Charcoal chicken
Charcoal chicken, especially the pepper and green chilli versions, receives some of the clearest praise.
Jabal Al Noor Cafeteria - Al Nahda
Al Qusais
Jabal Al Noor Cafeteria is a casual, budget-minded spot in Al Qusais for quick Kerala-style meals, shawarma and charcoal chicken. Reviews also mention indoor and shaded outdoor seating, making it useful for a simple dine-in meal when consistency matters less than convenience and price.
Reputation Score
3.7
★★★★☆
515 ratings
Source: Google Maps
The Good Stuff
Affordable prices
Several customers describe the food as inexpensive or good value compared with nearby options.
Breakfast
One review specifically recommends the breakfast items, while describing the Kerala food as a stronger choice.
Seating options
The cafeteria has indoor seating plus outdoor seating with shade, though it is described as a small venue.
Group platter
The group club bought through Smiles was reported to be filling enough for three to four people after a 50% discount.
What to Eat at Jabal Al Noor Cafeteria - Al Nahda How we choose these items We use AI to find praise and criticism of specific foods and drinks in a selection of Google reviews. For Jabal Al Noor Cafeteria - Al Nahda, this list is based on 50 reviews, not every review of the restaurant. The score is positive reviews minus negative reviews. For example, two positive reviews and one negative review give +1. Each review counts once per item; neutral comments do not change the score. A zero score is not a positive recommendation. “Only neutral feedback” means there are no positive or negative votes. “Mixed feedback” means equal numbers of positive and negative votes. The quotes are examples of what people said, not every comment we counted. We use different reviews where we can. We normally show up to 10 foods and 5 drinks with non-negative scores. Items with the same score stay together. If a tied group would go past the limit, that group and the lower non-negative scores go into Honorable mentions. If an overflowing positive top tie would leave the list empty, we show up to 10 items from that tie and keep the rest in Honorable mentions. Foods and drinks with a negative score are under What to Avoid. Use this as a guide to what reviewers liked, not a guarantee that you will like it too.
Foods and drinks mentioned in reviews of Jabal Al Noor Cafeteria - Al Nahda, ranked by positive reviews minus negative reviews. Zero-score items have no net positive feedback; their labels distinguish neutral-only from mixed feedback.
Food 10
-
Alfahm Net +1
“AlFahm taste is great. Tried Pepper, Green chili (for spice lovers) and normal.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“AlFahm taste is great. Tried Pepper, Green chili (for spice lovers) and normal.”July 2021
-
Charcoal chicken Net +1
“Charcoal Chicken is the best and the hummus and the pita bread and garlic sauce is great. Everything is fresh and upto the mark with the right price and quantity.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Charcoal Chicken is the best and the hummus and the pita bread and garlic sauce is great. Everything is fresh and upto the mark with the right price and quantity.”February 2021
-
Chicken with pepper flavor Net +1
“One full chicken with four pieces of different flavors was a good choice and the one🍗with pepper flavor was most delicious 😋.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“One full chicken with four pieces of different flavors was a good choice and the one🍗with pepper flavor was most delicious 😋.”March 2024
-
Dosa Net +1
“Dosa was quite good though.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Dosa was quite good though.”November 2024
-
Full chicken Net +1
“One full chicken with four pieces of different flavors was a good choice and the one🍗with pepper flavor was most delicious 😋.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“One full chicken with four pieces of different flavors was a good choice and the one🍗with pepper flavor was most delicious 😋.”March 2024
-
Green chilli chikken charcoal Net +1
“Green chilli Chikken charcoal ✅... Superbb...”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Green chilli Chikken charcoal ✅... Superbb...”December 2021
-
Group club Net +1
“Got the group club through smiles and got 50% off, it was very filling and tasty with three different type of fries and burger,club and nuggets, can easily fill 3-4 people. Will recommend”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Got the group club through smiles and got 50% off, it was very filling and tasty with three different type of fries and burger,club and nuggets, can easily fill 3-4 people. Will recommend”January 2025
-
Hasan matar sandwich Net +1
“Hasan Matar Sandwich is so yummy 💟👌 and the fresh juice is the best 😍👍.... but the Felafil have a very strange taste, i couldn't even eat it .. just don't buy Felafil from here 🚫”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Hasan Matar Sandwich is so yummy 💟👌 and the fresh juice is the best 😍👍.... but the Felafil have a very strange taste, i couldn't even eat it .. just don't buy Felafil from here 🚫”August 2017
-
Hummus Net +1
“Charcoal Chicken is the best and the hummus and the pita bread and garlic sauce is great. Everything is fresh and upto the mark with the right price and quantity.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Charcoal Chicken is the best and the hummus and the pita bread and garlic sauce is great. Everything is fresh and upto the mark with the right price and quantity.”February 2021
-
Pita bread Net +1
“Charcoal Chicken is the best and the hummus and the pita bread and garlic sauce is great. Everything is fresh and upto the mark with the right price and quantity.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Charcoal Chicken is the best and the hummus and the pita bread and garlic sauce is great. Everything is fresh and upto the mark with the right price and quantity.”February 2021
Honorable mentions (3)
-
Porotta sandwich Net +1
“It was nice porotta sandwich and a decent soup.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“It was nice porotta sandwich and a decent soup.”September 2021
-
Spicy shawarma Net +1
“Loved their spicy shawarma, placed a delivery and got the order fairly quickly. It’s kind of small but the price justifies it, if you’re hungry I would suggest getting two at least.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Loved their spicy shawarma, placed a delivery and got the order fairly quickly. It’s kind of small but the price justifies it, if you’re hungry I would suggest getting two at least.”June 2025
-
Chicken charcoal pepper Net 0
Only neutral feedback
“Ordered Chicken Charcoal pepper. Delivery was on time. The taste was ok. They have their own style bread. Value for money. Chicken came with fries, salad, bread and hummus.”
Positive 0Negative 0Neutral 1
Drinks 1
-
Watermelon juice Net +1
“Watermelon juice was good though.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Watermelon juice was good though.”November 2021
What to Avoid (12)
Food 12
-
2-Box chicken curry Net −1
“I recently purchased a 2-box chicken curry from Jabal Al Noor Cafeteria for suhoor fasting and it was an very terrible. The food was spoiled and emitted a foul smell that was nauseating.”
Positive 0Negative 1
Critical review excerpts
“I recently purchased a 2-box chicken curry from Jabal Al Noor Cafeteria for suhoor fasting and it was an very terrible. The food was spoiled and emitted a foul smell that was nauseating.”March 2024
-
Avacado Net −1
“Don't even try a tea A to Z everything is very very low quality and no taste at all of burgers and juices specially avacado Seems like has taken avacado from garbage and converted into juice”
Positive 0Negative 1
Critical review excerpts
“Don't even try a tea A to Z everything is very very low quality and no taste at all of burgers and juices specially avacado Seems like has taken avacado from garbage and converted into juice”May 2025
-
Biriyani combo Net −1
“Food tastes below average. I had tried ghee rice and biriyani combo and both was quite disappointing.”
Positive 0Negative 1
Critical review excerpts
“Food tastes below average. I had tried ghee rice and biriyani combo and both was quite disappointing.”November 2021
-
Burger Net −1
“The worst experience full of waste of money we took shawarma hasaan matter and burger quantity was just not worth Please chef who ever is making just go to other restaurants eat their and learn from them . No taste at all”
Positive 0Negative 1
Critical review excerpts
“The worst experience full of waste of money we took shawarma hasaan matter and burger quantity was just not worth Please chef who ever is making just go to other restaurants eat their and learn from them . No taste at all”September 2021
-
Chicken 65 Net −1
“Last night I ordered Chicken 65 spending close to AED 20 and when I opened the container it had literally 3 or 4 scoops of the dish.”
Positive 0Negative 1
Critical review excerpts
“Last night I ordered Chicken 65 spending close to AED 20 and when I opened the container it had literally 3 or 4 scoops of the dish.”March 2025
-
Chilli gopi Net −1
“Worst food and service I have ever had. Cut throat price for chilli Gopi. Bad service and curry is completely added colours. 😡😡”
Positive 0Negative 1
Critical review excerpts
“Worst food and service I have ever had. Cut throat price for chilli Gopi. Bad service and curry is completely added colours. 😡😡”April 2025
-
Felafil Net −1
“Hasan Matar Sandwich is so yummy 💟👌 and the fresh juice is the best 😍👍.... but the Felafil have a very strange taste, i couldn't even eat it .. just don't buy Felafil from here 🚫”
Positive 0Negative 1
Critical review excerpts
“Hasan Matar Sandwich is so yummy 💟👌 and the fresh juice is the best 😍👍.... but the Felafil have a very strange taste, i couldn't even eat it .. just don't buy Felafil from here 🚫”August 2017
-
French fries Net −1
“Ordered for burgers. Not at all good. Not made as per request. Cold French fries. On top they are not ready to accept the issue.”
Positive 0Negative 1
Critical review excerpts
“Ordered for burgers. Not at all good. Not made as per request. Cold French fries. On top they are not ready to accept the issue.”October 2024
-
Ghee rice Net −1
“Food tastes below average. I had tried ghee rice and biriyani combo and both was quite disappointing.”
Positive 0Negative 1
Critical review excerpts
“Food tastes below average. I had tried ghee rice and biriyani combo and both was quite disappointing.”November 2021
-
Plain rice Net −1
“One of worst service, I ordered plain rice, they charged aed 6.50, but quantity is very less, it's not worth for price for they quantity & not recommend shop.”
Positive 0Negative 1
Critical review excerpts
“One of worst service, I ordered plain rice, they charged aed 6.50, but quantity is very less, it's not worth for price for they quantity & not recommend shop.”November 2023
-
Shavarma Net −1
“Shavarma is not authentic.”
Positive 0Negative 1
Critical review excerpts
“Shavarma is not authentic.”September 2024
-
Shawerma Net −1
“The worst ever shawerma, i have ever eat in any where , so bad , no chicken , just tahina and vegetable , im not even forgive them in my money”
Positive 0Negative 1
Critical review excerpts
“The worst ever shawerma, i have ever eat in any where , so bad , no chicken , just tahina and vegetable , im not even forgive them in my money”March 2022
Tips for a Better Visit
Check prices. Confirm each item’s price before ordering; one customer reported an unexplained extra charge on a later visit.
Avoid delivery rush. If ordering delivery, allow substantial extra time or consider eating in; one review says the same-building delivery took over an hour.
Order charcoal. Charcoal chicken is one of the more consistently praised choices, with pepper and green chilli versions specifically mentioned.
Expect small shawarma. The spicy shawarma was described as small, so a hungry diner may want to order two.
Skip Chinese dishes. One review recommends Kerala food and breakfast but specifically advises against the Chinese items.
Plan accessibility. The venue was reported as not accessible to wheelchair users, so check access needs before visiting.
Plan the visit
Practical details
Mai Tower, Near NMC Hospital, Al Nahda 1
Al Nahda First - Al Qusais 1, Dubai
Common Concerns
Food safety
A review reported seeing a rat run from the shawarma station, while others described foul-smelling or spoiled food.
Delivery delays
Delivery complaints range from over an hour to more than three hours, including orders within the same building.
Inconsistent food
Shawarma, biryani, burgers and other dishes receive sharply mixed reviews, including reports of cold fries and tough chicken.
Billing issues
Customers have reported unexplained extra charges and prices changing between ordering and payment.
Customer-reported prices
These are customer-reported mentions, not a current price list. Prices may have changed.
14 AED
Chicken biryani
“I have never been this frustrated and angry after eating chicken biryani in my life! I paid 14 AED for what they call "biryani," and let me tell you, it’s the worst biryani I’ve ever had”Google review · October 2024
DXB
LOCAL
LOCAL
The Bottom Line
Jabal Al Noor Cafeteria is a small, inexpensive neighbourhood restaurant in Al Qusais where you can dine in, grab a quick snack or order delivery. The clearest positives are the charcoal chicken—pepper and green chilli versions get specific praise—and the availability of indoor and shaded outdoor seating. Breakfast and Kerala dishes also have some support in the reviews.
The food is far from consistent. Some customers enjoyed spicy shawarma, dosa, a group club meal and chicken charcoal with hummus, pita and garlic sauce. Others found the shawarma quality had fallen, called the chicken biryani poor value at AED 14, or received cold fries, tiny portions or food they described as foul-smelling.
Chinese dishes are specifically not recommended by one reviewer. Service and delivery are the bigger practical risks. Reviews mention waits of more than an hour for nearby deliveries, one order taking over three hours, missing items and blunt responses when problems were raised.
Confirm prices before ordering, especially at the counter, and think twice about delivery during busy periods. The venue was also described as not wheelchair accessible. For a low-cost emergency meal, it may work; for a time-sensitive order or a meal where food consistency is crucial, proceed cautiously.