Max's Kosher Cafe And Marketplace

This strip mall shop is the weirdest, dumpiest "restaurant" I've ever been to in America, but the shawarma sandwich was absolutely fantastic! The sandwich assembly staff were really helpful and patient. The floor had ripped up tiles, miscellaneous stuff was stored partially hidden behind black curtains, and there were just a few tables along the wall of a large open area. Weird and dumpy! One star for the place. But I'll say again, the shawarma sandwiches, with a falafel on top, were fabulous! Go for the five star sandwich!

Five stars for most authentic falafel and wide salad choices in the area. If your falafel isn't complete without lefet (pickled turnip) and onions, this is the place. (Can't comment on schwarma, I'm a veg.) No stars for dingy 1950s-cafeteria interior and sometimes surly service. Go for the food, not the atmosphere.

I've only ordered for delivery (thanks to Omicron spreading like wildfire lately), but Max's Cafe has the best shawarma plate I've found in the DC area. They don't just cut up some tomato and cucumber and call it a day! Max offers fantastic sumac onion, red and green cabbage, Turkish onion, Israeli salad and pickles, amba, red and green charif... and more. The meat is what I would call standard quality, but the fresh ingredients of the salads and sauces, along with their outstanding flavors, are where the place really shines. I'll be coming here a lot more often in 2022.

Great place for shawarma and falafel. I drove from Annapolis all the way to Silver Spring just to try the food and the drive was well worth it. I had the 1/2 shawarma 1/2 falafel combo ($13) and they were so stuffed with great ingredients I honestly couldn't finish the last few bites of the shawarma. I'll be making this drive again in the near future.