The family who own and operate this successful business have thrived during the most challenging…read morefinancial climates. Why? Because they have kept it REAL and AUTHENTIC. Poor facsimiles of shawarma places come and go, but Shawarma Empire has established itself as being the best BY THOSE OF US WHO KNOW!

Tried the beef shawarma here and quite enjoyed this style of shawarma instead of the Lebanese style…read moreI'm used to. The wrap was in a fluffy pita pocket and the sauce had more spices that reminded me of Indian food. The wrap was generous and wrapped well with layers of beef and vegetables for well rounded bites. Nice folks too.

Had the "viral" sujuk shawarma. It was so viral it was not on the on-premise menu & I only found…read moreout about it because I went online. Sujuk shawarma bowl: the sujuk shawarma was more tender & moist than sujuk. It was a generous meat portion & moist & tasty. The flavour profile being different to shawarma was nice too. The sauces were very generous. Garlic sauce was pretty garlicky & Ghadir sauce was sweet but didn't seem to have character. Both were very creamy. The fries were fresh & seemed to be Cavendish fries.

We came here on a Thursday night with high expectation for authentic Lebanese food. The place…read morelooked the part - regulars idling about outside, a constant stream of takeaway with delicious smelling meats, and groups of families and friends enjoying their evening in the messy yet homely sit down restaurant. Unfortunately I left with a strong sense of disappointment. We ordered beef shawarma that was dry and dull (though I concede that if we had gotten the house made hot sauce it would have likely been fire), and then ordered two skewers of shrimp with some sides. The seafood is served from a secondary restaurant to the beef/ chicken one - and though they didn't seem incredibly busy, we waited 45 minutes for two skewers! The more frustrating aspect was that I definitely saw people order and receive their food before me. When I asked, I was told that people had preordered food before coming, and while that may be the case I refuse to believe that two skewers took 45 minutes. I would have understood if someone told me they forgot about my order or they had a problem with the kitchen, but none such explanation happened. They didn't even apologize and the cashier seemed to actively avoid me, and instead busied herself by chatting with friends or cleaning up the odd table. In the end we only received the food after we actively started to leave without it. If there was a friendlier service experience I would go back and give them a second chance, but the cashier's attitude really put me in a bad place. I hope that this was a one off especially since they seem to have such a loyal clientele.

I have been to multiple naan and kabob before and the food is always so good. My go-to is the…read morechaplee plate, it comes with two patties, salad, rice and naan. The beef patties were really flavourful and tender. The rice and salad are the perfect pairing and fills me right up. The naan at this location wasn't very fresh, the bread was a little hard. I came here around 1:30 pm on a Sunday and only a few tables were occupied. The service was really good and the food came out pretty fast.

The OG Naan and Kabob. I've been coming here for years and it just seems to be getting better over…read moretime. They have updated their menu and continue adding quality options. Make sure you get some eggplant and boulanee with your food! This restaurant is great for small groups with shareable options - good spot to bring coworkers for lunch. Restaurant is beautifully decorated with good vibes and friendly service.

This Middle Eastern spot on Roncesvalles Ave is definitely worth checking out. The service was…read moreexcellent, and our server made sure to explain the dishes and specials, which was a nice touch. We tried the variety Darna sampler (dip platter), baba ganoushj, vegetarian fukhara and za'atar chicken and the food quality was top-notch. That said, a few of the dishes could've used a bit more salt, as it felt like the flavors didn't quite pop as much as they could have. The menu has a great variety, so I'm definitely planning to come back and try more next time.

Wow we are walking distance from Darna but it took us five years to finally try it. We've been…read moremissing out! Well-lit, slightly modern looking decor, comfy atmosphere that's pretty casual. Lots of different people helped us out, took our order, brought food etc. but it felt like the service while good, was just slightly below great. We got the veggie clay pot and the mixed grill to share between two people, and my son got a fattoush salad and the kebbeh. The mixed grill was great, all the meats were flavourful, and tender/juicy. It came with a lamb/beef kebab, some beef tenderloin, and some chicken. I think there were roast potatoes too, but my memory is a bit fuzzy on that part. The veggie stew was poured onto a plate of bulgur and was really really good. Lots of flavour, all the veggies (carrots, cauliflower, onions, etc.) were tender. the juices ran through the bulgur which made for a great side dish to go with the meat. The kebbeh was tasty but still a bit disappointing -- there were only three, and didn't feel like quite enough to make a meal. Luckily the fattoush salad was huge otherwise my son would have left the restaurant hungry. Compared to some of the dishes we saw on other tables, this dish seems to be an outlier in terms of quantity of food, and it's certainly not worth the $28 price; I wouldn't recommend it. Despite the disappointment with the one meal, all the food was delicious and I still felt like the meal on the whole was good value, and I wouldn't mind going back to try some of their other dishes.

You can find shawarmas on every street corner in Toronto (or just about), but here you get Middle…read moreEastern seafood. Given that much of the Middle East borders the Mediterranean, the lack of Middle Eastern seafood in Toronto is sad - but Ghadir Fish does its part in representation! They get 4.5 stars. Jumbo shrimp were grilled over charcoal. They were very fragrant & pretty tasty. It came with 3 (!) sides. Rice was good - fluffy & spiced with a noticeable cumin flavour. It was not salty despite its look. Batata Harra (spicy potatoes) were good: a bit crispy. The dish also came with bread (for the baba ganoush, maybe) so don't overload on carbs with your choice of sides. The bread was a bit old & pre packaged but I just took it as a bonus anyway. The baba ganoush itself was decent. Portions are big here. If you choose mixed vegetables they're just tossed with olive oil and garlic. The red sauce on the side was slightly spicy - more tart. It was good too. You can get whole fish sold by weight here too. They have some Middle Eastern drinks, like Mirinda Green Apple from Egypt & Mirinda Citrus from Saudi Arabia.

I don't give out 5 star rating willy-nilly but this spot wow. The choose your catch aspect where…read moreyou choose the fish you want from the ice and then the frying or grilling part and even the spices they use. Perfect. The tabouleh and baba ganoush were great too. Service took a while but I mean it makes sense so you can't complain. The ambiance is really unassuming but you're here for the food and that's it. Great experience

The service was great from the moment we walked in. Someone quickly came over to ask what we'd like…read moreto drink, which made us feel welcomed right away. It was an open buffet, and the staff checked on us a few times throughout our visit, making sure everything was okay and that we had what we needed. The ambiance was really nice, and I honestly loved the vibe of the place. There was a belly dancer, and she was really nice and added a fun, lively touch to the overall experience. The food was good overall. It wasn't too bad at all, and I enjoyed what I tried, though I do wish there had been a bit more variety to choose from. Even so, everything was still tasty and satisfying. Dessert was also good and a nice way to end the meal. Overall, it was a pleasant experience with good service, a nice atmosphere, and enjoyable food, and I would definitely consider going back.

We wanted to come here for the buffet, but upon arriving, we were told that it was closed (we got…read morethere in the mid-afternoon)... even though we checked open times beforehand online. The take-out counter was open, so we opted for that instead. Most of the foods on display were ready-to-go and vegetarian / vegan. You can also order manakeesh (Lebanese flatbread topped with toppings such as cheese, spinach, and za'atar - akin to thin-crust pizza) to be made on site. We opted for the vegetarian mix-and-match plates, which came with either rice or salad, 5 small sides, and 3 falafels. Most of the items were pretty good, my favourites being the arnabeet (cauliflower), eggplant with chickpeas and tomato-based sauce, bamya (okra), and white cannellini beans salad. The warak enab (also called dolma or stuffed grape vine leaves) was flavourless and had too much ratio-to-grape vine leaves ratio (more rice inside that I'd like). The tabbouleh was way too salty. The other dishes were good though. Although the manakeesh was made fresh to order, it came out pretty fast. It was also extremely salty. There were a few small tables by the take-out counter, for those who wish to eat the take-out items on the spot. They packaged all the items very well to avoid leakage.

Listen I love this restaurant and have been a regular customer since the first week they opened in…read moreAjax. The food is consistently good and delicious, however their online ordering system is the absolute worst. This is the fourth time where my I have placed my order for pickup, I arrive at the scheduled time and the counter staff are perplexed and unaware of my order has been placed and accepted ( with both app and text confirmations). I have heard from the staff on each occasion is that it has something to do with the broken but quasi-functioning tablet. For my sake and on behalf of others, I will gladly purchase a replacement device so this issue is resolved once and for all.

We needed a quick bite and the chicken place in the same parking lot was closed so we gave Maimana…read morea try, and we are so glad we did. Wonderfully flavorful sauces, and generous portions of meat. The chicken barley w vegetable soup was delicious. Even liked their salad dressing as it was light and tasty. It was easy to split the #1 kabob plate between the two of us.

This Armenian restaurant gets 2.5 stars…read more Tanabour was rich, thick & creamy. Yogurt & mint meant it was a bit of an acquired taste, but it was decent.  Samsak was decent. The crumb was crumbly, though slightly dry. The beef tasted decent, though it was a little dry.  Ghacourma was alright. The beef was slightly dry. It came on rice which was confusing given the menu description. We got complimentary prepackaged lavash & pita on request to make the sandwiches, but given how simple the flavour was the sandwich didn't work as it was too dry & plain (since the bread was even drier & less flavourful than the rice). The dish was rather one dimensional without any sauce as the beef was very simply cooked. The rice was also simply cooked with pine nuts.

We decided to get takeout from lavash for lunch…read more Overall, the food was ready on time and packaged nicely so everything was easy to unpack and eat. The hummus and eggplant dip were fantastic. Great flavor, great texture. The salad had crisp lettuce and shredded cheese. The baked potato bread strips add a great crunch to the salad. The meats were all flavorful and cooked well without being dry. Our favorite was the eggplant appetizer which had tons of flavor and texture - just so interesting the way it's put together. Price: It is definitely pricier than your typical restaurant but the quality is definitely high.

First off I have to start with a negative they had a promotion at the front saying 20.99 for two…read moredinners when I asked them inside they said only falafel. I think that is very misleading on their end. I got the mixed shawarma dinner it's 20 bucks plus tax, they load it up with chicken and beef and hot sauce and pomegranate molasses. The meat was really tender and it tasted really good with the tahini and pomegranate molasses. The rice was cooked perfectly and the parsley commented the meal well. The owner was kind and explained the the whole two dinner 20.99 situation. Just a recommendation to be transparent but the food was phenomal.

Located near Kennedy Commons is another shawarma spot in Scarborough. Driving in this area is not…read morethe most fun but worth to make a stop if you are nearby. The service was efficient and lots of seating inside. Ordered the chicken shawarma wrap which was yummy and fresh! Would come back again.

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.