I did not know what was going to happen to Main Street when Abu Rasheed called it quits. That was the closest this area had to a big-city shawarma/gyro stand, and losing it was going to hurt.
But wounds heal. I did not see Mama's Shawarma coming, nor did I think that a cart that hand-shapes and fries its falafel and makes pans of its own baklava would just pull up here and stay.
I'm writing you in the depths of the grey, rainy down season, and they're still open. When I first came during the summer, I tried to be an adult and order the falafel salad and kabob plate. Then I tried to be a young adult and order the lamb gyro. I've since settled into my comfort spot and get the bat-sized lamb, falafel, and kabob wraps.
Not only are they incredibly generous for the price, but the garlic and lemon that are so lost on places here with "gyro" in the name and Michelin-star chefs behind the counter exist at this cart in abundance. It's almost as if knowing the food you're making with some degree of intimacy and caring about its preparation achieves a better result.
It's 200% better with the taphouse open, but it's also one of the few carts in the pod that I'd visit on its own merits. Mama Shawarma is the real deal, and may be the best at what it does west of the tunnels. read more