King David’s Restaurant

The staff always looks like they enjoy doing their job. Fun atmosphere with Middle Eastern décor. Service is quick and waiters are not pushy, which is great. Falafel is always fresh and delicious. The chicken and hummus platter is good, and the shawerma is too. A hidden gem on Marshall.

I’ve been going to King David’s since it’s original incarnation, more years ago than I care to admit when the eatery was in an old house the floors were uneven, the food was relatively inexpensive and, oh yes, very good. There was a remodel, a fire, another remodel and then a move — they are now upstairs over Chipotle. And I won’t go to the Marshal Street location again. Service was very slow. I had the charwarma sandwich — the meat was dry, the bread was stale and everything was in layers, no mixing of the food in the pita. I was willing to give it one more chance, and this was it. If you want good food a la King Davids, go to their DeWitt location.

Lovely casual dining experience. I’ve tried the Greek pizza with chicken and I love the crispiness of the thin crust alongside the fresh ingredients piled on top. I’ve also tried the falafel as well as chicken over rice. Both entrees were okay since they lacked a bit of flavor. Also tried the beef pocket sandwich which is basically beef, tomato, salad and onions stuffed into a pita bread. Pretty filling but again, needed more flavor.
However, I do recommend the Greek platter because it comes with gyro and hummus. The gyro, although on the dry side, was packed with flavor unlike the chicken from the chicken over rice dish. Also, the hummus was deliciously creamy! (Coming from someone who normally dislikes hummus).
Overall, this is a pretty decent Middle Eastern spot here on Marshall. I will definitely be revisiting.

Being new in town and a lover of mediterranean food, I asked several locals where I could get a good souvlaki dinner. Everyone mentioned King David, so I made the trip with a new friend.
It was Saturday and I was worried once I arrived as Marshall St is filled with eateries that were very busy, but King David was not. Atmosphere was akin to a mom and pop pizzeria. Hoping there were not a lot of people who were looking for the same food I was, I perused a menu with decent selection and moderate prices.
My chicken and lamb dinner was tremendously disappointing. The white rice which served as a bed was bland and comprised ²⁄₃ of the volume of the plate. The side salad was a few shreds of iceberg with an unknown, uninteresting topping. The 7 chicken skewer pieces were quarter sized and very plain, but ok. The lamb was the driest, toughest pieces of grizzle I have ever had. If you have ever had unseasoned chicken gizzards, you have had this lamb. Truly had to work at chewing each piece for about a minute to swallow it.
My companion’s summation on her chicken dish: nothing to write home about.
On the bright side, the hummus was delicious! Creamy and fresh and it became the focus of our limited enjoyment.
We ordered baklava to end on a sweet note and received two items that can only be described as very dry, flaky egg rolls with nuts inside. Not baklava that I have ever had… or want again.
I am hoping Syracuse has better to offer. I will not be revisiting King David.

King David’s chefs know how to cook. The food just simply tastes good. There are food foundations that anyone should look for when critiquing food. A chicken is better cooked on the pan until «golden brown» on the outside, than just «white all around.» A falafel (or anything deep-​fried) is better without too much breading. A salad is better prepared without it being drenched with dressing such that it masks the salad. They accomplish all of this, and THEN some more.
The garnishes put on almost all their dishes are appropriate and complete the tastes. Their tzatziki sauce is fresh, and you can actually taste cucumber pieces here and there. Wow. That is the sign of it being homemade. Their baba ghanoush and hummus also tasted homemade and fresh, with aromas being strong with more flavor compared to supermarket brands like «Sabra.»
Get the Veggie Platter. It’s $ 20 for 2 dinners, AND LEFTOVERS. Oh my goodness, there is so much variety, and you won’t be able to stop eating until your stomach physiologically cannot fit anymore food. ¹⁰⁄₁₀

Don’t usually write reviews, but had dinner here last night with 3 others. We all agreed some of the best, most authentic food we’ve ever had. Thanks for a great meal!

Small, upstairs casual restaurant. Not much in terms of ambiance, but a good view of campus.
It’s a mix of Greek and middle eastern cuisine. They do not serve alcohol. The food was good overall, and portions were large. Will definitely come back next time I’m visiting Syracuse.

Food is inexpensive and really good. The staff is great. Very down to earth and friendly. Makes you feel at home. The only complaint I have is the news blasting in the tv all the time. Turn the tv off & play some nice music. That would bring the environment rating up about a million notches. If it wasn’t for the TV blasting I would be a regular.

I have been here a few times. I tried the falafel sandwich and a friend had their kafta platter. However, I was disappointed to see that the portion sizes were small and it was not as flavorful as I was expecting it to be. Mediterranean food is known for it’s simplicity but it should be flavorful.
The only plus point is that the location is close to the hospital.

A little gem in Marshall street. Food was great, portions were hefty and prices very reasonable. The eggplant Greek Pitza was amazing so was the vegetarian plate and the falafel sandwich. My fiend and I were so excited to try all the food we ordered three dishes to share — and ended up taking a home a full box.
The reason why I’m giving it 4 instead of 5 is because the service was slow, the waitress was on her laptop turned away from us and before she was talking to another table forth at seemed like 10minutes. Also the hummus was bland to me I ended up adding a lot of the hot sauce that was on the table.

Delicious, excellently prepared Greek, Middle Eastern and Mediterranean fare. What an unexpected treat to find on a College campus. These guys do such an excellent job. The humus is so good. While i’m not usually a fan of grape leaves, these guys prepared them perfectly, and they tasted very good. They also make an AWESOME greek salad, and an absolutely refreshing tabouli salad. Without a doubt, if you’re an SU student with an exceptional palate, you MUST got to King David’s to try some great, out-​of-​the-​ordinary cuisine.

3.5 to 3.75-star restaurant (updated 10÷7÷15). I love this place and have been to both locations numerous times. What had kept it from the 4 rating was that it is on the slightly pricer end for the fare and the variability when it comes to their food (at both locations). The Fayetville location offers a more intimate dining experience which can be a plus for a date versus the Marshall street location which is more cramp.
My recommendation: COME HERE for MEDITERRANEAN FOOD in Syracuse.

King David’s is A poor attempt at a middle eastern restaurant. Their interpretation of food is middle east meets McDonald’s; low quality. I ordered their kofta platter and was disappointed to be served bland ground beef over a bed of greasy rice. There dips are okay at best, and their hummus was a little better than I expected. however, I’m not sure if the humus was store-​bought or homemade.
King David’s is convenient dude it’s proximity to Syracuse University and crouse hospital. However, if you are coming in from an area outside the previously mentioned spots parking can be difficult.
In terms of Middle Eastern food, king David’s misses the mark. Other Middle Eastern restaurants in Syracuse are more authentic and tastier.

My friend and I tried the King David’s in Fayetville a few months back and were extremely impressed, so we were eager to try the one on Marshall St.
I ordered the chicken gyro, and unfortunately wasn’t in love with my meal like I was in Fayetville. They were far too liberal with the dressing, both on the sandwich and the salad, and it was too much for me. The chicken in the gyro became bland after a few bites, and the bit of falafel I had was «herbier» than I’m used to. I will say that I really liked the French fries, but that’s something I can get anywhere.
I also ordered a Nectar juice, to try something new, and I found that revolting as well. It comes in a can, imported from another country, and it’s more like a smoothie because it’s unnaturally thick. I was not amused by it whatsoever.
Perhaps it was what I ordered, but I was quite disappointed in my meal here and wouldn’t return. I will say, though, that our waitress was very sweet!

This is a GEM and has been around forever on Marshall Street right on the campus of Syracuse University.
I always order the Vegetarian Plate ($ 8.50) which includes hummus, baba, falafel, tabbouleh, their special tahini salad and pita. This is a ton of food for one person, however, I am usually able to successfully scarf it down before we head up the hill to watch the Orange destroy their opposition. The hummus is the absolute standout here. It’s really creamy and absolutely perfect with a little dollop of hot sauce on it. The falafel are crispy, but not too fried and the baba is perfectly charred
The service is super speedy. It is up a flight of stairs, so I am not sure if it is handicap accessible.
YUM! Go ‘Cuse!

Went there for the first time yesterday for dinner. Been in town for a project the last several month and had past the restaurant many times and decided to go, as it was highly recommended by several people. I’m a big Middle Eastern food fan, and am always up for a good falafel wrap and hummus. Ordered the falafel platter with hummus. Usually, with my falafel wrap, I like to put on some of the authentic hot sauce to give it a little spice. Noticed on the tables that instead of the authentic hot sauce, they had Franks Red Hot Sauce… really, you’re going to serve Middle Eastern food with Franks Red Hot. Asked the waitress if they had any other hot sauce and she mentioned that there was this mango hot sauce that she could bring out. Figured, I’d give it a try. So, the sauce she brought out was an Indian Mango Pickle and with me being Indian, there was no way this was going to jive with the Falafel wrap. Anyway, the food came out. The hummus and tahini salad were good. Overall, the Falafel wrap was ok. The pita it came in was on the drier side… like it had been sitting under a heat lamp and dried out a bit.
Sorry for being negative about the hot sauces, but if you’re an authentic place and not like a Pita Pit, I would at least assume you have authentic items.
Overall, I’ll give this place another try. I always feel any place is worth a second shot because they could be having an off day.

I have had mixed experiences at King David’s. Once or twice, I’ve been there and the food was phenomenal. A few other times, however, the place has been a huge disappointment.
The prices are are on the moderate-​high side and it’s not very consistent, so the best I can go right now is three stars.

Service stinks!
My husband was visiting me at Crouse Hospital and we decided to get takeaway from King Davids. We ordered 2 things — a falafel sandwich and the hummus entrée. When my husband picked up the food they charged him $ 18 — which was vastly different than what was on the menu and in hindsight what was on the website menu.
When he got the food back to the room the hummus entrée turned out to be 2 falafel patties, hummus, and a side of hummus and some «salad» if you can call 2 pieces of lettuce a salad. No pita bread despite its inclusion in the entrée menu description.
The food tasted good but the poor service and bilking of visiting customers ruined the experience for us. If you want to be ripped off I would recommend this place. Otherwise steer clear.

Heard good things about this location so my gf and wanted to test it out. I was turned off at first flaxen of the paper menu and prices. We decided to get the gyro dinner and Lamb/​chicken kabobs. Both products came with a side salad, fries and falafel. A lot of selection for a small meal. The protiens very overcooked so it was fairly dry. My favorite thing about the meal was the falafel. I will only go back for a falafel wrap. I was not impressed with there other items.

I came here with 10 of my friends around 5… before it gets really busy. The employees were very nice enough to attach a few tables so all of us could fit. The food here is cheap, but you get pretty big portions.
The service was great… but I have to take one star away because of the hummus… it just tasted old and sour… but maybe because I’m so used to the Sabra hummus from wegman’s. it just didn’t taste good to me.