Went: 5:45 pm Thu Aug 27 2015
Ordered: chicken/beef shawarma, falafel
Cost: $14.10
This place got 4.5 stars on YELP on 54 reviews. Those are good numbers.
We didn't know what we want and when we decided we didn't understand the line so we thought we'd line up again, but the staff saw our confusion and let us go ahead of someone else. That is definitely good. the place was busy good.
The strip mall it is in will not impress, especially with the adult video store advertised boldly on a sign on the corner. The ambiance of the restaurant is a little lacking. I have to be honest. I wish they use those transparent gloves and maybe some hair nets. The Lawrence area itself looks a little old, so this place did not give off the vibe of great hygiene.
When we had our shawarmas, the sauce might have clumped into one area, so we initially found the dishes needing sauce, but when we reached the end of the pocket filled wrap there the sauce was and it tasted better. The chicken was not juicy. The beef was a little tough but the sauce that went with the beef was so good that I could see it distracting you from the beef's imperfections The fallafel was better than what I recall having elsewhere. It was all tasty and good but I didn't find the excellence I was hoping for.
Bottom line: This place is 3.5 stars based on our experience, but the location, ambiance and perceived hygiene will make me round it down to 3.0 stars.