Ottawa declared shawarma capital of Canada has people in Toronto confused

Ottawa has recently been crowned the shawarma capital of Canada and Toronto residents are having none of it.

In a very bold move, the Ottawa City Council passed a unanimous decision on April 3 to officially designate the nation's capital as the 'Shawarma Capital of Canada,' reports CTV News Ottawa, but Toronto residents aren't buying it.

I mean the shawarma at Warden and Lawrence is better https://t.co/MIegUuexGV

— Bernard (@bernardcampagna) April 4, 2024

Shawarma is, without a doubt, a major facet of Ottawa's culture. Shawarma joints outnumber Tim Horton's locations in the city nearly two-to-one, according to CTV News.

In spite of this, though, Toronto residents are taking to X to voice their avid displeasure with Ottawa taking the crown that they believe belongs to the 6ix.

They have nothing better to do? The number of shawarma places in Ottawa pales in comparison to Toronto.

— BackwoodsBob 🇨🇦 (@bob4barrie) April 3, 2024

Aside from having seemingly two shawarma joints per block (not an official statistic,) Toronto is home to some of the best shawarma on the market. Dr. Laffa? Shawarma Empire? Come on.

On the other side of the coin, some Toronto residents agree with the distinction, have suggested that Jamaican patties would be a better fit for the city.

Shawarma is more Ottawa than Toronto….beef patty fits here…peameal bacon sandies is another

— D (@Sportsaftedark) April 2, 2024

While the Toronto-Ottawa shawarma wars have been raging for years, this recent designation — perhaps intended to squash the beef for good — seems to have only stoked the fire.

At this point, only one thing can be said safely and for certain: Ontario is home to some droolworthy shawarma.