Gyro King (Brooklyn)

Rating:

Quality, Taste, Cleanliness, Environment, Price , & Staff

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Positive:  Fresh lamb gyro and chicken marinated with tikka masala giving it a better zing than the bland chicken of the NYC gyro carts.

Negative:  Although very similar to the NYC gyro carts it still does not give you the same experience.  The white sauce is different as well.

Overall: Great alternative to the NYC gyro carts if you want a slightly different taste and do not want to travel into the city.

Revisit:  Only if I am in the area and don’t want to go in the city

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Want some gyro platters but don’t want to go to nyc?

Gyro King is located in Coney Island, Brooklyn, a busy area predominately inhabited by the Pakistani Muslim community. It is located in between a halal fried chicken place and barber shop . It is a small, clean food place where you can order only and sit on a bench to wait. That is fine though as it is similar to the gyro carts seen across New York City.  There is actually a gyro cart located right across the street from this place as well.  The cooks/workers there were nice and friendly.  They do have a bathroom in the back that you can request to use.

The food tastes very similar to the gyro carts in New York City with some differences.  The lamb does not have the usual lamb taste and therefore tastes fresh as well.  The chicken is seasoned in tikka masala which actually gives it a better taste than the bland chicken found on the gyro carts and is actually cooked completely.  The rice is a higher quality basmati rice.  If you do their mixed platter you would get the taste of New York with some modifications that, i think, make it a little tastier and a newer experience if you are tired of the carts.

I would come back here if in the mood for gyro platters and am passing by the area.  It is actually pretty hard to find this taste outside of New York City.  But they did it, albeit, still being pretty close to the city.  Now if they move to Philly, NJ, or CT, then I think those in the areas would be very thankful to be able to experience a taste from New York close to home. Despite all this, I still love the carts in Manhattan because the white sauce at Gyro King was not comparable and although it tasted more fresh and seemed to have higher quality, I still missed the platters from the cart.
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Artichoke (Manhattan)

Rating:

Quality, Taste, Cleanliness, Environment, Price , & Staff

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Positive:  Artichoke slices are great as are the Margarita slices.  The Sicilian pizza is the best!

Negative:  Make sure to tell the waiter to have your pizza cut with a clean cutter and don’t cross contaminate with their pork meatball sauce.

Overall: One of the best pizza I have ever eaten.

Revisit:  OF COURSE!

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want to try delicious pizza and don’t want to wait long?

I was in the mood for Difara’s Pizza but it was closed. That is a rare occurrence but the main problem of Difara’s is the amount of time you have to wait. I agree that his slice topped with fresh mozzarella and basil is the best I have eaten, but sometimes you just dont have the time to wait. I looked up a few review websites and lists online, and decided to try out Artichoke Basille’s Pizza. I saw that they were known for their Artichoke slices but I didn’t think I would like them given that I usually like simple toppings or plain slices. Nonetheless, because of the raving reviews on sites and the customers I met at the location, I decided to take the plunge.

I would definitely say that if I liked toppings or was in the mood for something unique I would love the large, artichoke slice. It reminded me of spinach and artichoke dip on pizza. However, I am a simple person and plain slices just do it better for me. Also, if it had tomato sauce, then I may have liked it better. I did however, really like their margarita slice which closely resembled Difara’s but did not get as far. However, when I tried their Sicilian slice my mouth was doing the tango and I thought it was better than Difara’s by far. They had lightly burnt the bottom, something they were supposed to do, in order to give it a burnt/bbq style taste along with the already delicious sauce, buttery crust, and mozarella cheese. Given the time it took to get the pizza and the taste I experienced I would go to this place over Difara’s any day. However, if Difara’s just sped up the process I would definitely go there for their regular slices.

The sicilian winner in my book, though, is definitely Artichoke. The other great thing is that they have a few pies already out and constantly being made so that you can grab a slice on the go (unlike DiFara’s) and not wait around for pies to be made. They also have three locations in Manhattan (East Village, Chelsea, and Greenwich Village). Overall this is a great restaurant to hit up when in the mood for excellent New York style pizza by the slice or as a pie. I have yet to review other well known establishments but so far this place takes precedence over Difara’s based on taste and the waiting time.

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Shake Shack (Manhattan)

Rating: 

Quality, Taste, Cleanliness, , Environment, Price , & Staff

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Positive: Unique Mushroom burger with crinkle cut french fries and thick, creamy shakes

Negative: Aside from being very busy with long wait times, there is only one item on the menu that actually doesn’t have meat.

Overall: Try it once, and you would have officially eaten the best Mushroom burger ever!

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tired of eating vegetarian burgers and salads while hanging out at a non-halal restaurant?

Well…Look no further because there is a vegetarian burger that actually tastes better than meat! If you don’t believe me why don’t you go and try it yourself at one of many Shake Shack’s  Manhattan restaurants.  You won’t regret it!

Most of their locations are in Manhattan and very busy throughout the day (especially during lunch and dinner times).  The best way to get a seat is to split up with your group; one guy orders for everyone and the others find a table.  Despite being busy the workers are overall pretty nice and welcoming.  They also try their best to clean tables quickly in between customers.  The inside decor is like a typical burger joint filled to capacity by hungry New Yorkers. One interesting thing is that each Shake Shack restaurant has a different environ which you would not normally see other restaurants  do.

Since you can, regrettably, only eat one item on the menu you can try many different combinations to “change it up” when eating at their restaurant. You can have 2 burgers, 1 burger + fries, or 1 burger + fries + shake.  Whatever the case, just have a bite of the mouth-watering portabella mushroom burger filled with muester and chedder cheese and topped with their signature Shacksauce and your life will never be same again.  You would have experienced the best gourmet vegetarian burger you will ever eat.

The shakes are also thick, creamy, and very filling.  If you are shake fanatic you’ll definitely enjoy their shakes.  I personally don’t think the shakes are good enough to name your restaurant after them, but some people do like them alot.  The thick, crinkle cut fries are also different from what you would eat at McDonalds or Burger King.  Overall you need to try the ‘Shroom burger at least once.  (But I guarantee that you wouldn’t have any problem eating it again)!

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Shake Shack

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Sushi Samba (Manhattan)

Rating: 

Quality, Taste, Cleanliness, Environment, Price, & Staff

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Positive: Delicious and unique “samba” sushi rolls as well as exotic virgin cocktails.

Negative: Crowded on weekends and even on some weeknights. More expensive than the average sushi place.

Overall: A must eat restaurant for Sushi lovers

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Looking for exotiC sushi rolls IN a fun atmosphere?

Go to Sushi Samba in Manhattan! This is a high-end, more expensive than normal sushi restaurant which blends Japanese, Brazilian, and Peruvian tastes into its exotic rolls.

This is definitely my top sushi place, mainly because of the unique “Samba” rolls it offers.  I haven’t seen similar items on menus at other sushi restaurants. (they also have regular sushi rolls by the way) My all time favorite is the El Topo roll which has mozzarella cheese, crispy onions, and jalapeno. This roll is too delicious. The mozzarella really adds to it. I go to this restaurant just for this roll because there is none other like it. I also recommend the Samba 7 roll for people that love lobster, and the Rainbow Dragon roll for mango lovers. And of course you can never go wrong with Shrimp Tempura and Spicy Tuna Rolls. From the appetizers, I usually get Edamame.  I used to get the Crispy Calamari but to my disappointment it is no longer on the menu.  I also recommend the taquitos and Tiger shrimp. For those of you that do not like sushi, you can try the tasty Crispy Red Snapper as well.

I also love going to Sushi Samba for the four exotic virgin cocktails they offer. My favorites are the Watermelon Mojo and Berry Smash. They are very refreshing and smooth.  Great drinks to have while waiting for your food and eating your appetizers.

They have multiple locations throughout the city.  I personally like going to the 7th Avenue location because it is bigger and more “happening”.

If you have a big group then lunch may be a better option as it is less crowded then.  But then you’d miss out on their vibrant ambiance best experienced in the evening.  I also recommend making reservations before going as the restaurant is usually packed on weekends and, at times, on weeknights as well.  I’ve never had problems with their service either.  All in all, this is a must eat restaurant for sushi lovers!

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Sushi Samba Website

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