Shekarchi Express

Reviews

• Shu S.

  star star star star star 3 June 2026

  My only other point of reference for Persian food is Silk Road near St.laurent mall. Shekarchi was a lunchtime expedition for my coworker and I. We arrived for a late lunch and got seated immediately by the lovely hostess. Everyone was super friendly and the vibe was positive so already I enjoyed being here. We took a while with our orders but eventually ended up both ordering the koobideh (I'm certain I'm misspelling this) kabab plates. Basically minced beef, tenderizer and skewered and grilled till perfection over fire. Our food came out fairly quickly and while at first glance the plate seemed small, we soon realized how much food we got. A lot.
  Couple this with the fact that as appetizer (complimentary) we received pita pieces and onions with soft butter, when it came time for the meal we overestimated our abilities.
  
  The meat was soft, tender, and super juicy in a way that it melts into oblivion in your mouth and makes you realize that maybe your ate not meat but instead butter! The rice was flavourful, absorbing the butter and meat juices, while the vegetables on the side did a good job of balancing the meal and helped you keep your senses intact.
  
  Overall, we enjoyed it very much (granted we overstuffed ourselves and had to take the long way back to work), and will return.

• Amanda B.

  star star star star_border star_border 30 May 2026

  For all those wondering, Shekarchi Express/Restaurant is also known as Hunter's Famous Kabob (the logo says "Shekarchi", but the sign itself reads in larger font as "Hunter's Famous Kabob").
  
  I would always walk past this small restaurant and would smell the delicious grill. I stopped in for some take-out and ordered #6 Soltani Kabob, with two skewers of beef filet and ground beef, which comes with rice, pita bread, and vegetables, same as their other grill dishes. I also splurged for the mast'o khiar side dish. I was a bit uncertain how to pronounce the dish names correctly, so I asked the lady who took my order and she was very patient with me as I tried to sound out the words. I must say, though, that I was a bit disappointed that mirza ghasemi was not on the menu - I understand that it's a small place so options are limited, but it's my favorite Persian dish and I am still on the hunt for a good place to find it around the Ottawa area (message me if you know of anywhere I can find it!).
  
  There are a few tables for those who want to sit and eat, though space is limited. The tables were filled with a large group, so I sat down at the bench in front of the grill/cash. I waited about 20 minutes for my order, but I had nowhere to be. It seems to be a family-owned business and the chef kept my mind of the waiting by striking up some small talk. The lady who took my order also rang me up and offered me tea and water as I waited. There seemed to be only one or two people running it at the time, both of whom were very accommodating.
  
  When my order was finally ready, the chef asked if I would like butter on my rice, which I typically don't, but I like to eat dishes the way they are meant to be served, so I said yes and watched as they stuck some butter right in the middle of the hot rice. I found this to be a little strange, but after I went home and tasted it, I was pleasantly surprised - it was delicious! It was a big heaping pile of long grain white rice, with a bit of what I am assuming was subtly saffron-flavored rice, as it was yellow in color.
  
  The meat was seasoned well, but I would have preferred it to be on the rarer side. I typically have my steak rare to medium rare, but this was cooked to about medium well. Nonetheless, it was very tasty, and the mast'o khiar, made of yogurt, cucumbers, and herbs, helped put a little moisture back in the meal when eaten together with the rice and meat. The vegetables weren't so much vegetables as they were a very charred half tomato and a huge half of a raw onion, so don't expect a salad or steamed veggies. All in all, I was happy with my meal, and although it wasn't the most cost-friendly, I did have leftovers.
  
  I went back a second time for take-out again, but had to wait another 20 minutes and I was not impressed with the food, particularly the rice, which I was really looking forward to from the last time. I suppose it depends on who the cook/chef is, so don't expect a spectacular meal, but it's satisfying enough.

• Haider A.

  star star star star star_border 22 May 2026

  A great place to try Persian food. A little expensive now but the food is really good.
  My favourite dish is Joojeh kabob. Also liked the yogurt drink.

• David A.

  star star star star_border star_border 21 May 2026

  A real hole-in-the-wall, you would be forgiven for bypassing this establishment and that would be a real mistake. Serving some of Ottawa's most authentic Persian food I was introduced to this place by my Iranian friend who comes here a lot. If you are expecting highly spiced then this is not the place for you. Persian cuisine is at its best when it is freshly prepared and the meat is hot from the grill, this place does it very well.
  
  Being seated quickly in this very small restaurant, maybe only about eight or ten tables, I ordered a doogh, the savoury yoghurt drink combined comprised of carbonated spring, water, salt, spices and of course yoghurt. I was a little disappointed when I was brought a plastic-bottled mixture and not something fresh. The similar lassi yoghurt drink from any good Indian restaurant is always made fresh and beats this hands-down. It was pleasant enough though. I ordered the Koobideh Kabob, two skewers of the ground beef kebabs shaped into a long compressed sausage which came with nicely steamed basmati with some saffron laced rice sprinkled on top. The beef was quite flavorful and not spiced which may be a problem for some as they could consider it bland but this allows the flavor of the grilled meat to come through. The rice was cooked well, nice separate fluffy grains. Complete with a whole roasted tomato this was a good combination of fresh flavours. We had a couple of side dishes of Mast'o khiar, A freshly made tomato, cucumber, onion and mint flake salad drizzled with olive oil, and Mast'o mousir (the Persian equivalent of raita), sour cream, cucumber and shallots. Both sides were again not spiced allowing the true flavours of the mixture to shine together. On the table was a jar of sumac to use liberally as you wished to spice things up.
  
  All in all, a nice place for good fresh fast Persian cuisine. None of it is premade, it is all prepared right in front of your eyes. All except the doogh, that is. This place really could do is a good clean as there is a grubbiness everywhere. The owners should close for a few days and just paint the place to liven it up. I'm not too worried about things like that as I have had some of the best food in grungy little diners like this but I know some people would never eat here. It was a little on the pricey side as it was $25 before tip. That and the griminess make me give this a three star even though the food is pretty good.

• Nusheen D.

  star star star star star_border 20 May 2026

  Another great spot with good value and quality food. I had the Soltani Kebab plate which was tasty, and tender. The plate filled me up well, and I loved the tea.