Zaina Food Drinks & Friends

our gyros were very bland and my wife said the chicken was very tough. mine (lamb & beef) tasted neither like lamb nor beef. greek fries came with tzatziki sauce but without feta cheese even though it was listed as one of the toppings. you can do so much better than this place.

–To be clear, I feel that three and a half stars would be more appropriate. If only it were possible to split a star in half, I would do so for Zaina.
–I don’t even know where to start with regards to the staff. The ladies who work here are the very essence of harp-​playing, feather-​flinging, halo-​hoisting angelic-​grace channeled into the forms of two middle-​aged, middle-​eastern, middle-​defying queens. The ring is waiting, ladies, redeem it at will.
–Ok, I should add that not only does this place have its own parking, they provide seating so that you can sit down with your coworkers and feign interest in their conversation.
–The pricing of the food is average. The food, however, is not. I enjoyed my falafel quite a bit. Falafel is often spiced so that the overall taste reminds me of nothing so much as a fire-​pit with a bit of cumin dashed in. Or the ashes of a city put to the torch. A city with a lot of cumin in it. And chickpeas. These ladies would never do that to you. They lightly but tastefully spice their falafel and don’t surround it with their entire garden and enough tsatziki sauce to restore Plato from beyond the grave.
–Recommended, but not forcefully so.

Wonderful food. Made to order. Highly recommend for any one needing a quick fulfilling dinner. I know personally this will be a go to spot when I am around this area.

I’ve never experienced Mediterranean food before, and having it for the first time from a restaurant that has many years of such well-​spoken of food made the experience that much better. Cooked right before your eyes, in a speedy chef way. I can definitely tell there are years and years under the cook’s hands. They have options such as spicy and regular, which is always nice to be offered. There were so many tastebuds going off that I couldn’t stop eating it until I was done. almost enough that I had a couple bites left over too!

Not sure what is going on here, but the quality of the food is going downhill. I know that lots of places are trying to keep prices down while food prices skyrocket. However, I have been seeing less meat and more rice as time goes on.
Last time, which will be my LAST TIME eating there, ordered lamb Shawarma. I picked out the pieces of lamb from a plate full of salad, rice, veggies, humus, etc. And there was (and I weighed it), about 2 ounces of meat. That is not a lot. And what was there, was not as flavorful as before.
I was eating here almost once a month since they opened, and the downhill slide has been going on for at least six months.
Sad…

This place has THE BEST MED FOOD IN SEATTLE. That should say it all. I always get the Falafel sandwich, and the nice lady added beets to it to top it off… fantastic food. Just fantastic. I brought two others and they were impressed.

Used to eat at the downtown Zaina for lunch before it moved. Liked it fine there and like this one fine as well, but I feel like this place is a bit overrated here on Unilocal,at least as far as the gyros go. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not bad, but I usually make the drive over to Mr. Gyros or up to Gyro Hut even though this place is closer for me. I actually prefer the shwarma over the gyro, and I’m a little baffled by all of the «best gyro I’ve ever had» comments here.

We were driving by and noticed all of their neon signs. We love a good gyro and decided to give it a try. We ordered the standard gyro and two falafel ($ 1each!). We tried to order a little side of hummus and tzatziki but couldn’t as they will only sell it in a full side container at $ 4 – 5. The gyro was great but really not as good as Gyros 2 Go in Redmond or Aladdin’s in the U District. The falafel from Zaina were tiny and didn’t even have a token squeeze of tahini. The falafel at Gyros 2 Go are super generous and they usually throw in an extra one. The guys working were fine but definitely not friendly or very helpful.

I may be Caucasian but I’ve eaten Greek and Mediterranean food across the country. This is by FAR MY FAVORITE!!!
Oh where to start, first the Babaganoush. Most of the time it’s thick and paste like. I’ve had it so many time elsewhere. Sometimes it’s not cooked enough and the eggplant makes it feel edgy I guess. Most times its either not flavored very much or worse all I can taste is smoke. I like the smokiness when it’s an accent to the spices and enhances. But I’ve never had one with the perfect amount of smoke (char) to spice. I could taste So many delicious spices but perfectly balanced. Then I looked into the kitchen and saw three eggplants on a grill, they appeared as if it had been on there for 5 hours plus.
Next the hummus, oh what a joy! Bright and zippy in my mouth. It was so light and creamy and seasoned to perfection! I can buy hummus at the store easily, but NEVER again!
I tasted my boyfriend’s gyro, so well balanced. He only let me eat a small bite, and when I came up for air from my falafel for another bite of his he ate it all. He doesn’t eat that fast but I don’t think he took a breath. When I asked for the bite and found none available I almost ordered another so I could.
However, the Piece De Résistance for me was my Falafel Sandwich. Most often it’s BLAND and crunchy BALLS on pita bread with a little lettuce and tomatoes. Maybe with hummus or tsatziki. AGAIN I’M JUST BESIDE MYSELF AND STILL RELISHING MY FOODGASM! I tried with all of my extensive palate to discern exactly the spices she used to make it, and can’t. I thought it might be cardamom but I asked and it’s not. I didn’t ask what it was because I like the delight of just eating it. But instead of balls which I can’t eat it was broken up and put all the way through the sandwich which allowed the perfect tasting bite each time. Of course it has chickpeas to make the falafel but other than that I’m at a loss in trying to figure it out. That being said, what I can tell you, is this…
Each dish we had and I assume the rest of the menu is the same… I could taste the love she cooks with. It was profound!
To say we’ll be back is a gross understatement!!!
Of you want AHHHHHHHHMAZING Middle Eastern food, look NO FURTHER. COME HERE!
NAMASTE

Ordered takeout here on Monday evening (¹⁰⁄₁₉) — A chicken gyro plate. Everything was about a B-​, a little under seasoned but chicken was tender and the little salad was refreshing.
There things went wrong was then I took a bite of rice mixed with hummus… A hard thing. what I thought was maybe an olive pit… turns out it was a rock! Not evening a small rock, but a piece of gravel almost the size of a dime.
I was really enjoying my dinner up until then. I guess it’s better than a hair, but I was worried about finding another and chipping a tooth.

Hands down the best gyro I’ve ever had!
Super fast and always friendly staff.

I have only been once, but I was not let down for even a second. Very fast service and the most delicious falafel sandwich with the freshest pita bread ever! Yum! And for a very reasonable price at that!

The food is very good here which is why I am giving three stars instead of two. Great news, BUT! their take out orders need some attention.
First, the young guy working in the evening always looks surprised that his customers are looking for friendly service; he gets an F on this test.
Next, they are always out of shish kebabs in the evening, always. The order taker seemed genuinely confused as to why I didn’t already know that.
Finally, and worst of all are the take out portions. For example, when you order a falafel plate in, you’ll get two pieces of pita, this differs from the one you get with a take out order. After three take out orders of this trick I asked him what the deal was, and he charged me a buck for the missing piece! What?!
From a food safety standpoint the staff needs refresher training on their glove discipline, and housekeeping practices.

I love this place. The owner is a sweetheart and has obviously put a lot of effort into the food and restaurant.
I’ve never been disappointed here whether I’m ordering shawarma or gyro or some other sandwich. The Greek fries are delicious.

Food was great and filling. We dine-​out on a Sunday afternoon. The place was pretty chill, and everyone was friendly. The meal for two was expensive though. Thirty five bucks.
We would return again. Maybe order something else than the chicken and lamb shawarma.

Huge portions. I got a salad and dolmas, and both were such big portions I couldn’t finish them. The dolma was a little thicker and less vinegary than I’m used to it, it tasted dull and the grape leaves were hard to bite through. The salad was fresh and tasty. There are decent indoor and outdoor eating areas. Staff were really nice. I’d go back for a quick healthy bite.

Wooo Zaina!
This place is super convenient if you live in Lake City, the food is great and well-​portioned, the employees are friendly, and if you choose to eat in instead of getting your food to-​go, they’ve got nice places to sit both indoors and outdoors. Indoors, you get to eat with the sounds of Middle Eastern music and a bunch of TV channels. I love their shawarma and they’re super fast as well. Plus, they sell a bunch of food-​related stuff – huge pots of chili paste, pickles, and baklava.

This is one of my most frequented spots for a quick bite to eat. I take my family here a lot as well when they visit. Love the Greek fries. I really like family owned and operated restaurants too. Our favorites are the
Chicken shawarma, kofta sandwich and lamb gyro. The food always tastes fresh and delicious. I do notice there’s a slight difference in the taste depending on who’s cooking but it’s good regardless.
The restaurant is always clean and organized. They have seating outside as well which is nice in the summer. If you enjoy Arabic music, like I do, they’re always playing the latest songs and music videos.

I happened across this gem accidentally. Pulled into the parking lot, looked around & decide to give Zaina a try. I am so glad I did! I enjoyed the most amazing Gyro I have ever tasted! The lamb melted in my mouth while the flavors they complimented the sandwich with exploded in my mouth.
I enjoyed watching music videos from a place that matched the décor. The dessert (baklava) was topped with crushed pistachios… Something a little extra special. I can’t wait to get to Zaina again soon!!!

Went here with my sister around 6pm on a Thursday. Parking lot was small but we were attracted to it by its lights and foreign vibe.
My sister has never tasted any Mediterranean/​Arabic food so she randomly ordered a falafel (it’s vegetarian version of a gyro) while I got a beef gyro.
FOOD: The meat was flavorful– it tasted like someone marinated in some type of curry. I LOVED it. My sister’s falafel had beans in it and a lot of this really good hummus. I had no complaints about the food– it came out fast and they make it in front of you because the place was small.
VIBE OF RESTAURANT: They had Arabic music and showcased positive, upbeat music videos on their 4 tv screens. It was a nice authentic feel. Their bathroom was ok. Someone didn’t know how to aim right– so pee splattered on the seat…
OVERALL: You should go!!!