Top 5 Chicken Shawarma in St. Louis, Chosen by Our Critic

Our roundup of some of our favorite St. Louis dishes

Jun 22, 2023 at 6:12 am

Mabel Suen

Medina Mediterranean Grill's "Original Palestine," or chicken shawarma with lettuce, tomato, onion, pickle, tahini and added chile sauce.

Watching a massive hunk of glistening, herb-flecked chicken slowly rotate on a spit does more than whet the appetite; it makes your body course with the primal energy of juicy meat sizzling on an open fire that gets torn apart with bare hands. But hey, a pita works too.

Al-Tarboush
Sleiman "Sam" Bathani may have started out as a Lebanese pop star, but for the past three decades he's been making beautiful music at the Loop mainstay Al-Tarboush (602 Westgate Avenue, University City; 314-725-1944) in the form of mouthwatering shawarma. The key to its success, aside from the succulent, flawlessly seasoned chicken, is the combo of tahini and outrageously delicious toum, which is basically garlic in cloud form.

Original Shawarma House
A relative newcomer to the area's shawarma scene, Original Shawarma House (14560 Manchester Road, Ballwin; 636-220-2524) has already proven itself to be an essential Middle Eastern eatery, thanks in large part to its namesake dish. You can order it dressed in a pita, but this Ballwin restaurant's speciality is its saj, a paper-thin wrap that gets a slight flakiness when heated on the grill. This touch, as well as its pomegranate-sauce-dressed "classic" accoutrement option makes OSH a standout.

Majeed
After fleeing their native Syria, the Majeed family landed in St. Louis determined to reclaim a bit of the life they had before their country descended into civil war. Back home, they had owned a restaurant, so they drew upon that experience to open Majeed Mediterranean Restaurant (4601 Gravois Avenue, 314-282-0981), one of the area's best spots for chicken shawarma. Here, large hunks of lemon and garlic marinated meat are perfectly caramelized on the outside and succulent on the inside — the perfect canvas for the lively garlic puree that liberally coats the wrap.

Medina Mediterranean Grill

Though Medina Mediterranean Grill (multiple locations including 1327 Washington Avenue, 314-241-1356) has made its name as a thrilling fusion-style spot that blends Middle Eastern dishes with a range of international flavors, its traditional dish, the "Original Palestine," steals the show. Stuffed with some of the juiciest, thick-sliced shawarma meat you'll find, this superb wrap makes you understand why you can't ever go wrong with a classic.

Taste of Lebanon
Tucked into a tiny storefront in the heart of the Central West End, Taste of Lebanon (331 North Euclid Avenue, 314-875-0657) dazzles with its traditional, intensely flavorful take on the classic shawarma preparation, including its delectable garlic sauce. If you want to really take it over the top, though, ask for the Dream version, which includes a generous portion of creamy baba ghanoush in the wrap.