Second time here for me. The experience must go up as they have TVs now that clarify what sauces and vegetables you will get. I got the beef shawarma with garlic and pomegranite sauce. I took a risk here, and all things…
Re-visited a place in the West End we’ve been going to for a long time after golf rounds and it did not disappoint. For starters, the main guy remembered me… that’s an awesome feeling and just shows how much they care e…
Sneaky special performance out of Rihan Valley today. An unassuming shop operating well within its means as a one man show, this place got it done in all important categories. Experience, guy was great. I asked for extr…
Wanna shawarma after a night on king or ossington? This spot plays for a small meal wrap for $11. Great value, it was small though and good seating and nice staff. I was warned that extra turnips may result in a salty s…
If you’re hammered on king come here. End of story. Won me over on sauce and the fact that I didn’t say a word other than I want a shawarma. Lost me only on sauce and structure.
What a patio. Just off bloor and Spadina is this gem and many a time after the Maddy I’ve come here for a snack before bed. I came sober to do the last shawarma review before Austin leaves for London. It’s just hidden o…
I wish I could tell you to go here if you are on the way to Muskoka. I took a large detour to Stayner and for me it was worth it. That’s the calibre we’re talking about. Great family story, great vibe with an interestin…
Came here with my dad after a round of hungover golf and I was pleasantly surprised. I was put onto it from a hilarious google review I found and they didn't disappoint. Got the chicken plate for 15 bucks, lot of food,…
I had a hard time not giving this a 25/25 for experience. The worker gave me a run down on his shawarma experience and why European shawarma and what he’s giving me doesn’t have turnips. It’s Turkish style. He said I wa…
- Enormous shawarma spit; wrap packed with meat and fresh-baked bread
- Garlic sauce nailed it, but wanted more veg beyond a few pickles
- Priced as a small lunch, though we ate it as a dinner
It was never our intention to go here, but when we passed it on route to our original destination we knew what we had to do. The place was slammed busy at 9pm on a Monday, and they had an assembly line rivaling a King S…
- Unreal $11.29 price, great meat and amazing bread, nearly Flaming Stove-sized
- No turnips and lackluster veg, plus too oily and not spicy enough
- Spotless spot, friendly staff, complimentary tea — near-perfect experience
Good. $20 for two shawarmas and a water. They were snack sized but for the price after a bar I was elated with the deal. 0 to write home about nice staff and mid.
Solid spot doing shawarma's syrian style, which means veggies take a backseat for meat and the wrap is skinnier and longer. The way it's wrapped bodes well for it's structure, it held together wonderfully which was love…
Hip little store right in the heart of London just south of Hyde Park, slinging out lots of different sandwiches and wraps with a chicken shawarma being one of them. I think they’re an offshoot of a popular Lebanese res…
- Delicious, with great hummus and good sauces at a cozy mom-and-pop shop
- More a naan-sized pita than a shawarma, and too small for a full lunch
- Price is the sticking point — needs to be $10 or less; great parking and washrooms
- Charming Haarlem farmers-market stall with a friendly, multilingual worker
- Bland wrap with no pickles or turnips — barely counts as a shawarma
- Value re-scored fairly by treating the 9 euro price as a local $9
Here we are in London, first place I tried purely out of being nearby when I got hungry and it was solid. Starting with taste, which was the best quality, the sauce was awesome. Garlicky and plentiful. Pickles were tang…
This place has a great deal for lunch, which skews the value, but reasonably so. It did get lower because of the before 4pm requirement. Don't get the wrap or the plate they were not as good as the box. Experience lost…
This was not the experience I expected when I set out on this journey. But I enjoyed myself nonetheless. This was a big, almost open-faced pita style Doner, packed with cucumber, lettuce, raw onion, loads of solid chick…
I got a chicken plate for $19 and if a gun was to my head I don’t know if I could eat this much for a lunch. $19 led me to give it a 21 on value though couldn’t morally give much higher. The salad wasn’t skimpy and had…
- Chicken and generous portion were the highlight of the Midtown platter
- Random, unmixed plate with no turnips or pickles — a dagger for us
- Staff felt rushed and wouldn't recommend anything; still decent for Manhattan
I judged this book by its cover a bit, I thought it was bound to be shite but with each bite I was a little more impressed. Chicken was moist and plentiful. Sauces kind of non-existent aside from a huge garlic dollop on…
This is a place I passed many times but never went into, partially because it's in such a competitive neighborhood for food in the Annex. Regardless, got the chance and it was sturdy. Good sauces, solid veggies, and gre…
- North America's biggest chain has perfected mediocre — nothing bad, nothing special
- $14.55 filling plate, quick service, good seating and sauces
- Caveat: reviewed after a few drinks, so happy to re-review on request
- Unplanned Annex stop; flavorful sauces with just-right heat were the highlight
- Chicken underwhelmed, too much lettuce, and it fell apart early
- Still, at $11 it's worth a return in a pinch
Jamie: went with Austin and this place passes the eye test. I got bowl he got wrap. The ingredients and recipe failed the taste test. The rice was bad and the chicken didn’t make up for it and it wasn’t hidden by a good…
Very middling shawarma. Was a fun office friday outing and first new merch review, but nothing to write home about. Taste 30, the chicken was dry, vegtable selection was great minus the corn and olives that he disgraced…
- Mystery meat (probably lamb), overcooked and dry
- Bad bread, bare veg, mid sauce — the last bite went in the trash
- Lesson learned: don't order shawarma from a place that also sells pizza
Chicken was boiled? Ordered a 20 serving for the office and it wasn’t enough for 15 people. Salad came without sauce. Sauce was closer to mayo than garlic sauce. I was hungry and I didn’t wanna eat much of this. Horribl…
The Map.
Every place we've rated, plotted where you can find it.
The Founders
How We Got Started
We started getting shawarma in high school because it was convenient, but we quickly learnt that these places are often more than just food spots. They're run by such great people, often families that have built the business from scratch.
For instance, I was in the west end at a place called Shadi Shawarma recently that we always used to go to after playing golf at Scarlett Woods in high school, a good 4–6 years ago. I walk in and the first thing the guy says is "I remember when you guys used to come in here after golf, how have you been".
First off, I look a lot different than I did then. Second, I'm from Cabbagetown and this place is at Bloor and Runnymede. It's not like I'm passing by all the time. I genuinely don't know how he remembered me, but he did and that was pretty cool.
Every interaction matters to these folks. That's why these places are special and that's probably why we keep going back. Not just because of the great food but because you always feel welcomed there.