where to eat kebabs in ottawa: sizzling lamb, beef, and chicken skewers fresh off the fire

you’ll find all the details you need with direct links to peter’s in-depth reviews and publication dates provided to help you zero in on the best spots. when it’s time for kebabs in ottawa, here’s where to go:

persis grill

persis special for two at persis grill in bells corners with two ground beef skewers, a half skewer of beef tenderloin, and a half skewer of chicken fillet. peter hum / postmedia

this ottawa-based chain has three locations in the city, from bells corners to little italy to orl é ans, from which it sells persian dishes, including various kebab plates. we found that lunch at the bells corners location pleased us best, in particular with some beef and chicken kebabs of exceptional succulence and flavour. there, the torsh kebab — beef tenderloin that was nicely charred and sweet and sour due to its pomegranate marinade — was a standout. a dinner at the orl é ans location was a little less strong but still satisfying. the food and service on a busy saturday night at the preston street location, which seems more geared to a younger, cocktail-loving crowd, was markedly more uneven. — reviewed may 23, 2024

turkish anatolia restaurant

mixed grill platter for two at turkish anatolia restaurant in orléans. peter hum / postmedia

bang for your buck is one reason to make the drive to orléans when the craving for turkish food strikes. but anatolia deserves kudos too for its range of dishes, its commitment to making items in-house, and its pleasant hospitality. the menu will appeal to meat-eaters seeking a break from the usual chicken and beef doners and kebabs of chicken, beef, or lamb, not that these staples should be avoided at anatolia. the fully loaded mixed grill for two ($59.99, compared to $75 or even $80 elsewhere) included lots of tasty grilled chicken and beef as well as copious shavings of chicken doner, which admittedly were a little dry. — reviewed apr. 11, 2024

al halabi restaurant

the metre-long kebab platter at alhalabi restaurant on bank street can come with a bucket of smoking dry ice. peter hum / postmedia

emphasizing spectacle whenever possible, this syrian restaurant in ottawa that opened in 2022 serves a metre-long kebab platter that includes 13 char-grilled halal skewers (three each of beef chunks, ground beef, ground chicken and chicken cubes, and one of chicken wings) on a bed of cardamom-studded rice, plus side orders of salad, hummus and garlic sauce. not only did it serve four of us and generate some leftovers, but it also arrived with a sparkler and pail of dry ice that generated smoke. — reviewed nov. 28, 2023

turkish kebab house

mixed grill for two at turkish kebab house in kanata north. peter hum / postmedia

after opening in the spring of 2023, this no-reservations restaurant that seats about 90 people developed a massive following. a mixed grill for two showed why. heaped on the platter were chunks of white-meat chicken and beef, a spicy adana kebab skewer, several kofta patties, several chicken wings, and large, thin shavings of döner kebab — all halal. the meats were mounded on a heap of tomato-tinged bulgur and more bread to sop up meat juices, while grilled tomato, grilled green pepper, and onion salad offered acidic or bracing respites from meat and carbs. begin with a basket of puffy flatbread and some compelling dips — ezme, a spicy appetizer/dip of finely chopped tomato, peppers, garlic, onions and spices, and/or cacik, a mix of yogurt, cucumbers and herbs not to be confused with tzatziki. — reviewed june 7, 2023

cafe tehran

opened in the summer of 2023, the persian café served us a “trio” sampler of skewered meats. best were cubes of juicy chicken breast, bolstered by the unmistakable, complex, and earthy flavour of saffron, much loved in persian cuisine. chunks of grilled beef (called chenjeh) and skewers of ground beef (koobideh) were almost as good. all of the meats had been expertly grilled, and like other main courses, the dish included a heap of fluffy rice, some of which was saffron-tinged, and a minimum of vegetable accompaniments, either grilled or pickled. also on that platter was a small serving of tahdig, a darkly crusted, crispy lozenge of saffron-y rice. — reviewed june 7, 2023

iskender doner kebab house

iskender kebab (sliced doner kebab meat topped with hot tomato sauce over pieces of bread, with yogurt) at iskender doner kebab house on innes road. peter hum / postmedia

this no-frills strip mall eatery takes its name from a turkish specialty of sliced doner kebab meat topped with a rich tomato sauce. in turkey, this former regional specialty has become a national favourite, and i could taste why. the meat had character, the tomato sauce was rich, and the absorbent pita was something special, while the dollop of yogurt on the side was creamy but refreshing. — reviewed nov. 17, 2022

saffron kabab

saffron mix 10 assortment of kababs from saffron kabab. peter hum / postmedia

three simple words — “saffron mix 10” — yielded a well-seasoned carnivore’s delight that included four ground beef kebabs, three chicken breast kebabs, and three “filet mignon” kebabs), plus some supplementary cubes of meat in lieu of some chicken drumsticks that were supposed to have been part of the meal. if we had to rank them, we would have given the saffron-tinged chicken chunks top marks, followed by the beef chunks and then the more dry ground beef kebabs. — reviewed july 13, 2022

khokha eatery

chapli kebabs and naan from khokha eatery in barrhaven. jean levac / postmedia

thanks to their eye-widening flavours, chapli kebabs from this barrhaven strip mall eatery elicited wows and sighs of appreciation. “a lot of people have commented they have not had chapli kebabs like this even in toronto,” said owner-operator zermina siddiqi. “i will not compromise on them. chapli kebab requires a lot of onions. we get tired chopping those onions.” — reviewed june 10, 2021

mezbaan

tandoori chicken breast kebab at mezbaan on carling avenue. peter hum / postmedia

at a lunch visit to mezbaan in the west end, while the chicken thigh kebab offered on the menu wasn’t available, the chicken breast kebab was seconds-off-the-grill moist, and blessed with fine tandoori seasoning. — reviewed nov. 27, 2019

where else should peter hum go for kebabs? leave a suggestion in the comment section below or send a suggestion to: phum@postmedia.com

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