Shawarma Empire
18 people recommend, 3 warn against itvia r/askTO, r/FoodToronto, r/Scarborough22 comments cited below
What people say, in short
Shawarma Empire on Lawrence has repeated recommendations, including praise for beef shawarma and the falafel plate with lentil rice. The negative comments focus on expectations: some diners find it underwhelming, and one former fan thinks the flavour has declined. Another says the food was fine but not worth a long queue.
Address
Shawarma Empire, 1823 Lawrence Ave E, Scarborough, ON M1R 2Y3, Canada
At a glance
- Signature dishes
- Beef shawarma
- Opinions divided
- Yes
The evidence
Every point below is paraphrased from a real public comment, ordered by how much the community engaged with it. Caveats and negatives are kept in — follow any link to read the original for yourself.
- Recommendsu/esperanto42 in r/askTO · Aug 2026
Lists Shawarma Empire among top shawarma picks.
- Recommendsu/ShmloosTheShmloss in r/FoodToronto · Jul 2026
Names this place among the shawarma spots they enjoy.
- Recommendsu/JohnnyShadows in r/askTO · Aug 2026taste
Calls Shawarma Empire incredible and says the Lawrence Ave strip is a major shawarma hub.
- Recommendsu/silentviper123 in r/askTO · Aug 2026taste
Prefers Shawarma Empire over Sumaq.
- Caveatu/Available_Squirrel1 in r/Scarborough · Aug 2025taste
Found the hyped wrap among the weaker shawarmas on the strip, middling overall.
- Recommendsu/whatzgood in r/askTO · Aug 2026
Gives Shawarma Empire as a single top pick.
- Recommendsu/bogsalite in r/askTO · Aug 2026
Names Shawarma Empire as a top pick.
- Recommendsu/Electrojet in r/FoodToronto · Aug 2024taste
Says the beef shawarma there is very flavourful.
Show all 22 cited comments
- Recommendsu/hesh0925 in r/askTO · Mar 2026
Names it among the strong shawarma places on that Lawrence stretch.
- Recommendsu/erickson666 in r/askTO · Mar 2026
Recommends it as a go-to shawarma spot.
- Recommendsu/rednotdead in r/FoodToronto · Aug 2024taste
Loves the food, always pairs falafel with chicken shawarma, and finds the rice tasty.
- Caveatu/MamaBear22_0608 in r/FoodToronto · Aug 2024consistency
Says Shawarma Empire used to be their top pick but its food has lost its punch.
- Recommendsu/Hiraaa_ in r/Scarborough · Aug 2025
Says they're loyal fans and would pick this over the rival place.
- Recommendsu/Neat_Passion_6546 in r/FoodToronto · Aug 2024
Single-word agreement with the Shawarma Empire recommendation.
- Recommendsu/izmass in r/FoodToronto · Aug 2024
Ranks Shawarma Empire first among their favourite shawarma places.
- Recommendsu/ClancyTheFish in r/askTO · Aug 2026
Lists Empire among favourites.
- Caveatu/maomao05 in r/Scarborough · Aug 2025taste
Also tried it and found it underwhelming.
- Recommendsu/Specialist-Wall1046 in r/FoodToronto · Oct 2024taste
Rated Shawarma Empire 4 out of 5, enjoying its falafel plate and tasty lentil rice.
- Recommendsu/Pr1nceCharm1ng in r/FoodToronto · Aug 2024
Puts Shawarma Empire as their sole top choice.
- Recommendsu/Charizard3535 in r/askTO · Nov 2025taste
Prefers its beef shawarma with house sauce over chicken from other places.
- Mixedu/vixaudaxloquendi in r/Scarborough · Aug 2025taste
Long wait for food that was merely fine; not worth the queue, in their view.
- Recommendsu/Turbo_911 in r/Scarborough · Aug 2025
Says this is the only shawarma spot worth visiting.
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Freshness
Details last checked 4 Nov 2026. Recommendations reflect what people said at the time; confirm current details before you go.