A souvlaki is a Greek dish of marinated meat on a skewer, but a shih kebab is a Middle Eastern dish of chopped meat with vegetables cooked on skewers. You can say a souvlaki is a type of kebab, but a kebab is not a souvlaki. A kebab is often cooked in a pan or baked in the oven, while a souvlaki is always cooked over a fire. Also, souvlaki is always served on a skewer, but kebabs can be removed and served on a plate with other sides like pasta, rice, potatoes, and vegetables.