Pita Land Shawarma - Nanaimo — Restaurant in Nanaimo

Update: Further to the request of the owners to contact them for further discussion and resolution, I emailed them twice and received zero response. Seems to me as though the offer was for optics only. I hope to be proved wrong.

Oh man, there's nothing like a proper shawarma or donair! I reminisce about the legendary Lebanese shawarma shops in Ottawa or the food carts stationed outside the nightclubs in Sydney. Where the pitas are so fresh they're chewy with flavour, the abundance of roasted meat cut off the cone and crammed into the pita. All the toum, tabouli, pickles, sauces, and veg you could want. And all this for under a tenner. Those were the days!

We enter a different dimension: Pita Land. Stale pitas, minuscule portions of dry meat annoyingly measured to the gram (sitting on the tray, not cut in front of you), a thin layer of toum that would shame any Middle Easterner. Topped with a ton of browning lettuce and punky tomatoes. I had the misfortune of ordering a side of lukewarm potatoes and the same stingy serving of toum.

The cost of this? $23.00. Ridiculous. Is it the best in Nanaimo? Sadly, it probably is. But it's a shame. Either Nanaimoites have no idea what good Middle Eastern food is or they've forgotten and resigned themselves to mediocrity. And calling this experience mediocre is being generous...unlike their portions.

Photos may or may not be an accurate...

I recently visited Pitaland Shawarma in Nanaimo after hearing a few good things about their Middle Eastern food, and overall, my experience was decent but not outstanding. The restaurant itself has a clean, casual setup with a friendly staff and quick service, which made the visit pleasant from the start. The menu offers a nice variety of shawarmas, platters, and wraps, giving customers plenty of choices to satisfy their cravings.

However, I did feel that the quantity of meat was on the lower side, especially for the price. The meat itself tasted fine but was a bit dry, which took away from the overall enjoyment of the meal. A slightly juicier or freshly carved serving would have made a big difference in texture and taste.

The sides were well-prepared, and the hummus was creamy and flavorful. Portion sizes for everything else were generous enough, so the lack of meat stood out even more in comparison. Despite this, the overall meal was filling and reasonably priced.

In summary, Pitaland Shawarma is a good spot in Nanaimo if you’re looking for quick Middle Eastern food with solid flavors. However, they could improve the experience by increasing the meat portion and ensuring it stays moist and tender. I’d still consider visiting again to try...

Was so excited for some actual Mediterranean fast food in town and was super disappointed... I don't think the staff have been properly trained yet.. vegetables are massacred because no one know clearly knows how to cut vegetables..using a flat icing knife for the sauces (get a spoon?)..ripped open my pita and said I got too much filling so they tried to tell me I need to order a large..when I asked for a bit more feta she said usually it's an extra charge but she'll do it for free today.. I don't even think their was a teaspoon on there.. I have 0 issue getting a small falafel at pita pita WITH FREE EXTRA TOPPINGS. I'm really hoping it's just a mistake with night staff and hopefully it improves over the next few months but i will be going elsewhere from now on. ALEXANDRA'S OR PITA PIT IS THE BEST IN TOWN FOR FALAFELS GO TO THEM IF YOU WANT GOOD MEDITERRANEAN AND...