• Alex Springer

During my culinary travels throughout the Wasatch Front, I've been fortunate to come upon a few shawarma joints. Some of these are better than others, but it wasn't until I visited the recently opened Shawarma Shack that I realized what the others may have been missing. Located at the back of the popular Market on Main Street across from Gallivan Plaza, Shawarma Shack is full of metropolitan appeal. I'm usually never going to shy away from shawarma and falafel, but I have to say that Shawarma Shack's versions are in the top-tier of what you can get locally. On top of that, there is something special about dining on these Middle Eastern classics in the bodega-style setting that Shawarma Shack has adopted.

Perhaps it was because I visited Shawarma Shack on a particularly gloomy November afternoon, but retreating into the far reaches of this landmark convenience store for some classic Middle Eastern comfort food was a rejuvenating experience. I had skipped breakfast, so I decided to get a few items from the restaurant's well-curated menu. It's divided up into platters, wraps and hot dogs–which were a bit on the unexpected side. Shawarma Shack is a halal restaurant, which means that its all-beef hot dogs–or dawgs, as the menu describes–are indeed halal.

As the hot dogs had me the most curious, that's where I started my order. The menu includes both the Big Beef Dawg ($5.95) and the Big Chili Cheese Dawg ($6.95). I went with the latter because it seemed like the obvious choice. When it arrived, I was happy to see that it had no shortage of toppings–plenty of chili, some shredded cheese, onions, mustard and pickled jalapeños. It's a decently-sized dog for just shy of seven bucks and I'd put it up against any hot dog from here to New York City. It's tough to beat an all-beef hot dog, and this one has a perfect amount of snap to it. If you're a fan of hot dogs by any stretch, then you'll want to give these a try.

From there, I hopped over to the chicken shawarma wrap ($12.95) which captures the heart of the Shawarma Shack's menu. It's a lavash-style flatbread stuffed with chicken, lettuce, cucumber, tomato and plenty of hot sauce. It's an exemplary interpretation of the shawarma–the lettuce and cucumber provide a nice, fresh crunch and the chicken has received a whole lot of love in the seasoning department. It's got a nice kick from the hot sauce, but there is also a creamy sauce in the mix that balances everything out.

I finished things off with a combo platter ($14.95) that comes with chicken and beef gyro meat served on top of rice. I also opted for a side of falafel ($2.95), which I'd recommend–the crunchy textural contrast is great here. At first glance, the combo platter seems pretty straightforward, but it really delivers in regards to the proteins. You've got plenty of that well-prepared chicken, but it's the slices of beef gyro meat that really send this dish into the flavor stratosphere. Like the shawarma, there is a good amount of heat from the chili sauce–which I really liked–but it also has some of the cream sauce to calm things down a bit.

Every visit to Shawarma Shack should also be punctuated by an order of baklava ($3.95), which the staff will heat up and drizzle with simple syrup if you prefer. I would definitely recommend this preparation as it makes it easier for the pastry to crumble into a gooey cinnamon and pistachio paradise.

During my visit to Shawarma Shack and my intermittent chit-chat with the staff, it once again became clear to me why restaurants like this remain important to Salt Lake's downtown scene. For starters, our halal options are quite few and far between–and to my knowledge, this is the only place where you can get a halal hot dog. I've always thought that dining out was a bit lopsided for anyone with a dietary restriction, whether it comes from a personal or religious perspective. Shawarma Shack's central presence in downtown Salt Lake is a welcome bastion for anyone after plant-based or halal food–of course, it helps that the food is great.

I also think its bodega-style digs are important to the local urban landscape. One of the coolest parts about exploring a city is finding a hole-in-the-wall restaurant that just blows you away with its menu. I love food in all its iterations, but it's the small places tucked into the hidden corners of the country's metropolitan areas that really pique my culinary curiosity. Salt Lake has a few of these hidden gems, and here's hoping that Shawarma Shack will continue to share its tasty Middle Eastern classics with the downtown area for a long time to come.