Ottawa Foodies

The maroush on Rideau was sold a few years ago with the caveat that they had to change the name within a few years. Now it has changed.

It hasn't been the 'real' maroush for a couple of years.

If you want the true maroush there is one on elgin and one on st Joseph in Hull.

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Marroush at Rideau and Dalhousie is now called Three Brothers Shawarma and Poutine.

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Although it does not look like the most booming business on Rideau Street, Marroush has one of the best shawarmas in the city. Every time I've been in the area it has been empty, which to me might ring a few alarms... is there something I'm not catching?

Nope, I just think there are so many different places, each offering their spin on the shawarma in the Ottawa area; especially the downtown part. Philly has their cheese steaks, Montreal has their smoked meats – and Ottawa has little shawarma places. They're still open, so they must be doing something right, and someone must be agreeing with me.

Here are the points that stuck out to me from my most recent experiences:

For me, this place rocks because I am a true food and shawarma fanatic. Bigger isn't always better, but when the food is great, it does.

They offer 3 sizes: small, large, and bazooka (extra large), which is like whole extra large pita bread, similar to the ones found at the mid-east food mart (and other places like it).

Mouth-fulls of well-spiced, chewy yet crispy chicken and donair meat - nothing compares. What I loved about my shawarma was that the meat had a chance to rotate and cook thoroughly in a way that the outer layer and the uneven sides were not carelessly overcooked or burnt, they were just rightfully crisped. The rest of it was tender and beyond yummy.

The meat mixed with the many fresh but standard shawarma toppings (including lettuce, onions, hot peppers, pickled turnips, tomatoes and pickles) helped the yumminess, and seemed very fresh. The lettuce was unevenly cut and crispy as it should be, and the tomatoes were ripe and not mushy!

One of the best perks of this place is its option of spicy garlic sauce! Not many places I've been to have this option. Everything you love of that fresh, strong garlic boosted with a mind-blowing kick - a little spice.

After putting it all together, they wrap it up in a waxed paper and put it in an old Panini sandwich press so that it is toasted until left with a few golden-brown strands, just like a Panini.

To add to all of this, they add a generous amount of your choice of garlic on top, at the mouth of the sandwich, to finish it off. This is truly the icing on the cake, the cherry on (my favourite) sundae as the expression goes. You can even mix and match - have spicy inside the sandwich, and regular on top. You can also double it up, spicy in the sandwich, spicy on top and vice versa.
The combination of garlic inside and out makes this sandwich unreal. It feeds our love of garlic, what we can't ever get enough of.

The sandwich is left in this paper wrap, but if you take it to go, foil is added.

If you do choose to eat in their small eating space, which consists of a table with about 3 chairs and a classic bar type arrangement with a handful of stools.

The friendly staff definitely helps the experience by far. You can relax and enjoy your meal and eat as much as you can without paying until the very end of the meal. They are very laid back and open this way. They are great for some good conversations and even a few jokes here and there. They also allow you to try out and sample their meat and such tasty dishes before you order them.

One thing I did not appreciate was that the potatoes I saw the next person in line order, which were pre-made, and reheated in the same Styrofoam as they were served in. I would hope the Styrofoam doesn't catch fire some time, that the potatoes still taste fresh, that the container doesn't affect the taste, and that they are not too scorchingly hot! To me this idea just seems unhealthy and maybe even cancerous.

P.S. for all of you vegetarians, there were options that looked wonderful and fresh. Especially the falafel!

All in all, it was a great experience and I will keep returning to this place! - one of the greatest shawarmas in Ottawa.

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Well, i certainly feel the love fairly radiating from that post...

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Marroush absoultly is the Best

we were in Marroush (Rideau) last week,many things has been changed from last year,new renovation,new team... we had our best shawarma ever,

everything fresh,perfect service,great music

we love you Marroush

I've just recently started to really enjoy shawarma and my go-to place has so far been Marroush on Elgin. Everything about the shawarma is delicious to me....and those garlic potatoes...mmm, so grease-tastic and super garlicky.

However, I did go recently on a Monday night and felt really uncomfortable, as the guy behind the counter was asking me about my sex life and implying that he could satisfy me in many ways. Totally inappropriate. I was pretty taken aback and just kind of laughed nervously while I waited for my food. Now, I walk by and if he's there I go elsewhere for some food.

I just discovered something very important about Maroush. The first shawarma I ever had was at the Rideau and Dalhousie location, and I remember it being the tastiest, most filling fast food one could ever imagine. On top of that, there was a certain mystique to the place seeing as though there was no menu, and the chums behind the counter were super friendly and perhaps hopped up on something.
Although I have had a ton of shawarma since then, I have always compared shawarmas to maroush. About 2 years ago, I noticed there was something awry at maroush. They installed a menu, they added green and red sauce (which are great by the way), the shawarma become much smaller, they stick it in a Panini press, and they lost their sweet sauce and tahini (or as they call it sesame sauce). Similarly, I have noticed a different level of service, and quite frankly a seriously decreased standard of quality. I still swing by the maroush on rideau because it's not "terrible", and it is rather cheep considering they have a few specials for extremely reasonable prices.

HOWEVER... and it is a big however!

This past week I hit up the Maroush in Hull on St-Joseph right across from that little mall which houses East Side Mario's and Baton Rouge. Oh man! I was in heaven, just like I was in my first year of University when I discovered shawarma. It’s the real, old school maroush. The service was super friendly, the price was extremely right at 5 dollars for a mammoth shawarma and they had all of the signature maroush sauces. So, while ordering I asked, "what is the deal with the maroush on Rideau? It is not even close to as good as it used to be". The answer is that the maroush guys who own the one in hull and on Elgin (which I have never been to by the way) SOLD the rideau location 2 YEARS ago. The new owners kept the name and changed everything else. In other words, the maroush on rideau isn't even maroush at all! You should have heard the condescension coming from the servers at the hull maroush, but I don’t blame them, because they are using maroush fame and serving a completely different product.

I have an inkling that the Rideau location it is owned by the same folks that own castle shawarma because they have the same "red, green and white sauces", but this is just a wild guess.

All I’ve got to say is that the Rideau "maroush" does not stand up to the one in Hull. For my money, it's the best shawarma I have ever had rivaling similar creations I have had in Europe, Turkey and Israel.

Shawamra lovers out there, check out the Hull Maroush and it will bring you back to the amazing shawarma that you had many a time at 3 in the morning after stammering home from the bar and/or club.

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AWESOME!

I was totally pleased with the chicken Shawarma. The Hot garlic sauce is a great treat. The server kept offering yummy chicken pieces to taste all the garlic sauces. RED GREEN WHITE. All of the sauces were very smooth. They sure do it right!

I will go back for sure!

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When I moved to Ottawa, this place was my benchmark for Shawarma!

Ate there often, always great! I haven't had a Chicken/Garlic in ages... time to revisit!

for the person looking for a good donair place, check out the restaurant on Bronson just past Gladstone, can't remember the name but my girlfriend liked their "halifax donair"

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!