Al Raouche Restaurant
“Note that all of these choices were totally vegan (we're in Orthodox Lent) and still, I didn't feel I had been deprived.”
“First off, I've had the chicken and beef shawerma sandwiches during lunch and these hit the spot every time.”
“From excellent vegetarian dishes like musabaha, probably the best beef shawarma in America, and the sweets (baklava) are amazing.”
Al Raouche Restaurant
Take-out: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
Good for Kids: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Has TV: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
Caters: Yes
Price range.
$ Price range Under $10
8 reviews
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Second return, ordered the vegetarian platter and two kebabs…
This place is fantastic. The veg platter was authentic, fresh and delicious, as were the Kebabs. Service is great, the owner Frank is a gracious host.
I will be a regular.
I am going to start off by saying I am not very familiar with this type of cuisine, however, I thought all of the food was delicious, as did my Dad and sister. We came in for lunch and were quickly seated to a table. Side note: while this restaurant may be on the smaller side, it has plenty of seating without feeling cramped.
For starters you are greeted with some complimentary pickles and olives, yum. We also treated ourselves to homemade hummus, pita bread, a cheese pie and meat pie to start (forgive me because I don't know the proper names of these "pie" dishes).
The homemade hummus was out of this world. Accompanied with the fresh (generous portion) of pita bread, an excellent start to our meal. The cheese and meat "pies" were served on a thin bread and both were tasty (although I preferred the meat pie over the cheese). We also got a parsley salad with finely diced tomatoes and onions, I think the proper name is "Tabbouli" salad. I've never had a salad like this one before but I definitely thought it was good and also healthy, which is always a plus! I would definitely say give this a try.
On to my main dish, which was my favorite part of my meal, a lamb gyro. Holy cow, this had to of been the BEST gyro I've ever had (and I've had my fair share of gyros). There was a perfect meat to sauce ratio, it was a very generous portion. The size of it was perfect as well, it wasn't overbearingly big where it falls apart in your hand but it also was plentiful. I would absolutely suggest trying this during your visit.
Overall my experience was pretty much perfect. In addition to the excellent food, the owner, Eli, was very personable and friendly. I would definitely come back here and if you're in the area, do not pass this place up!
One of many middle eastern eateries on adjacent blocks in Patterson, there was no one actually dining at the casual tables setup in Al Raouche when we stopped by on a Saturday evening (perhaps because it was just before sunset during Ramadan), but a couple of other folks did stop in for take out as we opted to after reviewing the menu. The house vegetarian mezza included the freshest tabouli we've had anywhere in years as well as solid humus and babaganouj and three pieces of falafel. Fried cheese boraks were as expected, but we were surprised that the greens in the nicely formed mini spinach pies tasted like they'd been pickled. The lamb, beef and chicken in the house meat platter were consistently moist, but minimally spiced, and came with rice (or alternatively fries), but no vegetable beyond some raw onion sprinkled with parsley. Service was friendly. We'll consider stopping back to get food to go again if we're in the neighborhood.
I came here recently with a few coworkers and I was blown away by my meal. Luckily, one of my coworkers is of Middle Eastern decent and he did all the ordering for us. We started with their excellent homemade pickles which packed a little bit of spice and were delicious. Then came a plate with hummus, babaganouch and tablough (I def butchered the spelling). All of the salads were excellent, fresh and very well balanced. We also shared an order of cheese cigars. They were stuffed with an excellent white cheese slightly milder than feta. We all ordered chicken sharwama. Again, it was excellent and perfectly seasoned. We washed all of this done with the excellent traditional coffee. My only disappointment with this meal is that I don't live closer so I could eat here more often. It is certainly worth a special trip whenever I am craving authentic fresh middle eastern food.
Really great spot- away from the craziness and parking issues of Main Street and a strong competitor for Al-Basha. Knowing how crazy a Ramadan dinner would be at Al-Basha, I made reservations here although it was not necessary. It was empty apart from five tables that quickly trickled in afterwards. The emptiness is NOT an indicator or bad service or bad food- quite the contrary, service and food was great!!! Also, there was place to pray in the corners as we wishes for Maghrib during Ramadan, whereas Al-Basha leaves NO room anywhere to pray– sooo cramped due to it's popularity and great food as well (I will say I rather this place based solely on service and attentiveness)
The side of garlic potatoes was amazing- the mixed shawarma was great and did not half fat all over the place you needed to pick out and take off. The garlic sauce was standard (good) and appetizer platter was worth it.
One thing we didn't love is the price of lemonade ($6 for a large), and the taste of the lentil soup. It was just okay.
But, we recommend the kebab, rice with meat in it, chicken kebab, shrimp kebab, kibbeh, and the fattoush salad (one of the best I've had-beware if you're not into acidity).
Definitely drop in- so SO tasty, priced reasonably if you do family style and not order a lot of fresh juices.
Amazing food. There is no dish I don't like here. Except for weird stuff like the tongue. BUT I love this spot. The roasted chicken over rice is superb, so moist and juicy. I usually pick up the sandwiches though. Love love love the sandwiches. What makes any dish is the garlic butter. Order garlic butter. And slather it over everything. Thank me later. These guys get mainstream Arab cuisine right.
Basically, this is homespun food. My friend, Hend and I sat back, while dish after delicious dish landed on our humble table.
Here is a roundup of some things we tried:
– Middle Eastern version of breakfast pizza called Manakish (pies). Delicious flatbread topped with your choice of either zaater (thyme), cheese, zaater with melted cheese, labneh (yogurt spread) or lahemajun ( ground beef ). Pair it with Arabic coffee, you're welcome.
– Middle Eastern version of omelet/ pancake with onion and parsley (Iggy). It's so good you'll feel like you're coming home.
– Foul Mesdames: stewed fava beans, covered in lemon, garlic & olive oil. To die for!
– Eggs & meat ( soujouk ), I didn't care much for it, but Hend seemed to liked it.
Three and half Yelps.
This place is cheap and delicious.
They have a pretty big menu with alot of standard fare and some interesting items too (like brains and tongue)
I got the spicy sausage sandwich on pita, great flavor and texture.
And a slice of baklava, for about $6.
I could have easily eaten another appetizer or another sandwich.
I will definitely be back