There’s something satisfying about walking into a strip mall and being greeted like a regular—even if it’s your first visit. At Shawarma Chef in Orléans, you don’t just get lunch. You get a welcome.

Step through the doors and you’re met with a bold mural in black, white, and green—an ode to Orléans streetscapes and neighbourhood names that gives the place a sense of local pride. The space itself is larger than you’d expect, bright and airy, with enough tables to handle a full lunch rush comfortably.

Ali is behind the counter today, manning the grill and offering easy conversation while the food cooks. He tells me the owner—also named Ali—is away celebrating his son’s high school graduation, but the energy in the kitchen doesn’t skip a beat. It’s just past noon, and the lunch crowd is beginning to roll in. Most people are ordering the same thing I am: the chicken saj sandwich. I take it as a good sign.

The wrap comes together quickly, but with obvious care. Saj bread, made fresh in-house, goes down on the grill. Sliced chicken, hot off the spit, is piled on top. Fresh vegetables, house-made garlic sauce, and a few crispy fries—generously added when Ali notices me eyeing the Lebanese fries wrap on the menu—complete the package. It’s hot, fragrant, and full of texture: crisp veg, tender meat, just the right amount of sauce. The garlic hits hard in the best way.

We first heard about Shawarma Chef through a reader tip—someone who described it as a hidden gem with unbelievable shawarma, unique and creative dishes, and an owner who clearly puts his heart into the work. That tracks. You can feel that pride in every part of the experience.

Though the restaurant has been here for years, it changed hands in 2022. The new owner kept the name but completely reworked the menu. Gone are the one-size-fits-all combos. In their place: saj platters, loaded fries, chicken burgers—each one treated with intention. They use only chicken breast, which costs more but means no shortcuts when it comes to flavour or texture.

This isn’t your usual grab-and-go shawarma. It’s not meant to be scarfed down in a parking lot. It’s meant to be eaten fresh and hot, right here—under the mural, with time to taste what makes it different. Yes, it’ll run you closer to $20, but what you’re getting isn’t just a bigger portion. It’s a better one.

This is food made with pride.