Al Basha
Category: Restaurants Middle Eastern Middle Eastern [Edit]
3143 W BroadwayVancouver, BC V6K 2H2
Neighbourhood: Kitsilano
(604) 568-8841
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 11 am - 3 am
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- No
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Late Night, Lunch
- Alcohol:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Quiet
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
23 reviews for Al Basha
Review Highlights
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"The chicken shawarma on special for $4.99." In 6 reviews -
"Awesome Chicken Shwarma." In 2 reviews -
"Best and freshest chicken schwarma ever." In 2 reviews
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23 reviews in English
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Review from Natalie B.
Vancouver, BC
2/16/2012
Always a good spot for a bit of lunch. In the summer I am here with my dad at least once per week for lunch (we work nearby). My dad likes the soccer playing on the tv and I like that it is nice and clean and I can tie my dog up outside.
The owner/operator is very friendly and makes the falafel balls while you wait. He allows you to customize your order and seems to actually care that you enjoy it.
The restaurant seems to have a loyal following of locals and people who work in the area on their lunch breaks. Lots of friendly hellos/goodbyes as people enter/exit.Listed in: Kitsilano eats for under $10
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Review from Edward L.
4/23/2012 1 Check-in Here
Came here on a whim. What drew me here was the nice shiny single $ sign for pricing. A bit of a rarity in Kits. Their food is indeed below $10.
Parking here is pretty decent on the side streets.
The interior is *somewhat* Middle-Eastern themed. By that I mean it doesn't look too authentic, but it does have bring a cozy charm to the place. The seating area was quite empty (90% of the traffic was walk-in) but it's also small, so you may not want to bring more than 4 people in here.
The guy working today was very friendly and chatty. Much appreciated.
The beef donair I had was surprisingly good. The meat looked precooked, but the toppings were very good. I must say it's one of the better donairs I've had in a long time.
Something special here: the place is open until 0300 7 days a week. I wish I knew this earlier. Would've saved me several trips to Richmond.
Cheap, tasty, open late, and accepts credit cards. What more can you ask for? Recommended.Listed in: Open Late
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Review from Emilie C.
3/8/2012
The greatest thing about Al Basha is that they're open reeeeeaaalllyy late, which makes it a convenient stop after a night out around Kits.
Order their falafel. It's fully loaded and delicious. And why not grab some tabouleh while you're at it...
Perfect late night falafel fix! -
Review from Cathy S.
Updated - 5/21/2012 3 Check-ins Here
You have been a little skimpy on portion size lately Al Basha!
Listed in: They Say The Neon Lights Are…, Swarms of Shawarma
2 Previous Reviews: Show all »
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10/30/2011
Al Basha has always been one of a couple of my favourite shawarma places, but based on today's… Read more »
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Review from Juliana B.
Vancouver, BC
2/19/2011
I recently discovered shawarma on a drunken adventure earlier this week. After one bite I was in love. But I didn't want to go all the way down town for my shawarma fix y'know? So then my partner told me about Al Basha, they usually get the shawarma plate, and recommended that for me, but no, I'm sold on the wraps.
The staff and presumably the owner behind the counter last night was a totally lovely guy, really warm and friendly, felt like he genuinely cared if my food was enjoyable or not. It's really nice to experience table service quality in a seat yourself atmosphere.
The wrap was amazing... Falafelly good if you will. I'm hooked. The fact that they're open like 20 hours a day is also a big draw in for me. I'm not the biggest fan of late night snacks at tim hortons or calhoun's anymore, so this is absolutely perfect.
See you soon Al Basha! -
Review from Jay D.
12/27/2010
Life has a way of offering up surprises now and again and Al Basha was a very welcome surprise.
I've taken only one, quick noon meal here and so my experience with Al Basha is not expansive but the chicken shawarma and falafel combination wrap was very tasty.
As noted by other reviewers of this narrow little shop along Broadway in the neighbourhood of Kitsilano, the falafel were quite tasty as they should be when they're made by hand right then and there.
And so this four-star rating is extended based solely on the Sharwarma & Falafel combination wrap and the very, very attractive price point at which this hand-held lunch is offered. -
Review from Alex G.
Vancouver, BC
6/23/2011
Next time your friend talks you into waiting in line at The Eatery and you can't stand one more minute of wanting to punch all of those kids in the face, walk three blocks and eat the best falafel of your life.
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Review from Marc D.
Vancouver, BC
6/22/2009
* Where's the (halal) beef?!?!?!?! *
Wandered in after a bad chicken souvlaki (http://www.yelp.ca/biz...) to fill the belly.
I hadn't noticed this spot before, but I haven't been spending much time in this neighbourhood lately.
This is in the spot where the old Churrolicious used to be. So from Mexican sweet treats to Halal meat - go figure!
Ordered the beef, and it turned out to be thin beef slices similar to a gyro type slice instead of something a bit beefier. They took the 4 small slices and grilled them some more, really overcooking them unfortunately. I cried as I saw them getting rid of any juiciness left. They then wrapped it in a pita with some salad and called it a day.
It tasted ok, but nothing I would rush back to the neighbourhood for honestly.
The food just doesn't even come close to the food at Nuba (http://www.yelp.ca/biz...) where beef means a nice big juicy grilled piece of beef wrapped in a warm pita with fresh veggies and salads. Granted, Nuba is slightly more expensive - but totally worth it!Listed in: Vancouver Middle Eastern Food
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Review from Steve A.
Vancouver, BC
Should have been 4.5 stars, really.
The freshest falafels I've ever had and the tastiest as well.
The server was very polite and conscientious, paying attention to every detail of what he was doing as he prepped the food - very appreciated.
A steady stream of customers kept coming in as we ate, on a nice Sunday evening. -
Review from Edward B.
Vancouver, BC
7/13/2010
Cheap + good falafel + good location = FALAFELTASTIC, FALAFELICIOUS, FALAFELAMAZING, FALAFELORGASM
I didn't make any sense but this place is still good!!!
I ordered the beef shawarma, costs around $7.50 I think, and It was delicious! Their beef is savory and tasty, and the portion is quite satisfying.
It's just a regular falafel store, so the option is the falafel platter, some shawarma wrap and stuff like that.
Location is pretty good, kinda far from the nearest bus stop though (I took the 99).
Anyway, good place to chill, it's open 24 hours! -
Review from Bianca A.
Vancouver, BC
8/28/2011
This place is very tasty and the staff is very friendly. The falafel is made to order and is delicious. I love tabouli, and their tabouli is fantastic. The food is a good value for the money and the wait is never long. Definitely recommend.
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Review from Vanessa G.
2/15/2011
Realistically i give this place 3.5 stars. It was pretty dam good. When the guy is scooping you fresh falafel balls and deep frying, i knew i was in for a treat. A heaping amount of hummus, nice vegetables, hot sauce, and tahini. It was perfect for the $5.88 price tag.
I also liked the Halal information on the meat, i didn't really know the full complexities of it but it's nice to know the animals are treated better before they are murdered. -
Review from Darren N.
Vancouver, BC
10/23/2009
This place really is as good as it gets. The owner is super friendly and really genuinely wants you to enjoy the meal he prepares for you (which is probably of a lot of people/places I guess, but somehow it seems more meaningful, or genuine, here). And then there are these weird, little things about the service that I like. Such as, he refuses to accept any money until the food is ready. Oftentimes he won't accept payment until you've sat down and enjoyed your meal first - which, again, isn't so crazy except for the fact that there is no table-service here.
Now to the food. Quite simply, it is great. Best felafels in town, and I have eaten a lot of felafels in town. The Al Basha plate is divine, and though I haven't eaten that much shwarma in town, for now I'm saying Al Basha's is best.
I've been there 3 times in 3 months, and after the last meal I had, I'm upgrading this place to one of my once-weekly lunch spots. You can't go wrong.
Lastly I'll just add that he's open late, even on weeknights (apparently as late as 3am - so you can always get those late night munchies satisfied). -
Review from Mark H.
11/30/2010 1 Check-in Here
If you're like me, you've probably been mispronouncing 'shawarma' for much too long. Or it could just me being possibly dyslectic when it comes to names of stuff (see Uncle Fatih's Pizza review).
I went for the chicken shawarma wrap. Friends went for the same but plate style. Freshness wise, it was right on, but was lacking in the sauce department.
Compared to others downtown, I'm pretty sure this place is a little more pricey but doesn't wow.
Baklava was near perfect however.
Supposedly open until 3am for those munchies cravings. -
Review from Karen R.
Best and freshest chicken schwarma ever! Made with oven soft pita, crisp salad and other goodies I can't imagine having a schwarma anywhere else. My friend had a falafel which they first created the half circle bits by cooking them made to order (vs reheating something ancient).
Quality you can taste along with customer service... WowListed in: Haunt-a-licious (Burnaby)
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Review from Tina H.
6/13/2010
$7 for a shawarma hardly seems worth it. That's a total rip off. In Toronto they're like $5. I read about them here and wanted to try them. They were the only place open after my late night of partying.
Chicken shawarma was pretty good. It came with lettuce, onion, tonato, lettuce, hummus, tahini and hot sauce. The price hardly seems worth it though the flavour was pretty solid. Nothing super amazing but they didn't disappoint either. Some pieces of chicken were dried out.
Service was average. It was late night, I'm sure everyone was tired.
They are open late, which is amazing, but $7 for a shawarma hardly seems worth it.
As a note, bring cash because they charge 25¢ for the use of the debit and credit card machine (though this is not allowed by the credit card companies).
Even though they appear to be money hungry, I'd recommend it at 3am but that's only because they're the only spot open! -
Review from Craig M.
Burnaby, BC
10/19/2011
Awesome Chicken Shwarma...add falafal to it!
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Review from marc m.
Vancouver, BC
5/7/2009
Went shopping at Young's Market, and decided to stop in for a quick bite. The chicken shawarma on special for $4.99. One nice touch was to see that as soon as we walked in, the owner went back to vigorously wash his hands. The place was very clean, the chicken was generous and the conversation with the owner was delightful. I will be going back, and my only hesitation in recommending it is that I like keeping places more secret. That being said, I want someone who puts in the time and effort to make a delicious $4.99 chicken shawarma to get the kudos he deserves. Well done!
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Review from Reena M.
10/20/2010 1 Check-in Here
A good chicken donair. It filled me up. It was a bit expensive than other places downtown ($7+). Quiet spot for a quiet weekday lunch.
Listed in: Where to get your shawarma on
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Review from Richard D.
Vancouver, BC
4/2/2009
The best donairs I've eaten in Vancouver. The chicken shawarma is also very good. Al Basha's owner has been in the donair business since the '90s, and relocated to Kits from Kerrisdale at the beginning of the year.
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Review from Jeff M.
Vancouver, BC
3/20/2011
had their chicken plate. veggies were fresh. humous was up to par. rice was good, meat was great and fresh. only thing was that i thought their sauces could have been better or rather i've had better elsewhere. so i give it a 4.5, would be a 5 if either the sauces were better or the price was lower. overall i would definitely come back when i'm in the area
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Review from Efrem Z.
11/14/2009
I stopped here for a quick bite one Saturday. I had the falafel sandwich and it was delicious. The owner/cook/server is a gracious host, the ingredients were fresh and he took great care in preparing my lunch.
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Review from Zoe A.
Vancouver, BC
11/29/2009
After having my first falafel during a festival, I have always been on a search to find the best falafel near my home. This is pretty much the best falafel in Kitsilano. The owner is very kind and when I ask for extra toppings, without hesitation he will add a few more. I love how he makes the falafels right in front of you, where as other places microwave pre-made ones. Very delicious and it's always a good night falafel night.
