Shawarma 401 — Restaurant in Oshawa

I've been coming here since it opened. Lately it just hasn't been the same..

Tonight really made me angry though. In around 8:15, had to wait a couple minutes for someone to come out.

I had just left the dentist so my mouth was a little frozen when ordering. The guy behind the counter was not friendly at all because I very clearly apologizing because it was hard for me to talk.

I was asking the guy for the meat lovers plate. It's what we always get to share. I understand my mouth wasn't the best but I was making sense.

He was showing me this giant tray and saying $56.99 ... I kept saying no its only for 2 people, it usually comes with a mix of meat.. it was like 30 something bucks.. etc trying to explain what I wanted. (Mind you I've ordered this same thing for yeaaars)

He's like oh I have this one pulls out a single serving I said is that for 2 people? And he says no probably not. I say no you had a meal that was for 2 people. And he rudely says, this is the one we have shows the giant tray continues to say 56.99. Then when I show him the website and I point to the meal I wanted he goes oh that's now 56.99

So you're telling me this meat lovers plate pretty much had doubled in price ?!

I gave up at that point. Even though there was no one behind me, it felt like a giant inconvenience on him. He wasn't nice, he wasn't helpful.

So I got the small one. And I won't be eating tonight since it's only enough for one. Most likely won't be back.

He tried charging me for spicy garlic sauce (That comes with the meal) until another guy came out and said not to worry about it. Honestly that guy showed me more kindness and helpfulness in less than a minute than the guy who served me the entire experience.

They also water the spicy garlic down. Absolutely flavorless. I can tell it was the same sauce used, just very thin and liquidy now. That sauce was my favourite. Very sad they ruin it.

Guy told me he doesn't have a physical menu but to go online.. I had no problem finding the menu item i wanted for...

$42.99 !!! Thats understandable sure, it went up 6-7 bucks not freaking double ?! (mind you I haven't paid in a while my bf usually does)

Anyway. I'm not happy with my experience...

I used to swear by 401 Shawarma, praising it as the pinnacle of shawarma perfection. However, recent changes in ownership have transformed this once-beloved establishment into an unrecognizable disappointment.

Gone are the days of succulent, flavor-packed shawarmas that left my taste buds singing with delight. Instead, what greets customers now is a sad excuse for a shawarma, resembling nothing more than a mummified relic devoid of any semblance of taste or texture. It's as if they've taken a page from the cookbook of culinary catastrophe.

Let's talk about value, shall we? Paying a premium for what feels like a few measly shavings of meat wrapped in disappointment is nothing short of a ripoff. The quantity-to-quality ratio is so skewed that it feels like they're laughing all the way to the bank while leaving customers feeling utterly swindled.

And don't even get me started on the attitude of the staff. It's as if they've undergone a crash course in customer disservice, with their demeanor rivaling that of servers plucked straight from a homeless shelter. The lack of courtesy and professionalism is palpable, leaving patrons feeling more like inconveniences rather than valued guests.

What's truly egregious is that the previous owners had cultivated a loyal following, evident in the over one thousand five-star reviews that now feel like relics of a bygone era. It's a disgrace to see such a reputable establishment tarnished by the ineptitude and indifference of its new proprietors.

If 401 Shawarma hopes to salvage any semblance of its former glory, it needs to undergo a complete overhaul, from its lackluster food quality to the abysmal attitudes of its staff. Otherwise, it won't be long before this once-beloved spot finds itself back on the market, desperately seeking new owners willing to restore it to its former greatness. Save your money and your taste buds, folks. This place is a sinking ship, and I, for one, won't be along...

Oh by the way, I have the integrity to show people what was said. The answer I received to a simple question with absolutely zero interaction before with your employees shows that they misinterpreted any action of mine as disrespect. The question that was asked was what is the difference between regular and large. The response given was size. As already stated in my original review, this goes to show how little help your employees are when a customer is having an issue ordering, the very first interaction was degrading and negative, and you have the nerve to tell me I was being disrespectful. I think this goes a long way to show the response to an issue, where it really count to the customer.

As a response to the reply. I am a paying customer. I showed absolutely zero disrespect to any employee or customer in your store. Replying to this review with such a bad understanding of the circumstance is very telling about how your business will survive. I highly recommend that your employees get effective training in how to deal with customers and how to stay out of privates conversations between customers. The entire situation was a misunderstanding by your employees of the discussion I was having with my SO. Treating this as disrespect is baseless and disrespectful to a customer. I would recommend anyone to go to another store like OSMOWs up the street for far better food.

Original review: Walked into the store. Talked length with my SO about choices. I asked what the difference between the regular and large was. He told me the difference was size. When I asked what the size difference was, he gave me lip because I needed to speak up due to wearing a mark. I left after I was told they won't tolerate my attitude. This is the worst experience at any store I have ever been at. Especially...