We’ve all heard of the beautiful architectural structures; the great pyramid and sphinxes, the invention of the 365-day calendar, stunning beaches, and its unique safari desert trips. What we barely hear of is the unique and beautiful nature of Egyptian cuisine, which deserves way more attention and awareness than it’s been given.
The good thing about Egyptian cuisine is its adoption of the method of cooking and several dishes from neighboring countries in the Middle East, giving it a variety of flavors and colors that make these meals more mouth-watering than usual.
It sure is good news that you don’t need to visit Egypt to get a taste of delicious Egyptian meals. If you live in Astoria, there are a couple of amazing Egyptian restaurants that will take you to paradise with their properly cooked meal and impeccable services.
Here’s a rundown of the top 15 Egyptian restaurants in Astoria;
Sabry’s
Seafood tastes great and is the majority’s favorite, but seafood from Sabry’s tastes like heaven. At Sabry’s, they are consistently rendering impeccable customer service, and this goes way beyond them employing friendly and attentive employees; it includes an improvement in the taste, quality and, authenticity of their meals.
A kick-off to a good start at Sabry by ordering their legendary fried calamari, which is fairly priced and generously portioned. They also bake the sweetest and fluffiest pita bread – always fresh out of the oven. The atmosphere here is warm and a bit relaxing too, so you get to enjoy your meal to the fullest. There’s also an appealing menu of drinks to wash down your meal and leave satisfied – strongly recommend the mint tea.
Kabab Café
Kabab Café is your typical hole in the wall restaurant where the owner, chef and, server, Ali, runs everything. It is quite amazing how he manages to get three jobs done on his own, and still delivers effortlessly. Ali prepares and serves Egyptian meals with extra taste and flavor that’ll keep you coming for more – this is why a lot of customers that walk in exchange pleasantries with Ali like they’ve known each other for years.
Ordering meals here is a little bit different from other restaurants, as there is no menu. The only menu you get to see is the one at the front of this restaurant, which is pretty much outdated; you only get to order what Ali says is available. A lot of people don’t seem to bother, because whatever Ali recommends is always mouth-watering and worth every penny spent.
Abuqir Seafood
Abuqir Seafood is another restaurant in Astoria with quite a unique way of delivering to its customers. At Abuqir, there are no menus. All you need is placed on ice at the counter, where you get to choose whatever seafood you want and however, you want it cooked. Making an order here could be quite overwhelming, especially when it is your first time here, but you don’t have to worry; the employees at the counter are friendly and super helpful.
There are no special interiors here, and the atmosphere is quite cold as everyone is either making an order, waiting for their order, or feasting on their delicious order. Meals cooked here are affordable and come in large portions.
Egypt Royal Cuisine
If you love both Egyptian food and halal, here’s the perfect spot for you. At Egypt Royal Cuisine, they make the most delicious feteer, always fresh and tasty. Every time you order a plate of feteer here, you get the chance to customize it however you like – especially if you prefer a particular flavor or have certain ingredients you rather keep out.
The highlight of this restaurant has to be its impeccable décor, with artifacts and statues depicting ancient Egypt. It sure is a great place to eat fancy Egyptian meals like royalty. Egypt Royal Cuisine seems like a perfect restaurant for dates, dinner parties, and other events. Luckily for customers who want their next event to be held here, it is possible to make reservations and host a memorable event.
Mombar
Getting a homemade Egyptian meal is possible every time you visit Mombar. Every activity that keeps this restaurant running is done and managed by Mustafa, which includes serving, cooking, and, owning the restaurant. He sure is hardworking, and knowing he designed the restaurant himself is just mind-blowing; not only is he a good chef, but he’s also an amazing decorator.
Delivery isn’t the quickest, as it is just one man doing all the work, but you get your meal as quickly as humanly possible. Lamb chops, lamb shank, lamb tagine and, Sahara mix are delicious and tasty. You get to feel at home and eat authentic Egyptian meals, Mustafa is friendly and cheerful, you sure would have a nice time here.
Hamido Seafood
Having seafood with a group of friends or family could be as fun as watching your favorite TV show on a Sunday afternoon. Visiting a restaurant that has enough seats for you and your friends to dine in is just the right way to go about it, and this is where Hamido Seafood restaurant comes to the rescue.
Hamido seafood is owned by a Mediterranean family, which mostly explains why their customer service is great, and they treat everyone like family. There’s always freshly made food to go round. It is also a clean restaurant, so you’re sure not getting food poisoning here. Fried calamari, grilled octopus, and the garlic eggplant are just a few out of the many mouth-watering dishes they make.
Zyara Restaurant
Here’s another cute spot hiding in the beautiful city of Astoria, with a limitless number of tasty dishes. You get to eat authentic middle eastern food with a burst of colors or flavors. At Zyara Restaurant, they make one of the best chicken shawarmas in NYC. There’s also falafel, hummus and, the lamb and chicken kofta are meals that’ll also give you a run for your money.
The good thing is, you get all these delicious meals in a nice and cozy atmosphere. Employees are usually quick and friendly with their customers, which makes dining here more comfortable. The courtyard in the back is aesthetically pleasing with a pretty cute fountain; positioned in the middle.
Farid Kebab
Having your meal cooked on actual coal has a nice feel to it and gives it a little bit of extra flavor. If you like your meal cooked this way, Farid Kebab is just the right spot to visit. It is a food truck, parked on 25-15 Steinway St, and it is quite amazing how quickly you’ll get your freshly cooked meal a few minutes after you make an order.
There are quite a number of mouth-watering dishes at Farid Kebab, and the sandwiches seem to the highlight of this food truck. The sauce comes in the right proportion, making the sandwich a delight to taste, and not drenching it. So far, the customer service here is great, and the chicken is most times juicy.
Omar’s Mediterranean East Midtown
Omar’s is remarkably one of the best lunch spots in NYC with a variety of dishes to taste from; it is quite tempting not to order everything on the menu, which might give you a bellyache but will be worth it at the end. You don’t need to order a truckload of food at Omar’s, every meal comes in large portions and is fairly priced.
Employees are extremely nice and attentive; dining here becomes comfortable and you get to feel at home in no time. Every meal served here seems to be cooked to perfection. The chicken is juicy and never dry. Omar’s Restaurant also sells one of the best vegan food in town, making this restaurant a perfect spot for everyone.
Sharwamania
It sure is satisfying to see the progress Shawarmania has made over the years. They weren’t usually the best spot to grab a bite a couple of years back, but now they’re bigger and better. Shawarmania seems to have done a whole lot of growing up these past few years; from their quick delivery services to a large increase in their ability to cook authentic Middle Eastern dishes.
At Shawarmania, you’d get the tastiest shawarma Queens has to offer. You don’t have to ignore visiting this restaurant because it is named after a meaty meal. They also have vegan options, and they serve delicious eggplant salad and chickpea salad too. Dishes here are sold at fair prices with portions to match. Grabbing a bite here is an absolute delight.
Little Morocco
The easiest way to tell that Little Morocco serves tasty Middle Eastern food is by taking note of the number of natives you find at this restaurant, walking in to grab a bite every day. Little Morocco is literally small with little space for groups with outdoor seating that compliments the limited indoor space.
Dishes served here are cooked to perfection and are extremely tasty – try out the lamb merguez, chicken tagine and, the lamb shank tagine for your first-hand experience. The service is sometimes slow and Little Morocco is usually filled up with customers, but it is affordable and completely worth the wait.
El-Rawsheh Cuisine
One of the most impressive things about El-Rawsheh Cuisine is the drink menu, especially the juices. The juice always tastes fresh, flavorful, and, refreshing – you’ll never get enough. There’s always enough drink option to wash down after every meal. El-Rawsheh also makes one of the tastiest shawarmas in Astoria.
If you’re into hookahs, El-Rawsheh is just the right spot to go to, especially at night. They offer hookahs and it is also a nice place to smoke it. A lot of customers with little kids are not big fans of having family dinner here, because of the hookahs. El-Rawsheh Cuisine is the perfect space for eating tasty Lebanese food too and being able to smoke hookahs is a huge bonus.
Duzan Mediterranean Grill
Looking for the most heavenly humus in Astoria? Bet you’ll find this heavenly meal at Duzan’s. Meals are a 100% fresh and a 101% tasty, making it one of the best places to have an authentic and decent Middle Eastern meal in Queens. They’re open till 10:00 pm every day, just in case you need to grab a late-night bite.
Portions here are large enough to be split between two people or kept for later. They are also affordable. It is one of the best places to have falafel too. Servers at Duzan are usually quick and attentive enough to get your orders right.
King of Falafel & Shawarma
King of Falafel & Shawarma is considered as New York’s favorite food truck, and this is not a surprise as they make tasty and delicious meals. You get a lot to eat at affordable prices. They always offer you falafel while you’re going through the menu.
The customer service here is great and you’ll always get your money’s worth. Chicken over rice is delicious and it’ll keep you coming for more. There’s usually a long line, and it is quite understandable as everyone wants a taste of their delicious dishes. On the brighter side, the employees are quick and you get offered a falafel; so, waiting doesn’t have to be totally tiring.
Merzuoka
Being treated with kindness by the couple who run this place is one of the many reasons why grabbing a bite here will forever be satisfying. The interiors are beautiful and pleasing to look at. It is quite small, but the seating arrangements make it more comfortable to dine in.
Meals are tasty, giving your taste buds enough treat to keep you in a good mood for a whole week. The Shakshuka here is legendary and natives of Morocco cannot stop talking about it. The atmosphere is warm and friendly with a lovely collection of music. They also make good coffee here too. You’d sure appreciate the beauty of Moroccan dishes at Merzuoka.
Final Thoughts
Egyptian meals are a big mood changer, making you happy for the longest time possible. They are colorful with a lot of flavors to try out. Having enough Egyptian restaurants in Astoria to dine in is a dream come true to a lot of natives and non-natives who want to give these meals a try.
These restaurants offer the best Egyptian meals and great services. They’re all worth trying out. Be sure to have enough fun while at it!
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