Tired of burgers, sandwiches or burritos as fast-food options? Then give Chef Shawarma a try.
The new, drive-thru restaurant at 831 N. 48th St. offers Mediterranean cuisine, including its signature (and delicious) beef and chicken shawarmas sliced fresh off of cooking spits.
Chef Shawarma opened Sept. 10 in the former Burrito Express location that previously housed D’Leon’s before the popular fast-casual Mexican restaurant moved to a new location just two buildings to the north.
Chef Shawarma is owned by Iraqi-born Alan Al Zaidawi and managed by Mustafa Abdulkarim. The chef is Hamed Abdulrahman and the staff includes Al Zaidawi’s brother, Ali, who, like Abdulkarim, is incredibly personable and loves to talk about the restaurant’s food, especially the shawarmas.
“Our fellow Iraqis have been going crazy (for the shawarmas),†Ali said Tuesday as he prepped for lunch service. “We cook it (on the spit), and not every Mediterranean restaurant is doing that.â€
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Abdulkarim said AlanÌýAl Zaidawi also is remodeling the former Long John Silver’s on North 27th Street into a full-service Mediterranean restaurant that tentatively will be named House of Baghdad.
Chef Shawarma’s emphasis, and, most likely, its ticket to success, is its drive-thru. There’s no dining room per se, with seating for just six individuals at a counter inside the front door. I believe the only other Mediterranean restaurant with a drive-thru is Sultan’s Kite’s location in southwest Lincoln, so Chef Shawarma is offering something somewhat novel.
Alan Al Zaidawi may be onto something here, especially if he continues serving quality, nicely seasoned meals at such affordable prices. He’s in a good location for it at the busy 48th and Vine intersection.
Food
Chef Shawarma’s menu features eight sandwiches ($6.99 to $8.99) and 11 plates ($10.99 to $13.99). Sandwiches come with seasoned fries and homemade garlic sauce. For the plates, the proteins are served atop rice or fries with a side of garlic sauce. The plates also include two salads: pasta and black olive and cucumber and tomato.
Protein choices for sandwiches and plates include gyro meat, falafel, beef or chicken shawarma, beef or chicken kebab and chicken tikka. The plates also have beef tikka and fish filet among the choices.
I visited the restaurant twice, once with my wife, Rebecca, and a second time to interview the staff. On my first visit, my wife and I ordered a falafel sandwich ($6.99) and chicken shawarma plate ($11.99). The portions for both dishes were massive. My wife ate half her sandwich, while I finished a little more than half of my plate. On my second visit, I ordered a gyro ($6.99) and again was impressed with the quantity. I ate the sandwich, which featured a pita filled with gyro meat, lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers and tzatziki sauce, over two meals.
The chicken shawarma and the gyro meat were well seasoned. Ali Al Zaidawi gave me some beef shawarma to try, which was just as tasty. There’s something about the meat coming off a spit. Rebecca was quite pleased with the falafel, too, saying it wasn’t bland, with a good flavor. It had been made to order. The homemade garlic sauce is mild, not too garlicy.
I expect the menu will expand. Some dessert choices, like baklava, would be a great addition.ÌýGrade: B+
Service
The drive-thru goal is 5 minutes, Abdulkarim said, but some dishes such as beef and chicken tikkas and falafel take longer to prepare. The falafel, for instance, is made and fried to order. The beef and chicken shawarmas are ideal drive-thru entrees, just slice and serve.
Our wait was 12 minutes – we had walked in and ordered at the counter – but our order came on the heels of two drive-thrus and a large takeout order. The young man at the register offered us a free beverage as compensation for the longer wait. We declined, but it was a nice gesture. Grade: B
Atmosphere
The restaurant is designed for drive-thru service, so there’s not much in terms of ambiance for dine-in customers. Chef Shawarma has a small seating area, with six stools at a counter looking out onto 48th Street. Wall decor includes a giant, colorful menu with photos of entrees, a small banner in Arabic and a nazar, an amulet believed to protect against the evil eye. Grade: C
Specialty diets
The falafel sandwich ($6.99) and plate ($10.99) are the lone vegetarian/vegan items on the menu, though the chef jumbo fries ($12.99) could be made with falafel as the protein. The restaurant doesn’t designate gluten-free foods, but the beef and chicken plates are served atop fries or rice. Check with staff on gluten-free dining. Grade: C