Reviewers consistently highlight Original Shawarma for generous portions, especially the mandi and shawarma, strong authentic flavors, and good value for money, with many calling it the best shawarma in Montreal or even Canada. The meat is described as juicy and well seasoned, sauces like garlic sauce are standout, and the rice and sides are noted as solid or excellent; the dine in experience is praised for atmosphere and service in many visits, while others complain about crowded, noisy rooms, long queues, and occasional slow or disorganized service. Some meals arrive cold or overly salty on certain visits, and parking is frequently cited as a challenge. Takeout and family platters are popular and price point is a strong positive, though quality can vary across visits. Overall the sentiment is that Original Shawarma delivers great flavor and generous portions, attracting repeat customers, while peak hours can stress the staff and space.
Amazing food with great flavor & quality. Everything was delicious & well prepared.
Special thanks to Alaa for her excellent service - she was very friendly, professional, & made the experience even better.
Highly recommended, & I will definitely come back again.
I ordered the family platter & knew something was off but I was very hungry & we ate it with my whole staff. I started getting mega chillls the same night & it ended up being food poisoning. Restaurants need to make sure the food is fresh at all times & not just sometimes. I was a good client but you lost me as I missed a day of work & high fever from food poisoning Never again
Dec 17, 2025
on Google
🍽️
Know where to eat in Montreal before everyone else.
Get the first look at the hottest openings, secret menus, and RestoMontreal.ca's weekly top picks. Join 50,000+ foodies.
If you have other options or restaurants aside from this one, please go for them. Unfortunately, they were the best! However, as usual, like most Middle Eastern restaurants, they are not capable of maintaining the high quality & service.
Message to the management: please don't ask me to send an email. I've spoken with the owner in person twice, & the third time he kept showing a surprised face & denying it. I simply don't want to eat raw chicken anymore.
J'adore manger chez Original Shawarma ! Votre recette est vraiment originale, & chaque fois que je prends mandi , je suis impressionnée par la qualité du riz - juste wow, wow, wow !
Pourriez-vous me dire quel type de riz vous utilisez ? J'aimerais beaucoup le connaître.
Merci
The price, the taste, & the atmosphere were all incredible. I've never had a lamb shank this delicious & definitely not at this price anywhere else. Honestly, I even forgot to take a picture because it was that good & I was too busy enjoying the food.
A thousand percent recommended!
Some meals don't wait for photos - they attack your hunger first. That's precisely what happened here. We started eating immediately, forgot about the picture, & only remembered when the plates were already halfway gone. Honestly? That's usually the best review a restaurant can get.
🍽? What We Actually Ordered
✔? Chicken Shawarma Plate (fries base) - $12
✔? Jarret d'agneau EXTRA (Lamb Shank) - $25 (comes with 2 lamb shanks, rice, nuts & raisins, mandi sauce)
✔? A small garlic sauce, which the staff gave it for free
✔? mandi sauce & a house mayo & tahini included
Everything else in the photo came with these two dishes.
✨ Experience & Atmosphere
We went on a Sunday night, calm but not empty. & you could tell this wasn't their'real' traffic - the setup, speed, & vibe show they're used to heavy crowds.
Ordering was smooth, the reception was patient & helpful, & the menu is much larger than at a typical'shawarma place.' It feels more like a Middle Eastern canteen with a wide comfort-food lineup.
🔥 Service That Stands Out
The garlic sauce is labelled as $X extra, but when I asked for a small one, the staff said:
'No worries, you can have it.'
Small gestures like this change everything.
& another thing:
Since they don't provide table service & don't ask for tips, it's a place that matches expectations with reality. Respect.
🍗 Taste & Quality
• Lamb shank: shockingly good. Soft, flavorful, no frozen taste, no dryness. I've paid double at other places & had meat that tasted as if it had travelled from Antarctica.
• Rice: warm, colourful, lightly spiced, & the nuts/raisins gave it an authentic eastern mandi taste.
• Chicken shawarma: juicy, well-seasoned, & NOT oily. Fries were fresh.
• Sauces: garlic sauce was excellent, smooth, creamy, not too sharp.
Even half-eaten, the plates still looked good in the photo.
That alone says enough.
💡 Practical Tips
• If you're a lamb lover, take the Jarret d'agneau, great value for two shanks.
• Garlic sauce is a must.
• The menu is larger than expected; check it thoroughly before ordering.
• Good for parties, take-out or quick dine-in. No table service.
Final Verdict:
Original Shawarma surprised me, real flavour, generous portions, no attitude, & no sneaky tipping screens. The kind of place that focuses on food, not theatrics. Given what you pay, it's really worth it.
⭐ 4.8/5 - Amazing lamb, great shawarma, honest service
Nov 30, 2025
on Google
🍽️
Know where to eat in Montreal before everyone else.
Get the first look at the hottest openings, secret menus, and RestoMontreal.ca's weekly top picks. Join 50,000+ foodies.
Excellent sandwiche pita poulet & agneau/boeuf , juteux & frais à souhait , je recommande une option de pita en plus grand & un pain baguette plus croustillant.
the place is the best in town if you're looking for delicious shawarma.
My favorite is their saj chicken shawrma.
It can get crammed with customers inside, so there isn't that many tables to dine in.
