz, and veggies.
My friend ordered the falafel which were crunchy savory bites. Between the two of us, we had leftovers from our falafel and pizza meals. Oh, we also ordered the hummus as an appetizer which we pretty much killed.
Oh, and it's BYOB!
This place is inexpensive and the food is always fresh. The restaurant itself is small but cozy and most of the time I have gone there was with a big group and they were always able to accommodate us.
Tasty and good value for money
OMG YUM. Went here with a friend who just moved into the neighborhood and let me tell you, it will bring me back to Brooklyn. It helped that the two of us had polished off a bottle of Champagne before we even got here, but whatever.
Let's see... hummus was surprisingly delicious. Not something that I would normally order in a restaurant (it breaks my "Could I make this myself rule?"), but the waitress recommended it. So creamy and awesome. My friend had a chicken "pitza" (pizza on a pita). Another item that I would have thought, "Meh," but she recommended them. Another winner! The chicken was soooo flavorful and with the cheese and the red peppers and whatever else was on there... I'd definitely get it again. It was just as good as cold leftovers the next [hungover] morning. Finally, I got the stuffed cabbage- another recommendation. I loved it- didn't really sound appetizing, but I trusted her and it paid off. The waitress was on fire with the recommendations.
Unfortunately, she was also totally overwhelmed- every seat in the house was full and I think there were only two servers on. Plenty of bussers, which helped, but she was a little crazed and didn't have much time for us. Oh well. Didn't really matter- the food came out fast.
Another plus- the price. 25 bucks for two entrees and an app! With plenty of leftovers! Marry me, Zaytoons!
And finally, it's BYOB. Love it. (Because obviously we weren't stopping at just one bottle of Champagne.)
"Yippee!!" I screamed out loud skipping out of Zaytoons with my lentil soup.
It's HOORAY! YAY! Woooooooo, worthy. For $4.34 you get enough thick, hot, lentilly goodness to sustain you as dinner. They also included a tasty homemade pita, wrapped tightly so that it's still piping hot even after you've finished all of the soup.
Whenever I order take out they always say thank you to me in Chinese--- how do they know?!
The space is comfortable. Inside it's painted a sunbaked brick color and is as cozy as an opium den. Beautiful Arabic calligraphy (fresco'd on the walls) wink at diners lazily.
Outdoor dining option is a plus, the air is better in Brooklyn!
Best of all... BYOB!
Let's see....
The waitress looked at us like we were pigs for ordering/sampling several dishes.
Her: "Really??? You want that too? Ok..."
(and when she wrapped up the uneaten and leftover food she exclaimed: "Wow, you guys ordered a LOT of food.")
I laughed and said, "Um, yes, our eyes were bigger than our stomachs."
In our defense, we ordered a small plates of the following: grape leaves, falafel, babaganough, pickles/olives, as well as a large hummus, a large foul and lamb pizza. Yes, it was a lot of food, but does one's waitress need to comment like that? Answer: no.
The food:
-Foul wasn't fresh, it tasted at least 2-3 days old. Sour vinegar.
-Hummus was nice and creamy, perhaps a bit too much olive oil though. Also, of note, when I snacked on it the following day, it tasted of fish oil (?!??). Yuck.
-Dave's Lamb pizza was cold and looked like it was comprised of just tomato paste.
-Babaganough was chunky and OK, but a tad too oily.
-Stuffed grape leaves were "OK," and fairly standard.
-Falafel was just the right size and fried to perfection. Crunchy outside and soft chickpea inside. It had the exact amount of coriander too. It was really yummy, perhaps the best I've had so far in NYC.
-Other than the falafel, the pita was probably the best part: light, warm, fluffy.
They have outdoor seating, which was a plus.
I must say though, if I had a choice, Mustache in the East (or West) Village is a UNIVERSE better.
Seriously.
Okay, so I'll begin my review with the infamous line: I don't understand why this place gets so many positive reviews. I think the food was pretty average all around. Thank the gods for the good company, or else the dinner would have been worse (the Beach Boys are better than the Beatles, Lees!). My lamb pizza was ice cold and tasted like tomato paste. The foul tasted overwhelmingly like vinegar. The hummus was alright. So were the stuffed grape leaves. The waitress seemed very concerned about the amount of food we were ordering. Back off woman! As Cartman would say, I'm not fat -- I'm big-boned!
Feh.
The ruling? Yummy, cheap and close to home. I'll be back again and again and again.
I had the sampler plate which came with great hummus, A+ fatoush salad, grape leaves, labneh and a bean concoction they called "foul" which is actually not foul at all but quite delicious.
The boyfriend had what he dubbed the "first healthy Shawarma ever," which I will interpret as good- but not the greasy goodness he is accustomed to.
The best part? The bill was under 20 dollars for two. Go Zaytoons go!
I will refrain from critiquing the food too much, because I have tasted that of the promise land of Metro Detroit. Though the economy may be rusting away to the junkyard in the region, the lone pillar of hope is the unrivaled deliciousness of the Middle Eastern food.
If you haven't visited Zaytoons already, here are three reasons for why you should in the coming months:
1. Zaytoons is GREAT value for your hard-earned dollar and no one has money to burn right now.*
2. BYOB**
3. They have outdoor seating.
Random Observations/Tips:
1. Go with the platter options - cuz sharing is caring!
2. The grilled chicken is delightfully delicious.
3. Do not take a seat outside if you think there is a chance of your dining partner will be more than 20 minutes late, because the entire waitstaff, patrons and everyone on smith street will label you with their pitiful stares as the girl who is being stood up and doesn't realize it yet.
___________________________
*If you think you do, please msg me, because there is a pretty pair of shoes sitting in a window just waiting for me to take them home.
**If you are not carrying your wine within walking distance, your white wine will likely be warm by the time you arrive and are seated. I recommend Cabernet Franc as a good red option.
I'm pretty impressed with this place because...
1. The portions are good
2. The prices are low
3. The food is delicious
4. It's hard to find affordable Middle Eastern food that is not in a hole in a wall but rather in a charming and clean little restaurant.
The shawarma here is terrible. The beef and lamb weren't shaved slices of juicy flesh and instead were dry, chopped chunks. It was chewy and tough. I had mine with tahini only which threw off the waiter. Apparently having the lettuce, tomato, onions and pickles held makes me a freak. I confirmed four times all I wanted was the meat, the tahini and the pita bread.
My dining partner and I started the meal off with labneh, homemade yogurt with olive oil and mint. I liked the areas that had pools of olive oil because it diluted the strong mint flavor of the yogurt. Warm, fresh baked pita bread was served with it but the rough, hard texture of the bread made it less enjoyable for me. It should be softer. I want bread, not an oversized cracker.
Portions are generous and the prices are cheap. My meal was only $10 for my half of the app, a shawarma sandwich, tax and tip.
This place excels at great food, great prices and great service. Note -- they're BYOB.
(1) food -- we had the combo appetizer platter and lamb pitza. the food was amazing. the foul, the hummus, the moujadarra, the pita -- absolutely spectacular. the pitza was a complete delight; the blend of textures and flavors made me crave more.
(2) price -- had a wonderful dinner for two for $20. with such great food, service and ambience, how can you go wrong?
(3) service -- server was very friendly, attentive and helpful. checked in on us frequently, introduced us to the menu appropriately, and got us interested in dessert.
overall, a phe-nom-inal experience!
I don't really get all the hype about this place. I mean it's good, but I have definitely had better in Astoria, Queens. Good value, but nothing to lose sleep over.
Wow, not sure how this place rates four stars. Just about every Middle Eastern restaurant in Brooklyn has the exact same menu but I've only just realized how much the quality can vary.
The lamb shwarma and the merguez platter were terrible, very little flavor --except for too much cardamom. Blah. If you want Middle Eastern with flavor make the trip to Fort Greene for Black Iris!
meh.
on a scale of 0 to meh, I rate them meh.
Good. Had the chicken shwarma platter, which was tasty and good value for price. Came with surprisingly good babagonoush. The low seats were comfortable and had really nice ornamented brass plates.
I've been here a few times and it never disappoints. The food is great and the prices are even better.
My friend and I always end up splitting the combo plate with a side of zataar bread and it's always plenty of food. Last time we added a large order of grape leaves and it was an almost overwhelming amount of food. Almost.
Their outdoor patio seating is nice too and allows for great people watching on Smith St.
Best of all, Zaytoon's is BYOB!
I should note that I have no shame when it comes to restaurants that allow you to bring your own. I'm always that girl who brings two bottles for two people. What can I say? I like a side of food with my alcohol.
Thankfully, Zaytoon's never seems to mind.
No trip to Carroll Gardens is complete without a stop at Zaytoon's PERIOD.
Try sharing the chicken shawarma platter and the veggie kabob sandwich for $20 (that includes a 20% tip). And did I mention they're BYOB? awesome.
There is nothing I can complain about. The food was absolutely fresh, you could taste that they made the pita right before it landed in your basket. The salads are full of flavor, and they taste just like my mother makes them (Try the combo platter, it's cheap and worth every penny at that.)
My friend and I shared a vegetable pizza, though we couldn't finish it because we were so full and satisfied. I've tried their goat cheese pizza and it's great. Their desserts are real treats as well.
And yes, the ambiance is great. The calligraphy on the walls and the decor really add to the experience, no matter how trivial that may seem to some of you. A great dinner, overall.
I'v been eating here for a couple years and not a single complaint about the food. Maybe except one, the portions are big and I'm getting fat!
The chicken shwarma platter is my weapon of choice here. Rice, chicken, hummus, salad, and pita. Enough for 2 skinny people.
Never tried their pitza, thought it was a gimmick. Don't they mean pizza, like Dominos? Ok fine, i'll give it a try next time.
Try their sweets as well. They are sweet.
And compared to some of the other restaurants along Smith Street, Zaytoons won't hurt your wallet. Unless your a cheap bastard.
I just love Zaytoons! I frequent the Myrtle Ave. location and I must say one of their best deals is the combo salad plate! 8 bucks and change for a plate of delicious salads, served with out of the oven pita bread. Yum!
The service is quick, the staff is nice, and although I have never partaken in their hookahs, the smell is always quite enticing when I enter.
I would definitely recommend this place to anyone who loves Middle Eastern food. It's very veg friendly and delicious!
Zatoons is an absolute steal! Their portions are more than ample, the food is always fresh & delish and the prices are low - you can eat WELL for around 12 bucks. Bring your own bottle of vino and you've got a perfect evening!
while unpacking and nailing and drilling and screwing and moving and resting we forgot we needed to eat. We took a walk and found Zaytoons. Great middle eastern food, just a few blocks from the house? I've died and moved to heaven.
We were sitting behind these super dickbags who really wanted everyone in a three block radius to know how much coke they do. And that asian chicks are the best because they're submissive, bro. Thankfully, the food was fantastic and you can't really fault the restaurant for it's douchey patrons. Even if the dude claimed that all the recipes were from his mom.
So, yeah, everything's going well. We go back home and build up an appetite with more unboxing. When I go to grab the leftovers, the assholes squished an entire falafel platter into a tiny takeout container. Everything was sitting in the babaganoush, so it all turned to mush. The chicken shwarma wrap - which was dry at the restaurant suddenly sprung a tahini leak. Not sure where it came from.
So, I think we'll definitely go back, but take our sweet-ass time so there won't be any leftovers for them to ruin.
I must have caught this place on a good day, because I actually enjoyed myself here.
I came here for lunch during the week, and got to sit outside on the only day that there was actual sun out. The waitress seemed kinda pissed when we first walked in (maybe she wanted a break?), and she definitely took her time taking our order, bringing out the food, never filling our water..but the food made up for it.
My boyfriend had the kufta kebab platter (the meat was cooked well, and it was a little spicy, could have been spicier), and we had the shawarma pizza to share which actually happened to be really really good. It was garlicky and the crust was perfect. We also had the turkish salad which wasn't my favorite, but other than that, the meal was really good altogether. The prices are pretty decent, but be aware that this is another cash only place.
I'm pretty sure I would come back here if I am craving middle eastern food.
I didn't even care for middle eastern food until I found this place. DELICIOUS.
Best deal for 2: A lentil soup for each and a falafel platter to share. It's just enough to meet the minimum for delivery and it will fill you up like a full meal. Seriously, you will end up ordering it at least once a week.
Fucking delicious.
But minus one star for taking forever. If i'm at one of two tables in the restaurant, and the other has gotten their food, why does it take 30 minutes to grill some chicken and put pre-made hummus, some salad, and rice on a plate?
Prices are very reasonable, the decor is nice. Plently to look at while you're waiting for the ditsy waitress to realize your food has been done and marinating on the shelf for 5 minutes.
Falafels have been missing from my diet since I left the east coast about four years ago. But now that I'm back I can't stay away from the yummy balls of goodness. I found the perfect fix in Carroll gardens. This place has my fix falafel sandwich for $4 or a platter with salad hummus or babaganoush(sp) for $6.50.
I even had some left over to munch on throughout the rest of my day this place definitely has my vote for a great falafel.
They were even great cold!
Atmosphere N/A
Food 4
Service N/A
Had it delivered so I don't know if its a place to go
I like the falafel. I like the freshly made wrap, a good change from the oft stale pita of late. It's not the best thing ever, but it's good. Not so into the pickles, but with Gods help I'll get over that.
Really friendly people in there too. I like the atmosphere- they put some thought into how they wanted the place to feel. I'll be back.
Yum!
A fun, bustling atmosphere, a super clean kitchen you can see right into, and delicious little pizzas. The food is... well, wow. There's a good reason the place is bustling.
The hummus was thick but smooth, the rice perfectly tender, and the goat cheese pitza is a symphony of smooth, fresh cheese and tender tomatoes and shredded meat... I ended up eating way, way, way too much, and will most definitely be back to sample more.
Place is great. Huge portions, good prices, friendly service. It's cash only but there's an ATM right outside the door. Highly recommend.
This shits the best!!!
Zaytoons is what I like to call THE GREATEST MIDDLE EASTERN RESTAURANT!!!!!!! They have all kinds of different Middle Eastern food, my personal favorite is the chicken kabab platter with hummus. But they also have a great atmosphere. The restaurant is dim, with candles on the tables. You can sit outside on a nice quiet street or a noisy street. They both are very comforting. The service there is great and they make you feel welcomed. Not only is the restaurant great, but it's great for take-out. When I come home late always look forward to going to Zaytoons.
Mmmmm.....yummmmmyyy.
Sometimes I'll be walking along and all of a sudden get a craving for Zaytoons. I'm very picky about hummus (I refuse to eat store bought except for Trader Joes) and I love theirs. The chicken schwarma is spiced just right.
Typically I like to write reviews when average scores need balancing or when a place doesn't receive much coverage. However, I am happy enough to go with the mob for Zaytoons. If you are in the area and even _think_ that you _might_ like Middle Eastern food, then hit them up. The food is excellent, the atmosphere is relaxed, and the the prices are more than fair.
The pitas, which are made on site, are really sick. So effin good that you will be spoiled immediately. And you will surely be disappointed the next time you're sitting in your previous favorite BK ME spot and eating some gummy-ass pita.
The lamb platters are not to be missed, though high blood pressure types might want to consider something else, as the salt content might eff you up. To me, though, it's perfect.
I really think that the most appealing, and surprising, thing about Zaytoons is the value. You might be able to find cheaper ME food, but there is no way in hell it could ever compete with Zaytoons. I believe that they could raise prices 25% and I would still see a tremendous value.
Atmosphere is comfortable and unpretentious.
Please go if you haven't already.
I love Zaytoons. LOVE Zaytoons. I would marry it if I could. I lived in the neighborhood in 2002-2003, and ate there pretty much weekly, and now I eat there every time I come up from Philly to visit my friends who still live around there. The veg combo platter is awesome--I dream of the babaghanoush. The falafel is great, the pitzas are great, the kabobs are great, the lentil soup is great, the turkish coffee is great, and the baklava is mind-altering. I've eaten in some authentic Middle Eastern places--Abu As-Sid and Felfela in Cairo, street vendors in Cairo and Luxor (yeah Egyptian, but the cuisines aren't that different)--and I'd rather eat at Zaytoons. It kills me that I don't live down the street from there anymore.
I am not a middle eastern food fan but this place is at the top of (in fact, its the only thing on) my list when friends insist on middle eastern fare. They have awesome pita pizzas that I wolfed down two of AND they allow BYOB. Fun.
Solid Middle Eastern Food, but it really doesn't stand out or do anything particularly unique. The pitas were just plain pitas, the schwarma, while good, was a little on the drier side. The salad they served with the chicken schwarma platter was very fresh, so that is definitely a bonus (some places just toss whatever on your plate as a filler), and the hummus was definitely smooth and delicious. The waitress was friendly. Nothing was bad, but it wasn't a stand-out place.
This is a cozy little spot that would be nice to come to if you live around the neighborhood or are visiting the area. If you are really craving Middle Eastern, I am sure there must be stand out places that are much better.
Good food, friendly service, and most importantly BYOB. The waitress didn't seem to mind that we continued to sit and drink long after our meals were finished, and the hummus comes with homemade fresh warm pita bread right out of the oven. This would be a great place to take out of town guests who are on a budget and/or vegetarian.
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