Baghdad Cafe

Maybe it’s my expectations of what a donair or shawarma is suppose to be (after eating some of the best around the world) but was left feeling pretty «meh» after a meal here.
Still looking for a good donair/​shawarma place in this city.
PROS:
Friendly staff
Large portions (especially considering the price)
Lots of topping choices
CONS
Meat seemed pretty unseasoned or flavorless
They use garlic sauce as a base and top the donair/​shawarma with tahini and a dash of hot sauce. Would have liked tzatziki sauce but I’m guessing they’re more arabic style donairs than greek. To be fair, they do have tzatziki which I’m assuming they use on the platters, which I could have asked for, but it isn’t standard.

This is currently my favourite shawarma place in downtown. I had the chicken shawarma plate and portions are generous for under $ 10. They had 3 different salads to choose from and the guy didn’t object when I wanted to try all of them (yes, I’m a glutton). I also asked for extra pickled purple radishes without any objections or additional cost. That makes me very happy inside.

Falafel is ALWAYS made fresh to order. Very affordable and reliable, with friendly service to boot.

BEST FALAFEL IN VANCOUVER: How do I know? I tried them all. Here, they are fluffy, fresh, and take a bit of time to make. I tried 3 other local places and one of them microwaved the falafel patties (shameful). They are friendly here and you will not be disappointed if you are craving Falafel.

Having carefully avoided everything with a screaming donair sign everywhere else, we stumbled on to the Baghdad Café after a listless visit to Peqish next door convinced us we needed something more robust for lunch. Talk about a lucky break!
This is Iraqi food at its homey best, as evidenced by the steady stream of students, office workers and police officers seeking succor in a good, wholesome plateful of food. And it doesn’t disappoint. From the various kabsa dishes in both lamb and chicken, the kebabs and the variety of chopped veggie sides, everything has that freshly home cooked taste that calms your tummy down from hunger and previous fast food abuses. The basmati rice is nice and golden and the garlic sauce (there’s also hummus and tzatsiki) is flavorful without being pungent or overbearing.
While the décor isn’t fabulous, it’s accommodating and comfy — most everyone there including us took our time with generous helpings of fragrant tea (free btw) and conversation while waiting for our kebabs to cook. If you’re familiar with the cuisine, they’ll also accommodate requests for grilled tomatoes and onions on the side — something I’ve always loved with a good kebab. With typical Syrian hospitality, they serve a very full and luscious plate.
Baghdad Café is hard to beat when you want a fresh, hot meal balanced with meat and vegetables. If you love kabsa, it’s recommended you go there for lunch to make sure you don’t miss it. Seymour street hosts a plethora of tech and language schools, and you can find many a hungry student tucking into a Baghdad Café dish with gusto. As should you.

Great authentic food!
This place is pretty much what you would expect in a fast food place in Iraq.
Love it!

Visit #1: I ordered the beef shawarma. «No,» replied the server, «you want the chicken.» Big smile. I’m so glad that I wanted the chicken. It was very good.
Visit #2: there was a huge party and the music volume was set at PAIN. The server wanted to help, but I decided to come back later. Glad to see it’s so popular.
Visit #3: (yesterday) I had the lamb shawarma. (Not sure whether I like the chicken or lamb more.)
The service is friendly and welcoming. There is plenty of seating. I’ll be back.

Great food. Very moist and tasty Shawrma and kebabs (I got the chicken shawarma plate and the mix kebab plate on separate occasions).
Stayed in Vancouver for a 5 day span and went here twice — it’s that good.
I would do take out here (not really a great ambiance).

Barely. Their modern finish just gets them to the 3 star.
Unless I know it is Triple AAA beef like at Aladdin, on Robson, I ordered the chicken shawarma wrap. Nothing special, fair amt of pieces, just good value, at least you will get change back from a $ 10 bill lol.
Guess when you are sandwiched between English language schools, you can get away with quality.
what irks me is thr layout. Where you pay and order is literally 2 steps from front door. I’m not like those skinny students.

Been here a few times for lunch on a weekday. Usually quite busy with college students. Service is hit or miss. A little on the slow side and portions can be irregular depending on who serves. Restaurant sometimes get a little rowdy. Furniture and décor could use a facelift. A better place for takeout than to eat in.
I have tried the chicken shawarma, spicy lamb and roast lamb platters. My favourite is the lamb. Tender and succulent with rice and choice of salad on the side. Definitely one of my favourite places for lunch to-​go. Hits the spot.

Must try the chicken sharwarma plate its fantastic!

I’d rather be deployed to Baghdad.
I ordered the Shawarma Omelette, and instead got fatty «meat» mixed with cold scrambled eggs. It didn’t even come with the «mozzanella» cheese the menu promised.
I love shawarma, and I was really looking forward to a good breakfast, but I did not get either here.

This place is kind of only good for takeout. It is a crowded restaurant and it is a confusing ordering system. It is one of those places that you better know what you want because you only get a limited time to order. The food is definately worth it though! I just had the best falafel of my life! Soft, spongy, not cooked to death and delicious. Very tasty. The salads are fresh.

Falafels weren’t made to order, but taken from a bowl of room-​temperature pre-​cooked ones and reheated by stuffing them into a pita and smushing it under a panini press for 30 seconds. Ugh. It wasn’t busy (I was the only customer there) and falafels only take a few minutes to fry, so there’s no excuse for serving pre-​made reheated fare.
Hummus was good, veggies were fresh, prices were good… but the falafel was terrible. I probably won’t return.

I’ve probably been here 20 times as it’s close to my work. I always get a chicken shawarma wrap or a platter if I’m feeling extra hungry.
Always consistently tasty and the service is decent, particularly for a shawarma place. Portions are large and prices are reasonable for downtown.
It’s my old faithful lunch place and I’m sure I’ll come here another 20 times at least.

I have my doubts about the five star reviews listed for this place. Hmm. 1 review, no friends, no profile pics. Yeah, I’m sure they’re all legit.
I’m not a fan of this place because it’s so disorganized. It’s like a student dorm.
No frills. Loud. People strolling in and out. Confusing ordering system.
I order from one person, but then have to go to the other end to repeat everything I said to someone else.
They’ll have special items covered behind the counter but not mentioned on the menu.
The last time I was in here, a huge group of students watching soccer occupied every seat, not much dining going on, while music blared too loudly for me to hear anything the server was saying.
The food is so-​so, Pretty average for shawarma. There certainly are better options nearby.
Those «five star» reviewers don’t get out much.

I really enjoy the food here .the falafel is great infact everything on the menu is outstanding. I highly recommend that you give this place a try. take out or stay in. It has a inviting atmosphere and the staff are super friendly.

For a quickie shwarma style café this place is pretty excellent.
Highlights include the falafel which is fresh and surprisingly light and airy vs. the usual, tough, dense little balls served at a lot of other shwarma joints. The food is always fresh with little extras like pomegranate dressing for salads or mango sauce suggested for the falafel.
What they lack in cozy atmosphere (tinny music bouncing off stark white walls and high ceilings) they more than make up for in fast friendly service and really spot-​on middle eastern food.

I had the chicken from this place at an event they catered and it was the best chicken I have ever eaten in my entire life, hands down. I don’t even LIKE chicken sometimes but this was pure magic.

Very nice family restaurant ~~good prize good food
The chinken shawarma is my favorite