Shawarmania Cuisine Mediterraneenne — Restaurant in Montreal

As a McGill student, I have been coming to Shawarmania since they opened in Fall 2024, probably 2-3 times per month. At first, it was a revelation. I was stricken. Shawarmania beat Basha (easy), Boustan, and even, in some regards, the great Shawarmaz. Its location was too good to be true. So I evangelised—I brought almost all of my friends and converted many of them to regulars. But, over the course of the school year, the quality has worsened. As I write this review, in fact, I’m picking pieces of tasteless chewy grey beef out of my teeth. The strips in my bowl had those hard fatty bits you find only in the worst quality beef, and they were so overcooked the that, with singed, greyish fibres, they tasted and felt more like beef jerky than shawarma. Not only that: vegetables have gotten worse, I find, with less taste than ever, and the potatoes are slightly undercooked. The only thing that has gotten better is the toum (garlic sauce), whose over-saltiness finally has been reduced. But MOST importantly (and most dishearteningly), Shawarmania has begun to charge extra for add-ons. Every single time I have come to Shawarmania since October I have gotten eggplant, and it has been free—encouraged, even. Now, since two weeks ago, the new south asian guy behind the counter says I have to pay extra. What’s next, $1 for spicy sauce, $0.75 for hummus, $1 extra on every item? This is precisely how great restaurants die. And so I no longer have eggplant in my shawarma, which is dried and filled with tasteless vegetables and surrounded by under-done potatoes, and for the first time in many months, I begin to consider my...

I hesitated writing this review, but this place started pretty good and it's been only in decline recently.

Food:

The bowl portions became smaller, especially if you order over Ubereats. The rice, and meat quality are a hit or miss, depending on the day. The sauce is sometimes bad, some fried items are too salty, and they occasionally run out of gravy for poutine.

Mandi: The meat quality has gone down a lot. the main requirement for a mandi dish is that the meat must be tinder and melting. The last time couple of times I ordered, the meat was dry, and I couldn't even cut it with a knife. The red sauce with the dish was old and tasted bad.

The service: All the staff are super friendly except for one person with a beard. I think he usually wears a cap too and works in the evening. this guy cheapens on the orders, is always in a rush and...

I love grabbing lunch at Shawarmania—always fresh, flavorful, and satisfying! Last week, we had them cater a work event for 50 people, and they absolutely nailed it. The food was incredible—everyone kept raving about it—and the portions were super generous (we even had leftovers at the office!).

From the ordering process to delivery, Nabil (the owner) made everything so smooth and easy. He was professional, friendly, and right on time. Honestly, one of the best catering experiences we’ve had.

Sharing a few pics so you can see the spread—we’ll definitely be ordering again!

Note: they accommodated all of our dietary restrictions which was a HUGE plus! (Our restrictions for reference were vegan, vegetarian, gluten free, halal, seafood allergy,...