Al Rigga is the perfect spot for the budget conscious, those transiting and street food lovers, which is how I ended up trying a chicken tikka shawarma at City Burger Dubai.
This was as part of my arduous march from Rason to Shenzhen, KL and Dubai on my way to eventually guiding a tour in Libya.
Was it though worth the Dirham and indeed what is a Chicken Tikka Shawarma at City Burger in Al Rigga?
Street Food Al Rigga
Al Rigga isn’t just another Dubai neighborhood—it’s a neon-lit, food-fueled paradise where cultures collide over sizzling grills and bubbling pots. Nestled in the heart of Deira, this district is where Dubai’s street food scene comes alive, especially after dark. From Lebanese shawarma joints to South Asian curry houses, Al Rigga serves up flavors as diverse as its residents.
The Street Food Al Rigga experience starts with the unmistakable aroma of freshly grilled meats wafting from hole-in-the-wall kebab shops. Pakistani dhabas churn out spicy karahi, while Filipino eateries dish up sizzling sisig and crispy lechon. Looking for something quick? Grab a shawarma from a Syrian-run stand (or indeed an Indian Chicken Tikka version) or a samosa from an Indian vendor. And many of the restaurants stay up pretty much all night, as I can attest.
Unlike Dubai’s glitzy malls, Al Rigga offers street food from the street, hawked out by the laboring working class immigrant population. This is the real gritty Dubai experience.
What the City Burger Al Rigga?
City Burger is one of those classic UAE food chains that defies categorization. Is it a burger joint? An Indian restaurant? A Chinese takeaway? A juice bar? The answer is somehow yes to all of the above. Scattered across Dubai, Sharjah, Abu Dhabi, and beyond, this franchise is a one-stop shop for anyone who’s ever struggled to decide what to eat. With a menu that reads like the fever dream of a hungry traveler—burgers, pasta, biryani, chow mein, shawarma, lassi, ice cream, and coffee—you’d be forgiven for thinking they’re trying to feed an entire country’s worth of cravings in one go.
I hit up the Al Rigga branch, drawn in by the sheer madness of choice. And like many of its Indian-style counterparts, that massive menu often comes with a side of “Sorry, not today, sir.” (Insert Indian accent).The butter chicken? Gone. The pasta? Not happening. But the chicken tikka shawarma? Absolute magic—smoky, spicy, and wrapped in pillowy flatbread. Although alas without any fries inside. The pickle and the jalapeño did at least make up for it a little.
This is classic Indian style Dubai cheap dining, where you get pretty much exactly what you pay for, hearty food that you can afford.
And the Chicken Tikka Shawarma?
The chicken tikka shawarma is a product of culinary globalization at its finest, blending Indian spice with Arabic street food tradition. While shawarma itself originates from the Ottoman Empire, it spread across the Middle East and found a particular home in the Gulf, where migrant workers from India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh brought their own flavors into the mix.
The dish likely first emerged in the UAE, where Indian and Arab culinary traditions constantly overlap. Indian chefs took the classic Levantine shawarma and gave it a subcontinental twist—swapping out the standard marinated chicken for richly spiced, yogurt-marinated chicken tikka, often cooked in a tandoor before being sliced and wrapped up with garlic sauce, pickles, and sometimes fries (if they’re doing it properly).
Beyond the UAE, you’ll find chicken tikka shawarma across the Gulf, especially in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Oman—anywhere with a strong Indian expatriate presence. It’s also gaining traction in the UK, where kebab shops have started experimenting with Indian flavors, and in Canada, where fusion shawarma joints are popping up in cities like Toronto and Vancouver.
At City Burger Al Rigga, my shawarma was a solid effort—hearty, smoky, and well-spiced. But no fries in the wrap? A rookie mistake. Tasty as it was, it still doesn’t hold a candle to a proper late-night English doner kebab drowning in garlic sauce.
City Burger Al Rigga Address
Address: City Burger, Al Rigga, Deira, Dubai, UAE, located near the Union Metro Station.
How to get there:
- By Metro: Take the Red Line to Union Metro Station, exit towards Al Rigga Road, and it’s just a short walk from there.
- By Car: Drive towards Al Rigga Road in Deira, then head to 23 Street. The restaurant is near Dubai Star General Trading.