The Kebab Shop — Restaurant in Coral Springs

The Kebab Shop, opening day in Coral Springs.

It's taken a while for this place to open, and it has also been highly anticipated because it is their second location in SoFL, the first one opened in Miami. It's a fast-casual Lebanese Halal restaurant chain based in San Diego, California —think Chipotle, but Middle Eastern. The menu centers around grilled meats and meze sides.

I decided to try all their proteins, so I got two platters, each with an extra meat on it, so they came to over $20 each, and they came with 2 sides each. In terms of portion size for that money, I thought it was OK. I asked to try the Gyro/Doner separately, and it's exactly what you think it is -- commercial gyro meat. It is their proprietary blend and comes out of its own wrapping with their label on it, and it's salty AF, which is to be expected. It has that characteristic MSG punch in the face, with some additional Cumin to make it more Middle-Easterny. But basically, it is the same commercial halal gyro that all the other gyro places, including Gyroville across the street, will serve you. Unless you really want that, I would pass on it.

The falafel is from a pre-made mix, and it's okay. There's better falafel in this town, such as at La Marsa or Sahara Bakery, both of which have excellent versions. The chicken shawarma (carved chicken) is underseasoned and dry; I was hoping for something with a bit more curry or cumin flavor.

The ground meat kebab (kofte) is fine; it's no match for the koobideh at Miami Kebab on Atlantic, my favorite place in the area for that kind of food right now. Rachel and I agreed that the steak kebab here was the best of the proteins; it was cooked medium rare and had a great seasoning and marinade.

The sandwiches look to be a good size--think Chipotle burrito. I liked the kale and quinoa salad with cranberry, the tabbouleh salad, and the spicy hummus. The saffron rice is just okay. I was hoping for something more like Middle Eastern spicy rice--it's no match for the seasoned basmati rice at Miami Kebab or the rice at La Marsa.

They have 3 sauces: a cilantro jalapeno (my favorite), a spicy chili (hot but one dimensional), and a garlic yogurt (tastes like garlic powder and not fresh garlic). If you want extra sauces, there is a pump station, but I would instead ask them to give you a couple pre-packaged because getting them into the little containers is messy.

Oh, one more thing—not only is that pump station messy to deal with, but the takeout containers are those annoying biodegradable cardboard things that fall apart if anything is wet in them. So, if you plan to eat the food later (like to bring it home for dinner), you'll want to transfer it to a...

I recently visited The Kebab Shop and tried both the Kebab Wrap and two of their bowls. One of the first things I noticed was the open kitchen where you can watch the shaved meat being prepared -- the cleanliness of the floors and prep station was impressive and reassuring.

Upon entering, I was warmly greeted by Carin at the counter, who was helpful in explaining the menu options. They offer the convenience of self-order tablets, but I chose to order at the counter for that personal touch. I had the San Diego Wrap, which included carved chicken, fries, feta, mixed greens, tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, and cabbage slaw. The wrap had a perfectly toasted flavor, and the carved chicken was tender and full of flavor. Everything tasted incredibly fresh, which elevated the meal.

For the bowls, I appreciated the flexibility in choosing either full rice, vegetables, or a mix of both. I opted for a base of saffron rice and baby greens, topped with similar ingredients to the San Diego wrap. The flavors were just as satisfying as the wrap.

The base price includes falafel and carved chicken, but you can upgrade to carved lamb, mixed carved meats, grilled chicken, or beef kofta for an additional $1.90, and grilled steak for $2.80. The variety in protein options is a nice touch for customizing your meal.

Another standout is the sauce station, which offers yogurt, chili, and cilantro jalapeño sauces to personalize your dish.

Pricing is comparable to other spots in the area, and the open kitchen and fresh-looking salad bar are great indicators of the quality.

With about six tables available for dining in, it's a cozy spot for a quick bite. I'll be back soon, and my friends really enjoyed...

I had a great experience. I happen to like the Israeli type falafel I'm not really into the Greek type. Mainly because of the sauce that's used. I was almost going to leave without trying anything because my heart was set upon and Israeli type of falafel but Linda offered me to at least try the sauce on their chicken. I wasn't thrilled about that sauce because I never liked tzatziki sauce However the chicken was delicious so I asked Linda what she has where I can have the chicken with kind of like a salad and she said that she could make me a rap and we put together a wrap that was absolutely fantastic and she had a fire sauce that she gave me on the side if I wanted to spice things up. The customer service there is fantastic other customers knew her by name as well. I would highly recommend people would at least go in and try the food. My wife was complimenting how fresh everything was. The atmosphere was quiet which is what I like It's a small place so I like the fact that it wasn't a crowd of people to fight However it was on a Sunday afternoon and it was scorching outside so they weren't many people traveling...