Following my previous posts hunting down the best Shawarma in Abuja, I decided to try Dunes Grill & Burger Bar Chicken Shawarma while at the Waffle Stop. Thing is, they seem to share the same sitting area and I was served both menus. On spotting Shawarma at the bottom left corner of the page, I decided to take one for the team. I really liked the sturdy large menu, with its detailed description for each meal. I took this detail for granted. When they said Chicken Marinated with Shawarma Spice Live section, they meant just that

Front of Menu

Menu List

Preparation I would assume was prompt because by the time I was done with breakfast from Waffle Stop, it was packed and ready to go. I was early and there was no one else around so that might be an influencing factor. I really can’t say if it takes this little time at peak periods. I can’t say anything with respect to the preparation process or hygiene conditions because I didn’t smell or see it in progress.

On first sight, the branded wrap gave this product an aura of quality, so much better than the white A4 paper almost everyone else is using. Great on the eyes, but that’s not what we are eating.

With respect to its size, I must say that this shawarma is the smallest compared to all the shawarmas I have tried in Abuja and I have tried a fair number. It was disappointingly skinny for the price. Costing N1,700, I expected a large roll comparable to that of Chicken Capitol, no less than a handful, you know the size of shawarma that you have to bite from both sides because it can’t fit in your mouth? I swear “small thing this one take pass gala”.

Nice Branded wrap

Super skinny

Chicken Capitol Shawarma is at least 50% bigger

Inside, there was some spiced chicken, not a lot of it and then there was French fries. I have never had this combination before. However. what made this experience particularly awful was that this shawarma had nothing more. No mayonnaise or ketchup, not even any cheese or sausages. It was almost as dry as bone, making this difficult to chew or swallow. I still can’t wrap my head around the idea of serving French fries without any ketchup, much less using it as a stuffing without any cream what-so-ever.

I had to work up spit and chew a lot to force this mistake down my throat, hoping that this was just a case of poor spreading, that with a little perseverance, I will reach the lower end of the roll and find the ketchup and mayonnaise portion there. That didn’t happen. It was dry till the very end.

As you already know, my reviews are not sponsored and I do not take pride in bad-mouthing anyone’s product or business. I only tell you my experience and opinion so you have a vague idea of what to expect. I’m sure Dunes Grill and Burger Bar has other things on the menu that might live up to, if not exceed expectations, however Chicken Shawarma did not. Unlike Sahad Shawarma, I couldn’t bring myself to toss this roll out the window because I wasn’t prepared to admit that I had wasted money. For the same price, you could get an arm-sized roll, stuffed with chicken, two sausages, a slice of cheese, a choice of garlic, and extra pepper from Chicken Capitol.

If you’ve had Dunes Grill and Burger Bar Chicken Shawarma, please let me know your thoughts and experience.