Naya Express

Quick. Healthy. Affordable. Delicious.

I love this place!!! So glad they have a location downtown and they deliver. Very clean, healthy Mediterranean. Everything is fresh and perfectly made. Every ingredient starting from rice (this rice is addictive), the beef or chicken kebab, hummus, vegetables and the sauces are delicious! I’ve also had their lentil soup and it’s fantastic. Great quick lunch or dinner option.

Love this place. I’ve been known to eat here for lunch and dinner. Portions are generous, and the food is very high quality and tasty. I especially recommend the falafel (no extra charge for baba ghannouj), the chicken shawarma (much tastier than cubed chicken shish taouk), the lamb kebab (grass fed), the spicy ground beef and lamb sujuk (grass fed), and the beef kebab (grass fed). I go heavy on the hommus (2 scoops) and the tahini. I generally skip the red and green sauces because I load up on tahini, though the sauces also are good.

My Favorite Middle Eastern Place in Downtown Manhattan. The Restaurant Design is just like Chipotle’s. Quick and efficient.

This is the Middle Eastern version of Chipotle. In fact, it’s right next to Chipotle, which I’m still avoiding because I prefer to enjoy my burritos without a side of E. coli.
I tried to get the rice bowl (made with vermicelli rice) but for some reason they were out of rice so
I got the pita, which was huge and probably a million calories. Pita options are whole wheat or white. For protein I had the sujuk which is ground beef seasoned and formed into a log. I swear, it tastes better than it looks. The meat was a little bit dry, but everything else in the sandwich tasted fresh and yummy. After creating my sandwich they put on a panini press looking thing to warm it, which is a good idea but the line got backed up.
I’ll definitely be back to try the falafel which is a little cheaper than the meat options. Tip — they offer babaganoush for a surcharge.

Good, quick service. They keep the line moving during lunch time, which is really important!
Tried the bowl. It’s really nice. Could’ve done with some additional garlic sauce, but overall, really delicious food.
Portion wise, quite filling. A bit on the heavier side to my liking for lunch time meal.

Love this place. Not just thier food is good but staff st this location is supernice and kind ! 5 stars for humanity in nyc.

One of the best options in the FiDi now, Naya provides a totally different taste sensation compared to Chipotle, Chopt and Schnippers which are in the same basement area. They have various types of meat and they have great seasonings for their pita wraps or rice bowls (you choose.) The rice bowl is not super interesting to me, as the rice is not seasoned beyond the sauces you put on it, but I do enjoy the pita bread, garlic whip, and onions and sumac. The price is right, you are out the door for about $ 9 for a fairly filling lunch. They have packaged side dishes for sale, but warning: they all cost about $ 5 apiece for a fairly small box. I don’t think they can have a good turnover here at these prices, they should perhaps change their selection and pricing so they can be bundled with the set meals and it would become more interesting for everyone.

There isn’t a more perfect time to open Naya Express in FIDI with the whole Chipotle E. Coli situation. Positioned right next door to Chipotle, Naya’s line was out the door, while Chipotle had only a few brave souls waiting. The line moves quite fast – 10 minutes to checkout for some solid Mediterranean lunch.
Chicken Shawarma Naya Bowl $ 9.87 — I added lettuce, tomatoes, hummus, jalapeño, spicy red sauce and tahini. The chicken was moist and flavorful. I’m glad I got the jalapenos because the red sauce wasn’t spicy. I’d def go with the green sauce and garlic whip next time since most of my friends recommended it.
Your lunch will leave a strong taste in your mouth, so have some mints nearby.
It was my first time here, but I’ll definitely be back for Another One. *DJ Khaled voice*

Let me be the (not) first to describe it as middle eastern chipotle. It’s a special occasion for me to drop $ 10 on lunch, but it’s worth it here. Generous portions of very fresh ingredients. Friendly service helped walk me through the selections. Meat was tender and flavorful and asking for extra jalapeños actually lead to extra jalapeños. He even asked «is this a good amount?»
I’ll be back, and will become a regular in a month when they are up and running on LevelUp.
Great addition to FiDi

Very delicious and very good bang for the buck! As the First Reviewer stated, this is Middle Eastern/​Lebanese Chipotle, because you select a base (wrap, bowl, or salad), protein (various meats or falafel), and then dress the whole thing up as you see fit, with salad toppings and sauces. I got the bowl and was stuffed for the rest of the day. Food was clean. Staff was friendly. I shall return.

What a delightful lunch option for the downtown crowd! The best way to describe this joint is as a Lebanese version of Chipotle, but seemingly healthier. Fresh and delicious :)