Al Aqsa Bakery & Restaurant

This counter-service spot in Bay Ridge has everything from foul mudammas and manakish covered in za’atar to kabab platters and, our go-to, Palestinian-style shawarma. You can get the shawarma inside a fluffy pita, but we prefer the laffa wrap with juicy, tender meat and crunchy pickles neatly packed inside. There are only a couple cramped tables inside that are usually occupied by regulars, but the wrap is easy to eat on the go if you feel like window shopping for Middle Eastern goods along 5th. The hummus is less portable, but grab some to take home anyway. It comes topped with bright green shatta and olive oil, and it looks like a gorgeous, mossy pond.