This is a great middle eastern restaurant / market! The restaurant is great. We got the falafel, lamb bebab, and chicken bebab.
The lamb bebab was amazing, perfectly spiced. The rice was also great. The hummus was clearly homemade. The grape leaves were also amazing and clearly homemade.
The falafel was not that good, but I have had a LOT of homemade falafel so it's not a fair comparison. Their pita was awful, since they used stuff from the bag.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Hawraz Omar
I love this place, I drove there for 1 hr forward and bakward nice place great service.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Falafel Wrap, Beef, Iraqi Lamb Kebab over Salad
David Mahoney Jr
Dunya is always a great stop. The food is fresh and delicious. And the staff is friendly and appreciative of every customer.
Kel Quinlan
After getting tired of the same old work lunch of subs, salads, burgers and pizza... went in to Dunya on a whim two weeks ago for lunch. Been back 5 times since. The food is EXCELLENT. Vibrant, full of flavor, clean tasting, delicious. Mixing the tabouli with the dunya salad and rice with chicken shawarma is just amazing. The owner is very friendly and the store has a LOT of interesting groceries. Plus they do doordash which is awesome. *update 2026* since 2018 I've tried shawarma dozens of other places, nothing tops Dunya. A solid five stars!
Recommended dishes: Salad, Baklava, Shawarma Wrap, Lentil Soup, Hummus and Pita, Chicken Plate, Mixed Platter over Rice
Xhevdet Berisha
Very good food for the price also the staff is friendly
Food: 5
Service: 5
David Prussin
Try it you won't be disappointed.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
William Fang
Nice little store that makes fresh food to go. I had ordered a beef plate because I couldn't decide and asked the worker for their recommendation. Overall, I enjoyed it. Flavor was there. Portions were reasonable. Price was a little on the high end but I'd say it was reasonable for something on the more authentic side of the food spectrum.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Josue Polanco
Very authentic halal food super tasty. But the only reason they got 3 stars is because the advertisement does not match what you actually get in real life.
Do they expect you to pay $18 for a plate that had so little meat. I mean it was kind of embarrassing the amount of meat that was put on my plate. The only reason I didn't go back to complain was because I had to go back to work otherwise I would have made an issue about it.
They're losing business by skimping so much on the meat. Order a $18 plate you expect to get at least 30% to 40% of meat covering the plates of food. When in reality it was about 20%. Truly not a good business model especially if you're going to advertise something completely different in the pictures. If I would have known it was this little I would have gone next door instead. Would only consider coming back if they change this policy
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 2
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Mixed Platter over Rice
Kim B
We absolutely love this place!! Food is always amazing and service is always spot on! We bring a special needs woman here and she loves it and always feel welcome!! One of the best hidden gems!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
FTAQ
Good Food best middle Eastern Halal Food and groceries.
As a chef, I do not say this lightly. Dunya in Waterbury is a gem. Whenever my wife and I are anywhere near the area, we make it a point to stop. It is not just convenient. It is intentional. The food, the market, the people, the energy of the place all make it worth the trip every single time. The flavors here are deeply rooted in the Middle East and the Mediterranean, and you can taste that authenticity in every bite. The hummus is silky and perfectly balanced with tahini and lemon. The baba ganoush carries real smoky depth. The chicken kebabs are juicy and seasoned all the way through. The shawarma is warm, aromatic, and layered with spice. The falafel is crisp outside, vibrant and herbaceous inside. My personal favorite is the Iraqi Chicken Sandwich. It is absolutely phenomenal. The chicken is tender, boldly seasoned, and packed with flavor. Every bite is balanced and satisfying. It is the kind of sandwich that stays on your mind long after you leave. Everything is halal and incredibly fresh. The place is always busy, which tells you everything. The food turns over quickly. The products in the market turn over quickly. There are always people picking up takeout and others shopping the shelves. And the market itself is a treasure. Authentic meats, cheeses, sausages, dairy products, dry goods, teas, dried beans, spices, specialty ingredients and more, all reflecting the flavors of the Middle East and the Mediterranean. These are items you simply will not find in conventional grocery stores. If you love to cook, you will walk out inspired. If you have never been before, do not be intimidated. Walk in. The staff are incredibly welcoming, friendly, and accommodating. There is space to sit and enjoy your meal, and they do a huge takeout business as well. Dunya is easily one of the best places in Waterbury and the surrounding areas. Authentic flavor. Unique products. Warm hospitality. I highly recommend it.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Aurel Lika
Always had a good experience,food is delicious and the customer service is top notch. Always feel welcomed and thier prices are better then most similar places around. Highly recommend
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Mixed Platter over Rice
Amer Ali
Kababs are juicy and delicious
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Genesis Brito
To be honest the worst kibbeh I've ever eaten in my life and the worst shawarma that sauce that they put on both tastes super super bad for my taste I hope they can change that for the people who are going to consume there 😮💨😩
Tal
The food we just ordered and waited for is absolutely horrifyingly terrible! The falafel balls taste like old burned oil was used to fry them and they are BLACK and completely burned. Grape leaves had hard stick like stems so they weren't very palatable and the eggplant pieces were raw.
This is a great middle eastern restaurant / market! The restaurant is great. We got the falafel, lamb bebab, and chicken bebab.
The lamb bebab was amazing, perfectly spiced. The rice was also great. The hummus was clearly homemade. The grape leaves were also amazing and clearly homemade.
The falafel was not that good, but I have had a LOT of homemade falafel so it's not a fair comparison. Their pita was awful, since they used stuff from the bag.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
I love this place, I drove there for 1 hr forward and bakward nice place great service.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Falafel Wrap, Beef, Iraqi Lamb Kebab over Salad
Dunya is always a great stop. The food is fresh and delicious. And the staff is friendly and appreciative of every customer.
After getting tired of the same old work lunch of subs, salads, burgers and pizza... went in to Dunya on a whim two weeks ago for lunch. Been back 5 times since. The food is EXCELLENT. Vibrant, full of flavor, clean tasting, delicious. Mixing the tabouli with the dunya salad and rice with chicken shawarma is just amazing. The owner is very friendly and the store has a LOT of interesting groceries. Plus they do doordash which is awesome.
*update 2026* since 2018 I've tried shawarma dozens of other places, nothing tops Dunya.
A solid five stars!
Recommended dishes: Salad, Baklava, Shawarma Wrap, Lentil Soup, Hummus and Pita, Chicken Plate, Mixed Platter over Rice
Very good food for the price also the staff is friendly
Food: 5
Service: 5
Try it you won't be disappointed.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Nice little store that makes fresh food to go. I had ordered a beef plate because I couldn't decide and asked the worker for their recommendation. Overall, I enjoyed it. Flavor was there. Portions were reasonable. Price was a little on the high end but I'd say it was reasonable for something on the more authentic side of the food spectrum.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Very authentic halal food super tasty.
But the only reason they got 3 stars is because the advertisement does not match what you actually get in real life.
Do they expect you to pay $18 for a plate that had so little meat. I mean it was kind of embarrassing the amount of meat that was put on my plate. The only reason I didn't go back to complain was because I had to go back to work otherwise I would have made an issue about it.
They're losing business by skimping so much on the meat. Order a $18 plate you expect to get at least 30% to 40% of meat covering the plates of food. When in reality it was about 20%. Truly not a good business model especially if you're going to advertise something completely different in the pictures. If I would have known it was this little I would have gone next door instead.
Would only consider coming back if they change this policy
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 2
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Mixed Platter over Rice
We absolutely love this place!! Food is always amazing and service is always spot on! We bring a special needs woman here and she loves it and always feel welcome!! One of the best hidden gems!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Good Food best middle Eastern Halal Food and groceries.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
As a chef, I do not say this lightly. Dunya in Waterbury is a gem.
Whenever my wife and I are anywhere near the area, we make it a point to stop. It is not just convenient. It is intentional. The food, the market, the people, the energy of the place all make it worth the trip every single time.
The flavors here are deeply rooted in the Middle East and the Mediterranean, and you can taste that authenticity in every bite. The hummus is silky and perfectly balanced with tahini and lemon. The baba ganoush carries real smoky depth. The chicken kebabs are juicy and seasoned all the way through. The shawarma is warm, aromatic, and layered with spice. The falafel is crisp outside, vibrant and herbaceous inside.
My personal favorite is the Iraqi Chicken Sandwich. It is absolutely phenomenal. The chicken is tender, boldly seasoned, and packed with flavor. Every bite is balanced and satisfying. It is the kind of sandwich that stays on your mind long after you leave.
Everything is halal and incredibly fresh. The place is always busy, which tells you everything. The food turns over quickly. The products in the market turn over quickly. There are always people picking up takeout and others shopping the shelves.
And the market itself is a treasure. Authentic meats, cheeses, sausages, dairy products, dry goods, teas, dried beans, spices, specialty ingredients and more, all reflecting the flavors of the Middle East and the Mediterranean. These are items you simply will not find in conventional grocery stores. If you love to cook, you will walk out inspired.
If you have never been before, do not be intimidated. Walk in. The staff are incredibly welcoming, friendly, and accommodating. There is space to sit and enjoy your meal, and they do a huge takeout business as well.
Dunya is easily one of the best places in Waterbury and the surrounding areas. Authentic flavor. Unique products. Warm hospitality. I highly recommend it.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Always had a good experience,food is delicious and the customer service is top notch.
Always feel welcomed and thier prices are better then most similar places around.
Highly recommend
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Mixed Platter over Rice
Kababs are juicy and delicious
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
To be honest the worst kibbeh I've ever eaten in my life and the worst shawarma that sauce that they put on both tastes super super bad for my taste I hope they can change that for the people who are going to consume there 😮💨😩
The food we just ordered and waited for is absolutely horrifyingly terrible! The falafel balls taste like old burned oil was used to fry them and they are BLACK and completely burned. Grape leaves had hard stick like stems so they weren't very palatable and the eggplant pieces were raw.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 1
Service: 3
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