The Thirsty Camel Cafe serves delicious, fresh and healthy food. It's a favourite Nanaimo restaurant, voted among the top three places to eat lunch in Nanaimo in 2009. The main menu is middle Eastern. There are plenty of Vegetarian and Vegan option, as well as dishes containing free-range, veggie-fed, non-medicated chicken from Nanaimo's best butcher. Piper's Meats. Our falafel pitas have gained a reputation far beyond Nanaimo. According to Victoria's Eat Magazine, "There is ho hum falafel and then there is Ilan Goldenblatt's falafel at the Thirsty Camel. [ Goldnblatt] is fresh obsessed". [ Su Grimmer, Eat Magazine, July/August edition, 2008.]more...See more text
White or whole wheat pita, or gluten free teff wrap; served with lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, onions and parsley; tahini dressing; with no hot sauce / mild / med / hot / extra hot. We make our own hot sauce!
Falafel Pita
Ground chickpeas, onion, garlic, herbs and spices formed into balls and flash fried to order, never pre-made. GF *option. VG Add Oris Eggplant: $1.67 Add any other salad or dip: $1.33
Full
$9.76Half
$5.00
Chicken Pita
Marinated strips of chicken breast, grilled to order. Our chicken is free range, veggie fed, non-medicated. GF *option Add Oris Eggplant: $1.67 Add any other salad or dip: $1.33
Full
$10.95Half
$5.62
Jerusalem Mix Pita
Mushrooms, walnuts, and pine nuts, fried with onions and our house-blend of seven spices. GF *option. VG. Add Oris Eggplant: $1.67 Add any other salad or dip: $1.33
Full
$9.05Half
$4.67
Veggie Pita
Two salads/dips of your choice in a pita with veggies. GF *option. VG option. VEG. Add Oris Eggplant: $1.67 Add any other salad or dip: $1.33
Full
$7.86Half
$4.10
Plates Platters
Falafel Platter
Served with scoop of tahini, scoop of hummus, salad with tahini dressing, and a pita for dipping. GF *option. VG
$12.62
Chicken Platter
Served with scoop of tahini, scoop of hummus, salad with tahini dressing, and a pita for dipping. GF *option
$13.81
Jerusalem and Hummus Bowl
With olive oil, parsley, tahini dressing, and two pitas. GF *option. VG Add Veggie Salad $3.33
$10.43
Persian Chicken Plate
Free-range chicken thigh, encrusted with Persian spices, with Persian spiced rice, and a salad or dip of your choice. GF *option Add a pita on the side $1.19 Add Gluten Free Teff wrap $1.67
1 piece
$10.952 piece
$14.24
Salad Platter
Dips or salads of your choice, served with veggie salad with tahini dressing and pita breadLarge has five choices, small has three choices. GF *option
Large
$14.24Small
$10.71
Home Made Soup (Winter time only)
Changing, hearty, delicious, vegan soups. Offered during the colder months.
Bowl or mug with a pita or half pita for dipping
Bowl
$6.20Mug
$4.42
Mug with a Half Veggie Pita
Add Falafel or Jerusalem Mix $1.02 Add Chicken $1.69
$8.10
Dips, Salads and Side Orders
Also available for take out in bulk quantities.
Hummus
Plate or side -- Served with parsley, olive oil, and pita bread. GF *option. VG
$6.14
$4.05
Tahini
Plate or side A dip of sesame seeds, garlic, lemon and spices, served with parsley and pita bread. GF *option. VG
$6.52
$4.52
Labane
Plate or side A creamy yogurt cheese served with zaatar (hyssop based spice mix), olive oil and pita bread. GF *option
$6.52
$4.52
Moroccan Carrots
Plate or side Parboiled carrots in a Piquant marinade. GF. VG
$6.14
$4.05
Oris Eggplant
Plate or side Eggplant pieces roasted with olive oil and spices, marinated in balsamic vinegar and garlic. Served with pita bread. GF *option. VG
$6.62
$4.71
Tunisian Beet Salad
Plate or side Par-boiled beets with a North African twist. GF. VG
$6.14
$4.05
Quinoa Tabouleh (Summer time only)
Plate or side Parsley, mint and quinoa with lemon juice, olive oil, and spices. GF. VG
$6.14
$4.05
Cauliflower baked in Tahini (Winter time)
Plate or side Tender cauliflower pieces in a tangy, creamy vegan sauce. Served cold. GF. VG
$6.43
$4.42
Israeli Veggie Salad
Large or small Romaine lettuce, tomatos, cucumbers, finely chopped onion and parsley with tahini dressing or olive oil and lemon dressing, and Za'atar. GF *option. VG
$4.95
$3.33
Side of Falafel Balls
Six falafel balls with a scoop of tahini or hummus. GF. VG
$4.71
Extra Falafel Ball. GF. VG
$0.71
Side of Chicken Strips
Three strips of grilled chicken breast. GF Add hummus or tahini $1.33
$4.95
Side of Persian Rice
The same delicious spiced rice that comes with our Persian Chicken Plate. Not Vegetarian. GF
$3.19
Extra Pita
Whole Wheat or White
$1.19
Gluten free teff wrap
$1.67
Desert
Baklava
Walnut pieces sandwiched in phyllo pastry, sweetened with honey syrup with rose and citrus blossom essences.
Large
$2.38Small
$1.62
Chocolate Lavender Spelt Cookie
A unique, vegan, wheat free (not GF), aromatic cookie. Love it or hate it, no one is left on the fence.
I love middle Eastern food but it's hard to find a restaurant that does it good. And my partner's a vegan and there's so much here to eat.
The persian chicken plate is made from free-range chicken and smothered in a great selection of spices - i think they said 18 different ones!
This is my favorite place for baklava too. The syrup they us is perfect.
