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    Zaad

    4.1 (81 reviews)
    ModerateMiddle Eastern
    Closed 11:00 am - 11:00 pm

    Zaad Photos

    Business Info

    ZAAD ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Classy
    Moderate noise
    Happy hour specials
    Good for groups

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    Recommended Reviews - Zaad

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    Beef lamb saj
    Shereen C.

    I was excited to have lunch here, since there were so many positive reviews. I don't always have the chance to eat Jordanian food. I had the lamb and beef shawarma saj, and I'm not a fan. The shawarma meat was on the dry side, with a powdery/mealy texture, and not much flavour. The veggies in the wrap were good, but I wish there had been more of them. The saj flatbread that was used was fine and the sandwich had been grilled nicely. In general, however, the wrap was dry, lacking in flavour, and not enjoyable to eat. I would not get this again. Service was okay, considering that there was only one person working there. That person was helpful & fine; however, I think that there needs to be more than 1 person working there to handle the weekday lunch rush.

    I don't know what this is actually called but it's spinach and cheese pie. Freshly baked to order. So awesome. And the guys working here very nice and gave a little leek soup sample. Highly recommend. Very clean too.

    Beef and chicken shawarma plates
    Hannah S.

    I went to the danforth location of Zaad for their grand opening! They have a grand opening special for their classics, so I tried the chicken and shawarma platters- this had flavourful meat and sauce and salad. The rice below was flavoured with a slight sweet spice that was super unique . I loved the baklava, it was sweet with honey and crunchy, super great ending. the only thing I wished they improved was more sauce, I love garlic mayo and wished for more. For a video review, watch @hb.eatstoronto on instagram!

    Gabriel S.

    Had the shawarma stuffies, with one chicken & one lamb & beef. They were a bit small - half a pita each - but the variety was good. There was quite a bit of tasty meat & the sauces were tasty. Lamb & beef was better

    Kofta Kabab Dinner/Platter
    Jennifer H.

    I came here on a Monday afternoon and it was not bustling like it used to be, I felt a decrease in the staff's spirit but that did not take away from the amazing food. Food: You can't go wrong with the Saj platter (either choice of meat is good) and hummus appetizer but I wanted to try something different. I was looking into getting a rice platter to share and was recommended the Kofta Kabab (minced beef and lamb) platter. It comes with basmati rice, hummus, garlic sauce - toum, and a side of salad or fries. All kebabs are cooked over a fire grill to transform the well-spiced seasoned meats into something that makes your mouth hum mmmm. The platter was flavourful and delicious indicating to me that the quality of the food here has not gone down due to the past year's events. Service: The staff here are one of the kindest and friendly I have encountered. Pricing: Great value and worth it! With proof of vaccination, you can dine in. There are washrooms available for customers.

    Gayan P.

    I'm a repeat visitor. Their portions are big and their plates are well put together with a good mix of flavours. I was tipped off by another loyal customer of the kofta, and I think it has a luxurious blend of spices that go great with the spicy rice and accompaniments. Not that you would be disappointed by any of their other items either. Only downside is that it is a little bit expensive, I think.

    So cute!
    Jen A.

    Located near Spadina station, this place is so cute and the food is great! I liked the falafel (crispy on the outside, soft on the inside) and the serving sizes are generous. We had the falafel bowl and a single chicken kebab and it was more than enough for two! Staff were super friendly, too. Will definitely be back to try more dishes!

    Carmen W.

    Oooo I love this place ... the food was so good! It's also conveniently located near Spadina ttc station ! Lots of great dessert places nearby as well ! Food- We ordered the Kebab platter with a salad and balsamic rice ($14). A side of fries ($4). A side of falafels (2 half sized ones for $1.99). The protein in the kebab platter was chicken lol .. but they didn't list it as chicken so it kept us wondering what it was while ordering online ! It was really delicious though .. meat was juicy and really flavorful ! The rice was a bit strong tasting for me but I love love the salad ... the veggies were soooo fresh ! The fries were alright .. they had some sort of special sauce on it that tasted like shawarma. Bf really loved it ! Atmosphere - the place is cute .. has some nice ethic decorations and ethic music when I went to pick up our food Service - this is the only thing that was meh ! I ordered through ritual app and the app alerted me it was ready to pick up so I walked over . I got there at 7:23( 3 mins after it was ready .. and told the host I was ready to pick my food up . He told me it's not ready yet but will be in 1 min . It ended up coming out 7:30pm..7 mins after it told me it was ready to pick up :0 On a final note ... definitely recommend everyone to try this place ! I love it so much but just expect the service to be tardy ! They also sell Bakava and other middle eastern snacks here :)

    Shawarma Platter
    Reh L.

    Wow - I think I just found my new favourite shawarma spot in Toronto. Their meat is incredibly tender and juicy (the beef and lamb was amazing) and their sauces are on point. Portions are good, flavours are explosive and very authentic. I'm so sick of having bad shawarma in Toronto, but Zaad is a tier above the rest when it comes to authentic shawarma. The saj, shawarma platter, and kofta kebab were all great, as well as the fries / rice on the side - everything bursting with flavour, and with the perfect amount of sauce. Can't wait to go back here!

    Mixed shawarma platter with rice.
    Cin C.

    What a wonderful find!! The flavours are so well spiced and each bite is delicious. We had the baba ghanoush appetizer and the mixed meat shawarma platter (chicken, lamb and beef). The ghanoush was such a generous portion we could only finish half of it, even for two people. They top it off with a drizzle of fresh olive oil which elevated the dish. The shawarma mix was moist, really tender and you can taste the different spices in every bite. Usually places drown their meat in sauces, but they don't have to do that here and let the quality of the ingredients stand out instead. The salad sides were fresh and bright in comparison. The space is also lovely. Bright, spacious and welcoming. Service is efficient and friendly!!

    12" Saj Shawarma

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    9 months ago

    The shawarma is pretty bad - completely dry, possibly reheated multiple times. Nice staff, though.

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    I like eating here. Nice staff, good atmosphere, and the food are lazeez. I would definitely recommend this restaurant.

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    Page 1 of 3

    Zaad Reviews in Other Languages

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    Byblos - Chocolate Olive Oil Cake

    Byblos

    (987 reviews)

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    Food: 5/5 Service: 5/5…read moreAmbiance: 4/5 Food: We had our office holiday dinner here and 15 people attended. We did a set menu which had 3 courses. The first course was Labneh with bread, hummus, & beef tartare. Second course was Lamb pide & pear salad. Third course was grilled branzino, middle eastern fried chicken, black truffle rice, and thrice cooked fries. Then there was dessert which was chocolate mousse cake & baklava. Because of my many food allergies the main server for our table was very attentive & specific in asking me what I wanted as modifications. For example I got a wagyu beef pide instead of the lamb. Every dish was really delicious, presented well & quite filling. I couldn't eat all of the food. Though I tried almost everything. Service: The pacing of the dishes was quite masterful. They really paid attention to when the food was going to come out. As I mentioned above the main server was very attentive to my food allergies. I really appreciated that as some restaurants aren't as attentive. The food was served family style so everyone could take what they wanted from the serving dishes. The dishes were served in little bowls along the tables with each bowl serving about 4 people. We had asked for one long table so it was a little snug. But we made it work. Ambiance: For dinner the lighting of the space is really dim. LOL. I would have appreciated just a little bit more light. The restaurant is in an old building so to use the washroom you had to go down two flights of stairs. The dining area is small also. But it's a pretty space. As mentioned above we asked for one long table to seat 15 people. I was expecting square tables but it was a bunch of small round tables pushed together. So the tables were really crowded with food from all the dishes. But the servers made sure to take empty serving dishes away as soon as possible. The music was a little loud for me so I had to yell to be heard. The place was packed though. Everyone at our table enjoyed the food, the service & atmosphere. The restaurant is close to Roy Thompson Hall & the other theatres nearby so it's a convenient location as well. It's too bad this place is only open for dinner. I would have loved to see how they would operate a lunch time service. In any case, Byblos was amazing. I would come back here again to try other dishes! Note: Some of my pics of the main dishes didn't turn out so it's mostly desserts that are pictures

    Really enjoyed my night at Byblos. The vibe is super chic but not too formal. I love that the menu…read moreis designed for sharing, so you get to try a little bit of everything. Everything we ordered was flavorful and well-balanced. Also loved the cocktails. Great spot if you're looking for something a bit different from the usual dinner places.

    Alphas Shawarma - Chicken Shawarma Saj

    Alphas Shawarma

    (6 reviews)

    I went to this spot a few months ago and it was awesome, so I had to go back again. It's right on…read moreKing, in the middle of all the chaos, but that's honestly part of the fun. There's always something going on in the area, so it makes it a lively place to grab food, especially at night. I went around 10 PM last night and it was packed. The ambience is pretty basic, it's a small joint with a few tables and chairs, nothing fancy. It's clean and organized, but you can't really expect some super aesthetic interior considering the location and the constant flow of people. There's limited seating, just enough for a few groups, so it definitely feels more like a takeout spot than somewhere you'd sit and hang out for a long time. They get a lot of customers, so you can expect a bit of a wait, but honestly the service was impressively fast. We waited maybe 5-10 minutes max for our food. We got it to go, and everything was ready quickly and handled efficiently. The main star of the show was the chicken shawarma wrap. It was delicious, crispy, flavourful, and packed with everything we asked for. The sauce was so good and really brought everything together. I definitely recommend adding the pomegranate molasses. It adds such a nice sweet tangy flavour and makes the wrap even better. Overall, it was a really good experience. Fast service, solid food, and a fun location right in the middle of the action. I'd definitely go back.

    We are finding the best food on King street W. Four unbelievable meals in three days. I'm getting…read moreto like it here. We had done a ton of walking and wanted a snack and a drink with a chance to rest the feet. One of the people we spoke to up the street claimed to love the place so here we are. The shawarma meat is bland and a bit boring. We tried to punch it up when we got it, but it's not the same. Don't get me wrong, it's still good food and will fill that empty spot in yer gut. I was just hoping for a juicier sandwich, instead we end up on the dry side. The cost is reasonable. The servers we spoke with were okay. Nothing exciting. In comparison to all our other meals this place fails. It's decent food at a decent price that deserves your attention. Especially if you're looking for a quick fix on the run. 11/25

    Alpha's Shawarma

    Alpha's Shawarma

    (17 reviews)

    Downtown Core

    Got the chicken shawarma platter, which comes with rice or fries, salad and hummus. There is a good…read moreamount of chicken and the chicken is not dry and actually comes in large pieces and is not too fatty. Definitely prefer this chicken over a lot of the other shawarma places. The only downside I would say is the price - after tax it comes to around $20. Food is prepared fast and there is a good amount of seating at this location as well.

    Alpha's Shawarma is a shawarma restaurant with Syrian and Lebanese roots. With 4 locations in the…read morecity, this particular location is right on Yonge close to Dundas. The menu has appetizers, wraps, plates, platters as well as sides for you to choose from. You can also customize your wraps and have it Arabic style or have everything included; you are also able to choose the level of spiciness you want as well. I've heard many good things about Alpha's Shawarma and have never tried them until recently. Stepping into Alpha's Shawarma you are greeted by a long counter filled with ingredients as well as their shawarma meats which are on a vertical rotating spit. The cashier is towards the middle of the restaurant where there is quite a bit of seating at the back to enjoy your purchased items. There is also a small display of desserts as well next to the cashier. I opted to get a chicken shawarma saj with all the toppings (garlic sauce, hummus, pickles, turnips, onion & parsley, lettuce, tomato, tahini, and pomegranate molasses). I picked a table while waiting for my wrap to be made which took about less than 5 min. Service was friendly and they called out my order number on the loud speaker where I grabbed my wrap. The staff asked me if I wanted extra garlic sauce which I replied "yes!" where they placed more garlic sauce on my wrap. Sitting down, I took a nice bite out of my chicken shawarma. It was delicious - the chicken was moist and tender and the ingredients worked well together. Next time I do want to try the wrap with only Arabic toppings (garlic sauce, pickles, fries, and pomegranate molasses). However, I enjoyed all the toppings on my shawarma wrap which was also nicely toasted. The portion of the wrap was pretty big and I was full after I finished the whole thing. The garlic sauce was great - it was creamy and full of garlic flavour but not too overpowering. Overall, friendly service and a great place for shawarma near the Yonge-Dundas area. I totally understand why everyone's been talking about how delicious Alpha's Shawarma is!

    Zaad - mideastern - Updated May 2026

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