Abdul BBQ & Shawarma

Had the mixed beef and chicken donair. Fantastic flavours and the meat was not overcooked and still tender and juicy. My only mistake was getting the medium hot sauce when I should’ve settled for mild.
It was very spicy… but still flavourful, so the pain from the heat in my mouth was worth it.
Probably one of the best donairs I’ve had in a long time. Don’t let the exterior fool you, the owner provides an excellent quality food and service. Watching him put the donairs together is an art form in itself.

I love this place! They really fill the pita bread with meat and vegetables! It is so tasty and a healthy alternative when eating out! I just wish they accepted other payments aswell instead of cash only.

I’ve been coming here with my family since 2005 and I can say that the quality and taste has always remained the same. Always delicious!

Are y’all on bath salts? The place looks legit, but as soon as I saw Abdul reach into the hotel tray to get the meat, your boy Caspian knew he was in trouble. Yo I understand that this probably speeds up the process when you be in a rush, but it’s also the best way to destroy a shawarma. That meat go to be shaved right off the spinning stick Abdul! Otherwise it gets all mushy and nasty! Also way too many veggies in that wrap. You been talkin’ to my momma Abdul? She alway tryin’ to get Double C to eat more veggies.
Abdul ain’t lyin’ about his hot sauce tho, that stuff be almost as spicy as Caspians backup dancers. I appreciate that.

Simply the best shawarma I’ve had West of Toronto. Abdul makes authentic, delicious shawarma with fresh ingredients. I’ve tried the lamb, chicken, beef and mix shawarmas, and all are delicious. The hot is indeed hot, the medium is just the right spice for me. But for those who are more conservative, the mild is a delicious garlic sauce as well. He only takes cash, so be aware of that. (There’s a cash machine around the West corner of the building, so you can order, go get cash, then come back and pay – he’ll have it done by then.) Even at the height of the lunch crush, Abdul seems to be able to put together orders quickly. I strongly recommend Abdul to shawarma lovers – I go there every time I’m in town.

Love Love Love !
Everytime when I am in the area, I go to Abdul.
I love their Shawama especially the sauce so much…
I get MILD spicy, and it is perfect level for me.
I am craving it now because I am thinking of them… mmm…

Most probably the Best Lamb Shawarma Place in British Columbia
They have the best Lamb meat for shawarma PERIOD!
Full stop nothing more to say, I dont even get their chicken because their lamb is the best.

Tasted good, However… Same person takes money and then touches the pita? Really??? No gloves??? Also the meat was from warmer and not freshly cut. Food in a first place is about hygiene, the taste goes after.

This is bar none the best falafel I’ve had anywhere. I came on here to write a review after experiencing falafel that wasn’t at Abdul’s — it’s like it’s not even the same type of food.

A friend took me here for dinner and it was amazing and delicious. Portions are massive and inexpensive. Go here for all the noms.

Love this diamond in the rough for the amazing falafel they make. You have to be patient when you order it because the man that works there cooks the falafel when you ask for it. This is unlike other places that have them premade sitting under warmers. They come out of the oil nice and hot, crunchy outside soft inside then are wrapped in pita with a salad and an awesome sauce. He is a master with all the wraps that they sell with spicy to die for hot sauces (which you can choose your depth of heat) You won’t be disappointed, a really good bang for your buck and a healthier choice too.

Wow. 3+ stars for this place… really? Pita was dry and cold. All three meats were pulled out of a warmer not off the spit so lots of flavor but dry which was surprising due to the amount of fat. Coleslaw and salad were hours beyond first wilt. As we sat and ate we witnessed no hand washing and direct hand to mouth contact while the cook was preparing food. Best places are often little hole in the walls… but sadly this was not one of them.

Best Shawarmas that I’ve experienced in western Canada. Been coming to this spot since 2004 and while continue to do so. Bring cash as that’s the only form of payment. There is an HSBC, a Royal Bank & a TD Canada Trust within walking distance. If you’re not into spices, be very careful as their mild sauces can be too hot for some. Their falafel are made to order so expect to wait up to 15 minutes for that. The places doesn’t look like much, but for halal meat… I definitely recommend this place to every one of my friends.

Everything was really tasty and delicious here! We came here based on a recommendation from a friend who is born + raised in Jordan. We trusted he knew good Shawarma! This place was busy and that meant waiting a little while, but it was well worth the wait. The salads were a little droopy and wilted, otherwise this would be a 5 star place for sure. I’ll be back!

Best chicken shawerma I’ve ever had. The sauces they use taste amazing and medium spicy has some serious kick to it. I’m still too afraid to actually try hot.
Would recommend to anyone how enjoys a good shawerma. Prices are pretty fair too.

Oh my. Well — I read the reviews here and thought ok — I will order lunch for the entire office. BIG mistake. I had sold them on Falafal King on Denman in the West End — which is OUTSTANDING !
Anyways — the prices are very high for the quality of food received. Approx $ 4 — $ 8 more per combo plate then Falafal King. For real. Crazy if you ask me. I think the overhead on Denman is more expensive the the Crystal Mall on Kingsway — there is no way the pay more rent then the prestigious West End.
The chicken was no doubt at least 2 – 3 days old — hard, dry, tiny pieces of teeth breaking chicken.
There was no spices or garlic sauce — a staple for this region of food — and for some strange reason they put literal gobs and gobs of hot paste in our pitas — completely ruining the pita and the experience — it literally fell apart when we lifted it up — not to mention it was sooooooo hot there was no way to eat it.
The iceberg lettuce salad was at least 2 – 3 days old — 100% wilted and was just tossed in the garbage. We also asked for a side of pickled turnips and they were so old that they were fermenting all over again — in a bad way.
The only saving grace was the Tabbouleh Salad & Hummus.
Which for $ 13 bucks was obviously not worth it.
To say the least my lunch-​ordering privileges for the office have been revoked.

The shawarma wrap we ordered was the size of my girlfriend’s head. Seriously.
Oddly situated amidst an array of Chinese computer stores, Abdul BBQ is the most out-​of-​place restaurant in the infamous Crystal Mall. I’ve walked past this place millions of times but never bothered until recently. While the volume of my item was huge, it wasn’t particularly filling. Stuffed mostly with chopped lettuce, there wasn’t a lot of lamb inside the pita. While I don’t know if this is how shawarma wraps are, I do know that my stomach was unsatisfied walking out the door. It tasted okay but you don’t quite get your money’s worth.
2.5 Stars. **1/​2

I gotta give Abdul a high 5. Abdul makes great food. I don’t know how anyone can say its too expensive. The food is high quality and the portions are generous. I am a fit 6′ 4″ and I find the dishes very filling. The value for money equation is spot on. One quick gripe. The pictures don’t do the food justice. Lets not fault Abdul for refusing to line the pockets of the credit card companies so you can get free flight to Calgary for every 15k you spend. Lastly, Abdul is a nice guy and he’s also a hard working entrepreneur for whom I have a lot of respect. Love this place!
TIPS
1. Bring cash
2. The falafels are worth the wait
3. The lamb is excellent
4. Medium spicy may make you sweat
5. If you show up at 9:30, get it to go and don’t be a douche
Please enjoy
J

Abdul’s is a Syrian Shwarma joint, but to be honest, I’m not sure what the difference is. All I know is that the food is delicious!
I ordered the Chicken and Beef Platter which came with both types of meat on rice, green salad, tabouleh, hummus, tangy cabbage salad (not exactly sure, but I liked it) and pita bread with their sauce on it. The sauce can be customized for mild, medium or hot. I suggest the medium because it was already quite spicey and had a great kick. I’m afraid to try hot.
I’m working through my rotations and bookmarked restaurants, but I can’t wait to come back here. Heck, forget the rotation! I’ll be back soon.
*Cash Only

So, I saw ‘The Avengers’ the night before and drove around in vain to my usual shawarma joints only to found all of them were closed (if you saw the movie, you know why — especially if you waited for the Easter egg after the credits). I happened to be at Metrotown the day after and I remember getting a few recommendations for nearby Abdul.
To begin, you won’t expect a good Halal/​shawarma joint in Crystal Mall (though, technically — it’s on a storefront facing outwards) — the nexus of everything Chinese in this part of town. And if you are driving, *DO NOT PARK INSIDE CRYSTAL MALL PARKING LOT*. You have been warned. Chinese drivers and a odd circular layout parking lot will push to you to the edge of sanity. So, I did the most un-​Chinese thing possible: pay for parking on the street rather than deal with the ‘free’ parking inside the mall.
However, this is one of the better shawarma joints I’ve been to in Vancouver. I ordered the lamb shawarma wrap for ~$ 7.50. It was a good portion and the lamb had a nice BBQ char to it — but the highlight was the hot sauce. It was delicious, delicious hot sauce — I asked for ‘hot’ and it was a tasty firestorm of lamb and veggies in my mouth.
I know that sometimes hot sauce is kinda ‘cheating’ — I mean, a lot of things taste good if you douse enough hot sauce on it. I’m pretty sure if you put enough Sriracha on a cardboard box, I would eat it. But I can tell the hot sauce here is made in house — next time, I’m asking if I can buy a jar of it.
Service is a pretty slow — but the dude making our shawarma was intense. He had a look of focus on his face that I usually only see on craftsmen. Another customer came in while he was preparing our order and tried to order. The shawarma artist told him to wait so he can focus on making our wraps. That’s some Zen shit there.
They also have a couple of tables and patio seats outside and it’s not a bad place to sit and watch the Kingsway traffic as you enjoy your food.
The person that recommended Abdul to me cautioned that I would probably want to order two — which I assumed he meant it was because it was small. My buddy and I were both pretty satisfied with the size of our wraps — but being the gluttons that we are, discussed if we wanted to order more. Seriously — it’s pretty damned good.
My new go-​to lunch spot around Metrotown now.