Omar’s Kitchen & Bakery

This place is amazing. Outstanding food, fresh and flavorful. Service is very fast and staff is very friendly. I love eggplant salad, chicken shawarma and rice are also good.

There’s a reason the line for Omar’s is always out the door and past the front of the 2 neighboring stores. The food is amazing, and at a reasonable price ($ 8 for a fully loaded pita, $ 11 for a platter with 2 sides).

I work nearby. This is our favorite place. Dont be discouraged by the line outside it moves fast! Food is really good. The desert is perfect. Its a fast place with great food.

Honestly, one of my favorite places in NYC. The food is delicious, with huge portions, and a great price. You go down the line picking your protein and then sides, so service is speedy and efficient. During lunch, the line can go out the door, but don’t be discouraged because it moved rather quickly!
My go-​to is the chicken shawarma platter with eggplant salad and either rice or hummus. The chicken is off the rotisserie — juicy and flavorful — and the eggplant salad is one of my favorites… highly recommend! The hummus is possibly homemade? But it’s very creamy and smooth!
I love this place because it’s great for a grab and go lunch, or a sitdown with friends! It’s very affordable (platter is $ 10) to leave you extremely full! And don’t forget to ask for complimentary baklava as you head out :)

Amazing food at an amazing price. My co-​workers and I go to Omar’s every Friday to get the Chicken Schwarma platter. Their chicken schwarma is the real deal — so tender and well-​seasoned. Sides are great as well — hummus & eggplant are both super delicious They also give you this big fluffy toasty pita that’s amazing. Best of all, platter comes with three different types of sauce. All of them are great, but the garlic sauce is especially amazing.
This is a really busy place during regular week day lunch time. Come here before 12 or you have to wait in-​line. Regardless, it’s super worth it

NYC’s Mediterranean oasis, a true blessing from the Creator. The pita reflects attention to detail you don’t see at restaurants anymore. Omar’s care about their customers. The shawarma & falafel were excellent, rich and crispy. We left feeling satisfied, full but not overstuffed. Overall we’re better people than when we walked in, shaking the manager’s hand on the way out. When I left the only thing I was thinking was how I would come back tomorrow. God bless Omar’s

Staying at the W Midtown. In the mood for Mediterranean. This was only a few blocks and looked appealing thanks to previous helpers.
I was warmly greeted and ordered the chicken schwarma platter. I grabbed a drink from the fridge and took at seat in the plain but clean dining room. My food arrived 3 minutes later and I was amazed. Huge portions of chicken, hummus, Mediterranean rice and salad. Accompanied by complimentary warm pita bread. Everything was delicious and I could barely finish… and I can eat!

The daily lunch line (which starts at 11:30) speaks for itself. I love the falafel here with the complementary pepper sauce. SO GOOD!

There was a bit of a line on Monday at roughly 1pm, but it went very fast! Upon entering, the meat roasting on the spits really drive home the Mediterranean diner feel of the place. Ordering is done cafeteria style. There is a nice sitting area at the back of the restaurant. My husband and I had the mixed meat platter with eggplant salad (delicious).
There was a bit of confusion with the sides as I didn’t quite understand what was being said (thick accents speaking very fast). The loudness of the line cooks and equipment was also a contributing factor to the mild confusion. The cashier offered to bring our drinks to our table, which was very nice!
The rice was very well seasoned and there was more than enough for two. The pittas were fresh and the eggplant salad was, once again, amazing! If you want an authentic, quality Mediterranean experience with large portions and reasonable prices, then this is your spot!

Man alive, what did they put in the eggplant salad? When you pass by a place at 2 pm or so on two separate occasions and there’s a line out the door, you know it’s worth the wait. Had the two versions of lamb kofta with babaganoush, hummus and the most delicious eggplant salad known to man… all VERY tasty. Wish they had the doner version of lamb on the spit, because that would make this place our go to kebab place… the sauces were excellent, the pita was warm and fluffy.
Keep an eye on your box as it goes down the line because the guys were a little higglety pigglety with the merchandise.
Have I mentioned that eggplant salad? Hot damn that was crack on a plate.

Dear Omar’s…
Thank you.
Thank you for providing me a fail safe comfort food option (that keeps my diet aspirations on the rails) especially as I adjust to me new job
Thank you for being there as I transition to a new job and lunch/​dinnertime landscape that is Midtown East…
Thank you for being fresh, delicious, and reasonably priced!
The line probably tells you all you need to know — but I’ll add my views to the chorus.
Veggie Mezze plate — featuring Baba Ghanoush /​Hummus /​Shepherd’s Salad /​Felafel
…perfection… seriously generous portions and packed with flavor!
Baklava for dessert — oh mama, reminds me of my 1 month spent back packing in Turkey — love to finish the meal w/​a lil something sweet, esp when that something is so flipping delectable.

Holy crap. I will wait in lines for you & I hate lines. Best food for the price I’ve had in the city. It feels good to be in the crowd with folks who stepped out from their offices. Makes a tourist feel like they’ve found a gem, although no one could claim that Omar’s is hidden.
Btw, Google Maps will send you to a block south.

Huge lines, decent lunch priced menus, good food, a bit hyped is what this place is all about!
Love the baklava that comes with every meal. For about $ 11 you will get meat, two sides, salad, dressing, baklava and pita bread… what more can you ask for? Specially in midtown… this is surely a deal!
I had the lamb kofta platter with sides of rice and eggplant. Both delicious. Meat was cooked medium and had a slight warm pink center. Also came with salad, dressing and a yummy baklava for dessert.
I’d definitely recommend checking this place out, but at the same time, don’t think I’d spend 20mins in line.

Wow. The line here was so long and went so fast, but there’s a reason there’s a line — I was surprised with the portion, price, and taste of the lunch here! I also brought two coworkers, all of us trying Omar’s for the first time. Applause all around. Great meal for a very good price… and most importantly, tasty! The line looks long, but it’s really not that bad.
I got two massive masses of spicy lamb adana, which wasn’t really that spicy. The meat was tender and flavorful. In addition to the protein, I got the tabouleh which to my disappointment, didn’t live up to my expectations for tabouleh. For one, it didn’t have any bulgur in it, making it just a chopped vegetable salad, essentially. I got the Greek salad as well, but it was far too cheesy and slightly wilted and mushy by the time I took the short walk back to my office — too saturated with dressing for my liking. Though there were a couple hiccups with the sides, I have to say that this was indeed a satisfying lunch.
The free baklava was an amazing end to my meal — deliciously sweet and sinful.
I would go back — cheap, filling, and fairly quick grab for lunch. Beware in the summer though, as the restaurant itself seems to have no ventilation or air conditioning.

The line is usually doe the block but I got here early so the wait wasn’t too bad.
I thought the food was great! I ordered the chicken shawarma platter that came with 2 sides (I chose eggplant salad and Mediterranean rice). Everything was very delicious and it’s A LOT of food! It also came with a side of pita bread (very warm and soft!), 3 sauces and… a complimentary piece of baklava.
I’d definitely be a repeat customer. Only received 4 stars because the line can get pretty ridiculous.

If you are in midtown east and looking for some good Turkish/​Middle Eastern food during lunch, this is your spot. The line usually tends to be long on a nice day and in prime-​time (12pm-​1pm), so plan accordingly. You can either take it to go or have a seat in the back of the restaurant, but make sure you give them a heads up before you start ordering.
You can either create your own platter for about $ 11 dollars that comes with your choice of meat and 2 sides or a pita that comes out to about $ 8 or so. The last time I was there, the chicken shawarma pita was very good. It was hearty, packed some nice flavors and was filling. Everything also comes with a bite-​sized baklava to get your sweet fill for after you eat as well.
Overall, this is a good clean, fast spot if you need lunch but be prepared to wait even though the line moves.
Buon appetito.

I was sitting at my desk earlier today pondering on life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness and what to get for lunch. All of a sudden, my friend Tyler who works near me sent a snap chat: all at once my mouth began to water. He had just gone to Omar’s and I knew this was going to be a neat trip.
So I play this game at work where I wait as long as humanly possible for me to go to lunch this way the day goes by faster. Basically, as long as I’m not PTFO status, I hold off. I ended up going here at 1:45 and there was absolutely no one in line which was nice because I tend to panic in super unimportant but high pressure decision making situations.
I got the chicken shawarma plate with hummus and eggplant and oh wow it was GOOD. It comes with a little salad, pita, and dessert. The best part was definitely the trio of sauces that came with it. The hummus didn’t do a ton for me to be honest as I prefer a bit more flavor, but all in all it was exactly what I wanted. I really enjoyed the eggplant side as well.
It was so much food that I was able to eat half for lunch and half for dinner. At $ 5.50 for each meal, I’m happy for me! This probably wouldn’t be the case for everyone but hey I even worked out before dinner and am still satisfied! I will definitely be back.

This has to be one of the best Halal /​Middle Eastern food spots in the city for lunch!
It’s very authentic as there’s a Mosque (the Islamic Center of Mid-​Manhattan /​Masjid Usman Bin Affan) above the restaurant and when their prayer service is over, many of the members (who are from the Middle East) come eat here.
The chicken shawarma platter is my favorite and comes with two sides, which I usually get the hummus, baba ganoush or eggplant.
Service is fast, efficient, friendly and comes with a piece of baklava, all for under $ 11.
But the star of the show is the chicken shawarma — the flavor, texture and spices are amazing and is one of the best I’ve had in the U.S. and Europe.
Place gets packed at lunch during the week with a line going down half a block, but it moves fast. Don’t miss out on this place!

At Omar’s Kitchen & Bakery, you will find super authentic, delicious and affordable Mediterranean cuisine– a gem in Midtown East where superb food is hard to find.
Pros:
* The Falafel Pita Sandwich ($ 6.50) was humungous and falafel balls were crunchy and fresh! I told the guy I loved babaganoush so he slathered some in my sandwich gratis. My GF got a $ 14.95 Omar’s Signature Dish (mixed grilled meats served with rice and eggplant turkish salad. halal-​style meat) and the meats were plentiful, flavorful and tender.
* Great thing about Omar’s is that you order and pay at the counter then you can bring it to the back for a sit-​down meal.
Tips:
* If you’re planning a sit-​down meal, recommend wearing your least favorite clothes because you will leave smelling like you were dipped in a cauldron of animal fat.
Looking forward to coming back and trying out the rest of their meat platters and baked yummy goodness.

«My boss told me that he’s afraid to come here as the guy shouts at him». True story. (Overheard in line)
«The guy» could do well as a whip in Congress for he does keep the line moving efficiently. That said, for all his clinical effectiveness, his bedside manner could certainly improve. I’ve personally heard him tell a patron «your mistake was telling me the order together, you should tell me one by one» — evidently, in his book, the customer is not always right…
That the line at Omar’s is insane and yet keeps moving along rapidly (you shouldn’t expect to wait for more than 10 – 15 minutes), is a testament to what a well-​oiled machine the restaurant’s assembly line is. And, the length of the line shouts out loud and clear that New Yorkers (as opposed to tourists) expect to get tremendous value at Omar’s.
With apologies to the vegetarians who come here for the Hummus, Eggplant, and the salads, Omar’s is primarily for meat eaters. You will find excellent versions here of the Shawarma, Kaufta Kebab, and Shish Kebab (lamb and chicken), but I’ve discovered that the Kebab that they do best is the Lamb Adana. Momentarily confused by the allure of convenience, I had stopped going to Omar’s and instead stopping at the nearby Anka’s Grill (also good), but a recent visit to Omar’s made it abundantly clear that the juicy, and exceptionally well-​seasoned Lamb Adana is perhaps the best version of its kind in the city!
I’m not a big fan of their pita, but it does the job. My complaints with the bread are based on the experience that were I to heap a generous portion of the spicy pink sauce and the garlicky white sauce inside the sandwich, it becomes a messy exercise to eat and falls apart — an issue not prevalent with the sturdier ‘not-​Pita’ at Anka’s. That said, the two sauces both deserve praise for not being the generic «white sauce» and «hot sauce» found ubiquitously at vendors of street meat.
What’s most fascinating to me about Omar’s is the complimentary Baklava square that they throw in your bag. Seriously, the layers and layers of phyllo dough make it perhaps one of the best versions of Baklava in the city… and, they throw it in for free! You could never find such an exaggerated lack of commercialism in a city that exemplifies what Capitalism is all about. (Ironically, the anachronous commercial attitude is symbolically manifest from the square peg in a round hold example of the square of Baklava squeezed inside a round container). Still, there’s much that other restaurant owners could learn here on the delicate balance between customer satisfaction and value extraction.
Speaking of value, you will pay ~ $ 2 more for your lunch at Omar’s as compared to at a food cart. But, there’s absolutely no comparison in terms of the quality you’ll get in return. (4.5 stars)