Al Aqsa — Restaurant in Salem

15.99 Lamb Shank Special

My stomach was rumbling and I just had to get to the nearest lamb shank so I weathered the elements and went to Al Aqsa to order a lamb shank. When it arrived I was taken a back by the massive juicy leg that lay before me. A pungent waft of juicy gamey deliciousness entered my nostral/the other was clogged up from a common cold. The first bite sent my mind into a spin. I was taken to another world momentarily. I've experimented with many things in my life but nothing could take me higher than this piece of lamb. The closest feeling to this was when I flew through traffic standing on the seat of my motorcycle with my arms in the air.

Texture? Would that there were a word in the English language to do it justice. Juicy, tender, lean, perfectly cooked, everything. This shank was the Picasso of all meats. Falling off the bone. Falling off the bone and into my mouth creating savory flavors as I ravenously ripped through. Can't stop wont stop. Had to keep going. Can't stop wont stop. Meat reserves diminishing. Slurping fat, skin, and cartilage. Burp. Salad and rice to wash each bite down. Everything creating a perfect harmony in my mouth. Burp. Don't know what you got till its gone. Boy is that true. I looked down to see a bone in a crumpled up napkin and burped a burp of satisfaction. Greasy fingers greasy mouth but stomach in heaven. Too bad I only had 20 dollars in my pocket. Now I know why they call it...

I love this place. I was driving back from a doctor appointment in Salem and noticed a sign for Middle Eastern food. I had never noticed it before, so I turned around at the next street and am so grateful to have found it. I used to go to Al Jebal in Corvallis and since its closing, I have missed it sorely. Now knowing that Al Aqsa is in Salem is awesome. I ordered baba ghanoush with pita and the chicken kabob plate. Also had some mint tea. I had a chance to chat with the owner, who was wonderful and says they’ve been around for 13 years. Now that I know where the Middle Eastern food is in the area, I will definitely be back. Open Sesame in Belmont Shore (Long Beach CA) was a regular staple in our lives til moving to the Pacific Northwest and having access to Middle Eastern food in this area is beautiful. Love love love it. Good people, good food… it was a great “surprise” visit for me. Great little place. 5 stars!

** update! I recently went back (months later) and the food wasn’t great. It was great last time, but this time the kabob ordered was completely burnt. Barely edible and the baba ghanoush was so acidic it was like sucking on a lemon. It was pretty bad. I really loved this little place so I’m hoping it was an off day and I can try it again, but it was so bad, I really don’t know. 1 star for this last visit (which makes me so sad because I loved this place...

Employees not Picking up the phone. Immediate disconnect every time I try and call to place an order. Rings once, call ended. This is extremely unprofessional and rude

Update: 07/29/21 Finally got to try this places food. I was tasty, but I honestly wasn't impressed. The lamb was a tad undercooked and chewy. And the pieces were way to big, they need to be cut smaller. The veggie to meat ratio was unbalanced. To many veggies not enough meat. The sauce was great. Has a wonderful flavor. If this place just changed a few things here and there it would be exceptional.

Other reviewers complaining about this place being "unsanitary", just because an employee goes from the register to the food without washing their hands doesn't mean it's unsanitary. I don't know if you or anyone actually know this, however the more you disinfect your hands and eating space, the MORE likely you are to get sick because disinfectant strips your body of its good bacteria, as well as the bad. Good bacteria builds white blood cells which keeps your immune system functioning properly and healthily, with out them you have no immune system. Stripping your body of its good bacteria stops your white blood cell count from increasing. Which is very very very bad for you. Do some science homework kids, and parents, being overly sanitary isn't all...