Al-Sham Restaurant — Restaurant in New York

I’m here to give an honest review. After reading some of the other reviews I was a bit hesitant about eating here but I am a big shawarma fan so I said why not give it a shot. My favorite shawarma spot is in queens and now that I live in Brooklyn, I’d need to find something a bit closer. Walked in planning on ordering takeout and I was asked if I will be taking out or dining in… so I said why not let’s see how it goes and I decided to dine in. Now let’s really get into the review. Service was fine, no one was rude at all, if anything one of the staff went above and beyond and played with my son and entertained him. Busy? Yes they were busy but I wouldn’t say that’s bad service, at least they are working and when they interacted with us, it was professional and with a smile. Food… I got the chicken shawarma with fries and some humus. Yes it was your basic shawarma but it actually tasted good. Compared to the others I’ve had in the area… this was amazing. Now did they have toppings on it? No. Then again not everyone like toppings so if you do like toppings just ask for the toppings I’m sure they’ll add what you want. Pickles or anything else. Honestly tho, flavor was very good. On point. Even my son who is a picky eater was digging in. Now I’ve seen some reviews complain about pricing, cash only, and tips/taxes. I personally think the pricing was fair. Same pricing as everywhere else or around the same ballpark. Quantity? It was just right. Wasn’t too much but wasn’t too little. Did I get my moneys worth? Yes I’d like to think so. What some people fail to understand is they look at this location and say hey it’s an Arab spot, it’s my people. They should be cheaper and they should give more because that’s the Arab way. Uhhh no. It’s a business that provides food and services and their competitors charge around the same. Honestly, unless anyone can find another spot in Brooklyn to compete against, they beat the competition in taste so stop complaining about the pricing if you pay the same thing elsewhere. I guess the best way to say it, if you don’t like it then go somewhere else. Now in terms of cash only, yes they are cash only although they did offer me an alternative of Zelle. However that’s not the point. The point is people are mad that it is cash only. Yet the same people go to the old school pizzerias in the neighborhood and other locations that are cash only and don’t complaint. Why complain about this place when many other business do cash only and are operating just fine and people are satisfied. I get that we live in a time of card and Apple Pay but hey it won’t kill you to pay cash every once in a while. In case you haven’t noticed… the cash only didn’t bother me at all. Finally the tips and tax. Listen people, taxes are a part of this, always has been. Go to any other Resturant or better yet go to these fast food chains and you will see they charge tax. Stop complaining. If you don’t like it, call your senators and complain about having to pay tax but this business charges tax just like every other business. Now tips, should be optional so if you don’t want to pay I’m sure you can get it removed but what makes me laugh is that I’ve seen people complain that they were being charge for like $1-$2 tip. I get it every cent goes a long way but if this place is asking me for a $2 tip and they actually came took my order served me and all that good stuff, I won’t complain. I normally tip much more. I think what I am trying to say is if you look at all the locations that ask for tip, they are generous here. If you look at all locations that charge tax, unless it’s a cart on the corner everyone charges tax. If you look at all locations that accept cash only, a lot of them do and no one complains. Why complain about this one? I told you I’d be honest and give you an honest review and here I am just going on and on. Truth is I will be coming back to this place often. They did right and as long as they continue to be good I will continue to...

Having never visited before, the reviews here seemed to suggest an amazing experience. However, instead my group was met with difficulty and annoyance in receiving our food and definitely when paying.

When bringing our food, one individual was told that their plate wasn't what they ordered despite it being theirs. Taking it away for some time, they brought the same plate back later. Having made a separate side order while eating, my group was given another full meal. We told them this isn't what we had just ordered, and the server shrugged off confusedly while walking away.

As you pay once you finish eating, our order was misunderstood despite having it being written down and read back at this time. To move forward with paying, the group had to individually state what was ordered and how much. Then the topic of that extra meal was brought up, and eventually the staff brushed it off as if it were our mistake being forgiven. To avoid this huge ordeal, Al-sham needs to re-evaluate when customers pay. Perhaps paying right upon ordering is best.

As for the food itself, the meals were good yet how they were prepared took away from a fully enjoyable plate. None of our sandwiches--although being more akin to wraps--had anything added inside to it. Instead, lettuce, tomato, pickles, and sauce were placed on plates. With the presentation of food, you can successfully add any if these displaced items to your main meal aside from the sauce and even substitute the bland sauce for hummus. It would be welcomed by many if these toppings were added go the...

I'm not saying any of this to come off as disrespectful in any way, but I have to be honestly critical. I went yesterday afternoon and got a chicken shawarma after asking the female cashier if she prefers the shawarma or the falafel (which btw, on the menu was stacked with about 8 different things). The shawarma sandwich cost $11, despite saying $10 on the menu (which of course is common considering it is New York, but they should really update the price if the $11 is with tax) and unfortunately, it was quite small. The only things in my shawarma were a few pieces of chicken, toum (garlic sauce), and pickles. No sumac onions, no tomatoes, no hummus, just the three aforementioned items. Were it not for the fact that the shawarma tasted superb, I would have gave 2 or 1 stars. I kid you not, that shawarma was so small, I finished it while walking to the subway (about 10 bites), which was only one avenue away. To the manager of Al-Sham, I mean you no disrespect with this review, but if I'm going to be charged $11 for a chicken shawarma ($14 with fries), I would expect my shawarma to be thicker and with more vegetables. Perhaps this is an inflation thing (I haven't got a clue), but between the lack ingredients in the sandwich and the cost, I don't see the justification of a high price point for the shawarma (unless supervised by HMS or HFSAA) when I could go to other Levantine shawarmerias with a bigger and tastier portion for the same price or less in Brooklyn and Queens. I mean you and your staff no disrespect, but I have to speak honestly from...