Aladdin Express

The food is authentic, made to order and fresh.We asked AL what was a good choice and he directed us to the combination with meat. We chose the Lamb with salad and Chicken with rice. Delicious. We just found our new favorite spot. The prices ate reasonable, better food than fast food hands down.

One of the best restaurants on the VCU Monroe Park Campus. If you live nearby it's a can't-miss. If you live far away it's worth the travel and parking. The crust of their calzones and strombolis are absolutely perfection. The cheese is melty and delicious. The combination plate with shish is very well seasoned. They obviously take pride in their work, and they deserve it. Don't park at Bookholders.

Been going here since I moved to RVA in 2020. The people that work here are very kind. Fantastic authentic food that is healthy and consistent, and their fried food and pizza is good too. Buffalo chicken pizza is my favorite, their onion rings are awesome ( similar to beauvine onion rings ) and their desserts are all made by hand with love. If you want more authentic food get the combination meat platter, the flavors are so good. Also, their spaghetti is consistently good too. Really good prices, I can’t recommend it enough. Give it a try, you might be surprised!! Lots of love and care that has gone into this place. - I don’t smoke so can’t say anything about their hookah

Absolutely Horrendous Experience! I can’t even begin to describe how awful this place is. I ordered a gyro, and it was beyond inedible. The bread was so hard I could have used it as a brick to build a house—literally impossible to bite through. It was like trying to eat a rock. As if that wasn’t bad enough, the hookah was an absolute disaster. They have no idea what they’re doing when it comes to making hookah. The taste was off, the smoke was harsh, and it was clear they don't know the first thing about how to prepare it properly. To top it all off, the atmosphere was downright depressing. The place is lifeless and devoid of any charm or energy. I’ve never seen such a miserable excuse for a restaurant or hookah lounge in my life. Avoid this place at all costs!

I’ll start by saying, I’m glad there’s a halal and vegetarian option close by for VCU students. However I was not impressed by the food. We had gotten a lamb gyro, and also falafel with sides. Pretty underwhelming dishes and the lamb was a bit too chewy. Not terrible, but not good. I do not smoke hookah and haven’t for years now, but I noticed the prices for it were incredibly high… not planning to come back but I wouldn’t steer people with dietary restrictions away as those dishes could have potential.