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    Darband Restaurant

    3.9 (159 reviews)
    Closed • 9:00 am - 10:00 pm

    Darband Restaurant Photos

    Business Info

    DARBAND RESTAURANT ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Quiet
    Casual
    Good for groups
    Good for kids

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    Recommended Reviews - Darband Restaurant

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    Vaziri with Tahdig homayuni abd Shirazi salad
    Keyvan G.

    Back in 2019, when I visited Toronto for the first, they were serving the best Koubideh...hands down! They even used to be open until after midnight but I guess pandemic really changed things for them. Tho not in a good way necessarily. The food is just okay now. Most people still come here for the Kalepacheh which is decent. The staff are friendly and polite and I wouldn't have expected otherwise from a Persian restaurant. I ordered Koubide, Juje and baghali pool with lamb shank for takeout the other day. The koubideh and the lamb shank were honestly meh and the Juje was terrible. The only thing that made it bearable was the homayuni Tahdig which not only looked amazing, but also tasted excellent. I hope they rise back up to their previous standards.

    Chelo kabab vaziri
    Eylur N.

    I honestly don't know how this place has so many good reviews because there are definitely better Persian food options in Toronto. The food was just okay, not what I expected. The kabab and joojeh were too dry, and the rice tasted very plain -- more like a basic Canadian-style rice than the flavorful Persian rice you'd expect (especially with so many great options in the city). This 3-star rating is just for the food because the customer service really missed the mark. When I ordered by phone and went for pickup, the lady on the phone seemed rushed and confused when handling my payment. There was no greeting or acknowledgment, and utensils weren't included in the bag. I had to wait for three employees to finish their conversation before another customer had to point out that I needed help. That's just not the kind of service anyone should expect. I decided to give them another try and ordered through Uber Eats -- big mistake. I was craving ash, but what I got tasted 100% like canned, store-bought soup that had been reheated. Mushy and disappointing -- not a reflection of true Iranian food. The adas polo was also a letdown: plain rice with barely any lentils and just one tiny piece of meat. Again, no utensils were provided, and their containers can't even be microwaved.

    Menu
    Alaleh P.

    We always had ordered for takeout, but this time we decided to dine-in. We arrived around 8pm and all the tables were full, so we waited for 10 minutes for a table to become available. They have about 6-7 tables inside the restaurant, so depending on the time of the day, they can be at capacity. We ordered "garden salad" and "Zeitoon Parvardeh" for appetizer and "Barg Kebab", "Sultani Kebab", "Vaziri Kebab" and "Baghali Polo Gardan". BBQ's meats were fresh and perfectly marinated. The service was okay, but since they receive so many orders for takeout, that's their main focus.

    Kalleh pache

    I visited Darband Restaurant in Toronto during my trip, I tried a variety of dishes, and every single one exceeded my expectations. The food quality is truly fresh ingredients, authentic flavors, and perfectly cooked. The portion sizes were surprisingly generous, which is rare these days. You definitely get great value for your money. everything tasted like real home style Persian cooking with restaurant level presentation. The staff (Aria & all crew) were welcoming, attentive, and made the whole experience even better. If you're in Toronto and craving authentic Persian cuisine or even if you've never tried it before Darband is the place you should absolutely visit. Highly recommended.

    Cherry sauce

    Got take out from darband. We got three orders of the family platter and I asked to split the rice with cherry rice. They made a beautiful platter of rice with a square of the crispy rice in the middle and cherry sauce on the side. This way everyone could eat what they liked. It was perfect. Fesenjun was delicious, and the skewers were really tasty. Our party of 12 all enjoyed the meal.

    Soltani Scrumptious
    Kiarash A.

    I went to this place on a Friday for lunch. No waiting. I was seated immediately. No alcoholic beverages. I ordered green salad that was served in a plastic container. And Soltani that was Barg and Koobideh kabobs with rice cooked Persian style. Soltani was well prepared and delicious. The service is fast and friendly. I enjoyed my meal. It is a great place to have Persian meal with a reasonable price. However it is not fancy and serves salad in plastic containers that is way I give them four shiny stars.

    Rice
    Daniel C.

    We got takeout from here for a family gathering Ordered by phone which was pretty quick and painless. The parking in this area can be really busy and tight so just be careful. The family platter was tons of food. The tomatoes have a nice char. Chicken breast was flavorful and not dry. The filet mignon had great flavor though a bit tougher than I thought it would be. The minced beef kebab was fantastic - great flavor, moist, delicious! The rice was great, light and fluffy. The crispy rice is always a favorite amongst everyone. The lamb shank was pretty tender and the broad beans in the rice was nice. I feel like other Persian restaurants have a stronger dill flavor than here. Price: Pretty good price in comparison to other Persian restaurants but overall, most of these restaurants tend to be more expensive but the quality of meat is quite high.

    Grilled Meat Platter
    Natalie C.

    I can understand why this place is quite popular. The portions are big, the price is very reasonable and the grilled meat is tasty. My friend and I order the platter for 2 which included grilled barg (filet mignon), koodieh (ground beef) and chicken thigh. It came with 2 large portions of rice and pita bread. I like how they took out the metal skewers so our meat won't go flying as we try to pull/slip the meat out. The koodieh had a relatively strong herb and onion taste. The barg and chicken thigh were mildly season. None of the meat were dry! The portion of rice was big! One dish could actually feed both of us. The only criticism is that I wish they gave us fresh housemade pita instead of the store bought ones.

    Baghali Polo Mahiche
    Christie C.

    I went there coz I was craving for rice with dill and broad bean and this satisfied my cravings. The Baghali rice was addicting...The lamb is fall of the bone, the beef kebab is tasty...the eggplant was least favourite as it is too much different spice they put. The restaurant is tiny and the plaza is a busy plaza. I ordered for take out and they do have a lot of take out orders as well. Ambience is typical. Would go back.

    Kobideh Kabab with basmati rice, roasted tomato and roasted green chilli.

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    2 months ago

    Visiting from Los Angeles for work and stopped by Darband for dinner. It tastes great an amazing portions for the price. Highly recommended.

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    3 years ago

    I wish so badly that this place existed in Tampa, FL. Wonderful Persian kebabs, especially the koobideh.

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    Darband Restaurant Reviews in Other Languages

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    4.5(89 reviews)
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    I thought thirds time a charm, but it didn't work, I got the Lawrence plate 12.99 they give a lot…read moreof food but the bbq sauce was way too overpowering, and it had a bitter after taste, I called them and the order was ready pretty quickly they did do a renovation it looked a lot better inside, but yeah the taste of the Lawrence plate was not good at all, the way they make it look on social media, and real life completely different. I think bbq sauce on shawarma should be illegal, it doesn't work at all. I thought Johnny Shawarmas was a lot better than this. This is the last time I will come to Aleppo kabob price wasn't bad for the amount of food they give you but taste was not good at all.

    What just happened?…read more I used to love this place. In fact, I would drive 30 minutes each way just to pick up some of those tasty kebabs and that unforgettable garlic sauce. The food was so full of flavour and care, it stood out among Toronto's many Middle Eastern options. Lately, I'd been seeing a lot of their mouthwatering Instagram videos--chicken shawarma piled high, platters being loaded up with garlic sauce and fries, etc.... What can I say? The marketing worked. I started thinking about Aleppo Kebab and decided to order some for lunch via Uber Eats. Unfortunately, the meal fell flat. The shawarma was bland, and flavourless. The rice, once fragrant and almost biryani-like, was now just plain and forgettable. The salad was not dressed, the garlic dip tasted like it came out of a can, and the sujuk rolls were coated in a chalky flour residue that made them unappetizing. I'm not sure if this was just an off day or a more systemic issue. But every part of the meal was underwhelming. It's disappointing, especially when I know what they're capable of. They've clearly stepped up their marketing game--but if the food doesn't live up to the hype, no amount of social media will keep people coming back. I'll give it one more try before writing it off completely, but here's hoping the Aleppo Kebab I once raved about makes a comeback. Until then, 2 stars is fair.

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    Rose Kebab

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    It's in a good court snd reviews were really good on google. So I thought I'd give it a try. It…read morewasn't busy. In the time of Covid, so it wasn't busy. She was happy we came. Prices were ok. Definitely not cheap as I was given the impression of. $40 for lamb shank with dill favs bean rice. Greek chicken souvlaki with salad (French dressing? rice Good: food was decent. The chicken souvlaki was very tender and well marinaded. The lamb was decent size too. Made fresh we waited 20 minutes for the food to be made. Tzatziki was really yum. homemade my friend thought. Portions are big. These came in the square large styrofoam containers. It was enough food for 4 people so in that way, it was a good price. Overall I'd go back. Ok: the dill rice was ok. Tasted better the next day actually ...I've eaten at Persian restaurants I usually find it fragrant right away. Not so good: French dressing in the salad. Glad I didn't get a salad for the Persian food.

    This little spot is located in a food court of a plaza that I didn't know existed until I came by…read morefor ice cream from Woofles. I love Persian food and decided to try this place due to the reviews and I'm so glad I did. I ordered the koobideh with basmati rice for $11.99 and it was made fresh and delicious. The meat was seasoned perfectly and the rice was fluffy and buttery. The portion was large enough to share and the owner was sooo friendly. Please give this a place and try and support this lovely lady. Definitely worth it.

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    4.5(31 reviews)
    5.8 km•Mount Pleasant and Davisville

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    Amazing food. Nice ambience. Friendly service. The chef came to our table to say hello.read more

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    First time trying Armenian food, but definitely not the last! The whole experience was wonderful…read morefrom start to finish. The restaurant is tucked inside a charming little house with a deck out front, string lights & such a cozy feel. When we arrived, it was packed with couples young & old and families, and the whole atmosphere felt low-key, warm & joyful. We ordered wine and a few things from the menu: Fattoush Salad, Sarma (grape leaves), Cheese Borak, dips (hummus, moutabbal & lavash eggplant) and Shish Taouk (chicken kabobs). While there are similarities to Middle Eastern food, there were some subtle differences I really loved, especially the chicken, which was incredibly moist & flavorful, and the Cheese Borak, which I'd never had before and was SO good. Everything we tried was delicious, the service was wonderful, and I would absolutely come back.

    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.

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