Shawarmageddon

Updating my review from almost a year ago. They definitely learned from their growing pains and the place is worth eating now. I went there recently and had the shawarma plate (no wrap) and it was very unique and tasty. Good job guys!

Oh. My. God.
We were just driving through Reno on our way to a fishing trip and this place BLEW OUR MIND. We live in San Francisco and have access to some pretty excellent falafel and shwarma… And this place delivered beyond our wildest dreams. Seriously. Do not miss this spot.
My only regret is that I ordered and paid for drinks but I didn’t get them. I won’t blame them… I was taking the food to go and left quickly. If the drinks were anything near as good as the food, I’m sure we’d be even more psyched.

If you enjoy bitter tasting food you will love this place. Everything was bitter, the swamp thing drink was so weird and bitter that I had to dump it out. The lamb was burnt and tasted bitter, the mint in the wrap was so overpowering and the sauce was extremely spicy. There were a lot of flavors, but none of them was good. Can’t recommend this place.

I’ve lived in Reno for 54 years and am always looking for something new!
This evening I decided to try something different and I found Shawarmageddon. I order a Chicken Shawarma Wrap; It was prepared with the freshest of ingredients served in fresh ashtanur bread with cabbage and carrot slaw, cucumbers, roasted red peppers, red onion, mint, hummus. I thought at first Mint no way but let me tell all you nay Sayers. the mint added that little something extra we all look for when dinning out. BAMMM!
I decided to order the Luqaimat (Arabic Doughnuts) Oh my God it was 5 Orange Blossom Honey and Cardamom Powdered Sugar Doughnuts. I’m glad I took it to go as 1 is too many and a thousand never enough. YUMMMMM!
I want to clarify that when ordering food of this quality it wont come out of the kitchen in 1.5 mins like… shall I dare say it a Fast Food place. Food of this quality and the commitment to producing such an awesome handheld feast takes more time and is WELL WORTH the short wait!
Thank you for Shawarma for making my dining experience a culinary Delight
Mike Brothers /​Reno Native

Quaint place. Really small though. Can’t seat more than 9. Amazing amazing food and awesome guy, Tyler. Highly recommend. Everything is awesome.

Good but so sporadic when it comes to portion sizes. Everytime the schwarma itself tastes great but the portion sizes are so lame. It is only a two blocks away from where I work so this is the fourth time I’ve been in a month. The first and third times I have been the schwarma was enormous and so satisfying. The other two times the schwarma was pitiful that I could have eaten two or three of them. This is really disappointing and makes me not want to risk coming and wasting money on something that isn’t going to make me feel satisfied. I really hope schwarmageddon can decide on a portion size.

OMG! Fantastic hole in the wall place. You almost miss it when you walk by. Reminds me of some of the pop ups in weird alleyways throughout the Bay Area. This place is one of my top five places to eat in Reno. First walk in and notice the awesome death metal they are playing. The woman behind the counter is a no bullshit, curt, direct, hard working wonderful person. The guy cooking was working his ass off as well. I let the woman pick what she would order, wich ended up being the falafel with hummus I believe. and then I ordered my wife the chicken schwarma with various other sauces. We also got the donut holes. All delicious. All incredible. We will be back again and again.

Hands down the best place to get a shawarma while your in town. Little cute location located in a apartment building complex. No frills just get your food eat and go hole in the wall. I had them make me 2 specials a lamb and a chicken asked me if I loved spice and told them to bring it on, and ohh boy it made it so good with that extra spice for the lamb. The Crimson Death tea was good not to spicy or over powering will try the other one since they ran out of it when I went in.

«I was into Death Metal and Cooking. I was an angry man, but you’ve gotta eat.» ~ Steve Hughes
First impressions are lasting, as they say, and this was a great one.
I read about this place last night, and as a former resident of 501, I was saddened that Pneumatic Diner had closed, but when I saw that this new place was installed, I just knew I had to show up and pay tribute.
I was almost sure the eatery was going to be upstairs where Pneumatic used to be, but I was surprised to find that the kitchen literally lies deep within the catacombs formerly occupied by PD’s food prep area. It was well kept and lit, surely conforming to all the drabbery of OSHA requirements. However, the music was in line with the theme but still laid back – no screamo while I was there.
The eating area is where there once was nothing but a staircase. Excellent use of space if I do say so myself! I might recommend that the owner place a diagonal cross-​beam to help support the eating counter, because when I pressed down on it to help myself onto the stool it bowed down a bit.
«We’re going to raise the devil, but first, nibbles!»
I began by explaining to the burly proprietor that I’ve never had Shawarma before. No problem! He easily suggested a lamb wrap with all the standard fixin’s. I also asked for a coke (which I wasn’t expecting to be an expensive Mexican bottle. They could really use a drink fountain).
As I waited for my meal I snapped some photos to see if any evil spirits, orbs or shadows might appear in the exposures. Alas, not.
Getting my wrap didn’t take long at all. Exactly as previous Unilocalers have exclaimed, the taste is explosive. The spices were enormous but melded evenly with the meat and veggies. Within minutes, the fires of the dark lord cleared my sinuses and brought tears to my eyes. But this is a good thing, IMO. It’s true the flat bread was a tad dry, but you could tell it was actually cooked right before I got it. Overall, truly an authentic flavor from what I can tell with my limited Mediterranean cuisine experience!
I was tempted to buy a second wrap for later, but because a crowd of hungry patrons soon followed during the lunch rush, I decided to defer! Definitely will be back, though. Three hours later writing this review I still have the taste in my mouth. Hard to forget.

Absolutely love this place!
It’s my go to spot in Reno when I feel like an authentic chicken shawarma with the best toum (garlic sauce)

The address clearly states: 501 W 1^st St on Unilocal!Yet it’s located on Ralston Street. I’ve been reading about this spot for months on Unilocal.I just couldn’t figure out where it was on 1^st Street. On a recent drive by I noticed the Shawarmageddon banner on the Truckee River Terrace Apartment building. So I walked over to check it out. It’s on the side of the apartment building near the parking lot entrance in what appears to office suites. They’re located in the lobby. It’s worth finding them.
Once inside, the music might not be to your liking but I got a kick out listening Nine Inch Nails while I waited. Each wrap is made to order by hand. So if there are 4 people ahead of you there will be a wait. Trust me it’s worth the wait and it’s not that long of a wait.
The menu is limited: wraps of either chicken, lamb or falafel but the sauce list is eclectic. I opted to let the Shawarma Master work his magic to create my lunch. It was dang good. The creamiest (yet crunchy) falafel balls I’ve ever had. The slaw added a nice crunch. I didn’t think it was spicy at all but my tongue had a nice tingle all afternoon. Spiced Crunchy Chick Peas were a nice salty treat. I was too full try the donuts. Beverage options: Mexican Coke, Water, Miller High Life or spicy iced tea. I drank water.
Eat & Destroy Quality Shawarma is their motto and that’s what I did. The seating is limited bar chairs and bar shelves line the lobby but it’s close enough to the Riverwalk to eat alfresco. Next time I’ll take it go and only eat ½ so I can try to the donuts. Great grab-&-on option for events on the Riverwalk.

Came here because everyone raving about food. Limited menu: chalk board in stairwell. This is literally a hole in the wall almost under the stairwell. You place your order at a tiny window and wait. Actually some of the seating is under the stairwell. There’s a counter facing the walll, one facing the window and one outside facing in the window.
I opted for the lamb wrap and water. Choice of lamb, chicken or falafel wraps with veggies and choice of sauce. I chose a mild sauce. Make a few specialty teas… see blackboard photo. We also tried fried chick peas… interesting.
The lamb wrap ($ 10) was huge and delicious. I would definitely get this again… only I’d get on days when I want to take it home or to the park which is just a block away. We ate at bench facing the window, and it was okay. imagine it would be hot or cold, depending on the weather… today the door was open and it was a great day.
Definitely should give it a try.

We’re new to Reno and were on the hunt for a quick place to eat with vegetarian food. Thank goodness for this delicious satanic falafel! The wrap pita bread thing was definitely homemade, and was unlike any other I’ve had. The insides were full of fresh and flavorful veggies and my choice of sauce, a sort of garlic aioli. 4 hours later I still have garlic breath and I don’t care at all.
Gotta admit we were confused about where to go; we went up the stairs unknowingly, then got confused about the long hallway lacking metal music up there. Went back downstairs and realized that it’s just a micro-​restaurant! Whoops.
I’m sure I’ll be back again soon to try the spiced chickpeas & tabbouleh!

To be honest we were indecisive as to order or not, because it is literally a hole in the wall…
But with trusting other Unilocal reviewers, we took a risk and ordered.
An explosion of delightful taste!
The lamb shawarma is the incomparable with anything I had before, so perfectly balanced with just the right amount of spices. My husband and I also got the chickpeas: Such an unique taste: glazed on the outside, and crunchy, with an indescribable good taste; and the tea… so good: I can taste the green tea and the cardamom.

I had recently returned from Australia, where döner kebab is quite popular, and I had been craving something similar. I noticed that this place had opened up and thought I would try it out. It definitely is difficult to notice if you’re just driving by, but if you park and walk up Ralston, you’ll find it.
To start, the wrap was smaller than I was expecting, but did not leave me dissatisfied. Overall the wrap was very good, the highlight for me being the lamb itself. If you stop by, definitely have the lamb, it’s outstanding.
This is probably one of the better options in Reno, but I don’t feel its the best I’ve ever had. These guys really make an effort to give you a good product. Definitely worth trying this place out, especially if you’re into metal.

So this was a first for me. It is fairly easy to find. Very small place with only a few stools so getting food to go was our choice.
It’s right near the river and you can find a bench easily
I don’t do really spicy food and I was pleasantly surprised that this had spice but not burn your mouth spice
We had lamb shwarma and chick peas with swamp thing tea.
I will definitely go again and again and again. To be continued…

I came across this little business via the weekly Unilocal.I decided to try it since it was close to work and I only had 45 minutes for lunch.
This place may be hard to find for people because 1-​Yelp maps took me south on sierra to the La Rue area, walking. 2-​their signage isn’t huge and catchy. I knew where they were because once I looked up the area on google, I realize it’s where Pneumatic use to be (or thereabouts). It was about a 5 minute drive from work (courthouse downtown). I didn’t feel like walking today due to cloudy and sprinkling and my lack of umbrella or hooded jacket.
Trying to find parking was easy at the hour of 1:10 in the afternoon on a Wednesday. I was able to park on the same side of the street as the hole in the wall joint right outside the door, so if there was a torrential downpour to follow, I could safely retreat without being drenched. (Spoiler: There wasn’t a downpour). Walking in, had I not looked at the pictures on here others had taken to show how really hole in the wall this place was, I might have been floored. It is a TINY place. There are about 7 seats inside. Today there were a few stools outside to sit on. When I walked in, two patrons were enjoying their food (I say enjoying because they were eating it and not complaining) and one was ahead of me ordering.
My second impression was that the music was pleasurable. With the theme of the place, I was expecting some darker tunes to be playing, trying to convert people perhaps? The man taking the order was responding to the patron ordering «Well we couldn’t be too cliché playing death metal.» That made me giggle a bit. Good to know the employees had a sense of humor. After the guy in front of me was done, it was my turn. I ordered a chicken shawarma and the Swamp Thing tea (that one grabbed my attention because there is a 7 minute line dance called Swamp Thing). But all the other beverage options sounded good as well. (Though I’m pretty sure beer on a lunch break would not be a good idea)
The tea was given to me over the counter right after I paid (Good news! These guys take card! Pneumatic didn’t), and a short wait later my food was out. I ordered it to go so I could take it back to work and eat. Getting back to work and unwrapping it I discovered two wraps, or one cut in half. Some of the food had leaked out into the bag and caused grease marks. But it was conveniently in a paper bag that absorbed most of it.
And after all of this, it was just ok. It had a bit of spice to it, that my weakling self could hardly handle. I kind of agree with other reviews that the meat was a bit dry. But amidst the sauce inside (mayo perhaps?) and tomatoes, it all seemed to balance out. The only other complaint I have is that the bread was dry. Rather than folding nicely, it ripped, so I had to hold my wrap more like a sandwich than a taco.
Overall, cool little place, different idea for a theme, nice employees. But compared to Hummus Fresh, I think I’ll stick with Hummus Fresh :)

I had never had a shawarma before, so I have nothing to compare it to but this was very good! I like that they only have 4 things on the menu (3 shawarma wraps and 1 side). Basically you just pick chicken, lamb, or vegetarian, then I think they are all the same beyond that. They seem to be of the philosophy of serve 1 thing and do it well, and they succeeded. And the 1 side that they served, the spiced chick peas, were fantastic!!! I would go back just for those. They have several different drink options, I got the swamp thing, which is kind of a spiced green iced tea. Not a fan– I got through an ounce of that and had to pour it out. It was very sweet and VERY green (flavored, not colored).
Also, see the picture I posted about seating. There were 7 bar stools and a counter to sit at– you are essentially eating in a stairwell. But it’s super close to the river, so plan on taking it to go because it’s just a block from a beautiful picnic area, weather providing. I’m not sure if they are taking over the upstairs eventually (former pneumatic diner area), they said it was just storage up there.
I would definitely return.

I was a shawarma virgin, so I really wasn’t sure what I was in for! I heard its a little tough to find, and that there is basically no seating. So I was a little nervous, and kind of excited!
The place is set back on Ralston, with minimal signage. But we found it! The menu is very straight to the point… shawarma in lamb, chicken of veggie, spiced chick peas (order these!!! No seriously… Order these! They are fabulous!) and a few drinks. We could hear metal pumping from the kitchen (a little jarring, but ok) we walk to the counter, the guy at the counter walked us thru the ordering process. We ordered 3 shawarma, 1 chick peas, and 2 swamp teas (or something like that).
Please note, there is really not much of a place to sit, so plan on sitting at a small bar, or get it to go!
We got our food and headed out. The shawarma tasted very fresh, and wonderful! It felt healthy and was very flavorful! I will be ordering a shawarma again very soon! It sounds like a perfect late night post drinking snack! The chick peas were heaven! We were all bumped that we only ordered one! The swamp tea was interesting, I probably won’t order it again.
Overall I rally enjoyed my lunch! I will be back very soon! Super stoked reno has a unique place like this!

Have you ever been to a black mass? Ever scratched a pentagram into your arm under the light of the moon?
Yeah me neither, but if you plan to, stop by here for a little stencil for your evening activities. No blood sacrifices need to be done. They have already taken care of that with chickens, lamb and poor defenseless veggies. They have wrapped these on the alter of tasty bread. Your worshipping chants will come out as «oh my god» and. «Mmmhmmmm».
The offerings are not just a few sheckles but still the gods will be appeased with an amount that won’t require the removing of your own arm or leg.
Thankfully so, because if you stay, you will be standing on both of your legs while eating your sacrifice.
A pagan Mecca for worshippers of the food gods.
This just could become a ritual related closely with Baccus.