Rakka
Middle eastern, juice · New York
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About Rakka
Rakka is a beloved New York destination offering authentic comfort food with a warm, welcoming atmosphere. Guests praise the kitchen for hand-crafting fresh falafels and shawarma from scratch, ensuring every dish delivers exceptional flavor at an unbeatable price. The menu features hearty lamb gyros...
Rakka is a beloved New York destination offering authentic comfort food with a warm, welcoming atmosphere. Guests praise the kitchen for hand-crafting fresh falafels and shawarma from scratch, ensuring every dish delivers exceptional flavor at an unbeatable price. The menu features hearty lamb gyros, savory veggie plates, and healthy halal options that satisfy even the most discerning appetites. Beyond the food, Rakka stands out for its attentive service and genuine hospitality, where staff often go above and beyond to ensure a delightful experience. Whether enjoying a quick lunch, sipping coffee outdoors, or sharing a hearty dinner with friends, this neighborhood gem consistently delivers cleanliness, value, and delicious meals in a space filled with great vibes.
What Customers Say About Rakka
Rakka is a highly-rated, affordable Middle Eastern restaurant known for its generous portions, fresh ingredients, and friendly service. Customers rave about the falafel, shawarma, and veggie plate, often receiving complimentary soup or tea. A few mention limited seating and no restroom.
Popular Dishes
Best For
Tip: Try the veggie plate or falafel sandwich. Be aware that there is no bathroom and limited seating.
Features
What to see nearby
Data from Wikidata
Explore the area around Rakka
Rakka is located in New York, surrounded by cultural and historical points of interest. Here are some of the most notable places nearby.
Museums
- Museum of the American Gangster (A 134m) — museum in New York City
Religious Buildings
- St. Nicholas of Myra Church (A 151m) — church building in Manhattan, United States of America
- St. Cyril Church (A 185m) — Slovene church in Manhattan, New York, United States
- St. Stanislaus Bishop and Martyr's Church (A 192m) — church building in Manhattan, United States of America
- Tabernacle Baptist Church (A 224m) — Baptist church building in Manhattan, New York City
- Meseritz Synagogue (A 258m) — orthodox synagogue in Manhattan
- Community Synagogue Max D. Raiskin Center (A 281m) — Synagogue in the East Village, Manhattan
Parks & Gardens
- Open Road Park (A 159m) — park and community garden in New York City
- Abe Lebewohl Park (A 280m) — park in Manhattan, New York City, United States of America
Other Points of Interest
- Barbara Feinman Millinery (A 247m) — building
Data from Wikidata
Frequently asked questions about Rakka
Rakka New York Reviews
Place is awesome. Underrated. Incredible service. I told the guy I love the soup and he just gave me more for free. Incredibly kind. Will be back. Great gyro
Great food, great prices, and the sweetest service. It’s super cold in NYC right now and they handed me a free cup of lentil soup to warm up while I waited for my falafel sandwich. Highly recommend.
Everything in Rakka was amazing. The lentil soup was to die for and they offered us a sample to warm us up. I have them on my list to return every time I’m in the city! The owner is lovely and so personable
I’ve been meaning to come to this place to have their falafel. It’s a little bit of a walk from my work but I made the trek out today because I had some time, and I am very glad I did. They were incredibly kind to me and gave me a sample of their lentil soup, and their iced coffee was really good too. I was going to go to a fancy coffee place and I enjoyed Rakka’s iced coffee even more than I would have enjoyed the offerings at a specialty shop. I ordered a falafel sandwich and it was very good. Everything was super fresh. I asked about their lentil soup and they very kindly gave me a sample. It was delicious and I am now hooked, I’ll definitely be back soon. Give Rakka a try!!!!
Veggie plate is excellent and very affordable -- hummus, baba, falafel with lettuce, tomatoes, olives, and dolma. Add tahini and hot sauce if you want. Owner takes great pride in the food and service. Clean and delicious.
The starter, main course, and dessert were all exceptional. The food quality justifies the cost. Personnel appeared especially amiable and professional. This place deserves endless compliments. Service was helpful and food was wonderful! I'm planning another visit.
Amazing, small, authentic middle eastern restaurant! Quick bite, amazing portions and inexpensive. Really sweet staff! So delicious I had it late night and came back the next day for lunch. <3 love it.
Delicious!!! I originally planned to go to Mamoun’s but discovered this hidden gem in the neighborhood and decided to try it out. I ordered the veggie plate, which was fresh, flavorful, and clearly homemade - it felt very healthy. The owner was incredibly welcoming and even surprised me with a complimentary lentil soup that was absolutely delicious! This place exceeded expectations and has quickly become my new favorite Middle Eastern spot in the East Village.
Super nice people, went out of their way to accommodate our last second change of mind of our order, and even gave us a little extra without charge. Absolutely delicious, also incredibly low prices for the quality. Highly recommend!
The kitchen creates excellence. The place shows attention to cleanliness. Everything functions properly. Deserves a meal. The workers were surprisingly welcoming, and were prepared to address all inquiries. This meal was for two people. Friendly service comes with excellent cooking. Completely pleased.
Really clean food. I think they hand make the falafels from scratch here. I got the Veggie Plate and a small Lentil soup. A lot of times when I eat out at different restaurants, I noticed the food is overly salted but at RAKKA, the food tasted fresh and healthy. I felt great after eating and satisfied. It was a good portion size. There are a few tables to sit inside and one table outside.
Updating after I’ve been a few times: STILL the Best shawarma spot in the area. Couldn’t believe the low price for how delicious my takeout chicken shawarma plate was. And both hummus and baba ganoush come on the plate for free, along with the usual fixings. Unheard of! And all higher quality than you’ll find elsewhere. The smoothie was a great deal too. Tastes great and low price. Highly recommend this for takeout.
I enjoyed my experience here. I did leave once I got my food but the service was wonderful. The host gave me a lil cup of soup while I waited which I am very grateful for. The food is a good price for the amount you get. I’m vegetarian and I got the falafel plate which is always fresh and delicious. I eat a lot of falafel around the area and I can say with my chest that this is the best you are going to get. I am going back and I recommend for you to try it out as well!!!
The food was definitely good: good portion sizes (for NYC), we especially liked the hummus and other sauces which felt authentic. Wide variety of items in the platter. Decent prices for NYC. My only gripe is that this is a counter top takeout place and the payment system asks for 15/20/25% tip and dude was watching me as I tapped the buttons on the screen, so I felt pressured to tip for no service before even getting my food. Not unique to this place but that’s the only reason I’m not hustling back.
Ordered the Chicken Shawarma Sandwich (served in a pita with lettuce, tomatoes, and tahini sauce), Pistachio Baklava, and the Mix Vegetables Juice (Carrot, Ginger, Beet, Celery). Sandwich and juice were solid, baklava was top notch. Bill total was $18.60 - affordable prices.
I got the chicken shawarma. It’s incredibly affordable, especially considering the volume of food you get, and the service is hospitable and welcoming (they gave me a free cup of soup as soon as I sat down) However, if I’m being honest this wasn’t a shawarma it was a chicken sandwich. I’d say this is decent for the price, but a little disappointing if price isn’t a primary consideration.
Worst chicken shwarma that I've ever had. Tasted like boiled chicken in a pita. The pita fell apart while eating it. I rarely throw out food, but I had to this time because it tasted absolutely terrible. They give you white sauce and red sauce that you can add to give it some flavor. I am shocked how terrible the chicken shwarma is.. was today an off day? Ordered delivery so can't speak to the service. On the positive side, the Lentil soup was absolutely delicious.
My chicken shawarma pita was terrible. Chicken was old, dry, and overall the tasteless. Same goes for the tahini which should add flavor. Very poor quality ingredients!
Ordered a lamb gyro (sandwich). Basically got salad in a store bought pita. Very little meat. Asked for everything. Got small sauces on the side. Paid cash. Didn’t get my change. Food completely mediocre in every respect. Just about any truck in the area will do you better. I’m a crowded market it’s hard to understand how this place does any business at all. Avoid.
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About Rakka
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156 1st Ave, New York, NY 10009
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156 1st Ave, New York, NY 10009
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