Ottawa Foodies

The Shawarma Platter from the Carling location was not that great. In fact, I can't understand why they're so busy all the time when Mr Pie and BBQ is just up the street. The beef had a lot of fat and gristle and the chicken was dry. The rice and potatoes were good. The pink pickled turnip sticks tasted more like cucumber pickles and lacked the crunch I like so much. One big plus: they offered two pitas without me having to ask. Most places seem to give you one, which just isn't enough with a huge platter. The food prep guy told me there'd be a surcharge to get half beef and half chicken, but the cashier charged me the regular price.

I picked up a chicken Shawarma for dinner and it was excellent, with enough picked beets and pickles for the tang and enough garlic sauce for the necessary flavour. It was an introduction to the meal for a coworker traveling from Regina and thus it was a success, though unfortunately the pita wrapper was a little too fragile. Excellent though, at least at the Rideau location.

zymurgist, bear in mind that donair and shawarma are two very different tastes, even if they have a lot of similarities.

I agree, Marroush makes the best shawarma in town...but can anyone find me a good donair in this city?

I would have to disagree... I worked at a location very close to Marroush on Elgin. Most of the time the shawarma is good - not great. It really gets nasty at the end of the night (Friday and Saturday), as the stumbling crowds head for a grease pit that serve up the goodness... I've seen his staff feverously fry chicken in a frying pan in the back to satisfy the insatiable apetite of the masses lining up to get a shawarma. Some of it was definitely raw (as in not cooked!). Of course no-one notices as they take their turn dancing on the bar or gettting yelled at by the self appointed "Shawarma Nazi" (all in jest of course). Mind you this is the end-of-the night rush, and surely does not represent their day-to-day offerings...

Overall, I would give them 5 stars (out of 5) for their "sweet sauce" (highly reccomended), 3 stars for shawarma, and no stars for Friday and saturday night food...

IMO, the best of shawarma in ottawa is Shawarma Palace on Rideau - always a line-up. Succulent chicken (that has NOT been drying on that spit for two days like other unnamed places), tasty garlic sauce that is not overpowering and is just right, and greatly spiced potatoes...

PS - ask the Marroush guy for his photo album which he keeps below the counter - featuring best "grills" Elgin has to offer - LOL

No shawarma for you!

Ha, ha, haven't been here in years but their chicken shawarma's sure were good! And huge! Note the other place "Maritime Donair" that used to be in the same building has long since gone out of business, but Marroush just keeps on going!

Well, despite my initial bad experience, I've actually been eating here several times a week, largely because it's a couple blocks away from both home and work.

I don't think the quality has improved, but I am definitely irked about the prices that keep going up every few weeks. I thought Shawarma was supposed to be cheap :/

It's not bad, but I've had much much better elsewhere for less.

Best shawarma place in town. And I've been to plenty in Ottawa (but then again, I always hear great things about Shawarma Palace and I haven't been there yet.

When ordering a plate/platter, I love how they just pile on the food into a little mound. I can stuff it all if I really want to, but if I want to be moderate, then I can easily split it between two meals, it's that much food.

I'm a big fan of their rice, it's not just plain white rice like other places give you.

Shawarma's King used to be the best in the city but since a change in management, the sauce isn't as garlicky and the quality has gone down. Very dissapointing.

Sorry, I found their shawarma very disappointed. Flavourless and overcooked meat. My favourite is Cedar Valley in Orleans. Excellent.

Maybe I'm just fussy but I didn't like the meats in their shawarma. Some bits were rock-hard overcooked, and well the other half was lumps of fat. I ate half of it and threw the rest out, then drove to my beloved Gatineau to get a better one.

I'm a fan of garlic potatoes, so Shawarma's King totally rocks my socks. There's nothing quite like feeling the garlic sauce coursing through your veins the day after you eat it.

Just a great blend of fresh ingredients with strong (but not too much) flavoured sauce. You might want to avoid kissing loved ones for a bit, but well worth a trip out of your way.

Last night I thumbed my nose at the controversial series of articles this week by the Ottawa Citizen, and went to my trusty-ol' Istanbouli for a Chicken Shawarma. They did not disappoint - awesome as ever. And look at that - 24 hours later and I'm still alive! People need a serious reality check ...

This is by FAR the best place to get shawarmas. Always fresh and delicious. Chicken of HIGH quality- never any bones or cartilage or membrane or other sketchiness found way too often elsewhere! Other places are nasty by comparison!

I stop here at least twice a month on the way home from work to pick up 4 large Chicken Shawarma for the family for supper. Very yummy, and the owners are extremely friendly to talk to. Delivery is fast as well when you are lazy.

The service here is great, i.e. very generous helpings, willing to substitute, always friendly. And the chicken is great too. I never get sandwich, always plate and usually bypass the rice and go for salad instead. But, when the potatoes are right out of the kitchen I pick up a small portion to go and boy oh boy are they yummy.

Décor leaves a lot to be desired, but I live close by so take-out is the way to go.

The St. Laurent location is good, but Alta Vista and Bank is better.

This is my favorite place for Shawarma and plates. I usually get the combo plate and have a hard time finishing it because of it's size. Great value for money. Their rice is good as well it doesn't have the clove spice to it as so many places do. Instead they have small noodles in the rice. Only draw back is they do not make fresh baked pies(Cheese and zatar).

Used to eat here a lot 2-3 years ago and the chicken shawarma was always terrific.

I've had shawarmas sandwiches and platters here and it was all-around pretty good. Great hummus and salads! A little on the pricey side, but that's Kanata for ya.

May be the best shawarma in Ottawa! Make sure you get both the tahini and garlic sauces together.

I have lunch here probably twice a month. This restaurant is family owned. Chef Ali is very attentive to his clients. The lady at the cash will often prepare some very strong tea for clients after their meal, for free!

When the restaurant is very busy for lunch and the chef thinks that the Shawarma chicken could be cooked a bit more, he whips out a few chicken kababs and places them on the fire. (Free upgrade!)

The garlic sauce is intense! You will be tasting it all afternoon, and others will be smelling it off your breath...

The hummus is very nicely prepared with a bit of drizzled olive oil and parsley. You have to ask for extra pita bread to eat with it.

With out a doubt, I would recommend this restaurant for lunch to anybody looking for good authentic Lebanese cuisine. I have not had supper here... yet!

Note: The decor could use some work.

I've been there more than once; I tried different meals and It's always great, fresh. Atmosphere: homy place, clean; very good prices specially lunch time the very friendly chef Jamal is very very quick in serving you with avnice smile. You walk in happy you leave happy and FULL!!!!!!
HIGHLY recommended

This is by far my favorite Shawarma spot. Theres not much to be said for the decor, this isnt a fancy restaurant like some places try to be.

Its cheap $9.50 for a Chicken Plate (Meat, Rice, Salad, Tabouleh, Hommous, Garlic Sauce, Pita), $6.50 for a Chicken Pita, Potatoes and A drink. Its pretty busy at lunch time, but Shawarma master Jamal makes the line move quickly. Everything always appears to be freshly prepared (that day). The Garlic sauce is to die for (most certainly my favorite anywhere) and the hommous is quite good. Tasty wihtout getting that "dirty" taste in your mouth.

Highly recommended to all for a quick tasty and healthy bite.

The picture is of a Chicken Plate to go, I'm just about to tear into it :D.

(I'll try for a better picture next time I go)

Worst... shawarma... ever. I should have known better when the cook took pieces of chicken out of a bucket.

Excellent shawarma! Juicy and big, lots of condiments, and terrific, friendly service. A gem!

The Shawarmas here are not too bad, but not the best in the city. For the price, its great, but I think the chicken is coated in BBQ sauce before it is roasted on the spit... making it pretty salty with all the other sauces and accoutrement. The potatoes are not the best, but the rice is unbelievable; by far the best I've had in Ottawa. It has peas and whole spices cooked in for maximum flavour. The staff is really friendly and remember you, which is nice. Also, I always ask for double garlic, which is garlic sauce on the rice and potatoes, then again on the chicken... delicious but not so good for your breath the rest of the day.

Worth the stop.

This was one of the better shawarma platters I've had. This was half beef and half chicken. Carefully assembled and easily sharable by two people.

Looking forward to trying more foods from this new restaurant. It's actually quite nicely set up for eat-in dining as well.

I've been eating shwarma there for years (since it opened) and they are very tasty. The platters are generous and they have a variety to choose from. Their potatoes are the best I have ever had, the rice is soooo moist and they always have fresh stuffed grape leaves on hand which I love.

The Shawarma Shack is where I usually get my shawarma fix. They used to have the best potatoes (tossed in a mix of fresh herbs, garlic and olive oil) but a recent change in management has reduced the quality of the ingredients (and the staff). But, it's still one of the best spots.

Best fattoush salad I've ever had. And with the shawarma chicken it's a real hit. Other Lebanese dishes are available, but once you've had the fattoush you'll never want anything else.

I grabbed a chicken shawarma today while I was there picking up my organic turkey, and it was absolutely fantastic! Very large sandwich.

Old ingredients, not enough meat and too much sauce. I last had shawarma at this place over two years ago and the memory still smarts. (It was among the closest food outlets to my home and therefore had many opportunities to redeem itself.)

We shared a chicken shawarma and a beef shawarma (that's why the beef shawarma in the photo is chopped in half). The chicken was kind of dry with a slightly powdery texture, as is common in Ottawa's chicken shawarma's. The beef shawarma was very good!

While ordering, I saw another customer get hot sauce on his shawarma -- worth mentioning because I don't think all shawarma places offer it.