One of Philadelphia's greatest assets is its diversity, expressed in realms spanning from business to art, and in few places is this variety better illustrated than in the city's range of world cuisines.
Similar to gyros and falafel, shawarmas may not be the first thing to cross your mind when searching for a change of pace in your diet. If you haven't tried one in Philadelphia, though, you've been missing out. The Arab Levantine rotisserie-style meat preparation generally involves placing lamb, chicken, turkey, beef, veal or mixed meats on a vertical spit, where they're grilled for periods as long as a day.
Made-to-order, the meats are shaved off the spit and can be served either as part of a platter or in a delicious pita or lavash. Load up on vegetables like cucumber, tomato, onion, lettuce or eggplant and then add your choice of sauces and spices.
Here are five places to find shawarmas in Philadelphia.
Shawarma from Sahara Grill. (Contributed Art/Yelp)
This casual Middle Eastern restaurant has it all, offering thin-sliced rotisserie-broiled lamb or beef in its housemade breads. Pair it with hummus or tabbouleh for a perfectly filling meal.
Shawarma from Jerusalem Foods. (Contributed Art/Yelp)
This corner store is one of Philadelphia's greatest hidden treasures, packed tight with specialty foods and Middle Eastern ingredients to inspire a kitchen experiment. At the back of the shop, you'll find a spit behind a counter where you can order arguably the best shawarma the city has to offer. It's a cheesesteak-sized meal, so make sure you leave plenty of room.
With a full range of platters, including a spin on the Philly cheesesteak, Saad's offers lamb shawarma as a sandwich wrap, platter or Maroosh Way, with a toasted hoagie roll. There's also a full vegetarian menu with a range of falafel options.
This kosher BYOB has the full gamut of wraps, salads and kabobs perfect for a bite with friends or a step outside the usual fare. Choices are available in a pita, in a lafa or on a burger if that's more your style. Once you're finished your main course, you'll find plenty of sweet desserts on the menu.
Lamb meat on a rotisserie spit. (File Photo/Associated Press)
The shawarma at Alyan's in the Queen Village neighborhood in South Philadelphia is a mix of rotisserie-broiled lamb and turkey, available as a platter or a sandwich. Delicious sides include grilled zucchini, spinach and mushroom pie and Alyan's fries mixed with hot peppers and onions.