The Charcoal Shack Restaurant

Name: The Charcoal Shack Restaurant
Address: Sahara Building - 8B St - opposite Fortune Plaza Hotel, Al Qusais, Dubai, AE
Telephone: +97143489299

Al Qusais

Restaurant Open now 04 348 9299

The Charcoal Shack is a family-friendly multi-cuisine restaurant in Al Qusais, with charcoal grills and charcoal shawarma at the centre of its menu. Reviews also point to creamy Alfredo pasta, generous portions, a cozy setting, and café-style drinks for relaxed family meals or casual catch-ups.

Reputation Score

4.6

★★★★★

2,572 ratings

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The Good Stuff

Showing 2 of 8

Charcoal Shawarma

The charcoal-roasted shawarma is a standout, with a combo served in crisp, well-toasted bread.

Grilled Chicken

Several reviews praise the grilled chicken as juicy, tender and flavorful, including the peri-peri version.

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What to Eat at The Charcoal Shack Restaurant

These items at The Charcoal Shack Restaurant got the most positive mentions in user reviews. Check them out!

Food 1

Grilled chicken Net +3

“The food quality was really good. We had the Mexican shwarma which was very good and the grill chicken which was amazing.”

Honorable mentions (34)

Alfredo pasta Net +1

“I recently tried the Alfredo Pasta at Charcoal Shack Restaurant and I absolutely loved it! The pasta was perfectly cooked and coated in a rich, creamy Alfredo sauce that wasn’t too heavy or overpowering. The flavor was well balanced, and every bite felt comforting and satisfying. The chicken was tender, juicy, and blended so well with the sauce.”
Bbq mixed grill platter Net +1

“🌟BBQ Mixed Grill Platter - this is fully packed and all their meat are so flavorful.”
Beef brisket Net +1

“The meats, especially the beef brisket and beef steak, were also really worth it for the price.”
Beef fajita Net +1

“I tried the beef fajita, and it was absolutely delicious. The beef was high quality, tender, and full of flavor. The price was also very reasonable for the quality of the food.”
Chicken alfredo fettuccine pasta Net +1

“The menu had a Chicken Alfredo Fettuccine Pasta, but we requested it with penne instead and asked them to make it more of a pink sauce with extra Alfredo sauce to suit our liking.”
Chicken meal for 4 Net +1

“I recently ordered the Chicken Meal for 4, Veg Spicy King Burger Meal, and an Avocado Shake from The Charcoal Shack, and everything was fresh and flavorful. The chicken was juicy and well-seasoned, the burger had the perfect spicy kick, and the avocado shake was creamy and refreshing.”
Chicken mexican shawarma with cheese Net +1

“The chicken Mexican shawarma with cheese was great as well.”
Chicken penne pasta (mix) Net +1

“Loved the Chicken Penne Pasta (Mix). Been wanting the creamy texture for long timme.”
Chilli fries Net +1

“It's worth visiting We love the chilli fries, burger, grilled chicken and Lamb kebab. Big servings.”
Dynamite shrimps Net +1

“I totally loved my experience here! The Shawarma Saj and Dynamite Shrimps were absolute standouts, I highly recommend it.”
English breakfast Net +1

“"Just had an amazing breakfast experience! Ordered English breakfast , it’s coming with coffee or tea So we decided to go for an espresso , shakshuka with meat and an iced latte. The food was delicious, with superb quality, but what really made it stand out was our server, Miss Mamta ,was attentive, knowledgeable, and had a great attitude.”
Fettuccine alfredo Net +1

“My favorite was the Fettuccine Alfredo.”
Grilled chicken with fries Net +1

“Tried the grilled chicken with fries and it was really good ,juicy and flavorful.”
Grilled fish in lemon sauce Net +1

“As for us, we’re big fans of their grills—especially the grilled fish in lemon sauce, which is my personal favorite.”
Honey bbq wings Net +1

“🌟Honey BBQ Wings - this is very tasty from outside to the inside and I love the fact that it's so crispy even we ate it late due to camera eats first! 😅”
Kebabs Net +1

“The chicken was tender and juicy, while the kebabs were flavorful and perfectly cooked.”
Kebabs pack Net +1

“kebabs pack was tasty.”
Lamb kebab Net +1

“It's worth visiting We love the chilli fries, burger, grilled chicken and Lamb kebab. Big servings.”
Loaded fries Net +1

“We tried the loaded fries, grilled chicken and the pasta. All of them were good as well as the shawarma.”
Meals for 2 Net +1

“Meals for 2 is good.”
Mexican shwarma Net +1

“The food quality was really good. We had the Mexican shwarma which was very good and the grill chicken which was amazing.”
Molten red velvet cake Net +1

“🌟Molten Red Velvet - at first look I thought this is so sweet but to my surprise, the amount of sweetness is just so perfect and made us indulge to it. (Drooling while thinking about it 🤤😅)”
Mushroom beef burger Net +1

“🌟Mushroom Beef Burger - the meat of this is so juicy and the bun is so tasty. Perfect!”
Penne pasta chicken Net +1

“🌟Penne Pasta Chicken- we opted to the pink pasta for this and it's so heaven. First bite almost made me teary eyed. It's just so perfect! 😍”
Quarter peri peri chicken charcoal Net +1

“We tried their Quarter Peri Peri Chicken Charcoal, and it was packed with flavor – juicy on the inside, perfectly grilled on the outside, and had just the right amount of spice. A real treat for peri peri lovers!”
Shawarma combo Net +1

“I loved the unique shack style ambience. Highly recommend the shawarma combo, which had crisp and well toasted bread.”
Shawarma roasted over charcoal Net +1

“Fantastic Shawarma. First time trying a shawarma roasted over charcoal, and it was delicious.”
Shawarma saj Net +1

“I totally loved my experience here! The Shawarma Saj and Dynamite Shrimps were absolute standouts, I highly recommend it.”
Shawerma Net +1

“charcoal chicken ,shawerma, vegetables mix combo very tasty.”
Single fish and chips Net +1

“The Single Fish and Chips was another favorite – crispy, golden coating with soft, flaky fish inside. You can really taste the freshness and quality. Every bite was satisfying!”
Smokehouse beef burger Net +1

“🌟Smokehouse Beef Burger- the cheese and the meat compliments to each other and it is so tender!”
Veg spicy king burger meal Net +1

“I recently ordered the Chicken Meal for 4, Veg Spicy King Burger Meal, and an Avocado Shake from The Charcoal Shack, and everything was fresh and flavorful. The chicken was juicy and well-seasoned, the burger had the perfect spicy kick, and the avocado shake was creamy and refreshing.”
Vegetables mix combo Net +1

“charcoal chicken ,shawerma, vegetables mix combo very tasty.”
White pasta Net +1

“Best white pasta 🍝🤤🤤 melting in mouth good vibe at the restaurant.”

Drinks 5

Avocado shake Net +1

“I recently ordered the Chicken Meal for 4, Veg Spicy King Burger Meal, and an Avocado Shake from The Charcoal Shack, and everything was fresh and flavorful. The chicken was juicy and well-seasoned, the burger had the perfect spicy kick, and the avocado shake was creamy and refreshing.”
Fresh milk tea Net +1

“We also ordered the Latte and Fresh Milk Tea – both were excellent, smooth, and full of flavor. the Passion Fruit Mojito was so refreshing.”
Latte Net +1

“We also ordered the Latte and Fresh Milk Tea – both were excellent, smooth, and full of flavor. the Passion Fruit Mojito was so refreshing.”
Passion fruit mojito Net +1

“the Passion Fruit Mojito was so refreshing. Sweet, tangy, and the perfect way to finish off the meal. A real feather in their cap.”
Refreshing iced tea Net +1

“The kids absolutely love their classic burgers, pastas, wraps and refreshing iced tea.”

What to Avoid (6)

Food 5

Cajun wings Net −1

“Unfortunately, none of the spicy items were spicy, not even little. If I ignore the spice part, shawarma was good, burger was decent and came with lots of salad and other stuff. Cajun wings were the absolute letdown. There were 8 and I couldn’t even finish 3.”
Chicken soup Net −1

“we had chicken soup and not much tasty.”
Chicken tikka Net −1

“My chicken tikka arrived completely charred and inedible, but far more concerning were the strange green spots visible on the meat, suggesting it was either spoiled or contaminated. Serving food that is both badly burnt and shows signs of discoloration is a major health risk and shows a total lack of quality control.”
Mexican charcoal Net −1

“We tried both the Mexican charcoal and the peri peri charcoal, and unfortunately, this was the worst charcoal I’ve had in my life. I wouldn’t recommend the charcoal from this place to anyone—I’m not sure how it lives up to its name. The charcoal itself was completely flavorless; in fact, I could taste the coal more than the sauce that was supposed to enhance it.”
Peri peri charcoal Net −1

“We tried both the Mexican charcoal and the peri peri charcoal, and unfortunately, this was the worst charcoal I’ve had in my life. I wouldn’t recommend the charcoal from this place to anyone—I’m not sure how it lives up to its name. The charcoal itself was completely flavorless; in fact, I could taste the coal more than the sauce that was supposed to enhance it.”

Drinks 1

Strawberry juice Net −1

“One thing I really appreciated was the way the staff handled a small issue we had with the strawberry juice. We expected it to be freshly squeezed, but it tasted more like a syrup-based drink. Once we addressed it, the team was very kind and immediately helped us out by changing it without any problem.”

Tips for a Better Visit

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Try Shawarma. Start with the charcoal-roasted shawarma combo if you want the restaurant’s most distinctive sandwich-style order.

Customize Pasta. Ask whether the pasta can be changed to penne and made pink with extra Alfredo sauce, as one group did.

Plan the visit

Practical details

Sahara Building - 8B St - opposite Fortune Plaza Hotel

Al Qusais 2, Dubai

04 348 9299

Mon	10:00 AM – 12:00 AM
Tue	10:00 AM – 12:00 AM
Wed	10:00 AM – 12:00 AM
Thu	12:00 PM – 2:00 AM
Fri	12:00 PM – 2:00 AM
Sat	12:00 PM – 2:00 AM
Sun	12:00 PM – 1:00 AM

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Common Concerns

Showing 2 of 5

Uneven Charcoal

One review found the Mexican and peri-peri charcoal flavorless, with the coal taste overpowering the sauces.

Food Concern

A reviewer reported receiving chicken tikka that was badly charred and had unusual green spots; check your dish before eating.

DXB
LOCAL

The Bottom Line

The Charcoal Shack is a family-oriented multi-cuisine restaurant in Al Qusais, centred on charcoal grills and shawarma but broad enough for café-style and Western comfort food. Customers commonly mention charcoal chicken, shawarma, mixed grill, Alfredo pasta and mojitos, so it works for a group with different appetites rather than a narrowly focused meal. The charcoal-roasted shawarma combo is a useful first order: one reviewer liked its crisp, well-toasted bread.

The Alfredo also gets detailed praise for a balanced creamy sauce, tender chicken and generous portion. Pasta can be customized; a birthday group changed the fettuccine to penne and requested a pink sauce with extra Alfredo. English breakfast is another reported option, served with coffee or tea.

Atmosphere is repeatedly described as cozy, peaceful and welcoming, with indoor and outdoor seating mentioned in one review. Families may appreciate the generous portions, nearby parking and occasional birthday touches; complimentary Wi-Fi is a bonus for café-style visits. Pricing is generally described as reasonable, though no specific prices were supplied.

There are a few reasons to pay attention when ordering. Experiences with charcoal dishes vary sharply: one reviewer found them flavorless and tasting of coal, while another reported badly charred chicken with green spots. Service is often praised, but one meal took about 35 minutes instead of the quoted 15–20, so allow some flexibility at busy times.