There's not enough shawarma in the Coachella Valley. But here are some spots to try
The Coachella Valley has historic connections to the Middle East when it comes to the iconic desert date palms. But that connection hasn't translated to our restaurant offerings.
That's all to say: Where are the shawarma spots?
Shawarma was part of many family dinners for me. My father used to bring home beef shawarma plates and a rotisserie chicken late after work as a treat. It was one of the few times my mother wouldn’t complain about us eating fast food, and we’d eat it huddled over the coffee table. My sister and I would insist that my dad couldn't forget the garlic sauce — the best part that also always came on the side.
It's a staple dish in the take-out arena, and you can't go very far in certain parts of the Los Angeles area without seeing at least one shawarma restaurant.
But that's not the case in the Coachella Valley.
That's why I decided to put my years of experience eating Zankou Chicken growing up in Glendale to use, and find some restaurants in the valley where you can enjoy this Middle Eastern dish.
Here's what I found:
Wrap Houz
Address: 555 S. Palm Canyon Drive, Palm Springs
Hours: Noon to 9 p.m. Tuesday–Saturday, closed on Monday and Sunday, according to its website
If you finish eating shawarma without garlic breath, you’re doing it wrong.
Wrap Houz is new to Palm Springs. The small restaurant is located within a plaza with lots of parking and has a table set up inside for customers who want to eat there, but like most shawarma spots, it’s mainly designed to be taken to go.
One of my biggest gripes with wraps or sandwiches of any kind is if they’re too dry. But Wrap Houz’s beef shawarma wrap, which costs $15.30 with tax, was anything but. The meat was flavorful and the wrap included the perfect amount of garlic tahini sauce.
Other items the restaurant offers include chicken shawarma wraps, chicken, beef or vegan platters and fattoush salad, according to its website. As a big fan of za’atar — a popular Middle Eastern spice mixture — I’m eyeing their za'atar and cheese wrap for my next visit.
The Wrap Shack
Address: 40-100 Washington St. Suite 109, Bermuda Dunes
Hours: 11:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Monday–Saturday, closed Sunday, according to its website
You know it's good when you can see the meat rotating on the spit in the back.
The Wrap Shack has all the Middle Eastern street food you could want, such as falafel, kebab and of course, shawarma. It’s a small spot located within a plaza in Bermuda Dunes, and has a portable table set up inside if you want to eat there instead of taking your food to go.
Their chicken shawarma was crispy and well-seasoned. I got it as a plate that came with rice, pita bread, salad and hummus for $18.30 with tax. It’s quite filling and could feed two depending on how hungry you are. They also sell chicken shawarma wraps.
It’s hard to pick a favorite on this list, but The Wrap Shack is probably the first place I’d want to revisit if I’m craving shawarma for dinner.
The Golden Dates Cafe
Address: 73-910 Highway 111, Suite H, Palm Desert
Hours: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday–Saturday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday (for the summer)
This charming cafe combines its owners’ love for art and Iraqi culture.
Adil and Badra Aleidi moved to Palm Desert from Baghdad around 13 years ago. The husband-and-wife duo started off by selling dates before opening their coffee shop in November 2022 to display their art and sell Middle Eastern cuisine and drinks.
Both of them were assistant teachers at the University of Baghdad College of Fine Arts, Adil Aleidi said.
“The idea is, we want our coffee shop to be (an) art coffee shop,” he said. “We want to have artists come here and have (meetings), have fun, have whatever, you know, food, (drinks).”
They plan to eventually display local artists’ work on the walls in addition to their own, offer art lessons, host lectures and set up a small library where customers can read about art history and Iraq.
“We want to make it a special coffee shop,” Aleidi said. “It is not any coffee shop.”
Badra Aleidi is mainly responsible for the cafe and its decor, which includes countless artificial flowers on display. You can also purchase dates there, in addition to a small and selective number of Middle Eastern grocery items like rose water, pomegranate molasses, tahini and grape leaves.
While this spot is mainly meant to be a coffee shop, they offer entrees like shawarma plates and wraps. I got a chicken shawarma plate and beef shawarma wrap for $44.43 with tax, which was more than enough to share with one or two more people. There are plenty of tables both inside and outside for you to enjoy your meal while listening to Arab music the cafe has playing on the speakers.
Honorable Mention: Luna Grill
Address: 73-405 Highway 111, Suite 105, Palm Desert
Hours: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily, according to its website
Shawarma has influenced cuisine beyond just West Asia. It's thought to have led to the invention of al pastor, which is similarly cooked on a vertical spit. And of course, there's gyros.
Gyros are a similar concept to shawarma, except they’re Greek with a slightly different flavor profile depending on where you’re eating. It can scratch the same itch, and there’s a few more restaurants offering Greek dishes than shawarma in the valley, hence its inclusion on this list.
The restaurant I recommend going to for gyros is Luna Grill, a Mediterranean chain with locations throughout California. The Palm Desert location has a polished and spacious interior with lots of seating.
Their gyro meat was tender with the right amount of flavor. It’s made from a mix of beef, lamb and spices, according to Luna Grill’s website. I got it as a plate, which comes with rice, pita bread, tzatziki and your choice of a side for $16.69 with tax. I also recommend getting the garlic feta sauce.
Ani Gasparyan covers the western Coachella Valley cities of Desert Hot Springs and Cathedral City. Reach her at ani.gasparyan@desertsun.com.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: A tour of the (few) shawarma spots in the Coachella Valley
