NYC has lots of tasty food, but shawarma stands out as a favorite for many people. This Middle Eastern dish has become popular all over the city. Shawarma is made with spiced meat that’s slowly cooked on a spit and served in pita bread or on a plate. It’s so good that New Yorkers keep coming back for more.
In this article, we’ll take you around NYC to find the best shawarma places. We’ll show you great spots from food carts in busy areas to small restaurants in quieter neighborhoods. Get ready to learn about some hidden food treasures that will make your mouth water and show you why NYC is such a great place for food lovers.
Also Read : Group-friendly restaurants in NYC
Midtown Residence Surabaya
- Address : Jl. Ngagel No.123, Ngagel, Kec. Wonokromo, Surabaya, Jawa Timur 60246, Indonesia
- Open Hours :
- Check-out time: 12:00 pm
- Check-in time: 2:00 pm
- Open in Google Map : Link
In the middle of Midtown East, there’s a small food cart that’s become famous for its really good shawarma. This little spot is surrounded by tall buildings and always has long lines of hungry people waiting to eat. You can smell the cooking meat and spices from far away, making people want to try it.
What makes this cart special is how it mixes old and new flavors in its shawarma. The cook uses traditional Middle Eastern tastes but adds surprising new ingredients too. You can try things like Korean-style shawarma with a spicy sauce or one with sun-dried tomatoes and feta cheese that tastes like it’s from the Mediterranean.
Signature Dishes
Make sure to try the “Midtown Melt”. It’s a big plate with layers of tasty lamb and chicken shawarma on top of yellow rice that smells really good. If you want something to eat while walking, get the “Street Food Supreme” wrap. It has crunchy falafel pieces, soft shawarma meat, and a tangy garlic sauce. If you don’t eat meat, you’ll like the “Green Machine” plate. It has grilled vegetables and a special cheese called halloumi.
West Side Wonder
- Address : 2030 Broadway, New York, NY 10023, United States
- Open Hours :
- Monday to Sunday : 10:30 am–10:30 pm.
- Open in Google Map : Link
On the busy streets of Midtown West, there’s a new kind of shawarma place. This clean, modern restaurant lets you make your own perfect shawarma. You can choose exactly what you want in it, so it fits what you like to eat and any special food needs you might have.
They make all their ingredients fresh every day, so everything tastes really good. You can watch the cooks cut the meat right off the big cooking stick and put it in your food. This way, you can try lots of different flavor mixes while still getting real shawarma taste.
Build Your Own
First, you pick if you want your shawarma in bread, on rice, or with salad. Then you choose chicken, lamb, or beef meat. After that, you can add lots of different toppings. They have things like pickled turnips, onions with a spice called sumac, cabbage with sesame sauce, and a spicy green sauce. Last, you can put on garlic sauce, a hot red sauce, or a sour yogurt sauce to make your shawarma just how you like it.
L’Adresse NoMad
- Address : 1184 Broadway, New York, NY 10001, United States
- Open Hours :
- Wednesday, 5–10 pm
- Thursday, 5–11 pm
- Friday, 5–11 pm
- Saturday, 11 am–11 pm
- Sunday, 11 am–4 pm
- Monday, 5–10 pm
- Tuesday, 5–10 pm
- Open in Google Maps : Link
If you want a fancier shawarma experience, there’s a nice Lebanese restaurant in NoMad that makes street food taste special. The place looks pretty inside with soft lights and new-style decorations. It’s a good place to try fancy Middle Eastern food.
The best thing on the menu is the duck shawarma. It’s like regular shawarma but made fancy. They cook duck meat slowly with lots of spices until it’s crispy on the outside. They serve it with sweet fig jam, which goes well with the rich duck taste.
Mezza Style
This restaurant uses the Lebanese way of eating called mezza. They bring out lots of small plates of different foods at the same time. This lets you try many flavors. It works great with shawarma because you can eat it with other tasty things like tabbouleh (a type of salad), baba ganoush (a dip made from eggplant), and warm, fresh pita bread.
Gramercy Kitchen
- Address : 184 3rd Ave, New York, NY 10003, United States
- Open Hours : Sunday to Monday 7:30 am–10 pm
- Open in Google Map : Link
In the nice Gramercy Park area, there’s a fancy Mediterranean restaurant that shawarma lovers really like. This pretty place mixes old flavors with new cooking ways, making food that tastes and looks great.
When you go inside, it feels warm and friendly. The walls are brick with colorful tiles, and there are pretty lights that make everything look soft. You can see the cooks making food in the open kitchen, which makes eating there even more fun.
Seasonal Specials
The cook likes to make different kinds of shawarma depending on the time of year. In spring, you might get shawarma with soft lamb and fresh beans. In summer, they make lighter ones like chicken shawarma with grilled peaches and mint. When it gets cold, they use root vegetables and warm spices that go well with the slow-cooked meats.
The Village Vibe cafe
- Address : 3 Fifth Ave, Village of Pelham, NY 10803, United States
- Open Hours :
- Wednesday, 6 am–5 pm
- Thursday, 6 am–5 pm
- Friday, 6 am–5 pm
- Saturday, 6 am–3 pm
- Sunday, 7 am–2 pm
- Monday, 6 am–5 pm
- Tuesday, 6 am–5 pm
- Open in Google Map : Link
In the East Village, there’s a small shawarma place that’s been there for more than 30 years. It’s not fancy, but people in the neighborhood love it. The shop looks a bit old, but the food is always good, which is why it’s still popular.
During the day, people who live nearby come for quick lunches. At night, it’s busy with people who want food after going out. It’s close to bars and places where bands play, so lots of different people come to eat. You can smell the spicy meat cooking, which makes people want to try it.
Budget-Friendly
Even though it’s in a good spot, this place doesn’t cost a lot. A big shawarma wrap with tasty meat and fresh vegetables costs less than sandwiches at big chain restaurants. You can get a meal with fries and a drink for an even better price. They give you a lot of food, so you feel full without spending too much money. Students and people who don’t want to spend a lot like to eat here.
Queens Delight Cafe
- Address :130 John St, Bridgeport, CT 06604, United States.
- Open Hours :
- Wednesday, 8:30 am–3 pm
- Thursday, 8:30 am–3 pm
- Friday, 8:30 am–5 pm
- Saturday, 8:30 am–5 pm
- Sunday, 9:30 am–4 pm
- Tuesday, 8:30 am–3 pm
- Open in Google Map: Link
In Long Island City, where there’s lots of art, there’s a hidden place that makes great shawarma. It’s right next to a big art museum called MoMA PS1, so it’s perfect for eating after looking at art. Inside, it’s bright and new, with pictures made by local artists on the walls.
The best thing to eat is called the “Queens Royale” plate. It has a big pile of juicy chicken and lamb shawarma on yellow rice that smells really good. It comes with smoky eggplant dip, sour pickled vegetables, and soft, warm bread. They put a special sauce on top that has sesame paste, herbs, and a little bit of spice, which makes everything taste great together.
Extended Hours
This place knows that people in NYC eat at different times, so it’s open early and late. It opens at 7 in the morning to make breakfast shawarma wraps for people going to work in Manhattan. The kitchen stays open until 2 in the morning, so artists working late and people who work at night can get good food too. No matter when you’re hungry, this Queens place is ready to feed you.
Brooklyn’s Best
- Address : 123 North St, Pittsfield, MA 01201, United States.
- Open Hours :
- Every Sunday to Monday 12 pm–1:30 am.
- Open in Google Map : Link
In Williamsburg, there’s a cozy Lebanese place that makes really good shawarma. This family-run restaurant is special because they make food the old-fashioned way. When you walk in, you can smell spices and slow-cooked meat that makes you feel like you’re in Beirut.
They make their shawarma with lots of care. They soak big pieces of meat in secret spices for a whole day. These spices have been used by their family for a long time. Then they put the meat on big sticks and cook it slowly. This makes sure every piece is juicy and tasty. When you order, the cook cuts thin slices that are crispy on the outside and soft inside.
Homestyle Cooking
This Williamsburg place doesn’t just make shawarma. They also have other Lebanese food that tastes like it’s made at home. You can get thick lentil soup and rice dishes that smell really good. They’ve kept the old recipes but changed them a little to fit what people in Brooklyn like. The food makes people feel happy and reminds them of home, so they keep coming back.
Wonder
- Address : 2030 Broadway, New York, NY 10023, United States
- Open Hours :
- Every Sunday to Monday 10:30 am–10:30 pm.
- Open in Google Map : Link
In the busy part of NYC where all the theaters are, there’s a fun shawarma place that makes Middle Eastern street food with a Broadway feel. It’s a good place to eat before or after seeing a show. The restaurant looks colorful and exciting, just like the theater area around it.
They have many kinds of shawarma from different Middle Eastern countries. You can get normal chicken or lamb shawarma, but also special ones like turkey shawarma with cranberry sauce or vegetarian shawarma made with a cheese called halloumi. You can choose different salads, pickles, and sauces to go with your shawarma, so you can make it taste how you like.
Mix and Match
At this West Side place, you can be creative with your food. You can pick different meats, side dishes, and sauces to make your perfect meal. You could try a wrap with half chicken and half beef shawarma, or make a plate with lots of different salads and dips. Even people who come here a lot can always try something new, which keeps the food exciting.
Little Ruby’s East Village
- Address : 198 E 11th St, New York, NY 10003, United States.
- Open Hours :
- Every Sunday to Monday 9 am–11 pm.
- Open in Google Map : Link
On a quiet street in the East Village, there’s a nice place that makes really good shawarma. People who live nearby love it because they make Middle Eastern food in new and interesting ways. Their special shawarma plates are so tasty that both people from the neighborhood and visitors keep coming back.
When you go inside, it feels warm and friendly. They have old things from the Middle East on the walls and colorful cloths hanging up. Pretty lamps make the wooden tables look nice. You can see the cooks making shawarma right there in the open kitchen, which is fun to watch while you eat.
Beyond Shawarma
Even though shawarma is what they’re famous for, this East Village place also makes other yummy Lebanese food. You can start with small plates of food to share. Try the smoky eggplant dip, the creamy yogurt cheese with spices, or crunchy falafel with tangy sesame sauce. They also have a special bread called manakish that has herbs and cheese on top. It’s great for dipping in hummus or wrapping around shawarma meat. All these foods go really well with the shawarma, making your meal in NYC even more delicious.