Middle Eastern food and the setting at this spot is great. Everyone at our table was quite pleased. The staff was helpful and kind. It has a nice interior. Feels similar to a restaurant in Philadelphia that I enjoyed visiting.
Jeremiah Morales
Hope they reopen soon. Small place with huge flavor. Their Shawarmas are amazing.
Tia S
The food was mediocre, the staff seemed ... off.Wont return.
Rob R.
Amazingly prepared with love. Don't forget to ask about her specialty deserts. I sometimes can't resist filming friends as they take their first ever bite of osh-al-saria
Jahnavi U.
Good food. Few tables.
Sue L.
Over 7 years ago, I was a bi-monthly customer to Gazala's because the food was interesting, delicious and reasonably priced. After a recent visit, I'm sad to say I will never go back to this location again. Where to start with how bad the meal was? Pita - Cold and rubbery. We ate two bites of that bread and left the rest on the plate. When asked, the server said the bread was made in the morning so you have to go for lunch if you want it hot, there is no way to reheat it. Potato and Meat Cigars - Bland and tasteless, both the meat and the potato cigars were limply filled and the only thing you actually taste is fried wrapper. Hummus Mushroom- Also tasteless, not to mention overly cold and weirdly watery. Lamb Kebab - It tasted like they microwaved the meat after cooking it a day or two ago. The lamb pieces were so dry I felt like I was sawing through them rather than slicing through. Decor - Restaurant looks worn out, shabby, and my chair was so rickety, I was afraid it was going to collapse beneath me if I moved too much. The food does not make up for the ambiance. Overall a huge disappointment. It seems the owner is entirely focused on the new location in UWS and quality control has disappeared at the Hell's Kitchen location. In my opinion, she should just shut this one down entirely because anyone who eats here will associate bad food with the name forever. On a positive note, the server was very nice and attentive. The single bright spot on an otherwise poor experience.
Leandro Araujo
My wife and I were here in 2010, last time we were in New York and we loved the place. Returned in 2020, not so much. Sad.
Elisa G.
Small, crisp and tasty, hot falafel and creamy hummus, along with a super fresh tabouleh salad made for a great quick dinner. Piled it on the large, very thin pita and left quite satisfied! Service was very attentive anD everything is clearly made to order.
Shannon E.
Very disappointed! Went here because it was on DDD. Nothing had any taste at all! I didn't think that was possible. To cook something with no flavor only texture. Hummus was almost grey looking. The bread was a cross between pita and a crepe. Tasteless and like rubber. The only thing that was just ok were the grape leaves.
V S
Food isn t bad but extremely pricey considering the fact that the restaurant is very small and not so comfortable.
The hands down best babaganoush in NY City. BYOB and friendly service in this small neighborhood gem. Love the kabobs.
Barbara M.
We arrived after a late show to this restaurant at about 1030pm and I believe the kitchen and the restaurant closed at 11 PM. The waitress was very kind and nice. There was one other table with four people wrapping up their meal. There was a chef in the back. It's a very small place. I ordered a grilled chicken kebab platter. My wife ordered a falafel platter. She was very happy with her meal. She said the falafel was cooked perfectly and she loved the spicing. She enjoyed the rice. And she enjoyed the breads. She also had a drink . I'm not quite sure what it was but she enjoyed that too. My dish on the other hand consisted of several sautéed chicken breast strips with some sort of red marinade on it. It was not grilled. I asked the waitress about it who in turn asked the chef about it. And he said he told the waitress that the grill was turned off and cleaned for the night. Therefore he served me what he served me. She denied that he told her so. I felt bad for her. I didn't eat a bite of the chicken. It was literally pan sautéed chicken with a very raw taste with marinade. I did enjoy the eggplant. I spoke to the chef directly. And he was not that kind. They did not even offer to take the meal off the check. I didn't touch a bite of it. I was very disappointed.
Aaron Fielding
This place was shockingly delicious. I was expecting just another Israeli food place, but man, I will definitely come back. Recommend for a nice, healthy, filling lunch.
Amy R.
Wonderful dining experience. My first time eating Druze cuisine. Lamb shank falling off the bone, braised in a slightly tangy & herbal broth. Spinach Boureka appetizer, so flaky and savory. House-made pita in a thin style. My friend had a whole fish (branzino) with vegetables. Server very knowledgeable and attentive. Intimate atmosphere. Highly recommend!
Jon S.
Saw this place on Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives and decided to book a table. Staff was great and food was excellent. Ordered the tasting platter for two of us. The foods were all tasty and well made. Each time tasted unique and we polished off the platter and found ourselves full. But we went for the homemade custard-like dessert - Osh Al Saria. It was something I have never had before and was a divine ending to a terrific meal.
Middle Eastern food and the setting at this spot is great. Everyone at our table was quite pleased. The staff was helpful and kind. It has a nice interior. Feels similar to a restaurant in Philadelphia that I enjoyed visiting.
Hope they reopen soon. Small place with huge flavor. Their Shawarmas are amazing.
The food was mediocre, the staff seemed ... off.Wont return.
Amazingly prepared with love. Don't forget to ask about her specialty deserts. I sometimes can't resist filming friends as they take their first ever bite of osh-al-saria
Good food. Few tables.
Over 7 years ago, I was a bi-monthly customer to Gazala's because the food was interesting, delicious and reasonably priced. After a recent visit, I'm sad to say I will never go back to this location again. Where to start with how bad the meal was? Pita - Cold and rubbery. We ate two bites of that bread and left the rest on the plate. When asked, the server said the bread was made in the morning so you have to go for lunch if you want it hot, there is no way to reheat it. Potato and Meat Cigars - Bland and tasteless, both the meat and the potato cigars were limply filled and the only thing you actually taste is fried wrapper. Hummus Mushroom- Also tasteless, not to mention overly cold and weirdly watery. Lamb Kebab - It tasted like they microwaved the meat after cooking it a day or two ago. The lamb pieces were so dry I felt like I was sawing through them rather than slicing through. Decor - Restaurant looks worn out, shabby, and my chair was so rickety, I was afraid it was going to collapse beneath me if I moved too much. The food does not make up for the ambiance. Overall a huge disappointment. It seems the owner is entirely focused on the new location in UWS and quality control has disappeared at the Hell's Kitchen location. In my opinion, she should just shut this one down entirely because anyone who eats here will associate bad food with the name forever. On a positive note, the server was very nice and attentive. The single bright spot on an otherwise poor experience.
My wife and I were here in 2010, last time we were in New York and we loved the place. Returned in 2020, not so much. Sad.
Small, crisp and tasty, hot falafel and creamy hummus, along with a super fresh tabouleh salad made for a great quick dinner. Piled it on the large, very thin pita and left quite satisfied! Service was very attentive anD everything is clearly made to order.
Very disappointed! Went here because it was on DDD. Nothing had any taste at all! I didn't think that was possible. To cook something with no flavor only texture. Hummus was almost grey looking. The bread was a cross between pita and a crepe. Tasteless and like rubber. The only thing that was just ok were the grape leaves.
Food isn t bad but extremely pricey considering the fact that the restaurant is very small and not so comfortable.
Restaurantji Recommends
The hands down best babaganoush in NY City. BYOB and friendly service in this small neighborhood gem. Love the kabobs.
We arrived after a late show to this restaurant at about 1030pm and I believe the kitchen and the restaurant closed at 11 PM. The waitress was very kind and nice. There was one other table with four people wrapping up their meal. There was a chef in the back. It's a very small place. I ordered a grilled chicken kebab platter. My wife ordered a falafel platter. She was very happy with her meal. She said the falafel was cooked perfectly and she loved the spicing. She enjoyed the rice. And she enjoyed the breads. She also had a drink . I'm not quite sure what it was but she enjoyed that too. My dish on the other hand consisted of several sautéed chicken breast strips with some sort of red marinade on it. It was not grilled. I asked the waitress about it who in turn asked the chef about it. And he said he told the waitress that the grill was turned off and cleaned for the night. Therefore he served me what he served me. She denied that he told her so. I felt bad for her. I didn't eat a bite of the chicken. It was literally pan sautéed chicken with a very raw taste with marinade. I did enjoy the eggplant. I spoke to the chef directly. And he was not that kind. They did not even offer to take the meal off the check. I didn't touch a bite of it. I was very disappointed.
This place was shockingly delicious. I was expecting just another Israeli food place, but man, I will definitely come back. Recommend for a nice, healthy, filling lunch.
Wonderful dining experience. My first time eating Druze cuisine. Lamb shank falling off the bone, braised in a slightly tangy & herbal broth. Spinach Boureka appetizer, so flaky and savory. House-made pita in a thin style. My friend had a whole fish (branzino) with vegetables. Server very knowledgeable and attentive. Intimate atmosphere. Highly recommend!
Saw this place on Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives and decided to book a table. Staff was great and food was excellent. Ordered the tasting platter for two of us. The foods were all tasty and well made. Each time tasted unique and we polished off the platter and found ourselves full. But we went for the homemade custard-like dessert - Osh Al Saria. It was something I have never had before and was a divine ending to a terrific meal.