Eat · Downtown and Tahrir
Abou Shakra (kebab and kofta grill)
A Cairo grill institution near Garden City, open since the late 1940s: go for kebab and kofta with mezze, lunch or dinner, and expect a full sit-down bill rather than a street-food price.
- Cairo grill institution since the late 1940s
- Mixed grill with mezze
- Sit-down, not street-food pricing
- Order: Kofta and kebab grill
- Table seating
- Walk-in window: lunch (13:00–15:30)
- Halal
Highlights come from Voykit's own data and desk notes, not from reviews. Hover a tag to see its source.
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Map & directions
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Plan
Open now, when you can walk in, what to order
Go now?
Open?
Hours not published
Easiest walk-in
lunch (13:00–15:30)
Reservations
Walk-in, no reservation
Walk-in windows
A walk-in lunch is only planned as primary when your arrival lands outside the “impossible” window.
Not checked in the last 12 months (no check date on file).
On the ground
How to order, tip and pay, allergies, and booking
Tipping
Service is usually on the bill already; unlike in the US, don't add 15–20% on top.
Allergies and diets
- Not on fileVegetarian · A workable vegetarian meal is possible from the mezze, but the menu is grill-first. · say: “Ask for mezze and salads only.”
- Not on fileNo pork · The kitchen is built around lamb and beef grills. · say: “Egypt is a majority-Muslim country; pork is essentially absent from the menu here.”
Paying
- Ask whether service and VAT are included in the menu price before you order.
Booking
- Booking
- Walk-in, no reservation
- Reservations
- Taken
- Note
- Recommended for groups or a Thursday/Friday evening; walk-in usually works for one or two people at lunch.
Not checked in the last 12 months (no check date on file).
Map and nearby
Where this place is, how to get there, and what is around it
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors
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Nearby places
Eat nearby
More detail
Everything else we know about this place
How to order here, in full
How to order here
The order of play at the counter or table, what to say, how much to order and how to pay.
No shared language? Point at the dish or a photo of it. For a printed menu, translate a photo of it.
What to say
| In English | Say or show | Sounds like |
|---|---|---|
| How much is this? | بكام ده؟ | bikam da |
| No sugar, please | من غير سكر | min gheir sukkar |
| The bill, please | الحساب لو سمحت | el-hesab law samaht |
| Hello | أهلاً | ahlan |
| Thank you | شكراً | shukran |
Extras, condiments and what costs extra
- Extra mezze plates: Charged per plate unless stated as complimentary — Ask before the table fills with dishes you did not order.
- Bread and a small side (tahini, pickles) often arrive unasked and are usually free — but confirm if unsure, especially at tourist-facing places.
Paying and tipping
Service is usually on the bill already; unlike in the US, don't add 15–20% on top.
- Ask whether service and VAT are included in the menu price before you order.
- Tipping: Small tips are expected widely — for a bag carried, a toilet attendant, a site guard who points something out. It is a normal part of daily transactions, not begging.
At the table
- Eat where the pot or the grill has fast turnover; a queue of locals is a good sign, not a bad one.
- Ask the price of anything without a printed menu before you order, especially at tourist-area cafés near major sights.
Paying, diet and allergies
Diet and allergies
Yes means there is something for you; ask means possible with care; no means go elsewhere.
- Vegetariannot on file
A workable vegetarian meal is possible from the mezze, but the menu is grill-first.
Show: Ask for mezze and salads only.
- No porknot on file
The kitchen is built around lamb and beef grills.
Show: Egypt is a majority-Muslim country; pork is essentially absent from the menu here.
Who it suits, booking and the kitchen
Show the kitchen
Tap a need to get a large screen you can hold up to staff. The wording is the guide’s; a helper who reads the language should confirm it if your allergy is serious.
Comfort, facts and cons
Hygiene and comfort
- Restrooms
- Restroom on site · accessible restroom: check
- Seating
- Chairs at tables
- Kids
- kids' menu: ask · stroller: ok · A familiar grilled-meat menu that usually works for children; a normal restaurant setting, not fast turnover
- Access
- step-free: check · Confirm step-free entry and toilet access on arrival (field-verify)
Hygiene
- A long-running, well-known restaurant with consistent turnover; standard travel caution on salads and raw garnishes applies.
Facts
- Reservations
- Taken — Recommended for groups or a Thursday/Friday evening; walk-in usually works for one or two people at lunch.
- Capabilities
- food · seated_rest · toilet
- Diet
- vegetarian: ask · gluten free: unknown · halal: yes
- Getting there
- Qasr El Nil / Garden City edge, a short car ride from downtown or Zamalek · ~10 min walk
Cons
- Priced above street food: a full grill meal with mezze runs well past a koshari or ful lunch.
- Portions and mezze extras add up fast if you do not ask the price first.
Dish glossary
| On the menu | What it is | Order it how |
|---|---|---|
| Kebab | Grilled cubes or strips of lamb or beef on a skewer. | Sold by weight in some grill houses; ask the price per portion before ordering. |
| Kofta | Minced, spiced meat grilled on a skewer. | Usually ordered alongside kebab as a mixed grill. |
| Mezze | Small cold and hot starters — baba ghanoug, tahini, salads, pickles. | Often brought automatically; check whether it is complimentary or charged before you eat it. |
Price check
- locals pay
- check locally — mid-to-upper range for Cairo, well above a street koshari or ful meal.
- tourist price
- Menu prices are posted; the risk is in unpriced extras (bread, mezze, service charge) rather than the main dishes.
- rule
- Ask whether service and VAT are included in the menu price before you order.
| Extra on the table | Typical charge | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Extra mezze plates | Charged per plate unless stated as complimentary | Ask before the table fills with dishes you did not order. |
Deep dive
Questions, alternatives, and where our facts come from
Questions and answers
Questions and answers
Is it good for a first Cairo dinner?
Yes if you want a proper sit-down grill meal rather than street food; book ahead for weekend evenings.
Checked 2026-09-29 · Voykit desk
If it is closed or full
Nearby alternatives
If it is closed or the line is too long
Places without an authored walk are ranked by straight-line distance × 1.3 at 5 km/h (3 mph)3 mph (5 km/h).
All places to eat in Cairo, with filters →
Used as a seated rest node in Cairo in 4 days.
Sources
- secondaryWikivoyage — Cairo (eat)
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Source: Price per person
Draft
Written from desk research. Not yet compared with the official source.
No official source is recorded for this figure.
Prices are 2026 estimates from the menu or the price line on file. Check on the day.
Source: Opening hours
Draft
Written from desk research. Not yet compared with the official source.
No official source is recorded for this figure.
Source: Best time
Draft
Written from desk research. Not yet compared with the official source.
No official source is recorded for this figure.
The easiest walk-in window or the quietest hour in this guide. Crowd levels are desk estimates, not counts.