The Shawarma Guide 2008

As originally appeared in The Fulcrum. Reprinted without permission, but who cares. Screw them.


Shawarma is like sex; sometimes it’s a little sloppy, sometimes you are a little too drunk, and sometimes you wake up the next morning and can’t help but wonder what the hell you were thinking. On the other hand everyone has had shawarma that’s a little dry or leaves a bad taste in your mouth afterwards; but despite any bad experiences you may have, you still want more. Whatever the case may be, you build up experiences that shape your life and when you look back you can't help but smile. Welcome to the Shawarma Guide.

Shawarma is right on top of the list of Ottawa staples, right next to Beaver Tales and angry French people. The garlic is potent, the turnip is pink, the meat is delicious, and they are everywhere! Ottawa boasts an impressive 217 establishments that serve Shawarma sandwiches, and we went on a mission to find the best. Just a reminder as well, if your breath stinks from eating too much garlic; eat some fresh parsley, brush your damn teeth, or get your girlfriend to eat Shawarma with you.

There are a few things to take into account before we get into the results of the study.

Money:
I’m a poor student, and cannot afford to eat Shawarma’s every night for over half the year, therefore we did not sample every place on every street.

Location:
We only visited locations that were within a reasonable walking distance from Campus and the Market. There are many Shawarma joints in Orleans and Kanata, and all other parts of the city but that is for another time. None of the locations require a bus ride, which is helpful since your breathe will stink so bad no one will want to sit next to you.

Ordering:
We stuck with the generic sandwich. In order to maintain consistency we ordered the chicken sandwich with everything on it, and of course, Garlic Sauce!! We do make mention of specials and delicacies at some locations but there is way too much out there to try everything on the menu. Each of the locations do serve Falafel for all the vegetarians out there, but my partners and I love meat, so we stuck with what we know.

Scoring:
We began with a breakdown of each element of the experience; Location, Bang for Buck, Atmosphere, Overall tastiness and freshness of Ingredients. There were a possible 50 points up for grabs, but because of the breakdown of the numbers some of the results were skewed. For example one place would have a terrific location but poor product and end up scoring the same as somewhere that was a little out of the way but had great food. Once we decided the focus should be on taste, we decided to adopt a Five-Star rating, and use the points system simply as a guide to help compiling our descriptions.

My colleagues:
We never entered an establishment without at least 3 participants present. I was there for each visit,

Caitlin Heggie: 4th year communication major
Lindsay Hughes: 4th year communication major
Matt Pilley: 4th year Psychology major

The Shawarma Guide

Close but No Cigar

Sandrella
124 Osgoode St.

This newcomer to the Sandy Hill area doesn’t make a mark as far as good Shawarma goes. They are within a stone’s throw of the university but their product is sub-par. The sparse amount of chicken that was provided was dry, and the sauce selection didn’t provide enough of cover. The pita wasn’t heated so the chicken quickly looses heat as well. The overall taste isn’t terrible, but it was all over much too quickly. Sandrella is a chain, and the other location is much more reputable, serving great meat pies and pockets. This is a new location so hopefully they are planning to grow their selection. Overall, not a bad snack between classes.

2.5/5


Support the little-man

Johnny’s Pizza/Shawarma
233 Laurier Avenue East.

Johnny’s is a Sandy Hill classic. Just a block away from campus sits this small but great take-out joint. Johnny’s has only been offering Shawarma for a couple years, but they have made a mark on the neighbourhood. The Shawarma is good, though for a carnivore more meat would be welcomed. The sandwich is grilled after being wrapped, and the size is adequate, but the garlic sauce is brilliantly potent. The restaurant itself is all about the food; with little seating and no bathrooms takeout is encouraged. The menu as a whole is full of great food, the pizza is $2.50 a slice and there aren’t many places where you can compliment your sandwich with a poutine. The staff are always friendly and engaging, and the food gets better as the night goes on. Unfortunately not open Sundays.

4/5

Bigger is Better

Marroush International Shawarma
Corner of Rideau and Dalhousie

In my world, Marroush is Arabic for big freaking sandwich. This small corner joint is all about size. The restaurant may appear to be a little sketch; there’s no sign to say how much things cost, the music is blasting, but all you need to know is that a small (5 bucks) is big, and a large (8 bucks) is nicknamed a bazooka. Marroush is the ultimate in after-bar munchies. Marroush is by far the biggest sandwich you can get; most meat, most toppings, most sauce, it’s awesome. Be careful what you wish for- if you ask for more sauce, it will be swimming in garlic. Marroush is minimalist in decor and seating, so best to take it outside. The Fallafel sandwich is decent but unless you really truly can’t eat meat, man up and get the full service!

Elgin Street Location
380-C Elgin St.

The Elgin street location is the original and better of the two locations. The owner is a little eccentric, daunting the famous stolen line “No Shawarma for you” and carrying the title Marroush the Shawarma Nutsy. The walls are plastered with press clippings and polaroids of drunken women dancing on the countertops. It’s not very big inside and the weekend after-bar scene can get crazy, but it’s definitely a must-have shawarma experience.

4.5/5


Even the King and Queen Need a ‘Palace’

Palace
464 Rideau St. -Just past Chapel

Shawarma has never tasted better! Unlike many of the Shawarma joints around the school, Place encourages you to sit down and enjoy yourself. The sandwiches are served on ceramic plates and stainless steel cutlery is provided. Palace is clean, which is re-assuring at the least, and the staff is friendly and funny, joking around with their customers and best of all they make you feel like a regular even on your first visit. The chicken is always juicy and the vegetables are always fresh and crispy. They offer a variety of sauces including humus and tatziki, and the garlic sauce is the best around. The Shawarma is capped off by being grilled on a real fire grill, which gives the pita a crispiness that doesn’t get stale if you get it to go. Palace offers a full variety of Lebanese dishes, including fresh and properly kept Fallafel and baklava that melts in your mouth. If you are feeling adventurous give the Yogurt drinks a chance, they perfectly compliment the harsh garlic. Palace is a little further away than the other places, but it is worth every step.

5/5

A ‘Diamond’ is not always a girl’s best friend

Diamond Shawarma
354 ½ Rideau St. –Across from Lowblaws

Diamond is a mediocre Shawarma place. The Location isn’t terrible, but there isn’t a whole lot of reason to go there when you are surrounded with several places that may be cheaper and taste better. The amount of chicken wasn’t bad, but the veggies didn’t look very fresh and the restaurant as a whole didn’t look very clean. The service was friendly though a little slow, so if you are getting take-out before heading across the road to the Bytowne Cinema, allow yourself a couple extra minutes. They also carry a wide variety of Lebanese treats and candy, and if you are feeling a little stressed out, they also offer $3.50 tall-boys and have wine on the menu.

3/5

Shawarma Pastry and Pies oh my!

Best Pies and Shawarma
180 Lees Avenue

‘Best’ is a little gem located in the bottom of Lees Towers. There are only about 2 seats in the whole place, but the food is cheap and great. The sandwiches aren’t incredible, but its location makes it a perfect stop off on your way to or from class. The sandwiches are average size with a good amount of chicken and veggies. Best Pies also offers a wide selection of meat, cheese, and veggie pies and pockets, all of which are top notch. My favourites are the chicken pocket and the meat and cheese pies, and if you ask for the extra spices it gets that much better. The pies and pockets are made in a full blown pizza oven, so ask to get your shawarma heated up in the oven and it gives it a unique flavour that none of the big places offer.

4/5

The ‘Deluxe’ Market Treatment

Shawarma Deluxe
347 Dalhousie Street

Shawarma Deluxe is a great good place to grab a sandwich after the bar or any time you find yourself in the market with an itch for garlic. Deluxe is on Dalhousie a little out of the way from the bars, but with its bright neon sign it’s hard to miss. The sandwiches are a good size for only 4 bucks and they have green peppers as toppings, which despite not being a typical shawarma topping does add a unique flavour twist. The sandwich was heated up before the vegetables went on, which kept them fresh tasting and contrasted well with the hot juicy chicken. The after bar scene is always a good time; the staff is engaging and the night-timers all wear chef hats with various signatures on them, not to mention the owner looks as though he used to cook in the army. Deluxe is fully licensed, and if you are looking to try something new (with unknown meat) try the 2 donairs for $5.50.

4/5

Not so worthy of his throne

Shawarma’s King
395 Bank Street

The King has been dethroned, or so it seems. Located on the Bank Street Promenade, King was once a great Shawarma place, but its steady decline now includes a building that is falling apart. Plastered all over the windows and walls are Consumer Choice awards for 11 running, but my experience did not match theirs. The garlic sauce was good, but there wasn’t enough to counter the dry chicken. Bank Street is a rough looking part of the downtown area, which doesn’t bode well for King, since its only real draw for students is if they’re coming home from Barrymores. The dining area was not tidy and there was a gap in the floor where tiles had broken but were never fixed. The surroundings of a restaurant shouldn’t make you question why you are there. Luckily they do offer free delivery on orders over $10, so you don’t have to worry so much about the decor.

2.5/5

Shawarma with class; an oxymoron or just a moron?

Garlic Corner-Best Shawarma
321 Dalhousie Street

The Garlic Corner is more about style than substance. New to the market, and backed by what looks to be some serious cash, is the slickest looking Shawarma place I’ve ever been to. Garlic Corner is like the Jurassic Park of Shawarma places; instead of coming from the bottom and working their way to the top, they’ve spent money to look the best, get the best equipment, but the quality of the end product just isn’t as great. The sandwich had all the properties of a typical shawarma, but instead of being toasted it was burnt not to mention it was so awkwardly wrapped that more ended up on the floor than in my mouth. There are several flat-screen plasmas on the walls but the choice of decorum doesn’t add up to much. They do offer beer and for ten bucks you can get some Hookah (with 6 or so different flavours to choose from) delivered right to your table.

2/5



After several weeks and a lot of shawarma, I can’t help but think of this as a great experience. I’ve had a lot of great food and some not so great. Shawarma is an important part of student life. We all want cheap, fast, great tasting food, and I hope this guide will help you choose the most fitting shawarma for your lifestyle. The consensus favourite among the panel was without a doubt Shawarma Palace. The taste and quality is in a league of their own. If size is what you are looking for then Marroush is the place for you. The quality of food is a little inconsistent but the size is enough to keep you going back. After all is said and done, of the nine places reviewed there are several that I’ll be returning to; Shawarma Palace, Marroush, Best Pies and Shawarma, Johnny’s and Shawarma Deluxe. There are so many Shawarma places to choose from, and we could only get to a small handful. Our guide is a good place to start but don’t be afraid to try any and every shawarma place around. The majority are locally owned and it always feels good to know you are helping out local business, even if your money is only coming from OSAP.