Garlic Sauce Near Me: Authentic Lebanese Toum Made from Scratch at Taza
You searched for garlic sauce near you. Taza in Falls Church makes authentic toum daily -- raw garlic, lemon juice, oil, and salt. No mayo. No eggs. No shortcuts. A true Lebanese garlic emulsion, served generously with shawarma, falafel, fries, and more. Halal. Open until midnight.
What Is Toum? The Lebanese Garlic Sauce
Toum is not garlic mayo. It is not garlic aioli. It is a pure garlic emulsion that has been a cornerstone of Lebanese cooking for centuries -- four ingredients, zero shortcuts.
A Pure Emulsion
Toum is a Lebanese garlic sauce made from just four ingredients: raw garlic, salt, lemon juice, and oil. The garlic is pounded or blended with salt until it breaks down into a paste. Lemon juice and oil are added slowly, in alternating drizzles, while the mixture is beaten continuously. The proteins in the garlic emulsify the oil, creating a thick, fluffy, stark-white sauce with a texture similar to mayonnaise -- but with no eggs, no dairy, and no thickeners. The entire structure is held together by the garlic itself.
Intensely Garlicky, Not One-Dimensional
The raw garlic in toum hits hard on the first bite. It is pungent, sharp, and unmistakable. But a well-made toum is not just heat -- the lemon juice adds acidity that brightens the garlic, the salt rounds out the flavor, and the oil provides richness that carries the garlic across the palate. The result is a sauce that is simultaneously aggressive and balanced. It is the reason shawarma in Lebanon tastes different from shawarma anywhere else.
Difficult to Make, Easy to Ruin
Toum breaks easily. If the oil is added too fast, the emulsion separates and the sauce turns into an oily, grainy mess. If the garlic is not fresh enough, the sauce will not hold together. If the ratios are off, it becomes too thin or too dense. Commercial garlic sauces solve this problem by adding egg whites, mayonnaise, or xanthan gum. Authentic toum uses none of those -- just garlic, patience, and technique. At Taza, we make toum in small batches to keep the emulsion tight and the flavor at peak intensity.
Centuries of Tradition
The word toum means garlic in Arabic. The sauce has been a staple of Lebanese and Syrian cooking for centuries. Traditionally, it was made using a mortar and pestle -- the garlic pounded by hand until the emulsion formed. In Beirut, Tripoli, and the mountain villages of Mount Lebanon, every household has a version. Some add a small amount of potato for extra stability. Others use only the green inner sprouts of the garlic for a milder flavor. The method varies, but the principle stays the same: garlic is the sauce.
What Makes Taza's Garlic Sauce Different
Fresh garlic. No mayo. No eggs. Small batches. Applied generously. Six reasons our toum is not the same as the garlic sauce at a chain restaurant.
Made from Scratch, in Small Batches
The toum at Taza is not poured from a commercial tub. It is made on-site, in small batches, using fresh garlic, lemon juice, oil, and salt. Small-batch production keeps the emulsion stable and the garlic flavor at its most potent. A large industrial batch of toum loses intensity because the garlic oxidizes during long processing. Our batches are small enough that the sauce goes from blender to service line while the garlic is still sharp and bright.
No Eggs, No Mayo, No Shortcuts
Many restaurants use garlic mayonnaise and call it garlic sauce. Some mix raw garlic into store-bought mayo. Others buy pre-made garlic sauce from a distributor. These products taste like mayonnaise with garlic flavoring. Taza's toum is a true garlic emulsion -- the sauce holds together because of the garlic proteins, not because of egg yolks or chemical stabilizers. The difference is obvious on the first bite: ours tastes like garlic, not like sandwich spread.
100% Halal, Dairy-Free, Egg-Free
Because authentic toum contains no eggs and no dairy, it is naturally suitable for people with egg allergies, lactose intolerance, or those following a dairy-free diet. It is also vegan. All ingredients at Taza are halal certified. The garlic sauce pairs with every protein on our menu -- chicken shawarma, beef shawarma, falafel -- without any dietary conflict.
Applied Generously, Not as an Afterthought
At Taza, garlic sauce is not a condiment packet on the side. It is spread directly on the bread before the meat is layered in. It is drizzled over bowls. It is offered with fries, with chicken tenders, with anything that benefits from that raw garlic punch. We apply it the way it is applied in Beirut -- generously, because the sauce is the point, not a garnish.
Fresh Garlic, Not Garlic Powder
The foundation of toum is raw garlic -- whole cloves, peeled and processed fresh. Not garlic powder. Not minced garlic from a jar sitting in oil for months. Not pre-roasted garlic paste. Fresh garlic has a sharp, pungent bite that softened or processed garlic cannot replicate. That bite is what makes toum taste like toum. At Taza, we peel and blend fresh garlic for every batch.
Consistent Quality, Every Visit
Because toum is made in small batches daily, the quality stays consistent. It does not sit in a walk-in cooler for a week losing potency. It does not separate because it has been stored too long. Every order that goes out with garlic sauce gets toum that was made that day or the day before -- never older. The garlic is sharp, the texture is fluffy, and the lemon is bright. That consistency is what brings people back.
Dishes Served with House-Made Garlic Sauce
Every shawarma, every wrap, every bowl at Taza comes with the option for our house-made toum. Here are the items where the garlic sauce truly shines.
Chicken Shawarma Pita
The dish that puts Taza's garlic sauce front and center. Tender, marinated chicken, slow-roasted on a vertical spit until caramelized and juicy. Sliced thin and layered into a warm pita with a generous spread of house-made toum, pickled turnips, and fresh vegetables. The toum mingles with the chicken juices and the tangy pickles, creating the signature flavor that people search for when they type garlic sauce near me. At from $9.95, this is our most ordered item.
Beef Shawarma Pita
Premium marinated beef, slow-roasted on the spit until deeply savory and tender. The richness of the beef pairs differently with toum than the chicken does -- the garlic sauce cuts through the heavier fat content of the beef and adds a sharp brightness that keeps each bite clean. Served in warm pita with tahini, pickled turnips, and fresh vegetables.
Chicken Shawarma Shrak
The same spit-roasted chicken shawarma, wrapped in traditional thin shrak flatbread instead of pita. Shrak bread is thinner and chewier than pita, which means the garlic sauce soaks into the bread more deeply. Layered with toum, pickled vegetables, fresh greens, and a touch of sumac. This is the format you would find at street vendors across Beirut.
Chicken Shawarma Bowl
Generous slices of chicken shawarma over your choice of basmati rice, mixed greens, or creamy hummus. Topped with Arabic salad, pickled turnips, garlic sauce, and fresh herbs. The bowl format gives you more surface area for the toum to coat -- every forkful picks up garlic sauce along with the chicken and toppings. A complete, protein-packed Mediterranean meal.
Falafel Pita
Crispy chickpea falafel in fresh-baked pita with tahini, vegetables, and pickles. While falafel is traditionally served with tahini, many of our customers ask for garlic sauce on their falafel pita instead -- or both. The crunch of the falafel with the creamy punch of toum is a combination that works remarkably well, especially for those who want a vegetarian option without sacrificing flavor intensity.
Taste the Difference Real Toum Makes
Fresh garlic. No mayonnaise. Made from scratch every day at Taza in Falls Church, VA. Order now for pickup or delivery.
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The Story of Toum: From Beirut's Streets to Falls Church
A garlic sauce that predates modern emulsion science. Four ingredients. Centuries of family recipes. One essential condiment that defines Lebanese street food.
Levantine Roots
Toum originates in the eastern Mediterranean -- Lebanon, Syria, and Palestine. It predates modern emulsified sauces by centuries. While French aioli uses eggs and garlic, toum achieves the same creamy texture through garlic alone. The technique likely spread along Phoenician and Ottoman trade routes before Lebanese diaspora communities brought it to the Americas, Australia, and West Africa.
The Shawarma Connection
In Lebanon, shawarma without toum is incomplete. The garlic sauce is spread inside the pita or shrak bread before the meat is added. It coats the bread, mingles with the juices from the spit-roasted chicken or beef, and adds a punch of raw garlic that cuts through the richness of the meat. This combination -- rotisserie meat plus toum -- is the flavor profile that defines Lebanese street food.
A Family Recipe Tradition
In Lebanese homes, the toum recipe is passed from mother to daughter, from grandmother to grandchild. Each family has its own ratio. Some prefer a more aggressive garlic punch. Others balance it with more lemon for brightness. The debate over whose toum is best is a permanent fixture at family gatherings. At Taza, our recipe reflects the tradition of Falls Church's Lebanese community -- assertive garlic, balanced with fresh lemon.
Going Global
Over the past decade, toum has broken out of the Middle Eastern food category and into the mainstream. Food writers, home cooks, and restaurant chefs across the US have discovered what Lebanese families have known for generations: a garlic sauce made from pure garlic is better than one made from garlic-flavored mayonnaise. The demand for real toum is growing, and restaurants that make it from scratch -- not from a jar -- stand apart.
What to Dip, Drizzle, and Spread Toum On
Garlic sauce goes with more than just shawarma. Here are the items at Taza that our customers pair with toum most often.
Fries
$3.95Crispy golden fries dipped in toum. This combination has taken over social media and food blogs for a reason -- the hot, salty crunch of the fries against the cold, creamy, garlicky sauce is addictive. At Taza, our fries are seasoned and fried to a golden crisp. Add a side of garlic sauce and you have the snack that keeps people coming back.
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Hummus
$4.95Our hummus already contains garlic, but pairing it with a dollop of toum on top doubles down on the garlic flavor profile. Scoop both together with warm pita bread. The smooth, tahini-rich hummus provides the base, and the sharp toum adds a punch on top. A combination for serious garlic fans.
View ItemBeef Shawarma Shrak
from $11.45Succulent beef shawarma rolled in thin shrak bread with tahini, garlic sauce, pickled turnips, and fresh vegetables. The shrak bread wraps tightly around the beef, locking in the toum and meat juices. Each bite is a concentrated hit of slow-roasted beef and raw garlic. The ultimate wrap for anyone who wants maximum flavor.
View ItemChicken Tenders (3pc)
$7.95Crispy halal chicken tenders served with your choice of dipping sauce. Many of our younger customers -- and plenty of adults -- choose garlic sauce as their dip. The golden, crunchy exterior of the tenders pairs with the creamy toum the same way it pairs with fries. A gateway item for anyone new to Lebanese garlic sauce.
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Lemon Mint
$5.95Fresh-squeezed lemon juice combined with fragrant mint leaves and a touch of sweetness. After a garlic-heavy meal, the brightness of the lemon and the coolness of the mint refresh the palate. This is the drink that Lebanese restaurants have served alongside garlic-laden shawarma for decades. It works.
View ItemHealth Benefits of Garlic Sauce (Toum)
Raw garlic is one of the most researched foods in nutritional science. Toum delivers that raw garlic in a form that is both delicious and concentrated.
Heart-Healthy Allicin
Raw garlic is one of the richest food sources of allicin, a sulfur compound released when garlic cloves are crushed or blended. Research has linked allicin to cardiovascular benefits including reduced blood pressure and improved cholesterol profiles. Because toum uses raw garlic -- not cooked -- the allicin content is preserved at its highest concentration.
Natural Antimicrobial
Garlic has been used as a natural antimicrobial agent for thousands of years. The allicin in raw garlic has demonstrated antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal properties in laboratory studies. In traditional Levantine medicine, raw garlic was consumed regularly as a preventive measure during cold and flu seasons.
No Artificial Additives
Taza's toum is made from four ingredients: garlic, oil, lemon juice, and salt. No preservatives, no artificial flavors, no stabilizers, no egg products, no dairy. Every ingredient is recognizable and pronounceable. Compare that to the ingredient list on a bottle of commercial garlic sauce from a grocery store shelf.
Vegan, Egg-Free, Dairy-Free
Toum is naturally plant-based. It provides a rich, creamy condiment option for anyone avoiding animal products. The fat content comes entirely from oil, and the protein structure that holds the emulsion together comes from the garlic itself. It is one of the few creamy sauces that does not rely on eggs or dairy for its texture.
Garlic Sauce Near Me -- How Far Is Taza from You?
Located at 5820 Seminary Rd Ste O, Falls Church, VA 22041. Here is how long it takes to get here from neighborhoods across Northern Virginia and DC.
Three Ways to Get Shawarma with Garlic Sauce
Order Online for Pickup
Place your order through our website and pick it up fresh. Your shawarma with garlic sauce is prepared the moment the order prints. Easy parking at our Seminary Road location. Most orders ready in 10-15 minutes.
DoorDash Delivery
Get shawarma with garlic sauce delivered to your door through DoorDash. We package everything to keep the toum fresh and the bread warm during transit. Typical delivery time across Northern Virginia is 25-40 minutes depending on distance.
Uber Eats Delivery
Order through Uber Eats for delivery across the NoVA and DC metro area. Same house-made toum, same fresh-sliced shawarma, same generous garlic sauce application. Delivered to your home or office.
Frequently Asked Questions About Garlic Sauce
Toum is a traditional Lebanese garlic sauce made from raw garlic, salt, lemon juice, and oil. Unlike garlic mayonnaise, toum contains no eggs and no dairy. The garlic itself emulsifies the oil, creating a thick, fluffy, white sauce with an intensely garlicky flavor. The word toum means garlic in Arabic. It is the signature condiment of Lebanese shawarma and a staple across Levantine cooking.
Taza Shawarma & Falafel at 5820 Seminary Rd Ste O, Falls Church, VA 22041 makes authentic Lebanese toum (garlic sauce) from scratch daily. It is served with our chicken shawarma (from $9.95), beef shawarma (from $9.95), bowls, wraps, fries, and more. Open 7 days a week, 11:00 AM - 12:00 AM. Dine-in, pickup, and delivery through DoorDash and Uber Eats.
No. Garlic mayo is mayonnaise mixed with garlic -- it uses egg yolks as the emulsifier and garlic as a flavoring. Taza's toum is a true garlic emulsion where the garlic itself holds the sauce together. No eggs, no mayo, no dairy, no artificial thickeners. The taste difference is significant: toum is sharper, more pungent, and more intensely garlicky than garlic mayo. If you have only had garlic mayo, the first taste of real toum will be a revelation.
Yes. Authentic toum is made from garlic, oil, lemon juice, and salt. It contains no eggs, no dairy, no animal products of any kind. It is naturally vegan, dairy-free, and egg-free. At Taza, all our ingredients are also halal certified. The garlic sauce is suitable for virtually every dietary restriction.
The most popular pairing is the chicken shawarma pita (from $9.95) -- the toum is spread directly on the bread before the meat is layered in. Beef shawarma pita (from $9.95) is another top choice. Fries ($3.95) dipped in garlic sauce have become a fan favorite. Chicken tenders ($7.95) with toum work for kids and adults. The shawarma bowls (from $12.45) come drizzled with garlic sauce over rice or greens.
Yes. Extra garlic sauce is available with any order at Taza. Just ask when you order in person, or add a note when ordering online. We do not charge extra for a reasonable amount of additional toum because we believe the garlic sauce is essential to the experience, not an upsell. For large catering orders, garlic sauce is included in bulk.
Traditional aioli from southern France is made from garlic and olive oil, similar to toum. However, modern Western aioli almost always includes egg yolks. Toum never does. Toum uses neutral oil rather than olive oil, and the garlic-to-oil ratio is much higher. The result is a sauce that is more aggressively garlicky, fluffier in texture, and whiter in color than most aioli. Toum is garlic-forward; modern aioli is mayo-forward.
Taza Shawarma & Falafel is located at 5820 Seminary Rd Ste O, Falls Church, VA 22041. Open 7 days a week, 11:00 AM - 12:00 AM. Phone: (703) 340-1014. Dine-in, pickup, and delivery available. We serve Falls Church, Arlington, Alexandria, Fairfax, Tysons, Springfield, Annandale, and the entire Northern Virginia / DC metro area.
Garlic sauce is included with shawarma pitas, wraps, and bowls. If you want extra toum as a dipping sauce for fries or other items, just ask. For catering orders, we provide garlic sauce in larger containers. Contact us at (703) 340-1014 for catering inquiries and bulk garlic sauce availability.
Garlic Sauce Near Me in Falls Church, VA: The Complete Guide
If you searched for garlic sauce near me, you are probably looking for one of two things: a good shawarma joint that uses real garlic sauce, or a place where you can get authentic Lebanese toum. Taza Shawarma & Falafel at 5820 Seminary Rd Ste O, Falls Church, VA 22041 serves both. Our garlic sauce is house-made daily from fresh garlic, lemon juice, oil, and salt. No mayonnaise. No eggs. No pre-made jars. Seven days a week, 11 AM to midnight.
Toum -- pronounced like "tomb" without the b -- is the Arabic word for garlic. In Lebanon and Syria, it refers specifically to the emulsified garlic sauce that accompanies grilled meats, shawarma, and roasted chicken. The sauce is white, thick, and fluffy. It tastes like pure garlic -- sharp and pungent on the first bite, then smooth and creamy as it coats your palate. The lemon juice adds a bright acidity that prevents the garlic from becoming overwhelming.
What makes toum different from garlic mayo or garlic aioli is the emulsifier. In mayo and most modern aioli, egg yolks bind the oil into a stable emulsion. In toum, the garlic itself does the binding. The proteins and cell structure of raw garlic, when processed with enough mechanical force, trap oil droplets the same way egg lecithin does. The result is a sauce that is entirely garlic-forward, with none of the eggy richness that defines mayonnaise.
At Taza, garlic sauce is not an afterthought. It is spread inside the pita and shrak bread before the shawarma is added. It is drizzled over bowls. It is served alongside fries and chicken tenders. The chicken shawarma pita (from $9.95) is our most ordered item, and the garlic sauce is a major reason why. The toum mingles with the juices from the spit-roasted chicken, the tang of the pickled turnips, and the fresh crunch of the vegetables. That combination is the flavor signature of Lebanese street food.
The beef shawarma pita (from $9.95) pairs differently with toum. The heavier fat content of the beef benefits from the sharp acidity of the garlic sauce, which cuts through the richness and keeps each bite clean. The chicken shawarma shrak wrap (from $11.45) and beef shawarma shrak wrap (from $11.45) use thin, traditional flatbread that absorbs the toum more deeply than pita does.
For a bowl format, the chicken shawarma bowl (from $12.45) comes with garlic sauce drizzled over rice or greens alongside Arabic salad and pickled turnips. The falafel pita (from $8.95) can be ordered with garlic sauce for those who prefer toum over tahini -- or both.
Beyond the main dishes, our fries ($3.95) dipped in toum have become a cult favorite. The hot, salty crunch of the fries against the cold, garlicky cream of the sauce is a combination that has taken over food blogs and social media for good reason. Chicken tenders ($7.95) with garlic sauce are a hit with younger customers and adults alike.
Taza serves Falls Church, Arlington, Alexandria, Fairfax, Tysons, Springfield, Annandale, and the broader DC metro area. Delivery through DoorDash and Uber Eats. Pickup via our website. Catering available -- call (703) 340-1014. Open 11 AM to midnight, seven days a week. The garlic sauce is always fresh, always house-made, and always applied generously.
Authentic Lebanese Garlic Sauce in Falls Church, VA
House-made toum from fresh garlic. No mayo. No eggs. Served with shawarma, falafel, fries, and more. Taza Shawarma & Falafel, 5820 Seminary Rd Ste O, Falls Church, VA 22041. Open until midnight, seven days a week.