Shawarma in Silicon Valley

SLICE AND DICE: Robee's Falafel is a shawarma hub in San Jose.

I have a challenge for you: look up “shawarma” on Twitter right now and see if the results ever stop refreshing for more than a full minute (my best time: 34 new tweets in 20 seconds). Considering the pace at which Twitter-fueled trends come and go these days, by the time this goes to print, the shawarma scene may be a very different one. But as I’m sure many of you are already aware, at this time two weeks ago the world was crazy for shawarma, a Middle Eastern street food that in the States is found mostly in specialty restaurants.

Shawarma is a method of preparing meat on a spit, similar to the way the more familiar Greek gyro is made. In Middle Eastern countries, shawarma is held in similar regard to the food cart, though perhaps not with the same disdain some might project onto sidewalk food vendors—shawarma’s a food of the locals; a quick lunch for when you’re on your way somewhere else.

It’s suddenly in high demand for one reason: Robert Downey Jr. One brief mention (now reported to be an ad-lib) of shawarma at the very end of The Avengers, and the social networks lit up with posts about shawarma, as if it never existed until Iron Man spoke of it. Reports have already surfaced that in L.A. alone, shawarma sales jumped an estimated 80 percent less than a week after the film’s debut, thanks almost solely to the deluge of hashtags and check-ins it inspired.

Fortunately, South Bay citizens shall never want for shawarma. Thanks to a range of Middle Eastern restaurants in San Jose that have been offering the staple street food since long before it was cool, there’s likely a place to try it in your neighborhood.

Downtown dwellers and first-time buyers should pop into San Pedro Market for Robee’s Falafel, where they provide shawarma in classic varieties like beef, chicken and, if you’re feeling adventurous, beef and chicken. For an on-the-go variation, hit up Falafels on the Row, a small outpost parked in a quiet corner of Santana Row. Falafels on the Row offers up a popular spin on shawarma, tossed in a toasty lavash and swaddled in tinfoil for easy transport.

Farther afield, make your way to International Kabob House on Union Avenue. This place is a favorite of Campbellites and Cambrian Park citizens. While they’re known for their arsenal of dipping sauces and Greek fries, they’ve also got a robust selection of shawarma varieties.

Outside of the San Jose city borders, shawarma is still within reach. Wrap This in Santa Clara has a few flavors to choose from, and Sunnyvale’s Dish n’ Dash, where a literal 3/5ths of the entree menu is shawarma, does the dish a trendy setting, pairing shawarma with smoothies and salads instead of hummus and tahini. Heading north,  you’ll find House of Falafel in Cupertino and Mediterranean Wraps in Palo Alto.

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