Phoenicia Food Express — Restaurant in Hamilton

review date: february 11. 2025 customer service date: february 11, 2025

i found about about phoenicia food express (PFE) by happenstance doing a google search. a trusted co-worker (shawarma guru) from the oakville car plant, who lives in mississauga, advised me to go look into PFE as well.

at first i thought to myself, a shawarma place located in a gas station lol? never seen that before, but don't let locations fool you. PFE has good google ratings for a reason. 😉

shout out to basil the PFE manager, for providing a humorous yet warm and welcoming environment on my first visit. he explained that PFE has actually been in motion for 15 years. the gas station property did get renovated in 2018.

basil was intrigued to be polite as i was taking pictures of the food and the property, but once i explained my intentions and meant no harm, he was fine. ⭐

inside the store, there is one small table where up to 2 people can stand and eat if desired.

chicken shawarma: $9.29 plus tax. not an overly big portion. you may need to buy 2 of them to be filled up. pita is toasted nice and crispy. the vegetables are fresh and the white/red sauces are good too. the chicken itself is not bad, but not great.

beef shawarma: $9.99 plus tax. not an overly big portion. you may need to buy 2 of them to be filled up. pita is toasted nice and crispy. the vegetables are fresh and the white/red sauces are good too. the beef itself is very good. be advised they have gyro beef, and actual shaved beef. this is a heavily underrated sandwich.

shish tawook pita sandwich: $9.99 plus tax. not an overly big portion. you may need to buy 2 of them to be filled up. pita is toasted nice and crispy. the vegetables are fresh and the white/red sauces are good too. the shish tawook itself is very good.

i would rank the pita sandwiches as: 1-beef, 2-shish tawook, 3-chicken. what i appreciate about their pita sandwiches is how clean the food is. goes down smooth and your stomach feels great. no uneasy feelings.

chicken and rice: $14.99 plus tax. if you got a texas-sized hunger, this dinner plate would be the way to go. you'll be walking out with really good food weight. the rice, sauces and chicken all square up to give a solid knockout punch, providing you with satisfactory satiety.

i would challenge any full-sized adult to finish the chicken and rice in one sitting and still be hungry afterwards. this is the heavyweight homerun hitter item on the PFE menu. 🔥

please read and be reminded! 👀

-PFE is closed sunday. open all other days, 11am-8pm. the gas station itself is a 24/7 operation. -if you are on a budget, PFE has pre-made cold chicken shawarma sandwiches for $6.99 daily. -some shawarma sandwiches come with fixed toppings. so let them know if you want more selections. there may be a charge for extra portions. -PFE does offer a bit of canadian-style food such as fries and onion rings, if desired. -PFE does deliver. check their website for more details. -PFE has adequate parking on the gas station property, around the side and back as well.

bottom line: i would return to the PFE if i were to be in the area. i would recommend PFE to others as well. give them a try and see for yourself why they have consistently good ratings from the google...

I have come here for years for gas and have only noticed the food restaurant during COVID. Our first time during COVID we picked up chicken/beef & rice dinners which included a generous amount of meat, rice and salad ( which had crispy pitas as croutons). They were absolutely phenomenal!! FABULOUS! The rice just melted in your mouth. All the flavours came together nicely and were so delicious. The 2nd time we ordered the shwarma wraps/pita which were warmed on the hot press. They were a good size and packed with everything fresh and tasty. The 3rd time, we went today because I was craving their falafel and hummus(TO DIE FOR) which we ordered. I asked for extra pitas for hummus and he was very generous with that request THANK YOU. We also ordered 3 mixed meat rice dinners with salad. I asked the gentleman behind the counter to please put the crispy pitas for salad on the side because they get and he finished my sentence ..SOGGY. Haha During these 3 occasions, we were served by 2 different gentleman. Each were very friendly, customer oriented and eager to please us. Honestly, love the food here! It is not just fast-food or gas station food but rather THE BEST LEBANESE FOOD IN HAMILTON! The orders are more then generous. We are good Italian eaters and we have leftovers for another dinner! Thank you gentleman for keeping up the food top quality freshness and great customer service!! Tonights dinner did not...

Today I tried an absolutely delicious mixed (chicken and beef) shawarma. Don't let the location fool you, as Phonecia is located inside a Pioneer gas station. There is no seating room, so it's truly a takeout spot, and parking is limited. The owner is super friendly and the food is a must try if you're in Hamilton. For $8.99 + tax, the value is amazing, as you get a sizable and hefty shawarma with all of the fixings. You will be able to pay by credit card at the Pioneer gas station cashier. The standout ingredient is definitely the garlic sauce, which is "zingy" and packs more of a punch compared to mayonnaise-based garlic sauces. The pickled turnips are also a pleasant flavour explosion combined with very fresh lettuce, tomatoes and onions. Lastly, the hot sauce is more of a tasty kick rather than a burning feel, but it does leave a wonderful, warm tickle at the back of your throat. Don't pass up an opportunity to try a delicious shawarma from Phoenicia Food Express when you're...