Jamjar Canteen

My child and I wanted to try something different, and Lebanese food felt more light and clean compared to Mexican or Shawarma. The portions were very generous as well. I ordered the beef bowl — I saw a few reviews mentioning it was a bit salty, so I packed the leftovers and enjoyed them later with some lettuce and tortillas at home. They also have a happy hour, so it’s worth checking out. Highly recommended!

After a long day studying at the library, I decided to treat myself and headed over to Jamjar Canteen. I honestly thought I was too late for dine-in, but even at 10 PM they welcomed me with a smile and let me sit down instead of doing takeout. The place had such a calm, cozy vibe that instantly made me feel relaxed after a tiring day. The person at the counter, possibly the owner or manager, was incredibly kind and suggested I try the build-your-own bowl. That turned out to be an amazing choice. The ingredients were fresh, the flavors were on point, and the feta cheese took it to a whole new level. I left completely satisfied and grateful for the warm hospitality. It is rare to find a place that treats students this well. Thank you, Jamjar, for the great service, delicious food, and for making a long day end perfectly.

What a nice combo! As a student, I’m always looking for something tasty and affordable, and Jamjar Canteen totally nailed it. The food is extremely budget-friendly and full of flavor and honestly, don’t forget to add feta cheese on top, it takes the whole meal to another level. The taste was unreal, fresh, and satisfying. The person serving me (maybe the owner) was super friendly and gave such a great recommendation. You can tell they genuinely care about their customers. Definitely one of the best student-friendly spots around UBC!

I ordered the Build Your Own Bowl with crispy coated fries and garlic sauce, along with the homemade hibiscus lemonade and it was absolutely delicious! The flavors were fresh, unique, and satisfying. On top of that, the person who helped me (possibly the owner/manager) was super helpful and incredibly friendly. Their kindness and great service truly made my day. Highly recommend!

I have been to the full service restaurant in Vancouver on commercial drive and it is far superior. This is the abbreviated fast food version. I had the chicken Shawarma in pita and it was just ok. I was expecting a shawarma roasting on a turning spit with bits of Caramelized crispy meat cut to order. Instead it was precooked and cold, but at least was tender. Veggies were a few bits of tomato but not very exciting.m

We came to the UBC location because the Commercial Dr location was closed for Canada Day. The food and service is equally as good as “The Drive” location. The Beef Hashwie was sooo goood. 😋Packed full of flavour in every bite. I had the Hashwie with a side of Makali. If you order any of the bowls, you must add the Malaki. 😋😋😋 The Vegan Sampler Bowl is another dish I would order again. Your taste buds will thank you. 😉 Finished off the lunch with 5 baklavas and the Not So Sweet Ginger Beer. Will be back the next time I’m in the UBC area. 👍👍

Worst falafel I’ve ever had. I don’t know how they have such a high rating on here. Maybe their other food is good, but the falafel is wack. There’s no filling but cabbage and it’s bready.

I tried this place out for the first time. The quality wasn't what I expected. The chicken was lukewarm and probably sitting around for a while. I prefer the food at the Jam Jar restaurants.

Price/quality (4/4): I had the beef hashwie bowl and it was quite tasty. Despite it being quite late at night, the whole set still tasted pretty fresh. The student-friendly pricing was nice too. Service (1/1): While they were getting ready to close, I did still get served and there was seating available on the patio. Would I come here again: Yes

Tasty and fast Lebanaese food. Lots of veggie options and there's an option to build your own bowl which gives you freedom to personalize with your choice of protein, base, vegetables, and dips. Big flavour. Meals here are very filling, good value for your dollar. My two tips: Bowls can be a little greasy, it helps a lot if you ask for no olive oil on the bowl - the proteins are already deep-fried, so the oil drizzle doesn't add anything for me. The pita they use for the wrap is pretty sturdy, but the mujadra wrap is still very messy by the nature of what it is; I don't really recommend this in wrap form because it will get all over your hands and you will need a spoon to scoop up everything that spills out. The quality of the service, and the food to a lesser degree, has varied a lot over the years. Lately it's been pretty good If you're on campus frequently, you can get a good discount by going for the reusable container program - get your meal in one of their reusables and return the cleaned container within 1-2 weeks.

Ordered a falafel wrap--big portion, reasonable price. The wait was short. Only issue was that the drinks in the cooler weren't cold.

When I was a student at UBC, I would go here pretty often so felt very nostalgic going there again. They had some new items since the last time I went there like their hibuscus iced tea! it was pretty good if you like tangy/sour drinks and it was pretty refreshing as well. For food, I use to get their cauliflower and minced beef half and half but they don't do that anymore so I only got their minced spicy beef. I thought their quality was still pretty good!! Their sauces really add to the flavour.

all the food is bomb and staff is always nice. Strong rec: Cauliflower wrap, side of lentils, order of fries

Build your own bowl - chicken base w extra chicken added, brown rice, red pepper dip and mint labneh for side, brown rice + all 3 sauces (salsa harra), tarator (tahini), and toum (whipped garlic sauce). Build your own bowl 9.78/10- this was so good, they have SO much chicken. I also got extra chicken and the chicken pieces are huge and they give a huge portion of it as well. I got the spinach and tahini dip and mint labneh for my two dip options. Also got all three sauces. The garlic toum sauce was incredible and so authentic- I'm pretty picky about garlic toum sauce but theirs was superb. Highly recommend, food is incredibly fresh Hummus Beyrouti Mezze 9.36/10- they gave me the wrong hummus. The hummus that I ordered was supposed to have seven-spiced minced beef and pine nuts on top but they just gave us additional chicken on top?? There was no beef or pine nuts. However the actual hummus itself was INCREDIBLE. They give a pita with it too that was great. Kinda sad they messed this up tho and just put extra chicken because the chicken sizes are huge so we hardly got any hummus + was really excited to try the minced beef as it's popular, hence the lower rating I love jamjar canteen they give pretty good lebanese food and their portion sizes are also huge for what you pay for. Highly recommend, they also have a discount through DoorDash and the food comes fast and fresh

Located on the campus of UBC, Jamjar Canteen offers a fast-casual build-your-own bowl or wrap concept, featuring Lebanese-inspired ingredients. The base of my bowl was a crunchy shredded green/red cabbage salad, and for my protein, I had the crunchy falafels and the chicken tawook, or yogurt-marinated chicken thighs, which were juicy and tender. The bowls also came with a selection of dips, pickles, and sauces. The creamy hummus (my favorite), the mint labneh, and the spinach dip (spinach puréed with tahini) were all amazing, and the sumac onions, the tarator (tahini), toum (a creamy whipped garlic sauce), and hot sauce added layers of flavor to every bite. Overall, this was a great option for a quick bite on campus, and the service here was super friendly too (especially for such a casual restaurant)!

food is so good. really tasty we book a table in advance, The food is either great, I have a wonderful day here.

Wow, 4.5? This barely got a two from me. I went here for lunch while I was at UBC and wasn't that impressed. I ordered the falafel with salad and while the taste wasn't bad, the falafels were so dry!! I honestly couldn't eat them. I think they may have been a little over cooked...or way overcooked. I would never go back here.

Was on campus recently and found Jamjar Canteen close by when I was getting peckish. What a great find - love that University students, hospital patrons, and faculty staff alike have access to an inexpensive, delicious, customizable option. Great location close to Wesbrook Mall on University blvd. Quick turnover of patrons and outside university seating makes it easy to find a spot to enjoy your Jamjar-designed or customizable meal. You pick your base: brown rice, wrap, or cabbage bowl, then your proteins (lamb sausage, fried cauliflower, yogurt-braised chicken, beef), and add-ins and sauce. So good and so filling. Wished this was close to where I live!

I legit dream of getting jamjar for lunch every day. The amount of food you get for the price you pay is probably the best ratio I've found on campus (thus far), especially for something more healthy/ closely resembling a vegetable. Jamjar is super customizable, you pick your base (cabbage salad, rice, or half and half), your dips (hummus here is to die for), your meat (chicken, lamb, beef, or vegetarian option), your toppings (pickled vegetables and fresh vegetables), and your sauces. With so many layers and flavours, you get a different bite of goodness each time. They also have containers of salad to go and some Middle Eastern desserts too. The lineup can get pretty long but it moves at an okay pace. Seating wasn't too bad during my visit as most people opted to get a their food to-go.

This place at UBC rocks. I go for the mujadara bowl with black beans each time or sometimes the build-your-own bowl if I want chicken -- both are good value for money. Approx, 12 - 15 dollars and it's a real meal. You can ask for extra fresh toppings at the end free of charge (politely), so load up on the fresh parsley or pickles. If you're heading or coming back from the beach, this is a good place to drop in.

I LOVE THIS PLACE !!! The prices are amazing, especially for the quality and the portions. There's lots of selection, and everything is very yummy and fresh. If you like the restaurant, you'll love the canteen. My favourite thing to get is half cauliflower half chicken in a rice bowl.

Really, really good food! Great service! Friendly wait staff! Parking might be a bit challenging if you're coming from further away to meet up there, but it is close to Broadway Skytrain station.

We come here maybe once a month after a very long walk or bike ride thru pacific spirit park. We are hungry and this place always satisfies. The food is tasty, fresh and best of all, priced reasonably. The chicken with half salad and rice is the best!!!!! I will keep coming as long as the food remains good and they don't raise the prices!

I have been here a lot for lunch. The quality seems to be plummeting fast. Used to love this place. Hot. Fresh. Quick. For awhile though it has become a bit sloppy. Today I was horrified to see about 15 brown rice bowls pre-prepped and sitting out. I understand that might make service faster, but that is at the risk of food safety. Reluctantly I ordered a brown rice bowl hoping that these hadn't been out for too long. I asked for the black bean/lentil addition. Sadly, everything, including the bean/lentils, was cold. Barely finished it. I am hoping this doesn't end in food poisoning. Next time I try this place and see pre-prepped bowls sitting out, I will gladly turn back around and eat somewhere different. Giving this 3 stars today. 5 stars for what it used to be, 1 star for what it has become.

Amazing food! Friendly staff! Fast line up! Good portion. I love that I can have half brown rice and half cabbage option. They also happily let me use my own container. I had yogurt marinated chicken and it was delicious and tender. My favourite food at UBC for sure!

It's my first time eating Lebanese food and I am so glad I chose Jamjar to do it. The food is amazing, especially considering it's not too expensive. There are only a few vegetarian options here but there arent a lot of options overall to choose from anyway. There was a hefty lineup but I could understand why. The food is awesome!! And so is the decor. I highly recommend the patio seating on a nice day.

If this place didn't have the convenience of being on the UBC campus, I'd be more inclined to give it 3.5 stars, but since they offer Middle Eastern-inspired staples like hummus wraps with pickled veggies, and other high protein/veggie combos that blow a lot of the other campus institutional food offerings off the map, they get an extra nod. I've visited 3 or 4 times, always to take something away. The ordering procedure is somewhat like Chipotle--a create your own sandwich or bowl concept in which you get to pick proteins, veggies, and other toppings. The hummus is delicious, as well as the tangy sumac sliced onions and the tart electric pink radish pickles. What makes me a little queasy are the tong troughs that they put the meat tongs in when they're not dishing up your grilled chicken or other meats. The troughs are filled with some sort of liquid (water?) and lots of food bits. They don't seem to intermix the tongs from the different kinds of meats, but just seeing the utensils sloshing in and out of the water every time someone gets served is a little nauseating. I don't see how that system is the cleanest option. Also, I really enjoy their wraps. They are huge and extremely filling. However the spinach cheese pie, served from a case next to the cash register, was very disappointing. It was cold, with an exceedingly dry and tough pastry case, and a comically miniscule amount of filling (see my photo). Stick with the fresh veggies and other ingredients at the create your own meal counter instead!

There's a conflict here for me because the food was pretty darn good, but my enjoyment of it was completely ruined by ridiculously loud, pounding music of the bleeding eardrum variety. Is this a rave-up or a small "canteen" where one might endeavour to enjoy a meal? Impossible, at least last week when I was foolish enough to eat in. I have been here twice now and ordered almost the same things. I like the concept of ordering a base (I can make boring old brown rice at home; I go for the raw cabbage salad), then a protein (choices are a divinely spiced beef mince, chicken, lamb sausages or what looks like grilled caluliflower), then various toppings such as hummus, spinach dip, olives, peppers, sumac onions and other things that come with the dish. You end up with a rather delicious plateful of various tastes and delights, very filling, for $10 or $11. Strange thing is, the first time there I thought the overall tastes out of this world delicious and returned for more not too long after. Unfortunately, the eardrum splitting music completely ruined the experience and I couldn't even finish my food. About half of it went into the compost bin and I left in disgust. Obviously this cacophony is for the "benefit" of staff, as I was the only customer in the place at the time. Yes, I guess I could have asked them to "turn it down!" but don't like confrontations of any sort while attempting to relax and enjoy a meal, which was completely impossible. My rating would be higher if I could have finished my meal in peace. What is this obsession with blaring music so loud as to cause insult and injury to diners? No matter how good the food, I will not return. I was planning to bring in some recently arrived friends from Egypt who I think would enjoy the food. Unfortunately this will not be possible as they would be horrified by the noise. too bad, I thought I'd found a dining place I could return to again and again. Instead, my money was wasted and I will find a more welcoming place to spend my dosh.

Great place if you crave chicken shish tawook. I have been twice and both times have been great.

Cool assembly line concept, pick your own everything. A healthy and filling meal for $10-12. Eggplant was way too salty; who spilled the box of salt?? Order and pay at counter.

the food is great and servises are nice！Will come here again！！The chicken taste extremely good.

Visited Jamjar on Jan. 30th and ordered a half chicken and half cauliflower order, which I took to-go. I took a bite of the chicken after I left and realized it was pink/slightly red inside - definitely still under cooked. I completely lost my appetite after that and had to throw the whole thing out. Unfortunately I had to go to a class so I did not have time to go back to Jamjar and complain. If you are cooking chicken on a grill, you have to ensure that it is cooked thoroughly. It is a total health hazard to serve under cooked chicken.

This place completely exceeded expectations...having said that I had no idea what to expect, but it was so delicious and a very generous serving at that (as long as you say yes to all the extras and aren't afraid to explore). We had lamb and cauliflower. The lamb is in sausage form but is flavourful and not greasy. I've found that sausages with lean meat tend to be dry but this was countered by how flavourful it was with the mild lamb taste. The pickled vegetables were just like my boyfriends Armenian grandmother used to make (says he) - they were great: crunchy and fresh, not too acidic. Take a leap and try this place - it has fantastic GF options.

JamJar. Is. Awesome. Any time I don't feel like cooking this is almost always my go-to. I get a box with half lettuce half brown rice, then I get half cauliflower and half falafel (I know, the servers must hate me), with all of the picketed veg and then the tarator and hot sauces. This costs about $11 and is almost enough for 2 separate meals (their portions are quite large). I have been having a hard time trying any of their other menu items because I know this one is just so good. This is the only place I have tried lebanese food but if it is all as good as JamJar then I better get to eating more of it!

We had take-out and it was so fresh and delicious! Good portions Awesome friendly service. Highly recommend!

The food here is reasonably priced, especially for UBC campus. I always order one of the rice bowl combos, and I like that it can be endlessly customized. You get so many different flavours, textures, and colours in one bowl. It usually costs around $12, but I find I can take it to go and it it for two meals because the portions or so generous. I find myself craving the minty labneh and crispy cauliflower in the days between my weekly visit to Jamjar Canteen. Definitely one of the healthiest, freshest options on campus, and great value too.

This place is really hit or miss to be honest. What you get totally depends on who is serving you at the bar. Sometimes I get a nice hearty bowl with a good balance of toppings, rice and vegetables. Recently, I've been getting a huge dry bowl of 90% cabbage, and 10% the actual stuff that matters. I mean I could ask for no vegetables and just ask for the toppings with rice, but that might mean 90% nothing and 10% food, know what I mean? The food itself is yummy, that's why I keep going despite this. But seriously, figure out the portions please!

OK food, not badly priced, the music is too loud for a conversation, and there are never enough forks and knives. There are several glasses and water jugs, so in theory there is water to drink - but the jugs are always empty.

Super delicious, healthy and quick. I wish I lived closer. I would definitely be a regular.

HAVE AGAIN: Roasted cauliflower with pomegranate sauce was fantastic. Chicken bowl delicious.

This is in the UBC are which means that it gets busy with students during peak times. The interior is a nice open, white and fresh interior that seems inviting. How it works is that it is very DIY which I like as I like to have a little more control over what actually goes in my meal which is appreciated. The average price is between $11 - $15 give or take depending on what you're putting on the plate which is a standard with a lot of the U - assemble type places in the city. Because this is mostly self serve the customer service was neutral as there was nothing really for them to do. I had as rice and chicken bowl with a yogurt based sauce and some veggies. I felt completely healthy eating here which was good for my body considering all the crap eating I was doing that week.

Good place to grab a quick bite. Think of it like a Poke bar but Mediterranean style. Only reason for the 3/5 is because of the chicken quality. Overall, this place is good bang for the buck. Full of flavour, will come back!

Way too saucy. Just another mediocre cafeteria style restaurant. It's conveniently located. I would recommend it over the udon place, definitely healthier here with fresh ingredients.

Absolutely love this place. Convient, generous portions and really flavorful. The roasted cauliflower is amazing. Just be careful if you get olives in your meal because they've still got pits in them.

This is a terrific place to have lunch. The food quality and amount, are both high and generous. I would highly recommend this as a great place to have lunch.

I come to UBC almost every summer and it was so lovely to have this new restaurant walking distance from my engagements on campus! The food is AMAZING and it's reasonably priced right around $10 a dish. They also have a great Kombucha selection which was fun. I ate here three times in my two weeks in Van!

Delicious and hearty food! I love these places where you can customize your bowl. Definitely try the cauliflower, it is a delight. It's a bit expensive for lunch, but I am full and I still have leftovers for later.

Amazing!! Ordered the Party platter on the catering menu for 4 people. A huge variety of food ( vegan and non vegan ) , great quality and enough for 8 people . Will definitely recommend and looking forward to ordering from Jam Jar again

The flavours are good and for on campus food the prices are ok. The place has a nice atmosphere as well and the fried cauliflower was good. Downsides were less main/protein (for me the cauliflower) than expected and I agree with another review (from Google I think) that the olives shouldn't have pits because of the way they are mixed in with the food makes it easy to bite into and damage a tooth. Overall pretty ok, I'll probably be back.

Super tasty! Were very accommodating to my daughter that wanted lebni, pita & a side of chickpeas. Appreciate the extra effort to satisfy their customers.

I love the cauliflower here but the food is SO so salty. I'd be hungry for hours after my meal.Still one of the best spots on campus though.

The quality of the food is just horrible. Please don't serve this food to people, it's insulting.

Super friendly and helpful staff. Good options (especially "to go") with a choice of pita wrap, brown rice bowl, cabbage bowl, or rice/cabbage bowl. Cauliflower was amazing but the spinach and red pepper dips were both bland. Overall a good amount and quality of food for the price!