Dahlia’s Mediterranean Bistro

I have been meaning to go to Dahlia’s for about 2 years and when the shawarma craving hit on a Saturday afternoon, it was a long time coming. I went into the sparkly modern restaurant with a plan to get a Chicken Shawarma Panini but that plan quickly faded.
Instead, I went with a Falafel Panini and a Chicken Shawarma Plate. At $ 7 to $ 8, the wraps are a pretty good deal filled with tasty ingredients and mountains of parsley. If you’re not a parsley fan just make sure you tell them to go easy on the stuff. The plate comes with rice, hummus, and a couple salads but it is pretty small for $ 15. Chicken was a bit better tasting than standard hole-​in-​the-​wall shawarma places and the chickpea, greek, tabbouleh were top notch. Though as great as hummus is, garlic sauce was severely missed and just goes better with rice, chicken, and pickles.
It wasn’t busy at all on this Saturday afternoon and the friendly guy at the front basically ran the joint on the iPad. Overall, Dahlia’s adds a modern spin to how a mediterranean place looks and succeeds in doing good food and service.

Good ambience. Nice décor… We ordered beef shawarma and a chicken shawarma platter. Both dishes were presented perfect but were extremely sour… And quantity of the platter can be enhanced as compared to the price comparing it with just the shawarma sandwich.
Service is great and friendly staff.

My first visit with my companion at Dahlia’s Bistro was quite an interesting experience. After having read the good and bad reviews, I decided to give it a try.
The inner décor of this bistro is quite pleasant to the eyes and the ambience somewhat fine casual. My companion and I felt very welcomed by the owner of this bistro. Quite a hospitable person with such genuine flair of friendliness.
As for the food, we both tried the famous chicken shawarma and loved it. The food; experience was worth the trip.
Would definitely re-​visit this place and have a taster of the other items on the menu. :)

One of my favourite lunch places in the city! food is always fresh and super healthy. Not only good food but great coffee. Always easy to park and always quick. The owners pretty cool as well.

I haven’t been to Dahlia’s in a couple years, but now that it is back on my map I will be back often. The place has undergone a drastic reno and expansion since I was last there. I was very happy to walk in and see the same owner, working at the counter, and full of the same charm I remembered. And the best part was even though my mom and I haven’t been in in quite a while, he still remembered us and struck up a conversation!
My mom had the chicken shwarma wrap and I had the platter and we split some cauliflower. It was all delicious and cooked to perfection. We finished the meal with an excellent espresso.

Hot day in downtown Edmonton, visiting from out of town with toddler in tow, the staff at the MEC heartily recommended Dahlia’s so I popped in for lunch.
The counter service was friendly and the order came out fast, but the quality of the food was merely okay to poor and definitely not worth the $ 14.95 price tag for the shawarma platter.
Rice was seasoned with a bit of saffron but little else, and the chicken came straight out of the steam tray. I know that with health regulations you can just carve it directly off the spit any longer but this stuff looked and felt like it had actually been cooked in a chafing dish (slick and waxy on the outside and dry on the inside). Chickpea salad had pretty much no onion or garlic. Likewise with tabouli, where the dominant flavor after parsley was astringent lemon juice. Other than an average hummus, there were no other sides, no peppers or pickles or turnip. Along with being chronically under-​seasoned, for that price, I would expect to more.
The room is pleasant enough, with smooth Latin jazz blaring and local art in the wall. As I mentioned above, staff were very friendly, and I gather this place is a bit of a community hub. So as usual, «to each their own», and «your mileage may vary»,
but I would just as soon pay less to get better food at a neighborhood hole-​in-​the-​wall.

Meatball Fridays. — This is my second unsatisfactory visit. We ordered the spaghetti meatballs and two half and half’s (lemonade and iced tea). Both were okay but I found just over $ 32.00 to be expensive, actually, I was a bit shocked. The spaghetti and meatballs were okay, I don’t understand the hype, they were pretty middle of the road. We asked for chili flakes to up the flavor. There was no offer or provision of more cheese, which would have added some flavor and richness, just a few flakes of cheese were included over the meatballs. The problem is, I would really, really like to like this place but I can’t bring myself to accept the quality/​quantity with the price.

My wife and I are huge fans of Montréal smoked meat. A friend of us recommended this place. I really liked the menu, it is bistro/​Tapas style. We ordered Tabule and Garlic potatoes as sides. The Tabule was good but the garlic potato could have been much better. I prefer a more crispy exterior for oven roasted potatoes. However, everything changed when the smoked meat sandwich arrived. It was the best that I had in Edmonton. The pickle was also very good. Salty like the kosher style. The menu is priced very reasonably, The sandwich was 9 $ and each side was 6 – 7 $.
I will defiantly go back there to try other items on their Tapas menu. Maybe at night to have them with some wine: D

My work for has ordered sandwich platters etc from this place for various lunches so I’ve tried almost all their sandwiches and they are all amazing and incredibly unique compared the typical ham sandwiches you would see on a sandwich platter. Everything tasted super fresh and the ingredients were awesome! I only recently went to the restaurant and had their beef shawarma, which was good, but I’ve had better (however definitely not as healthy as this place). I also had their garlic potatoes with garlic sauce. too die for. Also, the owner was the guy taking our orders and was super friendly and seemed to know half the people walking in the door and was actually sitting down at people’s tables when it was slow. I struggled with whether or not give this place 5 stars so definitely try this place out.
TIP: Get the hot sauce if you get the chicken or beef shawarma!

Very delicious! I wasn’t expecting to find such good food at a place like this. It doesn’t look like much, but the effort these guys put into making a good bite is immense. Ask them about the food they serve and they are extremely knowledgeable as well. They clearly take pride.
I was truly impressed by every aspect — service, price, food — you name it. I even bought a 2^nd sandwich to go for dinner!

With all of the Unilocal Love, I also expected to love Dahlia’s. But probably because I went in with 4.5 star hopes, I walked out with a 3 star experience.
On the bright side, you can enjoy a schawerma at Dahlia’s knowing that you’re eating something fresh, rather than something frozen. The meat itself is tender, and the vegetables included are fresh.
The décor is also pleasant — you wouldn’t mind taking a business associate here for a quick and tasty lunch.
But I also have my issues. For one, I didn’t find that my sandwich had much flavour beyond Parsley. While tender, my beef lacked flavour — perhaps it just needed salt. Or perhaps I just needed to add hot sauce. All of the regulars appeared to know to add hot sauce, which I felt odd about adding after I had taken a few bites of the pita sandwich, which was pressed on a panini press.
Hot Sauce is only available at the counter — not at your table. It would be good if the person taking my order had asked me if I wanted hot sauce, or if the menu recommended adding hot sauce.
I’ll have to try something else on the menu next time — perhaps the chicken, or perhaps a side order of the potatoes that I overheard a bunch of people a few tables over raving about.

I love this little bistro. I find myself there once or twice a week now that I work on 124^th Street.
I recommend one of the panini sandwiches or the falafel — which is amazing!
The owner and staff are very friendly and provide great service! Check out the recent renovations, they are now open late!
A hidden gem.

I popped in for lunch today at one of my favourite spots in Edmonton: Dahlia’s Bistro. Located in the «trendy» 124^th St. design district, owner/​operator Fadi Smaidi greeted me with his typical broad smile and infectious good nature.
«The regular,» I said. (I love being a regular and having a regular order and walking in and saying «the regular».)
I grabbed a Diet Coke from the cooler and sat down with my MacBook and connected to the free wifi. (Here’s why free wifi is very important to small businesses.) A few minutes later a member of Fadi’s always smiling and friendly staff delivered my falafel with hot sauce. I devoured it in minutes. Man, was it good.
Dahlia’s Bistro is a great little spot. The food is fresh and tasty — and well-​priced. The atmosphere is convivial and the attitudes of Fadi and all his people are exceptionally friendly. It’s a perfect example of a business that attracts it’s customers by being really good at what they do.
Then, Fadi walked over and showed me his new point-​of-​sale (POS) system — a sleek iPad2-​based system sold by a Toronto company called TouchBistro. Using his personal iPad, he can take orders and print receipts wirelessly, control inventory, and track staffing. He can even watch order processing remotely via his iPhone in real time and get his reports emailed to him nightly.
Best part is the cost: Well under $ 1,000 for the software app and all the required hardware (printer, cash drawer, iPad stand). This is compared to $ 6,000-$ 10,000 for a traditional POS system. Huge savings for any small business person. Very bad news for the traditional POS vendors.
If you’re a small business owner in Edmonton, I highly recommend you drop into Dahlia’s Bistro and see the new POS in action. While you’re here, you have to try the falafel. There’s lots of other great sandwiches and dishes too.
But trust me on the falafel.

I had an appointment pretty much right beside this place the other morning, and I recalled reading the Unilocal reviews on this small Mediterranean restaurante called Dahlia’s, so I opted to check it out. I wasn’t disappointed at all. Thanks very much to my fellow Unilocalers.
As soon as I walked in, I was greetly warmly by the owner, a very friendly man. The guy — sadly, I forgot to ask his name — was quite engaging and told me all sorts of interesting things about the place, like how the restaurant name came to be. It is a great tale. I mentioned the Unilocal reviews, and he knew right away what I was talking about, which I like. It shows they care about what their customers have to say. I adore great customer service, and you will definitely receive stellar customer service here.
I told him I love chicken and asked what he would recommend. He suggested the chicken schwarma, which I agreed to. When he mentioned there was turnips involved, I balked a bit, not really knowing what turnips taset like, but he convinced me, without being pushy, to just try it. He told me that I would barely taste that and that I would like it. Well, I guess I like turnips because the wrap was super yummy and quite filling as well. The chicken was so tender and tasty. The pita bread was fresh, and the sauce was yummy too. Since I got there shortly after they opened, he made it while we talked, so I didn’t wait long at all.
He also threw in a yummy dessert roll. I have now forgotten what it was called, but I know it by the look and will be back for more.
I absolutely love the décor. The colours are just great, and there is really vibrant and unique art work displayed on the walls. I would have loved to have sat down and enjoyed my lunch, but unfortunately, I had to get back to work. It’s also located in a super great area that is just lovely to walk around in.
My chicken wrap cost just under $ 8, and it was a bit more than I could actually eat, but I am definitely okay with leftovers. This place is affordable, and you definitely get your money’s worth.
Overall, a fantastic lunch.

Located just half a block north of MEC is Dahlia’s, a small Mediterranean bistro. Come here expecting schwarmas (beef and chicken) and felafel, and be blown away by the range of cold and grilled sandwiches.
Montréal smoked meat is apparently a specialty, but I went for the beef schwarma. The marinated bits of beef were so tender, they practically melted in my mouth. Accenting the wrap were tomatoes, parsley salad, pickled turnip, and tahini sauce, assembled in a grilled pita. It was deifnitely the most unique schwarma I have ever had.
I decided to try a side of the roasted potatoes with garlic. The potatoes were soft on the inside and had a good flavour on their own, albeit a bit on the dry side. This is where the garlic sauce comes in. It is a mild sauce, so you won’t carry it with you throughout the day, and very creamy.
Dahlia’s also has offerings for breakfast like bagels, scones, and yoghurt. The baklava is incredibly fresh and made me swoon. Everyone working there was very friendly, the food comes quickly, and one of the owners even came over to ask how my sandwich was.
A perfect place for lunch or an early supper (it closes by 6 on weekdays and 4 on Saturdays), don’t pass Dahlia’s by.

Went for a quick lunch on a sunny Saturday and was delighted to find falafel on the menu an appetizer with tzatziki and hummus. Usually I find these round wonders hiding in a pita, which is ok but I’d rather skip the pita and have an extra falafel. They weren’t the best I’ve ever had, but they were fresh and satisfying.
Hubby had a turkey sandwich that included artichoke hearts, feta and sundried tomato dressing, on a fresh ciabatta. He said that when he ordered it he wasn’t expecting anything extraordinary, but the more he ate, the more he wished it wouldn’t end. That’s a good samich.
The cold case had 0 cal sparkling water in blackberry, orange-​mango or lemon-​lime. A very yummy treat to go with a well prepared lunch in a friendly spot.

Dahlia’s is a great lunch spot in the High Street area, just north of MEC.
They serve tasty looking Lebanese food (shwarmas, etc), but I went with the Montréal smoked meat sandwich. Yum. Now, I haven’t had smoked meat in Montréal, but this was pretty good. The owners are from Montréal and assured us it was the real deal.
Super filling sandwiches around $ 8? I’ll be back for sure.

If you are on High Street or in the 124^th street area and you are looking for a quick and tasty bite, this is your spot. Dahlia’s is a small joint that I think is owned by two brothers who I think said were lebanese and from montreal. Either way, they brought the flavours with them.
I had the Montréal Smoked Meat Sandwich and half of my guest’s Chicken Shwarma. The Montréal Smoked Meat ($ 8) was tasty, loaded with meat and mustard, and left me with a delicous case of the meat sweats. The Chicken Schwarma ($ 7) was delicious as well, with the right fusion and quantities of all the right goodies, tender chicken, and lightly toasted. It always reminds me how bland much of our western cuisine truly is– but not at Dahlia’s…
I think this is a place that would be pretty busy at lunch hours, given it’s prime location. Parking along 124^th is limited, but it’s very transit and pedestrian accessible.

I’m wavering between 4 and 5 stars for Dahlia’s. The food is 4 stars, the décor and sturdy furniture are worth 5, and the service is worth about 15! Sigh. Unfortunately, I just can’t hand out a 5-​er when my sandwich was really a 4-​star bite.
I tried the chicken shwarma, which was really, really good. The turnip (I think?) was an unusual addition that wasn’t on the menu description, but it was still very yummy. I actually liked my dining partner’s Montréal smoked meat even better! I’ll order that next time.
The owner here is from Montréal. That’s why you see a Montréal smoked meat sandwich in a Mediterranean bistro. He was very friendly and seemed really pleased to have us in his restaurant.
It was quiet, sunny, and the perfect place to stop for lunch on 124 street.

Woohoo! No complaints here. The thing is that it’s not really a high end bistro with great plating techniques and chef hats that cost thousands of dollars.
It’s just an awesome little bistro on the High Street that serves really nice food. Went with fellow Unilocalers on completing our High Street crawl. I have a softspot for giant falafel balls and I can’t think of anything else when I see them on display, ready and waiting to be consumed.
My falafel sandwich was delicious stuffed with hummus, pickled turnip — a classic Lebanese pickle that I haven’t had in ages now, lemon onion salad and some other delicious items that made for a merry orchestra of taste. I like that they press the sandwiches down a bit making the pita wrap warm, toasted and pressed to a very manageable form for efficient devouring. I guess it’s a twist on the classic middle easter wrap you’d find on the streets of Beirut (like I’ve actually been there! But I have had wraps in the souks of Dubai with other middle easterners). Must add that falafel wraps are great vegan foods. So hooray to the veggies around.
The sandwich itself is delicious but don’t know if it is the best falafel wrap I will ever eat in Edmonton and hence would probably have stuck to a 4 star with that. The servers were extremely friendly and checked on us once through the meal while also calling out on other instances from their counter to make sure that all was fine at our table. A roomy ambience with lots of space between tables. Simple Ikea and Ikea-​related furniture while maintaining a clean and inviting ambience. All these things put together with, simply put, well made delicious sandwiches, I’d say Dahlia’s a 5 star place for an afternoon lunch while shopping!