Shami Restaurant & Hookah Lounge

Fast service and really tasty. We had one of the bean appetizers, a shawarma wrap, and köfta kebab. The proprietress was very nice and offered extra pita w/​o us asking. We will get back, especially because you can order pickup ahead!

Was passing by and was looking for a quick bite. Saw on Unilocal this place was right off the freeway, so we decide to stop by. Was pretty empty when we walked in, was welcomed by a gentleman who gave us awesome service. The food was mediocre.
I would for sure come back, but only because the place is conveniently located close to the freeway and because their food wasn’t bad at all.

Tried their Mansaf before and now the falafel, the food is absolutely amazing! I can confidently call this place a Miditerrenean Restaurant. Also there hookah is worth having after an excellent meal.

I was worried about the hookah bar when I placed my order online but I am extremely happy with my experience. Hookah bar is completely separate from the restaurant and the restaurant has a great family feel. I was greeted with a warm smile and hello. My order was almost ready when I got there. I think I was a little early anywayThe food was fantastic — I ordered the lamb shawarma wrap. Great portion size and very filling. Great flavored :) I’ll be ordering again. Thank you!

My favorite place in the area of San Leandro and Hayward!
Great service!
Great food!
And you can definitely count on Shami the owner to lead you to what he thinks will be the best dish for you from their menu.
As someone who is originally from the Middle East I was looking for a long time around the Bay Area to find a good place like that. And I can tell their food is delicious:)
Thank you Shami I felt like I owe this one for you!

This is my favorite restaurant! The have greats food especially The Mansuf, Kabsah and others delicious foods then you can smoking hookah! This Is great place for arabic foods!

Super tasty lamb schwarma. Will definitely be back to try the falafel and other entres.
Look beyond the fact that this place is inside a converted fast food restaurant and you’ll see this is a little local gem. It’s run by a very nice family that clearly puts a lot of care into the cuisine and attention to hospitality. Keep up the good work.

My dad spent a great deal of time in the Middle East and he said this is the best middle eastern food he has had in the USA.
For me, I would agree, although I have never had the pleasure of on-​location middle eastern food. The falafel alone are enough to make the trek if you don’t live in San Leandro. But aside from that:
the hummus
the rice (with amazing spices)
the kabobs
the variety of salads
all of it is amazing.
I would advise eating in if you can, as the food tastes way better in the moment than when you take it home and eat it and hour or so later.
Service is friendly and speedy. Despite the neighborhood being sketch, I really like this place.

I must say I have not tried a falafel wrap before that this good. Very delicious. This place is a little far from my house, so it would be hard to go back otherwise I would eat there quite often. The wait was little long but I don’t mind when you give me such delicious food. Also, I support local family business!

Just came in for lunch. This visit wasn’t as warm & prompt as the first time, but then again this time was an older man. Portion has gotten a Lil bit more skimp. If you at all want more of anything, you will get the Dagger eyes of «how dare you ask for more? «look. Their food is good but the lack of warmth with the customer service i can do without, it really doesn’t make me feel like I want to come back.. I’ll come back if someone else is taking care the front of the establishment.
Also if you ORDER TO GO. they ARE really SHOWING YOU to NEVER return BY THE PORTION. Food it good. Unfriendly service.

There aren’t that many mediterranean and/​or lebanese restaurants around my new place so I had been meaning to try this place for some time. There wasn’t anyone in the restaurant nor ever when I drive by. Maybe it’s my timing, or the population around doesn’t appreciate their food.
I had the lamb shawarma. It was good. Great flavor and fresh vegetables inside. There was a bit too much vinegar for my liking and there were some chunks of lettuce rind that were unpleasant, but it was a nice little treat away from the regular neighborhood norms. I will return to try different menu items. They have an easy system set up with Unilocal to order takeout online.

I seem to pass this place all the time but never got a chance to try until my sister mentioned she had a groupon she needed to use.
Arrived here around 11:15 for lunch and it didnt look open — no one inside, open sign not on so decided to leave and come back later. Returned around 11:45 and 2 other people there… quickly greeted by (I’ll assume) the owner who was very welcoming and brought over menus.
Ordered the following:
* hummus which was really good… no overpowering spice flavor, just simple goodness with hint of garlic.
* Lamb kofta — seasoned ground lamb and beef and grilled — delicious
* Steak kebab — lightly spiced cubed beef and grilled
All over rice with a salad with cucumber, tomato, parsley and light vinaigrette
Also ordered the kanafeh which is a middle eastern dessert… paneer covered with semolina strands and covered with rosewater syrup and topped with pistachios… very different but yummy dessert.
Hospitable service, delicious food… will definitely return to try other offerings.

TL: DR The murals are beautiful, the food is perfect, service is great!
In an excursion to San Leandro, we decided to stop for lunch. We are so lucky to have found this amazing place! My boyfriend and I started with 4 falafels, his first time trying them. People are not exaggerating when they say they are the best falafels they have tasted. Next we shared the combo kabob plate. The perfect amount of food for two people. Very reminiscent of my boyfriend’s trip to Turkey. Our server was wonderful. Attentive without hovering and took care of everything we could want!
We finished out afternoon in their beautiful hookah room off the side of the restaurant. We decided to get mint, and were happy we did! It was the perfect balance of flavor and lightness. No added perfumes for «extra» flavor!
Something that I MUST mention is the beautiful murals. I didn’t get one from inside, but I was able to get a picture of the one in the hookah room. Whoever did the art is a true artist. Stop in to see the art if nothing else!

Excellent food and service
Will try its Hooka next
Deserts/​and tea are great
Prices are decent

We came to Shami with high expectations, but thought it was only so-​so. Decent food, okay service, and clean but unattractive décor.
My husband’s chicken shawarma sandwich was okay, but not remarkable. My chicken kofta kebab, served with rice and salad, was good. However, there was not enough chicken and way too much rice.
The service was decent — the food came out quickly, but the waiter never came to check on us during the meal.
The place was clean, but the bright fluorescent lights and unattractive tile did not make for a very pleasant setting.
Perhaps Shami’s high ratings are for the hookah lounge in the back, which we did not try.
Overall, a good place for a meal, but not amazing.

Awesome falafel, eggplant fatteh, and hummus! (I’m veggie only, so I didn’t had the meat dishes.)
The place is clean, and the service is excellent. Very friendly staff. Will definitely go back here, maybe the best Mediterranean cooking in the neighbourhood.

This restaurant may be unassuming from the outside, but every meal I get here is prepared to order, authentic, and delicious.
Can’t miss: The hummus. My husband and I are regulars now; we eat here at least once a week and always take home some hummus and baba ghannoush to go. I can honestly say that this is the best hummus I have ever tasted. I am an addict at this point!
Other things to try: The shwarma plate is a great deal, and the meat is tender, flavorful, and well spiced. Our other must-​have is the lentil soup. Super comforting and tasty!

It’s not hard to find this small, clean and quiet place, if you are looking for it. Otherwise you might just miss it. We sure did. I’ve passed it countless times, but never really paid attention, cause E 14^th is crazy full of everything you just stop looking after a while.
We got there in the middle of the afternoon on a Saturday. There weren’t many people in (probably the above mentioned, or because they have take-​out and people just come and pick their lunch/​dinner up) so we didn’t have trouble ordering and waiting for the food. If you are a fan of hummus and falafel, you should definitely check this place out. Both items are delicious! Not to mention the pita bread. Aaaah… yummy! And the portions are far from small. So if you’re in for a main course as well (and a dessert), hold your horses back a bit, or share with someone.
We didn’t try any soups, because the point of our visit was kabob. It’s difficult to come by a decent one around here, but I can recommend Shami’s. On the platter you get a ton of rice, tasty meat, roasted veggies, hummus/​sauce and some spices. I’m sure you won’t be hungry if you’re able to finish the whole platter. The meat was really well prepared and already taken off the skewer.
If you have any room left for dessert, try a Baklava. Fluffy puff pastry with honey, walnuts and pistachios on top. It’s not too sweet, but believe me, once you try it, you just want more.
I was told they also have a hookah lounge in the back, but at the time we were only interested in food, so I’ll just have to come back and give it a try.
Value/​price is good, you won’t be sorry.

Came here for food, not hookah. I got the veggie felafel plate and my friends got the lamb plate. Mine was delicious, the hummus was creamy, seems fresh. The felafels were crispy and really flavorful. I dreamed of the place the next day.

First time trying this place and I have to say this place is Awesome. Homemade Arabic food yum yum. I ordered the combo plate and it was BOMB! The owners are very nice people, friendly staff. Deffinately coming back!
Did I mention they have hookah?