I'm very picky when it comes to giving out a 5 star, but I think it's appropriate to give Madameek a 5 star.
A mediterranean restaurant, one of the few new (relatively) ones in petawawa proper, Madameek's has a great personal story, as it was started by the family (I believe) of a canadian soldier, Marc Diab. He had a dream to bring Lebanese cuisine to the soldiers and families in the area, as the largest employer in the region is the Military Base at Petawawa. My brother, who is in the arm, has often told me that it is one of the largest deployment bases in Canada, and it is where many of our troops have at some point been stationed and shipped out across the world. Imagine being in a place where every single person you meet, in some way is or supports soldiers who literally put their lives on the line for our country and our beliefs. I've never really seen Canadians as proud or as staunch supporters of our military, but in petawawa, interacting with the soldiers and their families...you can't help but feel a sense of patriotism and pride in our men and women, the Canadian Armed Forces!
I digress though. Madameek's isn't what it seems. When you first drive up to it, you are struck by the fact that it is fully "missable" if not for the consistently full parking lot. It's entrance is off the main road through town, and its parking lot is fairly small, with only a medium green sign highlighting its unique name. But every time I visited petawawa as you drove by the side street it is on, there were always cars parked in its small parking lot, which is very noticeable after 6 (petawawa turns into a ghost town after this!). So i was intrigued by the little shop with the green sign, and decided to research it.
I haven't seen a lot of restaurant's spend a lot of time into picking a name but Madameek's seems to have found a name that really stands for something they believe in. On their website they highlight:
Madameek Restaurant is an inspiration from a book, which is mostly about "one single outer wall, Lebanon's southern wall... For over a century, this wall has carried the bulk of the country's burden. Had its stones not been hard and fit tightly within the wall, the building would have disintegrated and fallen under the pressure of many events over time".
Madameek "are the people and tribes; they are cultures, traditions, beliefs, and religious sects, all of which at one time or another shared in consolidating Lebanon to make it, in essence, unique among all surrounding countries".
What a great name for Lebanese people to gather around. And the reality is that this location has become a central location for the many lebanese and middle eastern people living in Petawawa. The staff are all very personable and very engaging! I was definitely impressed by how quick they were but also how they took the time to engage every client that walked in. Everyone seemed to know these guys and seemed to be intensely loyal to them and their food. And while their parking lot was always full, i never saw anyone have to wait more than 5-10 minutes to be served and exit ready!
The restaurant is small, seating about 20-24 people max. It is a middle eastern restaurant that does cater mostly to take out so the decor is functional. But you don't come here for the seating arrangement or for the service which is great. You come here for the food. Their food is...amazing! I have been to many shawrma places in my time, especially as a hangover place (when my senses are heightened of course) and they don't seem to do anything differently. Its the standard fare and setup but their food is unbelievable! I took my parents here, and my mom is a picky eater, but even she finished off her plate. We had the beef and chicken dinner plate. On top of them being very generous in their portions, everything on that plate was epic. The rice was tender, the salad was fresh and crispy, the chicken and beef were soft and delicious and their sauce..id have bought a gallon of it if I could! We also tried the baklava which they have stacked in individual packages to take home. It literally tastes fresh...I don't know how to describe it. Its got the right amount of everything....
Which about sums up this restaurant, it's got the right amount of everything. A bigger restaurant or a smaller one, one that was on the main street or that had more selections would have made this location worse, imho.
I think that being in petawawa and it servicing an army base, their ingredients are a lot better than what restaurants of it's type may be able to afford in toronto or other urban areas. They also charge about 10-15$ per plate which, in comparison to toronto, is on the high side...but I can say I thought it was worth it. And for the fact that it was built in memory of a fallen soldiers dream, I can't help but be a little sentimental... read more
