Spice Brothers

Shawarma east pita: In a city where shawarma often serves as a late-night snack to curb tomorrow’s hangover, Spice Brothers takes the popular Middle Eastern street food very seriously. Every element of the sandwich — the spit it’s roasted on, the single origin of the spices that perfume the meat, the spelling of tahina — has been fussed over. But it’s not so precious that it doesn’t fit in perfectly on the eternally scruffy strip that is St. Marks. NIKITA RICHARDSON

At Spice Brothers, the beef-and-lamb shawarma (“Shawarma East” on the menu) is seasoned with a Turkish-style spice blend heavy on warm spices like cumin, cinnamon, and a bright flash of rose petals before it’s dressed with herbed labneh sauce. The other option, chicken, is the Shawarma West, spiced with pimentón and turmeric and packing the heat of harissa. The sandwiches are $15 (chicken) and $17 (beef-lamb), made with Sercarz’s spices and Pat LaFrieda meat. Each comes with tahini, a salty rendition of the mango-pickle amba, cilantro, and an unconventional crown of arugula. (It’s peppery and fresh; it works.) The pita, from New Jersey’s Angel Bakeries, is fluffy and holds its own against all the sauce and meat juice.

Julian Rachele

Google

Each time I eat here I'm at a loss for words, but I'll try: My office is nearby and my coworkers and I have a tier list for 35+ local restaurants of all varieties. This one is at spot number 1. Their falafel is peerless, impeccable and downright divine. The chicken shawarma bursts with flavor within you and has a beautiful contrasting crust. The fries are gorgeous and extremely flavorful. The hummus is perfect.

Jessie Neuman

Google

This place is outstanding! Everything we ordered was delicious. I had the sabich and my date had the shawarma. We split fries and hummus with pita. All of the sauces are also perfection. This place felt nostalgic having all the flavors of my childhood but with a great vibe and modern feel. Highly recommend!

Waleed Khalid

Google

Spice Brothers serves two varieties of meat, called Shawarma East and Shawarma West. Shawarma East is sliced from an alternating stack of beef and lamb. The flavor is rich and sweet, like burning incense. Allspice shows up first, then cinnamon, and you can sense other things going on underneath. Shawarma West, made from chicken thighs, is more subtle, yellow with turmeric and smoky with pimentón. (Cumin, it should go without saying, features in both.)

Ryan Black

Google

The chicken lunch special is fantastic. I’ll go back soon to see if the beef/lamb shawarma pita is just as good. The pita bread alone is amazing and worth trying!

Jefe Birkner

Google

Sandwich was very tasty, they articulated a variety of gf options, I asked for harissa on my sandwich, they charged a dollar extra, then gave me a side, which was ok, but not what I wanted. The sandwich was just fine without it though. I arrived less than ten minutes after they opened and there was already a line and it took close to half an hour to have my order filled, this place is popular! Judging from the tasty sandwich I had, I can see why.

tomasz j

Google

I came across this place by accident, I was passing by in the west village, and since I was hungry I decided to stop in. The place is tiny, but clean and nice. The food is really tasty and I didn't have to wait long. I ordered a plate of falafel, very tasty, the fries were really great, the vegetables and sauces tasted nice, without any dominant flavors. I really recommend it. I think I will visit this place in the future.

Sophie

Google

I never knew food could be sooooooooo delicious! The shawarma is delicious and the Shafoie was literally heaven. It melted in your mouth and was so good with the sauce and the crunch. The falafel was delicious and their fries were so good! I definitely will come back here again!

Edward Varner

Google

Terribly disappointing experience. We had heard about this place from @cookiesncreameats videos and were looking forward to our visit. The food and the service was meh. We LOVE shawarma and hummus but this was, to be brutally honest, tough to swallow. Small portions, a little pricey, and not very flavorful- and we’ve enjoyed a lot of shawarma and hummus all over NYC, the West Coast, and Europe. This did not live up to the other reviews nor the hype. Maybe it was a bad day- they were standing on equipment and appeared to be cleaning vents - over the food- when we walked in… everyone looked bored and a little like we were a bother. The beer was good, the hummus was super mild and left a weird after taste, the shawarma was a small portion. Where’s the spice? On the plus side, we went next door and had amazing dumplings at Dumpling Man! They were great.

Julian Rachele

Google

Jessie Neuman

Google

Waleed Khalid

Google

Ryan Black

Google

The chicken lunch special is fantastic. I’ll go back soon to see if the beef/lamb shawarma pita is just as good. The pita bread alone is amazing and worth trying!

Jefe Birkner

Google

tomasz j

Google

Sophie

Google

Edward Varner

Google

Hannah E.

Yelp

This shawarma beats out anything I had in Israel (or anywhere else, which goes without saying). I haven't agreed with Pete Wells of the New York Times all that often, but his article on this place was absolutely spot on. The focus he gave to the spices behind the meat, based on the focus the chef gives to the spices behind the meat, made me visit - I'm not a meat lover, but am a spice nerd, and being able to enumerate the spices behind every bite was a extra-sensorily pleasant experience. The meat may not be the centerpiece, but it's cooked as though it is. After all, you can't even be a vehicle without being able to drive. It would be impressive on its own, but the layers of spices are thick as coats of paint, and kept from being too tongue-coating by the tahine and amba. I also ordered a side of eggplant, thinking they'd be chip-adjacent, like, for snacking, but they were thick and meaty. You probably couldn't go wrong stuffing them right in your sandwich, but they're a bit tough to eat solo.

Vishnu G.

Yelp

This is a fantastic place for a delicious, inexpensive meal. I had the falafel pita, which came loaded with vegetables and a few sauces. The falafel was perfectly crispy, and the toppings added a variety of fresh, spicy, and creamy flavors. I also had a side of fried eggplant, which was just alright - it would probably be better in the context of an entire sandwich. The pita by itself is $12, which is a phenomenal deal. I'll definitely be back.

Chloé S.

Yelp

Some of the tastiest, most wholesome & rich soup I've EVER had!! I was really taken aback. AqqqES is a great fRich & complex in flavor, but with such a clean finish - absolutely none of that lingering aftertaste that tends to accompany such complex flavors. Each bite was a rich delight. You could tell it was made thoughtfully and with the freshest of ingredients. Was chicken chickpea

Saul G.

Yelp

I am a fan of the spice mixtures from La Boite, so I was excited when the feinschmeker told me about the new resto in St. Marks. As good a shwarma as you'll encounter in the Big Apple. Tender, well seasoned meat, fresh veggies, the right amount of sauce, toasted pita. A pickled pepper. At $17.00 it better be great. It was.

Heather W.

Yelp

Really delicious food! I cannot wait to try more of it. I just wish the food came out hot, and that they had actual plates for the pricing. Tried both the East and West platters- they are the perfect combination of food, imo! Friendly guy at register. Thanks!

Chris S.

Yelp

I picked up a Too Good To Go order for $6 and got the Shawarma West. Let me just say ... this was probably the best chicken shawarma I've ever had. It seems unassuming from the outside but it's PACKED with so many flavorful ingredients. The harissa, hummus, tomatoes, onion, and all the sauces and spices were so delicious. It was also a pretty hefty portion .. it looked small at first but you realize how much is actually packed in there. Fantastic food and makes me want to go back immediately.

Hannah H.

Yelp

Spice Brothers is a new shawarma eatery that opened up in East Village. Currently, they're in their soft opening stage - we tried their chicken shawarma in a pita in which the chicken was marinated in shawarma west spices, tahina, and amba; we also heard about their falafel, so we had to try that, which came nestled on top of hummus and zhoug. Everything was made to order and arrived hot and fresh. The staff is friendly and welcoming! Definitely a great place to stop by to get your falafel and shawarma fix. +falafel +shawarma pita sandwiches +friendly service

Alex R.

Yelp

Great to see a proper shawarma place on St Marks. The space is welcoming and decor complimentary to its sister restaurant David's Cafe. We ordered shawarma east and west. East had beef and lamb mixed with shredded purple cabbage and herbs. The pita is well stuffed and sauced with tahina and herbed labne. The meat was well done and charred in a good way. Texturally it was a mixed salad in a pita, which is not a bad thing as meat on a spit tends to dry out and needs the moisture of veggies and spices to bring it all together. And the spice here is pronounced. The pita was fluffy and held it all together to the very end. The shawarma west had its distinct flavor profile which is appreciated. Will definitely come back for falafel !

Tsvika K.

Yelp

The idea of a great shawarma based on two ingredients- Great meat and the right spices . Here you got it perfectly right . Both the "East" & the "West" done the exact way as it should be . The quality bring eventually the deliciousness . Arguably the best shawarma in NYC . Beside that their falafel is fantastic as a great snack and you want to add their thini and schug. Highly recommended!!! Definitely A destination!!!!!

Aaly H.

Yelp

Wonderfully flavorful and fresh. Real spices. Not watered down. Very well presented and served even for delivery.

C B.

Yelp

Had the lamb/beef shawarma and ... just wow! The meat was absolutely delicious, but to me, what made this special was the fresh herbal greens in the pita, it made it all taste so bright and didn't weigh me down. The pita didn't fall apart. It was shawarma perfection in my book!

Michelle T.

Yelp

East Village stroll on a warm Sunday in March. Hadn't had schwarma in a long time and saw someone post about it on IG. Had the schwarma west pita with chicken, amba, tahina, harissa. So flavorful, fresh ingredients and packed ... pita didn't fall apart. Love that they mix all of the ingredients together so you don't get layered bites. I took half home and unless there is extra chicken hiding on the bottom, I felt like it could have used more. $15 ($16.34 with tax). Super friendly service. Would recommend and look forward to trying the falafel next time.

Shifra Z.

Yelp

Fantastic food , tahini is out of this world . I highly recommend this place. Service is great Relax ambiance

Dylan R.

Yelp

I had a very exquisite dining experience when I came to spice brothers, their Shawarma bowls are magnificent. The service was amazing, and the environment was very friendly

Evan K.

Yelp

Great place. I got the chicken pita and it was great. I also recommend getting either the zhoug or the mango sauce to go with it.

Yoni Z.

Yelp

Finally a place in Manhattan making a respectable shawarma and getting it right. This isn't a gyro, it's not souvlaki, it's not chicken thighs in similar spices masquerading as shawarma. This is legitimately the real deal off the spit, in a doughy enough pita with the right condiments. Tahina, Amba, schug , harissa. Shawarma places never stay open in New York so I'm praying this one thrives.

Olive F.

Yelp

Ordered delivery so wasn't the most accurate representation but incredible still. Very pleased

Jean C.

Yelp

I was disappointed after hearing all the great reviews for this place. I had the beef/lamb shawarma and the meat was dry and had quite a bit of gristle. The sauce, pita and pickle were great, but for $17 I expected better!

Shar H.

Yelp

The food is so amazing! I got a Too Good to Go Bag and it had their chicken shawarma sandwich. I don't usually eat a lot of meat but am willing to try new things. It was to die for! The chicken and vegetables were so fresh and the portion size was extremely generous. The flavors of all the sauces and spices tasted so good. This is the best Middle Eastern pita sandwich I have ever had.

Dino S.

Yelp

Amazing! The shafoie alone was to die and/or kill for! Great service and fantastic food all around.

Perry K.

Yelp

Absolutely fantastic, perfect! Sandwiches are insanely delicious with impeccable spice (it's in the name, lol!) and flavors. The care and quality here is next level, even for higher end shawarma places. I am so glad to have the Spice Bros in the neighborhood! This fulfills a need that has been missing for years.

Rogan Y.

Yelp

The restaurant is very nice with amazing service a good menu. Food came super fast and tasted AMAZING. The chicken shawarma was so good and the fries were DELICIOUS. The restaurant's decoration was spot on and looked very nice with this cool chalk board you can sign. I 110% recommend

Dana S.

Yelp

Not your usual falafel sandwich...deliciously spiced and elevated. Also love that they serve wine and beer. Will come back to try other things on the menu...