Zaffron Kitchen

vishwa bhatt

I visited this restaurant twice in a week of its opening. The food is good and the service is good as well. The chicken shawarma bowl is one of the best I have had in upstate NY. The falafel bowl was also really tasty. It has a really big area with a lot of dining space and it’s located conveniently. Overall must try if you like Mediterranean.

Japheth Wood

Nice and delicious. Zaffron is about a 10 minute walk from Proctor's Theater, so a great place for a meal before or after a show. Great vegetarian options. Friendly and caring service.

Zeeshan Nelson

We visited their new location and ordered the Zafron Burger meal and the beef Kebab Bowl. Both were fresh and favorful. The ordering process was smooth, the service was consistent, and the hospitality matched what we’ve come to expect from Zaffron. Definitely recommend this location as well.

Abigail Jones

Quick service, delicious hearty food, clean beautiful environment for work meetings and friendly helpful staff! Delicious vegan options. Will definitely be returning again and again! Wish them best of luck.

Katrina Garcia

We ate here for the first time last weekend. They have such a cute space. The food was really good. I think you should try it.

First time dining here and very pleasantly surprised! Had the chicken kebab bowl and was thrilled with all of the topping choices, had the brown rice on the recommendation of our server and was not disappointed. Loaded with lots of veggies as well as the chicken. Will definitely be going back. My only nit pik was that the hummus could have had more garlic and lemon, a little on the bland side.

This place should be packed all the time. I placed a pickup order and it was absolute perfection. I got the lamb rice bowl and the lamb was cooked perfectly, so tender and flavorful, and it was a big portion too. The ingredients were all very fresh. It was fairly early for lunch on a Monday, but only one other couple came in while I ate there. I hope it was just because I beat the rush, because they deserve all the business here. Hope they stay for the long haul.

The first thing I thought about when I walked in side was how pleasant and clean the restaurant smelt and looked. I was quickly met by friendly and welcoming staff. Definitely the best falafel I’ve ever had. We arrived close to their closing time but were encouraged to feel comfortable sitting down. We are glad we did because the music created a beautiful atmosphere to dine in. 10/10, highly recommend.

I ordered a pickup lamb rice bowl and it was perfection—super tender, flavorful lamb, generous portions, and very fresh ingredients. It was early Sunday lunch so it was quiet, but I hope that was just the timing. The staff were friendly, welcoming, and made the experience even better

Overall, phenomenal place coming from an American Middle Eastern person. The food is good. Service is great. The environment is very comfortable. This is a great great spot. Quality of the food is excellent packs a punch overall great place!

I saw this location recently opened & wanted to give it a try - TDLR: I would recommend and will definitely be ordering from here again. I ordered a falafel bowl - They allow so much customization in what you add. The falafel was crispy and flavorful. The bowl itself had good flavor and the white sauce was delicious. The portion was enough for me to have dinner and a lunch the next day. I also ordered the butternut squash, which was interesting, sweet, spicy, and tasty. The homemade hummus was great, good pita. My family got beef & chicken bowls; the meat looked tender and well cooked. The only small downside is baklava was a bit wet instead of flaky, but they were still decent to eat. Overall, I really enjoyed my meal, reasonably priced, and quick service. Looking forward to ordering again soon!

Excellent halal food at a good price. I've been there three or four times now. The food is delicious. We've tried the butternut squash, chicken shawarma, the squash and lentil soup, eggplant, falafel, a chicken kebab platter, and the bolanee. My friend was impressed with how tender and moist the chicken was. Everything was fresh and flavors popped. The restaurant itself is very clean and nicely decorated. Zaffron is a great addition to the restaurant scene in Schenectady!

Ordered the travelers platter to go for dinner tonight, added a steak sald and added a Mediterranean salad . The portions are huge ! I fed 6 adults and we only got through about half ! Everything tasted great ! Love that the sauces were on the side so everyone could take what they wanted ! Food is made to order. Super friendly and professional staff. Although I ordered takeout , the insde looks great ! Its counter service, then sit where you'd like. Lots of parking , easily accessible. They also offer a cash discount t .

Chelsea Reno

The first thing I thought about when I walked in side was how pleasant and clean the restaurant smelt and looked. I was quickly met by friendly and welcoming staff. Definitely the best falafel I’ve ever had. We arrived close to their closing time but were encouraged to feel comfortable sitting down. We are glad we did because the music created a beautiful atmosphere to dine in. 10/10, highly recommend.

Jennifer Greene-Gillooley

We tried Zaffron for the first time today and we will be back with the whole family. Everything was fresh and delicious. The falafel was crispy and my husband loved his chicken kabob over a Mediterranean salad. Highly recommend!!!!!!!

Al K

This place should be packed all the time. I placed a pickup order and it was absolute perfection. I got the lamb rice bowl and the lamb was cooked perfectly, so tender and flavorful, and it was a big portion too. The ingredients were all very fresh. It was fairly early for lunch on a Monday, but only one other couple came in while I ate there. I hope it was just because I beat the rush, because they deserve all the business here. Hope they stay for the long haul.

Data Privacy?

We called ahead to check if they could accomodate gluten and dairy allergies (they can). When we got there, the team behind the counter recognized it was us who called and went above and beyond with reassuring us they cooked it with no possible cross contaminants. The final result was amazing food and they did so much to make us feel welcome and safe. Highly recommend.

K Serra

First time ordering from the new Schenectady location (2nd overall) and was again so happy with my food. Ordered online, my order was just being finished as I arrived. The mango smoothie is so yummy, it barely made it home I drank it so quickly. Tried the Zaf. Shrimp appetizer, and they had a really nice breading on them, dipped in the Zaffire sauce, they were flavorful & had a little kick. The falafel app and mixed bowl (chicken & beef) were also great, extra sauced! 😁 Don't sleep on Zaffron kitchen, food great, nice people & dining area was nice too, if you prefer to eat in. Very reasonably priced for portion size and quality. I got 2 smoothies, 2 apps & 2 bowls, it came to $72 with tax & tip It is important to note this is enough food for at least 3 people, or in our case, dinner for 2 and lunch sized leftovers for 2.

Theresa Belli

Ordered the travelers platter to go for dinner tonight, added a steak sald and added a Mediterranean salad . The portions are huge ! I fed 6 adults and we only got through about half ! Everything tasted great ! Love that the sauces were on the side so everyone could take what they wanted ! Food is made to order. Super friendly and professional staff. Although I ordered takeout , the insde looks great ! Its counter service, then sit where you'd like. Lots of parking , easily accessible. They also offer a cash discount t .

C Zielaskowski

Excellent halal food at a good price. I've been there three or four times now. The food is delicious. We've tried the butternut squash, chicken shawarma, the squash and lentil soup, eggplant, falafel, a chicken kebab platter, and the bolanee. My friend was impressed with how tender and moist the chicken was. Everything was fresh and flavors popped. The restaurant itself is very clean and nicely decorated. Zaffron is a great addition to the restaurant scene in Schenectady!

Katrina Little

Great food outside the main drag of Schenectady. The chicken kebab bowl, mangonada smoothie and pistachio b aklava were all delicious. Very wholesome unique flavors. The restaurant has a clean, cozy and open atmosphere. My new favorite spot!

rose steagerman

The owner and staff of this NEW BUSINESS were very nice, the food was delicious! we had falafel, hummus, lamb&shrimp rice plates which were of generous proportions, and with a delicious side salad. A great atmosphere with a rolling video fire and some beautiful middleastern vibe. if youre driving, go slow there IS an entrance despite the construction!!!

Asghar Ali

Amazing food and great service! I had an excellent experience at Zaffron Kitchen. The food was super fresh, flavorful, and perfectly cooked — especially the kebabs and falafel. The staff were friendly, welcoming, and made sure everything was just right. The restaurant is clean, cozy, and has a really nice atmosphere. Definitely one of the best Mediterranean places in the 518 area. Highly recommend to everyone!

Ashley Drew

I saw this location recently opened & wanted to give it a try - TDLR: I would recommend and will definitely be ordering from here again. I ordered a falafel bowl - They allow so much customization in what you add. The falafel was crispy and flavorful. The bowl itself had good flavor and the white sauce was delicious. The portion was enough for me to have dinner and a lunch the next day. I also ordered the butternut squash, which was interesting, sweet, spicy, and tasty. The homemade hummus was great, good pita. My family got beef & chicken bowls; the meat looked tender and well cooked. The only small downside is baklava was a bit wet instead of flaky, but they were still decent to eat. Overall, I really enjoyed my meal, reasonably priced, and quick service. Looking forward to ordering again soon!

Mediterranean food is absolutely my favorite thing to eat so I might be a little harsh with the ratings on this place only because I've had some to die for Mediterranean food in my lifetime. Let's just start off by saying that the restaurant is absolutely beautiful! Even though the parking lot is a little hard to get into with construction in front. It's got a great open atmosphere and even places to eat outside. The decor is awesome and the seating arrangements are very nice and not too crowded. The two gentlemen that were there are very accommodating and welcoming and explained everything very well. They were definitely friendly! We ordered three different types of appetizers. The first one was stuffed grape leaves, these are my absolute favorite appetizer to get at Mediterranean restaurants. Sadly they are not the tastiest ones I've ever had. They are mostly just rice inside and I wasn't really too fond of the flavor, you get 5. I think if there was more fresh herbs inside instead of just rice they would be a lot better, I would give them a 3 out of 5. We also got falafels, they gave us four of them for $6.99. They were good especially with the white sauce but I find them a little pricey. My husband ended up getting the meats dumplings which they call Aushak. They were pretty good but the dumpling itself was a little hard in places. And I'm not really sure what kind of meat was inside I was thinking beef. My husband said they were okay, I liked the gooey stuff they had on top, I think it was some kind of sauce made with lentils possibly? I wasn't too into those either. My son and I both got the chicken rice plates, so it's cooked up pieces of chicken with seasoned rice and then you get to pick the toppings you want on it, I got lettuce, tomato, cucumber, a little bit of hummus, which their hummus is very good by the way, I also got the white sauce which is also very good, a dab of their hot sauce and a couple jalapenos. My husband got the lamb chops and rice which was a little pricey $24... he says that when he read the reviews prior to going there they said that they were supposed to be falling off the bone, he said that they were kind of overdone but he really liked the seasonings on them (3) they were tasty. Overall I give the place a 4 out of 5. I feel that most of the food that I got really needed Salt or more flavor. I feel that Mediterranean food usually is so flavorful and fresh tasting because they always use a lot of herbs and spices. I might give these guys another try but unfortunately the place down the road on upper Union Street is way tastier, and cheaper.

Kelleah Moon

Mediterranean food is absolutely my favorite thing to eat so I might be a little harsh with the ratings on this place only because I've had some to die for Mediterranean food in my lifetime. Let's just start off by saying that the restaurant is absolutely beautiful! Even though the parking lot is a little hard to get into with construction in front. It's got a great open atmosphere and even places to eat outside. The decor is awesome and the seating arrangements are very nice and not too crowded. The two gentlemen that were there are very accommodating and welcoming and explained everything very well. They were definitely friendly! We ordered three different types of appetizers. The first one was stuffed grape leaves, these are my absolute favorite appetizer to get at Mediterranean restaurants. Sadly they are not the tastiest ones I've ever had. They are mostly just rice inside and I wasn't really too fond of the flavor, you get 5. I think if there was more fresh herbs inside instead of just rice they would be a lot better, I would give them a 3 out of 5. We also got falafels, they gave us four of them for $6.99. They were good especially with the white sauce but I find them a little pricey. My husband ended up getting the meats dumplings which they call Aushak. They were pretty good but the dumpling itself was a little hard in places. And I'm not really sure what kind of meat was inside I was thinking beef. My husband said they were okay, I liked the gooey stuff they had on top, I think it was some kind of sauce made with lentils possibly? I wasn't too into those either. My son and I both got the chicken rice plates, so it's cooked up pieces of chicken with seasoned rice and then you get to pick the toppings you want on it, I got lettuce, tomato, cucumber, a little bit of hummus, which their hummus is very good by the way, I also got the white sauce which is also very good, a dab of their hot sauce and a couple jalapenos. My husband got the lamb chops and rice which was a little pricey $24... he says that when he read the reviews prior to going there they said that they were supposed to be falling off the bone, he said that they were kind of overdone but he really liked the seasonings on them (3) they were tasty. Overall I give the place a 4 out of 5. I feel that most of the food that I got really needed Salt or more flavor. I feel that Mediterranean food usually is so flavorful and fresh tasting because they always use a lot of herbs and spices. I might give these guys another try but unfortunately the place down the road on upper Union Street is way tastier, and cheaper.

I ordered a chicken gyro bowl through Grubhub and asked for the sauces on the side. They were left out entirely creating a dry eating experience. The flavors were very good even though I felt like I was missing an integral part of the dish. I’m also very surprised that the shirazi salad topping did not include any cucumber.

Ordered take out this evening. My husband has had some wonderful meals here and recommended the food for dinner tonight. Husband's salmon and rice dish was wonderful. I ordered the steak salad and the steak in the salad was gross. It seamed like it was over marinated and the texture was gelatinous, it was gross!!! I called the restaurant and spoke with the manager who was very receptive. Gave a credit for the next order but I have to say would not order the same dish unless I hear positive feedback on this sight or other sights

Lois Rubin

Ordered take out this evening. My husband has had some wonderful meals here and recommended the food for dinner tonight. Husband's salmon and rice dish was wonderful. I ordered the steak salad and the steak in the salad was gross. It seamed like it was over marinated and the texture was gelatinous, it was gross!!! I called the restaurant and spoke with the manager who was very receptive. Gave a credit for the next order but I have to say would not order the same dish unless I hear positive feedback on this sight or other sights

Emily Mohr

‏I paid $15 for nothing there. I had the worst meal there. I ordered a chicken burger. The burger looked great on the outside, but the ingredients inside were awful. The meat was completely raw, I could feel it under my teeth and I can still smell it. The restaurant is very large and very poor quality. I hope you read my review and do your research so that others don't have this bad experience. Thank you .