Oasis

Penny-saving hipsters rejoice at the dirt-cheap prices, even if the food can be hit-or-miss. The joint thrives on take-out: A few tables and a counter make it convenient for a shawarma pit stop, if you don’t mind harsh fluorescent lighting and blaring Middle Eastern soap operas on the TV. Za’atar, a crisp disk of dough topped with a mixture of olive oil, thyme and sumac, is aromatic and tangy; the shawarma is unusually tender. Salty rice and lentil mujaddarah, like the falafel, may leave you begging for a glass of water. Beware the baklava, which was dry and misguidedly packed with chunks of cashews.