The last time I was here, Abdul was still manning the kitchen so I imagine it's been a while. So I'm now back here after so many years for an errand and I gotta say the quality has fallen off a cliff without him . My go to Chicken Shawarma Platter is now $21 and the humus is cold and lumpy, the chicken is not fragrant at all. The naan bread is still good and so is the green parsley, salad, and slaw. But the main stars of the dish - chicken, rice, and humus leaves A LOT to be desired. I'll dare say your generic donair affair chicken platter is so much better. Sad. read more

I definitely miss the shawarma spots in Toronto but ofc, lots of things are closed right now so this is one of possibly many shawarmas we passed by. It was nearby so we decided to give it a go :) I ordered a chicken shawarma, once I took a bite, I realized I definitely had better shawarmas in my life time. Although the portion was huge, the sauce was very watery, the hot sauce isn't really spicy either and the overall taste was pretty bland, It was almost like eating a chicken salad in a wrap. The chicken was also a bit dry and lacking flavour. Overall it was okay but I wouldn't come back to pay $10 for this. Next! lol read more

Abdul BBQ & Shawarma - Chicken Shawarma - Mediterranean Near Me - Burnaby, British Columbia

This is quite an expensive place for shawarma. I usually get the chicken platter when I'm in the mood for it. At $14+, it is a deterrent as most places sell that for around $10. I had the chicken shawarma wrap instead. It is also pricey at $8.15. It is a huge wrap though. The sauce is delicious but sadly the chicken is quite tasteless on its own. I had medium spice level and it is spicy. I think there are not many places selling shawarma/donairs in metrotown area so I may still pop by if I crave for it when in the area. Otherwise I can get cheaper and tastier platter elsewhere. read more

Abdul BBQ & Shawarma - New prices - Mediterranean Near Me - Burnaby, British Columbia

Abdul's is a Syrian Shwarma joint, but to be honest, I'm not sure what the difference is. All I know is that the food is delicious! I ordered the Chicken and Beef Platter which came with both types of meat on rice, green salad, tabouleh, hummus, tangy cabbage salad (not exactly sure, but I liked it) and pita bread with their sauce on it. The sauce can be customized for mild, medium or hot. I suggest the medium because it was already quite spicey and had a great kick. I'm afraid to try hot. I'm working through my rotations and bookmarked restaurants, but I can't wait to come back here. Heck, forget the rotation! I'll be back soon. *Cash Only read more

Abdul BBQ & Shawarma - Chicken and Beef platter - Mediterranean Near Me - Burnaby, British Columbia

Occasionally, I get asked how I got involved in writing a food blog. My answer is usually the same... I'm getting old. But more to the point, I like to try different places when I eat out and sometimes I can't remember whether or not I've eaten somewhere before and whether or not the food was good (because I'm getting old). So it's mildly ironic that I wound up at Abdul's BBQ at Crystal Mall. I say that it's ironic because I've been here before back in 2012 (over 5 years ago!) and wrote a blog post about it which almost repeats my recent experience to a T. In my prior review, I wasn't that thrilled with Abdul's for specific reasons. If I had read my prior review, I probably would have went elsewhere... oh well, live and learn. I'm going to cut to the point of this review... Abdul's BBQ is located outside of Crystal Mall (facing Kingsway). The prices are somewhat expensive for this type of establishment. Back in 2012, the prices were around $12+ and I had thought it was expensive then. Skip ahead to 2018 and the items I ordered were around $15+ (again, kind of expensive when compared to other places that serve fast food shawarma). Although they have 3 vertical spits with rotating meats, they don't shave the meat off the spits when you order it. Instead, the meat's already been cut off and placed in separate metal containers (assuming it's because in Canada you have to apply a second cooking method after shaving the meat off the spits). The meat is also shredded up into very small pieces (which I don't particularly like). One thing that I'll say for them is that the platters that we ordered (the chicken shawarma and top round beef shawarma) were extremely heavy. There is a fairly healthy serving of shredded meat and rice in here which should fill up even the hungriest diners. The problem that I have with Abdul's is their meat is so dry and bland. While the tabbouleh and hummus is pretty good, that alone couldn't really save these dry platters. If you look inside the pita bread that comes with your meal, they smear on some sauce which is nice (and a bit messy). Personally, I've had much better shawarma. Hopefully, the next time I feel in the mood to try Abdul's, I'll re-read my blog post and head somewhere else. read more

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Tried them again today whats changed 1. Not very hygienic no gloves 2. They used to use chunks of lamb now they use shredded lamb I guess it's cheaper all their prices have gone up I wouldnt waste my time with photos on this one this is a zero star place avoid read more

Woah. What's with the price?? Shawarma platters were priced around $21-22, and it's set up as a grab and go kind of restaurant. You can find between $12-15 for a platter when you go elsewhere. I'll try this next time if the price is ever adjusted, but given the options out there, it's a hard pass for now. read more

The shawarma wrap we ordered was the size of my girlfriend's head. Seriously. Oddly situated amidst an array of Chinese computer stores, Abdul BBQ is the most out-of-place restaurant in the infamous Crystal Mall. I've walked past this place millions of times but never bothered until recently. While the volume of my item was huge, it wasn't particularly filling. Stuffed mostly with chopped lettuce, there wasn't a lot of lamb inside the pita. While I don't know if this is how shawarma wraps are, I do know that my stomach was unsatisfied walking out the door. It tasted okay but you don't quite get your money's worth. 2.5 Stars. **1/2 read more

Abdul BBQ & Shawarma - Mediterranean Near Me - Burnaby, British Columbia

Excellent shawerma that's very well spiced (I've tried the chicken lamb and beef and all were great). The platters (see picture) give you a ton of food that can almost feed 2 people as a meal. They have this spread they put on the pita that I THINK is some kind of tahini spread but also spicy. I've never tasted anything like it before. SOOO close to 5 stars. Unfortunately it's cash-only here, and wait times can be a bit long when they have one single employee working. read more

Abdul BBQ & Shawarma - Mediterranean Near Me - Burnaby, British Columbia

Love Love Love ! Everytime when I am in the area, I go to Abdul. I love their Shawama especially the sauce so much.... I get MILD spicy, and it is perfect level for me. I am craving it now because I am thinking of them... mmm... read more

Abdul BBQ & Shawarma - Shawarma Parade - Mediterranean Near Me - Burnaby, British Columbia

The best Veggie Falafel in town for sure, always fresh, not from this morning but sit down and wait for 15min. Picture no filter :) read more

Abdul BBQ & Shawarma - Mediterranean Near Me - Burnaby, British Columbia

Very nice shawarma restaurant. Has been there so many times since I moved to Burnaby and studied at BCIT. It's about 15 years ago.

Been here for lunch consistently over 10 years, still good!! The falafel used to be better though... sometimes it tastes a bit stale but still very good for the price. read more

Portion size is good if you are hungry and the service is quick. The only downside is that the meats is quite flavourless due to the lack of salt. Service: 4 out of 5 Value: 3.5 out of 5 Taste: 2 out of 5 read more

* Syrian style shawarma * Very friendly service from the man behind the counter. He was quite on top of things with the rush of people that were in this small little spot in Crystal Mall. I ordered the lamb shawarma, which is served in a pita with minimal toppings (some sauce, lettuce, and tomato). There was no pomegranate extract, which I would expect on a Syrian style shawarma. The lamb itself was just scraps - nothing like the picture which showed nice large slices. The pita was typical market pita and served cold. The hot sauce had nice flavour to it, but there is more to a shawarma than the hot sauce! P.S. The restaurant is Halal, if that matters for you. read more

Are y'all on bath salts? The place looks legit, but as soon as I saw Abdul reach into the hotel tray to get the meat, your boy Caspian knew he was in trouble. Yo I understand that this probably speeds up the process when you be in a rush, but it's also the best way to destroy a shawarma. That meat go to be shaved right off the spinning stick Abdul! Otherwise it gets all mushy and nasty! Also way too many veggies in that wrap. You been talkin' to my momma Abdul? She alway tryin' to get Double C to eat more veggies. Abdul ain't lyin' about his hot sauce tho, that stuff be almost as spicy as Caspians backup dancers. I appreciate that. read more

The worst place I've ever gone to in town for this type of food. Got a stomach ache after eating here. It was burnt rotten soggy the whole nine yards. Was also more expensive than most places that serve the same type of food. read more

So, I saw 'The Avengers' the night before and drove around in vain to my usual shawarma joints only to found all of them were closed (if you saw the movie, you know why - especially if you waited for the Easter egg after the credits). I happened to be at Metrotown the day after and I remember getting a few recommendations for nearby Abdul. To begin, you won't expect a good Halal/shawarma joint in Crystal Mall (though, technically - it's on a storefront facing outwards) -- the nexus of everything Chinese in this part of town. And if you are driving, *DO NOT PARK INSIDE CRYSTAL MALL PARKING LOT*. You have been warned. Chinese drivers and a odd circular layout parking lot will push to you to the edge of sanity. So, I did the most un-Chinese thing possible: pay for parking on the street rather than deal with the 'free' parking inside the mall. However, this is one of the better shawarma joints I've been to in Vancouver. I ordered the lamb shawarma wrap for ~$7.50. It was a good portion and the lamb had a nice BBQ char to it - but the highlight was the hot sauce. It was delicious, delicious hot sauce - I asked for 'hot' and it was a tasty firestorm of lamb and veggies in my mouth. I know that sometimes hot sauce is kinda 'cheating' - I mean, a lot of things taste good if you douse enough hot sauce on it. I'm pretty sure if you put enough Sriracha on a cardboard box, I would eat it. But I can tell the hot sauce here is made in house - next time, I'm asking if I can buy a jar of it. Service is a pretty slow - but the dude making our shawarma was intense. He had a look of focus on his face that I usually only see on craftsmen. Another customer came in while he was preparing our order and tried to order. The shawarma artist told him to wait so he can focus on making our wraps. That's some Zen shit there. They also have a couple of tables and patio seats outside and it's not a bad place to sit and watch the Kingsway traffic as you enjoy your food. The person that recommended Abdul to me cautioned that I would probably want to order two - which I assumed he meant it was because it was small. My buddy and I were both pretty satisfied with the size of our wraps - but being the gluttons that we are, discussed if we wanted to order more. Seriously - it's pretty damned good. My new go-to lunch spot around Metrotown now. read more

Abdul BBQ & Shawarma - Lamb shawarma wrap - Mediterranean Near Me - Burnaby, British Columbia

I gotta give Abdul a high 5. Abdul makes great food. I don't know how anyone can say its too expensive. The food is high quality and the portions are generous. I am a fit 6' 4'' and I find the dishes very filling. The value for money equation is spot on. One quick gripe. The pictures don't do the food justice. Lets not fault Abdul for refusing to line the pockets of the credit card companies so you can get free flight to Calgary for every 15k you spend. Lastly, Abdul is a nice guy and he's also a hard working entrepreneur for whom I have a lot of respect. Love this place! TIPS 1. Bring cash 2. The falafels are worth the wait 3. The lamb is excellent 4. Medium spicy may make you sweat 5. If you show up at 9:30, get it to go and don't be a douche Please enjoy J read more

I look to my self as a falafel expert! I tried Falfel all around the world (at least 5 countries) and in hundreds of shops. And I think this falafel is the best in town so far. It's hot, crunchy and moist at the same time ... Fulfilling indeed. And the garlic/hot sauce in the wrap is divine :D In the down side, I found the place pricy for wraps, though it's so fulfilling and worth spending the bucks in :) The service is not that great but you will survive :D. Also, the person might smell like fraying oil in no time, so better have your wrap take away and wait for your order outside. read more

Oh my. Well - I read the reviews here and thought ok - I will order lunch for the entire office. BIG mistake. I had sold them on Falafal King on Denman in the West End - which is OUTSTANDING ! Anyways - the prices are very high for the quality of food received. Approx $4 - $8 more per combo plate then Falafal King. For real. Crazy if you ask me. I think the overhead on Denman is more expensive the the Crystal Mall on Kingsway - there is no way the pay more rent then the prestigious West End. The chicken was no doubt at least 2-3 days old - hard, dry, tiny pieces of teeth breaking chicken. There was no spices or garlic sauce - a staple for this region of food - and for some strange reason they put literal gobs and gobs of hot paste in our pitas - completely ruining the pita and the experience - it literally fell apart when we lifted it up - not to mention it was sooooooo hot there was no way to eat it. The iceberg lettuce salad was at least 2-3 days old - 100% wilted and was just tossed in the garbage. We also asked for a side of pickled turnips and they were so old that they were fermenting all over again - in a bad way. The only saving grace was the Tabbouleh Salad & Hummus. Which for $13 bucks was obviously not worth it. To say the least my lunch-ordering privileges for the office have been revoked. read more

When craving shawarma where else are you going to find it? Crystal Mall of course! Abdul's had good reviews so we had to check it out. We ordered the lamb and chicken shawarma wraps. The meat was really dry and the vegetables did not taste fresh at all. We couldn't finish our shawarma, really tough to eat. The wraps are quite big, but not worth your $10 in our opinion. The hot sauce is actually really spicy though, so that's a positive. As others have mentioned the meat doesn't come off the spit; we won't be back. read more

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Best falafel I have ever had. Very fresh, flavourful and moist!!! No frozen out of the box falafels here. I have been spoiled because all other falafel's just don't compare. read more

Wow. 3+ stars for this place....really?? Pita was dry and cold. All three meats were pulled out of a warmer not off the spit so lots of flavor but dry which was surprising due to the amount of fat. Coleslaw and salad were hours beyond first wilt. As we sat and ate we witnessed no hand washing and direct hand to mouth contact while the cook was preparing food. Best places are often little hole in the walls....but sadly this was not one of them. read more

Abdul BBQ & Shawarma - Three meat dinner - Mediterranean Near Me - Burnaby, British Columbia

First time in a while I've been led wrong by Yelp. It's a nice enough restaurant, and maybe the falafel is better, but this was actually the worst shawarma I've ever had. Really dry, not cut off a spit -- maybe it was leftovers. Tasted more like pot roast crumbs than actual shawarma, and I've had more than 250 shawarmas in over 50 restaurants around the world over the past 10 years, so saying "this is the worst" is approaching statistical significance. Cash only, too, which is not great in this era of Square and other no-deposit no-credit-check payments. Good bread and spicy sauce, though. Won't be back. Many other superior food options nearby. read more

Had the mixed beef and chicken donair. Fantastic flavours and the meat was not overcooked and still tender and juicy. My only mistake was getting the medium hot sauce when I should've settled for mild. It was very spicy....but still flavourful, so the pain from the heat in my mouth was worth it. Probably one of the best donairs I've had in a long time. Don't let the exterior fool you, the owner provides an excellent quality food and service. Watching him put the donairs together is an art form in itself. read more

What can I say, this place has the best shawarmas in town. I always order the lamb, it's got lots of lamb inside and also has lettuce, tomatoes and hot sauce, it's quite a generous shawarma. They also have chicken, beef, platters etc. Just a hole in the wall with delicious shawarmas..... read more

Best Shawarmas that I've experienced in western Canada. Been coming to this spot since 2004 and while continue to do so. Bring cash as that's the only form of payment. There is an HSBC, a Royal Bank & a TD Canada Trust within walking distance. If you're not into spices, be very careful as their mild sauces can be too hot for some. Their falafel are made to order so expect to wait up to 15 minutes for that. The places doesn't look like much, but for halal meat... I definitely recommend this place to every one of my friends. read more

Abdul BBQ & Shawarma - Chicken Shawarma w/ HOT spicy sauce. Feeling the burn... So good! - Mediterranean Near Me - Burnaby, British Columbia

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Abdul has been in Burnaby for about 8 years now, and his commitment to his food has not diminished at all. Since opening, the only significant change has been adding lamb to the menu. Abdul is a really nice guy. The bottom line on this place: all high quality halal meats, the falafel is second to none (fresh made, worth the wait), the Lebanese tahini is great, and the shawarma is fantastic. Caveats: quality isn't 100% consistent. If you go regularly, you'll notice when the hummus is brand new vs a couple days in, you'll notice that sometimes the wraps have too much lettuce or fall apart more easily. It's always worth it, but I notice subtle differences trip to trip. read more

This is my first time eating Shawarma. The boyfriend and I were looking for a place to eat on Sunday night. We weren't starving but hungry enough to look for something to eat. He wanted to try something new so we went on yelp and looked for a place nearby and found this place... So here we are! We decided to go with the Chicken Shawarma. They only accept cash and the total for the Chicken Shawarma came out to be $7.50 exactly. Medium spice. It was surprisingly spicy ... But I'm a person that loves spicy foods and I can handle it. Lucky me :p Thank goodness we only ordered one. The portions were generous, lots of lettuce, tomatoes and chicken. But the Boyfriend and I were left very satisfied :) Yum! read more

The delicious aroma draws you to this place. So glad I decided to try this place. It starts with a friendly greeting from Abdul himself. I ordered the chicken shawarma. Huge serving and very juicy delicious meat and the right amount of veggies blended by their sauce. Went down real good with diet coke. A decent delicious meal for under $9. Have told friends about this and will bring my family to try and enjoy. Good job Abdul! read more

Schwerma. I love schwera and this place has good schwerma. It's a total hole-in-the wall and when I first entered I was a bit hesitant, but it's the food and the food is great. He does a great job with the spices. Of all the schwerma I've had in Vancouver, this one rates a close second to Babylon, but you can't beat Babylon. What great about Abdul's is you don't have to go all the way downtown for schwerma. Cash only. Schwerma. read more

i've always been hesitant to write a review for Abduls... for selfish reasons. I hate waiting in line for my Donair/Swarma! I am going to put out a challenge: Where can you find a better Beef Donair in Vancouver/Burnaby and ANY price? Think you got one? Let me know, I'll be happy to be disapointed. read more

I love the falafel here. Abdul is very proud of his food and takes great care in its preparation. His restaurant is in the north side of Crystal Mall, at Willingdon, west of Metrotown. You can access it from Kingsway or from the Crystal Mall. There is lots of parking under Crystal Mall, from Kingsborough Street. read more

Everything was really tasty and delicious here! We came here based on a recommendation from a friend who is born + raised in Jordan. We trusted he knew good Shawarma! This place was busy and that meant waiting a little while, but it was well worth the wait. The salads were a little droopy and wilted, otherwise this would be a 5 star place for sure. I'll be back! read more

Ordered the #11 combo is about $9. Small portion. #12 combo is about $15. Okay size portion. For around the same portion, other Shawarma/Donair serve Chicken and Rice bit cheaper. The Chicken Shawarma was peppery spicy but bland. Like really bland. Wasn't that great of an experience. read more

*the garlic sauce is amazing!! Some how when Abdul makes your shawarma it tastes better..... Great place for a quick lunch. Good balance of meat to veggies. I recommend! read more

Place is not bad. I had hummus, you get a good quantity, and a gyro wrap. It was ok overall. Not too strong in flavors. Nothing too exciting. The lady behind the counter was talking to me about donating to save Syria. What she said was pretty interesting as I had no idea about the stuff that was going on. Overall ok food at ok prices. read more

for shawarma, their wraps is not that bad. I like their hot sauce. kinda bite you at the end when you finish your first bite. I always asked for their hot sauce on the side, so you can get more of that hot flavor in your tongue. read more

Abduls BBQ is definitely one of my new favorite donair shops in the areas that I would highly recommend to anyone looking for a very high quality meal at an affordable price. Almost everything was perfect on my first visit there. Firstly, they offer real beef and lamb which is unheard of in Vancouver. Most donair restaurants offer processed beef or lamb so that instantly puts Abduls at the top of my list. The last time I had a real lamb donair was in the Netherlands as once again it's not common here in Vancouver. I've actually never seen that before. The donair came with a two spreads, one humus and one spicy paste - and believe me, when they say its spicy it's not for the light of heart. Unlike most donair shops, you order and they add the ingredients without asking you. Most places have options such as lettuce, cucumber, onion and a variety of sauce but maybe that was the style of this place as it is authentic Syrian style donairs. I would love to see them add more sauce and other vegetables to the donair but I'm not complaining about the massive amount of meat you get. Once again, this place is a new favorite of mine and I eat donairs at least three times a week. I'll definitely be coming back for me the next time I'm in the metrotown area. I had the lamb the first time, maybe next time I'll try their beef and chicken. read more