GRILL EXPRESS (halal)

"An unforgettable experience. The vibes were just there and the food was delicious. I ate din-in at the small cozy place after a nearby appointment, and the food came out in 15 minutes, looking very pretty as well, check the photo. As of this review, the gyro platter was $14.99 before tip. But the part that made this unforgettable were the other people that day. There were plenty of Arab women with their husbands while I waited in line, and they spoke in Arabic to the owner who was the only employee that day. It's always a good-sign when the locals are all there. After placing our orders we sat around in the restaurant and turned our chairs to each other, so we could discuss. Before I got the food, first I asked if anyone had been here before, and a woman told this restaurant is probably the best halal in the entire country! She said she was born and raised Saudi Arabia, and the food here rivals if not exceeds most of the places in Saudi! Her husband who is a war veteran told us the same. So I was licking my lips already. The discussion varied from there. I remember one of them claiming that Middle-Eastern cuisine tastes the best because is is the cuisine of the "Creoles" or the first humans. Another said that Arabia is becoming green again, lush with springs and palm trees like a millennia ago and the Euphrates drying out—a sign of the end-times. We closed with anti-war sentiment, especially in the Middle-Eastern regions. Some of the husbands were veterans so they had a lot to speak about, the PTSD, innocent casualties, destruction of culture on a vulnerable populace. An informative and intusing discussion to say the least. Oh yeah the food. Delicious, that is all."

"The best falafel in Gainesville!!! I went here for lunch and had the shawarma platter. It was so delicious. The rice was so packed with flavor, the beef perfectly cooked and seasoned, the salad so fresh and nutritious, the falafel so perfect, and the sauces were so yummy. This will be in my regular rotation for sure. The proprietor, Ehab, really takes pride in his restaurant and really cares for the customer. You can really tell that he makes the food with love. Furthermore, the service is so fast and fresh. Love this place!"

"Amazing! The food is high quality and delicious. I end up getting the pita gyro and it’s filling, I prefer it over the gyro wrap with the thinner bread because the pita is more filling and tastes great! I always have been treated well here, the owner always greets us well. THIS is what I call good customer service and I wish other halal restaurants good have that. I’m sad the brother from Jordan will be selling his restaurant. I hope the new owners can keep this level of quality and good customer service. I will visit under new ownership and update my review accordingly."

"The worst food and restaurant experience I have had in a long time. The food quality, taste, and conditions of the restaurant were very bad. I should’ve turned around when I walked up to the front door of the restaurant and I smelled old Pine-Sol wreaking from the restaurant. The odor was worse inside. But since the reviews were so good, I thought that I would give it a chance. Unfortunately, it turned out badly. The chicken Shawarma, and beef Shawarma are terrible. The chicken taste like they soaked it in baking soda as the texture was just weird and both were too salty. And to make matters worse, the food was in my opinion way overpriced. It was almost $40 for two entrées without any drinks. If you want good Shawarma, I can highly recommend Zankou Chicken in Southern California. If you’re in the area, you should give it a try, it’s excellent!"