A couple of industry folks I know and respect (one a chef, the other an avid supporter of local restaurants with a significant online presence) fed me two opposing views on Maroush, the newish Syrian/Middle Eastern restaurant that moved into the Slapfish space in Waterford Lakes.
“Fan-fucking-tastic,” said the chef. “Everything we had was fresh. Nothing sat around, nothing was weak and the food is super legit. I will easily drive the 20 minutes it takes to get it.”
The traveling gastronome, on the other hand, felt otherwise. “I was not a fan. Since I really didn’t like it, I didn’t post about it. I’d probably go back to give them another chance, though.”
The extreme reactions alone intrigued me enough to head out to the sprawling shopping, retail and dining mecca on North Alafaya Trail. There, under the restaurant’s harsh lights, my eyes turned to the soothing glow of their wood-burning oven. From its mouth, a woman shoveled out pillowy little pitas reminiscent of the wood-fired puffs from Cedars, the Lebanese mainstay on Sand Lake Road. Maroush, however, is run by a Syrian family who made their way to Orlando via Dearborn, Michigan, home to the largest Arab American community in the country. The restaurant simultaneously feels like a mom-and-pop and a corporate-branded outfit. Maybe it’s because Mohammad Al-Oubied has five such operations scattered about in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
So, beyond those baked little wonders — which beg to be eaten with hummus ($8) and what may be my favorite tabbouleh ($12) in town — the man is also a shawarma savant. Swaddle that shaved meat in fresh-baked lavash ($11 chicken/$12 beef) or savor the naked slivers atop a bed of yellow rice ($24) heady with cinnamon and cardamom, and you’ll be hard-pressed to think of a better shawarma being served in the city. What stands out are the penetrating flavors of the chicken and the melting fat in the beef. The glistening shreds aren’t dried out, as is so often the case with shawarma, but soft, tender and (quickly refers to thesaurus) butyraceous.
Back to that oven: It’s also used to spit out a host of flatbreads, or manakeesh. The one painted green and white with za’atar and akkawi cheese ($7) is no doubt my favorite. It’s a Levantine classic and even rivals the version served at Beirut Bakery & Deli. It’s what the pal and I scarfed down just before diving into a mixed grill ($35) comprising perfumed proteins like ground chicken kufta and ground Syrian beef kebab, as well as charred chicken shish tawouk and chunks of ribeye. The meats sat where they should — in lavash soaked in their own juices.
Now, kebabophiles may pooh-pooh the smallish stature of the ground chicken and beef, but their flavors will certainly strike a chord with their warming notes. Shish tawouk and ribeye chunks are presented in their pure, unadulterated form, amped only by the savory licks of a charcoal fire. Pickles, tomatoes, tahini and more yellow rice round out the platter. We also tried the ribeye in a wrap ($13) and, yes, there is such a thing as too much parsley. No such thing as too much kibbeh ($13), however. The only thing stopping us from ordering more of those filling little footballs of spiced mince were the crisp, crackly falafel ($11). The holes in their centers, much like a doughnut, is a Syrian style variant. Of note were their soft, almost creamy centers. The only downside: a lack of salt. Dipping them in tahini was necessary.
Another downside: Kunefe isn’t offered for dessert. I mean, the layali lubnan ($3.50) was fine and all, but it was akin to settling for kunefe’s puddingy cousin. And the maroush cup ($11), a glass goblet of strawberry and mango chunks with their respective purees, some kiwi and apple slices and whipped cream, was pretty much the antithesis of kunefe.
But that shawarma! It conjures up the after-credits scene in the movie The Avengers when the knackered superheroes enjoy shawarma for the first time. I just hope that my itinerant eater friend will come to experience its redemptive superpowers on his next visit to Maroush.
Maroush Shawarma and Grill
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This article appears in Dec 4-10, 2024.
