Turquaz Kebab House Express — Restaurant in Edmonton

This was my first order from Turquaz Kebab House Express. I’ve had great experiences at their Northside branch, so I decided to give this one a try. Despite being warned not to order from the Express branch, I thought, how bad could it be? Trusting my past experience with their dine-in location, I disregarded people’s opinions.

I ordered three chicken kebab platters, Turkish bread, and a small side of hummus, paying about $90. I have no issue paying a premium price for good food, but what they served was the saddest plate of food I’ve come across recently.

The chicken kebab was dry, flavorless, and rubbery. The portion sizes were so small that they seemed fit for a 5-year-old. Apart from the rice, everything else was extremely skimpy. To make matters worse, the platters were supposed to come with fries, but all three orders were missing them.

The hummus was overly tangy, far beyond what it should be. The salad was stale, watery, and clearly not fresh. The garlic sauce—or thoum, was utterly disappointing, with absolutely no hint of garlic flavor; it was just oily.

Overall, it was a terrible experience, and I wouldn’t recommend getting food from here. There are far better places where you’ll get your money’s worth. Unfortunately, this feels like a case of unethical business practices. This seems to be a pattern with many Middle Eastern restaurants in Edmonton. They start strong with excellent quality and service, only to decline rapidly over time. I’ve had similar experiences at Jerusalem Shawarma on 101st Street, but that’s a story for another time.

One positive note: I wanted to order an extra small garlic sauce, but I didn’t see it on their menu. When I asked someone behind the counter, he was kind enough to provide an extra sauce for free. However, he made sure to remind me that I’d have to pay for it next time.

Save yourself the disappointment and avoid ordering from here. Thank you!

Reply to the owner's response (added on December 02, 2024): Hey there, thanks for the response! I can appreciate a bit of humor, sometimes it helps when things don’t quite hit the mark. My feedback wasn’t meant to be harsh, just honest. When you’re paying premium prices, expectations naturally run high, and I hope my review highlights some areas that could use improvement.

I’m rooting for local businesses like yours to succeed, so I genuinely hope you’ll use this feedback to make things better. Who knows, maybe I’ll give it another try down the road and be pleasantly surprised. Fingers crossed for fries that actually make it into the box!

Wishing you all the best in turning...

Nestled in a bustling corner of town, Turquaz Kebab House Express promises Middle Eastern flavors in a fast-paced setting. I had the opportunity to sample two of their most popular dishes: the Beef and Lamb Shawarma Plate and the Chicken Shawarma Plate. The experience, while mixed, left me with clear takeaways.

First, the Beef and Lamb Shawarma Plate was unfortunately underwhelming. The meat, a central focus of the dish, was overcooked and disappointingly dry, lacking the juicy tenderness one expects in a well-executed shawarma. To make matters worse, the accompanying salad was heavily overpowered by vinegar, rendering it unpleasantly sour and imbalanced. This combination turned what could have been a flavorful and satisfying dish into something hard to enjoy.

On the brighter side, the Chicken Shawarma Plate offered redemption. The chicken was perfectly cooked—moist, tender, and seasoned with a delightful blend of spices that brought a vibrant burst of flavor to each bite. Paired with the usual accompaniments, this dish stood out as the star of the meal and showcased the potential Turquaz Kebab House Express has to offer.

While my experience was uneven, I’d recommend the Chicken Shawarma Plate to anyone looking for a flavorful and satisfying option. However, the inconsistency in preparation raises concerns about the overall quality control. With a bit more attention to detail, especially with their beef and lamb offerings, this establishment could truly shine.

Rating: 2/5 stars. Turquaz Kebab House Express has promise but needs refinement to deliver on its...

We were excited to see this Southside location opening in our area as we are frequent visitors to the main Northside dine in location. We were surprised to see the prices the same at the express location as the dine in restaurant considering they don't have to serve the meals and clean the dishes used by customers. Usually a takeout restaurant will have lower prices than a dine in restaurant, this is Hospitality 101. Not only were the prices the same as the dine in locations meals, the portions were actually smaller and then they have removed fries from the meal at the express location. Less food, no service and same price. Some reviews have recieved a response mentioning they have replaced the fries with more rice but this simply not true. In fact it seemed there was less rice eather than more. When we dine at the restaurant location the meal is enough to feed two people or one person has enough for lunch the next day. This Southside location serves portions much smaller. I emailed their head office the same day we tried this new location on Ellerslie to voice my concerns and displeasure but my email was met with no response (3 weeks ago). We won't be returning to this express location anytime soon. I'm sure you will try to respond to my review but hopefully you can address why my email received...