A little about this place
About Al-Basha Shawarma
The Google listing at the 233 Laurier Avenue East address and phone number HFP holds for Al-Basha Shawarma is now titled 'Just eat shawarma & poutine'. It is a small shawarma and poutine counter in Sandy Hill, a short walk from the University of Ottawa. Reviewers order chicken shawarma wraps and sandwiches, garlic potatoes, fries and poutine, and one describes a chicken souvlaki plate; Google lists dine-in, takeout and delivery, and most reviewers in the sample took their food away.
Recurring praise goes to the staff and owner, to portions against price - a wrap under $10, a $13 sandwich-and-drink combo - and to the thick garlic sauce and herbed garlic potatoes. Three reviewers described the place as clean. The cautions are single accounts: one found the chicken shawarma dry and tasteless, one rated the poutine below the shawarma, and one asked for less salad dressing.
No halal certifier is named on the listing.
HFP review summary
What diners mention
Research updated ·
4.5 / 5551 Google reviews · saved total
Saved ratings and review totals may have changed.
Rating breakdown at this snapshot
- 5 stars
403 403 - 4 stars
84 84 - 3 stars
23 23 - 2 stars
5 5 - 1 star
36 36
What people enjoy
- Staff and owner are the most consistent praise: seven of the ten reviewers in the sample called them friendly, kind or welcoming. Google records 'friendly staff' as a review topic in 80 reviews and 'friendly owner' in 27.
- Portion size against price recurs across four reviewers: one got a wrap with a generous amount of meat for under $10, one a $13 sandwich-and-drink combo they called excellent value, and two described the portions as generous or decent for the price.
- The garlic sides are singled out by three reviewers - herb-tossed garlic potatoes and a garlic sauce described as thick rather than runny. Google records 'garlic potatoes' as a review topic in 7 reviews.
- Three reviewers commented on cleanliness, describing the restaurant, kitchen and seating area as clean and tidy.
Things to keep in mind
- Dry, flavourless chicken is the dominant complaint in the lowest-rated reviews, from four distinct reviewers who variously described the shawarma chicken as 'horrendously dry, excessively thick and tasteless', as tasting old 'like it was refrigerated and reheated', as 'disgustingly dry', and simply as tasteless on a platter.
- Portion size relative to price draws three distinct complaints: one reviewer said a two-for-one plate deal arrived with the portions halved and only three or four spoons of rice, one said $20 bought a very small portion, and one said a request for more garlic sauce yielded about a teaspoon.
- Slow or inattentive counter service is reported by four distinct reviewers: one waited 30 minutes for two sandwiches with no other orders in progress and had one remade after it was forgotten in the heater and burnt, one was left waiting roughly 10 minutes while the sole staff member took a loud video call, and two described the person working as rude or unhelpful.
- Three distinct reviewers criticised the vegetables, describing browning lettuce, unappealing colour and texture, and low-quality veg for the price.
- Five distinct reviewers, all writing two to three years ago, say the food declined sharply after the business changed hands, several of them naming the previous operator as the reason they had come. Note that the listing overall still stands at 4.5 with 403 five-star reviews, so this cluster sits in a minority tail and is largely historic.
Compiled by Halal Food Pass from public reviewer opinions. Experiences vary; these comments have not been independently verified.
Good to know before you go
Where can I see the menu for Al-Basha Shawarma?
The restaurant's website at https://restozone.ca/ottawa/okas?tab=menu is linked on this page. A researched menu has not been added to this listing yet; check directly for current dishes and prices.
Is Al-Basha Shawarma open past midnight on Saturday?
The Saturday service continues overnight: 11 AM to 4 AM next day. The closing time is on the following calendar day.
Where is Al-Basha Shawarma located?
Al-Basha Shawarma is at 233 Laurier Avenue East, Ottawa. The listed neighbourhood is Sandy Hill. Use the directions link on this page for the route to this branch.
What halal information is available for Al-Basha Shawarma?
Halal per directory listings, confirm specifics with the restaurant. This is restaurant-provided information; Halal Food Pass does not independently certify restaurants.
