Shawarma Daddy — Restaurant in Kerala

Shawarma Daddy has become one of the most sought-after shawarma joints in Ernakulam, and this particular outlet on the Edappally–Vytilla Bypass, located just a bit before Oberon Mall (if you're coming from Edappally), lives up to the hype.

Ambience & Location: It’s conveniently placed right on the Bypass road, making it a perfect pitstop for a quick bite, especially for travelers or late-night foodies. Though the place is compact and has limited seating, the vibe is energetic, and the open kitchen setup adds to the charm. There's usually a decent crowd, especially in the evenings, but service remains fairly quick.

Food Quality: The shawarmas here are genuinely impressive — juicy, flavorful, and perfectly spiced. Whether you're going for the classic roll, the kuboos version, or the special “Daddy” shawarma (which is loaded and rich), you’re in for a treat. The meat is well-marinated, and the garlic mayo they use stands out. Portion sizes are generous too, so it offers great value for money.

What I Loved:

The freshness of the ingredients

Balanced flavors — neither too oily nor bland

Reasonable pricing considering the quality and quantity

Friendly staff who handle rush hours quite well

Could Be Better:

Very limited seating — often packed, especially on weekends

Parking can be tricky during peak hours due to the narrow roadside area

Some items (like Alfaham or combos) may not always be available, so check beforehand

Verdict: If you’re craving a solid shawarma experience in Kochi, especially on the bypass stretch, Shawarma Daddy is definitely worth a stop. Whether you're grabbing a quick bite before a movie at Oberon or just cruising along the highway, this place won’t disappoint.

Recommended Dishes: Daddy Special Shawarma, Kuboos Shawarma, and their homemade lemonade for a...

This is one of the recommendations from a friend to try when in Kochi, especially for their shawarma. I went based on that and the place looks quite good. They have an open kitchen downstairs and a couple of tables with mostly people doing take aways. Upstairs they have a dining section with a good ambiance and decent enough seating space. The menu has a number of options in shawarma, tawa rolls, BBQ chicken and many more. I started with their chicken shawarma roll which was not that great. A bit disappointing I would say as it tasted very bland. The shawarma came in a roomali roti and as you can see by the pics the filling was not enough. Quite less filling and that too more of the lettuce. The mayo they use is the culprit as it didn't have any taste. Luckily, I had also ordered the red chilli BBQ which was amazing. The chicken was a good portion size, marinated well, spicy and tasted so good. One of the better ones I had in Kochi. The chicken was served with Roomali roti which was good, the mayo dip was the same as the shawarma and a green chutney. The mayo dip was not required as the chicken tasted better without it, the green chutney however was good. Service was decent but a bit slow. It was interesting that they had a kind of a food lift going up and down with the food from the kitchen downstairs to the seating area up. They are a bit pricey I would say, especially the shawarma.

Ambiance - 4.5/5 Service - 3.5/5 Food Quality/ Presentation - 4/5 Taste - 3.5/5 Portion size - 4/5 Value for money - 3.5/5

Overall...

After seeing Shawarma Daddy's creative Instagram reels, I was eager to visit and experience their unique style of preparation and presentation. Their approach looked quite different from other places, which is why I decided to stop by last Saturday and try two of their specials (though I can't recall the names). I brought a friend along, excited to share the experience.

However, from the first bite, I found myself underwhelmed. Having sampled a variety of shawarmas in Dubai, I was expecting something that would excite my palate, but this wasn’t the case. While the fillings didn’t particularly stand out, I did notice that the variety of sauces they offer brought some flavor variation when I dipped into them—this added a slight improvement to the overall taste.

One thing I couldn’t overlook was the price. In my opinion, the cost seemed a bit high for the flavor experience provided. From my perspective, if you’re looking for something extraordinary in the shawarma fillings alone, Shawarma Daddy might not fully deliver.

with my background in F&B and social media management, I’d advise being cautious with how much hype is built through social media. Sometimes, expectations can surpass the actual product experience, leading to customer disappointment.

This was just my first visit, and I’m open to giving them another try. It might just be a case of personal taste, so I’ll return to see if there are other specials worth exploring.

All the best Chef...