So many shawarma places, so few good ones
Ottawa is supposedly the shawarma capital of Canada, based on the high density of restaurants. From anywhere in downtown, it’s at most a few minutes walk to a shawarma restaurant. However, in terms of absolute number or quality, the claim is somewhat dubious as Montreal and Toronto have a larger and more diverse Middle Eastern population.
The only true food specialty in Ottawa is BeaverTails, a flat doughnut. If you’ve already tried that, you might as well check out the everyday food of this city. Don’t expect gourmet options. The celebrated shawarmas cost less than $10 and are considered fast food. From what I can taste, there isn’t anything unique about it. It’s close to Lebanese-style and similar to other places in Canada.
Here are some shawarma places that are consistently at the top of “best of” lists. For a fair comparison, I ordered the same thing at all restaurants: a small chicken shawarma wrap with all toppings and sauces.
3 Brothers Shawarma & Poutine
Coincidentally, 3 Brothers has 3 branches in Ottawa. The one on Rideau Street, closest to Parliament Hill, is supposedly the best. As their name implies, one of their two attractions is poutine. Not many shawarma joints in Canada make poutine.
It’s a cheap and cheerful fast food restaurant. The whole operation is in full view: the rotating spits, condiments, and assembly table.
I was a little underwhelmed with my shawarma wrap. It tasted like an ordinary fast food shawarma. The chicken was lightly seasoned and missing char and fat. No particular ingredient stood out for quality. On the plus side, I liked the thick cut of meats. 5/10.
There is barely any space for dining in. Takeout reigns supreme.
Shawarma King
Shawarma King is one of the OG and has been around before shawarma was popular in Ottawa.
The counter is fairly large and displays a large quantity of ingredients. It’s typical fast food, so don’t expect healthy salad quality.
The standout was the hummus and tahini. There was a substantial amount and it wasn’t lost over the other ingredients. I liked the nuttiness and creaminess that they imparted to the meat. It ate more like a Lebanese shawarma plate. Unfortunately, the rest of the ingredients weren’t as memorable. At least the chicken was moist. 6.5/10.
The interior is functional though somewhat dated.
Shawarma Palace
This is probably the slickest shawarma operation in Ottawa. They even have their own branded packaging. There are multiple branches but the one on Rideau Street is the original and highest-rated.
They had the most shawarma roasts of the restaurants I visited. It’s a promising sign of the volume of business.
The wrap was the neatest one that I’ve tried in Ottawa. It was rolled in a tight log. The pita was toasted evenly to a shade of golden brown and had a good chew. This was the only shawarma where I could taste some roasted flavours. Sauces were not overwhelming. All in all, an above-average shawarma wrap. 7.5/10.
Shawarma Palace has a fairly large seating area and is a decent place to dine in. They’ve renovated the place to keep up with the times.
Next to the counter is a table for upselling packaged foods like baklava.
Where to get shawarmas in Toronto
One is spoilt for choice. The first question to ask is which style? Lebanese, Syrian, Israeli, Palestinian, Iraqi, or something else? At authentic Levantine places, you can also try saj instead of pita as a wrap. Saj is a very thin and large flatbread.
If you liked Shawarma Palace in Ottawa, try Original Shawarma in Mississauga. It has better seasonings and cuts of meat and is chock full of proteins.
Closer to downtown, Zaad has high quality ingredients and their shawarma has a crisp toasted exterior.
If you can’t decide, just walk along Lawrence Avenue East between Pharmacy Avenue and Warden Avenue. It’s packed with Middle Eastern food places and top spots like Shawarma Empire.
Verdict
There is no comparison. Shawarma Palace has the best shawarma in Ottawa.
Nevertheless, I was pretty disappointed with the overall quality of shawarma in Ottawa given its hype as the shawarma capital. Perhaps a new entrant can shake things up with an innovative twist like Halifax did with donairs. Or aim for the high-end with organic and premium ingredients.
Practical information
3 Brothers Shawarma & Poutine
- Rating
- 5/10
- Prices
- Chicken shawarma wrap (small): $7.50 ($6.64 excluding tax)
- Address
- 160 Rideau Street and other locations
- Hours
- Monday to Tuesday 1100h – 0300h
Wednesday 1100h – 0330h
Thursday to Friday 1100 – 0400h
Saturday to Sunday 1100h – 0300h - Date of visit
- October 2021
Shawarma King
- Rating
- 6.5/10
- Prices
- Chicken shawarma sandwich: $7.90 ($6.99 excluding tax)
- Address
- 395 Bank Street
- Hours
- Monday 1100h – 0300h
Tuesday to Thursday 1100h – 0200h
Friday 1100h – 0300h
Saturday to Sunday 1100h – 0400h - Date of visit
- October 2021
Shawarma Palace
- Rating
- 7.5/10
- Prices
- Chicken shawarma sandwich: $8.19 ($7.25 excluding tax)
- Address
- 464 Rideau Street and other locations
- Hours
- Monday to Thursday 1100h – 0100h
Friday to Saturday 1100h – 0200h
Sunday 1200h – 0100h - Date of visit
- October 2021