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    Xawaash

    4.2 (164 reviews)
    Open 10:00 am - 10:00 pm

    Order Xawaash Takeout or Delivery

    Xawaash Photos

    Business Info

    XAWAASH ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Classy
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Good for groups

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    Recommended Reviews - Xawaash

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    Reviews With Photos

    Interior.
    Abdul S.

    Good quality and services are Amazing. The design of the restaurant also is beautiful.

    Chicken Sukaar Bowl
    Mary M.

    Stumbled across this place randomly. It is advertised as shawarma joint but it is definitely much more than that. Somalian, Yemeni & Mediterranean infused all into one. Ambiance: not much, this place has a lot of potential as it is fairly large from the inside. There are Tv screens on each of the booth, which frankly took up space as they served no other purpose as it was off. They can make the most of the place by sprucing up the decor. I would say however that it was a clean establishment. So go for the food & not the ambiance. Food: the food is what makes this place: everything from the samosas (both chicken and beef were delicious. The Chicken Mandi was not only delicious but the portions were very large. The Chicken Sukaar bowl was also well portioned and the chicken stew was tasty. The rice was also flavorful. Everything we tried was prepared fresh and was infused with flavour. The pineapple juice is also made fresh in house. I ended the meal with a tea and that was a disappointment. Service: despite the long line ups, the service was quick. We also did receive our food in a timely manner. They do have the part of the menu on the screen but it can be very overwhelming as they serve a variety of different food. I had to look up the menu on my phone in line.

    Muufo (Traditional Oven-Baked Somali Bread Made with Semolina Flour)
    Sel Z.

    Somali food is heavily influenced by Middle Eastern / Arab, Persian, Indian, and Italian cuisines. Xawaash's menu depicts this mishmash of cuisines well. It advertises itself as a "Somali Mediterranean" restaurant, and the food here is excellent. It has strong Middle Eastern tastes with all the dips (hummus, mutabbal, falafels), Indian influence with the chapati bread, and Italian-like dishes such as pasta with tomato & ground beef sauce and alfredo pasta. We tried the following dishes: 1) Salmon Kebab with Rice and Salad - Very tasty salmon kebab... seasoning was top-notch. Salad was simple lettuce and tomato, but the white dressing was great (not like your typical store-bought ranch dressing... they used some secret ingredients in their salad dressing). You can substitute the rice with a mixture of dips (hummus, mutabbal, tzatziki) if you want it to have less carbs. 2) Mbogga & Ful Mudammas with Rice and Salad - If you're looking for a vegetarian dish, order this!! This was my favourite dish in the restaurant, especially the Mbogga (spinach, potato, carrot, and tomato stew). It was SO delicious and satisfying... the blend of vegetables and potato in a stew just went so well with the seasoned basmati rice. It's also good to eat with one of the breads. The Ful Madammas is a nice blend of fava beans and vegetables - similar to the Egyptian ful, but I found this Somali version to be more "blended" / smooth. 3) Hummus, Mutabbal, Tzatziki - Can't go wrong with the typical Middle Eastern dips. Great with either rice or bread. They also go great with the salmon kebab. 4) Falafels - A disappointment... very dry and bland. But all their other dishes (noted above) are really good. 5) Muufo - We got this because we wanted to try "traditional, oven-baked Somali bread made with semolina". It had a very hard, dense, and heavy texture. Taste had a very subtle sweetness (perhaps because of the semolina flour). It was too hard and dense to my liking (preferred the sabaayad instead). 6) Sabaayad - This soft, flaky East African-style chapati was better than the Indian version of chapati! It came out warm and crispy in the outside, with some charred marks. Loved the texture and taste of it. It went really well with everything else we ordered, especially the vegetable stew (mbogga) and dips. It also made for a great self-made wrap of falafels, dips, vegetables. Service was pretty good. We ordered take-out and they offered free samosa while waiting for the food to be cooked. They also had date cake on display as their cake / dessert of the day, which looked very decadent. For take-out, they put the main dishes in good-quality, sturdy containers (not those flimsy paper-thin containers, or styrofoam containers that don't breathe very well and create a lot of condensation when the food is hot). So you can eat straight out of the containers for take-out meals.

    Chicken Kofta dinner with rice and salad.
    Matt S.

    This place is great! :) So I was browsing UberEats late one evening and Xawaash caught my eye. I noticed they served Kofta, which I love, so I decided to give them a try. I ordered the Beef and Chicken Kofta dinner with Rice and Salad. The portion was great. Lots of rice and the Kofta was great, but the chicken Kofta I thought was outstanding. Maybe the beast I've ever had. Since that day I have gotten take out (both from UberEats as well as picked up in person) many many times. I even did a large order to bring to work to share the awesomeness of Xawaash with my coworkers. They loved it as well. I highly recommend the Chicken Kofta, the Eggplant Stew and the Pineapple upside down cake. Their Ice Cream is pretty good too :)

    The most amazing Lamb Mandi dish ever! Incredibly tender and flavorful. Cooked to perfection. The jeweled rice was a real...jewel!

    I came here for Iftar and ended up having one of the most memorable meals in a long time. The star of the meal was the Lamb Mandi. I don't remember the last time I had a lamb dish that was as tender and as flavorful. There was no need for a knife! It came with jeweled rice that was perfectly seasoned. I could have that rice on its own as a meal every day. The shorba, samosa, mahamri were tasty as well. The date cake with toffee sauce is not to be missed. The service was friendly and attentive and the ambiance was warm and welcoming. Thank you for a memorable experience! Did I mention that the Lamb Mandi was out of this world?

    Spacious
    Owen R.

    Food gets 5 stars Some of the best chicken and beef Rice is great, need more salad and less rice on platters. 4 stars for price; almost 20 for pictured platter. Great food!

    Nelson J.

    Hidden gem! Surprisingly good! Went in with a few friends 10 mins before closing. They still let us dine in. Friendly manager, didn't kick us out and let us eat our meal. Even offered us some free dessert!! Recommend highly!

    Tea
    Monika K.

    This place has everything you need: good food, fast service, and it's clean with endless parking ! Location is hidden but easy to find. You walk in and order at the counter. The screens display all the options with clear prices. I went for lunch. For two platters it came to $13!! And when you check in, you get some extra stuff. The food can take a few minutes to come to your table but well worth the wait. It's fresh !! I got the chicken platter: you get rice and salad. Pita is extra for 50 cents and I don't mean the rapper! The owner came to Our table and asked how everything was. He noticed we checked into yelp. He gave additional sampling of the kofta and some dessert. Koftas were amazing. Rice is flavourful. Pita was light and fluffy and warm. But you need to ask for extra sauce and they are more then happy to serve it. This place is brand new and squeaky clean!! Bathroom are super clean with automatic everything: toilet, dispenser and all. Make sure you go and get your food on !

    Beef kabob rice platter
    Jonathan W.

    A perfect example of Yelp(ers) coming through. I was in the area and quickly needed a bite to eat before an appointment and Xawaash came up on my search. First, upon entry, the place is quite impressive and very large. It's nicely decorated, including the mural of a Somali proverb near the front. The meal prep area is massive, so you know there's selection galore. I know little of Somali food, or whether the vast amount of familiar Mediterranean items are ones a part of their cuisine, or if this is simply an aspect of this restaurant. In any case, I went with the beef Kabob on rice platter. The cashier was very friendly, and great bonus of a free tea or americano with a Yelp check-in. The kabob is cooked to order, and done on an open-flame. The food looked to terrific when it was brought out and they gave me two different hot sauces. The food was fairly simple - but in a good way, with fresh quality ingredients. The star of the plate was undoubtedly and unsurprisingly the beef. The pic can't quite do it justice, but I received about a half-dozen well-proportioned and perfectly cooked pieces. Excellent quality too. My basic formula for most 5 star reviews is generally: taste + value. Xawaash met that standard with flying colours, with the free and tasty Somali tea (like a chai) knocking it out of the park. I believe the platter was about $12, and most places would (justifiably) charge around $5 more for the same thing - and it's debatable whether it would even be as good. It really is as good as advertised, since it's very difficult to tell in the Yelp pics which are submitted by a user or the owner. So much to choose from, but even if the beef kabob was the only item on the menu, it would warrant return visits.

    Chicken and Beef Kofta, pasta salad Entree.
    Richie A.

    Sorry its been a while, before I posted. I was in the west end Etobicoke and was hungry. Ended up at Xawaash. Tried the Chicken Kebab and Beef Kofta. Side was the pasta instead of rice. Food was great and atmosphere is nice like a family restaurant. Come over and try the food. Will come back again. Nom Nom~!!

    Suqaar Beef, pan-fried beef strips with peppers and onions (no peppers??) Served on Somali rice
    Louis I.

    Stumbled upon Xawaash on our way back home from another place that did not work out. Walked in to a large dining area with multiple tables and booths. The order counter could be described as cafeteria style, pay at cash and walk down the line, however, if you dine in, they will serve it to you at your table. While in rome (somalia in this case), I wanted to try something authentic, I ordered the Suqaar Beef with somali rice as an extra side. It was quite tasty and the portion size was very generous. One thing I realized afterwards was the dish is described as pan-fried beef strips with peppers and onions, but there were no peppers anywhere in the dish, the pictures do show green and red bell peppers. Despite the mishap, it was still very good and I would go back and try more dishes, this time I will pay attention to what should be included. On the downside, the dining space is large and very open, with the coffee machine going, it was extremely noisey to the point where I could not hear myself talk. You don't realise how loud it is in there until you get outside and your ears are ringing! Gave me memories of my ears adjusting outside after a rock concert.

    1 layer of Chicken Shawarma.  Came with a literal side salad and a pita.  Smaller portions in comparison to competitors!
    Stephanie S.

    TIP: FREE tea/coffee with Yelp check-in! Xawaash has been "bookmarked" for a while, but it's nowhere near where I be (or where I wanna be UNLESS I'm flying out of YYZ), so I finally got here last night. Maybe I should've gone earlier, when it was more poppin'. On a Wednesday night, around 5-5:30pm, it was pretty dead. No one in the large restaurant. Maybe I was hungry/in a hurry, but the menu just looked like your typical shawarma / ME / Afghani restaurant. I did a quick scan, but didn't see any pastas or whatever else that sounded "different" from their online menu (re: anjero, mutabbal, sabaayad). So think: kabobs, shawarma, kofta instead. Prices were also pretty comparable to say Watan Kabob. It was $10+ for a salad/naan dinner platter and about an additional $2-3 for a protein with the rice/fries along with the salad/naan. However, when I got home, portions were much smaller than any shawarma place that I've been to. Although it came in a square styro, it was literally 1 flat layer of chicken shawarma and then a row of salad. Mind you, I didn't finish the whole thing, but portions were still notably smaller than competition. Tasted fine, sauces were very standard white/red. Chicken probably wasn't the best quality as it was a bit grisly and somewhat on the drier side. Customer service was apathetic. I stood in front of the counter for quite some time, staring at the menu, then standing right in front of the cash register before I was approached in a non-chalant manner. All in all, food was decent, portions were on the small side, and it seems as though customer service isn't their strong suit. Nothing really worth driving into this 'hood for...

    Shawarma lunch special

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    8 years ago

    Taste really good than I expected, I ordered the beef kofta. However, they don't have price detail on the board

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    9 years ago

    Worse food ever. I order a plate which was barely to see the chicken shawrma on top of rice and oily

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    7 years ago

    Very casual. Friendly staff and great tasting reasonably priced food. Only 10 minutes from Pearson

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    11 years ago

    Been here twice never been disappointed ! Excellent customer service and food ! Always so fresh ..... Love the open kitchen concept !

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    Page 3 of 5

    Xawaash Reviews in Other Languages

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    Cafe Landwer

    Cafe Landwer

    4.2
    (707 reviews)
    18.3 km
    $$

    My 1st review of June is not even in my country, the US. It was a year ago today, June 1, we left…read morefor our Niagara Falls/Toronto trip. This continues the 2025 alphabet series, C is for Cafe Landwer. On Tuesday, 6/3/25, we went to St. Lawrence Market; see my B is for Buster Sea Cove. Seems like we happened to go alphabetical for lunch/brunch as the next day Wed., 6/4/25. This place had good reviews. So, we got on TTC to Osgoode station and was a very close walk. It said established in 1919, so we thought it's a good sign it's been in business over a century; although not this location specifically. Their history in the 20th century was that they started in Berlin, Germany in 1919, but they were a Jewish family who ended up immgrating to Israel in 1933, opening their store there, and expanded locations throughout Israel. Their history in Toronto & North America (including some in the US) is much more recent since opening in 2017. Unfortunately, my closest is New York City; none in Maryland or DC area. This location is in busy downtown Toronto. We sat outside on their big patio area as the weather was warm and could enjoy the view of the buildings, people, cars, etc. Server was friendly answering our questions. I ended up getting an egg benedict with salmon in a croissant. It was creative and delicious take on egg benedict. The only issue was it was messy to eat in the croissant, but I didn't care as it was so delicious. My girlfriend got a Belgian waffle with blueberries, whipped cream, etc. It was unique and very good & sweet too as I tried a bite. Overall, this was a 5-star experience with great food, service, & atmosphere.

    My wife and I were visiting Toronto and we ate here. It was a delightful food experience. The…read moreservice was "meh" but food was good which is why I gave three stars. Service: It was not great. We sat for a while and no one took attention (we were outside and they were busy but no excuse for them -- they should do better). We had folks come in and out and were somewhat nonchalant and not attentive. Food: This was the great part of the experience. - Berries and Granola with Greek Yogurt: My brother in law got this an he devoured it and said it was great. - Farmers Breakfast: My wife got this and she LOVED it. She went back to get their Halwah Latte (which she said was just OK) - Egg white Omlette Skillet: I customized my food and it was good -- for reference I've had better only because the cheese was feta and it was unclear that this was the only option as I don't love feta. Also I'm pretty sure while I asked for egg whites there was normal egg (i.e., eggs). If you order egg white make sure the server hears you. They screwed this up for me. This is why I'm giving it three stars -- I could have made a stink but didn't think it was necessary to do so. All in all -- I'd recommend this spot to folks but don't go there thinking the service will be great.

    Photos
    [03.2026] Sweets
    [03.2026] Sweets
    Salmon Salad! IG - @bilalandjesseatfood
    Salmon Salad! IG - @bilalandjesseatfood
    Shakshuka

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    Estiatorio Milos

    Estiatorio Milos

    3.8
    (25 reviews)
    18.5 km

    Venue 4.5/5 Milos is…read morelocated right in the corner of the financial district. Clean, upscale space that sits somewhere between corporate and high-end dining without feeling stiff. The open fish market adds to the experience, and the drink selection is solid. Parking isn't the easiest (expect nearby office garages) but if you're there for a weekday dinner, they offer complimentary valet at the St. Regis, which helps. Service 5/5 Top tier. Staff are polished, attentive, and actually know the menu. Recommendations were on point, and everything felt seamless without being overbearing. It's the details that make it stand out, the attention to detail and the care when serving and presenting the food. Food 4.5/5 Went with the lunch menu (great value with an appetizer and main). Quality is consistent with what you'd expect from Milos: fresh, simple, and done properly. They're also mindful of time; if you mention you're on a tight schedule, they can accommodate a one-hour lunch without making it feel rushed. Had the salmon along with salmon tartare and the octopus. Good variety for the prix fixe lunch menu too. So far the best salmon tartare I've had in city.

    Ya habibi... what is this, mashallah? I come hungry, I leave with grandchildren. The service is so…read moreslow, wallah I think they went to raise the cow themselves before making my food. Allah yustur. And one waiter? He BUMPED my head while walking past me. Didn't even say "sorry." Just gave me dirty look like I was the problem. Allah knows best because the attitude was unbelievable. Food came eventually, alhamdulillah, but by then I forgot what I even ordered. If you're coming here, bring snacks, a charger, and maybe a sleeping bag. Inshallah your food arrives before retirement. Mashallah to everyone's patience because mine was finished after 20 minutes. Service was absolute bum. Never again, khalas. Allah grant them faster legs and better manners. Ameen.

    Photos
    Bar Area
    Bar Area
    MILOS SPECIAL
    MILOS SPECIAL
    Dining Room

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    Dining Room
    Miznon

    Miznon

    3.8
    (6 reviews)
    18.8 km

    I think it's intended to be slightly elevated middle eastern food compared to a regular shawarma…read moreplace. It's perhaps unfair to judge, because though I enjoyed my steak wrap (and it didn't claim to be shawarma), I didn't enjoy it as much as getting a shawarma at many other places and also spent nearly twice the amount. It was still fairly good however, and the $5 draught beer special was a good deal for sure. I still don't regret getting this ahead of the Raptors game and getting food that would have been even more expensive and nowhere near as good.

    We were passing through Union on a recent weekday and I noticed that Miznon had finally opened. I…read morefigured I should probably try one of their offerings, and a quick perusal of their menu led me directly to the Folded Cheeseburger Pita ("Beef chuck cheeseburger with a golden cheddar crown. In a pita with garlic aioli, sour cream, tomato and pickles.") Who can say no to a concoction like that? Not this guy, that's for sure. It was probably about 15 minutes between the time I ordered and when I got the food, so this is clearly not the place to go if you're in a rush. But I'd say the food was worth the wait. That cheese crust is the obvious star of the show here, while the fresh, soft bread is also quite delicious. The other components are tasty too, but the patty itself is the weakest link. It didn't have any kind of crust and just seemed a little on the bland side. But that's a minor complaint for a rather decadent lunch that I quite enjoyed eating.

    Photos
    Miznon
    Miznon
    Miznon

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    Sumac Kebab Kitchen

    Sumac Kebab Kitchen

    3.5
    (83 reviews)
    17.6 km
    $$

    Got food to go: It takes a while (20-30 minuets) for them to prepare it, so I suggest you call in…read moreadvance and get it ready. The food is extremely tasty (and smells amazing). The portion of meat in the wrap is overwhelming, will definitely come again. With tax and tip it came to $9 For Wrap. (see pictures)

    Little Persian/Iranian restaurant serving your typical combination of rice and meat. But they also…read morehave other traditional stew dishes, sandwiches/burgers, and salads. Overall the food was fine, but the price is a bit high for what you get. For $13-15, you get a skewer of meat (like chicken, veal, koobideh) which comes with rice and a roasted tomato. Unfortunately, they don't allow you to switch your carbs to a salad, thus forcing you to pay an additional $3, for a salad and yogurt. That works out to be almost $20 with a soda... a bit pricey given this is more of a take-out fast food joint. The food is alright. Pretty average, typical Persian food. The skewers are all quite fresh, tomatoes are BBQ'd fresh. Your rice and meat dishes come with a bit of butter for your to add to your meal too. Also... the amount of rice they give is HYYUUGGGEE. If you're hungry, this is perf for you! Although this place seems mostly to be a takeout joint, they do have a couple tables and some bar chairs available if you'd like to sit in. Credit card is accepted here!

    Photos
    Interior - there are seatings upstairs
    Interior - there are seatings upstairs
    Eggplant stew with fried onions - delicious with a hint of mint
    Eggplant stew with fried onions - delicious with a hint of mint
    Minced Beef (koobideh) - very juicy and flavourful!

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    Minced Beef (koobideh) - very juicy and flavourful!

    Xawaash - mideastern - Updated July 2026

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