Lava Shawarma — Restaurant in New York

To be real:

I was excited to try this place after the reopening. It’s junk! Here’s why:

I saw that the Avocado Salad(AS) and the Caesar(C) were $13. The AS had multiple veggies, the C was just standard Caesar salad, croutons, and a “homemade dressing.” I love a good Caesar with advertised homemade dressing. I asked does it have anchovies and the person was confused, I then said, it’s ok I’m happy to try it. I then asked to add avocado since both salad are the same price, how much, and he said $5 more. The Caesar salad has 3 ingredients compared to the avocado salad with at least 7. That should say enough about the training of the employees or the value you are paying for here.

So I ordered the Caesar with some protein. After being charged $21, They pulled out a huge jar of Kraft Caesar dressing. The least healthiest brand and NOT Halal. The owners are obviously liers.

This place is not focused on halal or health, it’s just a greedy business with overpriced products. The food tasted eh....

I came here because my friend’s recommendation, and it did not disappoint. I thought it would be just like some food truck or some deli. Turned out, I was so wrong. The servers were very nice and friendly. When we were looking at the menu and deciding what to get for dinner. One of the servers gave each one of us a nice hot cup of tea. The tea was so delicious. It was very fragrant and perfectly sweetened. It warmed up my hands and stomach in this freezing weather. We got a lamb burger and a lamb kebab wrap meals. The lamb burger was so juicy and cooked to perfection. The lamb kebab was also seasoned nicely and cooked perfectly. I especially liked the wrap. It was grilled on the skillet so it was nice and crispy on the outside. The fries were also very good. Everything we tried tonight was delicious. I’m so glad that we found this gem in the neighborhood. Highly recommended and we will be back very soon and try their...

Lava could be half as good as it is and still offer a perfectly tasty meal at an acceptable price. Currently, it punches way above its weight.

Since the place changed management late last year, they have really upped their Lebanese deli game. The salads are fantastically flavorful (the fattoush with sumac and pomegranate molasses is chef's kiss), grilled items like eggplant and falafel have a rich taste and beautifully crispy texture, even simple things like hummus or soup always come with fragrant toppings of oil, herbs, and spices.

Plus, the guys who work there are just so darn nice. It's my go-to spot for a quick bite.

P.S. Why is there koshari in their menu makes no sense. Is this chain secretly owned by an Egyptian?? Sure enough the only time I tried to go out on a limb and order it...