Naya Express
“The shawarma, falafel, and manoosh are genuine and flavorful.”
“Don't get overwhelmed by the long line if you come during the lunch "rush hour" because that line moves!”
“The chicken shawarma wrap was one of the tastiest things I've eaten in New York.”
Naya Express
Delivery: Yes
Take-out: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
Good for Kids: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Caters: Yes
Price range.
$$ Price range $11-30
8 reviews
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Solid lunch option in Midtown East.
I was looking for something different from my normal lunchtime routine. So, through some Yelp due diligence, I decided to try Naya Express today. It turned out to be an enjoyable experience.
The first sign this could be a promising option was the line, which spanned the length of the restaurant and continued out the front door. I would normally be reluctant to wait in such a line, but I had some time to kill (note – you can also order ahead of time online). Surprisingly, it moved very quickly thanks to the efficiency of staff members.
The food tasted fresh, which is a huge win amidst the Midtown lunch scene. Their menu focuses on Lebanese cuisine. I ordered from the "Naya Your Way" section, where you pick a base (roll, bowl, or salad), main (beef/chicken shawarma, kafta lamb/beef kebab, sujuk, chicken shish taouk, or falafel), and an array of toppings. My creation was falafel in a roll with romaine lettuce, diced tomato, hummus, and tahini. It was very good!
I definitely recommend checking it out for lunch if you work in the area. They also have locations in Midtown West and FiDi. I will be sure to come back again sometime soon!
The best way to describe Naya Express is that its a lebanese version of chipotle. However the lines at Naya Express move way faster than those at chipotle. Instead of adding guac like you do at chipotle, you add smoked eggplant cream into your bowl that makes your meal delicious. I've tried the chicken and falafel bowl and I think that the falafel bowl is way better. The chicken isn't very tender and lack flavor. It seems to be salted and grilled. However the falafel is full of spices and crispy that makes it a excellent addition to the meal.
I love this place so much. And by the line forming outside the door around lunch time, you'll realize everyone else loves this place too.
Fear not, they're very efficient with their lines, so it does move fast. Of course that does mean an overwhelming experience ordering as you move down their "chipotle style" assembly line if you have no idea what you want.
I usually get a rice bowl or a salad, with half chicken shawarma half falafel, garlic whip, hummus, that orange-colored sauce and tahini. Everything here literally tastes so good. I have not come across any person in my office who denies that Naya is a haven. Perfect lunch every time. So filling, I can never finish it in one sitting.
Prices are average, on par with city lunch prices. Expect ~$10.
I had the beef schwarma with rice, hummus, garlic whip, and baba ghanoush. I liked it but didn't love it. Much prefer roti. The garlic whip was very garlicky but a little too tangy.
JVA AI Non-Salad Options – 2.5/5
AI Accommodation – 5/5
Many of the additional menu items are AI, which seems good. But that assumes that your base is a salad and your protein is falafel. Which, by itself, is not bad. However, the reason I'm giving 2 stars is because the falafel was rock hard and very dry. I could barely cut through it with a knife. It almost seemed as if the falafel was fried twice, or even three times. The flavor itself was fine – but honestly, not any different than the falafel you get on the streets or trucks and which are about half the price.
The hummus, tahini, onions, and pickled cucumbers were all very tasty, and the lettuce tasted fresh, but my main ingredient was a massive bust.
On the bright side – and this is definitely NOT AI – the kibbe was delicious. It tastes almost as good as my aunts make them (My mom is Lebanese-Colombian, so I grew up eating the fresh, homemade version of many of these items). Although the kibbe is filled with minced beef instead of lamb (a very laborious process), it was very good and tasted like the real deal. I just couldn't resist getting one to try it.
Overall, maybe it was an off-day, and I may consider trying them again. But, I don't really see the point in spending twice the price (and maybe twice the wait) for something you can get from the real-deal on the street, with crispy outside–soft inside falafel.
There is no other way to describe Naya Express than to say it it's a Lebanese/Mediterranean Chipotle. I was first introduced to Naya when I just started at my company and we ordered Seamless for my first late night at the office. I've been in love ever since! I've had Naya countless times, and I always get the same thing: Chicken Shawarma Bowl with all the toppings and both the orange and green hot sauces. I can't get enough of it! I've ordered on Seamless and I've gone to the actual place, and every time the food is consistently delicious.
The portions are so huge that I'm able to eat half for dinner and half for lunch the next day, or half for lunch and half for dinner the same day. This is great hangover food and it's something I often crave. It's relatively healthy too so you don't have to feel guilty about having it!
TIP: When they have it, ask for the fluffy pita. They usually have two types, but the fluffy pita is way better than the tortilla type pita!
Naya is good, but I can't for the life of me understand why it is so popular.
Their general setup is a "pick your protein, starch and veggies/toppings", very similar to a Chipotle line. My personal favorite is the beef kebab.
Flavor profile is a little stronger than most Mediterranean places, I'm assuming this is due to the Lebanese aspect vs a common Greek aspect for similar competitors. The hot sauce was very underwhelming.
After seeing the 40+ person line outside at 1, I was hoping for, something more, but this is still a solid choice.
Naya is one of the fast-casual Chipotle like restaurants in Midtown East. And boy, is it awesome! I love Mediterranean food and it's always really filling. Like Chipotle, you get a choice of a bowl, salad, or a wrap. You can choose your meats, toppings, and sauce as well. I chose the falafel (which I've been told is very similar to Israeli falafel) in a vermicelli rice bowl. They gave me a lot of rice which I couldn't really finish, but the toppings were good. I got pickles, radish, fresh tomatoes and lettuce, and garlic whip and hummus as well. The garlic whip is so delicious, but make sure you finish off with some gum because it's really strong! The hummus is also not bad either, they don't give you as much as Roti does, but I preferred the garlic whip anyway. They sell hummus, baba ganoush, garlic whip separately in tubs as well. It's also great to dip in with the pita bread that is included in the bowl.
The only downside of this is that the line is very, very long. You may see the tail of line go outside, and think, hey there's only a few people outside! Nope, Naya's restaurant is strategically planned out so that there is space for a super long line inside. Guess they knew they'd be this popular!