PLATES
Most plates served with a house salad, rice pilaf,
 bulgur pilaf and homemade bread

Falafel Plate
Four Falafel with hummus and tabbouleh

Lamb & Beef Gyro    
Slow-cooked, thin-sliced, marinated lamb & beef

Chicken Gyro
Slow cooked, thin-sliced, marinated chicken

Adana Kebab
Minced lamb lightly spiced with fresh parsley, bell pepper, onion and charcoal grilled                 

Beef Shish Kebab
Skewered marinated top sirloin charcoal grilled

Moussaka (Vegetarian)
Layers of potato, zucchini and eggplant slow-cooked with béchamel and tomato sauce

Chicken Shish Kebab
Marinated chicken cubes charcoal grilled

Lamb Shish Kebab
Marinated lamb cubes charcoal grilled

Salmon Shish Kebab
Lemon & herb marinated fresh salmon charcoal grilled

Alexander’s Favorite
Thin-sliced marinated lamb & beef gyro with bread cubes in fresh tomato sauce & yogurt

Combo Platter
Lamb & beef gyro, chicken & lamb shish kebab

WRAPS
All wraps are served on lavash bread
with lettuce, tomato, onion and tahini sauce

Lamb & Beef Gyros
Slow cooked, thin-sliced, marinated lamb & beef

Chicken Gyros  
Slow cooked, thin-sliced, marinated chicken

Adana Kebab
Skewered charcoal grilled minced lamb w/ fresh parsley, red onion and a touch of hot chili

Kofta       
Minced beef with parsley and red onion

Falafel*           
A blend of ground chickpeas, fava beans, vegetables and spices, deep-fried

Vegetarian     
Grilled assorted fresh vegetables and feta cheese

FAMILY STYLE

Mixed Grill (4 or 6 persons)
Chicken & Lamb Shish Kebab, Adana Kebab, Salmon Kebab, Chicken Gyro & Kofta served family style over rice and with a side salad

SIDES

Rice Pilaf/Bulgur Pilaf/French Fries/Grilled Veggie

Hayes & Kebab: Kurdish Wrap = Perfect Falafel!
February 11, 2009

Shh! It's a secret!
Just walk in casually, we don't want them to know that we know how good it is. Saunter over to the counter and discreetly pick up one of the paper menus beside it. Request the Falafel Wrap ($6.50) and if there are no seats inside, you can wait at a table outside. The presentation is beautiful, sliced diagonally and clean through, one half is balanced on top of the other. Crispy, creamy, steaming seductively it waits for you to sink your pearly whites into its gorgeous innards of sandwichness. One bite and you're gone... Oops, you almost told a passing stranger of its sandwich ecstasies within... Whoa, there laddie! Gotta keep this quiet! Phew, that was a close one. Self control, keep the lips sealed. Back to the felafel...

Good grief! Vegetables were never meant to taste this good, surely. If only mother had known to prepare them this way, you would have cleaned your plate every night. Take another bite, aah, there's something else in here, a hidden ingredient, this tastes extraordinary. The Brothers Tekin have added fava beans to the mix, as well as chick peas and other veggies and then they deep fry it all and that's as far as they will go in vouchsafing their family secret recipe... I did my best to pry it from both of them separately, one-on-one -- no good, the secret stays with them.

Kurds, you know, pictures all over the restaurant walls, from some part of Turkey. Big long knives in some of the pictures, no these guys don't want to give up their secrets to an outsider. They smile a lot and seem very friendly. People are lining up and eating everything off the menu, especially those kebabs and the dips. These rascals have even got the dessert crowd in here. Lured them in with Kurdish family recipe baklava and rice pudding made fresh on the premises daily. These guys have gone too far, and it's cheap too! Oh my G-d, please I asked you to keep it quiet or everybody will be in here!

Hayes & Kebab: for the falafel wrap of your dreams... and the rice pudding.
Go to 406 Hayes (x Gough) Street, San Francisco. Tel: (415) 861-2977.
For more info (but no secret family recipes): bawer@hayeskebab.com or www.hayeskebab.com. Don't tell anybody where this place is... Shh! It's a secret!

Hayes and Kebab
A classy cut above most other falafel joints.

Restaurant

 Member:

 My Rating:

 406 Hayes St
 San Francisco, CA 94102

From the Editors
At this cute Mediterranean restaurant in the rising neighborhood-of-the-moment Hayes Valley, the attentive service, warm decor, and, yes, impeccably clean bathrooms offer a welcome departure from the down-and-dirty vibe of most falafel joints in the city. Hayes and Kebab offers a surprisingly expansive variety of Greek and Mediterranean fare that goes beyond the requisite gyros and falafel to include salads, wraps, sandwiches, and authentic sides such as babaganoush. Make sure to leave room for one of the restaurant's desserts: the homemade Kurdish baklava is pretty spectacular, and the homemade chocolate cake is another terrific choice. For libations, pick from a well-selected menu of domestic and imported beers and wines. Think of Hayes and Kebab as reliable and affordable alternative to the more expensive stalwarts that populate this area near the opera, ballet and symphony houses. –

Colleen Taylor 

Hayes and Kebab

Editorial Review                                         
Kebab cravings are swiftly sated at this Mediterranean cafe in Hayes Valley.                                                           

Mediterranean casual dining for lunch and dinner

Hayes and Kebab Editorial Review – by Lorraine Sanders

In Short
After starting off with tender dolma or buttery spanakopita, diners partake in plates of marinated meats from the grill and warm lavash bread wraps. Salads on offer range from the traditional couscous and tabbouleh varieties to a very California concoction of spinach, gorgonzola and caramelized walnuts. Those who enjoy gyros and falafel with extra bite will want to request the house spicy sauce. Desserts include homemade cakes, Kurdish baklava and rice pudding. Beer and wine are available.

Insider Tips

The Extras
All salads come with homemade pita bread, and all plates are served with pita and a side dish.

Save Time
Takeout and catering are available.