I was introduced to Arabic-style shawarma by a friend of mine a while back. Fell in love with the simple, authentic recipe, which I've noticed isn't as common in Canada as I would like. Specifically, I'm talking about Shawarma made with chicken, garlic sauce, pickles, pomegranate molasses, all wrapped up in a Saj bread. Optionally, you can add hot sauce and/or fries.
Note: I haven't been to every Shawarma place in Canada, so this list is certainly not exhaustive! If you have suggestions, would really appreciate them via email.
Last updated: April 5th, 2025
Alpha's Shawarma (Toronto, ON)
Have had a consistently fantastic experience here every time I've been. Nice Saj, great garlic sauce, and they typically put some extra garlic + chicken on your tip of your wrap if you eat in and order authentic.
Super close to the turbopuffer office, Mr. Fez is a go-to lunch spot when I'm in town. Got wraps for the rest of the team, they all loved it, and continue to go even without my pestering. Same as Alpha's, they get everything right, and the vibes are top-notch.
Classic Vancouver Shawarma spot, missing pomegranate molasses and their Saj, well, isn't Saj. Still, great vibes, and exude love for their food and Shawarma in general. Have been going for here for years, always good. Had a friend up from SF who was visiting, took him here, and the guys made him a special wrap to welcome him to Vancouver; made a great impression.
A while back, I would've put this firmly in S tier. I lived ~5 minutes away from the Peel location for almost a year, and went several times a week. The employees got to know me pretty well, and I have the complete employee uniform from this place w/o ever having worked there. However, I'm sad to report that said Peel location has since shut down, and Shawarmaz in general has undergone a complete rebrand and has been heavily franchised. They've unfortunately lost a lot of love for their roots in the process.
Damaskino Shawarma (Vancouver, BC)
Can really appreciate this place, they're really trying to go for the authentic experience, but unfortunately, falls short in a few areas. Their Saj isn't Saj, and the chicken wasn't as good as it could've maybe been. Still, definitely a solid option if you're in the area.
Listen, I'm Canadian. I love Shawarma, I'm not writing this to hate on anyone, so gunna leave these tiers blank. Would rather spend time highlighting great places then saying mean things about bad ones.
Also worth mentioning: a white guy from Kingston is probably the last person you should be taking Arabic-style Shawarama advice from. Find someone who, you know, is actually Arabic.