Ottawa is the shawarma capital of not only Canada but of the world (so interesting, didn't learn this until over 4 years of living here). But I have to believe it's partially because of Shawarma Palace that Ottawa has earned this title! We frequently go in person or order their food on Uber Eats and it never disappoints! We've tried the chicken scawarma and chicken shawarma platter - the ingredients are incredibly fresh and food is very tasty. Staff are also very friendly and the service is fast! A must try whether you are an Ottawa local or just in town for the day/weekend. read more

This place was recommended to us for lunch and I would absolutely second this recommendation for those who like us are looking for a great place to dine in their visit of Ottawa! Both chicken and beef shawarmas were great, coming in generous portions with a good variety of sauces and sides. I replace my salad with tabule for a dollar which was so worth it. The hummus was just devine, one of the bests I had in my life! I'd like chicken shawarma more than beef as it was so tender and lighter, but beef was also well-cooked and adequately dressed. The service was kind and accommodating. Overall, it was a great experience in many ways, and I would come back in my next visit of Ottawa. One last thing is before you order, keep in mind that one shawarma plate is so big that can easily make two average eaters full! read more

Will strongly recommend. Heads up. It's expensive as compared to other shawarma but worth the pay. Can't be crowded at times especially that of west hunt club /bank. read more

Me and my family were staying in Ottawa for a day and when I looked on Yelp for where to eat dinner, this place came up as a top result. My family loves shawarmas and the portion sizes were supposed to be huge so we thought we would get a bunch of plates to share. When we got there it was very very busy! The line went to the end of the store, it was loud, but despite all that the staff was quick and friendly. We ordered a beef shawarma plate, a 1/2 chicken BBQ plate, a rainbow trout plate and a side of 10 chipotle chicken wings (no fries) with four drinks. All the plates were about $15 with the chicken wings being about $10. The total came up to about $75 which we considered pretty good for 5 people to eat together. We were told the rainbow trout, BBQ chicken and chicken wings were going to take 15 minutes while the beef shawarma plate would be made right away. We thought that was reasonable and sat down with our beef shawarma plate which was honestly the best out of the three plates we got! I highly recommend it especially as I don't usually like beef. Everyone in my family loved it! Even though they told us 15 minutes, the rest of our order came within 5-10 minutes. We were amazed with the service despite lines that never ended. Both times when we came in and when we left there were long lines, but orders were dealt with very quickly. The rainbow trout was quite tasty albeit a bit small in my opinion. The BBQ chicken was unfortunately dry and not as BBQ as we thought it would be. It tasted more like it was roasted. The chicken wings were great as well! The skin was very crispy and flavourful. My family continues to rave about this place long after we left. I highly recommend it if you want shawarma in Ottawa although I would say to come when you have some extra time because you don't know how long the lines are going to be. read more

Huge disappointment. I'm from Vancouver where the chicken shawarma (if you can find it) is amazing. I assumed that the highest rated shawarma joint in Ottawa would destroy the best shawarma in Vancouver. How wrong I was! Biggest problem: they use chicken breast. Why they would use 100% breast over thighs boggles my mind. It's more expensive, has less flavour, less fat, and dries out. Other problems:. Not enough seasoning on the meat, not browned enough before cutting it, and they don't put any sauce in the meat by default (you have to ask, and I didn't realize until I had the first couple bites, I then added Tahini, hot sauce, and garlic sauce to help with the dryness factor). Even with sauces on it, the dryness of the breast was hard to overcome. The potatoes are amazing, the hummus was awesome and there was a generous portion of it. read more

Shawarma Palace - Chicken shawarma plate - Middle Eastern Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario

Very good food. Always busy when I go in person. I order delivery intended from here and it's always really good.

If you are looking for the best Shawarma in Ottawa, look no further. Portions here are YUGE! It can easily feed two people. The chicken is well seasoned and juicy. Potatoes are perfectly golden, and nicely spiced. They are not greasy, are a perfect match for their garlic sauce. Salad is fresh, and they stack it with pickles and turnips. The dressing that comes with it really compliments it well. It has a nice hint of sumac. The hummus is very creamy and perfect for the pita bread that comes with the plate. When I eat their chicken shawarma plate, I feel like all the different components of the plate come together so well. Down it with a coke, and get the whole experience. The chicken shawarma sandwich is equally as good. All locations have been very consistent. read more

Shawarma Palace - Middle Eastern Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario

Good but expensive, 20$ for lunch, it's also greasy, it's simple food yet priced like gourmet.

We walked a half mile on a friend's recommendation to get here and we probably should have walked longer. This fast food Afghani eatery gives you more than one person could ever eat. For a small price you get a delicious buffet of fresh food. (No, this is not really a buffet, they serve you a buffet.) My large plate was piled high with a big salad, crispy potatoes, seasoned rice, vegetables, two types of hummus and a pile of savory chicken schwarma. It could serve 4 people easily. The food was hot and delish. It is clearly the best deal in town! read more

Shawarma Palace - Chicken schwarma. - Middle Eastern Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario

Back again for my dose of Shawarma Palace in Ottawa. Went in on a Friday night and boy was there a lineup! Food was being constantly brought out of the kitchen to feed our hungry eyes. The customer service is very friendly given the high pace of this place. Again, I ordered my favourite kafta plate, which takes the usual 10 minutes to cook. It was cooked perfectly...juicy and flavourful. The gentleman behind the counter added some tahini (sesame sauce) on top, just to make it even better. I come back here about once a year, but I always forget how much they fill up their plates. It's incredible, as everything actually tastes great. I obviously couldn't finish my meal and had to take it to go. However, I thoroughly enjoyed every bite that I could fit into my belly before falling into my usual Shawarma Palace "food coma". I will be back! read more

Shawarma Palace - Kafta plate(s)...couldn't fit it all on one plate. Wow! - Middle Eastern Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario

Its basically a fast food shawarma, nothing really special, it seems to serve generic, underwhelming shawarma. I also tried the grilled meats and it was strange to say the least, way too charred and bitter. I've been to the middleast before and this was nothing like it, just skimping on quality maybe because expectations are low. I was just generally disappointed. read more

Shawarma Palace - Middle Eastern Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario

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I eat at this location at least once a month. I used to get the plate, but then realized the rice was the least tasty thing at this establishment. The potatoes are really good here, because they are as greasy as the other Shawarma shops. I strongly recommend their spicy garlic sauce, it is 10+ to say the least. The busier it is the tastier the food is. I feel like eating a sandwich right now!!! read more

Best in Ottawa. Outstanding shawarma. Highly recommend. I'll probably eat more tomorrow. read more

Ok....plates are huge! Cost $16 and We were 2...can feed 3-4. Staff is nice. Quality is so so. I've had better elsewhere many times over. It's authentic but really nothing to rave about. Want to feel full and have another meal to take home? Go here read more

Came here for dinner based on these reviews. Super friendly order takers/food severs! The food is tasty and very generous in serving size. There was a line up even at 10:30 pm when we were then but it was cleared by the time we were eating. Will definitely be back when I am in the Ottawa area! read more

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This place is no-frills, delicious and huge portions. The platters are pretty darn generous with all the garnishes. Hummus, basmati rice, pickles, etc! The star, aside from the meats, is the garlic sauce! Especially, slathered over the crisp fried potato cubes... its addictive... like it has crack in it... I shall refer to it as crack sauce going forward... I am from the US and they don't accept American debit cards here, just a tip... read more

Shawarma Palace - Beef shawarma platter - Middle Eastern Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario

I decided to give Shawarma Palace a try after seeing how many great reviews they have. I arrived at about 7pm on a Wednesday and although there was still some room at the tables, there was a HUGE lineup. The wait wasn't too bad though; 10 minutes or so. I guess the takeout/dine-in ratio is about 50-50. The staff was really nice but rushed me a little given their lineup size. I would have liked to have enough time to ask all my questions about my food before being rushed to the cash. Oh well. I have to mention it - their décor is hilarious. They have a Coca-Cola bottle display rack next to the line-up... too funny. I wanted to take a photo, but I felt a little bit strange so I decided not to. They also have tons of photos of Lebanon... and some fake flowers. Everywhere. For vegans they've got a couple options: A falafel platter, falafel sandwich, vegetarian platter and a vegetarian sandwich. Also, their famous potatoes are vegan. I asked if they're cooked in butter or oil and they told me they're cooked in oil. Yay! I tried the Falafel Platter. It was Okay. I've definitely had better falafels (like at Nuba in Vancouver), and for some reason they were served cold. Cold Falafels? Weird. The patties were too crisp for my taste, almost tempura-like. The batter felt gritty in my mouth and I had to eat them carefully so I wouldn't chip my teeth - it's happened before. As my photo suggests, the platter was HUGE, and it came with the potatoes... which were SO yummy! Next time I'll make sure to get a side order of the potatoes... too good. I was sad to find out their famous garlic sauce contains eggs, otherwise I would have tried it. :( I'm pretty sure I was the only person in there without garlic sauce smothered all over my food. They did however pour sesame sauce over my falafels, although I didn't ask for it. Overall my experience at Shawarma Palace was good, and the portion was substantial. I had enough food to stuff my face and have large leftovers for lunch the next day. Their hummus is pretty standard, nothing extraordinary. One thing I really liked and have never experience elsewhere was that they actually give you a bag with two pitas. I really appreciated that, given that often times when pita is served at a restaurant it's stale because it's been sitting there, pre-cut in paper bags all day. Not here! These pitas were fresh and they came in a decent take-away bag. Score! The next time I visit I'm trying the vegetarian platter. It contains 8 items and looks freakin' amazing. read more

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Exceptional Shawarma, its really quite good. There are many shawarma places in Ottawa, so with a lot of competition they are among the best. I felt it was high quality, and I will come back again and again read more

I feel like I'm going to get lynched for my review but I used to like this place a lot better! The staff is still awesome and super friendly, there's always still a line, the roasted potatoes are still great and the garlic sauce is still fantastic! What's been killing me lately is the rest of the platter. I'm not sure why or if it's just me but the last few times I've been here, including today I feel like there's been a ton more oil in my food, not to the point were my platter is drowning in it but it's pretty close. To be honest that doesn't sit well in me anymore and makes me a bit nauseous. The nausea could also be the the sheer amounts of food you get in a platter though. The potatoes and garlic sauce are definitely a winner here. If you can't eat a lot of food and order the platter...I'd bring tupperware! read more

I love that all the shawarma is served in regal-sounding venues in Ottawa! I saw a Shawarma King, a Shawarma Prince, a Castle Shawarma...but we thought Shawarma Palace sounded the most posh. I thought this place was fantastique. There was a bit of a queue, but they are incredibly speedy at putting orders together so it seemed like no time at all before we were sitting with three huge shawarma wraps, yummy pickles, tabbouleh and potatoes. I couldn't eat a huge portion like that every day, but it would be brilliant as an occasional treat. The platters looked pretty amazing as well if you are reeeeeally hungry! To me, shawarma seems really similar to Turkish kebabs (maybe you all call it shawarma as there are more Lebanese folks than Turkish folks in Canada!?) Anyway, whatever you choose to call it, it all tastes delicious!! read more

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Who knew that when my husband (then boyfriend) dragged me up to Canada, that I would find good food here. Not only just good food, but AMAZING shawarmas!! I'm not sure why I have not had these delicious bundles of awesomeness anywhere in Houston (believe me, after my first visit, we hit up almost every place in Houston) Surely, with a melting pot of cultures here, I'm bound to find something. But you know what? Nothing. Nothing that comes close to Shawarma Palace. We've dissected this item. Is it the garlic sauce? The pickles? The tender chicken? The fact that they grill the wrap afterwards?? I think it's a combination of the entire thing. But I know the garlic sauce is crazy important. Make it easy: order yourself a chicken shawarma wrap with extra garlic sauce. If your mouth doesn't taste like garlic after 24 hours, it's not enough. I've seen their plates, and while the massive amounts of food looks appealing, I'm not sure I'm ready to tear myself away from the shawarma wraps yet. My time in Canada is limited and precious. read more

Shawarma Palace - Oh chicken shawarma wrap. Yum. - Middle Eastern Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario

I am stuffed! Late classes mean late night pickups on my way home. I usually grab two sandwiches from the Palace to avoid the whole plate challenge. First couple times I couldn't decide between beef and chicken. Figured I'd take one for the yelp team and taste/compare the two. Been a fan since. Here's why: GREAT SHAWARMAS. Fresh ingredients and quality meats. Sauces are decent and yes I've had better ... in North Africa! Not much comp in Ottawa. I think I know a (better) place.... memory fails me though. HORRIBLE SERVICE. They really don't give a f--k! Barely listen or look up, talk amongst themselves. Have to interrupt them many times to give my precise orders. Not to mention the occasional lewd stares and sexist double entendres. This is where they lose a star. GRIMY DINING. Really dingy. Eat out/To go only and do not look at the carpet too closely or you'll lose your lunch. But on the upside they're open late. I RECOMMEND: chicken (gasp!) over beef (coming from the beef queen). Was surprised at how flavourful and chicken was. Crispy coating, tender white meat. EXTRA TIP: watch carefully as they make your shawarma/plate cause they'll pile everything on if you don't stop them. read more

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As a student, I used to live 4 streets away from this place, and I was at Shawarma Palace twice a week. Everything is great there, from the vegetarian plate to the Chicken Shawarma sandwich. I went there a few weeks ago, and it was as amazing as I remembered it. I ordered a Shawarma beef and Chicken plate and it was juicy, fully packed with flavour, and the garlic potatoes/sauce are among the best thing to eat in Ottawa. Would highly recommend. read more

Shawarma Palace - Middle Eastern Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario

Classic Ottawa Shawarma place, slightly more expensive than competitors but reliably better quality. I always make a point to go here when I'm in town. The food doesn't try to be fancy, they just focus on giving big portions and making things fresh, not greasy or overcooked. I wish I could get Lebanese food like this on the West coast. read more

Shawarma Palace - Veggie platter - Middle Eastern Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario

So after reading all the reviews about this place I had to try it. I totally agree about this place being a hidden gem in Ottawa and everyone seems to be in on the secret. I got there about 6:35 and this place was packed. Line up goes quick due to the fact that the kitchen staff are machines. Now in terms of portion size? See the picture I attached. The amount of food you get on a plate is ridiculous. I would probably plan to share it with someone if I came back. There should be some kind of yelp badge you get for eating the whole plate (I unfortunately failed at my attempt). As for types of shawarma, there was only beef, chicken or mixed. I chose mixed because I wanted to try everything. You really aren't given many options as they just put everything on my plate (I guess you can tell them to forgo some things if you wish). The plate comes with salad, potatoes, hummus, pitas and rice (brown or white). Good luck... I thought the beef was actually kinda dry. I guess I should have seen that coming. I noticed a giant spit of beef twirling around and 3 different spits of chicken, two of which kinda looked a little lean. The chicken was pretty good. It wasn't as moist as I would have liked it but it was still pretty good. I feel like I have to comment on their garlic sauce. It's really good, just slather it on everything. Just a warning... the garlic sauce is no joke. You can probably kill some small animals with it. Don't plan on having this place be your pre-bar dinner spot as you will not be hooking up with anything with the garlic breath you'll get with the garlic sauce. It's funny cause even while writing this review after coming home I can still really taste it. Maybe it'll keep the vampires away. I guess I kinda got spoiled with the halal cart in New York. Ultimately I'm just comparing to my experience there (check out my review here: http://www.yelp.ca/biz/53rd-and-6th-halal-cart-new-york#hrid:Djs0QUSt8ShDgpxHCepftA). It's not quite as good... the Yankees seem to have us beat. None the less, give this place a try. Make sure to bring your appetite or a small army. read more

Shawarma Palace - An absurd amount of food. - Middle Eastern Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario

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Woman who cashes you out was super friendly, guy serving the food is a bit brisk. Deliciously tender meat. Hummus was also super fresh. read more

Shawarma Palace - Poutine with chicken swarma medium size - Middle Eastern Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario

Ok, this review is based solely on the falafel platter. For meat lovers, their chicken and beef shawarma is apparently excellent. The falafel however, is another story. We took my boyfriend's relatives there for lunch. Hubby and I had the falafel platter, while the relatives had the chicken and beef platters. Excellent portion sizes, great for sharing too. The falafel was extra dry though, I couldn't even finish one ball of it. They do put sauce in it and on top of it before serving, but it definitely wasn't enough. The pitas were fresh, and the sides were good too. Overall, I wouldn't return there for the falafel. If I ever do have to go back, I will try their vegetarian platter which looked pretty good on the menu. read more

Shawarma Palace - Falafel platter - Middle Eastern Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario

As a Lebanese, I'm very critical over shawarma/lebanese food. We decided to stop by and try the place out as per the recommendations. Not much seating in the place, maybe 20-30? No big deal though. The place is a bit dingy, bathrooms are like a dungeon, but cleaner than expected. Employees were mostly nice. Couldn't taste the meat shawarma, as it was not cooked yet even though it was 7pm. The chicken looked amazing on the spit. Could not wait to taste it. Chicken shawarma. Lettuce? Tomato? That's a no no. But that's ok since you get to pick what you want on it. The guy goes so fast though, that barely gives you time to tell him what you want. Started to get frustrating. I personally did not care much for the shawarma. It was a good, generous sandwich. But it lacked a ton of flavor. Picked up some falafel. Nope. Not doing that again. We all tasted, but all tossed it. They were dry. Just not good. Not authentic. The rice? Had spices. Under cooked. Typical side dish. Potatoes with garlic and cilantro was tasty. Really enjoyed that. Would I go back? Probably not. Very generous but you're paying for it. I'm from out of town though so it's not fair to judge. read more

Shawarma Palace - Middle Eastern Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario

Um. Hell yes!!! Food is delicious... They give you way too much. I wish they had a smaller mixed plate that thing could feed like three people and no one would be hungry. So delicious!!! read more

Shawarma Palace - Middle Eastern Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario

A shawarma staple in Ottawa. I definitely enjoyed it. I think I heard almost too much hype around it before I went so I went in with high expectations, and they weren't fully met. But it was most definitely good and would recommend for your shawarma fix. read more

Shawarma Palace - Chicken shawarma plate - Middle Eastern Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario

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before your service is good but now the food and service is very bad I never go back there

Best shawarma in Canada! Get the mixed platter. It can feed a small family if feed toy for a few meals.

Well deserving of its name, Shawarma Palace is indeed that! We stumbles onto this little gem by chance as our original dinner place happened to be closed on Sunday's. This place is just a tad better than a hole in a wall, but the food more than makes up for it. It's probably no secret to native Ottawa residents as this place was packed! Service is cafeteria style. You wait in line, place your order as they plate your food, then you go pay. Shawara service is quite fast unless you order kabobs or kafta, but you will still wait in line as there always seems to be one. I had to wait about 30 minutes in queue before being served. I ordered a mixed shawarma plate (beef and chicken) and a kafta plate. Each meal comes with rice, salad, potatoes, toum (whipped garlic), hummus, bread, and of course protein. Rice. Your traditional long grain rice. It wasn't as buttery nor flavourful as I'm normally accustomed to for Middle-Eastern fare, but was cooked well none the less. 3,5 stars. Hummus. This was made well. The texture and consistency was exactly as it should be. The taste was spot on with a harmonious blend of chick peas, tahini, EVOO, and garlic. Some pine nuts could have provided that Emeril "blam", but all the basics are covered in the classic and traditional staple. 5 stars. Potato. I'm not a fan of this starch (unless it's Poutine) so I don't have much to say about it. They were deep friend and broasted from what I can tell. They were cooked pretty well with a nice crispy outside and soft inside. The starch was breaking down just enough that you can taste the simple sugars. 3 stars. Salad. Your typical house salad. Iceberg, tomatoes, and raw onions, in a oil based dressing. Hints of coriander, lemon, garlic, and their own Baharat. 3 stars. Flatbread (pita). This was not homemade. Tasted like it was mass produced. Not the worse I've had, but I've definitely had much better. Their one downfall to the meal. 2 stars. Shawarma. This has to be what they're known for and why the masses come in droves. The meat is very flavourful, moist, and not too fatty. Not the best I've ever had, but it's up there. 4 stars. Kafta. This is ground beef, ground lamb, parsley, and onion hand pressed around a skewer and grilled to perfection. I've had traditional Lebanese Kafta at a friends place and let me tell you, I've never been able to find a commercial place that makes it with as much love as Mom does. This place was no different, which was kind of disappointing as I had to wait 10 minutes for this dish. While the mixture was homemade, the meat was cooked from frozen! This greatly reduces the flavor... I need not say more... 1 star. So why the 4 star rating? Well the place is called Shawarma Palace, not Lebanese Cuisine, so my rating is based solely on their Shawarma. Overall, I give it 3,5 stars, but if I have to round, it'd be up. read more

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If massive portions are your thing, welcome to Shawarma Palace! Friends have told me about this place and I finally had the chance to experience it firsthand. I tried the chicken shawarma plate and shared with my friend. It truly was enough for two. There was salad, pickled veggies, roasted potatoes, rice, hummus, and a pile of freshly shaved chicken shawarma. If you like garlic, ask for extra sauce. That stuff was fluffy as air but the garlic flavour was intense. Loved it. I wanted to buy a container of that yummy goodness. The reason I'm giving this place four instead of five stars is solely because of the unnecessary waste I witnessed on several tables. Reduce your prices, give a little less on the plates, and everyone will still be satiated and content. read more

I have been here multiple times both eat-in and take-out. Generally speaking the food is fantastic, and the service is great and friendly. However i will agree with a few others who have posted in that SOMETIMES the food can be dry/stale, and you can get an unfriendly server. But those instances are few between. 9/10 the food is fresh and tastes great and the staff is friendly generally speaking. read more

I've been going here for years and I've never had a bad meal here. Heaping portions. Fun and friendly staff. Comparable prices. The seating is limited at meal hours as it's super busy. And there is almost always a line up. Great quality food. It's open very late on weekends and makes for a great after bar snack :) read more

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Great location, friendly staff, ridiculous portions for platters and all round great atmosphere. If I want shawarma and am eating in house this is where I go. My daughter is practically their ambassador. I like shawarma, end of story. I am a fan of many establishments. This joint is comfortable, clean and inviting. read more

Top-notch operation. Portions are huge, get a chicken or beef shawarma platter for best value, for like $15 you will feed two normal sized adults. The food is delicious, I eat shawarma in dang near every major city I visit and this place is top 3 easy. Garlic potatoes are superb. Biggest surprise: the staff were super friendly and super efficient, despite it being mad busy and super hectic inside. Everybody in range of this place should eat here at least once. Pro tip: get take-out if you don't like the crowd & noise, from what I hear it's generally going to be busy when you come, whenever you come. read more

Shawarma Palace - Middle Eastern Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario

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It was extremely hot inside the toilets were dirty as hell. And the shawarma wasn't that good. On the other hand the staff was pretty welcoming and friendly. This place is overrated, i had better shawarmas elsewhere believe me read more

I've heard of this place before moving here. I've also heard it compared to restaurants in the Middle East. While I can't speak for Lebanon, I can say the beef schwarma, hummus and garlic potatoes were better here than the three times I've been in Egypt. I will be going back, time and again. Place is predictably packed, so consider takeout. Service - however - is efficient, friendly and give you healthy-sized helpings. read more

Shawarma Palace - The Beef Schwarma Platter. Delicious. Could easily feed two people. - Middle Eastern Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario