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    Sumac Kebab Kitchen

    3.5 (83 reviews)

    Sumac Kebab Kitchen Photos

    Business Info

    SUMAC KEBAB KITCHEN ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Quiet
    Good for kids
    Outdoor seating

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    Recommended Reviews - Sumac Kebab Kitchen

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    Adele W.

    My colleague and I seem to have a knack for coordinating our meetings downtown just in time for us to go for lunch and try out new restaurants! Sumac Kebab was our pick this time and we were both in the mood for some koobideh! When you walk in, there only a few tables and I suspect that the majority of their business is takeaway. There is however, seating upstairs and since we preferred to eat in, we placed our order and up we went. We both chose to have the sultani kebab which consists of one strip of koobideh and one strip of barg. The meal comes with rice, grilled tomato and a small side salad. I switched out my rice for the delicious dill and fava bean rice... oh how I love that rice! The meat was cooked perfectly and the flavours were spot on. There service was quick and friendly. If I worked in this area I would be here all the time!

    Mayer T.

    Food was clean and tasty. If you're looking for clean tasting "real food" - come here. Yeah, it may look a little rough around the edges yet the food is tasty! Had the Sumac Special with a skewer of chicken veal, minced beef, with rice and a grilled tomato -- this was tasty and definitely Mediterranean! The chicken was well cooked yet still juicy along with the other meat. The rice arrived with butter on the side which is great! Up the stairs opens up to more seating area, however, it's warm and a little dark so I was glad the table by the entrance was available. It's a delight!

    Beef kebab
    Michelle W.

    I guess 2.5 stars would be more fair but I'm rounding down since they got my order wrong and the server wasn't making an effort to allow me to ask any questions. I ordered the fried eggplant meal (eggplant over rice and beans) and a single beef kebab. What I received instead was the fried eggplant side that came with pita bread. The eggplant had a white sauce on top that I was not aware would be there. I attempted to ask the server if it was yogurt and/or if it was dairy-based (I have some allergies) and he started walking away as I was asking and kept walking as he gave a half answer. I didn't have a chance for a follow up question because his back was to me and he had walked so far away. I realize he felt he had other things to do but you can stop for a minute when a customer has a question. I just had to scoop off the top layer of eggplant that was touching the sauce. The customer service needs some work here but I guess the food is alright. I don't think I'll be back though if I can help it.

    a plate of food
    Michelle C.

    The store is super small but they have AMAZING deals and super great service ! My boyfriend and I came 30 minutes before their opening time at 11am and they still served us with lots of kindness and guidance to their menu! They make our platter as quickly as they can even though their stove wasn't even on yet! They made sure the food was still cooked to their quality. My boyfriend and I were not clear with the menu and the owner really helped us not only choose the best option for us but the best deal (saving us $5). We got both the beef and chicken platter and it was A LOT of food for two people. It also lasted us for 2 meals! He also felt bad because he told us to come back in 15 minutes but it wasn't done as soon as he wanted to. He was apologetic and also gave us free appetizers !! The appetizer was a GREAT pairing with our meal though. It was creamy and savoury and it was great putting it onto our meat pieces. This is one of the best service we have had in a while in a fast food location. Support food locations like this during these hard time! We will definitely come back and try new food on the menu! :)

    Ghassem T.

    Overall quality is good, and great staffs. Nice area, cozy and friendly, cheaper than a most of Persian restaurant, but quality is acceptable.

    Sumac veggie
    Mei M.

    I would give this place 3.5 stars. Pros: Food portion size is great. We got the veggie sumac and the veal combo and there's plenty of rice but not as much of the other stuff proportionally. Food is also very flavourful. There's also a second floor with plenty of space and nice lighting. Con: Service is slow. There's too much rice compared to the other items on the plate. And it's also a bit on the pricier end. Would recommend if you're really craving middle eastern food but it wouldn't be a must go-to in the area.

    Ghorme Sabzi...yummy!
    Shad J.

    I had the best ghorme sabzi of the city here ... I tried it once and hope it's good all the time because I will go there again for sure. My friend had kobide but it wasn't our favorite. Maybe because we were so happy with our Ghorme Sabzi :)

    Eric T.

    Located near the AGO, this is a good place to come for a convenient, no-fuss Persian meal. There is a nice dining area upstairs with some neat looking clay-work wall decorations depicting traditional Persian lifestyle. For my choice, I had something new to me. It was this herb stew called a Ghormeh Sabzi which I read is well-known around Iran. The meal came with a salad that I felt counter the flavor of the stew, in a light tasting way. The flavor of the stew was good enough but if the rice had some seasoning it would have been a really great flavor combination. But the bright orange distinct looking sign outside is a enough to attract the attention of passersby that I might want to come back to try the kebabs and grilled meat sandwiches.

    Vaziri platter with chicken leg!
    Dawn M.

    Like any hot-blooded Canadian girl, I get a hankering for Persian food every so often. However, I used to get it at Yonge & Steeles (an area which some have creatively named "Tehranto" - hee!) and that's no longer feasible, because I got rid of my car when I moved downtown. That's why I was super delighted to see Sumac's sign going up when construction started! The food is a little more expensive than Yonge & Steeles/Finch, but if you factor in the two subway tokens, it works out to be the same - plus I save a lot of time eating down here. The quality of the food is pretty good. Not the best I've ever had, but will absolutely do when I'm craving Persian food. It could be a little dry and they don't always give you butter/margarine for your rice - plus I've never gotten a wedge of lemon or, in fact, any sumac to sprinkle on top - but all things considered, the food here is solid. Everything is grilled fresh when you order it. Their Sumac salad, with the minty dressing, is fantastic - their veggies are always very fresh. I've never tried the stews but I'd like to! This place is in a unique position because their competitiors in downtown Toronto are too formal and far away (Sheherezade/Pomegranate) or too formal and don't offer dark meat for their grilled chicken (Darvish), and ain't nobody got time for desert-dry grilled chicken breast! I will happily continue to return.

    Menu
    Lum V.

    This is my second time and third for my husband at Sumac. We had their: Koobideh (beef kebabs) - it's always a winner on taste and doneness. It's super flavorful, great texture and juicy! You have an option to pair your meal with salad or yogurt, both are fantastic. However if you opt for yogurt, try out the smoked eggplant yogurt, it has a really nice smokey flavor. The cucumber yogurt is refreshing if that is what you're looking for. Eggplant stew - pair it with their special rice (rice, pistachio and barberrries), it's amazing with a hint of tartness from the dried berries. A really nice vegetarian option; super tasty! The service at this place is top notch and super friendly. The seating area at the top is nice and spacious, and it's great for dining in or take out.

    Elvis A.

    This was a strictly grab and go expedition which proved to be wise as on a day with sweltering heat the seating area with all the windows had unbearable heat. The menu is straight forward provided you are familiar with this cuisine. A good sign was the raw marinated meat was sitting in a cooler up front and items are grilled to order. We ordered a combo of Kobbiedeh (minced beef) and chicken breast combo and a single order of chicken. We added in a couple of orders of salads as well. After a 10-15 min wait (expected as this is grilled to order) we were on our way with boxes of food. The mains come with a generous portion of rice (decent) a grilled whole tomato (not the greatest fan of this as its always unseasoned). There was yogurt mix side as well to balance the dry approach of this cuisine towards grilled food. Kobbideh was just average (maybe I should have asked for Sumac). The meat was bit too lean for my liking. The chicken was pretty bland as well though it did appeal to my fellow diners. Just average IMO but a welcome relief in this stretch of below average restaurants. They do deliver as well so if you don't want to hang around here this is a viable option. 3 Stars mainly due to the location.

    Chicken breast kebab with salad
    Jayne L.

    We came here for lunch with a few co-workers, one of whom recommended us to come here. There are seating in the upstairs and a patio-like area in the back. This place can definitely seat more than it seems FOOD: I ordered the chicken breast kebab with rice and salad. Because I haven't had many good chicken breast kebabs, I have to say this was the best one I've ever had. It wasn't dry and the seasoning was just right. The rice was very fragrant and you can add more sumac if preferred. Fresh vegetables for the salad and you get a delicious grilled tomato. Their best seller is the ground beef kebab which I have to say is better than the chicken. So try the beef kebab! SERVICE: We were served quickly considering we had a group of 6. You pay for your food and go sit down. Their service was decent and we did not think to pay tip since we paid for our meal first. I personally think they deserve some tip. All in all a very good experience of delicious kebabs. Definitely worth checking out!

    Persian Rice

    Have been coming here for lunch takeout. The Persian rice is outstanding. Mix of veggies on rice give it great flavours. You need to preorder over phone though as they make it fresh. Takes about 20 minutes. But worth the wait.

    Vaziri plate - chicken and beef grilled to perfection

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