Shawarma Empire Toronto

Shawarma Empire, Toronto 1823 Lawrence Ave E - Toronto

Fast food
• Middle Eastern
• Sit down

84/100
Full menu with prices and photos
Based on 5561 ratings and reviews
Updated
84 /100
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Menu Shawarma Empire

  • Popular Items
    • Chicken Shawarma
    • Chicken Shawarma
    • Fries
    • Falafel
    • Beef Shawarma
  • Salads
    • Tabooli Salad
    • House Salad
    • Greek Salad
  • Sandwiches
    • Chicken Shawarma
    • Beef Shawarma
    • Falafel
  • . . .
  • Browse the menu

The menu of Shawarma Empire suggested by Sluurpy users

Available menus

Ratings of Shawarma Empire

Google
Google
Last update on 09/08/2023
4,5
2811 Reviews
Foursquare
Foursquare
Last update on 09/08/2023
4,0
79 Reviews
Facebook
Facebook
Last update on 09/08/2023
4,0
39 Reviews

UE

Uber eats
Last update on 09/08/2023
4,0
126 Reviews

TA

Trip
Last update on 09/06/2023
4,5
51 Reviews

Reviews

Zomato
Erika Golem
+4
Whether you're someone who has loved shawarma forever or who first tried it after seeing 2012's The Avengers movie, you know how delicious this handheld wrap situation can be. Especially when it's a good one. So what is a shawarma? It's a dish from Middle Eastern cuisine that consists of seasoned meat cut into thin slices, stacked in a cone-like shape, and roasted on a slowly-turning vertical spit. Originally made of lamb (so look for lamb if you want the orig), today's shawarma may also be made with chicken, beef, or other meats. Thin slices of meat are shaved off the cooked surface as the spit continuously rotates. The word "shawarma" refers to the turning spit itself. Commonly served as a wrap, there are usually an array of additional toppings to choose from; diced tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, pickled vegetables, and tahini sauce, among others.
Most people have their favourite shawarma place, I know I do. It's called Barakat and is located in London, Ontario. But when I heard that blogTO had named Shawarma Empire as the #1 Best Shawarma in Toronto, I naturally had to try them for myself.

You'll find Shawarma Empire in Scarborough, so be prepared to go on a little journey. They're located in a strip mall that is filled with other Middle Eastern businesses which was my first clue that this place is actually legit. Going inside, it's a very fast food-style operation, which is to be expected. The walls are sky blue and there isn't very much going on for decor. But who needs atmosphere when all you need to feast your eyes upon are the three rotating spits, packed tall with chicken and beef.
The menu offers sandwiches (they're calling them "sandwiches" but these are essentially the wraps), plates, salads, and side orders. I've never been much into the plates at these places because I always just want a shawarma - and to me that translates to a wrap in my hands. Another thing that I should clarify is that while I am well aware that shawarma can involve any type of meat, to me the ubiquitous choice is chicken. Therefore, when I say "shawarma," I am referring to a chicken wrap 100% of the time. In addition to offering chicken or beef they also do falafel and it's always nice to see a veggie option.

First, I grabbed a canned Pop from the fridge on the side. I instantly grabbed a Vimto, which appeared to be the most appropriate beverage available. This drink originated in England but is now the dominating beverage of choice in the Middle East. The flavour is made up of grape, raspberry and blackcurrant. Although it pretty much tastes exactly like a cream soda. It's really good!

To eat, I ordered 1 Chicken Shawarma ($5.99). (You can also order 2 Shawarma for $9.99, so that's a nice little deal.) I was asked what I wanted on it, to which I replied "everything" and if I wanted it to be spicy, I said "yes." It didn't take long until my hot pocket of goodness was in my hands. The first thing that I noticed to be uniquely different about Shawarma Empire is the bread. Instead of using a wrap (like every other place that I've ever tried) they are stuffing pita bread instead. I felt good about this. Is it more authentic this way? Did it get changed to a tortilla-style wrap in North America? Probably. That sounds like something that we would do. My "sandwich" was filled with cucumber, tomato, pickles, pickled turnip, parsley, and lettuce. A spicy sauce was added. I'm sure that there was also a tahini (or comparable) sauce used as well. Many places do a garlic sauce. Most of all, I was impressed by the generous pile of chicken jammed into my pita. They certainly did not cut any corners there. Every bite that I took was alive with big, savoury flavours. The chicken involved that perfect textural mix; some perfectly caramelized crispy pieces along with tender juicy ones. I also found the seasoning on the chicken to be quite unique. It seemed bolder and more involved than what is available at a typical shawarma shop. Again, I found myself leaning toward the assumption that this particular offering was likely closer to "the real thing." All of the vegetables were bright and fresh, my all-time favourite being the neon pink pickled turnips. (If I walk into a shawarma shop that doesn't offer these, I'm out.) The pita bread was warm and chewy. I really, really liked this shawarma. I can confidently say that it's the second best shawarma (see my definition above) that I've ever eaten and very likely the most authentic overall.

I noticed that desserts were an option and decided to load up. Baklava ($2.25) is on the menu, however Kanafeh (one of my favourites) is not. Although I could see it sitting there, taunting me. Upon ordering the kanafeh, the friendly woman preparing my order lifted out a huge piece from the pan, put it into a container, and proceeded to douse the dessert with a liberal amount of sweet syrup on top. Upon doing a slight bit of research, I wouldn't be surprised if Shawarma Empire gets their kanafeh from neighbouring restaurant Kunafa's, which would explain why it's not on their regular menu. Made with cheese and dough pastry drizzled in a sweet syrup, this treat is heavenly. The white-brine cheese (called Nabulsi) creates a gooey, melty base while the flaked pastry adds texture. The whole thing is soaked in a light sweetness. Very good.
Baklava is likely more familiar to most, a rich, sweet dessert pastry made of layers of flaky filo dough filled with chopped nuts and sweetened with a honey syrup. This version was quite excellent, with thick layers of nuts packed in, again without holding anything back.

I was pretty happy with Shawarma Empire. I will agree wholeheartedly that this is the best shawarma that I have eaten in the city of Toronto. It's worth the trek to Scarborough and certainly worth a try.
6 months ago
Zomato
Zahraa Mohammed
+3.5
One of my favourite shawarma is canada. I love the shawarma and the prices are okay. I recommend it for anyone how wants to try a good shawarma
Dec 19, 2016
Zomato
Cooking With Alison
+4
I don't like slow cooked meat, so I'm not normally a fan of shwarma. I had heard that Shawarma Empire has the best shwarma in Toronto (GTA), so I was excited to try it. It really was the best shwarma I've ever had. I love the texture of the wrap they use, I love the seasonings of the meat, and I love the way that they wrap it - so that all ingredients are evenly layered all throughout so that you get a bit of everything in every bite. Really well executed and thoughtful. I will say, though, that it's a bit hit or miss when it comes to the dryness of the meat. Once it was perfectly moist and once it was very dry. I noticed that they gave me preshaved meat from the bottom of the tray and that was the problem. Next time I will ask them not to do that.
Dec 12, 2016
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Timetable

Monday:
Closed
Tuesday:
11:00 AM - 09:00 PM
Wednesday:
11:00 AM - 09:00 PM
Thursday:
11:00 AM - 09:00 PM
Friday:
11:00 AM - 09:00 PM
Saturday:
11:00 AM - 09:00 PM
Sunday:
12:00 PM - 07:00 PM

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SHAWARMA EMPIRE, TORONTO - 1823 Lawrence Ave E - Menu and Prices

Our aggregate rating, “Sluurpometro”, is 84 based on 5561 parameters and reviews

If you need to contact by phone, call the number +1 416-285-1337

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Based on 5561 ratings and reviews
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