The Kabab Shop in Little Ferry

If you know me, you know I love trying new restaurants no matter where they may be located. I especially love Greek food, so when the new Kabab Shop opened in Little Ferry, I knew I had to give it a try as soon as possible.  It is located at 375 Liberty Street in a small strip mall just north of Route 46. The Kabab Shop, which has been open since January of this year, was the brainchild of owner Mike Bracke. 

I recently paid the Kabab Shop a visit and was pleasantly surprised with the quality products they are serving. The interior of the restaurant is quite Spartan (no pun intended). It has high ceilings and both walls are covered by an identical mural of the Greek coastline, replete with swimming dolphins and a Doric temple.  Above the mural, the walls are lined with terracotta tiles emulating a roof. 

The counter is situated a few long strides from the door.  Behind the counter, the menu board hangs listing the restaurant’s offerings, which include kababs, falafel, grape leaves, hummus, Greek salad and a few other items. There’s an opening in the wall that gives you a peek into the brand new, spotless kitchen where the food is all prepared to order.

I stuck with the basics on my visit. I ordered both a lamb and a chicken kabab. They were served with Greek fries, a Greek salad and one stuffed grape leaf. The young lady behind the counter was very helpful and answered my questions thoroughly, namely how the kababs are prepared. They are marinated for a minimum of 24 hours in a marinade that is the chef’s secret.  I am sure lemon juice, oil, salt, pepper and oregano are the star components to the marinade. I paid for my order and found a seat at one of the handful of tables. 

Before I knew it, the young lady arrived at my table with my platter. The kababs, fries, salad and grape leaf were served in a no frills aluminum take out container. The salad was flawlessly seasoned and dressed. The acid of the vinaigrette was bright and the earthy, herbaceousness of the oregano and other spices were subtly present. 

The Greek fries were great, too. They were thick cut, steak fries. I could tell that these fries were fresh and not your run of the mill frozen variety. There’s just something about that lemon/oregano combo that makes all food items it graces extra special. These fries were no exception.

The stuffed grape leaf was definitely the dark horse of the platter. Most times, when you dine at Greek restaurants or even diners, the grape leaf served is usually ice cold or half frozen that when you bite into it, you get a chill from head to toe. The grape leaf at the Kabab Shop was not ice cold, rather it was cool, leaning toward room temperature, which I prefer. The rice stuffing was flavorful.  I made quick work of devouring the grape leaf. 

But the real star of the platter was definitely the kababs, as they should be.  The chicken one was great, but I really loved the lamb one. They use chicken thighs, which as you may know are super flavorful. Chicken breasts just wouldn’t work in this preparation. They’d be too dry. The chicken thighs were super juicy and the marinade unquestionably added to the overall flavor. But like I said, the lamb kabab was a shining star. Sometimes eating lamb out can be a chore, whether it’s too tough or overly gamey. These were neither.  The lamb was cooked through, which sometimes lends itself to being tough. Not so here. The lamb was super tender and moist, much like the chicken. The marinade definitely breaks down the protein to make it easier on the teeth and a real pleasure to eat. 

I was so happy with my lunch that I told my wife about it as soon as I got home.  She wanted to check it out, too.  So we were planning on going for lunch on Sunday, but to our dismay they were closed.  Sunday is their day off.  But we will be back to delight ourselves in the Kabab Shop’s kababs.

The Kabab Shop

375 Liberty St

Little Ferry, NJ 07643

Tel: (201) 641-0035

http://www.thekababshop.com