Sen Bros

There are more important things going on in the world than me eating a kebab. Though as I plod down Cowbridge Road East on a Friday evening with an orange shade of fading spring sun warming my back, this kebab is the only thing that matters in my own little bubble.

A dingy looking Turkish restaurant in Canton isn’t the kind of place that would go viral - at least around Cardiff - in 2026. Seemingly, the newest additions of large chains in the city centre or gimmicky platters of burgers, pizza, dirty fries, and milkshakes are what gets social media users whipped up into a drooling frenzy. In addition to this, a small restaurant in Canton is unlikely to offer any comped invitations to influencers, and the lack of freebies equals a lack of “this was wonderful and I want more free things please”.

Perhaps people get upset at my regular jabs aimed at “foodie influencers”. It’s nothing personal. Having said that, I’m happy with a small clutch of blog readers possessing morale integrity, who take eating out seriously, not as a free outing or photo opportunity expressed via AI generated captions.

There are platters at Sen Bros, but thankfully not a mozzarella stick or cheese pull in sight. I’m also relieved to see they haven’t replaced the S in Bros with a Z.

My intention was to not compare Sen Bros with SEN BBQ - of which there is no affiliation - however, this proved to be a difficult task due to their striking similarities.

The two restaurants are Turkish, separated by a two-minute walk, and contain parallels even by name. This is compounded when an extremely confused Deliveroo driver ambles inside to collect an order, only to be notified he needs to walk a few doors down to SEN BBQ.

When me and Millie are looking for a quick dinner fix after a hectic day, we often turn to SEN BBQ. Brother Thai/Fowl and Fury should also receive mentions in this category.

It could be an injustice to say that SEN BBQ is talked about more than Sen Bros, but that is certainly my perspective. And upon arrival at Sen Bros, I feel slightly unfaithful to the ever-reliable SEN BBQ.

*Any guilt of infidelity is washed away when I’m offered a Turkish tea. I’m really that easy.*

Menus are fixed inside the tables. There is a promise of rice or chips, salad, and bread with all the main courses. Kofte, shish, falafel, lamb chops, shawarma, chicken wings, and mixed variations of the lot. You will also find some wraps plus Turkish starters that include - but are not limited to - hummus, halloumi, sigara boregi (flaky dough stuffed with herbs and cheese), and sucuk (spicy sausage).

I’m here for the XL Mixed Shish (£17). This is my usual order at SEN BBQ, and should prove a good yardstick to measure Sen Bros.

The mix consists of a minced lamb kofte, plus chunks of lamb and chicken. I go for a half/half of rice/chips, and receive a basket of Turkish bread. I believe this is Pide Ekmek (Ramazan Pidesi) - soft-leavened and rounded in form when made, with a weaved crust. Pide Ekmek at Sen Bros is broken up and served in warm, fluffy cubes after being reheated on the grill, but for slightly too long as the bottom is burnt.

Refraining from leveraging words such as licked, kissed - bear with me, this isn’t an attempt at a 50 Shades of Grey spin off - charred, and scorched when describing grilled meats can be a challenge. You get where I’m going with this. The meats are gnarled by flame, smoky, and moist. There’s a side salad put together with care and a tumble of raw red onions. Too often, a salad becomes a neglected afterthought - like the HR department at Brewdog - becoming limp and disappointing. James Watt springs to mind.

Smoke and mirrors there may be, but no deception is present at Sen Bros. This meal was excellent. My intention was never to compare Sen Bros with SEN BBQ, but as this piece has gone on, there was an air of inevitability about it. At the risk of sounding like a diplomat, both are great. If this were a sparring match, Sen Bros would be ahead on my scorecard.

Sonder