Fatima’s Grill serves up Flamin’ Hot Cheeto shawarma burritos on Coney Island Ave

By Scott Lynch

The menu at Fatima’s Grill, a new counter-service spot that opened about two months ago in Ditmas Park, is nuts.

First of all, it’s enormous. This is a fast-casual restaurant, the first East Coast outpost of Ali Elreda‘s Los Angeles-based, TikTok famous, “Lebanese-Mexican Fusion” chain, and there are some 80 different dishes to choose from. Eighty!

Photo by Scott Lynch

Plus, many of the items involve crazy combinations of things that you can’t readily picture, such as the “Hot Cheetos Chicken Zinger Burger” and the “Lebanese Trio Burrito,” the latter of which, when you read the fine print, features a tortilla, a gyro, chicken, beef, hummus, tzatziki, fries and several other ingredients.

So you’ll definitely want to get your order sorted before you step up to the cashier and people are waiting behind you — some of the dishes are pictured on the glossy takeout menu, which helps a little — but here’s the thing: The food at Fatima’s Grill is fantastic. Shockingly so. And worth any stress you might feel when trying to suss it all out.

It’s all firmly in the gloppy-stoner-food genre, but it’s exceptionally well done. The ingredients, the balance and force of the flavors, the textural contrasts are all first-rate. And the portions are gigantic. Arrive hungry or plan on leftovers.

Fatima’s Grill was brought here from Los Angeles by two best friends and Ditmas Park residents, Hamdi Popinara and Abdul Tariq, who learned about the place while scrolling through Instagram. “We were looking for an investment, ran into their page, noticed that they were franchising, and thought, ‘this would do good business on this strip’,” Popinara tells Brooklyn Magazine,

Everything’s halal, even the Flamin’ Hot Cheetos, which Tariq’s family brings in by the suitcase-full when they visit from Pakistan. A handful of these add a pleasing (and spicy) crunch when stuffed inside a burrito, accompanied by, in my case, some well-marinated carne asada, two kinds of cheese, rice and beans, and sour cream for extra sloppiness. There was also hot Cheeto dust sprinkled all over this beast, adding both flavor and photogenic fun.

Asada Hot Cheeto burrito, $15.99 (Scott Lynch)

Burritos come in at least a dozen other varieties, and the taco section of Fatima’s menu is equally robust. Quesabirria, chili rellenos, tilapia, chicken, French fries are all featured in one form or another.

Mac and cheese quesadilla with beef, $19.99 (Scott Lynch)

For a slightly more manageable selection, check out Fatima’s Crunch Wraps (a stuffed soft tortilla with a crisp tostada lurking within), which includes an ingenious beef shawarma version, complete with falafel.

Beef shawarma crunch wrap, $16.99 (Scott Lynch)

The mac and cheese quesadilla, available with your choice of meat, is as gooey and filling as it sounds, and the “speciality fries” are insane, just a mountain of spuds, which I got loaded with garlic shrimp, chunks of steak, pickles, jalapeños, onions, and multiple cheeses and sauces, including the franchise’s signature Lebamex, which you can also buy by the bottle. It’s a little overwhelming, but it’s also delicious.

Steak and shrimp fries, $18.99 (Scott Lynch)

The vibe is as rambunctious as the food, with a hip-hop soundtrack imported from LA, three flat screens playing different channels, family-friendly graffiti, streetwear brands, and Brooklyn icons all over the walls. “We wanted to pay tribute to Brooklyn, so we’ve got Jackie Robinson, Biggie, the Nets banner right over the garbage can,” says Popinara.

It all works. And Ditmas Park is apparently loving it. “The neighborhood has been very welcoming, thank God,” Popinara said. “I see a lot of different diverse people coming in here, and that’s been amazing.”

Fatima’s Grill is located at 964 Coney Island Avenue, between Newkirk and Websters Avenues, and is currently open on Monday through Wednesday, and Sunday, from 10 a.m. to midnight, and on Thursday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 1 a.m. (929-234-3198)