Damascus Mashawi — Restaurant in Birmingham

I never usually leave reviews but it just goes to show how bad the service was. The restaurant was completely empty only two workers who were both on their phones on TikTok - no music or any kind of ambience which I was fine with if they were going to pray etc but then they switched on after 1 hour of being there. We had to keep calling him over to order for the bill etc but he was just on his phone (might I add the phone volume was on full blast, no effs given. They just wanted to chill out and relax and not be working). I really hate complaining about food especially with everything going on in the world right now but the food was so dry the hummus was so unflavoured straight from a can, the mix grill was so dry and unflavoured - not like any Syrian establishment I’ve been before. The bread was the most basic khobz and not even warm just straight from the packet and the only decent thing there was the fries which was probably the one thing they had to make fresh. My cousin and I had always seen this place on the corner and thought it looks cute and hidden away but honestly somethings deserve to remain hidden and mysterious. More than anything I’m just so mad about the lack of customer service. I did ask for olive oil and zaatar and he gave that, the only thing he went out of his way for. Grown mid-40s men just on their phones completely immersed in the middle of a work shift, so unprofessional....

Food ordered from @myolddamascus

Delivered well within the estimated delivery time 10/10.

Packaged fairly well with no spills or leaks 9/10.

Fries were just below average but definitely edible 3/10.

Sheesh kebabs were fairly decent not overly juicy (a little costly in relation to quality) 6/10.

The chicken shawarma was average, a decent portion size but had a strange flavour. Also. They weren't tender and juicy as would be expected 6/10.

The rice was very flavoursome and my favourite part of the meal by far. A bit on the greasy side but nice nevertheless 8.5/10.

The salad and dips were spot on. The salad was fresh and crunchy and the dips went almost perfectly with the meal. 8/10

The food sheikh says: not bad so...

I have had deliveries via Deliveroo from this restaurant on multiple occasions. They offer a fantastic service and delicious food. I usually have salmon with salad, flatbread and rice with some sauces on the side and a chocolate brownie with custard 😋, or some hummus or full bi laban and some melon drink or a milkshake. The only downfall is that the menu changed slightly on Deliveroo some months-a year back approx and the fries cost more (the original fries cost + extra, thus 4*) and I look forward to the restaurant reopening again very soon as I am disappointed to see its closed temporarily and I haven't been able to buy from there....