Kabab Cafe

"This cluttered shoebox of a place run by Ali El Sayed has been extolled, first by Chowhound and then by Anthony Bourdain, as one of the best restaurants in Queens. No fixed menu to speak of, first make yourself at home and the chef will approach to discuss dining options. These are often in either an Egyptian or an Italian vein, and might include falafel, fava beans, a plate of grilled lamb chops, or gnocchi with pesto — much of it at Sayed’s whim. Cash only." - Robert Sietsema

"This tiny spot on Astoria’s Little Egypt stretch has been turning out Egyptian dishes since 1989. Chef Ali El Sayed makes stews and grills meats, including offal items like sweetbreads and lamb brain. Cash only." - Caroline Shin, Paul Schrodt, Melissa Kravitz Hoeffner

"Other Leff finds included the Arepa Lady, Kabab Café, Donovan’s, David’s Brisket House, and Charles Southern Kitchen — all benefitted from his cheerleading." - Robert Sietsema

"New Yorker columnist heads to Kabab Café, a theatrical Astoria restaurant that’s solely run by one employee, chef-owner Ali El Sayed. Though there’s never a set menu, dishes like cow-foot stew, whole rabbit, and the 'unmentionable parts of a goat' are part of the fun." - Carla Vianna

"The menu posted outside Kabab Café, in Astoria’s Little Egypt, is out of date by roughly a quarter century. Ali El Sayed, the proprietor, chef, and sole employee, put it up shortly after opening the restaurant, in 1989, and then willfully forgot about it. He refuses to be confined to a menu and believes that all true cooking necessitates flamboyant improvisation. “You have a map of flavors,” he says. “And then you dance.”" - David Kortava