Zyara Restaurant

Sampled the Mixed Grill Plate; definitely a great choice! They suggested one plate per person, but we shared one between us, and it was more than sufficient. The serving size is ample for two. The food was fantastic—truly delicious!

This was my first time here and the food was honestly amazing. We came as a party of 4 and we ordered the family size for 2. It was plenty for all four of us. The food was delicious and an amazing hidden spot to try out Mediterranean food!! We came around 4pm on the weekend, but I notice they had a larger area in the back when dinner time came around. I would definitely want to come back sometime in the future.

Visited around Saturday 3pm to avoid crowd. Great good, really fresh. Salad served at a nice chill temperature. Mix grill is the way to go! Best value and you get to try everything. My favorite is the grilled chicken.

The food was delicious and fresh. We got a mix grill combo for 2 (~$95), definitely not for two people and easily fed our group of 4 and came with an assortment of meats and our choice of 4 sides/salads. Note that if you are dining in that they will charge you for bottled water ($2.25)

I recently visited Zyara Restaurant with my family, because of all the good reviews I read online, but unfortunately, the experience was disappointing. While I was eating I found a piece of hair in my food. I brought this to the workers attention and politely requested for a replacement dish, but the worker refused to replace it simply because I ate from it, even though I only ate a small portion. On top of all of this they still made me pay for the meal. This lack of accountability and poor customer service left a very bad impression. A restaurant should prioritize cleanliness and be willing to address problems. I won’t be returning, and I wouldn’t recommend this place to others.

Great food and portion sizes, ask to mix the mint and lemonade and the orange drink. Parking is impossible so expect to walk a bit if you did drive in. Our group was welcomed and seated at a table in no time!

Foods are delicious and fresh. We enjoy every bite of the food. 🙂

I adore this place! I've been here 3 times already. They have really tasty meat, good portions, and excellent service. If you plan to come here, keep in mind that you might have to wait 20-30 minutes for your food, but while you wait, they will bring you something like chips and salsa, very delicious :) | also loved their lemonades; try the one with orange! I also highly recommend the shawarma with chicken sausage, it's simply the best!

The place was a little cold though, despite the heaters being on, but the food was delicious. Really loved the presentation. We packed it all to take home.

We had a great meal at Zyara; it's a small cafe from the outside, but you will be in for a treat! When you arrive, you are greeted by a bright array of salads and sides, You may see them making their breads right nearby. You can oreder easily on the screens along the wall, but we chose to go to the back, where there is a brightly lit ,inviting, and spotless dining room. It was Iftar during Ramadan, and there were many friends and families havnig meals, and the staff was fast and very accommodating. We weren't sure what to order, but following many Yelp recommendations, we ordered a mixed grill to share. It was more than enough for us, especially with the orange and lemon drinks. there were so many highlights: the pitas, the sauces, the egglpant, and the meats. The chicken breast was a little dry (almost always, right?) but the sauces made up for it. Watching others order, I think I would have ordered two platters, rather than the mixed platter, and I would have liked to try the falafels. Maybe next time!!! It was just a lot of fun to enjoy a meal with other people enjoying themselves, in an easy to love food feast!!

I think it's a good sign when you're the minority in a local restaurant. We ordered the chicken schwarma platter and mixed schwarma platter, each comes with two sides. Got different salads, falafel and babaganoush. It was all really delicious. Such nice presentation and platter too. we kept looking at other people's dishes too. They all looked amazing! When you go in the restaurant, you walk past the grill and drinks to the back where the seating was. Took a moment because it was busy but it was great service throughout the meal. It's a rectangular space so it can seem narrow but it goes back about 6 large tables. Definitely would come back!

Zyara is one of my all time favorite places for Shawarma. Their Zyara garlic sauce is to die for and I would literally put it on everything if I could. I only recently dined in for the first time and despite being packed, the service was still pretty good. There isn't too much seating in general but they largely run on takeout anyway. Highly recommend!

I had such a great meal! This is my second time here and if you are trying to go for an authentic Middle Eastern cuisine, then check this hidden gem out. My favorite was the mixed grill.

I'm actually surprised that Zyara only has 3.5 stars. I cannot recommend this place enough! I love their dishes, it's always packed so you know it's good!

Compared to Duzon. Zyara is excellent. The food was great well seasoned, tasty and colorful. The staff was nice. They brought us more water when we need it. Honestly, I have no complaints about this Resaurant. I'm definitely coming back for more Shawarma:)

My fav shawarma spot eva bc she so saucy and delicious The staff is sweet and it can get really packed with a long line but it's worth it imo and if you happen to be there when it's less busy the service is usually really quick! My only request is if they can add more seating and maybe a smaller portion option (half size order?) for when you want a less expensive snack instead of a whole meal

This was my first time here and the food was honestly amazing. We came as a party of 4 and we ordered the family size for 2. It was plenty for all four of us. The food was delicious and an amazing hidden spot to try out Mediterranean food!! We came around 4pm on the weekend, but I notice they had a larger area in the back when dinner time came around. I would definitely want to come back sometime in the future.

The establishment is clean, the staff very friendly and lively. The ambient has some culture elements which felt cozy. It seems to be packed at all times, especially towards the weekends and evenings. By far one of the better Palestinian / Middle Eastern foods in the area. They are always busy, and if you need to order take out order ahead sometimes 20-25 min you'll have to wait My favorite is their Falafel and Shawarma sandwich with Laffa bread!!!

One of the best Mediterranean food in NYC. Sometimes wait could be longer than usual but it's worth every penny. Star ifs very helpful and sitting place is great!

The food was amazing, super flavorful. I got the mixed grill for 2 and the portion was huge. It filled 3 of us and there was still a lot to take home. The sauces they have taste really good with the food. One of them was spicy and added really good flavors i def recommend this spot :)

recommend. Just got takeout tonight . $19 for veggie platter a bit steep but it was bountiful and very fresh and tasty. pita bread was hot and fluffy. got 2 platters and sampled falafel tahini salad turkish eggplant baba cabbage salad hummus. all delicious . it would have been four stars except price a bit high and only one pita bread to enjoy all veggies with. Can't wait to try meat stuff

I love Astoria, there food is straight up god tier. They are known for their authentic middle eastern cuisine, and their rating is high for a good reason. I am someone who's eager to try tradition foods and learn about their culture. The staff is very nice and it can get really packed with a long line, and they take their sweet time to make the food however, in the end it's worth it. The portion is huge, I got one and I could barely finish it. The sauce is 10/10, with any of them shawarma get the sauce. The sauce was tasty and rich. The food felt like an journey, because I went from my college to there. This place is not like other shawarma places. Highly recommend

I ordered the lamb kafta with the rice and tabouli. So good the kafta was so flavorful and yummy! Thank you!

This was a satisfying meal. I had a bit of the chicken shawarma sandwich and a bit of the sausage sandwich, and both were good. The portions were great, and the sides we ordered, the falafel and tabouleh, were good as well. A complaint I have is that the food came very late - it came 45 minutes after we ordered it. The place is very crowded though, so that's probably the reason. This is a good place for an authentic Middle Eastern meal - I enjoyed it.

Food is fresh and delicious. My new fave spot. The take out packaging is professional and impressive. Will order again.

Great food and ambiance. Big portions and very tasty. Highly recommend. Should consider opening 30 mins earlier :).

Let me get straight to the point: after a wonderfully short wait on a Friday night (five minutes when they told us it'd be 20), we were seated in the back area of the restaurant. Well-lit and with aquatic programming on the televisions, we put orders in. After reading that this place had allegedly "the city's best shawarma," I had the chicken shawarma supreme sandwich, which was absolutely divine, but honestly, the garlic sauce alone was so delicious as to make the trip worth it (extra available in a bottle at the table; I was indulgent with it). The only issue and only reason this is getting four stars is that we ordered an item we didn't receive, but we weren't charged for it and decided it wasn't that big of a deal. Overall, excellent experience, and I do plan to make it back.

Amazing amazing food! Best Palestinian spot for juicy lamb kababs, sandwiches, their bread (oh my god), and sides. Wherever we go, we rave about this spot.

So I live in Brooklyn but was biking around the area and my Astoria friend reminded me that I should get a shawarma. After another shop was closed for Ramadan, I popped onto Yelp and saw that Zyara was highly rated so I figured it couldn't hurt to give it a shot. The place has a convenient ordering kiosk at the front (but be warned, $15 minimum; otherwise, order with the staff) and really cool decor that makes you feel like you're back in the Middle-East. They also have a nice room in the back for parties. Although no one seemed Arab who worked there, they were hard at work and the pits held the delicious meat that would appear in my wrap. It took about 10 minutes total, and after I thought I'd just take one bite and be on my way, I ended up staying to finish off 90% of it before I could even breathe. My favourite part was getting one of the crunchy bits from being roasted a bit longer than normal. I really did feel like I was back in Turkey when I was tasting the durum. Highly recommend and will be biking the extra hour to get this again!

Great food, so yummy. I brought my family here from Staten Island and they loved it. Service was also great, food comes fairly quick. I love the Palestinian pride in there, it makes me feel so happy. The art in there is so pretty, beautiful spot.

I adore this place! I've been here 3 times already. They have really tasty meat, good portions, and excellent service. If you plan to come here, keep in mind that you might have to wait 20-30 minutes for your food, but while you wait, they will bring you something like chips and salsa, very delicious :) I also loved their lemonades; try the one with orange! I also highly recommend the shawarma with chicken sausage, it's simply the best!

LOVE Zyara!! Been going for years and it's always hands down the best halal spot I've been to.

The crowds or lack thereof on Steinway Street tell you all you need to know about any given establishment. The ever-present hookah bars are either packed to the brim or so empty that you wouldn't want to step in. And as far as food, I knew I had found a suitable replacement for the now-shuttered El Rawsheh when I saw a long line of hungry patrons at the front of Zyara, watching the scooping of mezzes with anticipation. I went for the vegetarian mezze platter, including felefel, hummus, and the Turkish eggplant. The hummus is topped with a bit of zhug along with olive oil, and was incredibly rich. The felefel were perfectly crispy, and were enjoyed both by themselves as well as with a scoop of labneh (not pictured). The Turkish eggplant was less rich than the other items, but provided a nice contrast to the other mezzes on offer.

Shawarma is definitely better than kababs. A bit pricey given the location, especially since you can get the same, if not better, food from already established businesses in the area and for a much better price. However, the seating option is nice. Service was good, at least for us. I wouldn't go back for the food since I can get it from elsewhere -- but if you wanted shawarma and kababs with a decent seating spot, this would be it.

Excellent food, great service and nice anbiance, give a try if your in the mood for Mediterraneans

I've ordered from here so many times and the quality is always great. Very filling meals at a good price point. The sauce is so good and the meat is spiced well.

First of all I love this place. The food is absolutely amazing. But today I was SHOCKED.... enjoying myself with my husband and all of a sudden a lady carrying her baby and her son walked around going from table to table begging for someone to purchase the candy she was selling. The person in charge seemed totally ok with it. When people ignored her she continue to beg and made so many people very uncomfortable. Finally the wait staff were visibly arguing in front of everyone about the tables they had. Very very unpleasant. Not good for business at all. I will think twice about visiting again.

The food itself is pretty good but could be better. The falafel seemed a bit over cooked and the fries were too salty. Had to wait in the freezing cold for 15 minutes to get the table. The service and staff must be increased. The wait is very slow but the vibe and food are worth it. staff is pretty nice.

The ambiance is laid back. The place is clean and the cooks are efficient. They have a kiosk to order from. Service was decent but the lady at the cashier was very rude today and short tempered. The way she spoke to customers was off-putting. We ordered a beef and chicken shawerma. The beef was good. I really enjoyed it. My friend liked her chicken shawerma but it was a bit oily. We got a side of fries and they were fine. The place is busy and customers enjoy the food here. The cooks are friendly and helpful.

Yes it gets busy and the staff have to take care of those ordering take out and eating in. I was seated right away and ordered the beef shawarma in laffa. Pretty good and they give you pickled veggies. For starters they give you these chips and salsa. I am from Queens and have heard of this place, and now I have finally visited.

This is a very busy place on the weekend so it's best to be patient with service. The food, on the other hand, was cooked well and tasted delicious. The ambiance is nicer in the family section they have in the back. I would come here again.

Sandwiches are amazing and way better than the other places in the area. Love how much sauces they give you with the food, they do not cheap out. Also, the staff are great and very hard working. Would go again for sure.

Zyara, located on bustling Steinway Street, is THE city's premier shawarma spot; the crowds, or lack thereof divulge a lot about its quality & authenticity. While the overall service was satisfactory, it's unfortunate that one particular cashier was noticeably rude and short-tempered towards customers. This aspect of the experience left a negative impression, as her demeanor was off-putting. Nonetheless, the popularity of Zyara speaks for itself, as the place remains busy and customers genuinely enjoy the food. Personally, the chicken shawarma wrap + beef shawarma platter weren't that great. I was confused because this place is extremely popular within the community, but the meat wasn't esp. well-seasoned or tender. On top of it, they don't give you free water; you have to buy it next door (no idea why). The service was decent, but the food is not to die for.

This is the best shawarma sandwich in Astoria. They are also open until 1 am which is very nice. I ordered online and picked up in store. It was very fast and fresh. I also felt like it was the perfect amount of sauce in the sandwich. It was one of my favorite shawerma in America.. definitely recommend going here if you are in the area. The workers were quick with to make the sandwich. They have nice seating available inside, but it is also next to a lot of places where you can sit down and eat. I always pick out a sandwich and then go to my favorite hooka Spot.

All the menu taste so delicious,clean and healthy,Quick service & friendly workers , definitely worth the visit .

Make sure you order the Turkish eggplant as a side -- it is a super addicting, perfectly seasoned, cold mix of tomato and eggplant. I also loved the chicken kabob -- so juicy -- and the falafel. It was so good I ate here twice in a week!

The management is dishonest (steals from their customers) and hostile. On Mother's Day Eve, I went there for dinner. I forgot my Prada sunglasses, which cost a high amount of money (for me). I called the next day, and spoke to an employee who said he found the sunglasses and will keep them in a safe place until I return to get it. When I returned to get them, the sunglasses disappeared from their possession. Im not sure how, as management, you tell the customer you are keep in their valuables safely for them, then it just gets legs and walks off. That my item was probably stolen by someone working there isn't the worst part. The woman that I spoke to when I went there (6/9; 1:30pm; middle-aged, light skinned and a vicious personality) was extremely hostile. She spoke to me like I made the whole story up for whatever reason.

So Good & worth the 25 minute table wait ... This Valentine's Day 2/14/23, decided to go Middle Eastern and this lil Busy Zyara definitely brought the Boom Boom Pow !!! Their food was absolutely delicious and very authentic with lots of flavor!! Their portions are definitely on the larger side !! When you first walk in you see their giant Gyro cones spinning round & round like meat candy !! All their food is prepared right in front of you; grilled & roasted to perfection & their entire kitchen is in open view so ya know they are super clean all their salads & sides are very appetizing to the eye !! The servers are very friendly & knowledgeable of their menu just in case you are unfamiliar with it... I had the mixed grilled plate with 7 assorted delicious grilled meats with their Turkish eggplant & Jerusalem salad as my sides. The ladies both had the Chicken Shawarma with rice & fries as their sides .... We all were very satisfied with our meals & service .. What to expect; 1A; Parking; Good Luck we drove around for 20 minutes to get a spot; definitely was worth it... 1; very busy restaurant both with outgoing & in-house. 2; very loud Egyptian music playing which we loved & enjoyed... 3; gratuity / tip; FYI, heads up that it's included in the bill...... Highly recommend and we will definitely be returning to explore their menu... Thanks, Greg D & family

So nice of them for letting us dine-in even if it was just take-out hours. This hit the spot after having long flights on the Christmas weekend. Authentic and clean!

The food was delicious! Didn't realize they had a whole back room with additional seating, which is great because the place was packed. Appreciated the manager (or owner), walking over to each table and checking in. Took a while to get our bill, so I had to walk over to get it. Not a big deal as it was busy. Overall, it was a good experience, and I'd come back.

The lamb Adana platter is my absolute favorite. The pita is always so fresh and soft!

As you enter Zyara and find your seat notice the thin, long aisles from front to back, almost an inside-the-restaurant street. Our side of the restaurant faces a side window that reflects yea mirrors a vibrant, lifelike burning fire image from the opposite side. The reflection surely catches diners' attention and lures them to ponder what they see. Plates for the food are a subtle orange/pink. Albeit the very common restaurant intense customer speaking noise permeates all ears, eyes nevertheless continue to thrive. Diners seem mostly of Middle-Eastern origin; they share tables and intensely communicate with each other. Each table declares and presents its own identity and keeps to itself; a space separates it from other tables; intense feeling of meaning and caring spreads among those eated at each table. Delicately shaped dresses step smoothly to each table before sitting. Facial expressions of each person exude palpable energy and meaning shared only with others at their table. Geography next: an endless soft sofa continues on one side throughout the rear room and perhaps in entrance rooms also. The opposite side is individual chairs; geometry works smoothly and pleasantly to accentuate the holistic core united persona built from the visages' unwavering gluey attentiveness. Pita bread mixes especially well with hummus. The carefully composed tabouli salad fromtime to time whispers to your lips and those lips quickly answer and return. Each dish uniquely reaches out to diners while staying close to its nearby tasty food family. Baba Ghanouj, you have an unusually authentic vibe and stand out. Falafel you are its quiet, sturdy partner. Hummus is delicious, especially if you dip homemade fries in it. The delicate, satisfying water from Poland Springs Maine stabilizes each dish's journey. Oh, you dear luscious Palestinian/Middle Eastern tastes, we need to meet again as soon as possible, yes. Both the food choices we experienced and the deep, steady contact of each person at the tables with the others retain absolute intensity. The total concentration of these diners at each table on each other outdoes even the splendid special food family connection. Each table celebrates its existence with a super cute, small beautiful marker clearly bearing the table's number. Don't worry: your faithful table mates will not let you go missing; they care for and watch your full presence.

I have to be honest - the place is quite chaotic. The hours posted are not exactly correct, we were turned away when we arrived, but we wanted to try them so bad and came all the way to Astoria already, so we waited an hour and came back. They were out of quite a few items on the menu (including the shawarma) but it's okay. Now to the food - it was really good. So good that I can forget about the chaos, and I will go back. Food's really fresh, and delicious.

I came here for a family dinner - the decor of this place is super cute! This is our biggest reason for coming. We shared all the different Shawarma's, which were great! The meat was perfectly season, and super tender! I only grabbed is that it was a little hard to coordinate getting into the restaurant with their awkward long hallway - it can get super congested and difficult to navigate. Overall, will definitely be back!

So, we went at like 11pm & they had no seats so we had to takeout. We all got mixed grill which wuda been better if they hadn't put a mayo based sauce on both meats. The chicken was good. The beef was dry since it was over cooked. We asked for hummus but they gave us baba ganoush which was good, no big deal. Also got a plain yogurt drink since they either don't have or ran out of the mango one. The plain yogurt is salty & Unpleasing to my palate.

Shanan is one of the most courteous and welcoming restaurant attendants I have come across. Unlike other establishments, Zyara is not commercial as much as faithful to gastronomic tradition and longevity. The food is expertly marinated and caringly prepared.

I decided to go back to Zyara...This time they redeemed themselves...Got the mixed shawarma platter with Jerusalem Salad and Hunmus, and it was on point today. Service was also better and friendlier today....I wouldn't get the mixed grill, their chicken kabab is dry and you get much less shawarma so I would stick to the shawarma plate...it came with fluffy pita and they give you the red pepper dip to eat with fried pita instead of bread...