Marroush Int’l Shawarma Restaurant

Only tried the poutine a few times, never disappointed. So good and well priced. Owner (?) is the nicest man ever. So sweet.

These 3 Brothers that managed to take over two of my favorite shawarma shops have appeared to ruin both of them. I came here expecting the great shawarma I normally get and ended up being extremely disappointed. Potatoes weren’t cooked all the way, the shawarma itself was pathetically small, and they were stingy on the garlic sauce, VERY stingy. Despite asking for extra.
I’ll be walking down to Shawarma Palace from now on. Nice knowing you Marroush, or 3 Brothers, or whatever…

This place is great. It’s the only Sharma place I tried in Ottawa and since there seems to be one of these places every 3 blocks, I’m not sure if there is better out there but the garlic sauce is awesome and their deep fried potatoes are to die for. Also the service is great as the folks behind the counter are all very personable.

This place was recommended to me, in Victoria BC so I think this is the best Shawarma I’ve ever had. Clean, fast, and the tabbouleh salad is fresh-​fresh!
I agree with David K, this is a treat you must have when visiting Ottawa!

Given that fact that there are roughly three shawarma places on every street in Ottawa and twice that number on Rideau, it is pretty hard for any one place to stand out. The primary reason that Marroush exists is to facilitate surviving the trip from bars in the area to the Transitway or destinations beyond, yet for some reason they still produce quality food. They charge a markup for the fact that they’re open 24 hours and located where they are, because they know they can, but who is going to argue at 3:00am? Everything is about $ 2 more than you’d pay elsewhere and given the menu had the prices edited by hand, I sometimes wonder if they change throughout the day. Does shawarma get more expensive when bars let out?
If you are a falafel eater such as myself, make sure to shout repeatedly over the noise that you don’t want your falafel microwaved. This is always prudent with less than fresh falafel (which seems to be how it is served in Ottawa, something I have resigned myself to). Better cold than soggy.
What I especially love about going to Marroush is that it continues the club experience after hours because the staff entertain themselves by blasting music and dancing while preparing orders. This can lead to mistakes in orders, so make sure you shout your wishes clearly. I also enjoy being able to stop in without fear of judgement on my questionable wardrobe choices. Maybe they gossip about patrons after we leave, but I doubt it. With clubs on either side and literally on top of the restaurant, these guys are too jaded and don’t take things too seriously. Nothing closes the night like watching guys slice meat with what are basically machetes while fighting over the stereo. Clearly, I’m not the first person to appreciate this. Do a video search for «marroush ottawa.» Most fun I’ve ever had while sitting at my desk.

I haven’t been here since 2007, and I still pine for a Shwarma from Marroush. I’m pretty sure the reason Ottawa is one of my top 5 favorite towns is partially because it’s the first place I ever had a Shwarma from Marroush.
I’ve had some since (but not a lot, they’re hard to find around here,) and nothing has done it for me the same way. If you live in town, you probably already know about it. If you’re stopping by, this is an experience you MUST have.

Holy hype! Marroush does a lot of things quite well but is not «the best shawarma in the world» as some claim.
(+)
–Garlic sauce mixed with spicy sauce
–Ample pickled turnips
–Awesome panini press at the end
(-)
–Can’t really tell the difference between a small and a large because the same amount of toppings go into each one.
–Asking for everything, doesn’t get you everything
–Can’t put my finger on it, but there was a weird texture in there somewhere could be the…
–Uneven distribution of shawarma elements!
Everything else was kind of standard, nothing to mention here I suppose. The space is small and you wouldn’t necessarily want to hang out there for a while but it does that job.
You will still have a great time here though and it is definitely a post-​going-​out destination! The service is insanely friendly and club-​goer accommodating. For example, someone wanted something to nibble on while they waited for their shwarma and the Shawarma King shaved off some chicken, dipped it in garlic sauce and handed it to her. Not everyone would do that!
I’ll be back. Definitely is still better than a lot of the other late-​night shawarma places around.

This little shop sells some really good shawarma. With Rideau Street littered with shawarma places, this one definitely stands out. It is surrounded by numerous nightclubs and is a very popular place for the after bar take-​out scene. The store is really small with a few bar stools near the window. The place looks like it is falling apart and needs a new paint job. But if you can walk past that to the counter, you will be served some amazingly fresh shawarma with a really good sauce and tasty tender meat. The shawarma is pretty big in itself and my only issue is that there is hardly any seating nearby for me to chow down the crisp hot shawarma. Be prepared to run into interesting drunk people late in the night which sometimes add to the fun!

Had the chicken shawarma sandwich with the spicy garlic sauce, and it was very good. Too bad they don’t have a little more seating, but we ate at the counter looking out on Rideau St., and enjoyed it very much.

Nobody will make shawerma like my boy Marroush — «The Shawerma King». His store is crammed between three nightclubs (one on each side and one on top). The guy never sleeps and I’m pretty sure whatever chemical makes people crazy, he’s got enough for 10. His inspiration is the soup-​nazi from Seinfield, though he fails miserably because he’s having such a good time of it. Walk into his shop at 2am when the clubs are emptying and he’ll greet you with a passionate «WHAT F— KINDA SHAWERMA YOU WANT?!». If the store wasn’t 6 feet wide I’m sure it would be the afterparty capital of the city.
Even if you aren’t into the club scene, this place is home to the BEST shawerma experience in Canada, if not the world. If you are in the club scene… I have it on good authority *ahem* that Marroush’ shawermas have the unique property of preventing hangovers.

I am a falafel fanatic, so when I saw the positive review from Amanda D I thought this would be exactly the place for me. The food was fine, but they commited a massive falafel foul — They microwaved the falafel… That’s right, microwaved, they microwaved the fires too. Aside from that the food was good, the rest of the ingredients were top notch.

I lived in Ottawa for three years before eating at Marroush. All three of those years, I was constantly told it was THE place to go in Ottawa for the best shawarma or, in my case, falafel. Walking in, the place leaves little to the imagination. There were huge tiles missing from the ceiling, some hanging wires and a bad paint job. I didn’t really let that deter me, but for those that it may, just force yourself to keep coming towards the counter, the food will make it worthwhile. I was skeptical of how good their falafel could be since there was so much hype around it. After trying it, I think it’s the best I’ve had anywhere. The ingredients were fresh, the sauce was perfect, the wrap was warm and the consistency was a perfect balance between tender and crisp.
I’ve also heard they’re in the middle of renovating this location, so it will look much better than my first encounter.
Also, if you want to see drunk chicks dancing for a shawarma, stop by the Elgin Street location late on a Saturday night.

I was waiting for the day Unilocal would start a Canada site so I can review this place. If anyone asks me where I can get the best shawarma in the world, I’d say go to Marroush.
It is a tiny space and not so pretty looking. But, who needs ambiance when you have excellent food?
Just go.
P. S. I have a feeling Robert F ( Unilocal Chicago’s resident Canadian expert) will articulate it better.