Haha's Kebab's and Shawarma — Restaurant in Kansas City

Most people, who enjoy Arabic cuisine, don't realize that there are regional differences, like Chinese food (e.g., Szechuan versus Mandarin versus Cantonese), and the flavor profiles of Arabic food are heavily influenced by its country of origin. A good example of this is the popular dish: chicken shawarma. You might enjoy it at one place and find it tastes vastly different at the next. I mention this to provide some context.

As a rule, I generally do not care for Palestinian cuisine (e.g. Jerusalem Cafe, Holy Land, etc); I find their chicken kabobs, shawarma, etc, to be quite bland and dry. I much prefer Iranian food (KC Grill and Kabob, which post-covid has sadly closed), Turkish (Aladin Cafe), Chaldean (none in KC), and Lebanese (none in KC). Coming from Dearborn (the Arabic center of the US), I find KC's Arabic restaurants to be almost exclusively Palestinian. Don't worry, I'm coming to the point.

My wife and I are constantly seeking new Arabic restaurants. Last night, she and I tried HaHa's on East 39th Street in Westport (between Main and Broadway), where Domino's Pizza used to be). This is, by far, the best Palestinian food I have ever had. The chicken and beef sharwarmas are carved from a spit, as they should be, which should be because the spit approach locks in moisture and flavor. Likewise, most places use chicken breast, which results in tough and dry kabobs; Haha's uses the more expensive chicken tenders like KC Grill and Kabob used to. The spice rubs are handmade in-house with delightful grace notes of cloves. With KC Grill and Kabob permanently closed, KC is left with only Palestinian and one Turkish restaurant. Lot's of choices but not much variety. If Jerusalem Cafe is your jam then rock on. But, if you're like me, looking for a delightful change of pace, go see Frank at Haha's; you'll be...

Haha's Kebabs and Shawarma in Kansas City is an absolute gem, and their Beef Shawarma Wrap is hands down the best in town. Finding good beef shawarma is tough, but Haha’s absolutely nails it with perfectly seasoned, tender beef that melts in your mouth. Every bite bursts with bold, savory flavors, enhanced by the rich tahini sauce, tangy pomegranate molasses, and sweet, slightly sharp onions.

What takes it to the next level is their incredible selection of sauces—from the creamy garlic sauce that adds a smooth, garlicky punch to the rich, velvety hummus and the spicy red sauce that delivers just the right amount of heat. Each one enhances the shawarma in its own way, making every bite even more flavorful.

The wrap itself is warm, soft, and lightly toasted, bringing everything together in a perfect harmony of textures and flavors. It’s one of those rare dishes that’s greater than the sum of its parts, a shawarma experience that’s both authentic and unforgettable.

Whenever I'm in Kansas City, I have to grab one for lunch. If you haven’t tried it yet, you’re seriously...

My wife and I came here last night on a whim for date night, we were not disappointed like we were at another Mediterranean restaurant. As soon as we walked in we were greeted with a positive and welcoming atmosphere. The guy who took our order was very understanding of my wife's allergies and ensured the food was made to avoid this.

Atmosphere: very family friendly, all smiles, very welcoming. When they were in the back it was nothing but friendly banter between each other (assuming) but all in all much better than the last place.

Service: fast, professional, interactive, funny. I am assuming the guy that took our order was the owner, very understanding and knew how to joke around.

Food: By God it was amazing. Fresh meat off the skewer, no loose meat. The fries were fresh and crunchy. My wife had beef shawarma wrap and had no issues with allergies or nose running, a very good sign. I had the beef and lamb gyro with feta added and it was amazing. The walnut baklava was out of this world.

We will be...