Sababa in Thornhill doesn't chase trends--it outlives them. I've been eating here for 30 years, which in restaurant time is basically surviving a war, and Sababa is still standing, still feeding people the way it always has: honest, soulful Middle Eastern food that shows up every day and does the job right. This is the kind of place where the menu hasn't been "reimagined," because it never needed to be. The chicken skewers dinner is a personal staple--charred just enough, juicy where it counts, seasoned with the confidence. The shawarma is famous for a reason: shaved hot, spiced deep, and piled without apology. You start with the dip platter because that's what you do here--hummus, tahini, baba ghanoush--the opening handshake before the real conversation begins. Attached to the restaurant is a grocery store that feels like a lifeline--shelves of hard-to-find ingredients, spices, and staples that remind you food isn't just something you order, it's something you live with. There's also a takeout counter with a few tables, perfect for quick eats that turn into longer stays because the food demands your attention. Sam Azar founded the place, and the legend goes deeper than the menu--he even made their lentil soup recipe public, giving it away to the newspapers like a gift, not a secret. That generosity still hangs in the air. Today, his children carry the torch, and you can feel the continuity: same spirit, same standards, same refusal to mess with something that works. Sababa isn't flashy. It's better than that. It's dependable, rooted, and quietly excellent--the kind of restaurant you measure your life around, not your Instagram feed. Find calm fam atmosphere, not TikTok madness with a side of chaos. CHEERS!!! read more

My AirBnB host recommended trying the delicious Middle Eastern food around town, so how I could refuse? In the same plaza where I was getting laundry done, I stopped by here. The dining hall was closed, so I ordered food from their next-door Sababa Mid-Eastern Groceries store's to-go counter at the back. First item that caught my eye was their steak liver pita. I also ordered a bowl of their famous lentil soup and grabbed a bottle of Efsane Uludağ Gazozu. The liver was as I would hope, rich iron-y flavor with fresh lettuce and tomato salad with a dash of chili flakes. I pretty much inhaled it, as I was famished. However, it was the lentil soup that made me take pause. I have made lentil soup at home in the past with meh results, but tasting this rendition's unassuming, yet thoroughly satisfying flavor and filling consistency made me want to try again. Lastly, the uludağ rounded out everything nicely, a slightly different crispness to it that took me by surprise. A humble feast was had. read more

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What happened?! Yalla: Salat bi pita, hummous wa falafel is more than just a few pieces lettuce with barely a scraping of hummous inside the pita. Drenching it in tahini doesn't make up for the lack of hummous. No pickles inside the pita anymore? C'mon, man. Increase your prices if you have to. The majority of us will pay a bit extra for satisfaction. Also, the falafel needed more salt, cumin and love. read more

I have only ordered takeout here but the staff have been friendly on pick-up. The kebabs are tasty, especially in the pita with the sauces and fries. The falafel is really crispy on outside and tastes awesome. Comes with a red spicy sauce and a nut sauce. The salad comes with a dressing that is super lemony/acidic. Overall the food is good and have ordered twice from here already. read more

Food 6.5/10 Service 5/10 Ambiance 5.9/10 I highly recommend this place for a small Jewish family dinner read more

Sababa Restaurant - Bar area.picture.tables.plus more - Middle Eastern Near Me - Thornhill, Ontario

My friend and I had a bit of a hankering for falafel, and decided to have a sit down at Sababa. Tucked away nicely in a older strip plaza west of Steeles and Yonge, Sababa remains a popular establishment, with throngs of customers lining up for some authentic middle eastern fare. We started with their classic lentil soup, a thick and hearty bowl of deliciousness, followed by a complementary house salad and pickled beets and olives. We each ordered the falafel plate, which came with 6 falafel balls, a smidge of tahini , and your choice of rice or fries. The plate was a bit bland, and would have been better served with a bit if Mediterranean salad. But the falafel were good, and also came with warm pita to make the sandwich. Overall, a good meal and had some take home. The service was excellent. Complementary soda refills, and periodic check ins to make sure things were going well. Definately a great option, reasonable prices and attentive service. -Zuk read more

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We really enjoyed. The dishes are delicious and reminded of Jerusalem. Service with warmth and care. Vlad and Irena read more

After 30+ years this place has stood the test of time. Still to this day one of the best middle eastern restaurants in Toronto and York region. The family that runs it knows the true spice and flavours that make it authentic. I have been coming here from day one as a kid for falafel. From the mini grocery shop filled with Israeli and Lebanese products. To the takeout bar for a quick bite to the full sit down restaurant this family operation puts a lot of smiles on people's faces. If you haven't tried the food yet, or it's been a while I highly recommend this place. read more

I came here for dinner the other night and it was a really good experience. The Food: We ordered the meat platter for 2 and it came with hummus, babaganush, tziki, beef, chicken and lamb. The beef was my favourite and it was cooked really well. The rice tasted good and all of the sauces were great. The Service: The Service was fantastic. The two people working were serving the tables and cooking the food. They were very friendly and hospitable and we enjoyed dining here. The Ambiance: The ambiance was casual and comforting. The lighting was perfect for a date. Would I go back? Yes! Absolutely! read more

When you come here, you HAVE to get the falafel. Crispy on the outside, and pillow soft with a burst of herbs on the inside that pairs perfectly with the creamy tahini and fresh vegetables. Something else that you MUST get here is the zaatar. I didn't even have it when it was fresh, but it was still sooooo good. The combination of herbs and spices are immaculate. If this place was closer to home I'd come everyday for this dish. read more

Post covid review. The place is only open for takeout. There's a small takeout counter inside the convenience store where you can get your order. They don't have a dedicated line or table for Uber eats so you have to wait in line regardless if you're a walk-in or a preorder. The food was food court quality. Edible but not tasty. The salad dressing was extremely sour. I liked the garlic sauce I thought it was the best part of the meal. The portions are good but it's very expensive for the quality of the food (about $25 for a shawarma meat with rice). Next time we'll try a different place read more

Pictures do not do this place any justice, (especially when the cover photo is an unappetizing half eaten pita) but I can assure you it's a great place for authentic and delicious middle eastern food that blows any chain out of the water. Not only that, but for more portions and a better value! I've been trying to find a good sit-down middle eastern restaurant, and Sababa has to be one of the better ones around. Sababa has been around for a while, and they know what they're doing if they've been around that long. First thing I have to say, is the wonderful service we had. I didn't get his name, but he made our meal extremely pleasant and his service was outstanding. While ordering, our waiter recommended instead of doing things ala carte with two platters, there was a combination platter with just about everything we would have liked to try (and more). It was a great recommendation that we missed and didn't consider. We started with a combination salad which included four salads/dips of our choice. We went with the hummus, baba ganoush, red pepper spread, and the sababa salad. All of these were amazing, and I couldn't believe how much they gave us. Each portion on the plate would have fed the entire table for the four of us, but there was FOUR of those. We loved all of them, but the red pepper spread was the winner. Sweet, and smokey from the grilled red pepper. It was delicious. There was plenty of warm pita. We also received their falafel. It wasn't dry at all and was tasty. We also were given fried eggplant with a sauce that was like/is balsamic vinegar. It was very intense. The lentil soup is also a must order, very fragrant and hearty, goes down easily. It's one of their signatures here. It's not intense and strong at all. Very mild tasting. Our waiter actually gave us a couple of extra portions! For the main dish, we ordered one of every skewer here: lamb, beef, ground meat kebab, and the chicken breast. All were grilled perfectly on their charcoal grill, the lamb and beef were chunky yet tender. They use quality meats here. It was served on a massive bed of amazing saffron rice. Again, by the time we dug into this we were already feeling it from all the salads and dips. It was the perfect portion for the four of us. read more

Sababa Restaurant - Lentil soup and combination dip platter - Middle Eastern Near Me - Thornhill, Ontario

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On a recommendation we tried Sababa today for lunch. We went to the takeout counter and I grabbed a Beef Sharawarma and some Borekas. The shawarma was very good. The Beef was super tender and seasoned very well. The hot sauce is a nice kick! The pita was super fresh as well. The sandwich held up amazing no leaks! The Borekas were great as well. My favourite was a toss up between the spinach and the potato! Don't hesitate to try the food was excellent! I will be back! read more

Unfortunately I am disappointed to say this. My husband and I come here so many times with 5 stars all the time but today was very disappointing. I ordered a NY steak and for it to be well done. My steak came and it was medium rare confused to say what it was because it wasn't cooked throughout properly. And hubby ordered NY steak medium rare and it came back mostly raw!! So I told the waiter about my steak it was sent back and came back medium rare and not well done. At this point I ate most of my steak because if it was sent back I didn't feel that I had the trust anymore for the cooks to make it properly after the second time. My poor husband kept eating his steak because he was humble and continued but as soon as I saw blood on his plate I was disappointed and worried and I told him NOT to eat it. Waiter came back and she said she couldn't refund us cause we already ate most of our steak... and she tried to argue with us that she asked us how steak was and we told her we didn't want to wait longer for the food to come. I'm really upset about this and I love Sababa but after this, I'm not sure if I want to come here anymore. We paid $61 for this disappointing lunch, after wanting to celebrate a special occasion with my husband. We didn't even get any discount off the terrible food we had eaten. read more

Sababa Restaurant - Middle Eastern Near Me - Thornhill, Ontario

Tried the falafel sandwich (takeout during COVID). Frankly, it didn't live up to the hype for me. The falafel didn't taste as fresh as I'd hope. At least the chicken shawarma was decent and I liked the hot sauce. Maybe we'll try it again at some point! read more

Ordered a chicken shawarma today, actually my first time ordering it here. i stopped after attempting to eat a third of it. the meat was over seasoned for my taste, the preparer was also too liberal with the sauces (the order comes assembled from the kitchen) , noticed some new signs posted, cost 50 cents for any substitutions and prices have gone up since I last visited a couple months ago. I'll stick to the falafels and hamburgers for now... read more

First time here at this long time establishment for a friends birthday. I was told that they just renovated a few days ago and it looks nice. They are missing mirrors in the bathroom, I hope they put them up. We had a great energetic server who went above and beyond to give us separate bills, including a sep one for our appetisers and one for our wine which only a few people shared. Food was ample and tasty. For appetisers we got the combination salad which comes with crispy falafels and choice of salad or dip (3). I was overwhelmed at the selection so be prepared when you order. They have 5 kinds of hummus and baba ganoush. For our mains, AT and I shared a lamb kebobs (2) $15 and a ground meat kebab. All come with potatoes or rice and salad (meh) It was tasty but not as flavourful as I hoped. Maybe the spices ? AT suspects it because it's not cooked on top of a charcoal fire that gives it that smoky taste. Dessert we ordered a trio of cakes for the birthday boy. The big tables help out with all the food but clearing the table wasn't a strong suit. He did wait patiently however with a credit card machine for each of us to punch in. If in the area, definitely come check it out. read more

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Sababa is a well established and highly well known middle eastern restaurant in Richmond Hill. Opened for 35 years and yet I akways see steady business in the restaurant as well as the grocery store attached with with the take out location. If you know what to order, I would say it may be wise to call in and pre order before the pick up as they do take some time especially when busy. This is pertaining to their take out location. I normally enjoy their Sababa Burger, which is a nice meat patty with ground lamb meat along with their signature salad mix of ice berg lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber some onion and fresh minced curly parsley. Mixed with lemon juice and olive oil it seems. The burger is served in a white small round warmed pita stuffed with the salad mix and their tzatziki sauce. Pretty bomb. Likewise their other selections included chicken shawarma or falafel sandwich.. all prepared in the exact same manner with stuffed with salad and the tzatziki sauce. All are fantastic. The price is right for some economical healthier eats. Skip the side order of their crispy french fries if you want to save on the calories... even though they're also tasty and crispy. I'm sure the restaurant is delicious as well and I've yet to try! If you haven't been to Sababa I'd totally recommend giving it a try... for some long-time goodness that won't break your wallet. read more

Quality varied, some days the food is bad and that's most days, never tasted the same the first time I tried gonna cut my losses and not waste any more money there. read more

The restaurant is pretty expensive but the take out counter at their mini grocery store is amazing! This is my to go place for Falafel pitas! For under $5, you get a delicious pita filled with fresh f alafels and veggies! The f alafels are deep fried and are very crunchy, not oily at all. For the sauce, it's up to your liking and can ask them if you want more hot sauce to add spice to your pita. I've also had their chicken Shawarma here and I must say it's very delicious. I love their pita here, and they can be purchased at a good price from their grocery store. Overall, they have great sandwiches at reasonable prices and service is quick and simple. Good for to go! read more

Sababa Restaurant - Shawarma takeout for $5. 95 - Middle Eastern Near Me - Thornhill, Ontario

The place has upgraded a bit, now has bar seating and a tv w the news on. Got myself a free falafel today because of their raptors event. Staff were super welcoming and friendly. Props to Sababa for doing this for the community. The falafel sandwich here is so yummy (full of fresh veggies, herbs and spices, and that sauce!). Highly recommended. Will be back for the shawarma next time, which is also so tasty. read more

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We have been to Sababa (groceries side!) on several occasions now and almost always (but one time) to get their delicious falafel in a pita: tried falafel for the 1st time in J's life; dunno what to eat when we're around Yonge/Steeles area (many times); brought cousins to try their falafel; to counter the bad experience we had after having shawarma from another nearby place. All times, we enjoyed the fresh and warm falafel with their spicy sauce! The falafel was so moist, and the pita was so fresh! Definitely give Sababa's falafel a try when you're in the neighbourhood! read more

Sababa Restaurant - Falafel in a fresh pita! - Middle Eastern Near Me - Thornhill, Ontario

I normally go to the Sababa grocery for the take-out food. So far I've only gotten chicken/beef shawarma pita for $5.99+tax. The meat is scrumptious; savoury, tasty, salty with basic salad that balances it out. If you also add some spicy sauce, it adds an exciting sour sweetness and the spiciness kicks in later. Eating the pita can get messy. Beware! There is outdoor seating outside the grocery store you can eat at although cleanliness is questionable. When you compare Sababa to the famous Laffa, Sababa is definitely the most affordable and the meat can compete. It does not have the interesting fillers FL has but maybe it has more meat?. read more

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I went to the other side to order takeout which is at the back of the grocery store. Got the chicken shawarma because I was really craving a shawarma today. Unfortunately, I didn't like it very much. It tastes a bit different from other shawarmas I've had. Hard to describe, the sauce is kind of creamy and nutty, no garlic flavour which I'm accustomed to. I can't get used to this! The rest of the food in the display case didn't look the freshest either. read more

The restaurant is big. I love the decoration here. Lots of tables and booths with lots of mirrors on the walls to give the illusion that the restaurant is even bigger than what it really is. We ordered the $40 combo and it came with pita bread (unlimited), falafel plate (6 pieces), rice, fries, 4 appetizers of choice, and 3 skewers of choice. A great bang for the buck! Appetizers were amazing. Pita bread is freshly baked in their store. I recommend the Kebab skewer here. Service is exceptional. After we were done the waitress informed us that there is a grocery store next door so we checked it out too. We are so pleased for trying out this place. read more

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The food is amazing. The chef does a really good job of making sure the kebabs come out from the grill juicy and succulent. The lamb kebab was super tender and tasty. The french fries were alright too. I really liked their dips. Great job! Customer service was top-notch. 10/10. The decor....not so much. It feels dated, dark and the seats are old. This place is in dire need of some renovation. If you don't care about decor though, you won't be disappointed in their food. I can assure you of that. Did I mention that it was pretty affordable too? Yeah, the prices are very reasonable for the quality & quantity of food that you get. read more

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excellent! I went to the grocery side many times during summer vacation. I like humus,chicken kebabs,salads. They are friendly. I want to go again ! read more

Sababa Restaurant - Chicken kebab - Middle Eastern Near Me - Thornhill, Ontario

Overrated. Had a lamb shish kebab and a chicken shwarma. Lamb meat was tough, full of chewy tendons that you ultimately had to spit out or swallow. Chicken mean was more like sliced thigh. Thick dry pieces. Their lentil soup was tasty and excellent. Food was well seasoned and the pita was excellent but I wouldn't go back. read more

I've been coming here for nearly 2 decades (19 years to be exact), so I guess it's time to write a review. Contrary to my usual lengthy missives, there isn't much to say about a place where the food is always great, the service is always with a smile, AND they serve grilled chicken hearts - absolutely fiend those, and never seen them anywhere else. Been here hundreds of times, and will continue, for as long as it exists. read more

Lol. I ordered the $26 lamb chop meal which on the menu said "4 pieces". Little did I realize these are dry and two-bite sized pieces. 3/4 of the small box were French fries, which weren't even crisp. I really did expect more after a friend recommended this place. read more

Sababa Restaurant - steak and french fries - Middle Eastern Near Me - Thornhill, Ontario

Went to douse our felafel cravings at our usual spot, Paramount in Thornhill, only to find it shutdown. What a blessing in disguise it was that we found Sababa that was not only better from a quality perspective but also a whole lot more of an intimate experience and great customer service. They were attentive hosts and had a lot of patience for us and our two kids. We went abt 45 mins before their closing time but no sweat - service with a smile right through. I got their combination salad and my wife ended up getting the shish taouk. Fresh food, felafels to die for, shish taouk was well marinated and moist. Kids had a great time - my fussy two year old totally devoured his portion of the lentil soup and dipped his "pancake" (khubz) in the soup with much ceremony and aplomb. We have found our new middle eastern haunt now. Thank you, Sababa! read more

I stopped by for a quick bite and regretted it. Indifferent service, bland and chewy food. Not recommended.

I called in for a take out order stating my pickup time. I was punctual. The food was ready to go. I presented to my family dry, tasteless lamb dinners. Cardboard chicken dinners with tasteless fries and accompanying soggy salads . Dreadful food. Possibly left over from a dine in order. Sababa will be crossed off my dining list immediately. read more

I've been going to this place my whole life. It is probably the best palestinian style middle eastern food in the city. Its a restaurant with an adjoining grocery. Both the restaurant and the grocery are fantastic. First the restaurant: Don't let the occasional sparseness of diners put you off. This place is great. I've probably had most of the stuff on the menu by now, but my regular order for years has been a bunch of appetizers (hummus, tabouleh, mixed pickles, eggplant salad - or just the combo salad) and as the main course - Siniyeh. Siniyeh is a great dish you can't get at too many places. It's basically a ground beef patty seasoned with middle eastern spices and covered in tahini sauce, pine nuts, and parsley, slow baked to perfection in the oven. It also comes in a tomato sauce variety,but i prefer the tahini one. The dish's in that category of the menu all come with a salad and your choice of one appetizer. So if you're going alone, don't order any of the other appetizers, it will be too much! and of course all the food is served with the best pitas you can get in north america (IMO). the grocery: ok, best pitas in the GTA BY FAR. It is very hard to find this style of thick pocket pita anywhere and done correctly and super fresh almost anytime you go. The machine that churns them out is actually right behind the counter in the back where you order the takeout, and is pretty much spitting them out all the time. I make sure to buy as many bags as i can fit in my freezer whenever i go! Their hot sauce is also hard to beat. Make the trek out to bathurst and steeles if you want the good stuff. read more

Sababa is in my backyard and I have been coming here for years, I never really go into the restaurant I always go to the counter and the back of the grocery store. They are famous for their falafel which is a great tasty, quick and cheap lunch item. I also get their lentil soup on cold days cause its delicious. They bake all of their pita fresh in-store and have an amazing selection of dips such as hummus, baba ganoush etc. They allow you to sample them before you buy and their service is pretty quick. Their Moroccan cigars are pricey but really crispy and fresh. You order at the back and they will put the $ amount on the bag, you can then shop around a little more and pay at the front. I would recommend getting their hot sauce on the side with the falafel for extra flavour! read more

Went to Sababa for a lunch date on New Years Eve day. There was no love connection with the date - or the food. My date assured me that what Sababa lacked in ambiance, that it made up for in tasty food. Sure, Sababa makes their own pitas (they were meh), but to me - this place is not unique, and is not a good example of the complexities that middle eastern food offers. In fact, I am going to say that I found it quite disappointing. The beautiful smells of Pomegranate (http://www.yelp.ca/biz/pomegranate-restaurant-toronto-2#hrid:Ce1hRRyXhGRWruzB-AOrYQ) were not there. The complexities in flavour were not there. I had a kebab, and found it to be - meh. The serving size was not very large, and the entree seemed like it was missing something. It was overwhelmed by rice (that wasn't even warm). I'll stick with Pomegranate and Sheherzade (http://www.yelp.ca/biz/sheherzade-persian-grill-and-dizi-toronto) downtown. read more

The food has been the same for 30+ years and you won't hear me complaining. I still say the falafel and hummus are the best in the city, not to mention your friendly...the falafel is fried in its own frier making it safe for Celiacs. The real highlight is the little marketplace next door where you can take home the best lentil soup you'll ever eat read more

I used to live around the corner and remember when they opened. My friends wanted to go to a new hip place but I insisted that I wanted to check out the tried and true. And I was so glad we did. Everything is delicious. You need to come hungry for sharing appetizers and then an entrée. Their grilled eggplant salad with tahini is one of my favorites. I also love their different types of pickles and olives and the kubbeh (ground meat with pine nuts in bulgur). The majadhra rice is also perfect. They have a great meat selection and it's cooked to perfection. Authentic and out of this world. The staff is also great. read more

The Toronto Lover system: 5 stars = Must visit! 4 stars = Really good. I take my friends here. 3 stars = Somewhat worth it... if you have nowhere better to go. 2 stars = Below average. Attend only when necessary. 1 star = Do not visit! I can't say very much about the restaurant, except that I've heard mixed reviews from people who attended the sit-down area of Sababa. However, this review is about the takeout counter. It is one of the freshest, most consistent, tastiest, heartiest takeout counters in the city. Have the lentil soup. Have a falafel or a shwarma. Thank me later. Did I mention the lentil soup? 4 stars read more

I tried Sababa for dinner tonight as I was in the area and a friend had previously mentioned it. Reading one of the previous reviews, I ordered the Siniyeh tahini... I have to say, I was pretty disappointed. The "famous mediterranian salad" that it comes with is just a regular garden salad with some parsley mixed in, and the only side option is saffron rice or fries. The Siniyeh itself was alright, but the beef patty seemed overcooked, but the creamy and overly heavy tahini sauce made up for that. I will say the tahini tasted alright, but definitely not recommended for the health conscious. The saving grace for the meal was the pita bread, which did seem fresh and when eaten with the Siniyeh, it was alright. Overall, Sababa restaurant is nothing to write home about, and with so many middle eastern and Korean options in the area, I pass on Sababa in favor of trying something else next time I'm in the area. read more