The fastest, cheapest, frequently best food on Dubai's streets.
Vendors, food trucks and stalls: the cheapest, fastest, frequently best food in Dubai.
Al Mallah has served chicken shawarma on Al Satwa's 2nd December Street since 1979, wrapped tight with garlic toum and pickles, and now runs 24 hours.
TryChicken shawarma
TipOrder the chicken shawarma with extra toum and eat it standing at the counter, the way regulars do.
Ashwaq Cafeteria slices chicken shawarma off the spit near the Gold Souk, a Deira counter in the Al Hillu Building opposite the Deira Palace Hotel.
TryChicken shawarma
TipIt is a quick counter stop, best combined with a walk through the souks.
Al Ustad Special Kabab has grilled seekh kebab on Al Mussallah Road since 1978, its walls lined with photos of famous patrons with the late founder.
TrySeekh kebab
TipThe minced lamb seekh roll wrapped in fresh bread is the order locals repeat visit after visit.
Chaat Bazaar fills small crispy puris with spiced water and potato at outdoor tables on 6A Street, Al Karama's busiest chaat counter in Dubai.
TryPani puri
TipA palate cleansing puri with potato and crunchy topping, but no spiced water, comes at the end of a pani puri round.
Farisian Cafeteria sells falafel sandwiches, samosas and potato sandwiches from a Meena Bazaar counter, a fixture of Bur Dubai's side streets.
TryFalafel sandwich
TipThe menu is three items long, so just point at the falafel and it comes wrapped in seconds.
Al Hara Cafeteria pours strong karak chai around the clock from a corner counter in the Al Shamook Building on 9A Street in Al Karama, Dubai.
TryKarak chai
TipPavement tables fill in the evenings; the counter runs around the clock.
Raju Omlet has cracked eggs onto a hot tawa on 4B Street since 2013, an old school Karama classic that Mumbai style regulars still queue for in Dubai.
TryMasala omelette
TipThe masala omelette with pav bread and a side of karak chai is the standard order here.
Bacolod Inasal BBQ grills chicken inasal over charcoal inside Al Ghurair Centre's Flayva food hall, a Bacolod style counter serving Al Rigga's Dubai.
TryChicken inasal
TipThe chicken inasal comes with garlic rice and a small dish of vinegar dip for the char.
Man'oushe Street bakes za'atar manakish around the clock on Al Diyafah Road in Al Satwa, Dubai, a Levantine counter built around one flatbread.
TryZa'atar manakish
TipThe lahm bi ajeen topped with minced meat and tomato is worth ordering alongside the za'atar classic.
Just Vada Pav fries thirty variations of the Mumbai potato bun on Sheikh Hamdan Colony's 12B Street, a dedicated counter for one snack in Dubai.
TryVada pav
TipWith some thirty kinds of vada pav on the board, ask for a spicy one and a cheese one to compare.
Rabbash pours karak by the cup from a roadside cafeteria on Al Khaleej Road near Al Mamzar Beach, and What's On names karak its most ordered item.
TryKarak chai
TipIt serves around the clock, so a karak here after an evening on Al Mamzar Beach is the local routine.
Joshi has fried samosas and served thali beside the Al Munna Bookshop in Meena Bazaar since 1968, the oldest Indian kitchen in Dubai by What's On's count.
TrySamosas and vegetarian thali
TipThe kitchen shuts between 14:30 and 17:30, so plan a samosa stop for the morning or the evening rush.
Al Farwania Restaurant has served karak chai on Jumeirah Road since 1981, and from about four in the afternoon cars queue outside for a cup.
TryKarak chai
TipStay in the car: waiters take orders at the window, and the karak was long famous for costing a single dirham.
Shawarma Hut Cafeteria wraps chicken shawarma from a small counter inside Al Faris Mall, a late night fixture for Al Quoz's warehouse workers in Dubai.
TryChicken shawarma
TipIt serves until 02:00, useful for anyone finishing a late shift nearby.
Yalla Momos steams momos and jhol momo behind Park Regis Hotel on 4B Street in Al Karama, Dubai, with an Indo-Chinese menu of noodles alongside.
TrySteamed momos
TipOrder the jhol momos, served in a spiced broth, or the cheese chilli oil dim sum.
Mr. Chaat Cafeteria fries its samosas fresh and piles them into chaat opposite the BurJuman metro exit, a Khalid Bin Al Walid Road fixture in Dubai.
TrySamosa chaat
TipThe samosa chaat, crushed samosa under yoghurt and tamarind, is the dish to order here.
Chai King pours karak chai from a small Al Wasl building counter on 18A Street, one of Al Karama's many small chai stops scattered across Dubai.
TryKarak chai
TipIt stays open until 04:00 on Friday and Saturday nights.
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