Zyara Restaurant is a casual spot for an extraordinary Middle Eastern feast! With exceptionally juicy halal meats, kebabs, salads, dips, arguably the best Shawarma in Astoria, and piping hot pita bread, put Zyara on your list of ‘must try’ restaurants in Queens. What’s more, the spacious patio in the back of the restaurant is perfect for group dining and celebrating with delicious food that’s meant to be shared.
Owner Firaz welcomes all to his humble restaurant. Zyara (Zee-AH-rah) translates to “visit” or “hospitality” in Arabic and the whole family is welcome here. Don’t let the narrow store front fool you, Zyara is a sit-down restaurant with a spotlessly clean dining room designed with wood slat ceilings, white stone walls, leather seating, and beautiful artifacts from Firaz’s native Jordan.
The busy staff behind the counter mans the sizzling shawarma on rotating grills while the grill sizzles with succulent kebabs, kofta, adana, and lamb chops. An array of salads, pickles, hummus, baba ghanouj, tabouleh, red cabbage and more beckon you from behind the sparkling clean glass. All are quickly composed into tantalizing platters, stuffed into hot pita bread, or rolled up into thin bread wrappers called laffa.
Shortly after being seated, a basket of piping hot pita bread and a bowl of their spicy homemade salsa was laid on my table. The friendly manager, Mahdi, brought me a copper mug full of Zyara’s refreshing mint lemonade garnished with mint leaves. There are also soft drinks and zero alcohol beer to complement your meal.
Without a doubt, the most popular dish here is their famous Shawarma, made from halal beef or chicken. Each platter is laden with mounds of freshly sliced meat resting on warm laffa bread to soak up the juices. The mixed Shawarma platter offers both chicken and beef so you can sample the two. From the grill come juicy lamb chops, lamb kebabs, chicken kebabs, and adana, which is ground chicken or lamb with mild spices formed into little cigar shapes. All grilled meats are cooked on the spot, so a short wait is swiftly rewarded when you see the banquet before you. Each platter comes with your choice of two tasty, freshly made side dishes including falafel (some of the best I’ve ever had), eggplant salad, pickles, hummus, baba ghanouj, fresh cut French fries, or rice. Most platters cost around $23 and are generously portioned, making Zyara an economical choice for casual dining.
For lunch, dinner, or anytime snack, one of Zyara’s sandwiches will satisfy your hunger, in an easy-to-eat hand-held treat. Have your Shawarma, crunchy falafel, lamb kofta, or kebab stuffed into a warm-from-the-oven pita with lettuce and pickles, or rolled up into a chewy laffa bread, wrapped in foil and placed in a convenient wrapper for easy takeout and delivery. You can taste the freshness in every bite and nothing sits around here, as orders are packed up and picked up nonstop.
Zyara Restaurant is open seven days a week from 12pm to 12am weekdays, and until 1am on weekends. Download the Zyara app for easy ordering, discounts, and updates on delivery, or order online from their website. You can taste the history and pride in Zyara’s Middle Eastern cooking. Order now for fast delivery and see what you’ve been missing.
www.zyararestaurantnyc.com