Xawaash

Pretty much everything on their menu is to-​die-​for, especially their lamb chops and lentil soup. Their staff consistently give all their guests a genuinely heartwarming welcome. We come here all the way from Mississauga, their food and service is unbeatable.

A perfect example of Unilocal (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 Unilocal 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 Unilocal 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.

This restaurant was really cool. they have a real modern look and feel to the place. I had no idea what chicken schwarma was, but I ordered that and the lentil soup. both tasted excellent. The manager brought me a side of beef samosas, which were totally awesome. They were crispy but did not have that deep fried taste. they were very light and yummy. The staff was very friendly and it turns out I had the chicken schwarma on pita and it wound up being awesome. it was like a chicken sandwich with lettuce, cucumber and a nice sauce. It seemed to be a lot healthier than a friend chicken. sandwhich. I would definitely eat here again. I enjoyed the dinner and it is right around the corner from the movie theater, way better than eating at the food court!

The pita with shawarma is the worst thing I’ve ever tasted in my life. It tastes like nothing, just dry pieces of bread in your mouth. Don’t get your food here.

If you are in the area this is a must! Very nice menu and wonderfully prepared. We had very little knowledge of middle eastern food and everything was explained brilliantly. Every single thing we had was delicious, and we ordered A LOT of different things including dessert. I can’t imagine there not being something for everyone in the menu. Enjoy!

Had the Chicken kabob and beef kafta with rice. The rice was not the typical white rice with tomato. It had flavors in it, service was good. I ordered additional rice to go it was partially filled in a bigger box other than that the meat and was flavorful and not dry.

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

The food is amazing, quite delicious. The lamb shack’s taste just wowwww love the atmosphere and all those who work there. Very nice service :) definitely recommend this place :)

Recently came across this place, was skeptical at first but I was blown away by how delicious the food was! I got the chicken and beef kofta plate with hummus and salad on the side, after eating that plate I became hooked! Also the samosas and mango shakes are to die for. The staff was very helpful as well.
Definitely will be back!

The food here is amazing. I had the chicken shawarma and it was delicious. You know it’s authentic when the majority of the people dinning there are from the middle east /​mediterranean region. If you like Middle Eastern /​Mediterranean food, I highly recommend Xawaash.

This is by far the best restaurant I ate at in Toronto. We were invited there by close friends who kept telling us how amazing the place was. The food was awesome and very fresh: juicy grilled meats, aromatic rice, amazing pasta, personal pizzas, refreshing salads. Our group of four shared different plates and we were able to taste many dishes. The restaurant owner and his wife have a popular food blog and boy, do they know about yummy food! They are a very friendly couple who take an active interest in their customers.
The biggest surprise was the chic espresso bar right inside the spacious restaurant. Our group moved from our cozy, comfy booth with touchscreen tablet to the equally comfortable bar stools. We ordered, lattes, cappuccino, and hot chocolate. My wife was blown away by the decadent hot chocolate made from real Belgian chocolates. Forget about powdered chocolate mixes. This here is the real deal.
We were told the restaurant has been open for eight months only and it is already very popular. The hospitality, the food, and the beautiful modern décor is working well for them. It is definitely a place we will visit again and again. Highly recommend!

Awesome food, I have the beef kofta and chicken kabob with rice and salad. Good was very fresh and the staff was friendly and helpful in describing the the different dishes. Will definitely be back soon

Was looking for a place for lunch with Friends. Came across this place via Unilocal.The restaurant is easy to spot from the outside. Inside its clean and has all kinds of seating. Amazing food varity from middle eastern plates to fresh made over pizza even ice scream Sunday ! (unusual for a restaurant of this style to have pizza but it was awesome). Portions were great size too. Prices very fair too. Being the first time we asked about the menu and they spend 10 min explaining and showing everything to us ! Food came out within 10 to 15 min. I would recommend this place to anyone who is traveling in the area. Will come back for sure !

This place was really special. We found it on Unilocal,and thought it would be an appropriate place to host a business meeting with people who had just arrived from Vancouver. I called a day in advance to tell them we were coming, and to make sure they had appropriate vegetarian options.
When we arrived, I was so pleased to find a personalized reserved sign on our table. Every staff person was friendly and welcoming. We aren’t terribly familiar with Somalian food (although I had looked at their wonderful, well-​established food blog beforehand), so we asked them to select food for us. What a feast! Kabobs (salmon and beef), small pizzas with grilled cheese, and one with beef and spices. Seasoned rice, samosas, hummus, eggplant dip, fresh breads, green salad, the food just kept coming. We stuffed ourselves, and washed it down with yoghurt drinks and iced tea. Everything was delicious, and if you feel adventurous, try the green chile sauce. It had a bite, but the yoghurt and bread cooled the fire.
We saved a tiny little bit of room for dessert, which we shared amongst us. We had an upside-​down pineapple cake which was surprisingly good, some baklava, and stuffed doughnuts which were still warm. Seriously. With Nutella.
Above all that, however, was the graciousness of the owner, who came over to visit with us. What a warm, well-​spoken and intelligent man. He had so many thoughtful things to say about Somalia, his community, and the world. I learned so much. I’m not in that neighbourhood often, but if I get the chance, I will most certainly go back — with friends!

Amazing the food was fresh and prepared for us. The owner explained the dishes.
And the desserts were Awesome.
Staff very cordial we will revisit.

Excellent restaurant to have a family meal. Food is cooked at a high quality here and more importantly it is consistent.
I recommend the chicken kafta and Kabab.

I’ve been to this restaurant several times now. Each time the food has been consistently good. The beef kofta is nice and juicy and the chicken kebab has great flavour as well! They also have one of the better shawarma I’ve had in the GTA area.

I was in Toronto visiting a client whose office is near by this restaurant. When it was time for lunch, he asked me what I wanted to eat. I did a quick Unilocal search and found this jewel!
My shawarma sandwich was perfect. Done in fresh Mande pita. A little spicy, but not hot. Just awesome.
I also ordered a mango lasi, it was tangy and refreshing.
I’ll be back.

We spent 3 hours at this restaurant. And it’s not because the service was slow. They recently opened (2 months ago), but the place was packed. They were mostly Somalis, so you know the food is authentic.
We had shawermas, kabobs, rice, hummus, samosas (Somalis do it best)…the food was so good, I didn’t pause to take pictures of it! The chicken literally melts in your mouth. We’re from Michigan, and the shawerma is better than any shawerma I have ever tasted in Dearborn, which is the Arab capital of America.
And then we saw how they prepared graffe on the menu screen… and they came stuffed in Nutella… so that sealed the deal. They’re basically citrusy stuffed donuts. And then we had Somali coffee and tea. The atmosphere was awesome. I’ve never been to Somalia, but I felt like I was there LOL the owners came out and said hi to us, to make sure the meal went well… They knew we were trying the Somali coffee for the first time, and they offered to give us lattes/​cappuccinos/​American coffee if we didn’t like it. BASICALLY IT’S MY NEW FAVORITE RESTAURANT. Also: Brick oven. Fresh bread. ‘Nuff said.

its finally here. torontos first and only authentic shawarma. ottawa and montreal shawarma enthusiasts should finally be happy as now toronto finally has a great shawarma.
even better than Mozys in WATERLOO
authentic kebabs. Big tender pieces served on generous bed of Rice
Their Beef Samosa are authentic Somali Sambusas.
Chicken Patties called the XAWAASH Patty makes your favorite Parmigiana place seem bland its that’s good. Crispy battered deep fried with egg inside.
Tender Lamb Chops. Yes I had to try everything.
All sauces are made in house.
Every dish is authentic. i will update my review more thoroughly when i have time.
i will upload some pics for now. definitely check this place out.