Balade Your Way

This is our second time here in a week! We found this place after visiting the original Balade restaurant downtown. This is one of New York’s hidden gems in our book. Really good food at a fair price with nice decor. We traveled all the way from Connecticut just to come here…and we’ll be back.

I’m extremely happy I found this place. The food is amazing, very fresh and the watermelon juice is delicious among all the other juices Ive tried. I come here once a week. I also love the ambiance.

I come here for lunch almost every day, it is the best food in the area by far! It is healthy, fresh every day, and a lot of selection between the different meats and toppings.The manager Lara takes good care of us every day. Just like I highly recommend the sheesh Tauk and lamb kofte. Also they have friend samasak and sell Karoun Dairy Tan drink.

I trust this place for my lunch breaks. The staff combined warmth with helpfulness and easy conversation. The flavors they create are memorable. The food delivers on taste and the servers on attentiveness. I've mentally scheduled my next visit here.

They are extremely friendly. The falafel wrap and hummus we ate was fresh and tasty.

Balade Your Way is a gem for grab-and-go Lebanese cuisine. They serve fresh, healthy food that satisfies without leaving you feeling too heavy. I had the rice bowl with Kafta meat, complemented by a variety of fresh toppings, and loved every bite. My wife opted for the chicken shawarma, and the flavorful, tender chicken really added to the dish. The staff is incredibly welcoming, and the indoor seating and relaxed atmosphere is a nice bonus for a quick meal. Don't miss the fresh juices — their lemonade is hands down the best I’ve ever tasted. And if you're a fan of rose water, the Mouhalabie milk pudding is a must-try! I highly recommend this place for authentic Lebanese.

Both food quality and quantity is very hit or miss. Sometimes bowls a nice, full and fresh, and other times barely a third full. Meat quality also varies quite a bit, and lamb and beef in particular can be dry and stringy. But worst of all is when you call after getting a particularly bad order and the manager acts dismissive and says he's too busy to deal with it. Fine, I give up. I'll take my business elsewhere.

Amazing food and exceptional service! Highly recommend, best dining experience I've had in a long time! Food was delicious and service was top-notch. Cozy atmosphere, friendly staff, and mouth-watering dishes. Can't wait to come back! The Shawarma and falafel was incredible! Will definitely come back again. Great value for money. Food, service, and ambiance all exceeded expectations.

I stumbled upon this place after a midtown meeting and I'm so glad I did! What a cute spot with delicious food and wonderful service! I was so hungry and this hit the spot. Ani recommended I try the chicken shawarma bowl and encouraged me to try out the unlimited free toppings (which I did!). Her recommendations couldn't have been more spot on. I loved the bowl and was able to save some to snack on later this evening. It was abt $14 total, and the value was killer! I'd recommend checking out this spot over other chains--always great to support local, especially when the food is this fresh and the service is this good. I'll be back!

Husband and I wandered in here at the suggestion of my cousin after a long day in NYC. We were tired and looking for a quick healthyish meal to pick up. We also happened to see that Fridays are bogo bowl day there which was fortunate. We both ordered the chicken shawarma. I selected rice for my base and then you could pick unlimited fresh toppings. We took the bowls to go and they really hit the spot -- flavorful and filling.

The rice bowls here are okay and a good take-out meal during the workday. The wraps are quite small, so you get more bang for your buck with the rice bowl. Overall, my rice bowl lacked flavor of any kind, despite having a sauce as a topping, but everything was edible. The falafel was fine. I'll leave with a compliment that the greens and tomato were pretty fresh.

We needed a quick dinner before watching Aladdin and I found Balade - Your Way. It was nearby, and seemed relatively healthy, so it seemed like a good option. It was a Wednesday at around 6 pm and it was pouring. There were quite a few delivery orders but it seems like it would be a more popular lunch spot. I did the beef shawarma bowl. Although it wasn't really beef shawarma. It was more like dry overcooked strips of cheap steak. The rest of the ingredients of the bowl were good though. You can select as many as you want. I went with the rice vermicelli base, and added pretty much all of the toppings they had, except for olives and feta. Hubby had double protein - shish tawook (chargrilled chicken) and lamb kebab. The chicken was also very dry. Lamb was only a little bit dry, so this was the best one. Maybe it's better during lunch hours, since there would be more turnover. Or maybe it's better to stick to the vegetarian proteins. Either way, I won't be back to find out.

Best quick lunch/dinner option for Middle Eastern food in Manhattan. Super flavorful, great service and reasonable price

Had a bad experience ordering from this place through postmates. We ordered a chicken rice bowl, a lamb salad bowl, and a flatbread. Past the time our order was supposed to be delivered, we got a call from the restaurant saying they were out of lamb. Then they said they could make more but it would take 15 minutes - they could easily have just made it and still delivered the order within the planned timeframe so I'm not sure what this was about. The manager seemed irritated when we said we'd just wait the 15 minutes. The food itself was not great. The lamb was extremely tough and overcooked and the yogurt sauce was bland. The flatbread was soggy and greasy. I think this place could've been good but they need to work on customer service and consistency of quality.

I've been to Balade on several occasions and each time, I've hoped my current visit was better than the last given it's a healthy balanced lunch option. I've observed the price point increase each year for average tasting food. It's edible but at nearly $20 for a salad and cauliflower bowl, I have a higher expectation. The restaurant is comfortable for dining in and the staff always provided decent service. A fair option in the neighborhood but won't be my first choice given the alternatives in the area.

Placed a large catering order for the office. Food came on time, packaged perfectly, and the quality is phenomenal. Favorite lunch for the office easily thus far - have had more people than any other time coming up to me thanking me and commenting on how much they enjoyed the food. Great variety and all delicious! Will absolutely be a repeat customer.

This was soooo delicious! I have not had manouche since I was a kid and this brought back so many great memories. The flat bread was crispy yet doughy and the seasoning was perfectly tangy and great flavors coming from the sesame. I would 100% order this again and love to visit the restaurant instead of ordering in. The only reason I'm giving it 4 stars is because though their manouche was delicious, I wasn't as impressed by their regular bowls. The flavors were good but felt like there could be more flavoring on the meats and topping options.

Love how you can custom your own rice bowl, salad, and pita wrap. The interior is gorgeous and welcoming. They also offer small bites and a variety of dips to go with their hummus! Definitely the spot for a quick bite and the service was fast!

Popped into Balade - Your Way with a small group of coworkers during a weekday lunch rush. I've been obsessed with Cava for awhile now, and my one coworker swore that Balade your way would win me over. Middle Eastern restaurants/establishments always hits home for me and I actively seek them out so trying this spot out was a no brainer! The aesthetic of the shop is super chic and cozy, its a bit narrow so there is a bit of elbow bumping during rush periods. I ordered the Tavook (chicken) rice bowl with garlic whip, cucumbers, olives, onions, hummus, and feta. The cucumbers were a bit mushy for my taste, you could tell that they were sitting out for awhile and didn't have that expected crunch. The tavook left me with a bit of heart burn, I wanted to love balade your way, but it didn't hit the same for me as it did for others.

Great take out meal for lunch! It is a go to spot when I am working on the city. I suggest getting the double protein portion, without it you will be hungry! Service is always friendly!

The food in Balade is consistently terrific! I'm having Tawook Chicken for dinner. I'm enjoying 5 of the free toppings - cucumber, tomato, humus, babaganouj and feta cheese. The place is pretty crowded, the staff is super friendly, it's spotless clean and the music is always interesting and enjoyable. (The music is different every day. I like that. This is my third dinner here this week). This is my fave restaurant in midtown!

Great Lebanese fast food restaurant. Service and food are great, would definitely recommend

Honestly the best place I ate because it's actually Lebanese food which means delicious food . I found my favorite place today everyone should check out this place you will thank me

was looking for halal food and the bowls here are so good! my saving grace amidst a neighborhood with no Muslim-friendly options. beautiful interior, and lovely workers as well.

[Ordered takeout] Food is okay, but overall, unfortunately, I thought it was subpar from comparably priced places. The rice was overcooked and on the bland side, and the greens were quite wilted. The tabbouleh was decent although very wet soggy (the container was halfway filled with liquid).

Camera here 5 mins before they was closing and the staff was so patient and friendly still. I got my usual chicken shwarma wrap and I got zaatar pita chips.

Was on the hunt for some Mediterranean/Middle Eastern flavors for dinner--although there are several options around Times Square area this one had great reviews, so we gave it ago. Right off the bat I was impressed by the aesthetic and ambiance, great vibe. The owner was extremely kind and answered any questions we had. I ended up getting the bowl with white rice and lamb and tawook chicken, my mother got a wrap and we shared delicious falafel. I am so happy with the service and quality of food, I most definitely will visit again when I am back in town and recommend to anyone who is visiting the city!

This place is nice. Upon entering , the decor gives you this cozy vibe. I got the rice bowl with double protein. 2 meats w/ a bunch of free toppings and garlic whip + red pepper sauce. IT WAS DELICIOUS! I eat a lot of middle eastern food, especially Lebanese as the menu items are identical and as delicious as the one place in Bay Ridge I frequent. My problem lies in the price and quantity. It costed exactly $20 (pending still) for the meal which doesn't add up according to the prices.. and the amount they give you seemed less than the guy after me that ordered and his was not a double. The food is really good as I devoured my bowl within 5 minutes without knowing it was actually more empty than it seemed. IDK if there was some kinda mistake or the portion is just that bad but i do recommend at least getting the bowl more filled up with rice if people choose to not get much toppings. I am assuming many patrons will get multiple toppings(greens) which I opted out for so that may be the reason my bowl was not stacked or filling as I only opted for cheese , olives and peppers, along with 2 sauces. With the price/ratio, i think I'll hold out for the spot in bay ridge. 3x more quantity for a tad bit more and equally as good imo.

I stopped by here during lunch and got a half rice half salad bowl with chicken shawarma, hummus, cucumber pickles, tomatoes, jalapenos, feta and yellow peppers. I topped it off with the yogurt cucumber and spicy red pepper sauce. This was enough food for me to split into 2 meals. Was yummy overall and kind of reminded me of a cava!

I decided to place a pickup order from here on DoorDash for lunch, but was unfortunately left disappointed and unsatisfied. I'm usually a big fan of these build-your-own bowl Chipotle style restaurants, but my meal here was thrown together sloppily and only tasted okay. I ordered a Salad Bowl with Chicken Shawarma and an extra serving of Kebab, in hopes that it'd be enough for two meals (usually at Chipotle just one serving of meat is enough for two meals!) That was not the case here, the food barely filled up the takeout container as is. I honestly had to dig around to find the "salad" part of the bowl, it was just a thin layer of lettuce that was already soggy by the time I was eating. The biggest portions were the cucumber and turnip pickles...tasty but I would've preferred some more of the base rather than an unnecessary amount of toppings. The chicken shawarma was decent, a bit bland but went well with all the different sauces. The lamb kebab on the other hand was a waste of money, extremely tough and no lamb flavor whatsoever. Portion was also extremely small. I had asked for the sauces on the side so they wouldn't spill as I walked home, those instructions weren't followed as you can tell and the sauces did start leaking. Nevertheless they tasted pretty good, the green and yogurt cucumber were my favorite. Overall have had much better experiences at other fast casual Mediterranean spots in NYC (of which there are so many!) so I'd probably turn elsewhere for a quick lunch.

This place had the coziest vibe and the friendliest staff - Aleaf and management was the best! Everything was really fresh and seasoned perfectly - fattoush salad, hummus, halloumi, and mixed grilled platter were top highlights. Don't skip on their late night Happy Hour. Will definitely be returning!

I went three days in a row, yes it's that good. Very fresh and very flavorful with so many great meats and toppings to add. I'm a sauce person and they have so many to choose from. This is a filling salad, I'm not hungry the rest of the day, and fairly inexpensive. Great for vegetarians or vegans as well. Cute, calm atmosphere and nice staff. Small inside so not great for groups. I recommend only going with a coworker or two or ordering to go.

Had lunch rice bowl with lamb kabob. It was very tasty, filling and a good food option in the area. Place had some seating areas, but I wanted to bring it back to office. The hummus that came with the dish was very dense and flavorful, and the hot sauce was nuanced while packing a punch. Will visit again in future.

I've been meaning to write this review for the longest time. I visited this location often prior to COVID hitting both for lunch and also dinner. The staff is super nice, their food is amazing and fresh, and it's a great lunch option for those in midtown. For the food, you can't go wrong with any of the proteins. I prefer the chicken options, but I've tried them all before, and they're all excellent depending on your mood. Load up on the veggies, salads,and sauces, and don't forget to ask for as much garlic whip as you can tolerate!

I'm on a mission to find amazing shawarma, and Balade Your Way did not disappoint! I ordered a pita wrap with beef shawarma meet, literally all of the toppings, and tahini sauce. My wrap was truly fantastic!! So many flavors. I especially loved the mix of the garlic sauce, the tahini and the hummus. I also ordered a rice bowl with kafta for my kids. They didn't eat much, so I ended up finishing it for them. The kafta was really tasty! I definitely recommend checking this place out.

Amazing place! I went last night and the food was absolutely delicious. The ingredients were fresh and so flavorful. Everyone was so welcoming. As we were eating, the owner came and even provided us with lemonade and dessert on the house! Such a great experience and looking forward to going again soon.

I just had a very enjoyable dinner here with my daughter. There are plenty of options that don't contain gluten. The food was very tasty. I had chicken shawarma over rice and mahalabia for dessert. The staff was very friendly. This is a good choice if You're in the area!

Welcome to Balade where they charge you $18 for a rice bowl and use tweezers to make sure you get as little as food as possible. Won't be back.

We stopped by here for lunch since our first choice next door was closed. This is a chipotle style pick and choose eatery. I had a beef shawarma bowl with white rice, mixed vegetables, tomatoes, hummus, and garlic whip. Pretty good food. The white rice has bits of vermicelli in it. The garlic whip made everything tasty but by the end it was a little too overpowering and salty. I enjoyed the vegetables and would have liked more. We also had a lemonade and watermelon juice. They are a but pricey. The watermelon juice was very good, made with only watermelon. The lemonade had some different ingredients like rose water which made it interesting but it was too sour.

Great lunch spot and fresh ingredients! You're able to select one base (rice, wrap or salad), pick a protein and select as many sides and sauces! FYI - they do offer impossible kebab (plant based) I did a white rice bowl chicken shawarma with cucumber, red onions, beets, feta and tomatoes. For the sauces, I did tahini and spicy red pepper! Option for a side of pita bread which of course I got as well haha. I'd definitely will come back here again!

LOVE THE FOOD! I got the Chicken Shawarma / Pita wrap for lunch with garlic whip on the side. This stuff is AMAZING! Came back the same night to grab dinner - I got one Chicken Shawarma and one Beef Shawarma Pita sandwich! I'd say I prefer chicken over the beef one. Probably one the best shawarma's I've had in the US. P.S. One thing I love is that everything about their pita wrap is customizable, kind of like Subway. You get to pick the kind of bread, meat, and veggies as well. Also, their garlic whip is the real deal! - Christine @sugarcoatedmasala

I ordered food for my work crew and this place delivered, both literally and figuratively. I admit I was initially worried when I saw how many of my crew ordered very similar, but slightly different versions of their make your own middle eastern bowls, but all six orders were exactly as ordered. Nobody had any complaints and I thought the hummus was good, the shawarma was moist, and the garlic sauce was superb! For being packed in a bag with multiple orders in takeout containers, i expected the lettuce to be a little soft and rice to be a little clumpy, but it wasnt! It was very crisp lettuce, and the rice was still very fresh. I would definitely recommend if you're looking for a quick lunch, need to get alot of people food, or just looking for a customized middle eastern version of a poke' bowl. And the delivery was fast too!

It was amazing. I love mid eastern food in general. I was surprised after all. Chicken SchwarmaBeef ShawarmaChicken Schwarma

Got a falafel bowl with almost all the toppings and sauces. Pretty average, Cava is much much better. The quality of ingredients seemed pretty subpar and not very fresh. The falafel itself was pretty good but the bowl as a whole was just okay.

3.5 Stars but rounding down to 3 Stars. This is "Chipotle style" quick service Mediterranean food. I imagine if I came during peak lunch hour, I would have loved the food more. However, I came around 6pm on a weeknight and it was empty. I don't mind that it was empty but the food was not as fresh as it could have been. Food turnaround wasn't as fast since it wasn't a busy time. But, having said that, I still really liked the food! The menu is vast and it all depends on what you're in the mood for. I opted for a bowl with half rice/half salad. For my protein, I picked the kofta and beef shawarma. Loved the kofta! Seasoned well and tasted great! The beef shawarma was mehh. I probably would have enjoyed it more if it were fresh off the spit but it was precut and kept in a warming bin. I would skip the shawarma next time. With the bowl, you get to pick 4 toppings of your choice and you also get unlimited sauces. Lots to choose from! My friend picked the garlic whip and said it was fantastic! Majorly big turnoff (hence my rounding down to 3 star rating): the place was swarming with flies and gnats! Trying to eat and keep the creatures from landing on your food was a challenge! Management, please do something about these creatures! This was so gross. On a positive note, the restaurant is really cute. I appreciate that they tried to make the atmosphere homey with lots of plants. They also had complimentary cucumber water; Just help yourself. Customer service was helpful and nice & friendly. Would I return? Sure, ideally, I would return for lunch but if the creatures are still there, I'm outta there!

super tasty shawarma. friendly service offering suggestions and pairings for customizing bowl

Balade is a casual eatery with a "build-your-own-bowl" concept featuring vibrant Middle Eastern flavors. The salad bowl came with a base of shredded lettuce and cabbage, along with a plethora of colorful toppings including cucumbers, tomatoes, marinated sumac onions, jalapeños, pickled radishes, pickled cucumbers, jalapeños, olives, crumbled feta, and a scoop each of hummus, baba ghanoush, and creamy garlic whip. You could also top the bowl off with sauces like tahini, spicy red pepper, and yogurt cucumber (or get all of them like I did). One of the most unique parts about Balade was the protein selection--although you could choose from your typical shawarma, kafta, or falafel, a far more interesting choice was the Impossible Kebab, which were perfectly spiced charbroiled plant-based patties indistinguishable from real meat! Another unique aspect of Balade is that they had a side counter of hot mezzes/pastries including kibbeh, a crispy fritter made of a ground meat and bulgur shell stuffed with a mixture of ground meat, onions, and almonds. The quality and flavors of everything here were extremely on point, and even the setting of the casual restaurant was elegant, bright, and beautiful!

I had lunch here yesterday and today...I AM OFFICIALLY OBSESSED WITH THIS PLACE AND WANT TO GIVE THEM ALL MY MONEY. Delicious Mediterranean food, in midtown (3 blocks from my office) that's reasonably priced, delicious and fresh? SIGN ME UP. Both times I've been here I've gotten tawook (marinated grilled chicken chunks) pita wraps but they also have bowls and salads. I get my wraps with hummus, scallions, garlic whip...extra garlic whip...and feta cheese. They double wrap it with two thin pita wraps (both white and whole wheat are available) and then they pop it in their oven for a bit. Their cheese sticks (called Rakakat - Deep fried Phyllo Pastry with a Cheese Blend and Oregano) are also freakin' delicious. I can't wait to try the beef, lamb and their chicken/beef schwarma offerings at some point as well.

update! roland the owner reached out to me directly after my not so positive experience, and asked if i'd come back for a new meal. this time around, it was a lot better. jose, the manager, served me and recommended the beef shwarma. i also do wish they had fresh pita, that was a downside. i wish the portions were a little larger, as they were in the first time i went. i did want to try some other meats + falafel, but considering it was a complimentary meal, i didn't want to ask for any more than he was giving me. the sauces are really good, i'd recommend the garlic + red spicy one! overall, it's a tasty place if you're looking for a quick meal. i really do appreciate the owner reaching out to me directly and trying to make it right. flavors are good and i'd definitely recommend you give it a try!

Balade Your Way is too good for words. If you have heard of and enjoy Naya express, you'll love this even better. The ingredients are top knotch quality. The flavors are insane. The beef is seasoned perfectly. And they give you so much food for the bowl that it lasts me 2 meals. My go to byob (build your own bowl) is white rice, beef shawarma, feta cheese, onions, garlic whip, hummus, and baba ghannouj. Told so many of my friends to come here and now we're all obsessed. BTW they have a rewards card. DO NOT forget to get it because after $100 spent, the next order is free woooo!!

Very authentic and delicious including a good selection of Lebanese wine. After starting with a mezze plate and hummus lahme, we put ourselves in the hands of our awesome waiter who hooked us up with the assortment of meats in a pita (check out the photos) - so good. We left sated and happy as looking forward to coming back to Balade.

Chipotle-style casual Mediterranean food, where you pick a base, a protein, four toppings, and a sauce. I got the salad with chicken, tomatoes, cucumber, mushrooms, green peppers, and red pepper sauce. I created something decent, if I may say so myself! They give a tiny portion of each item, and I wish the salad was something more than shredded lettuce, which is nutritionally useless, but I'm not into rice, so that's what I got. My friend got a felafel bowl, which includes four huge balls that are sure to fill you up. They also have drinks like soda and sparkling water, along with their own brand of drinks. Their lemonade with rosewater is delicious! The place is beautiful. There's a good amount of seating, and it's classier than your casual eatery. Service was very unfriendly. The counter guy and the cashier girl were oozing hatred. But hey, if you want a cheap Mediterranean meal that's fast and customizable, that's what Balade provides.

Balade - Your Way in Herald Square is a fantastic halal joint with a lot to offer. The food is delicious, especially the chicken shawarma, which is bursting with flavor. The staff is friendly and attentive, creating a welcoming atmosphere. If you're in the mood for a comforting bowl of chicken noodle soup with halal broth, this is the place to go. Don't miss out on this hidden gem!

Food is good with plenty of flavor! Beware of small print for price. To get any sort of meat is extra and is in very small print. I have included in photos! Mouhalbie dessert was very delicious with the rose syrup which actually smelled and tasted like roses!!!

I had a hiccup with my first order from Balade - Your Way and with amazing customer service they did a great job rectifying the issue and showing me who they really are and how delicious the food is. For lunch, I enjoyed the Chicken Shawarma whole wheat pita wrap and a side of the grape leaves. The chicken was tender, moist and seasoned very well. The grape leaves!!!! I must admit I'm a bit of a grape leave snob and hate when a restaurant tries to claim "homemade" - well, let me tell you that Balade - Your Way knocks it out of the park! They make them fresh with a filling of rice, chickpeas, tomatoes, onions, and parsley. In an area that has a million mediocre food options it's a great spot for lunch! Cute interior to dine-in or pop in for a to-go order!

Looking for food in a new city can be exhausting. Luckily, we found Balade around the corner from WeWork. It was the perfect place! It's like the Chapotle for Mediterranean food! Fast, decently priced and pretty healthy! Lots of fibers, yogurt, meat and veggies!!

Honestly, it breaks my heart to give this establishment a 2 rating. The service is fine, but the food was less than desirable. Ordered stuffed grape leaves and chicken shawarma rice bowl and everything was relatively bland. The restaurant is clean and comfortable for dining in. I'm hoping the day I went was indeed an off day for the kitchen staff because Lebanese restaurants always bring their A game.