Oasis Food Market

I am extremely disappointed with my recent experience at your establishment. I spent $67, and it was truly a waste of money. The food was terrible; I have never tasted hummus as horrible as this, and the rice had no flavor whatsoever. Additionally, the service was lacking. I repeatedly called for hot sauce, only to be told that there were no employees available and that the staff member had been looking for help for five months without success. To top it all off, the restroom was dirty and unkempt, the floor was wet. This has been the last time I will spend money here, and I hope you take this feedback seriously to improve your service and food quality.

Staff is very friendly but don't speak enough English to answer simple questions like "do you have diet soda?" They have a guy at the desk who you have to order from. His English wasn't much either. O suggest that you go to the counter and look at the offers. There are a few and they look good. The $5 beef rib didn't have much meat on it, and it was a bit burned. The $10 whole chicken looked like a better deal. Great spices! I would go back and try again. They had good plates.

Oasis FoodMarket Chicken Shawarma Wrap . Oh, dear Oasis FoodMarket, my lunch break adventure with your chicken shawarma wrap was… *unforgettable*! For $16 (wrap + soda), I hoped for a flavor oasis but found a Sahara of sadness. The wrap arrived looking a tad *well-traveled*—ingredients peeking out like shy desert creatures, and the ends? Wide open, ready to share their saucy secrets with my shirt. (RIP, clean clothes.) The filling seemed to have missed the “fresh” memo, and the chef’s *rustic* wrapping technique (plus the “lived-in” prep area) added… *character*? But hey, every oasis has potential! Maybe next time, a sprinkle of freshness, a dash of wrap wizardry, and a tidier toolkit? I’ll bring a bib and hope! 🌯✨ P.S. My taste buds are rooting for you

I wasn’t a fan of the chicken. $10 for a whole chicken seemed like a good deal. Also, the $5 ribs is actually the price per rib bone. Felt mislead by the sign and it barely had any meat so it wasn’t really worth it. They also pulled it out of a box and got the old meat they had instead of the fresh meat that was roasting outside. I was def let down. ☹️

I ordered the lam shawarma plate. All of it was flavorless. The lamb tasted like it had gone bad. I ended up throwing away most of it. And the service was off, too. When I walked up to place my order with the man at the register, another man walked up to him and they started talking in Arabic and laughing. I waited as they did this. Then the guy at the register took his time hanging up some bags. Service was abrupt and unfriendly. I wish that I had read the reviews before I arrived. The whole vibe felt bad….like they don’t like black people. Never again.

I have been going to Oasis market since 2009. I always order the lamb plate. Today i was in town and bought 2 lamb plates to go. Whwn I got home I noticed a big difference in taste. Lacked flavor. Also, the yogurt that they gave me was spoiled, tasted like rotten milk. I love this place and hope that this was a one off.

It pains me to write this review because this has been my favorite middle eastern restaurant for over a decade, but my last experience was so disappointing, i don't know if I'll go back. I will say this, my lamb shawarma was still delicious as ever, but the size has gone down by like half, and the price has risen. The dolmas were also really really good, but everything else was unbelievably disappointing. We ordered a veggie plate, lamb shawarma, amb kefta plate, and a rotisserie chicken for later. The babaganoush, tahini, garlic white sauce, and hummus left a lot to be desired in flavor and texture, both being unappealingly thin and bland. The naan was stale, the rice was no longer yellow rice or saffron rice, but simply regular white rice with a slight yellow tinge. The kefta was good in flavor, but for almost 20$ a plate, it should be 2 skewers. And the chicken was insanely dry. The falafel was good, as was the dolmas and the small half size but delicious lamb shawarma. But all things considered, this was probably the worst meal I've ever eaten here. Truly a shame

Super tasty and healthy vegetarian platter. The red pepper salad is delicious. They make the pita right there too. Get some to go.

The food is good and fresh there try it out. The people are friendly and the prices are fair.

True rating would be 3.5. The cafe portion is inside the food market which is pretty neat! It also smells delicious when you walk in, I ordered a falafel with hot sauce and it was really well made. The pita was thin and fresh and the hot sauce/sauce mix was great. The falafel was a little bit dry and I wish there were more things inside the falafel outside of lettuce. Aside from that I would definitely go back and try again/something different.

Might be the best falafel I've had in the east bay, it came out freshly fried and just melted in my mouth! I liked it better than Wally's which has to be my favorite mediterranean food in the bay. Their hummus and baba ghanouj was quite nice too, though I prefer Wally's (which is a high standard) and the muhammara was decent (though a little too spicy for me). The bread was thicker and different than the usual pita I'm accustomed to, and it went well with their lentil soup, which was a healthy and delicious broth.

First time here I ordered the chicken shawarma plate & a side of falafel also a piece of baklava. The chicken shawarma & humus tasted rancid a & chicken smelled really bad. I believe the food was old It was not edible unfortunately I threw it away. The falafel was fresh & the baklava were delicious.

My dad really likes this place. It's across the street from "pill hill" on the telegraph side of the hill. They have been here for hella long but I have only been here a handful of times when giving in to my dad's request. They have a small grocery store side and a deli style cafe side. It is very popular with the EMTs and hospital staff. The staff seem very nice on the occasions that I have been there. The food is quick and healthy and it actually tastes good. So my concerns are that tables are not at clean as one would like matter of fact even the many of the other surfaces are no so clean. So just don't let your imagination wander about the things that the public can not see is all I am going to say. Other than that you can get a decent meal at a good price Oh also one last thing don't try to call ahead they never answer the phone

Everything was so much better after the pandemic "ended"... Except their hot sauce is now just "Crystal" hot sauce, no longer made in house. This was one of the few things that stood out here, with many other options on the area. I got a side of "hot sauce" and did a side by side comparison with crystal, and can tell no difference. It used to have obvious chili flakes/seeds in it, and was my main factor for going here. If you ask them, it is still "made here" but if you want actual Mediterranean hot sauce, I recommend elsewhere (they have bottles on their shelves that are better) Edit: They also used to have the tomatoes and onions on the spit, but now you only get raw tomatoes and onions, not from the spit, and the flavors don't infuse the same (plus raw)

I tried the lamb shawarma hummus plate. They did not skimp on on quantity of hummus or meat. The meat was a little bit dry but good flavor. It came with a small salad, small cucumber/yogurt, and a fresh pita. The hummus replaced the rice in many of the other plate dishes. You order at the cash register in the market area.

The best halal / mediterranean food spot in the bay area..... and i have been to most of them.... simple menu.. chicken, tilapia, lamb and falafels. They also serve samosas, shewarma wraps and lentil soup.

What happened to this place? This place has gone downhill since the last time I shopped here. The shelves are bare in many areas! I only found one item on my list. There was one other customer in the place. It seems the owner has given up. Sad!!

Cute and friendly small open-air feel market with hard to find items at decent prices. Right around the corner from the Oakland Islamic Center, gets busy right after Jummah noon prayer. The cafe is a big draw, great prices & delicious food. My coworkers rave about it. There's a lot on the menu I def want to try so I'll be back on Fridays when we have time.

where is Omar from Algeria? I miss him bring him back!! he's the best cook you have!! Where is the lentil soup where is the lamb shank he makes it the best!

I've came by a couple times before once I learned they make fresh pita bread and now I only purchase it here. The other night my son and I were craving Israeli food, so we headed out to Oasis. You enter the establishment and find friendly folks. On the right side they have a grocery store and the left side is the eatery, which has a few tables and chairs. We ordered the lamb kebab plate, lentil soup, and meat plus veggie sambosas to go. I couldn't wait to try the veggie sambosas so I grabbed one while driving and let me tell you.....It was very delicious and bursting with flavor! Once we made it home we shared the plate and soup, they were also so delicious and with lots of flavor. We enjoyed every morsel and savored each bite. Thank you Oasis!

Great value and good deli experience: Lamb Shawarma Plate, delicious; Shawarma Combo Plate, marinated chicken and lamb; Veggie Combo, excellent selections of veg options; Shawarma Wrap, also delicious. Turkish Salad, red sauce, was especially delicious - it's included in the veggie combo. Sambosa, savory pastry filled with either beef chicken or vegetables, were a pleasant find. Falafels were good - sold by the dozen.

I've passed by this place so many times and finally decided to check it out. Ordered the chicken shawarma wrap and was quite surprised by the amount of food packed into the wrap. It took me two days to finish it and I must say all of the ingredients and the chicken were fresh. A new favorite spot !

Huge portions! Service was quick, and food was hot and well seasoned. Ambiance is always nice, as there's always somewhere to sit by the window.

I've been going to Oasis Food Market for years, my dad had an office nearby on Pill Hill. They also have a restaurant, Oasis Grill, by Lake Merritt on Grand Avenue. I've only had the food from their hot food/deli counter, but that stuff has always been fresh and a good amount of food for the value. I particularly like their falafel wraps, but I'd recommend their Shawarma and Tabbouleh salad.

The good: If you're there when pita is coming out of the oven: get the pita. It's absolutely the best we've got in the area. Is it the best pita ever? No. But: this is the East Bay and not Paterson, NJ. The selection is also good for emergency Middle Eastern food and ingredients. The bad: The deli foods aren't consistent. We made the mistake of getting some hummus. It was terrible--not fresh-tasting, and too thin (watery and not in a tahini-y way.) The falafel is middling. Good for an occasional change of pace, but not falafel to write home about.

dont expect a red carpet to be rolled out for you. Expect to Get your food, enjoy it and move on with your day. Okay so lemme set the scene: Im chillin in Oakland Tagging along on The Spys business with Spy Bae. I step out on my lunch break to head to this place cuz the veggie plate i saw they had online sounded like all my favorite things and it was pretty damn cheap. After a chill 12 minute walk, I slide inside Its market/bakery one one side Deli on the other Theres a sign to order at the cashier but Ya knooooooww I had never been in So ya girl aint know they meant the market/bakery side. So i stood at the deli pick up partition like a dumb ass until the cashier waved me over the look on his face said "thisss bihhhhh" or... "Americans never read" lol I ordered the veggie plate, two samosas and some cornbread looking dessert that was $2.00 cuz wtf not? In hindsight perhaps I didnt hear him tell me to take my receipt to the ppl at the deli. cuz i surely sat my ass down at a table and waited for the deli guys to magically make my food. Cashier dude rolled up on me, grabbed my receipt, took it to the guys, said something, gestured toward me then went back to his post. I decided to just exists in silence. About 10 mins later my food was ready to go. On my stroll back to the hotel i had epiphany. me: aiigh, you dont like cold food, right? me: naw homie me: so we should eat them Samosas as we walk back to the hotel me: excellent call. also me: we are so smart Cue #FatGirl shit as I devour no one but both samosa as I walk back. But to be fair... the first one was only semi warm which def pissed me off cuz I HATE COLD FOOD. And that compelled me to eat the second one cuz God forbid I get back to the room and it be coooollllddd. Finally i reach my room I set up some anime on my laptop (The Rising of the Shield Hero) And grub on the plate D E L I C I O U S it was all just great!!! Twas so good that i hopped back on my zoom work call STILL GRUBBING was mad full but wanted to see what that cornbread was all about. it was sweet, thick, drenched in a thin syrup, and very tasty. I did some research and I think it was called Basbousa aka Nammoura aka Semolina Cake aka Ravan Cake aka Harissa. I THINK!!! Anyway wtf ever it was ... 'twas fiyyaa If my samosas wouldn't have been jankishly luke warm Id have been a great meal. would i go back? Yeh no that i know how to order and avoid the side eye from the cashier!

It's 7:45 pm, shelter in place will go in effect in a few hours, nearly every grocery is out of bread and mainstay items. Meanwhile, Oasis is baking fresh pita bread, piping hot, incredibly soft and tasty, Keeping orders to 3 bags per person so that everyone gets there's Bless these guys

I get the combo shawarma. The lamb alone is too greasy in flavor and heavy but the combo is a perfect balance. The food to price ratio is acceptable. Ask for the hot sauce it's a perfect compliment. Beyond the taste, the staff is super friendly and genuine. I come here often.

What happened? This place has deteriorated so much I'll not return. I went to pick up a few essentials for a middle eastern meal but they had few of them on hand. The shelves were bare in several parts of the store. No yogurt?!? No Labneh!?! They have always had hit or miss customer service but today was unprecedented. I went to get some pita and then a couple of items from the deli counter. The deli guy says I have to go wait in line at the grocery counter to buy the deli items. I don't even know what I want! So, I go and wait in line. Then a woman comes up from the back asking for help at the meat counter. Cashier tells her to ring the bell. Woman said she did and told to come to cashier. Screwy! When I paid and went back to deli counter the deli guy was taking a persons order and having them pay there! WTF!!! The Middle East Market on San Pablo and University is now getting my business.

Those are my homies at oasis... fresh bread, delish hummus and spicy chicken samosas ...papapaaalease

A Yemen and Lebanese food spot. It's a grocery store with a hot food bar (not self service) and an extensive sitting area. Food: superb Vibe: hole in the wall, mostly neighborhood folks Clean and neat: nooooooo. Your seats will have dried spilled food on it ( why not just get chairs without a cushion?) Service: people are nice, bilingual with limited English and super slow. You will get a legit cultural experience. It's not bad. Just be prepared and don't be inpatient. Tip: order 40 min prior to being hungry or go during an off hour. I liked the flavors but unless I m craving to eat Yemen food I won't be back.

Oasis Food Market is not just a market but also a restaurant/bakery. Oasis serves really good Mediterranean food. The have Shawarmas, kabobs, samosas, mendis, hummus, fresh naan, amongst other plates in their menu. They even have a bakery section that has pastries and baklavas. My favorite plates are the chicken mendi and the veggie plate combo. Their chicken mendi comes with 2 leg quarters, rice, and this yogurt w/ cucumber sauce that is very refreshing. It also comes with 1 piece of naan. The plate is a well balanced seasoned plate and is not spicy. Their veggie plates comes with 4 pieces of falafel, hummus, baba ghanoush, tabbouleh, and some type of red sauce when put together in a naan bread makes an amazing combination. Food here is amazing. The only drawback is that service can take awhile even if you call ahead.

Oasis is back with deliciously made wraps. I think the pandemic was not good to them but we've been back a few times since and it's all good.

Oasis Market is cool because they carry all these interesting Middle Eastern items you won't find just anywhere. Like hookahs! And all kinds of packaged goods, cool cookies and even some housewares. The bakery section isn't much - just pita. But where else are you going to get fresh pita, homey? I come here to order from the Mediterranean lunch counter. The price is right for the lamb shawerma (their spelling) wrap, $9.99, and it's really good.They make excellent falafel here too. You may think you like falafel. Come to Oasis and you will love falafel. Serve this hummus at a party if you love your friends. One thing to make clear for first timers. The menu is at the counter where the server is cooking and prepping the food. But you order at the register in the store close to the front door. Then you take your receipt to the counter. Wait a few minutes and presto, shazam, you're getting a grub on. I usually get things to go, but there's plenty of seating. I just feels like you're eating in a market. Sit by the windows or even out front by sidewalk if you want more daylight. Or check out the tucked away Middle Eastern seating further back. Easy not to notice, but it's pretty cool. It's an oasis within Oasis. Yet another place that helps make Oaktown The Town!

Truly the worst I have had. Very dry and disheartening meal. Insipid in every way. I fell for the 4 stars.

I tried this place once a few months back and everyone was really nice here. We ordered 2 plates and bakhlava, and samosas they give you so much food and one guy hooked it up with some pita bread. We were so excited to try it we ate it in the car. Everything tasted fresh my favorite thing was the samosas they were soo good! Mistakenly I couldn't remember what this place was called and went to the wrong place today because I was craving samosas, that place wasn't as good.

I have been a loyal costumer since they open , and I am weekly shopper . Saw ups and downs and I always recommended to all my friends till today . They raised the prices of each item which I understand to keep up with inflation but they got greedy .example bag of pita 3.50$ . Why ?? It is normal !!

Gotta be the freshest pita bread in town. They're barking it while you watch! Good assortment of middle eastern products and prepared items. Tables to eat there. Be careful using credit cards. Their machine is the old swipe type, and they charged me twice. Not very helpful in resolving it. Lots of "call back tomorrow" and "drive back here". Had to go to the credit card company. Docked a star or two.

Still love this place as food delicious, reasonably priced and portions very generous... Service behind the counter is a little chaotic...friendly, just not the most efficient...guarantee a minimum wait of 20 mins...came here with 2 coworkers....1 received their dish right away as we waited up to 20-25 minutes for my lamb kefta and chicken shawerma... With experience in restaurant/food business I noticed staff works on one ticket at a time vs checking orders as they come in and planning ahead..hence the delay. Plan accordingly if on a schedule/time limit.

MOLD!! Check your order & inspect your food if you plan on eating here! Got horribly sick!! So excited to try this highly rated place this weekend...got takeout for dinner and dessert --then ended up running for the bathroom! Flavors and textures were great until I flipped over a pastry I was chewing and found mold! Tried to spit out what I could but it was too late since I was already on my 3rd bite. So disgusted that I ended up throwing out the $40 of food I purchased, and all I could do at that point was pray for the best. Nope, praying didn't stop my system from clearing everything out. Went to the bathroom until I was practically crawling out of there. What a complete waste of time, food, money, and then toilet paper!! On top of this, they forgot my lasagna and extra falafels when they called my number and I had to point it out on my receipt to correct the mistake. In hind site, just more food into the garbage. :/

Oasis is beyond delicious. Their falafels are heavenly and their dips (hummus, babaghanoush, and the red spicy dip) and THE BEST. We usually get the veggie combo platter, the lamb schwarma hummus, and a packet of the house made pita, and it's feeds three people who are huge eaters. We used to get the chicken kabobs with the rice (my son dreams about the rice) but we would eat so much it would make us sick so we had to give up an entree. Yes- I know- we could eat less but honestly it's so good you just can't stop. The staff are always pretty nice but sometimes the order is wrong so I usually double check. And sometimes the staff doesn't have the best mask wearing style but I just grab my food, throw in my tip, and hustle out of there. Parking can be a little challeNging but you will find a spot eventually.

One of the best Mediterranean places I have had in my life. The food was amazing and the service was really great! They really take care of you. Food was extremely flavorful and they have so much for a really good price so highly recommend this place. I got the veggie combo plate and would highly recommend it to anyone!

This place was a great spot to pick up food to go, as well as purchase packaged snacks. We appreciated the diverse menu, and got chicken shawarma wraps, which were flavorful, as well as a grilled fish plate. The market is separated into two sections - one kitchen and restaurant area, and one grocery store area with a variety of goods. We were glad to find Kind bars available, as well as dates. The staff was friendly and polite. My mother was in the hospital nearby, and this was a convenient spot to pick up dinner and snacks for our family members.

Came here to grab some lunch and it was better than expected. When you first walk into this place you think that this place is only a market for there is, in fact, a restaurant on the other side. You can smell the food as soon as you walk inside. But, you can also see fruit flies hanging out doing their thing as well. As you make your way around the market you can quickly identify the food counter and the picture menu. I had no idea what to expect when I finally reviewed the menu but the pictures were very enticing. Luckily, I was with some friends who had been here before so I went with their recommendation. I must say that I was very skeptical of dining in but I gave it a try. Then I realized immediately after placing my order that the plates did not look very clean and the silverware did not look very sanitary. It was good that I happened to have a pair of plastic eating utensils. The meal was fantastic despite the array of fruit flies. I was not expecting such a hefty plate but it was damn good. All the flavor just popped in my mouth. I could not have anticipated a better tasting meal. I have to say that the chicken I had was phenomenal and I don't use that word too casually either. On the other hand, the rice was a bit dry for me but I made due with what I had. My only criticism is that the seating area needs to be updated on the restaurant side. Those chairs are hard and very uncomfortable. It was a struggle for me to get situated and I think the table was on an uneven surface as well which was peculiar as well. My advice for anyone looking to eat here is that you order to go. Coming here was definitely an experience and I would recommend this place to friends. If you are in the area and hungry give this place a chance. #OasisInOakland

Update: turns out this place is hit or miss. Some days the food is great, some days it would take a jackhammer to break open a falafel. Kind of a wildcard. The attached shop always has decent prices and items that can be difficult to find elsewhere.

WORST FOOD POISONING OF MY LIFE!! If I could leave less than one start I would! After eating a wrap, I experienced extreme food poisoning which caused me to throw up over twenty times over a span of six hours. The only reason I stopped throwing up was because my doctor prescribed medication to make me stop. I was 6 months pregnant and thought I was going to lose the baby. The illness was so horrible my doctor advised me to call the Alameda County Health Department which I did. After an inspection I was contacted by the inspector who sent me her report. I was horrified to learn of all the violations. Not only was the meat and other food stored at improper temperatures, the business was cited for numerous sanitary infractions. The inspector told me the infractions were so egregious that she actually called in her supervisor to inspect and assess the situation. Among other issues, the food prep areas were "caked with dirt and other debris" and there was no soap for employees to wash hands or dishes. Tongs used to handle food were actually being stored on door handles and filthy window sils. During a call with the inspector she informed me that this business has been cited several times. I would strongly discourage anyone from eating at this restaurant and certainly will never go there again.

This place and its owners are highly dishonest and immoral. I purchased items yesterday and when I went home I realized not everything was in my bag. I called the lady who did the checkout and she told me to come back. I was already home and told her I would come back tomorrow. I dropped by today but she was off. All the workers refused to help me. I even spoke with the owner who basically accused me of lying. Check with that cashier lady when she comes back and you will realize who the liar is. I had to spend 30min with my bank to dispute the charges. Also the food is horrible and unsanitary. Chicken must be cooked all the way you know! Stay away from this place. I will

In the midst of the desert region of Telegraph Ave in Oakland. There is Oasis. A pleasant change of the usual found here, there's a small Arab community located around 30th street. In the middle there is a Market called Oasis Food Market. Long story short I was actually only stopping by to pick up limes for my margaritas for that day but I noticed the full kitchen/deli they have with a large menu of different Levantine Arab dishes and meats prepared. Lamb, chicken, kebabs, Shawarmas, etc. I ended up ordering a Lamb Shawarma wrap. Much like a burrito without rice or beans this thing was absolutely delicious. I watched as the guy behind the counter cut shavings on the big block of lamb rotating. He combined the vegetables, sauce, and meat in the wrap and then wrapped it in foil and put a small side salad on my plate. It really was a refreshing taste and change of pace from the rest of the food I eat in Oakland. For a fairly quick, inexpensive ($7.99), and tasty meal, Oasis Food Market is great.

The food here is delicious. This is a Middle Eastern grocery store with a restaurant inside. The grocery store has all the Middle Eastern ingredients you could want with some bulk dry goods, produce, and a halal butcher. The food in the restaurant is fantastic. My go tos are the falafel wrap, chicken or lamb shawarma, and the lamb shanks. All are very flavorful and fresh. They bake all the breads in the store fresh. The seating area has some tables and chairs for people who want to eat in. I live around the corner so I always take out. I think of it as mostly a take out place like a grocery store cafeteria. Don't come for the ambiance, but for the bomb food, fresh bread, and specialty ingredients. I also love the hummus, baba ganoush, and Turkish salad. Unique grocery store and restaurant serving quality food.

Beautiful, amazing food. An Oakland staple! Wonderful selections of sweet, savory, prepared foods as well as ingredients. Been coming here for years and nothings changed. They do their thing and they do it right.

They really take so long to get your food ready and the service is not good they don't wear gloves and the ambiance is old

Warm drink Cold rice Stinky restaurant Dirty dishes low quality food Horrible service

The food is still great but their ordering system changes every few months and they aren't good about communicating what you're supposed to do. Will my order take 10 minutes or 45? I have no idea and have stopped coming here as much because of it. I thought ordering online was the way to go but they've messed that up multiple times too. Multiple afternoons lost here, the people working there are really hard to flag down too, you have to be super assertive.

My boyfriend and I ordered an item each to go. We had to wait for 30 minutes to get our order. My dish was tepid because it was sitting on the counter for 20 minutes. However, my dish, Chicken Pita was delicious. My boyfriend's dish, Lamb Schwarma, tasted ok, but gave him indigestion. I don't know that we will go back.

Update: they are bit disorganized behind the counter over the phone, but the food is damn good showed up, they had an eat 24 logo that said stand here to pick up your order, waited, told the person my name and order, she told me to go to wait in a different line, I said I already ordered online and already paid via the app, and again was standing in the line with the app logo. was told to wait in the other line. Then waited in the other line for a long time until I got through finally and they told me to go back to the first line. At that pointonce I again said I ordered and prepaid online they made my order quickly and gave it to me. it doesn't make sense how disorganized they can be if they have a sign for eat 24 don't know how it works

The best Mediterranean food & a fantastic cultural experience. I can not recommend the shawarma combo plate and vegetarian platter enough. We usually get both and split them for 2 people. This place has lots of gluten free and vegan options which makes it a great place to take friends and family of all kinds. I love falafel and theirs is truly the best. Big warm, fluffy, and gluten free, never greasy. The smell of warm pita wafts through the space in the wood burning stove. It gets pretty busy around noon during the week as people seem to know when to come by and get that fresh baked pita. They also have a halal deli which is super cheap and obviously high quality, a dessert counter, and a fantastic grocery store which stocks lots of hard to find and inexpensive Middle Eastern goodies. It's a super casual atmosphere but always filled with families and locals. A must to go to in Oakland! They also have another store on Grand Ave by the lake but I think they do all of the cooking out of this one. By the way, make sure to snag some Baba Ganoush, hummus, Turkish salad, etc. for the road! I brought it to my company party and everyone loved it - and it was super reasonably priced! Way cheaper, better, and bigger containers than Trader Joe's.

I guess one of the prices of being a straight-up-good-food place in a gentrified neighborhood is you'll have a lot of folks expecting hipsteresque treatment. I love y'all but you want the grit of a hole-in-the-wall but not everything else that it comes with. Come on! It's a "food market" for fcks sake! No, you will not always get the best service in this joint. Yes, they will run out of the good stuff from time to time. BUT it will always be good food. And probably the best damn lamb shawarma you'll find in these parts. Also, wash it down with some Vimto (blackcurrant soda) if you care to have diabetes in a can. It's delicious.