ilili Box
“Staff was super friendly in honoring our $50 GC for 5 wraps (2 chicken, duck, classic falafel, and manoushe special), the phoenician fries, and 2 chocolate puddings.”
“And the seating is perfect right in front of the flatiron building.”
“I was intrigued to hear the ingredients: roasted sumac chicken, garlic whip, and lebanese pickles.”
ilili Box
Delivery: Yes
Take-out: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Bike Parking: Yes
Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
Good for Kids: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Outdoor Seating: Yes
Dogs Allowed: Yes
Caters: Yes
Price range.
$$ Price range $11-30
8 reviews
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Taking away one star because the lamb wrap isn't that impressive. Although the meat was tender it was also quite dry. And the wrap lacked flavor. I expected more given how great the duck shawarma was.
I went to the one in Madison Square Park during the week around 2 and there was still a line! Service was really nice but there are only 2 guys working there so it takes a little bit. I ordered the falafel korean and it was amazing. Kimchi and falafel somehow go together really well, it was a great balance of spice and savor. I also got the green lemonade which is….interesting. It reminded me of lemonade with pickles in it which makes sense since it is lemoande, mint, and cucumber. The drink definitely rehydrates you very well though, I felt refreshed afterwards even in the blistering 90+ degree weather.
My friends split an order of the fries so I obviously snagged some of those too. Strange ingredients but it turned out to be an impressive combo, I don't do aioli or however you spell it, so I was eating just the fries but it was delicious. I imagine this place gets ridiculously crowded during prime lunch hour, but the food is worth it if you have the time. Great seating options in the park and with umbrellas, and nearby bathroom in Eataly if you need it 😉
I came here awhile back when their stand was part of the Madison Square Eats program at Madison Square Park I their Pressed Chicken Wrap which comes with roasted sumac chicken, garlic whip and lebanese pickles (which I asked them to hold since I don't do pickles).
I also ordered a side of their Phoenician fries. MYGOSHTHOSEFRIES. They are handcut, fried to order, dusted in sumac salt, Aleppo pepper, what looked like paprika and served with their signature garlic whip. That garlic whip is stupid amazing. I would lick it off (almost) anything. OHGODICANTSTOPTHINKINGABOUTTHEGARLICWHIP. Garlic whip is LIFE.
Also, being that a lot of their foods (both in their stand and in their restaurant) use sumac salt – I did a quick look up on what sumac even is because yours truly isn't Middle Eastern and I didn't know what this delicious spice on my food was as I was stuffing my face…
The sumac bush, native to the Middle East, produces deep red berries, which are dried and ground into coarse powder. While it's less common, the berries may also be sold whole. Ground sumac is a versatile spice with a tangy lemony flavor, although more balanced and less tart than lemon juice – interesting. ilili makes me feel as if I need to pick up some of this fantastic stuff and have it in my seasoning cabinet…*
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* The more you know… #DoDoDoooooooo
Holy cow this place is good!!
If you work in the area it's a must, especially because you'll find yourself outside in MSP and not having to wait in the shake shack line.
We came at around 12:45pm on a Friday and they still had everything (including the specials, which they said they run out)
I got the manoushe special and it was amazing… It's HUGE. Definitely enough to share with someone else. It comes on a this very thick fresh pita, zaatar (which is like a bunch of spices spread on the bread), cucumber, mint leaves, chopped tomato, and then slathered all over is labne, which tastes a lot like creamy Greek yogurt.
Would definitely recommend as a quick, really delicious lunch, instead of jut one of those salad places that are everywhere, this is real food. And only $7.81.
Also, they take cash and credit card and the register girls are super friendly !
The fries are seasoned with the most delicious spices, complimented with a creamy sauce, under $4, and well portioned. Get. The. Fries.
Probably the best chicken pita / shawarma in New York City! It reminded me of my days in Dubai. Quite authentic and delicious with all the right flavors of roasted chicken, garlic and pickles. It's a small place (almost like a cart) in front of flatiron with a lot of public seating around. Small choice of drinks and food but very good. It's definitely worth trying.
yum yum yum! Great view of the Flat Iron Building!
I'm quite a fan of their restaurant on 5th between 27th and 28th! So the name of this place already allured me.
I probably waited around 10 minutes for my food. They give you an electronic waiting thingamabob, where it buzzes you, when your food is ready!
FOOD! I got the DUCK WRAP! For people that are cautious, it has onions inside. They put a good amount of White sauce in the wrap to the point where it drips. It'll be handy to eat over the given Foil/Paper. That's no problem at all for me because I'm a big fan of sauce.
It was satisfying!
I also reccommend the Phoenician fries!! The garlic whip is so gooood.
Overall, the food is very flavorful with exotic spices!
I've walked by this Box roughly 7,000 times, and I didn't even know until recently that it was in any way affiliated with ilili. Had I known, I would've been eating their Phoenician fries every chance I got, because what I said about ilili's fry game back in 2010 still stands:
"If Bloomberg is going to pass this low sodium initiative, the first thing to go is going to be ilili's fries. Those things are so salty, and SO GOOD."
Except we now have the illustrious Bill de Blasio as our mayor, but I think he's still all about reducing our salt intake as well. Well, the sumac salt seasoning will probably not fly.
So before our politicians try to tell us what to eat, go get these fries. Dip them in the aleppo garlic whip sauce, because that shit is dope. If you're looking for a more balanced meal, you can have them on the side of the lamb shawarma sandwich (pretty solid) if you're into lamb. And if you're not a glutton for gluten, you can get it on a salad.
If I were you, I wouldn't rock the brussels sprouts with the grapes, it was a little too sweet for my taste. But I'm not you, am I?