I can't decide what's worst, the fat servers smell, or the sweat he drips into your food. Let me…read morepaint you a picture. You walk into a shit hole thinking your gonna get some subpar food. You order the most popular item, the spicy chicken. Your sitting on the stained, crispy bench. Suddenly, you hear the ding from the microwave telling you ur gourmet chicken is finally ready! You bite into ur hot on the outside but cold on the inside chicken. You go home feeling like shit. If you don't want this to happen to you, please, don't go here.

A pleasant surprise! The chicken shawarma was massive and delish!…read more I'll be back Shish!!! My tummy thanks you!

Walked in on a cold winter Wednesday and got seated right away. They have a half off wine bottles…read moredeal on Wednesdays and will even cork any unfinished bottles for you to take home. Our server was so nice and friendly. We got the tabule salad with falafel, fried eggplant, and lamb grill. The salad is kind of a small portion but very tasty. The falafel was the perfect ratio of crispy to stuffing. However, they were mini falafels and I believe the regular order of falafels is bigger. The eggplant was the least enjoyable dish because it was so greasy and had no flavor to it. The lamb was cooked to perfection and so tender and flavorful. The grills are also served with veggies and rice. The portion size was perfect. We'd go back again and try some other hot mezzes.

Ordered delivery while I was in Toronto for work. The food…read morewas very well packaged and was overall quite good. I ordered a couple small plates and then the lamb banadura. The hummus was good, definitely above average for hummus, a very classic hummus. Also got some falafel which were also good. Not overly fried, good flavor and consistency to them. Paired well with some hot sauce. The lamb banadura was good too, the lamb itself was perhaps a bit dry and could've been more heavily spiced/seasoned, but the tomato garlic sauce in which it was served was absolutely delicious as were the heavily-seasoned tomatoes in the dish. Everything was well packaged for delivery and it was all pretty good.

After many years, we finally got to try Maha's. It did not disappoint. The wait on a Saturday…read morearound 1:30pm was about half an hour. By around 2:45-3pm there were tables available. We got the mind blowing chicken sandwich, Egyptian falafel and Cairo classic. All were super tasty and flavourful. We were so full after! The falafels were super crispy. The best we've ever had. The Cairo classic with the fava beans were great fibre to go with all the carbs. The sandwich was packed with flavour and super saucy. They had indoor seating as well as some patio seating. Inside was super cute with homey decor. So happy we finally got to try Maha's and that it lived up to the hype! Will be back.

From the little alleyway where you line up is around a 30 minute wait. We got seated on the patio…read moreand there was plenty of shade for about 1pm. One great thing about our visit was that we wanted to share mains amongst the group so Maha's made a "deconstructed" version of the mindblowing chicken and po' boy. Everything including the date grilled cheese was just as good as I remembered. We also tried a Nutella and kinder baklava - too sweet for one person but would recommend sharing it.

Forgot to take food pics but this food was so good! We ordered hummus appetizer, falafel and lamb…read more Eating outside was good but the street noise was noticeable and the wasps ended our visit quickly.

Beautiful outdoor dining. Waiter recommended today's special, fish and cooked vegetables. iIt's…read moredelicious.

This is a new concept restaurant from Paramount Fine Foods. The restaurant is smaller and for more…read morecasual dining. There created Shawarma Pockets and Cones, while maintaining thei traditional Wraps and Bowls. They soft-opened on 2025-06-30. The Pockets and Cones are more affordable and can allow for a quick meal. In this instance, Yalla means "let's go". I ordered the following: 1. Beef Shawarma Pocket ($7.99). 2. Shrimp Rice Bowl ($11.99). 3. Mushroom Bowl ($11.99). 4. Canned Pop ($2.50). 5. Rice Pudding ($5.99). 6. Mouhalabieh ($5.99). 7. Meghli ($5.99). Obviously I didn't eat it all; I was bringing most of it home. The Beef Shawarma Pocket is ingenious since that alone was good for lunch. The Beef Shawarma was delicious! The ingredients for the Shawarma has changed to now use Top Sirloin and Lamb Fat. Lamb fat is tastier and more moist than Beef fat. The shrimps were perfectly grilled with accompanying sauces. The turmeric rice was fragrant and moist. The rice has 7 spices and cilantro in it. The Meghli dessert was an amazing dessert. It is tasty and refreshing. It is said to have very healthy and energetic properties; women who recently gave birth would eat it to revive their energy. It has aromatic rice pudding, cinnamon, caraway, and anise, topped with crunchy nuts. I will report about the other dishes when I try them at another time. There is adequate indoor seating (tables and counters) and outdoor seating (two small tables). The vibe is green and red, their restaurant colours. Paramount features Lebanese and Syrian cuisine. There is free WiFi. The restaurant is wheelchair accessible, but there is no door-open button. There are separate male/female washrooms downstairs, so they are not wheelchair accessible. There is paid neighbourhood street parking. Review 2025-125

Yalla by Paramount is a fresh and vibrant addition to the Middle Eastern food scene, offering…read moremodern touches to the classic flavours. The menu offers great variety of salads, bowls, pockets and sweets. Each menu item is fresh and full of flavours. The space is cozy yet feels lively and the colourful decor makes it welcoming. There are a couple of tables available for dine in; it's also great for takeout. We ordered "Beet Tabbouleh Salad", "Freekeh Salad", "Veggie Cone", "Falafel Cone", "Hummus", "Shrimp Rice Bowl", Chicken Shawarma Pocket" and "Beef Shawarma Pockets". Pockets are creative and one of their kind; definitely a must-try. Every dish was fresh and delicious and presented beautifully. In-house hummus, tahini sauce and tzatziki add extra flavour to every meal. The chef and manager are very friendly and make sure everyone has a great experience.

Service was quick. You can order at the table or at the counter and they will bring you your food…read more The food was tasty and well portioned, I will be going back for a quick meal!

Food is slightly overpriced considering that they require you to tip but only provide partial table…read moreservice. The restaurant itself is pretty spacious but it does get busy during brunch hours on weekends.

I had a few minutes before I had to hop into the Danforth Music Hall for a show, so I figured I'd…read moregrab a quick bite at Zaad. I walked in and the first thing I noticed was how loud the music was. I don't want to sound like an old fuddy duddy, but the volume was at a level you would usually associate with a popular bar or nightclub. And since the only other people in there was a family of three, it really didn't make any sense. Anyway, I figured I'd forge ahead and grab the Lamb and Beef Shawarma Saj ("Mix of lamb and beef shawarma wrapped in a 12-inch traditional middle eastern style flatbread") and I requested that with everything and extra spicy. It's fine. They put way too much sauce and there were zero crispy meat bits, but it basically satisfied my shawarma craving. It's a lot of food, too, so much so that I didn't even finish. Zaad has plenty of potential (first turn down that music and focus on getting that meat crispy) but they're not quite there yet.

I was at a concert at the Danforth Music Hall and was looking to grab a quick bite after the show…read more Saw Zaad was just across the street and went in. It was quite late so it wasn't busy but they were still fulfilling online orders. We ordered and ate. It took a bit for me to get to order but I think it's just because they didn't realize we were doing separate orders. Overall it was good. My only complaint was that they were basically out of tomatoes so I just got two sad looking slices in my whole wrap. Otherwise, food was tasty (I had the saj which was a bit messy). I'm not in a rush to go back but it was solid.

***another update june 2026!!!*** ive been back many times,…read morebut its been a few weeks since. they now have an automated pos/self-ordering kiosk/area set up! thats really helpful with the long lines here. this place is always busy, and youll see why! 1 bite and youll be hooked! go get yourself a shawarma saj wrap now! *updated january 2026!!!* love this place so much - had to take my mom here!! she enjoyed it too! you know parents tend to be picky when dining out, im so glad she loves the saj here too! thank you alphas! *updated! dec 2025* 5/5 its our 3rd time here now (safe to say theyre my fav spot so far!) got a falafel saj wrap (3/5) & a lamb kebob saj wrap(5/5) on our 2nd visit a few weeks ago..again the wait times here are long as theyre really busy and all food is prepard/made to order so the wait is expected. seating can be hard - as sit down space is limited. however, diners eat quick and go so you dont wait as long for a seat, or , just cross the street and eat in the mall food court. our 3rd visit i got my usual chkn shawarma saj wrap (5/5) and a beef kebab saj wrap (5/5). we always like how crispy and loaded these wraps are (not just filled with rice/salad) theres tasty protein in every bite! check out alphas and see why everyones going here! cheers! *original review nov 2025* 4/5 great food, service was dreadfully slow and tables were dirty or missing chairs. understandable as they were very busy and short staffed. be patient when you come here - tasty food takes time to make, especially when its made to order! my order (chkn wrap) was missing pickles (asked for extras) and garlic sauce (barely any so it was dry). the beef wrap was perfect though - chunks of tasty beef, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, pickles and pickled turnip. get it spicy if you like some heat!

Alpha's Shawarma is a shawarma restaurant with Syrian and Lebanese roots. With 4 locations in the…read morecity, this particular location is right on Yonge close to Dundas. The menu has appetizers, wraps, plates, platters as well as sides for you to choose from. You can also customize your wraps and have it Arabic style or have everything included; you are also able to choose the level of spiciness you want as well. I've heard many good things about Alpha's Shawarma and have never tried them until recently. Stepping into Alpha's Shawarma you are greeted by a long counter filled with ingredients as well as their shawarma meats which are on a vertical rotating spit. The cashier is towards the middle of the restaurant where there is quite a bit of seating at the back to enjoy your purchased items. There is also a small display of desserts as well next to the cashier. I opted to get a chicken shawarma saj with all the toppings (garlic sauce, hummus, pickles, turnips, onion & parsley, lettuce, tomato, tahini, and pomegranate molasses). I picked a table while waiting for my wrap to be made which took about less than 5 min. Service was friendly and they called out my order number on the loud speaker where I grabbed my wrap. The staff asked me if I wanted extra garlic sauce which I replied "yes!" where they placed more garlic sauce on my wrap. Sitting down, I took a nice bite out of my chicken shawarma. It was delicious - the chicken was moist and tender and the ingredients worked well together. Next time I do want to try the wrap with only Arabic toppings (garlic sauce, pickles, fries, and pomegranate molasses). However, I enjoyed all the toppings on my shawarma wrap which was also nicely toasted. The portion of the wrap was pretty big and I was full after I finished the whole thing. The garlic sauce was great - it was creamy and full of garlic flavour but not too overpowering. Overall, friendly service and a great place for shawarma near the Yonge-Dundas area. I totally understand why everyone's been talking about how delicious Alpha's Shawarma is!

We enjoyed dinner at Layla's on a Saturday night. The vibe was trendy with music going and…read morebeautiful crowd dining. Service was friendly and very helpful with dining options. We had some folks in group that hadn't tried Lebanese cuisine so server was very attentive to their questions. Full bar with good wine selection. For appetizers, we ordered fattoush salad for the table and yogurt with fresh naan bread. Dinner we ordered two platters with mixed Grill kebabs. Sirloin, chicken, other kebabs with rice pilaf with pine nuts and chimichurri. Grilled veggies as well. Everything was very good and fresh. There was street parking available but big city so we walked to restaurant.

Came here on a Saturday before an orchestra. We had…read morereservations so it was pretty easy. Our server Mahsa was really good to us, patient and gave us a lot of great recommendations! She really knew her stuff... from drinks to food. Wish we had room for some dessert... but we were really full.. Inside is very clean and well kept. Really pretty too. In between our appetizers and main, they cleaned our table and gave us new plates. Felt nice. Overall, although on the expensive side, we really enjoyed it and my vegan friends had a lot of options, so it was great for them too!

As someone who loves Afghan food I knew I had to try naan kabob…read more My friend was vegetarian on this day but thankfully there were lots of vegetarian items on the menu and the staff was very accommodating. We ordered bolanee (spicy potato's in Afghan flatbread), babaghanoush (smoky egg plant dip) which came with warm pieces of naan bread, paneer kabab wrap (toasty bread filled with blocks of cheese) and masala fries on the side. However there was no masala spices on the fries which I didn't mind but I would have preferred it with spices. As for the paneer wrap there was a different taste with the cheese which I never had in paneer before. We were so hungry we just indulged in the food! And not to mention, the beautiful traditional Afghan decor, especially on the second floor. You must check it out. I hope to drink at the tea room one day

Drinks are decent, though nothing particularly memorable…read more Service is friendly and attentive, though it can get a little busy during peak times. Overall, a solid choice for casual dining or a relaxed meal with friends