The Shawarmic Wheel Turns

126 Macdougal St, New York, NY 10012 (map)

Ali Baba has been on MacDougal Street for a long time, and all along it's been knocking out all-star shawarma in town every day, without fanfare. The place is recessed, seedy and dark--only a truly committed shawarmaphile would venture into. The meat is lamb, and like all the best shawarma, it's made with real slices of meat rather than a strange, preformed gray wheel such as you see on so many street carts. Even better, the sandwich is both cheap ($3.50) and filling, which counts for a lot these days.

27-02 Astoria Blvd, New York, NY 11102 (map)

This Astoria spot has a different approach to shawarma: The gyros are made of pork rather than lamb, and they're aggressively seasoned with Cypriot spices. The resulting meat makes for the ultimate pork sandwich--simultaneously crispy and soft, greasy and hot, salty and unctuous. You don't even need the hot grilled pita; order it as a platter, and don't forget the amazing, equally greasy fries.

210 E 14th St, New York, NY 10003 (map)

Over the last 10 years, more and more Israeli restaurants with an emphasis on chicken shawarma have opened in New York. The meat itself can't compare to lamb or pork in terms of flavor, but at Chickpea it's spiced so aggressively and accompanied by so many high-class toppings that it would be an injustice not to include it here. Chickpea also has some of the best falafel in town, which some diners consider to be an essential part of any shawarma joint. We don't necessarily agree with that, but this falafel is outstanding: as fresh and flavorful as any we've had.