LP Eats @ Damascus, Preston: I loved the vibe at Eid, the people were friendly & the food was delicious

As fans of our food reviews will know, everyone with a carnivorous dent loves a kebab. Whether that's a fragrant and impeccably spiced chicken shawarma with crisp fresh veg and a delicate honey BBQ sauce, or a hulking great dirty rugby ball of donner meat dripping in grease and garlic mayo with the odd chip scattered in there like shrapnel, kebabs are king.

After jinxing the meteorologists last week by celebrating (prematurely) the arrival of Spring and rejoicing in the fact that it seemed like each kebab review I did brought the sunshine to Preston, I emerged from the LP offices into some truly horrific weather - blustery, wet, and nippier than one would want it to be at Springtime. No matter, I had a kebab to meet.

Armed with the Five Golden Criteria on which all kebabs are to be adjudged - naan bread, meat, extras, vibe & service, and value for money - I once again made for Friargate (yes, I know, Friargate again - Prestonians will understand) and soon found my way to Damascus. After a quick sojourn back down to the local Tesco cashpoint for a tenner, I was raring to go.

First off, the atmosphere in the restaurant was brilliant. It was Eid, so everyone was in a great mood - families were eating together, the staff were all on cloud nine, and the whole place was just a joy. I found it impossible not to smile in there. The cashier who took my order was friendly and welcoming, so I was only too happy to hand over my fiver. 5/5 for vibe.

My first impressions of the kebab were very positive indeed: the naan bread was fresh, smelled amazing, and had that lovely chargrilled edge to it. My only slight quibble was that it could have been a smidge thinner, but I’m nit-picking: it was a 4/5 overall. Plus, the shawarma wrap itself came with a pickle, which is always a welcome sight. 

The meat was comfortably the most flavoursome of all the kebabs I’ve tried as part of this series so far. It was juicy and well-cooked, tasty and full of flavour. It had a slight greasiness to it (as plenty of kebab meats do), which was - admittedly - slightly more noticeable than I wanted it to be to begin with, but which dissipated as I ate more of the wrap. I’m going for a 4/5 for the meat.

As for extras, aside from the pickle, there was little to write home about, so it’s a 2/5 on that front, but that did just mean more room for my chicken in its naan bed, so it’s not the worst thing in the world. Finally to the price, which was £5 for a pretty substantial bit of culinary kit. I’d say that/s a 4/5 on that front, too - I was left feeling nicely full by it, so didn’t feel short-changed whatsoever.

Naan: 4/5

Meat: 4/5

Extras: 2/5

Vibe & service: 5/5

Value: 4/5

TOTAL: 19/25