Located nearby the Kipling station this middle eastern place is really good! Never been before and…read moreI decided to try it and was not disappointed. I got the chicken saj and the mixed saj with potatoes as a side and enjoyed it. My favourite being the chicken saj. It is a fairly small restaurant with limited seating options but the coziness and the pleasant workers make up for it. Overall, if I'm nearby and craving some shawarma and saj will definitely be going here.

I was a little sad when the Chinese restaurant that was in this spot closed a few months ago, but…read morethen I was excited when I discovered it would be replaced by Pita and Hummus. It was a really cold and unpleasant night and I figured the time was right to give Pita and Hummus a try. I knew I wanted a platter of some sort, so I eventually decided to go with the Chicken Platter, which comes with rice, salad, a bunch of chicken, pickles, onions, hummus, and several sauces. I took it home and was quite impressed/intimidated by the sheer amount of food. Thankfully, everything tastes really good. The rice is more flavorful than I might've anticipated, while the salad complements everything very well. The hummus and various sauces are also tasty, while the plentiful chicken has been seasoned well and isn't too dry. My only complaint is that the chicken didn't contain any of the crispy bits one craves from a joint like this, but hopefully that's an issue that'll be worked out in the future. (I think the place had been open for about a week when I showed up.) I'm excited to try more of Pita and Hummus' other offerings in the future, and hopefully they'll be around for a while to come.

The lamb chops were served with dusted fries and what looked like a half portion (maybe less) of…read moretanoor bread. The lamb portion was big. The seasoning was nothing fancy but it was good lamb so the simplicity brought out the natural flavour of lamb. Unfortunately the bread got soggy because it was put underneath everything. The fries were dusted so they had a nice crunch. They were also slightly seasoned, giving them a hint of more complex flavour. The meat quzi (lamb shank) came with 2 types of flavoured rice. The shank itself was ok but there was no sauce for either the lamb or the rice so it was slightly dry overall. There was a lot of rice. The shank portion was OK. It was also served with baked beans - presumably the (Maraga) Yegi broth of the day. That was really weird since it was plain baked beans. Tanoor bread on the side was decent - it's just a long flatbread. Raisin juice (zabeeb) tasted like it sounds. The lentil soup was very plain. Otherwise it was ok. While waiting for my order I helped myself to the free hot tea (sweetened to taste), which was pretty good.

Not only is this place NOT open during the hours they say they are open, but I literally had a…read morepickup for 5pm and there was nobody there and door was locked. I waited about 15 mins and then left. What an absolutely trashy way to run a business. I wasted SO much time driving here and the only thing I can look forward to is a refund and being hungry. Avoid this place on principle...go support businesses who actually care

We visited here for a Sunday brunch at the patio and were stunned how beautiful the patio was…read more The brunch menu includes great variety of hot and cold Mediterranean warm and clod dishes like Fatteh, Balila, Foul, Kunefe, labneh balls, variety of cheese, jam, bread, fruit, fresh juice and Turkish coffee. It had a great atmosphere and the staff were friendly and attentive.

We decided to grab a bite on Friday night and I remembered this establishment that I had visited…read moreyears ago. It's in an spot that doesn't really stand out - so many signs and businesses and 3 lanes of traffic in each direction. As soon as you walk in the front door, you are swept away from this industrial looking area. The decor is upscale and enchanting. It definitely has the Wow factor. The staff are extremely polite and accommodating. The food was excellent - hot, fresh, and bursting with flavor. My friend had never had Middle Eastern cuisine and loved it! The portions are generous and we had to take some home with us. My friend who is not a fan of baklava tried some of mine and loved it! It's a must have here.

I've been keeping an eye on the various "for lease" signs on this stretch of Dundas West, so I was…read morehappy to discover a new shawarma joint had recently occupied one of the units. I placed an order for pickup on a food-delivery app for a Club Mix Wrap ("Pita and saj bread, chicken and lamb shawarma") and added Lettuce, Tomato, Onions, Parsley, Cucumber, Hot Sauce, Garlic Sauce, Tahini Sauce, and Pomegranate Molasses. (As an aside, I really hate it when joints like this don't have an option to just order a wrap or sandwich the way they think it should be made. How should I know what sauces or components work well together?) I arrived a short time later and stood at the counter for a solid minute before anyone offered to help, despite the fact that two separate people made eye contact with me. I'm going to chalk that blunder up to the fact that they just opened, however. I took my wrap home and it's good. The flavors are decent and the components work well together. I do have some complaints, however. I don't think the two separate breads do anything to enhance the concoction, while the meats, tender as they were, were completely lacking in the crispy bits one desires with good shawarma. Finally, the four sauces were just too overwhelming. The whole thing was swimming in sauce. Still, there's a lot of potential here and I'll certainly make an effort to give them another shot in a few weeks.

Excellent shawarma! Great portions and friendly staff! Love the pomegranate molasses was new to me…read morebut was delicious in the wrap.

Found myself at Sahara Express Shawarma & Grill on Dundas late at night, craving something hearty…read moreand warm. Most places had already shut down, but this one had its lights on, so I stopped by. They were minutes from closing, but the guy at the counter welcomed me in. I asked about Shawarma, but he said they were out--then promised to make something "better" that I hadn't tried before. Bold claim, but I was short on options and decided to roll with it. What he made was something he called Chicken Tawouk in a Saj wrap--juicy grilled chicken chunks off the skewer, tossed with sauces and fresh veggies, all wrapped in thin, soft Saj bread. It wasn't just the food, it was watching him assemble it--every step looked intentional and full of confidence. I took it to go, and by the first bite I knew I got lucky. The chicken was grilled just right--smoky, juicy, and full of flavour. The sauces weren't overdone, just the right amount to bind everything without masking the ingredients. It's the kind of wrap that you remember after it's done. I didn't expect a last-minute visit to turn into a food memory I'd actually want to come back for, but here we are. Next time, I'm eating in and trying more from the menu. Late-night gems like this are rare.

Great night about Latin music, very funny entrance and good ideas to decorate the restaurant,…read more Latin is a huge part of us and feel like home.

Came here a few times for early dinner a few times and enjoyed it both times…read more I ordered the small chicken madhi plate, which is very filling. We didn't have to wait long before the food was served. The chicken came off the bone so easily, and it was nicely seasoned as well. The dish came on a large bed of rice and a delicious lentil soup, along with dipping sauce. The price was pretty affordable given the size as well. The place was brightly lit and there was lots of space each time I went. Definitely worth checking out if you're in the area.

The food is genuinely good and very tasty. I've always enjoyed the flavors, and that's what kept me…read morecoming back for a while. My main issue was the portion size of the meat and chicken. Considering the prices, I felt the amount you received was too small. I don't mind paying more for quality food, but when you're spending a decent amount of money, you expect a more reasonable portion of the main protein. The service was also hit-or-miss. Sometimes it was fine, and other times it left a lot to be desired. Between the inconsistent service and the small portions, we eventually stopped going there. I know I'm not the only one who felt this way, as I've heard similar complaints from others regarding the portion sizes. That said, I want to be fair and mention that I haven't ordered from them in the past two years, so things may have changed since my last visit. The food itself was always flavorful, and I hope they've addressed some of these concerns because the quality of the food was never the issue.

I'm not sure why, but it's basically impossible to get a top-notch shawarma wrap in the Etobicoke…read morearea. I thought maybe Villa Madina might change that but no such luck. I decided to get, of course, the Chicken Shawarma Sandwich and I asked for it with everything except pickles and turnips. I also requested it extra spicy. The wrap was ready a few minutes later and it's...fine. It's neither excellent nor awful, which is disappointing, certainly, given the all Middle Eastern crew working the restaurant. The biggest problem is the complete lack of crispy bits on the chicken. It's all mush, basically, so there's not really any texture to the thing. The various sauces are tasty, at least, and the spice level was decent. I'll probably order food from Villa Madina again, but it'll be a last resort kind of thing, given how many better eateries are in this food court.