Restaurants
Shawarma Empire
Shawarma Empire serves what is possibly Scarborough's best option for falafel and shawarma. They are located in a Middle Eastern stretch of Lawrence Avenue's east end, on the Scarberian side of the Scarborough/North York border.
Their popularity is reflected in how busy the modestly-sized restaurant can get - especially around meal times. Luckily, the staff is clearly used to this and knows how to work quickly and efficiently under pressure.
The sandwiches aren't the largest around (2 falafel balls per pita), but they are made from all freshly-prepared ingredients and served cleanly stuffed into round pita pockets that are capped with an extra bit of pita to allow for easier transportation.
The smaller size is compensated for by the fact that deals are available if you're grabbing more than one. In fact, "one falafel" and "one shawarma" aren't even options on the menu, with the 2-for-1 deal being the default. 4 falafels and 2 drinks (AKA dinner for two) came to $14.
If you like it spicy, make sure to ask them to really load on the hot sauce - although the curry sauce packs a lot of peppery flavour, it doesn't bring much heat with it.
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i have to say, chicken shwarma is THE BEST!
i woudl reccomend going here!
excellent customer service, lovely food, humorous and welcoming and warm hearted people ready to serve you! unlike around nasibs...last time i went there was after synagouge services, and im CRAVING for shwarma. i walked passed nasibs wanting to buy their baklawa. before i stepped in. i got a dirty look from four guys standing outside. and the young guys working in there.. i think they were saying some insults about me... im Jewish and wore a kippot...
anyways, i got a question. i asked my friend there if the round silver plate enar the fryer is baklawa. he said no. i forgot the name of this particular desert, but it was delicious!
it had orange shredded..something ontop of white cheese. does anyone know what this desert is called ?
I had the spicy beef shawarma and it was out of the world. The meat was so lean, perfectly spiced and just so fresh tasting. It was well worth the cost – two for $5.99 I believe. I went again on the weekend and it was just as good! I just wished they were in the west end.
Note that there is a long wait but worth it and it’s only cash.
Shawarwa was tasty, but nothing special. The place was just too dirty. Stayed because of my frieneds.
I don't expect places like this to be spotless, but it was too far from that. Gross!
I use to like Nasib's but same problem. He has let the place get too dirty as well.
Much prefer the Armenian Kitchen on Vic Park. Fresh tasty shewarma and a nice clean restaurant.
First off, I will concur with the reviews that state the staff is extremely friendly and inviting. And though you do get two chicken shawarmas for $5.99, they are more than half the size of what I've come to expect from a good shawarma place. There seems to be a blurring of perspective on past reviews as although the chicken could be described as CRISPY it could also warrant the title of overcooked and dry. The rest of the veggies are fresh and do in part make up for the dryness of the meat, but the meat is buried in the flavour of the sandwich, and not the star player by any stretch...a GREAT or EXCEPTIONAL shawarma it's not.
The Greek Salad is a good deal at $3.99 for a large, BUT it's essentially just a plate full of shawarma salad that's had a few over ripe olives thrown in and some kind of lite Feta-like cheese shredded over top. It's also LACED with vinegar so much so that I couldn't finish it, even with a blast of my own olive oil at home it was just overpowered with that acidic taste of cheap white vinegar. I had flashbacks to the paper plate greek salads that you get at the CNE at the end of summer, basically iceberg lettucem and tomatoes, two kalamata olives, 5 mg of feta and a 95% vinegar to olive oil dressing...Blech!
And the fries...the way some of you have described them I expected fresh cut Yukon golds with a crispy snap and coarse salt...what they are is bargain basement frozen fries. The ones from KFC over towards Victoria Park are likely better.
The food here isn't horrible, but "what you see is what you get", a strip mall fast food joint, with fair prices and a friendly staff. BUT this place has no place being listed in the top ten of the rest of the restaurants in that neighbourhood, much less Top 10 in Toronto. Anyone who holds this places' food in high regard shouldn't be writing reviews for others to read and to consider as it's definitely nothing special.
There are far better options for shawarma along this stretch of Lawrence Ave in Scarborough...none that are "The Best in the city", but definitely better than or comparible to Shawarma Empire.