{"id":13543,"date":"2019-04-08T11:42:03","date_gmt":"2019-04-08T16:42:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thebozho.com\/?p=13543"},"modified":"2019-07-19T00:10:01","modified_gmt":"2019-07-19T05:10:01","slug":"madison-sandwiches-mad-shawarma-traditional-meat","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thebozho.com\/madison-sandwiches-mad-shawarma-traditional-meat\/","title":{"rendered":"The Great Sandwich Quest: Mad Shawarma\u2019s meat shawarma"},"content":{"rendered":"

I have been called a sandwich snob. That accusation is false. However, I do believe in something called <\/em>sandwich theory<\/em><\/a>. This is my quest to find the greatest sandwiches in Madison. Send me your sandwich recommendations by <\/em>email<\/em><\/a> or on <\/em>Twitter<\/em><\/a> or <\/em>Instagram<\/em><\/a>.<\/em><\/span>\n

I stretched my legs for real this time with a trip to the far west side for some Middle Eastern cuisine at Mad Shawarma<\/a>. Located in a newer strip mall off Old Sauk Road, the owner met me with a friendly smile and asked if I had any questions. I selected the meat shawarma sandwich of beef and lamb strips, onions, tomatoes, pickles, and tahini sauce wrapped in traditional flatbread.<\/span>\n

Bread: 4.3\/5<\/h3>\n

I upgraded my sandwich from pita bread to a traditional, thinner flatbread. It was griddled briefly after being constructed which warmed it and gave it a little crunch on the outside. The tortilla-like flatbread contrasted well with the rich makings. (It was fun rating something other than leavened sandwich bread!)<\/span>\n

Makings: 3.9\/5<\/h3>\n

The meat, which was beef and lamb sliced off a vertical rotisserie, could\u2019ve used more spice and seasoning. It tasted a little flat and and the texture was mushy, but as you can see by my rating, it wasn’t terrible. There was a lot of meat, and some more tahini and veggies would have been welcome.<\/span>\n

Architecture: 4.1\/5<\/h3>\n

The sandwich wasn\u2019t overstuffed, but wasn\u2019t skimpy either. A well-balanced offering; even though it got a little bread heavy toward the wrapped end, there was still enough makings hanging out to get a solid final two bites.<\/span>\n

Value: 4.25\/5<\/h3>\n

To upgrade from pita to traditional bread, it\u2019s an extra $1. But for $9.75 total, you get the sandwich and a handful of fries, which were freshly made and just the right amount as a side. The sandwich was well portioned, and I left pleasantly full but not overstuffed.<\/span>\n

Overall: 4.2\/5<\/h3>\n

Mad Shawarma only opened last September and \u2014 be warned \u2014 parking is pretty tight due to construction. The owner was super friendly and eager for feedback, plus they had a little kids\u2019 area. I don’t have a full handle on the Middle Eastern options in Madison yet, but if you\u2019re on the west side and craving some shawarma, Mad Shawarma is your stop.<\/span>\n