Shaya

Amazing Israeli food in a posh upbeat setting. Everything on the menu was delicious and the service was wonderful! There are so many things on the menu, and even the smaller plates are a lot of food. I made the great decision of ordering as much as possible. My favorites are the lamb hummus and the smoked labneh. You can’t go wrong with any of the options. Also, their cocktail game is strong! Don’t sleep on it.

Everything on their menu is amazing. Bread itself lifts you off to a flavorful experience and it's hard to get to the actual menu without being full. So it's best to visit multiple times.

The food was so good, I cried. Not an exaggeration. I had the Baby Ganoush, Lamb Hummus, and Crispy Halloumi. The food was accompanied with free fresh pita. It might not seem like a lot, only 3 dishes right? I was so full by the time I left that I wish I had only gotten two items. My favorite out of the 3 dishes was the Lamb Hummus. The hummus was smooth and the lamb added an amazing flavor that tears came to my eyes. I didn't like the Crispy Halloumi as much as I thought I would. I think the apricot flavor was a little overpowering and the cheese couldn't shine alongside it. Another thing that made my experience unique is that it was also happy hour when I dined in so the hummus was HALF off. So mind-blowing that something so delicious could be affordable. From $18 to only $9 to experience a piece of heaven! I feel like I've got to go here every time I'm in New Orleans now to try all the other menu items. The service was amazing, the waitress attending me was very kind and had great recommendations. If I wasn't driving, I would've loved to have tried a cocktail.

A former Sous Chef at Shaya told us about the fantastic quality of the food at the restaurant at 4313 Magazine St. In the area of the Garden District in New Orleans. He was our Uber driver but his enthusiasm was so uplifting that my family had to eat at Shaya before we left and returned to Arizona. My son had visited Israel a few years ago and told of outstanding hummus. I really didn’t like hummus all that much in the supermarkets but I was willing to be open-minded so maybe I would finally know what the best hummus should taste like. Glad I tried fried chicken hummus and mushroom hummus. Both were incredible and even better with the wood-fired pita, hot and soft to scoop the hummus and chicken or mushrooms. For the Saladin choices on the menu, we chose Baba Ganoush and Shaya supplied enough of the creamy eggplant to feed three of us. We had chosen to eat inside at a comfortable table, and although some say Shaya can be a bit loud, we found the noise level not very distracting. Shaya also has an area outside. The wine and drink selections are varied and high quality. My wife chose Red Blend after she sampled three or four wines until she found the one that would complement her meal the best. I chose Gargenega and was quite satisfied. Kimberly, our server, was extremely accommodating because she wanted me too to have the best choice for wine. My wife and son were sharing everything but the wine. This is the best way to enjoy Shaya by ordering several plates or bowls of humus, Saladin, small plates, and large plates if you still have room left. The small plates were next and we were ready for Sujuk Flatbread and Lamb Kotke Kebab. Kimberly did not rush us through our meal though the table was only so big for all the plates. A couple of times, the staff attempted to pull off the table the nearly empty hummus bowls but my family was into the fine art of cleaning the bowls and so the staff couldn’t remove anything. After three rounds of pita, we were ready for dessert and chose with a lot of help, the Ghazel Banat. The dessert was very different from anything I’ve ever had. The ice cream was excellent, but I would have wanted more ice cream because all three of us shared. Then it was time to leave and walk to St. Louis Street and pick up the cable car and then do an hour of exercise.

Everything was great with the exception the brunette hostess at the door not acknowledging my companion by not taking our name/number for a waitlist. Her demeanor doesn't reflect the beautiful spirit the owner has with her smile. Our waiter, Dylan, assisted us many times to ensure we were well pleased and didn't need anything. Even though the food took awhile coming out to us, our server Phillip, apologized for the delay and served our food with a smile. The food was delicious 😋 😍 👌 We will be back!!!