Review Jerusalem Shawarma - Calgary

What a great place, never heard of this or seen the place but my boss told my co-worker and I about it and we thought of dropping by after work. The service is very fast pace and the portions outstanding as the food itself. We're heading back to Calgary again to finish a project and will visit again soon. The menu was not overwhelming yet very inclusive from meat to veg only. I got number #15 which was plated beef.... if another reviewer has the menu picture please see it I forgot since it's been a few days now.

🍢 Royal BBQ Plate 🍢 Shish Tawook with Greek Salad 🍢 Arabic Style Shawarma Plate 🍽 Hummus with Chicken Shawarma (Appetizer) Taste: 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌗 This past week Jerusalem Shawarma 🇵🇸celebrated their 6th anniversary. I recall when this location was opened and I was so glad that it is so close to downtown. Fast forward 6 years and there is not a single dish I haven’t tried. As a Halal foodie in YYC, Jerusalem Shawarma is our go to place for cheat eats, healthy eats, and your regular eats as well. We have literally tried it for healthy eating, and also for our cheat day as well. This place has it all and they are an established brand for middle-eastern cuisine in Calgary. Their plates are super filling, wraps are super amazing and even their appetizers (like the hummus with shawarma shown) is amazing as well. It indeed reminds us of middleeast with its authentic taste. ___________________________________________________ Follow @zeetastec on Instagram for your local Calgary eats 🥞🍟🍗🍕

Jerusalem catered my wedding and it was a hit! The service and the food was awesome! My husband and I were so happy with how they managed themselves throughout the entirety of the event. We completely put our trust in them and the staff did not disappoint. Our guests LOVED the food and went up for seconds - they couldn't stop talking about it after the wedding. Everything was delicious! The package we chose included a variety of foods for our guests to choose from and the layout was buffet style. They even followed up with us twice after we planned 7-8 months in advance to reserve them. They were on it!! I HIGHLY RECOMMEND TO HAVE THEM CATER ANY OF YOUR EVENTS. Thank you Jerusalem for everything! :) Y'all are amazing <3

Clean, authentic, and great experience walking in. Their shawarmas are HUGE! We got 2 shawarmas with a side of fries- $45. Most expensive shawarma I’ve had, but the size makes up for the price. Very fresh and delicious! I’ll go back to try the plate next.

Best experience! Friendly staff! Great service! Highly recommend it, as the food was great and the portions were big and filling :)

I have used this location many times to provide lunch for my clients with the most recent on June 7, 2022. I am very pleased with the professionalism of the manager, staff, and delivery. Most importantly the taste and quality of the food is amazing. My clients are always pleased and regularly say, "this is the best Shawarma we've had". Great value for the price and I appreciate the many options on the catering menu. Great job, I will continue to order from this location. Thanks for making a part of my job easier!

This review is for your ( so called baklava), honestly that's beyond cheating , unsure what's called though, normally restaurants that wanna cheat will either stuff it with fewer nuts or mix nuts with something else , but jerusalem shawarma went really far , basically not stuffed at all 😄,no nuts at all , just many many tight layers of phyllo and sugar syrup, thats their baklava ,btw it's not the first time but I thought it might have been a mistake , but after few times it can't be accident , it's pure cheating which is really a shame that well known restaurant do such thing , just basically taking advantage on people that don't know much about ethnic food , no other explanation

Thank you so much for this delicious meal yesterday! We ordered catering for 25 people and everyone was raving about how amazing the food was! That is the creamiest and best tasting hummus I’ve ever had. So good! Tons of food and lots of variety with plenty of sauces. We will definitely call Jerusalem Shawarma again for other catered events that we have.

Definetly the best Shawarma place in Calgary. The wrap is great, the platter is amazing. Very welcoming and nice staff, specially Hicham, he is always happy, smilling, patient and energetic. He would make sure customers are fully satisfied with the food and service they are getting. I come here often and will continue to do so.

Definatley the best shawerma in town. Jerusalem shawerma brought such a great Middle Eastern atmosphere to my beautiful city calgary. The food is always made fresh. The spices , the ingredients and the way that food is bieng cooked all together makes it worth it to go there I would say everyday to have a great meal. I would really like to thank the owner for such great hospitality. MR. ALAA. And would really love to thank the employees who work really hard . Such an Amazing team. Special thanks to Mr. Hisham Zaid. He is one of the best employees there who have a very loveable personality. Very fast worker. And he assures you a very high quality of food. He does have a great sense of humor. He will take care of your meal the moment he greets you till you leave. Amazing man. Keep up the good work Mr. HISHAM. Will see you soon guys.

great place to get a wonderful meal. Good combination and certainly at the right price. Parking can be a challenge but worth trying to find a spot, if that bothers you do take out.

We purchased the family meal #6 for a group of 10, to break their fast for Ramadan. The the faces at the table were pleased. They loved the taste and quantity. Everyone felt satisfied from the meal. Great work �.

love the food! friendly staff, recommend to try their royal grill meal

We had the family platter for 5 people, and really it would have fed 8 people easily. Very delicious food and great value!

love the service and quality of food. I highly recommend this place for good food.

Great food at this place. Definitely worth to visit if you like shawarma. Staff are very friendly. Shareef is part of the staff and showed an excellent performance at serving us.

Very dry, bland meat in my shawarma platter (chicken and beef). Even smothering it in garlic sauce and hummus couldn’t fix the texture. Wouldn’t recommend ordering from there. I know I won’t be again.

One of the best chicken shawarma I've ever had<br/>I really wish they had a chick pea dish   …   I know they are famous for this <br/>in Israel

I've been coming here for over 1.5 years. Honestly, when I first tried it, it was amazing. Service was great and portions were huge, which was why I kept coming back so frequently and reluctant to try other places. Unfortunately, now they are noticeably putting less and less each time into the wraps. I also ordered once through doordash and they got my order wrong, which was extremely disappointing. I may consider trying other shawarma places now.

Well I hadn’t eaten here before but I’m glad I finally did. I’m amazed their rating isn’t higher than 4. This is the best shawarma I’ve had in Calgary in over 11 years and the value is great between $10-13 depending on what you get and the size. There was a line up late on a Tuesday night when we got there and a line up when we left as well. Unreal! Keep up the great work.

I ordered the beef platter. Everything on the place was 5/5! The hummus was the right consistency, so delicious! The beef had lots of flavour. The pita was made just right. I will definitely be returning!

Love this place! Best best hummus in town! It’s amazing because they actually peel off the skin of each and every chick pea before they make the hummus. The shawarma is also very good! Lots of yummy veggies! Delish!

I enjoyed their Royal Oak location so much that I had to try out the 16th Ave location too. Same delicious food and even better seating and atmosphere. Was very busy Saturday lunchtime but still served quickly. Chicken shish again!

Staff was super friendly and there was tons of seating for dining in. Parking is a little tricky as there is not that much street parking. I ordered the medium beef donair and was so surprised to see the double wrap of thing pita and regular pita. Loved the ample toppings but glad I was able to choose my own cuz I didn't like all the them. I liked how they grilled the outside and made the thing pita crunchy. I was pretty big and was just the right size for me. My hubby for the kebob platter and they made it fresh and it took a little bit longer to cook. It came with 2 skewers, side of hummus, salad, garlic potatoes and rice. The garlic potatoes was so yummy! Overall our experience was really good and will return again.

Checked it out after reading a lot of reviews online. However, I was disappointed with the meat. It wasn't even warm. The taste isn't as good as a few other places that I've tried out in Calgary. The portions are pretty good though

I came here when it was newly opened. Service was fine, but I did not care for their double wrap. The outside was crispy, but I found it to be too much bread. I much prefer Jimmy's which is equally close to where I live.

Very good food ,very good hummus i was there i love the place so amazzing the staff is souper frindly and exellent atomsfire i suggest everyone to give it a shot .

Best food in the city ,very fresh food ,very good and well trained staff .i recommend everyone to try the hummus ,the falafel ,chicken shawarma and the shish tawouk .

I was lead to believe that this place was something special. The staff was friendly, the premises were clean, and the portions were large. But my beef shawarma plate  was a disappointment. The beef was fatty and gristly; the roasted potatoes were not warm enough to melt the white gelatinous substance that they called "garlic sauce" (sauces are liquids); the salad wasn't crisp; and the hummus was tasteless. The rice was good, though.<br/><br/>To be fair, my two dining companions had pita sandwiches of some sort (I can't remember what) and were quite pleased with them. I might have done better to have a falafel or donair sandwich instead.<br/><br/>I would go there again if my friends insisted on it (and have a donair or something), but I would never return by myself. There are at least two other shawarma places in town that have never disappointed me.

We had it catered a couple times last week at work and it was really good. I just ate day old greek salad from there and it was awesome. Can't wait to get my own order so I can tailor my shwarma to my tastes. Very good and fresh. I'm assuming it came from this location as we are just off Glenmore and Deerfoot.

Food is fresh! Taste-wise could be a little more flavorful. And the portions are quite large. I tried the shish tawouk plate and this is my favorite from here.

best falafel wrap ive ever had in my life probably!!! the staff were all so nice and courteous! my partner had a beef donair and also loved it, we will definitely be returning!

Not only is the food great, the baklava is super fresh and crunchy, not too sweet and the service was wonderful! The owners son ( very little boy very sweet) kept handing out treats for customers waiting and was soo adorable. I am very impressed!

Food and service were good, but very pricey and we found the pitas to be cheap on meat and filling compared to the Country Hills location. Been here multiple times now and would rather visit the other location but is a bit of a drive for us so we settle. Jimmy's nearby is better value.

This place has the same disorganized service as the one in country hills... really too bad. The food is awesome!!! The falafel are crunchy on the outside and soft and flavorful in the center. Garlic potatoes once again killer. The service just needs to be faster. More concentration on dealing with 1 customer at a time!! Looks like their computer system was down so he was using his cellphone to do all the taxes and ringing in of the food.<br/><br/>Update:<br/>Came here 8 months later, service much better. Portion still good an big.

After hearing good things I decided to finally try this place out. Have to say I was very disappointed. It costs more than other Shawarma shops in the area and they gave me next to no meat!

Tried this place on Thursday for the first time, and had to have it again on Sunday, their food was SOOO good! Not like other shawarma joints you've tried, this place is legit the best I have ever had. Fresh veggies, lots of meat, delicious chewy bread and so well prepared. The bread keeps everything in and this doesn't get messy like soaked wet pita bread ordinarily does. And all the veg are chopped small so you can bite the wrap with ease and really enjoy a bit of everything in each mouthful.<br/>Everything was seasoned perfectly, the place was super clean, everyone was wearing gloves that they actually changed between orders and so on. Prices were also extremely reasonable given the high quality and generous quantity of food you're receiving. The *ONLY* drawback was that they're so busy they take a little long to prepare your food, but that's a good problem to have when you're a small business owner and I can't fault them for making delicious food everyone wants to eat!

Pretty good shawarma place, I still prefer the one on harvest hills as they seem more organized and they give more meat! This place is busy, on the way back from school, a little hard to find parking though

Please avoid this location. The staff are really messy when making your food and so confused that they drop things off, you would not like to eat at a place where you see your food is treated like trash. I am never going back. Totally dissapointed!!

AVOID! AVOID! AVOID! From the minute I ordered I was getting horrible attitude of the staff, to the mediocre attempt at making a shawarma, over priced food, slow service, down to the fact the food made my whole family sick afterwards, this location i definitely recommend to avoid with so many better options close by. I hear good things about the coventry hills location but these guys need many lessons in service, taste and quality. These guys don't compare to Tazza, Beirut Bakery, or Little Lebanon. Not even close. Sorry.

This may have been the best Shawarma I've ever head.  The Beef is seasoned perfectly and not greasy at all, it's like thinly sliced steak.  The wrap around the wrap is what makes all the difference.  Absolutely delicious.  We also got a side of hummus, it was flavorful and creamy.  I got the regular size and it was too much!  Try It!

I came here late one night to grab a bite to eat and had a pretty good experience. The food was hot and fresh and the service was friendly. I ordered the falafel plate and it was very tasty. The plate included salad, hummus, potatoes, rice and falafel balls. A really nice variety with good portions

Best sharwarma in town. Their wrap is different Han most places, using a thin layer of saj bread over a pita bread, makes the sandwich a lot more soft and crunchy at the same time. The Mediterranean salad is also excellent.

Best shawarma plates and wraps I've had in Calgary. They use a very thin wrap and half of a pita, instead of making a pocket from a whole pita, to do their shawarma wraps. I like platters myself, and their salads, potatoes, and sauces are great.<br/>Parking is an issue. The last couple of times I've been there the parking enforcement officers were out ticketing cars parked on the steeet, and the strip mall next door had a security guard doing the same in their lot even though none of the businesses were even open.<br/>

Showed up at 10:06 PM to find out that the restaurant actually closes at 10:00 PM. The door was open, the open sign was on, walked in and was told it was closed. (shows open until 12:00 AM in several places.) Went back the next day to give them a second chance (who knows who put their store hours up) and I'm not sure why I bothered. Staff seemed generally annoyed that they were as busy as they were. They asked me what i wanted on my food and then messed that up, corrected the person helping me and he still got it wrong. On the bright side, the flavour was good, the beef was moist and it wasn't the worse donair I've ever had. There are better places in the area to go for this type of food and their customer service is much better.

I haven't been to their country hills location, however, this one has a nice big and clean interior. I got the chicken shawarma wrap and thought the quality of chicken was good. The hummus had a strange sweeter taste to it, something I'm not used to but it's not bad it could appeal to others more than me. Overall, it was a fair experience but I was disappointed in being asked to pay a tip then the food wasn't even brought over to my table so I'm not quite sure what I was tipping for.

Best place ever for traditional shawarma cuisine. And best customer service. Their kabab platter is very juicy and tasty. Very close location to downtown, U of C and SAIT

I can taste the hummus in my beef kebab wrap! <br/>It was very tasty. They have a special way of making the wrap that make it very thin and easy to chew.<br/>Is newly open, everything is clean and shiny.<br/>Parking at the back.<br/>I would go back and try other items on the menu.

The food and service here are fantastic! I've been to many kebab shops in both Canada and the Middle East and this is definitely one of my favorites. The food is authentic, it is delicious and it comes in hefty portions. The owner of this restaurant genuinely cares about providing a good experience to customers

We tried this new location on Wednesday and it was amazing. The kebab was moist, unlike some places where it seems like they have been sitting on the counter all day. The donair was excellent. Fresh and amazing food and service. So happy for the bigger and better location!

Every thing A-Z is cooked fresh same as Country hills . Same kitchen same owners . I have never seen as good as Jerusalem Shawarma food ,You have to try their falafel , and the shush kabab and shush tawok as well .

The best shawarma in calgary the food is awesome and it takes u back home <br/>

the best in the NW.   So Happy to see the second Location  . best food ever . .Best shawarma and Donair . Best falafel and Hummus. Excellent service<br/>Gilchrist: 'Everyone is welcome' at Jerusalem Shawarma<br/><br/>JOHN GILCHRIST, FOR THE CALGARY HERALD<br/>More from John Gilchrist, for the Calgary Herald<br/>Published on: January 8, 2016 | Last Updated: January 8, 2016 3:00 AM MST<br/>Alaa Abufarha, left, and his brother Izzo stand in their restaurant Jerusalem Shwarma <br/>Alaa Abufarha, left, and his brother Izzo stand in their restaurant Jerusalem Shwarma ARYN TOOMBS / CALGARY HERALD<br/>SHARE<br/>ADJUST<br/>COMMENT<br/>PRINT<br/>The name — Jerusalem Shawarma — catches the eye first. It makes me wonder what the food will be like at Calgary’s newest shawarma cafe. The Middle Eastern city is home to three distinct Abrahamic religions — Judaism, Christianity and Islam — each of which comes with its own food culture. Add to that the cultural background of Israelis and Palestinians and the mix gets even broader. <br/><br/>Alaa Abufarha, left, and his brother Izzo stand in their restaurant Jerusalem Shwarma <br/>Alaa Abufarha, left, and his brother Izzo stand in their restaurant Jerusalem Shawarma ARYN TOOMBS / CALGARY HERALD<br/>“Jerusalem is claimed by everyone,” explains owner Izzo AbuFarha. “So everyone is welcome here.” AbuFarha is Palestinian and many of his recipes come from a restaurant his grandfather ran in his homeland over sixty years ago. But his chef — Ali Ryan — is Israeli so the food spans the area with enough spit-roasted meats, fresh chopped salads and falafel to satisfy all appetites. <br/><br/>So what makes Jerusalem Shawarma’s menu different from the wealth of shawarma and donair shops around Calgary? Certainly the spinning spits look familiar, stacked with beef and chicken and the ubiquitous donair. Almost all local donair “loaves” come from a couple of shops that purée and process the meat. But at Jerusalem Shawarma they spice and marinate the chunks of beef and chicken for at least twenty-four hours before stacking them on the spits, allowing the flavours to permeate the meat.<br/><br/>Alaa Abufarha, left, and his brother Izzo stand in their restaurant Jerusalem Shawarma i<br/>Alaa Abufarha, left, and his brother Izzo stand in their restaurant Jerusalem Shawarma ARYN TOOMBS / CALGARY HERALD<br/>Then they layer the cooked meats onto saj bread that is similar to a pita but larger, thinner and chewier. Saj bread is cooked on a domed saj grill and gives a distinct taste to the shawarma. Pickles, fresh greens and sauces are added, it’s all rolled into a big handful and the dining begins. Order falafel and the deep-fried chickpea balls will be formed and fried on the spot. Ask for hummus and you’ll receive a creamy bowlful with some seasoned chickpeas plopped in the middle. Choose a “plate” and you get a full wrap along with your choice of salad and sauce (tahini, sweet or hot), all for $13 or $14, exceptional value. <br/><br/>There are two Jerusalem Shawarmas, one at 30 Country Hills Landing N.W. (403-277-2666) that’s been open three years and a sparkling new place at 301 16th Avenue N.W. (403-291-0040). Izzo runs the 16th Avenue location with his brother Alaa while their third brother Diaa handles operations at the north location. Both are an upgrade on the typically simple shawarma-shack tone. The 16th Avenue space is covered in tile with dangling lamps and wraparound windows. A large kitchen — which includes a tandoor oven for roasting kebabs — pumps out hearty servings of fresh, tasty food for in-house and catering. There are four upright rotisserie spits that can slice through 25-30 kilograms of roasted meats on any given day.<br/><br/>Forty-five seats handle the crowds and there is a constant hum of activity and warm welcomes. AbuFarha is a graduate of the Carleton University Sprott School of Business and understands that service is as much a requirement for his restaurant as quality food. <br/><br/>So, as AbuFarha says, “Everyone is welcome.”

This place is hands down the best Shawarma place in this city! Everything is fresh, the beef is real pieces of beef. The veggies are tasty the sauces are tasty. The over wrap gives the shawarma structure and makes it not fall apart. They have the Best Falafel In town it is fresh , made in front of your eys