Ottawa Shawarma Palace

The shawarma is very tasty, I definitely recommend it.
Super juicy, lots of filling, and honestly wow.
For some reason, every time I had it with friends, our stomachs reacted… very actively
Still, the amazing taste easily outweighs the side effects.
Recommended.

I went to Shawarma Palace craving a simple kebab. I clearly told the guy at the counter that I only wanted a kebab, some salad, and a pita bread. He said it would take about 12 minutes, which was fine.

When the food was ready, I realized they had already started preparing a full shawarma plate — even though I had explicitly said that the plate was too much for me. At that point, it was awkward to stop them.

Then came the surprise: $29.

I paid (no tip, because the price was never communicated and was honestly shocking). When you compare the price to what you get, it’s day and night — it clearly feels overpriced, especially given that it wasn’t even what I ordered.

To be fair, the food itself was quite good. But the experience was not.

I don’t appreciate being upsold without consent or having my order ignored just so a business can charge more. That feels disrespectful. Because of that, I wouldn’t recommend this place if you value transparency and having your order respected.

I’ve been coming here every week for a while because the shawarma used to be amazing generous portions, great flavor, and always worth the price. They used to fill the to-go container so much that it could barely close, and that’s what kept me coming back.

But lately, it feels like things have really changed. Today I opened my container and counted maybe five small slices of chicken. That’s it. For the same price, the portion has dropped drastically, and it’s honestly disappointing when you’ve been a loyal customer.

I really hope they go back to the way things were because when they served full portions, this was hands down one of the best shawarma spots around.

We were delighted with a “mixed platter” … piled high with moist chicken and beef slices, fresh salad greens, garlic potatoes, hummus and fresh soft pita. Served with big authentic smiles by the staff. Location is new, fresh and clean, clean restrooms. Nothing to comment on for improvement. We’ll be back!

This place is crowded with a lot of happy return customers. I’m one of those. The line is very long going all the way to the door. Staff are efficient so you can order your food pretty fast and then a little wait. It’s ok to wait a little as the food is good. The price is a little bit more than the other shawarma restaurants but then the portion is almost double. One order can feed 3. They give you 2 pita bread. There are a lot of tables and half of the customers are getting take out. We tried the chicken shawarma platter both times. It’s around $23-ish plus tax. The place is clean as the staff clean up the tables and floor continuously. I certainly will return.