Reviews Shawarma 401 (Restaurant) in Oshawa

Sarah Ricard

Changed review after the stores reply. Value for money. But fries are not crispy on poutine. Ordered a chicken poutine. Fries were so soft, idk may be its because its not frozen fries the reply.

BOBBY BABU

Visited Schwarma 401 for the first time today. Staff was friendly but I found service was really slow. There were maybe four people ahead of me but I still stood in line for at least 30 minutes, perhaps longer. I had the beef wrap combo. I chose the large pita size which ended up being so big I couldn't finish it all. I found the pita didn't hold up well to the sauces and was dripping all over my clothes while I ate. The flavour was on point, though, and I would definitely order this wrap again, perhaps with the smaller size though. I had the potatoes as my side. They were a bit dried out but were really tasty. I chose to have garlic sauce on top of the potatoes and I'm on the fence whether this improved the flavour or not. I purchased a pack of mixed baklawa deserts which I can't wait to open up. I'll definitely have to return to try other menu choices. I should add that the people ahead of me were ordering a large family meal. The portions were enormous and looked really good.

S K

They make the best shawarma and loads of it. My one star is for the way they treat their customers. Having been a regular here, It feels bad how often they have kicked me out three times saying there is no food. Just before this review, I arrived three hours before closing and was greeted saying no more queueing due to no food. For someone travelling over 50 kms to get their tasty food, they need to be a little more courteous. That's it! Customers beware.

Andy Robertson

We have been there both with the old management and new management. We find the new management less stressed and more friendlier. They're more patient when you're ordering the food, sauce, etc. If you're new, they actually take the time to help you make the best suitable choice for you and even gave our friend a whole falafel to taste. They're normally very busy because the food, prices and service remain excellent. The new gentleman actually gives you a little extra meat and the quality is still excellent. Keep up the great work!!

Sunny Sunny

Starting ordering from here at the beginning of 2021 and it was great. Since that time the quality and quantity of food has gone down while the price has remained the same. Ordered the family special and the amount of chicken was about half. This happened once before and I thought it was a random incident. The second time means it's a pattern. Noticed that they only respond to positive reviews. Would like to see them address the negative ones.

sheikh nasir

Same same same... Everything is same ! I just visited today and this time the restaurant is operated by new management. Good food and super quick service.. Trust me, it's even better in terms of taste, quantity, cleanliness & service speed. Loving it more now. Shawarama 401 ❤️❤️❤️

Colin

First time here, tried the chicken wraps and falafels. The food, service, and atmosphere was great. Reasonably priced and the portion size exceeded expectation. Got the Large size wrap and it was definitely large. Just wished the falafels were a bit warmer. Will come back again.

akhil mohandas

Previously this was my go-to and I recommended it to everyone, we always ordered from here for large get-togethers. Since the ownership change in late August the quality and taste has gone downhill fast. I ordered the large $12.00 falafel wrap which used to take two hands to hold, many napkins for the juice and I rarely ever finished it. This one I was severed was 1/4 of the size, smaller than a hot dog bun and totally flavorless. The falafel was so dry it crumbled to dust when I bit into it, there was hardly any veggies, the pita tasted stale and fell apart. After a few bites I ended up tossing it in the garbage. I understand the previous owner trained them for 6 weeks on every little detail in hopes of keeping it the same. It's such a shame to see them cutting corners so drastically. I will not be returning.

Yad

First time back today since the new management took over, and I didn't notice a single change in food quality. Hands down still the best shawarma still in the Durham region.

PROFESSOR

I like the staff of Shawrma and also taste of food is fabulous. I loved their chicken plate a lot taste of white and yellow rice is yummy and their garlic sauce and 401 is also very amazing. I recommend this place to many of my friends and they also like this place l.

Michael Grewal

Service

Christopher Cuddy

I usually give 3 chances to any business or service provider, then I evaluate the product and service. However, nobody is perfect, always there is room to grow and reach higher records but these guys are GOAT by far! Personally, as I’ve been working in a shawarma restaurant back in the Mtl and experienced in this field, I know what it takes to bring the high quality of taste to the table and how hard they work to make it happen. I really appreciate the efforts they put into the kitchen. I’ve been a customer for awhile and I rate the food as excellent. Furthermore, I read some reviews claiming against (a lot of amount of the meat or chicken, experiencing extra sauce in the shawarma) but guys, let’s be real for a sec, we are all adults and should know how to communicate! So you can be clear and communicate clearly with the person about how you want your food during ordering process(i.e. please don’t put too much sauce, no too much of salad/chicken, I like well cooked chicken) I saw a review, about raw chicken, I don’t believe that’s a legit and fair comment! The chef is the owner, he sees the chicken first, how would it be possible he sell raw chicken to his clients after he sees it! Think of it. Enjoy the food everyone

Sasha Rice

Delicious middle eastern food with large portions at a very reasonable price that no other restaurant can beat. The quality and taste is exactly the way it should be, fresh and delicious. I highly recommend Shawarma 401 for anyone craving delicious and authentic Arabian food. Wish I could give more stars but the limit is 5 (big smile).same great taste like before .very humble and friendly staff .no other place has food like shawarma 401.outclass.and their sweets are too yummy specially basbusa cake and baklava extremely delicious.i love it .

Abi Bebeju

Take out

Rob J

Take out

Himanshu Nayak

Their chicken shwarma is one of the best I've had! Both quantity and quality is superb! Hoping they can keep it consistent now!

alejandro grajales

We love it! the amount of meat is incredible, but not as incredible as the prices! We heard lot of good stuff about Shawarma 401 and their amazing 5 star reviews. I find it unbelievable someone could not like this place, their amazing food, and the level of service. thanks for the beef shawarma today, my friend. Keep up the awesome work and we'll see you again soon!

Steve C

Service

Mandy Kearns

Poor service un cook Food relly bad smell just put in Garbage. Waste of Money .

Immy Variava

Got chicken shawarma on the rocks, meat lovers plate, and chicken poutine. The chicken shawarma and poutine were awesome. My meat lovers plate, all the meat was great except when I asked for extra spicy, they put this red chili pepper paste. It was terrible, I had to scrape it off and discard it. Not having that put on ever again. Overall the food and serving size was great. Will go back again.

Mohamad El Makdah

Lunch

Rabi Jabbar

Just bought a beef steak poutine with harissa and garlic sauce ????Yum!! Extremely awesome value, especially considering the taste. Perfect balance of fries, gravy, cheese curds, beef and my selected sauces! Two thumbs up!! My photo doesn’t do the poutine justice because we munched into it so quick that we forgot to take a shot at the beginning (it looked awesome).

Ian

Meal type

Gerry Whalen

We've just recently discovered this restaurant near us and have already been a couple of times. The staff are all friendly and fantastic and the food is delicious! It's a great value - we've gotten the family special both times and it'll feed a small army! We're definitely turning this into a go to place!

Fulkit Patel

Usually I don’t review bad experiences but today the shawarma was the worst i have ever eaten. The meat was overcooked to the point it was crunchy,half of the shawarma full of salad. The stuff is more concerned about the kitchen than the customers.

Geoff Lalonde

I catered from here for my son's birthday party and everything was excellent. Stephanie went out of her way to make sure our order was fulfilled perfectly. I could not be more pleased with the service and food that we received. Thank you very much for taking care of us!

Terry P. G.

This place is one of the best Shawarma place in GTA period. I have tried the following: Beef and Chicken Shawarma, salad with chicken/beef, Donair with potatoes. Great amount of meat at a very good price point. Don't forget the rewards stamp card if you frequently visit this location.

Christopher Alemao

The platters have always been my go-to. Great price and service, my first choice for shawarma in the Whitby/Oshawa area.

Shesarrived

Avoid going right at opening time; have gotten stale falafels because of this. Beef can be on the salty side but good with rice or pita. Chicken is definitely the best meat option here

PJ Parbhoo

First time trying it, not even an exaggeration unfortunately but it was a terrible shawarma. Got a regular chicken shawarma, they loaded it with lettuce, and lack a lot of fix-ins that other restaurants have. Got home and my wrap was super soggy! It fell apart after like 3 bites! I had to eat the rest with a fork, which was essential lettuce and chicken slime, and to top it all off it everything but the chicken was cold after my short drive home???? employees were nice, prices aren't crazy, but I definitely would never recommend this place

Tanya Fisher

Best shawarma i've had in Oshawa! They're so popular there was a line out the door, but definitely worth the wait. The food was fresh, tasty and plentiful. The staff so nice and welcoming. They even offered us free drinks and apologized for the wait. Also try the falafel - best i've had in a while!

Akshay singh jadon

Previously posted a review that was five stars, but since the new management took over, this place is nowhere near what it used to be. We used to come here all the time with the old management and we were never ever disappointed and always taken care of. Been here once with the new management and portions were smaller, food not as fresh, and somehow with more people working than old management, took way longer in terms of service. Used to be the best shawarma around, now it’s below average at best.

MOHAMMAD RAFIQ

This place blew our socks off! We ordered the family pack and fed 3 adults and 1 child with enough left overs to boot! Easily a 5 person or more family meal for 39.99! A+ quality A+ value A+ service We would easily go back any time!

Abid Himani

Tried again today. The owner has changed and he is really doing an amazing job maintaining the quality and taste and also working on customer service which is great to see. There was an issue with my order which he right away compensated with extra food with no charge and was apologetic which you do not see often. Food is still same tasting and i will definitely be going back. Below is the old review: Amazing food and unbelievable value for money .. got their family special .. portion size is great and easily enough for 5 ppl atleast. Will definitely try again.

J L

Amazing family size deal! Very flavourful and decent portions! Probably the best in town. We will definitely come back for more.

Muhammad Ayub

This place is really awesome. The customer service is top notch here. I tried falafal wrap and the taste was above and beyond my expectation. The combination of all veggies, sauces and mainly crispy falafal inside the wrap, was making it more and more mouthwatering. I would give 10/10 to their food quality and service. Will definitely visit this place again and again and will recommend others to must try.

Aaron D

We got the family platter for $39.99 which contains either shawarma (chicken/beef or both), 2 types of rice, salad, hummus, garlic and pita. It is great value and you can have it for another meal too! The food is delicious. The staff here are super nice too! Really love this place and will surely be back soon!

mohammed a

Pre-ordered a family meal the day before for a specific time. Arrived 15 mins after that time and platter was not made at all. Potatoes were under cooked and chicken was extremely dry. I understand they are under new management and it shows.

V F

Heard somewhere that picture can explain more than words can do, food is as delicious as looks in pics. Great taste maintained by new management as old. will visit again...

Haroon I.

Best high quality shawarma in the town. Definitely I am going to miss the delicious food.

Reds King

Amazing food, and fairly priced for what you get. Was very busy though and many orders are made at once extending the time for any specific order to be processed. Very pleased with the food!

Lisa O

Review from previous management: One of my favourite restaurants and the family special is incredible. Tons of food, and very good quality and tasty. My whole family, brother's family and parents all love it. I live in Pickering but we go here regularly as the food is amazing and staff are nice if you're nice to them ???? Only downside for customers is that it seems to always be very busy with a lineup out the door whenever we go and they can't do pickup orders in the evenings since they're worried about "running out of food", which shows you how freaking good it is. I hope they can open a bigger or second location to accommodate all the demand and long waits. Open one up in Ajax or Pickering!! ❤️ Update from August 30th with new management: My last two family meals from Shawarma 401 were very disappointing. The rice and salad were the same, and portions massive as always but both times the chicken had a ton more fat than I've ever had in the past and I even had a raw piece of chicken. The falafel was super dry and seemed like it was sitting there for a while and not fresh. Potatoes are certainly not the same as they're not as crunchy as before and seem softer. It used to be my favourite restaurant in Durham in terms of quality, quantity and price and the two chances we gave it since the new management came have been disappointing. The prices and portions are the same, but the taste is not. Hopefully it'll get better as they get more experienced with the new management.

Amanda Harvey

Absolutely amazing! The quality is amazing everything tastes so good and fresh. The family deal is such a great deal and there is always left overs. The staff is so polite and friendly, incredibly welcoming to all customers. My only place for Shawarma!

Matt D

I recently did some work for this gentleman, and he was gracious enough to buy me lunch. The food is amazing, this is legitimately the best shwarma I have had in years. The chicken was incredible and moist, the fillings were fresh and crispy. The portion size was extremely generous and I was not able to finish the wrap I had. The best part for me is I saved the remainder for dinner later that evening and the pita was not soggy, it was just as good. I was able to see how meticulously him and his staff prepare the food in a clean new kitchen. It was a pleasure to meet the owner who cares about about his store and is genuinely a great guy. Thanks for the meal.

zzzzz zzzzz

Food was fresh and hot. Restaurant was spotless and clean which is a definitive plus. That's pretty much all you can say about it. The food really lacked the flavor profile and taste of a traditional shawarma, and had some east Asian spices. The staff were really friendly and the food portions were huge. I can see why there is always a line up waiting for the family special.

Rohan Abu

Being a shawarma enthusiast I try out different eateries and this was one of the best takeout places. I tried a chicken shawarma plate which turned out to be quite the treat. - Portion size was quite generous. - Chicken tasted fresh and juicy. - Customer service was awesome and they seemed genuinely happy in helping a customer to make a choice.

Stephen

They were very and helpful, we had the large chicken Shawarma which had a good amount of chicken which was well marinated. Vegetables were fresh.

Beth Sands

The chicken is good, excellent really. As for the wrap, um ya missed the mark. This thing fell apart the second I picked it up. I want to like it, but I won't be ordering the wrap again, that's for sure.

Adalla Noori

I have been coming to this location for past 3 years and they’ve always had great food, one of the best shawarma places around. Unfortunately since new ownership, I feel it is not the same. Portions are much more less than before, taste was not the greatest, salad wasn’t fresh, and they really need to close up the bottom of the wraps. Overall I may give this place another try and hopefully there is some improvement.

Cee P

Do not eat here! I'm not one to usually write reviews, but I can't believe the service we received tonight. We ordered a chicken shawarma and there were completely raw pieces of chicken throughout the entire wrap. I tried calling the store repeatedly to let them know and to be careful when serving other customers tonight, with no answer. So I proceeded to drive back to the store and asked to speak with a manager (Sunny). I showed the manager my wrap and the completely raw pieces of chicken and all he had to say was "it's a natural human mistake." I was completely floored by his response, especially as a manager. I'm pregnant, and regardless if I was or wasn't this is completely unacceptable and looks like I'm not the only one who this has happened to. When I proceeded to tell him that you can't just serve this to people, no matter how busy you are, his response again was "it's a natural human mistake, do you want a new one or a refund?" I could tell by his lack of empathy and the fact that he was not surprised one bit, that this has happened many of times. I truly cannot believe the customer service. I didn't want a refund and definitely not a new shawarma made, maybe instead try taking some accountability and sincerely apologizing next time.

L W

First time ordering. Called Friday night for Saturday evening pick up for a birthday dinner. Girl on the phone was really good. She made some recommendations and suggestions which were helpful. She told me that if there was a line up outside not to wait in line and just walk in. When I got there, I walked in and right away they asked if I was there for pick up. My order was ready and waiting. I ordered the dinner for 4 and a side of falafels. It was so fresh and absolutely delicious and everyone raved about it. There was so much food! The photo was taken after 3 hungry men had already taken their food. 3 more adults had their share. There was still food left so they finished it off with the midnight munchies :) We will definitely be back! Thank you.

Chris L

We ordered the family meal and I was amazed at the quality and flavour of the beef and chicken. The veggies were fresh and crisp and the toum was delicious. I will have to get a second container of it the next time we order. It didn't seem like quite enough for my sauce loving family. The portions were so generous, we literally ate shawarma, rice and potatoes for three meals in a row and loved every second of it.

S.M. Sharier

I used to go regularly to eat from this place, it was amazing when it was running buy the previous owner. Today it was really very disgusting, the person who was wrapping the sandwich was wiping the counter with a cloth that was obviously unclean and he didn't change the gloves at all ( served 4 peoples before me ) but the most strange thing was that after he finished wrapping the sandwich, he collected the leftovers that fell on the counter and put them inside the sandwich then repeat same process of wiping the counter with same dirty cloth ..... In addition to that The meat was not ripe.

Cody Josephs

Amazing fresh delicious food. The servings are huge and so much variety. Great customer service. My family loves the food here. Halal is a bonus.

Shazia Arif

Being regular customer i am very satisfied with food. I ordered falafal wrap and that was very delicious and crunchy. Management is very friendly and keeping store very clean and customer friendly. No wonder people love the food of Sharama 401.

Maria M

I had the chicken plate and my husband had the lamb plate. It was amazing! Their garlic potatoes were so good and the meat was extremely tender. Best part is its all halal. Will definitely come back!

GW GW

Absolutely the best take out Shwarma available. HUGE portions and extremely fresh. Donair pita is simply delicious! Snd the staff are great people.

Alex Powell

The quantity is amazing. The workers are nice. However, it seems that they do no really know what to do. I went snd there were 5 people only ahead of me and I waited 30 minutes!!. They took the order one by one. So If you are ordering a beef wrap and the person in front of you has the same order they have to finish him first and do the same exact process with you again while they can ask both of you and save time!!. The quality of the food is not the same as before, the salad is either was saved a very low temperature or not fresh. The garlic is not the same as before (very oily). The beef is not the same (too much spices). The workers need to be trained more and take as many orders as they could. Taking the order one by one is not really efficient. You can ask two people what they want and easily you can make their orders together as what the previous workers used to do. I waited around 5 minutes just watching the guy cutting the Shawarma meat and prepare my salad!. I have not waited this long ever in two years. I always come here but not anymore unfortunately, it is such a new place now, not the same as before. not clean as before as well.

Elijah J

They took my order off the phone and when I got there they told me that they didn't have it and I had to wait at the back of the line. Which was at the door. So rude. Like why answer the phone if your truly not going to take my order.

Ahmed Husain

I dont know what happened but this isn't the 401 shawarma I had a couple months ago. The beef was over seasoned and the potatoes were too oily. If you are going to call it Shawarma at least make sure you cook it correctly. Save your money and wait until the original chef gets back or just dont go at all

Hassan Mohammad

Worth the hype (and also the drive, if this isn't in your neighbourhood!) The family meal and a dozen falafel fed 6 adults and a toddler a generous lunch and 2 adults and the toddler split the leftovers for dinner. My only wish is that it was open a bit earlier in the day so we could pickup lunch sooner!

Luke Mata

I was a fairly regular customer this place until my last visit when I noticed new management has taken over this restaurant. The food has lost it's quality standards and authentic taste. I ordered a beef shawarma which was very greasy and over cooked with no seasoning at all. After this experience I will not be going back to this place until previous owners/management take over and restore the quality of food.

Dipali Patel

The test of shawarma plates , it’s really delicious and the food is mouthwatering and all stuff is friendly and the service of shawarma 401 is most impressive thing about store . Worth to wait..

Majid Riaz

Magnificent! I'm from Ottawa, and I've been searching for high quality shawarma in Durham for years. I finally found it. Unlike the other shawarma restaurants, this place uses fresh, tasty, high quality ingredients which doesn't go unnoticed. Garlic sauce is whipped, fluffy and delightful. Chicken is crispy, juicy and flavourful. No complaints, will certainly visit again.

Javed Riz

What can I say the folks that own and run this place are passionate about their food, the quality and serving size is something to behold we had a meat lovers special and a chicken Shwarma both were delicious it was our visit but I see many more in the future.

yesha vaghasiya

The best poutine we've ever had, the kids said and they've had poutine in Quebec too. The family meal was great. Loved the flavors. Baklava was good too. Felt safe walking in to order and collect food. Covid-19 protocols was being followed well. Staff was friendly too.

Feroz Gadwah

Dinner

Clapa Daniel

Previously posted a 5 star review but the new management has really brought the service down. They won't let you order ahead for collection. The queue when we tried to go to the location was long and the people in it were already frustrated at the long wait. The new "management" clearly does not care. Previous owners were great. Avoid this place. There are better options available with better service.

Ziad Mousa

One of Durham’s finest for sure!! If the consistent line up to get in isn’t enough to wonder what’s going on at Shawarma 401, then hopefully this picture helps!! If you love shawarma like I do, then you have to make your way to the line up. You won’t be disappointed and it’s well worth the wait. The staff is friendly, the prices are great and the food is amazing!! No matter what you order at Shawarma 401, the portion size they give you is 2nd to none!

Joel Nicholson

This place used to be great, now they have one guy making shawarma out front and three to four in the back prepping. When I showed up today there were 5 people ahead of me in line and I waited for 30 mins…unless you want to spend your entire lunch break waiting in line, avoid this place. I used to be a regular here but it’s not worth it anymore, smaller portions and much slower service. The old management was amazing, good, friendly fast service but the new management has ruined this place.

Louie Melissis

One of the best shawarma family meals out there. Chicken or beef shawarma for 4-6 people, roasted garlic potatoes, yellow and white rice, salad and all the toppings and a package of pita wraps. Tastes amazing and so much food. Great service and friendly staff! Been here before and will be back again!

Salim Azmathallah

You need to let people order ahead. We tried to ordered ahead and you assured us we did not need to, that there is no longer a wait to order. We drove 30 mins to get there and there were at least 15 people ahead of us. We left because last time we waited in a shorter line and it took almost an hour to get served. My time is just as valuable as yours so please improve your process.

LOAY S

(review#2 (03/23/2021)) - Consistently delicious! Walking in and seeing the perfectly crisp beef twirling around always brings a smile to my face. (review#1) - Amazing beef! Amazing chicken! Amazing prices! Why haven't you tried it yet?! One of the few places in Oshawa worth eating at more than once a week. The owners work there so you know they care about the food. Glad to have this gem in Oshawa let alone right around the corner :)

Sam deZ

Shawarma 401 in Oshawa is an Oasis for Halal food lovers , the quantity is enough and the ingredients are very good and clean, a perfect texture of Mediterranean food, yes it is little over priced but the portions are good accordingly.

Susan Murphy

My rating is 4.5. We have had Shawarmas now many times from this place and I can say it’s one of the best places. Their Harissa sauce & Garlic sauce is really tasty. Apart from Chicken & Beef they also have lamb doner. So I recommend folks to definitely try out this place.

Jennifer Chan

Do yourself a favor and visit this lovely restaurant in Oshawa. The service is unmatched. The staff truly cares about your experience. The food is absolutely amazing. Absolutely the best meal we had while in Oshawa. Highly recommend!

Mike Markovich

Food was delicious and fresh. Big portions and very good value for your money. Well worth a visit and will definitely return and recommend. 4.5 stars

Mohamed Yusuf

Got a chicken shawarma and chicken plate. Both were really good, tasted so fresh and had a home made flavour to it. The staff makes it with so much care unlike many other places.

patel vishal

I used to be a big fan but the new ownership are so slow. It takes them ten minutes just to make one plate. The food still tastes good but the service and portion sizes have definitely dropped.

Kiran Mirza