The Best Shawarma in Scarborough, Compared: Shawarma Row on Lawrence East

Lawrence Avenue East, roughly between Victoria Park and Birchmount, has become one of the Toronto area's best-known shawarma destinations. Suresh Doss's November 2024 write-up describes the strip as a regional draw, and BlogTO's 2024 coverage names several of its stalwarts. This guide compares the places those sources name. Neither source gives full addresses or prices for most shops, so check each one before you go.

Shawarma Empire

Shawarma Empire is the name that shows up most often. Foodism's Scarborough guide gives its address as 1823 Lawrence Ave. E. and describes it as Palestinian-style shawarma, run by owner Ahed Darwish, who is from Tulkarm in the West Bank. The shawarma is served in thick pita bread, as it is in Tulkarm. The menu items named are beef shawarma, a shawarma pita, a shawarma plate and garlic sauce. BlogTO says it has a large base of loyal customers.

Best for: a traditional, pita-wrapped beef shawarma with garlic sauce.

Ghadir, Nasib's, Ibrahim and Yummi's: the Row's stalwarts

Suresh Doss lists Ghadir, Nasib's, Ibrahim and Yummi's, along with Shawarma Empire, as open shops on the Lawrence East strip. BlogTO describes Ghadir as one of the originals on Shawarma Row. The sources we reviewed do not describe the menus or give addresses for these four, so we will not guess at their specialties; treat the Row as a place where you can walk between shops and compare.

Best for: a shawarma crawl, comparing several established shops within one stretch.

Sumaq Iraqi Charcoal Grill

BlogTO places Sumaq Iraqi Charcoal Grill on the Row and describes it as an Iraqi charcoal grill that became more famous after food creator Keith Lee visited. It is a grill-focused alternative to the shawarma-first shops.

Best for: charcoal-grilled Iraqi dishes alongside the shawarma.

Shelby's Shawarma: the new chain arrival

BlogTO reports that Shelby's Shawarma, a chain with 26 locations in Canada that started from a food trailer in Lambeth, Ontario, opened a Scarborough location at 2074 Lawrence East that was in a soft-opening stage when the article was written. It has a large social media following and is the Row's newest and most visible contrast to the family-run shops.

Best for: a familiar chain experience, if you want to compare it with the independents.

What has closed

Suresh Doss notes that Boustan on the strip has closed, and that Aleppo Kebab, a Syrian and Armenian charcoal-kebab spot, closed suddenly in Scarborough's Saag Food Plaza; the owner has an Ajax location at 605 Church St. N. and plans to bring it back to Scarborough. Check current status before you travel.

How to choose

If you only have time for one stop, Shawarma Empire has the clearest profile. For a crawl, walk the Row and compare Ghadir, Nasib's, Ibrahim and Yummi's. For grilled meats rather than wraps, look at Sumaq. For a chain you already know, try Shelby's. Hours and menus change, so confirm current details directly with each shop, and go outside peak evening hours if you want to avoid line-ups.