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Located in the heart of Sin El Fil, facing St. Mary's church a few meters away from the Saloumi roundabout, is a shop. A famous place busy with people, hungry visitors who come here mainly for the shawarma. Two huge skewers of shawarma turn on their spits, cooking slowly and calmly while being cut to fill one sandwich after another. Joseph has been serving its hungry and loyal clientele for the last 20 years.
Twenty long years at the service of Sin El Fil and the lower Metn area. Shawarma is shawarma, isn't it? Don't judge until you've tasted Joseph. Thin and fresh bread, two layers of it, wrapped around a generous portion of meat or chicken alongside accompaniments. Premium quality, without any sauces or sophistication. Pure beef, premium chicken, juicy and tender with lettuce, pickles and fries for the white meat and parsley with tarator for the brown one. A thick 8 centimeters in diameter, the sandwiches are filling without being heavy. I loved the quality of the ingredients, the juiciness of the meat, the crunchiness of the vegetables and the softness of the bread. An adequate amount of fat, some spiciness and that's it. Not over done, and not spilling from all sides, the sandwich is really unique.
Lebanese Examiner: (BEIRUT, LEBANON) 2014— The infamous Lebanese shawarma was named “world’s tastiest sandwich” by London-based food network FoodieHub after a local Beirut-based restaurant won the top award among 4,000 nominees across 150 cities. Joseph’s Restaurant in Sin El Fil, which has been operating for 20 years, was nominated by Lebanese food blogger Anthony Rahayel, who runs the popular blog NoGarlicNoOnions. Rahayel described Joseph’s shawarma as “fulfilling without being heavy.”I loved the quality of the ingredients, the juiciness of the meat, the crunchiness of the vegetables and the tenderness of the bread,” wrote Rahayel on a blog post from November 2014. “The adequate amount of fat, the spiciness and that’s it. Not over done, and not spilling from all sides, the sandwich is really unique.” Rahayel said his blog’s mission is to show “the other side of Lebanon,” referring to a more positive image of the country’s cuisine and culture. “I wanted to let everyone see and learn how our various dishes are prepared, how they vary from one town to another, one city to another and even from one home to another,” Rahayel wrote. Foodiehub described the shawarma to be: “Thin and fresh bread, two layers of it, wrapped around a generous portion of meat of chicken alongside accompaniments; premium quality, without any sauces or sophistication. Pure beef, premium chicken, juicy, tender with lettuce, pickles and fries for the white meat and parsley and tartar for the brown.”
Today for lunch, I had a meat shawarma, chicken shawarma and a falafel sandwich, all of which tasted extremely good. It's premium quality, clean street food. Simplicity without any sophistication, the old fashioned way.
I love it here and come every other month to enjoy these delicious sandwiches. Meet Joseph in person, a passionate guy who works with love and dedication using the best of ingredients.
