The Ultimate Guide to Shawarma in Jerusalem

Posted in Inside Israel on 19. Jan, 2012

“Welcome to Israel!  Something to eat/drink?”  If you’ve spent even the smallest amount of time in the Holy Land, you may have picked up on the Middle Eastern hospitality, centered around hot drinks and food.

Jews love to eat and those in Israel are no exception.  With immigrants from countries around the world, the cuisine itself is as diverse as the people, with unlimited food offerings available.  And despite a plethora of differences with Israel’s neighbors, food is the furthest from one of them.

With so many of its citizens originating in Arab countries and fleeing to Israel before and after 1948, Israelis are huge consumers of the same foods that the surrounding countries love:  chumus, falafel, pita, and of course, shawarma.  Just in case there’s anyone reading who isn’t familiar with it, shawarma is a type of seasoned meat (in Israel, typically turkey or veal) cooked on a spit, eaten in a pita or lafa (a thicker round bread) along with salad, chumus, and an assortment of other things you might add.

You can’t go too far in any Israeli city without running into a shawarma stand and while I’m not going to proclaim it as Israel’s national food (if anything, falafel has a greater claim), its ease of eating on-the-go makes it a popular and filling part of the Israeli diet, and of course, that of tourists as well.

Oh, who are we kidding.  If you’re reading this article, you know exactly what shwarma is, and you arrived at the right place.  Let’s take a look at some of the more popular shawarma places in Jerusalem, rated on a variety of categories.  Think we missed one?  Add it in the comments!

If you would like to skip all the reviews and videos you can go straight to the results here.

Without further ado…here’s a guide to Jerusalem shawarma >>

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MELECH HAFALAFEL (Points = 17.5 / 25)

Melech (King of ) Hafalafel has been serving up falafel and shawarma to Jerusalemites for…well, at least the nineteen years since this writer was on Young Judaea Year Course.  Conveniently located near a large number of Egged bus lines at the corner of King George and Agrippas, Melech Hafalafel is pretty much what you want from your shawarma restaurant. In the words of one of our tasters, “quick, no nonsense, and good.”

After visiting other places on Ben-Yehuda Street and around town, you won’t believe the yellow banner that adorns the outside of the building.  Shawarma in a lafa for fifteen shekels?  What’s the catch?  There isn’t one; you get what you pay for:  not in that the food isn’t good but if you’re looking for a nice tourist-friendly place with an English menu, you’re in the wrong place.  While they do have a few tables outside to sit and eat, this isn’t exactly the ideal environment for a dining experience.  You’re going to want to grab your food and go, but not before sampling the nice selection of salatim (salads):  onions, carrots, spicy peppers, amba, and more.

As for the meat?  ”Decent, not the best,” said our samplers.  But for the price?  No comparison.  The charif (spicy sauce) was “not too hot, but enough to make your tongue tingle.”  What more can you want?

With locals comprising the vast majority of the customers, Melech Hafalafel has an authentic feel that will give you the most bang for your buck around.

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MOSHIKO

The vibrant Ben Yehuda midrachov (pedestrian mall) is known for many things:  street performers of varying levels of talent, tourist t-shirts that haven’t changed in decades, souvenirs of all kinds, and of course, food to satisfy the thousands of visitors which walk this street on a daily basis.  One of Jerusalem’s most famous shawarma restaurants (to use that word liberally) stands about halfway down the midrachov on the right side on the way to Zion Square.  From the moment you walk in, it’s clear that they have English-speaking tourists in mind with the nicely translated menus and sterile environment.

The place is clean and the great presentation begins with the workers, one of whom came outside to let us sample a falafel ball before we had even entered.  There are two clear lines to order and the place is roomy and spaced out, not a given for a typical shawarma place.  Once you get your food, there are several tables in the middle of the midrachov to eat and people-watch which is half the fun of going to Ben-Yehuda in the first place.

As far as the food goes (isn’t that the most important part?), while the turkey shawarma was juicy, it could have been more flavorful.  That said, the choice of salatim is about as varied and good as you’ll find, not to mention the crunchy American-style french fries.  The charif initially seemed not very spicy but was revealed to be hotter than expected when discovered to be concentrated near in one part of the lafa.  Bad Shawarma Distribution (BSD) seems to be a recurring issue-now can we get the charif, meat, and vegetables evenly distributed?  In 2011, there must be a way.

Moshiko runs like a machine and at 33 shekels for a lafa, you’re paying a pretty reasonable price.  If you find yourself on Ben-Yehuda running errands or shopping, this is as good a place as any.

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HAMAROSH

Named for the Hebrew spelling of shawarma spelled backwards (or something close to it), Hamarosh is another Ben-Yehudah establishment located a stone’s throw from Kikar Zion.  One of Moshiko’s main competitors, Hamarosh, while relatively good, seemed to fall just short in most categories.

The first thing you notice upon entering is the setup.  Unlike Moshiko which is something like a square, Hamarosh is a long rectangle where the counter faces not the entrance but the wall.  As the entrance sits at the short end of the rectangle, eaters must squeeze past people trying to exit in order to stand in line.

Although service isn’t the primary (or even secondary) factor people look to in determining which shawarma place to choose, we did notice that the staff wasn’t too interested in being friendly, especially after the more customer-centric staff at Moshiko.  When catering to a population comprised so heavily of tourists in the most tourist-friendly part of town, it was hard not to notice.

The meat itself was ok; a bit hard and not so tender.  Would it have tasted differently earlier in the day?  Hard to say….fortunately, the salatim were great with all the standard selection.  The various types of cabbage and both raw and friend onions were a bonus.  Everything is relative:  with an attractive sign and clean facilities, Hamarosh can stand up to most places in town at 33 shekels a lafa.  With Moshiko so close however, it’s difficult not to compare the two, a comparison which leaves Hamarosh somewhat behind.

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FALAFEL DORON

If Ben-Yehuda Street is the Times Square of Jerusalem, what would Emek Refaim be?  Soho?  Greenwich Village?  Maybe the Upper West Side?  With apologies to the horrible analogy, the main boulevard of the German Colony is definitely more low-key than the loud, non-stop busy-ness of the center of town.  If the falafel/shawarma places downtown are plentiful, they’re in shorter supply here.  For a relaxed, sit-down meal, the choices are many.  For a shawarma on the go, the options are more restricted.

Walk to Rachel Imeinu just a few steps from Emek Refaim and you come to Falafel Doron.  Our first impression could have been better.  The manager wasn’t thrilled that one, we were filming, and two, we were only buying one shawarma for our small group.  That attitude is sure to promote tourism.

It was slightly surprising to see a lafa priced at 35 shekels; maybe it shouldn’t have been.  We figured that the prices would be highest on Ben-Yehuda Street where the greatest number of tourists congregate. Apparently we thought wrong.  Emek Refaim definitely is a nicer area with plenty of (relatively) upscale restaurants but shawarma is still shawarma, no?  Maybe you’re paying for the location.

And that may just be Falafel Doron’s biggest asset.  The meat was somewhere between dry and average to moist and delicious, depending on who you asked.  The salatim were nothing special; pretty much the standard fare but nothing exceptional and as noticed by someone in our party, no carrots.  And as seen in the following video, the charif was not hot, even when eaten in larger-than-recommended amounts.

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MANA V’CHETZI

Heard of Katamonim?  If you don’t live in Jerusalem, you probably haven’t.  A sub-neighborhood of Old Katamon, Katamonim begins somewhere around Yohanan Ben-Zakai Street and heads south from there.  It consists mostly of residential neighborhoods but does have small pockets of business including a tiny corner on Ben-Zakai itself.  Aside from Jerusalem classic Big Apple Pizza, you can actually find two shawarma places right next to each other, as if they were created together.

Just walk a few minutes from the bottom of Emek Refaim and you’ll first arrive at Mana V’Chetzi (translated to “a portion and a half”).  Upon walking in, we were immediately asked the question any American is used to from his motherland:  ”Can I help you?”  Beginning there and continuing to the end of the eating experience, they did not disappoint.  The service was quick and the food delicious, making the high price of 37 shekels per lafa pretty much worth it.

They had veal and turkey and, of course, we tried both.  The general opinion was that while the turkey was a bit dry but nicely seasoned, the veal was juicy and very good.  And as the name Mana V’Chetzi claims, the portions were generous with the lafa packed full of meat.

Surprisingly, this was the first place we journeyed where the staff offered us a bowl to fill with as many salatim as we could handle, and the selection was huge.  Crunchy, spicy, sour….hot, green, and red peppers….corn, eggplant, onions, and maybe most importantly, crunchy, crisp American-style fries.  The charif?  Pretty good.

Despite the off-the-beaten-path location, Mana V’Chetzi was probably the best overall place we visited.  With a nice seating area outside to enjoy the cool Jerusalem evening temperatures, this is about as good as it gets.

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HASHAMEN

Located right next to Mana V’Chetzi is one branch of the well-known shawarma chain, Hashamen.  Why is it well-known, you may ask?  Because there are several locations, because it’s good, and possibly because it’s name strangely translates to “the fat” (or “the fat man”….take your pick.)

With locations around town including off Ben-Yehuda Street and in the Malcha Mall, this particular location might be preferable if you find yourself on Emek Refaim or if you care to do a taste test with Mana V’Chetzi above.  It definitely feels like a nicer place upon walking in with their sign’s nice color scheme and the well marketed salatim, titled “peenook b’pita”, or “indulgence/spoils in a pita”.

The salatim were tasty, including fried onions, but may have suffered in comparison to next door.  And whereas Israeli fries have come a long way towards the crunchy, crispy American-style fries in recent years, these weren’t up to snuff (unless you like them soggy).

As for the meat, the verdict was as follows:  the veal was juicy and delicious.  The turkey?  Less good than at Mana V’Chetzi, which may convince you to try the veal here and go next door for turkey.

The price of 37 shekels is on the high end but the same as their neighbor but here’s the kicker:  when our tasters ordered two half lafas, they actually received around 2/3rds and 2/3rds, making it a BIG bang for their buck.

The charif?  Couldn’t taste it.

The service?  They questioned our filming but when you’re getting that much food, it’s easy to look past this part.

You may not find yourself on Ben-Zakai Street for any other reason than to try the shawarma.  But with Hashamen and its neighbor next door, that might be enough reason to make a special trip.

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ARKADASH

Downtown Jerusalem is most often associated with not only Ben-Yehuda Street but the teenagers and tourists who frequent it.  Compared to the 20s and 30s who prowl the streets in Tel Aviv, the center of Jerusalem is dominated by 17-22 year-olds (or younger) who prowl the streets to see friends and just be a part of the action.  Walk for just two minutes however and you’ll arrive at Shamai., a smaller and quieter street with a slightly older crowd possibly looking to escape the vibe of Ben-Yehuda.

It was there that we found a relatively new shawarma place which got our attention.  The sign below their name, Arkadash, claims to “respect the shawarma.”  I mean, what more do you really need to know?  That was enough to grab our attention.  According to the owner (and with confirmation from Google Translate), “Arkadash” means “friend” in Turkish, and this establishment was definitely customer-friendly, if you will.

Of all the places we went to, it was probably the roomiest, even more than Moshiko.  After ordering and paying at the cash register on one side, you make your way over to the counter to wait in line for your food.  The cashier was even wearing a tie.  This is in Israel, mind you.  I’m not sure if that gets them points for service but that just has to be a good thing on some level, doesn’t it?  The place was pretty clean and their salatim area had nicely labeled bottles of different condiments to add:  red, yellow, and regular techina, plus garlic mayo.

Plus, in addition to the choices of turkey, veal, AND pargiot (young chicken) – which you can mix together, there were add-ins such as avocado and parsley to give the meat a nice touch. There is plenty of seating with both tables outside and a bar around the edge.  For a place that probably has yet to even be discovered by the majority of Jerusalem, Arkadash was pretty good and a relative bargain at 30 shekels a lafa.  Respect the shawarma!

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SAMI’S

Whereas Ben-Yehuda may be the most active, lively city street in Jerusalem, it’s not the most authentic Israeli street.  Just a few minutes away is Agrippas, home to vendors selling anything from kumkumim (electric water kettles) to discounted suits, and everything in between.  Follow Agrippas away from the center of town and you’ll arrive to Machaneh Yehudah, Israel’s most famous shuk (outdoor market).  There is never a slow time in this part of town with both young and old exploring what deals this neighborhood has to offer and doing shopping for the week or for the upcoming Shabbat.

All this walking builds up one’s appetite.  Fortunately, there is no shortage of eateries nearby including one which serves as one of the city’s most well-known restaurants for various types of meats.  Enter Sami’s and you have the option of getting food to go or to dine in.  We decided to sit.  As the only true sit-down restaurant reviewed here, it works differently.

Like many Israeli steakiot (meat restaurants known for skewers, kebobs, and more), we were greeted with a number of salatim placed on our table.  Whereas however they were free in other places, they came for an additional charge of 7 shekels.  Not unreasonable for their “bottomless” nature plus unlimited pita.  The selection was pretty standard:  tabooli, Turkish salad, olives.  Because they’re brought to you in bowls though, the kitchen doesn’t add much to the lafa; you’re on your own to add if you’d like.

Not surprisingly, the food was brought out pretty quickly which was a positive if only because you might expect to wait a bit longer in an actual restaurant.  The consensus was that the meat was fine.  For 37 shekels, you’re probably better off going to a place known specifically for its shawarma as opposed to Sami’s which is known for so many other things.

For the restaurant, its location, and large selection, Sami’s is a Jerusalem and shuk staple…although you’re probably better off getting something other than shawarma.

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CONCLUSION

So what’s the best shawarma restaurant in Jerusalem?  Ahh, if only it were so clear.  Rather than hand you the answer on a silver platter, I’ll resort to the old phrase:  “Ask two Jews a question, get three answers.”  Since the perfect place doesn’t seem to exist (yet), you’re going to have to decide for yourself. The hard part may just be deciding what’s important to you:  Location?  The meat?  Everything else besides the meat?  At least now you’re armed with a bit more information than when you began.

Wherever you choose, have fun, enjoy your meal, and let us know what you think.  B’tayavon!

Find our reviewed restaurants with Google maps:

View Shawarma in Jerusalem in a larger map

and finally… a HUGE thanks to Benji Lovitt for putting such a great effort into putting this all together.