Shawarma Hut - Restaurant Elephant and Castle

Featured reviews

• G

  Google user

  ·1 month ago

  “This venue has great recommendations and a mission to serve quality food at low prices. You can't fault the owner for that. We sat inside as the outdoor area was too smokey. You order at the counter with the menu. They were busy and it took quite a while to receive our food. The server was very good in taking away used plates and cleaning the tables. I was disappointed. The food was a bit dry in places and although great value I came away underwhelmed.”

• G

  Google user

  ·2 months ago

  “Had a time today to visit them after the hype on tiktok. I order half grill chicken meal. It was very good quantity more then enough. But there was no taste in chicken. But it was fine with chilli sauce if you topped it. Otherwise its okay. Not to good not to bad. Quantity in this price is very good also a respectable place to eat in. With this price. Staff is also very good.”

• G

  Google user

  ·2 months ago

  “Shawarma Hut has been getting a lot of attention on social media, so I decided to give it a try. Overall, I'd say it was an average experience rather than one that lived up to the hype. We ordered the Lamb Kofta Platter, Chicken Grill Platter, Seabass Platter, Chicken Shawarma Platter and some drinks. The portions were generous, which is definitely a positive. However, I found the flavours a little underwhelming. Everything tasted quite mild and almost watered down. I'm not sure if that's the traditional Lebanese style, but it wasn't what I was expecting. Thankfully, the red chilli sauce really elevated the dishes and added the flavour they were missing. The chicken sheesh was a little dry, while the lamb kofta seemed slightly undercooked in the middle, although it was still edible. The seabass was probably the highlight of the meal, cooked well and enjoyable. The chicken shawarma was decent but a little oily for my liking. Again, the red sauce made it much better. The fries were also a disappointment as they were quite hard rather than crispy and fluffy. I was originally leaning towards 4 stars because the service was fine and the portion sizes were good, but after thinking about the overall quality and taste, I feel 3 stars is a fair reflection. It's not a bad place by any means, but for the price and all the hype, I expected more. I didn't try the shisha this time, so I can't comment on that. I may come back in the future to see if the food is more consistent.”

• G

  Google user

  ·2 months ago

  “I had an incredibly disappointing experience at this establishment and cannot recommend it. The hygiene standards were extremely poor. The premises were dirty, which immediately put me off my meal. The service was equally disappointing. The staff seemed completely disengaged, lacked professionalism, and showed little interest in helping customers. To make matters worse, the food looked nothing like the photos used in the advertising or on the menu, which felt misleading. The portions were also very small and poor value for the price charged. The side salad was particularly disappointing—it looked unappetising, was poorly prepared, and seemed like an afterthought. Overall, this was a very poor experience. If you value cleanliness, honest advertising, good service, and decent portion sizes, I would recommend spending your money elsewhere. Grilled chicken wings were incredibly small, probably all 5 pieces could have made one full decent chicken wing. The rice was overwhelmingly covered with cinnamon and I just couldn't eat it. Message to the owner :if you are going to advertise on social media, which shows different from when you go and eat at your restaurant there is no need for fake advertising..Don't run after rich people,run after your business.”

• G

  Google user

  ·2 months ago

  “Very disappointing. The chicken wings definitely, but even more so for a place that says it wants families to take their children out more often. The halloumi was a great portion and really well offset with the pickles and salad. The butterfly prawns were amazing. Hummus is good but was served a while before the bread, there were no forks, so we had to just sit and look at it until they finally came with the bread All the starters together were 16 quid which is excellent for everything except the chicken wings you can get more and better for the price all over London. The food is outstanding But the place is dirty. They clear but don't clean the tables. Great that it's so busy, but the staff are unhelpful.”

• G

  Google user

  ·3 months ago

  “The sit-down dining experience offers ok food and good value for money. Unfortunately, my first experience with their takeaway service was disappointing. As I had travelled over 80 miles by train, I specifically asked if my takeaway could be packed separately so it would remain fresh for my family when I got home. I was assured this would be done, but unfortunately it wasn't. The wraps were soaked in sauce, contained very little salad, and as a result were quite soggy. The owner's Instagram videos set high expectations about the flavour, but I found the food surprisingly bland. The kofta wrap was particularly disappointing, containing noticeable fat and gristle in the mince, which affected the overall quality. I had been looking forward to trying the food based on the online promotion, but it simply did not live up to the hype. I also noticed the restaurant currently holds a food hygiene rating of 4, and I found the customer service to be below the standard I had expected. Overall, this was my first visit, and unfortunately, it will also be my last.”

• G

  Google user

  ·4 months ago

  “This is poor food—not food for the poor. Full guide (read before you go): Only follow the hype from YouTubers and Instagrammers if you’re desperate or have no taste buds. Before arguing about “amazing value,” know that there are many Syrian and Lebanese spots offering far better quality at similar prices. The oversized portions you see online are clearly staged for hype—they won’t materialise for you. I just came back from Shawarma Hut for lunch. Restaurant: Miserable and chaotic. No attention to detail and not very clean—floors were slippery with grime and fat, and the toilets are a complete no-go under any circumstances. Food hygiene isn’t reassuring, with dirty tissues on the floor. Tables are cleared quickly, but that’s about it. Staff: Casual and disinterested. No one to greet you at the counter. Staff wear a mix of clothing (some in tracksuits), looking stressed and disengaged. No table service—you order and prepay before seeing the food. Food: Ordered hummus, tabbouleh, chicken shawarma wrap, and ½ grilled chicken. Hummus: Easily the worst I’ve had—runny, more like a sauce than a dip, hence served in a bowl. A disaster. Chicken Shawarma Wrap: Mostly lettuce and tomato, very little meat, and what was there lacked flavour or seasoning. Cheap, but not cheerful. Tabbouleh: Large chunks of tomato and onion with roughly chopped parsley (including stalks). Nothing like the delicate, vibrant Lebanese/Syrian version. Avoid. Grilled Chicken: The best dish—charcoal-grilled well and genuinely tasty. A shame about the poor rice and chips. Overall: Not worthy of the hype. The owner promotes “value for money” online, but the experience doesn’t match. If you’re after good Lebanese/Syrian food—especially shawarma—look elsewhere. This isn’t even worth the cheap money they charge. Avoid.”

• G

  Google user

  ·4 months ago

  “Came here yesterday with my mates to see if this place lives up to the hype on social media. 1st thing I have to say is fair play to the owner for keeping the prices low for everyday people. This is an amazing thing to do especially in these times. Now for the food I ordered deal 3 which was a quarter boneless chicken, chicken shawarma, rice, chips and salad. The food was really good the boneless chicken was juicy and succulent and had so much flavour, the chicken shawarma was also really nice highly recommend it. I really enjoyed the chips and rice hovered I do think the rice lacked a little flavour I think a little salt and pepper would sort that out. The meal with a drink came to £6.99 which is amazing value for money. Nearly forgot to mention the service was quick and amazing even though the place was busy. Highly recommend this place and wish the owner success for doing such an amazing job. If only these big franchises/companies would take note.”

• G

  Google user

  ·4 months ago

  “The restaurant offers authentic cuisine at very reasonable prices—indeed, some dishes are priced more competitively than at comparable establishments. The service was notably warm and personal, contributing to a welcoming atmosphere. One area for improvement would be the shop floor, which felt quite slippery and could benefit from attention for safety and comfort.”

• G

  Google user

  ·5 months ago

  “About a year and a half ago, back in December 2024 (before this place blew up on TikTok), I left a review giving it 3 stars and was shocked to see it sitting at around 4.5 overall. A lot has changed since then, so I wanted to come back and update my thoughts. I’ve now visited twice recently, both times for the meal deal. The last visit I had the £5.99 option (chicken shawarma with rice, salad, chips + a drink), and my total bill came to just £6.99. That’s outstanding value. From a pure food standpoint, I’d still rate it around 3 to 4 stars, it’s solid, satisfying, and more than fine for the price, but not the absolute best shawarma or food you’ll ever have. It’s honest, mediocre to good fast food that fills you up properly. What’s changed though is the pricing they’ve made it genuinely affordable, and that makes a huge difference. I’m happy paying this much for a decent, filling plate rather than expecting premium quality at premium prices. I paid at the time of ordering and there was no service charge added, which I really appreciated (that was one of my previous criticisms). I can’t comment on whether they still add it for tables of two or more, but for solo visits it’s straightforward and fair. I’m going to give 5 stars however because the owner is one of the realest, most genuine guys running a spot in South London. You can feel the good energy and heart behind the business. He’s done a lot for the community helping the homeless and supporting charitable causes and that matters more than perfect food in my book. The only area that I think that could still use with room for improvement is managing firstly all of this hype because it is a lot of hype and maybe when I was there service was a bit sloppy and slow. • Food: 3.5–4 stars (perfectly acceptable) • Value: 5 stars • Owner & vibe: 5 stars”