Al-Sham Sweets & Pastries

One of the worst baklavas I have ever had. If you like your baklava soggy and without any crisp at all if you like it without that signature buttery flavor then my friends this really is the place for you. The rudest customer service I have received in a long time on top of me asking for crushed pistachio baklava for three dollars worth. The guy puts like seven pieces of very small pieces of baklava on it only to pull off four and give me three small pieces of baklava for a dollar each. Even the guy serving it wondered for a sec if it was overpriced which it was.

Knafa is great — used a microwave to heat it but God was it the best piece of knafa I’ve had in years

Great bakery and loved going there every now and then when I lived in Queens. It would be great if they’d open a location on Long Island… hint hint

My mom is the knafeh queen so when I have knafeh outside of the house, I compare it to hers. Every time it falls short (usually very short) of her perfect recipe, but Al-​Sham is the closest competitor thus far!
I tried a slice of the ashta knafeh and the cheese knafeh. Both were delicious, but since my mom set a high standard for cheese knafeh, the ashta was more of a stand out to me. Usually the problem with knafeh shops is that you’re not getting it straight out of the oven (they obviously can’t make every customer a fresh piece since they make it in large trays) so the cheese gets tough and the breading gets dry, but Al-​Sham seems to have solved that problem. If I hadn’t seen them reheat the knafeh, I honestly wouldn’t have known it had been sitting out for a bit.
I don’t know how knafeh is usually priced, but I thought it was well worth what I paid (it’s cash only by the way). The employee seemed to just throw out a price off the top of his head and I’m pretty sure I got a good deal because of that Arab connection. Totally unrelated to price, my only complaint is that they didn’t have knives. It’s darn near impossible to cut stringy cheese with a plastic fork, but hey you’ll do whatever it takes to eat good knafeh.
Even though I prefer the knafeh queen’s knafeh, the knafeh in Queens is still delicious. I highly recommend you check out Al-​Sham Sweets & Pastries for an authentic Arab dessert experience.

Delicious baklava — not overly sweet and loaded with nuts. I love the pistachio — also the rolled baklava was great (small coils of crispy pastry and nuts)
If they have rice pudding — highly recommended.
Not a fan of Knafai but theirs is as good as it gets. Really nice people and fresh wonderful baked goods. A NYC Queens gem!

Al Sham always provides a calm atmosphere with an at home feel in a very hectic city. The shop is tucked into Steinway St, an important gem to the community in Queens. It’s very clean, and the desserts are warm and fresh regardless of the time of day you go. The employees are polite and respectful, and happy to answer any questions you have if you aren’t familiar with a sweet or it’s ingredients. They always have the freshest, highest quality sweets available.
I recommend the kunafeh and their numerous types of baklava to all of my friends, and any time I have a guest from out of town I make a point to take them to Al Sham.

Lovely bakery with one of the most unique sweets I’ve had: kanafeh. A neon orange wheel of pastry, with a sticky, syrupy crust that looks like a tangle of vermicelli and a filling of warm, slightly salty white cheese. Ask for the crispy kind. They also have wonderful baklava and basbousa, an Egyptian semolina cake soaked in syrup.

First time in NY and this place has the best Knafe and the best customer service! Food was fresh and delicious.

What. I am here every weekend. Definitely get the Kanafeh/​knafeh…
I’ve tried all of the Turkish, Greek places in the city, also the boxed ones from Kronos from NJ… nothing compares to this!
Everyone tells me it taste just like the Middle East.
Price is steep, but you are paying for the honey and pistachios — expensive!
$ 15 per pound.

Saw this place while visiting a friend and looked it up to find it had great reviews. I decided to give it a try. Phenomenal baklava and knafeh. First time trying knafeh, so I don’t have anything to compare it to, but it tasted perfect. The texture, combinations of flavors with just the right amount of sweetness was really impressive. The baklava is also awesome. I’ll likely go back to get more to bring home for friends.

Best kunafeh in New York. Other sweets are pretty good too. Nice selection and pretty clean. Also pretty good hours so you can get your sweet fix when you need. Side note, the guy at the counter can sometimes be a little unfriendly but overall it’s worth a trip.

My friends and I just came back from an amazing trip to the Middle East– specifically Jordan/​Israel and were introduced to knafeh by our tour guide. As the shuttle was rolling through the crowded street in Amman, he made the driver stop, hopped out and came back with plates and plates of this warm concoction of fried cheese with a wonderfully sweet and slightly sticky crust– omg, it was soooo good.
We’ve been craving it since and are all so glad when our buddy found out about Al-​Sham online. It’s not much of a place to linger since it’s pretty bare-​boned inside and a little trek from the train — but their knafeh was worth it. Although not exactly as good as the one we got in Jordan, it was close… and that is pretty darn good enough for us.

I tend not to enjoy baklava at many of the Greek places in the neighborhood for a few reasons: 1. It’s usually so sweet, it makes me cringe. 2. Often, the philo dough is tough or stale, or so soaked with syrup that it’s like eating wet cardboard. 3. The nuts are often not chopped finely enough, which steals the baklava of its chewy component. Al-Sham’s baklava does not suffer from any of these faults. Sure, their baklava is extremely sweet, but not so much so that the buttery pastry or perfectly toothsome nut mixtures are overshadowed. This may be the best baklava I’ve ever had, especially considering how reasonable the prices are, unlike Güllüoglu, which also has great stuff, but costs a fortune.
And the kanafeh! How do they manage to make it so delicious? They usually have two varieties, one that looks a bit like a very thin marinara pizza, and another that has a shredded-​pastry topping. While both are delicious, the red pizza-​looking one is one of the most delicious things I’ve ever eaten, especially when eaten right there while it’s warm (don’t be shy, the regulars who hang out there will make room for you at the counter if you ask nicely). It’s buttery, melted-​cheesy, sweet-​but-​not-​too-​sweet, with just a little crunch and a small piece is all you need.
Some of the reviews on here state that the service here is unfriendly. I think this is a clear case of cultural misunderstanding; the guys who work here are friendly, but they’re not «American over-​the-​top fake friendly.» They leave you alone until you ask them to help you, and when you do, they give you straightforward service devoid of small-​talk or pleasantries; this is not rude, just different from what many people are used to. Also, it’s clear that English is not the first language for some of the guys here, so a lot of the perceived «rudeness» probably stems from that. Drop the entitled attitude and you’ll fare much better.
I always make a point of bringing out of town guests here because everyone is always blown away. In the summer, I like to get a few treats here and head next door to the Moroccan restaurant to sit outside, have a pot of strong mint green tea, and watch the hustle and bustle on Steinway.
Can’t recommend this place enough!

Amazing baklava! Literally the best I have eaten. I have lived a few blocks away for years and never had it before.
The place is pretty small but it doesn’t make any difference to the quality of food. I got three small pieces for $ 2.00. At first I thought it was a bit high but then I tried it and my world shifted.
In all seriousness they should mail some of their baklava to war torn and impoverished countries for the betterment of the world.
*I wasn’t paid to write this review but I would write the most beautifully crafted poetry and prose to get more of their baklava*

Always fresh, always delicious! Great bakery! Very happy to have it in our neighborhood.

Delicious pastries, but for me it’s the espresso that does it: full and rich with no bitterness! A selection of mixed baklava is only $ 15.95 per pound and gives you the chance to try a variety.

There are many pastry places in Astoria and a lot of middle eastern desert spots on Steinway, but this in my opinion has the best tasting baklava! It’s a small unpretentious spot that you might easily walk past without noticing it, the guys who work here are always very friendly and patiently explain all of the different types of desserts. I’ve always ordered the pistachio baklava and the almond version. The pieces are small which I like and I’m usually satisfied with just 2 pieces. If you love honey like I do make sure to ask for the pieces that are on the bottom of the tray since they are soaked with the honey! The flaky dough layers, nuts and the sweetness of the honey make the baklava here taste absolutely amazing! They really have a great balance when it comes to the blending of all the ingredients. I finally tried the kanafeh and totally fell in love! The combination of sweet cheese and rose and orange blossom syrup is beyond delicious! I wanted to eat the entire tray, the only thing that stopped me was that I ran out of cash and this place is cash only. Looking forward to my next visit and having more of the kanafeh!

BEST. KANAFEH. EVER.
I’ve known my best friend for a couple of months now and I kid you not, the guy has been talking about the kanafehs here since we became friends. We would go to other places where he’d order the kanafeh and go, «ugh the place in Steinway is so much better.» So finally we decided to drive over to Steinway today and get the cart food from 34^th Ave, which by the way is amazing, and then stop by this place for their infamous kanafehs.
I had never tried kanafehs from here before and was curious to see if the pastries would actually live up to my best friend’s hype. So after we picked up our cart food, he drove over to this spot and ordered two. Right away I could tell the kanafehs were different, the top seemed far more toasted and had a more golden brown exterior. He suggested we eat the pastries before our meal because it tasted better warm.
And let me tell you — he was not wrong. The kanafehs were toasted on the outside but warm and creamy on the inside, ooeygooey with scrumptious cheese. Better than kanafehs you’d eat at fancy restaurants! It was seriously amazing. My best friend said the guy before would drizzle honey on top which made it better but he still loved it very much. If you wanna try amazing kanafeh, this is the place. Don’t doubt it, trust me.

My search for good kunafeh has finally ended.
This is the place! Delicious kunafeh!
No place to really sit and eat. so consider it a takeout spot.
It’s a shame they don’t make mint tea. so had to go to the Moroccan spot next door for it

Just as a few others have noted: the service may leave something to be desired but the pastries are DAYYYMNNNN good.
After a brief hello, I asked what’s the difference between all the baklava. He, CLEARLY wearing his annoyed face, explained that each is filled with a different nut… cashew, almond, pistachio, etc. I reckon he’s probably because he’s explained this 80x a day… but maybe his painful plight could be eased with SIGNS? Anyways, we said we wanted a little bit of everything. He gave us 3 of 8 different ones. None of the pistachio ones… I see what you did there mister. Pistachio is the most expensive nut in the world. Since I didn’t specify enough, I didn’t get any of them. Dang! Oh well, I know for next time. HOWEVER, it was $ 15 a lb… he gave us a little over (1.09 after taring the styrofoam). Alright, alright I guess I can’t be too harsh in stars then… It was also like a hundred degrees in there.
As for taste, wow! This is certified authentic and absolutely delish. I have a few Egyptian friends whom I’ve begged in the past to teach me how to make baklava, and these are spot on with hers… just as delicious and definitely handmade. They are different from their Grecian counterparts though (more sugar sweet as opposed to honey, and less lemon if any at all) so you can’t quite compare to Artopolis.
So brave the callous service… you call yourself a NY’er right? And if not, when in Rome… be blunt back!!! And you’ll be rewarded with gooey, flaky goodness :)

A small shop and kinda easy to miss but it’s right next door to the Moroccan restaurant with the large orange awning on the corner, across the street from the masjid.
The man working in Al-​Sham doesn’t give off the best first impression but he gave Salam to my husband right away, so that was good enough. I’ve had baklava, kunafa, and whatever else there is, numerous of times but I still asked him what’s the difference in them, and even though he looks mean, he managed to tell me in a nice way, so I give him points for that.
The sweets I had there were the best I tasted. I would go back. I had 10 assorted pieces and it came up $ 8. It was worth it.
The atmosphere is a pick it up, take it outside and keep it moving type of place. But I like that.

I live near this bakery and I was looking to try something new, so I stopped in here on a Saturday.
When I walked in, there were two people behind the counter. I asked if they had any price lists of some sort and neither of them responded at all. I noticed there were stickers with prices for baklava and cake, but nothing else for any of their other sweets, so I decided to settle for the baklava.
I’ve never had baklava before, so I stood there looking at what they had on display while one of the men behind the counter looked at me waiting for me to order. After a couple minutes, he asked if I needed any help (I was just looking) before turning around to work on something else.
After thinking about what I wanted, I told him I’d never had baklava before and asked about how much it would be if I just wanted to try one. He just told me they were $ 15 a pound. Okay… If I’ve never had baklava before and they’re all the same size and you work there… How is repeating what’s on the sticker over the baklava going to help me determine how much of a pound of baklava and what type I would like to purchase?
I left and didn’t buy anything – the staff here is very unhelpful.

I’ve read such great reviews of this place so I stopped by recently to give it a try:
Food:
The pistachio baklava was one of best (if not the best) I’ve ever had so that gets my highest ranking. The almond and walnut baklava had an odd consistency and was not impressed with the texture (tasted ok though). The crunchy honey balls were a bit messy and my least favorite.
Location:
Easy to get there and the walk down Steinway is always full of surprises with different shops and business along the way. It was nice to soak up the culture (during the day at least, not sure how it is in the evening/​nighttime).
Value:
A bit costly for baklava but the really good pastries offered are worth it.
Service:
This is where they lost me and I would never return. I arrived in the middle of a weekend afternoon and there were no other customers at the time. I asked for descriptions of several pastries and the employees behind the counter seemed annoyed and I even caught them looking out the window as they spoke. Not the greatest interaction I’ve had but ok. I even added my change to their tip jar after I paid ($ 1 and change) and wasn’t even given a thank you. I then took my $ 20 or so worth of pastries and sat down in the back counter table to try a few and kept getting glances the whole time. I felt very uncomfortable unfortunately and can’t see myself going back there again. It’s a shame but this is nyc so there’s plenty of other places to choose from.

4.5 stars.
Ok this is the best authentic baklava/​middle eastern pastry joint in NYC i’ve been to. The best thing is actually the khafia (or kalifa)? the flaky rice stringy looking one. nice and soft and sweet and crispy. baklava is also top notch, and the random crunchy honey balls they put out while i was there. you just can’t go wrong.
I’ll just take off half a star because $ 15 per pound is excessive, and i would normally take a full star off for this. But this place is so damn good it justifies the price 100%.
cash only i think.

My favorite bakery in Astoria at the moment.
So one night I had a BIG craving for baklava, not cake, or pudding or jelly beans, but specifically baklava (the mystery of the human crave center). I Unilocaled «baklava» and Al-​Sham was one of the top results with great reviews.
My bf and I ordered 2 pounds of assorted baklava, and to our luck the baker set out a large plate of honey balls straight from baking (or frying? I’m not sure of what the process is). I think he saw my eyes get huge and my mouth drop when he set down the plate. He offered us a taste (for free!) and OMG, they were SO good. The balls were sweet and crispy on the outside, and after taking a bite warm gooey honey poured out. If I didn’t feel like such a glutton for order 2 lbs of baklava I would have ordered some and when I’m around this block again I WILL get some honey balls.
The actual baklavas were so damn good, needless to say that those 2 lbs were absorbed at lighting speed when we got home.

The person that introduced me to this place was my lovely Girlfriend, I never knew what Arabic pastries tasted like.
We’ve been coming here for the past year and love every single one of the pastries they make. Everything is always fresh out the oven and ready to eat.
The owner is really friendly and always throw a lil something extra in top of what we buy.

The first time I came here was during Ramadan of last year. They had these special desserts out (or at least that is what the guy told me) made of cheese, honey, and nuts. In short, it was delicious, but strangely enough, I hadn’t gone back since tonight.
I’m not sure what each bite size dessert is called but I do know it is a variation of Baklava (or at least that’s what I think it is). The desserts are great. The mixture of honey, nuts, and crispy flakes with a glass milk make me think of an older world for some strange reason.
If you live in the area, you probably know there are a few Middle Eastern dessert spots, but for my dollar I would recommend coming here. The price is about $ 15 per pound, but both times I have come through the guy has always rounded down in regards to price. For example, tonight the actual cost was $ 8.55 but the guy bumped it down to $ 8. It is also cash only so come prepared. If you do come, I recommend the cylindrical shaped desserts.

This place is awesome!!! Talal is your guy! Always warm and welcoming despite the hour. Amazing customer service and an assortment of yummy baklava will have you crawling back in here over and over again!
Though $ 13/​lb may sound a bit pricey, it’s worth every bite. Freshly made great quality baklava that’s crisp and not too sweet. My favorite one is their almond and chocolate baklava, simply delicious! Highly recommend this place for your Baklava cravings!
*Make sure the baklava is fresh when u get it or else it will taste soggy and not crispy*.

I kid you not, Talal has GOT to be the nicest shop owner in the entire world — I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone who was so sweet and welcoming to customers who were coming in at 11:30 at night!
They have a whole assortment of baklava and although it may seem pricey at $ 13/​lb, everything I sampled was very high quality — freshly made and delicious! I got 6 pieces to go for $ 4 because Talal kindly rounded down the cost AND offered us free pieces of baklava because it was our friend’s birthday.
I wish I could come here every day, but will definitely stop by any time I’m in the neighborhood!