Lebanese wrap shop in Henderson keeping the menu simple

At Royal Wraps, no ube purples the fillings. Hot chicken hasn’t snuck into the fold. There is, thank goodness, no DJ or vibe.

Instead, this Lebanese restaurant in Henderson owned by two brothers occupies a modest storefront with white walls, a smattering of tables and an order counter with lighted menu boards. The menu (and Royal Wraps itself) eschews the Las Vegas restaurant clichés of the moment to offer a small selection of Lebanese street food standards (plus a twist or two).

“Keep it simple,” said co-owner John Nassar of the Royal Wraps philosophy. “We wanted to keep it quick and approachable.”

Chicken, a beef and lamb combination, donair spiced beef and falafel provision four shawarma wraps, along with four salads and four rice bowls. There’s also a wrap filled with labneh, the cheese made from strained yogurt. Shawarmadillas — shawarma meets quesadilla — feature wraps flattened in a panini press.

Beyond these anchors, there are fries loaded with shawarma fillings, sides such as hummus and falafel, and Taco Tuesdays showcasing hand-held double-stacked corn tortillas with shawarma meats and house pico de gallo.

Pita is fundamental

The foundation of any Middle Eastern wrap shop is the proper pita, which cannot be too thick to form wraps nor too thin to hold up when stuffed. Good wraps don’t crack.

“We tested all the pita breads out there,” Nassar said. “Our pita is from a Middle Eastern bakery out of L.A. You have to get the right pita. Pita is our whole lives.”

Equal care is taken with what’s inside the pita. The grilled chicken, for one, is seasoned with garlic, paprika, cardamom, ginger and turmeric. The beef and lamb combo — 80 percent top sirloin steak, 20 percent lamb — gathers flavor from cardamom, cinnamon, cumin, yogurt and lemon juice. Mahleb, a spice made from ground cherry stones, imparts a whisper of almond and cherry.

Hummus is housemade, on the lemony side according to Nassar family preference. Fries are cut by hand and dusted with za’atar, a spice mix made in many ways across the Middle East, but one that often contains dried oregano, sumac and sesame among its ingredients.

“With fast-casual food, you don’t have to sacrifice quality,” Nassar said.

Potential menu additions

A couple of items are in the works for the regular menu.

Fattoush, the Mediterranean bread salad, mingles fried strips of pita, lettuce, tomato, onion, radish and pickles. The salad is dressed with fattoush dressing that, among other ingredients, calls on olive oil, fresh lemon juice, garlic, tart-floral sumac and a gust of mint.

Kafta, the classic grilled skewers of seasoned ground beef, are “still in the trial phase,” said Jerry Nassar, brother of John Nassar and co-owner of Royal Wraps. Jerry Nassar has developed much of the menu. The kafta, he said, would be served with jasmine rice, small pieces of vermicelli and onions fried in ghee, then seasoned with parsley and sumac.

“Growing up, I never had the kafta without the rice and vermicelli,” Jerry Nassar said.

‘Not selling burgers’

Royal Wraps opened in August 2023 at 9550 S. Eastern Blvd., Suite 195, Henderson. The last year or so has presented challenges, John Nassar said.

“It’s a new concept — we’re not selling burgers. It’s an ethnic cuisine. You’re asking people to spend money, and they might not know what it tastes like.”

Protein prices have risen 30 to 40 percent in the past year because of inflation, but Nassar said he hasn’t taken an increase in menu prices since the launch.

“It’s tough, but I’m passionate about this concept. I’m going to make it work.”

Contact Johnathan L. Wright at jwright@reviewjournal.com. Follow @JLWTaste on Instagram.