Abdul’s BBQ is right on Kingsway. It’s one of the two Middle Eastern plates in the area (that I know of) where I can get a Donair or Shawarma (which I really love at the moment). It’s taken me a few months to try it out. First thing that hit me upon walking in is that wow it’s expensive! The shawarma plates were $12 and over! My lamb shawarma was $13.65. I’m used to the $8 range, and some close to $10.

The plate had a lot of variety. There was your tabouleh and and hummous, as well as two types of salads – a green salad with tomato, and a red cabbage salad. I got the medium spiciness lamb shawarma plate. When I opened up my container I noticed no spicy sauce, or any sauces for that matter, on top. I found it to be a bit strange. I dug in, but the meat was quite dry. Flavourful, but dry. The sauces on top would’ve helped in adding a bit more of the garlicky flavour that I love and add some moisture to the meat. I noticed the pita after taking a few bites into my meal. That’s where he put the sauce. It’s different from what I’m used to. It had a garlic and the hot sauce spread inside the layers of the pita. My guess you’d take a bite of the pita with every bite of the meat and rice. That being said, I wouldn’t be able to do that, because even just at medium spiciness, it was VERY hot. Hot enough to make me sweat, it was quite overkill. I cringed when people ordered after us, and asked for HOT HOT. I laughed when I could see them struggling after the first bite.

My brother ordered the mixed lamb and chicken which I think was a bit cheaper than mine, but he also wasn’t impressed with his meal. The chicken was very dry and overcooked as well.

I don’t think I’d come back for a shawarma plate. Sure it has variety, but I do prefer tabouleh and hummous above all other sides. I didn’t really care for the two salads, and would’ve preferred more of the tabouleh and hummous, they are my favourites. The meat was also too dry and overcooked, and the pita was way too spicy for me. The price was also way too high at over $13! I’d go back to try a donair though, I think those go for around $6.

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Abdul’s BBQ
4500 Kingsway
Burnaby, BC

(604) 431-9498

This place has been around since they first opened Cornerstone at Simon Fraser Univesity (at least I think it is). I used to get donairs here every few weeks while I was a student.

I finally came back to this place, and ordered the shawarma plate. Something was a bit strange this time, they were all Asian people in there. Asians serving and cooking Middle Eastern cuisine has me a bit worried. It comes with regular white rice (boo!), chicken, hummus, and your choice of salad. I chose the Tabbouleh because it was so good last time. I could have asked for Greek salad or I think a regular green salad too. This was only $7.50.

It comes in a styrofoam container with the 3 compartments. They put the plain white rice in the main compartment and the chicken over the top. They put a white sauce, a red sauce, and another sauce on top of the chicken. The hummus they used seemed very creamy and a lot more fluid than other places, and they didn’t give very much of it. The Tabbouleh was kind of made on the spot. They put the parsley, and onions, and maybe other stuff in the small compartment, then added what I’m assuming is the olive oil and some sort of acidic ingredient after. I guess this keeps it from wilting too much, and kept it nice and fresh.

The food was decent. For $7.50 it was quite a bit of food, and I was definitely full by the last bite. They offered plenty of chicken, which was very flavourful and juicy with the addition of the three sauces. It was amazing. One improvement would definitely be the rice. It was the same steamed rice you would get at a Chinese restaurant, or something that you would just make at home. Nothing special about it at all. Which they added some Middle Eastern flavours to it. And the hummus was way to liquidy also. They also gave you a pita which they kept warm and soft in a plastic container. This isn’t as good as my first shawarma plate from Falafel Maison, but it was decent enough for University food and for $1 less.

Donair Town
8917 Cornerstone Mews
Burnaby, BC

(604) 298-8188