Al SHAMI SHAWARMA

I was honestly excited at first — the line was massive, which usually feels like a good sign. But once we got our food, my opinion changed pretty quickly. To be fair, the ketchup was actually good. Unfortunately, that was the highlight. The fries were extremely greasy, and the shawarma seemed like it had basically gone swimming in oil. The filling — chicken, pickled cucumbers, and garlic — was very basic and didn’t stand out at all. The presentation didn’t help either; nothing about it looked appetizing or exciting. Overall, I didn’t enjoy it. My honest, objective rating for Al SHAMI SHAWARMA is 1 out of 5.

This spot has quickly become one of our new go-to favorites! Everyone knows Paterson is packed with amazing halal eats, but this place? Their shawarma is top tier. And that white sauce everyone raves about, yes the hype is real. Actually, that’s an understatement. Now, here’s where it gets spicy. The food is a solid 10 out of 10. The service, on the other hand, needs some seasoning. If I’m standing there giving you business, even hyping your spot up on TikTok, don’t give me attitude just because I’m asking to remove a few toppings. Girl, I promise it’s not that deep. Me making your job easier should not offend you. Huge shoutout to the sweet girl named Diana who stepped in and handled the situation with total grace. The other one behind the register with the hijab though, huffing, puffing, eye rolling, acting like I asked her to climb Mount Everest. Unacceptable. Anyway, back to the good stuff. The beef shawarma quesadilla I tried this time was fire. Their beef shawarma sandwich is already elite, but this quesadilla hit different. And that white sauce, I swear it healed my soul. Fries dipped in it could fix a bad day. So yes, the food here is absolutely worth it, but management needs to refresh the lineup and hire more Dianas, people with chill energy and good manners. Because food this good deserves service that matches the vibe. Here’s an update: We came here once again, and customer service still going down the drain. The same rude girl is still there, and how are you going to tell us you ran out of beef shawarma? Especially when it’s THE FAVORITE.

I ordered a double mix shawarma and a chicken shawarma meal, and both had hair in the food. Definitely not going back again.

So delicious but order ahead if you don’t want to wait because it gets very busy. Try to be patient with the staff as they are doing their best.

Delicious meat and chicken shawarma, also a great falafel sandwich, excellent service. I recommend it.

Only go during peak hours and weekends. If you go after 8:30 PM on weekdays or between lunch and dinner, you’ll get food that was prepared in advanced and just warmed up until it burns on the grill and served to you which tastes nothing like the fresh one. And you still pay the same price. When you go back to tell them you want the usual, they dump the old one, warm up/another burnt Shawarma and pack it up and give it to you. As a loyal customer, I’m pretty disgusted.

Here’s an updated version with your details included: ⸻ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5 I always buy my food from here, and they never disappoint! Their shawarma is always fresh, flavorful, and perfectly made. Today was another great experience, the wrap was toasted just right, and the fries were hot and crispy. I also want to give a special shoutout to Dua, the hijabi girl who helped me. She is always so kind, welcoming, and provides amazing customer service every time I visit. It’s one of the reasons I keep coming back. Highly recommend this place!

The downstairs sitting area was way too cold they had the AC too strong but they put a lot of effort into a nice sitting area, love the fountain and greenery wood look. The BEST shawarma in NJ hands down but they really gotta work on people skills. We asked for plates as a family of 5 and had to beg one by one they weren't even making eye contact or listening

One of the best shawarma experience in Paterson, Al Shami Shawarma is a must-visit. The combination of flavorful meats, exceptional garlic sauce, and generous portions make it a standout choice!

Good food, friendly service, and very reasonable prices. Place was well kept. .................

The most legit and best shawerma! I love the new seating area they have made to the back too. The menu is pretty basic but those are sometimes the best type of places. Would definitely recommend the beef shawerma!

I really enjoyed the shawarmas here. I ended up getting a double meat shawarma. It was delicious. The French fries were very good. I also got a chicken shawarma for later as the beef was amazing. It was really busy and the customers were nonstop in n out. The phones were constantly ringing. There were like 4 massive flanks of meat and the workers were slicing left n right. The place itself is very small from inside. Maybe 4 tables at most. This would have been a 5 star visit, but their air conditioning was not working. The restaurant felt like a sauna. It was blazing hot inside and very uncomfortable with the heat.

Great spot for a quick bite. Shawarma served fast, perfect for grabbing on the go. Staff were friendly and efficient. Seating downstairs was clean and nice. Overall great place for shawarma

Love this shawarma spot! My husband and I go here regularly for the mixed sandwich and can't get enough. It's the perfect bite on the go and our preference over any of the sit down restaurants. The meat is juicy and flavorful, the pickled veggies are salty and briny, and the garlic sauce is the cherry on top. My only ask would be for it to have some fresh tomato in it or even a roasted one. That would bring it up to a 5!!

Take out kind of place. Had the chicken shawarma and beef platter over rice and it was delicious! The chicken was even better! So much flavor! The portion size was generous as well and you can tell it was very fresh. Would love to come back for more

Shawarma meal is so delicious! Place is well lit and clean. The wait time is a bit much but so worth it! It's really worth the e wait because the food is really good and the service you get is very pleasant!

Personally my favorite Shawerma in Paterson. There's a bunch of spots but this one is so authentic. Making me crave it writing this review. They also have a dessert "bar" that serves Syrian style desserts that are so good. They also have a dining area downstairs that's very spacious and looks nice.

Still my favorite shawarma location in Paterson. Brought the kids to the new location this time. Normally I just do takeout. It looks like they have a ice cream in the front but it was not open. Maybe only in the summer?

Got lunch here since a close friend recommended it. We usually get shawarma across the street from this spot. Food & portion was good but the garlic sauce lacked flavor. The meat wasn't as tender but still good. Might need to come back & try more off the menu

Greasy sloppy wraps covered with fries all over the platter, disgusting looking with no presentation, street food looks better. The spices are not right has nothing to do with shawarma or Syria . it tastes like Thai food. Don't waste your money on fake shawarma , if you're in Paterson area go to Al Basha or Beirut restaurants for real authentic middle eastern cuisine .

Best shawarma spot in Paterson hands down. Super flavorful and the fries are super crispy. Dining area cleanliness is questionable though :(

I visited Al Shami Shawrma for lunch today and found they had finally transitioned to their new location, just a few blocks away at 1139 Main Street. It's only been open a few days and it's great! The name seems to have changed slightly to Shawerma Alshami on the sign, but trust me, it's the same place. The food is exactly the same. Excellent! The menu and prices are also unchanged. The new store is bigger, with more tables as well as long countertop with barstools. There's a bigger cooler with a larger selection of drinks, which is nice. The employees are all the same and as always they continue to be friendly and welcoming. Also it seems like the service is now even more efficient and fast. I'm guessing the kitchen is an upgrade. Best of all, the parking is much easier at the new address.

Super tasty. We had the chicken shawarma meal and everything from the fries, sandwiches, and pickles and garlic sauce were all very dry tasty. The staff was also very nice. They have a get eat little spot with a cooler waterfall in the back which gives a great ambiance. That was a nice surprise.

Ever since my husband moved from Michigan, we've been woefully lacking in good Middle Eastern food. By chance, I realized that there was a whole strip of restaurants in Paterson, so I suggested we stop by after running errands in Paramus. We both had the chicken shawarma sandwich that came with fries, pickles, and garlic sauce. I wouldn't say it's Dearborn good, but it was very close. Chicken was tender and the garlic sauce was flavorful.

Really nice Syrian shawarma spot in the heart of Paterson. To start, service was good. The guy working the front was kind and easy going. Staff seemed all friendly. The place has decent seating space ( I believe there is way more in the back but didn't go to check it out). We ordered chicken shawarmas with fries. Fries were nice and crispy. The shawarma had a different flavor to it than what I'm used to but enjoyed it anyway. There is a lime flavor in it which I appreciated and crispy to the wrap. The garlic sauce was smooth too. Definitely recommend coming here

Ordered: Chicken Shawarma Meal (~$9): chicken shawarma sandwich, fries, pickles, coleslaws, garlic aioli (toum) Aya's take: Big fan of the Al-Arabi style shawarma (where they cut up the sandwich into pieces) and decided to try out Al Shami! Great bread/wrap used, the chicken shawarma has well-seasoned but a bit dry, the fries were super fresh, and the pickles and coleslaw complemented the sandwich and fries well. You can't have a shawarma sandwich without toum and their toum is very well-made! Check them out if you're in the Paterson area.

The Al Shami came out to our house for a rehearsal dinner to serve a party of 120 people. They brought their equipments and cooked the Shawarma. It was a huge hit. Everyone loved it. The staff were very friendly and pleasant. I can't thank them enough for their service and making our party more fun.

Guy taking orders had such a nasty tone and looked at my son and I like we were not welcome, so I should have walked out rite then and there but I thought Mabey I'm over reacting but I wasn't because my son was like wow mom he talking and smiling at everybody else!!! But anyway we ordered and they were so slow and when they handed me my food I just started laughing....Two plates with Some dry rice dry cold chicken store bought salad dressing and the plate was $12 and not even enough to feed my 5 year old granddaughter Don't worry Habibi we won't come back .......

Pretty straight to the point shawarma shop. Very friendly workers, huge sticks of meat always spinning and cooking in the back which is so appetizing to look at. Sandwiches come out in a thin wrap, they stuff the sandwiches with meat and very fair prices. The flavor has a nice mix of spices although a tad oily. Tastes very authentic. Overall would recommend and come back.

My fiancé has had this place bookmarked for years and we finally had the chance to go try out their shawarmas . We love shawarmas and had yet to find one that is authentic and just like the ones we've head abroad . I can truthfully say , we've found it !! We ordered the chicken shawarma with everything on it and it was 10/10 . One shawarma is just not enough, I wish we had ordered more!! The service was quick for a Friday night and everyone was very nice . We will be coming back and getting multiple shawarmas next time!!

Really good sandwiches for a good price. The food does take a little while to come out because it's busy. But it wasn't cold when we got it and the fries were hot with a nice seasoning to them. Making it a meal is definitely the move, you get the white sauce, pickles, fries and the sandwich for about $12. Would definitely come back, but come earlier in the day, they run out of meat fast!

That place shawarma sandwiches are the real middle east, there's no other places, every 5 minutes 5 people ordered all kind of food there. Taste there is top 10 points . Double park in and out... Price so reasonable [little less] Catering up to 1,000 people , you pick it up all the hungrier people gonna be a very happy stomachs.

Drove 40 miles with my boy to get shawarma in Paterson, NJ! Food is amazing! Customer service was so terrible that I won't ever go back. We ordered food. It was sandwiches. I repeat Sandwiches, NOT PLATTERS! 10 customers show up after we order and they checkout and leave. Meanwhile we sat there like idiots. Finally after 25 min we asked what's going on. Thd guy asks us "what was it that you ordered?" LOL Mind you he was talking to us when we ordered and he was 5 feet away from us. We were about to walk out. Oddly enough now our food was ready. Not a single apology. Charge full price. Zero craps given about how we felt. We paid and went to the car and crushed our food. It was delicious. It ended up not sitting well with me. Normally I'd come back for the deliciousness of it. But it turns out that guy pulled the same crap with my boy another time. So I'm never going back again. Stay away from Alshami Shawarma in Paterson, NJ. It is not Social Sher approved! #terribleservice #fail #poorcustomerservice #disrespectful #foodblogger #paterson #nj

Hands down, the BEST shawarma I've ever had! I absolutely love it!! I'm not sure which one a like the best, so I usually get one of each. Make sure you get the garlic sauce. Delicious!!!

https://www.facebook.com/share/r/Bo1fmz1x3PfjNTfb/?mibextid=D5vuizThinking about Nerdvana for dinner https://maps.google.com/maps/place//data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x89d6b502ac7400d5:0x3f11c8298e08fa5f?entry=s&sa=X&ved=1t:8290&hl=en-us&ictx=111Thinking about Nerdvana for dinner https://maps.google.com/maps/place//data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x89d6b502ac7400d5:0x3f11c8298e08fa5f?entry=s&sa=X&ved=1t:8290&hl=en-us&ictx=111https://www.facebook.com/share/r/Bo1fmz1x3PfjNTfb/?mibextid=D5vuiz

This review is not going to be very detailed, because this places makes ONLY three things: chicken shawarma, meat shawarma, and french fries. That's it! It is definitely not the Middle Eastern version of a traditional shawarma, but it did taste good. Will I try it again, maybe. For the price you would expect more in the sandwich. It is smaller in size than a traditional shawarma sandwich. It does not have any toppings that you would normally get in a traditional shawarma sandwich. In fact, you may want to order more here, because the normal traditional quantity will not fill you up. You can ask for a side of the garlic sauce, and some Middle Eastern pickles. They gave it to me on a small plate and plastic wrapped. Cheap and weird. If the sandwiches were less than $5 each then I might say it's a good buy, but I inhaled 4 sandwiches making it an expensive meal. FYI: Cash only.

Chicken was too thinly cut and very dry. If that's your preference great place for you. But for those that prefer juicier chunks of chicken this may not be for you.

After my favorite shawarma spot a few doors down closed, I needed a new spot to fulfill my garlic sauce needs. I will say Al Shami hits the spot. As someone who used to live in the middle east, you will not be disappointed. Meat, pickles, garlic sauce, pita. SO simple but so difficult to get right. There are no frills here, just stop by. I really recommend the chicken shawarma. Make sure the garlic sauce is on there and make sure to come hungry.

I visited Al Shami Shawrma for lunch today and found they had finally transitioned to their new location, just a few blocks away at 1139 Main Street. It's only been open a few days and it's great! The name seems to have changed slightly to Shawerma Alshami on the sign, but trust me, it's the same place. The food is exactly the same. Excellent! The menu and prices are also unchanged. The new store is bigger, with more tables as well as long countertop with barstools. There's a bigger cooler with a larger selection of drinks, which is nice. The employees are all the same and as always they continue to be friendly and welcoming. Also it seems like the service is now even more efficient and fast. I'm guessing the kitchen is an upgrade. Best of all, the parking is much easier at the new address.

If you look for excellent customer service, you need to go somewhere else. If you want great shawarma, then this is your place. They pretty much only sell 3 things: chicken, meat shawarma and fries. However, you you will never see this place empty. The phone keeps ringing and orders keeps coming. Excellent shawarma, both chicken and meat, and they put some spices on the fries which make them great. Once I crave their shawarma, I must get it. Just can't wait.

i ordered my sand wi to no pickles and it came in with pickles and not just that my meal was literally having one small teaspoon of the sauce like r u kidding me!! with this amount can be for a meal and it's all covered with fries which is when i remove the fires nth left of the sauce thats ridiculous! everytime i order i have to have an issue with my meal

Beyond disappointed as this place came in highly recommended by so many. The chicken shawerma had a very salty sauce that we had to throw all 4 sandwiches away. Tried to get rid of the sauce and just eat the chicken but it was drenched in the sauce. The beef Shawerma was very dry.

Counter serve restaurant with only two options - beef shawarma with fried and chicken shawarma with fries. Both were delicious but the chicken shawarma was the stand out for us because of the wspices in it. Meat was juicy and shaved thin, and tightly wrapped in the bread. The garlic sauce (toum) was yummy and we smothered our fries in it. The platter also came with some pickled pepperoncini, olives and baby corn. For a under $10 lunch, this is an excellent choice. They also do beautiful catering platters of the shawarma sandwiches. We ordered from them 45 mins before pickup of 10 sandwiches and they cut the sandwiches in 4 pieces and dressed them up beautifully on an aluminum plate with pickles and French fries. They provided garlic sauce decorated in olives and tomatoes on the side as well. Everyone at our party raved about the sandwiches and even took them home.

The best shawarma I have had. I love how they prepare the sandwiches. The garlic sauce is awesome. Dipping the sandwich into the drippings and the throwing them on the griddle to crisp them is a nice touch.

They do one thing and they do it well! Definitely my favorite shawarma place in Paterson BUT it's only for when I'm looking for a quick bite. For a nice spot with good atmosphere to enjoy a relaxing meal, pick one of the many other Palestinian restaurants on the same street. They're kind of considered fast food but it's really not all that fast, worth it though because the sandwiches are fresh and delicious. I've only had the chicken which they always serve, whereas beef and lamb are only available on the weekends I believe.

I have to say absolutely delicious. For six dollars you get this crispy cheesy meaty bit of goodness. This place would be perfect to order like 15 sandwiches and bring to a party. Definitely recommend.

Take out order Chicken shawarma was dry like really dry French fries were ok Beef shawarma was much better Pickles were ok

Amazing food! Highly recommended! There's a reason why they're always busy. Whether you get the beef or chicken shawarma, you won't be disappointed. Cash only (there's ATM on site)

Amazing , no frills kinda place. We went last night. They were sold out of beef. We had the chicken shwarma - 5$ each. Great flavour, perfect spices served with garlic sauce Just 1 tip- its a cash only place

This probably the best Shawarma I ever had in the US and believe me I tried so many in more than 12 states. Al Shami has two huge Shawarma sticks rotating around the flame and the juicy meat is melting down. The way the chef was shaving the thine slices remind me with Damascus neighborhood style. Though I continue ti be was very careful in my expectations to avoid disappointment. After the first bite, with the taste crispy chicken with garlic sauce wrapped with fresh bread which soaked with the juice melted from the Shawarma! It was sooooo yummy and worth every mile I drove from Boston to New Jersey. Simply I fell in LOVE with this shawarma and I can not wait until next time to visit again. You might ask why I gave 4 stars? The owner need to do renovations to the place ASAP as such great experience shouldn't be impacted by unfortunate settings. It's MUST to try and worth to drive to it.

I've yet to scratch the surface here but the chicken sandwich I had here thrice was truly amazing. The well marinated and spiced chicken Schawarma is incredible. Layers of thinly sliced chicken mingled with fresh herbs (i also detected fresh mint leaves) wrapped in traditional Syrian bread, a square and paper thin wrap that is rolled with the meat and also pickles I detected. The sandwich is excellent but you may want to order two, or bring some friends and have them make you a platter of these cut up and served with the white garlic dipping sauce as I've seen in other yelpers photos from here. I filled up on one but I've seriously gotten used to smaller portions in 2016 (lost over 70lbs). When asked for a menu I was told there wasn't one but upon further inspection I was told the old menu in the photos is no longer valid and you're best bet is to ask the counter person what is available that day. There are apps like baba ganouj and hummus, there's also need shawarma on Saturdays (I think, check), there's also shish kebab skewers and an excellent salad. My 3rd visit I got bold and asked for a custom platter fit for a diabetic: chicken schwarma over salad with baba and hummus sides for an impressive $11. Its fantastic! Same great meat, but in an open sandwich form and they forgot my salad and added a few fries, will have to be more specific next time, but I'm definitely on to something here. Looking forward to trying it all here.

If I can give this place 10 stars I would . The food was amazing the service was so good . We had such a great experience that we went to dinner there two nights in a row. I highly recommend it !

Some of the best shawarma out there. We go here at least once a month and order both the chicken and beef/lamb. The food is delicious and inexpensive. Their toum is really good as well. The two issues I have is that their website never works for ordering the food for pick up. Don't offer that on your website if it's never gonna work. Also, no matter how far in advance we call in the order, it's never ready when we get there and we are stuck waiting around while they make it. The reason why we call the order in is so we don't have to wait very long!

I've never had a chicken shawarma like this one before. The price is pretty decent and the shawarma is delicious. Staff is friendly but the location looks a bit messy in the inside. They are constantly busy but my food came out pretty quickly.

Al Shami Shawrma is the best shawarma I've had in a while. I've visited Syria a couple times and I've never been able to find shawrma in the US as authentic as it was in Syria. Until I went to Al Shami; their food is delicious and it's my go to spot now. Highly recommend buying a side of fries to dip in their garlic sauce it's amazing. I would definitely describe it as a hidden gem, there's really no seating especially now during Covid but it's worth it to get as take out!

An important tip: When they say it'll be a half hour wait, they mean 1.5 hours. When they say it'll be just 2 more minutes, they mean 15. Whatever time estimate they give you, you need to at least *TRIPLE* it. The shawarmas are genuinely delicious. Best I've had in NY/NJ. But if they're busy, it's a stressful and confusing enough process to get your food that it might not be worth it. If you're a super patient person with some hours to kill waiting, it's worth it. Maybe order your food and then walk into all the other shops in the area.

I NEVER come to Patterson, no reason and no business to go there. Today I was there for Chinese halal food called Pagoda, and while waiting for the order, I strolled around, I saw this at the corner, and I love Shawrma, and will never let an opportunity go, I went inside the place was bustlng and hustling, and the two shawrma spits were looking damn good. I ordered, I believe it is COVID 19 menu, only chicken and beef roles. I think I stumbled upon a great place,not so well kept, almost disorderly, lol, but very friendly people across the counter, I did not like that they did not have masks and gloves, the food was good, and 99% crowd was middle eastern, brisk business and it took 20 minute or more for two roles, worth it. I would recommend to all, worth making a trip just for this. It is one of those places, you know before you even had the food, that it would be good, by looking at the the customers inside the establishment. I ordered chicken and beef, both were good, the lavash, the thin bread was OK, little chewy, but stuffing was great. Not a fan of the white dip i got, did not find any added flavor to it, and I hardly used it, I don't like fries, so did not get it, it was plain and just the shawrma roles and they were so good.