Shawarma G and I have a special relationship. I stumbled upon their restaurant when I was in my first year at the University of Guelph, as a group of friends and I went on a drive to momentarily avoid the stresses of school. Pulling into the plaza for some good old fashioned Tim Hortons, the restaurant stuck out to me like a leather jacket clad Aggie on campus. With its vibrant colours and Arabic script, the sign immediately draws passerby’s in, and in my case makes them think “What the hell is a shawarma restaurant doing in a place like this”. I figured that any place so far from the busy traffic of downtown would have some decent quality food, so I convinced my friends to give the spot a try, and we went in.

The thing that stuck out to me first and foremost was the Saj bread. Now I've lived in the middle east (Bahrain specifically), and all the shawarma there was made with Saj bread. When I came back to Canada, the pita wraps of Osmow’s and Lazeez just didn't even come close to the quality of those shawarmas. For years and years I yearned for that original shawarma flavour, and while some restaurants like Paramount were able to procure the bread, the taste was still lacking. So when I saw that Shawarma G wrapped their shawarmas in that good good, I immediately had good hopes.

The first bite of that wrap transported me back to my childhood a la Anton Ego in Ratatouille. The way that the sauce melded with that succulent chicken, paired with the acidic hit of the pickle, was more than enough to have a grown man reminiscing on memories he didn't even know he had. After years of searching for that authentic shawarma experience, I had finally found it. The seasoning on the chicken was perfect, and there were crispy bits spread throughout the wrap. The bread was crisp and soft, swaddling the meat for the perfect bite time and time again. The sauces provided an excellent creaminess in texture while also packing that garlicky hit that everyone loves. The components worked together in harmony to create a symphony of flavours in your mouth, that I have yet to see beaten by any other shawarma restaurant.

I am now in my 5th and final year at UofG. Shawarma G has been my go to shawarma spot that entire time. I made it my mission that any one of my friends or family that came to visit me during these last 4 years, had to try Shawarma G as well so they could understand what they had been missing out on. Every time the reactions were the same, “That's the best shawarma I have ever had”. My father, ever the Shawarma connoisseur like his son, branded this the closest thing you can get to the restaurants in the middle east, and I wholeheartedly agree. If you're looking for a delicious, and truly authentic shawarma. You are hard pressed to find a better option than Shawarma G, because in my opinion that option does not exist.

To all the negative reviewers who have called the food “gross”, “salty”, “overcooked”, and “burnt”, you need to go get your tongue checked by a medical professional because you obviously have some sort of problem that should be sorted sooner rather than later. And to all the reviewers complaining of bad service, in all my years of coming here I have been treated with nothing more than the utmost respect and understanding. Any issues with an order have been immediately ratified, with a torrent of apologies as well. Just because you overgrown babies were unable to get things your way, doesn't mean these guys are the villains. Take a look at yourself in the mirror, you bums. I highly commend Shawarma G for standing their ground against these negative reviewers, it's refreshing to see a business that actually cares.

Shawarma G, you guys will always have a special place in my heart. If anyone ever asks what's the best shawarma they can get, I always say you. I know it may not mean much, but ya’ll got the Mo Dar Seal of Approval for Shawarma, and no one else can even lay claim to that. Never change.