Beirut Bakery And Catering — Restaurant in Gatineau

Edit (See original review below): After a year or so, I couldn’t stand it anymore.

Yeah, okay, the man behind the counter is disagreeable (unless you’re his friend). But who says we need to be agreeable with each other? I know I do it because I enjoy connecting with people. I know how much a smile can mean, and I love extending it to others.

But the thing is… the hummus.

I couldn’t go on like that. The hummus is just too good. I couldn’t resist anymore.

So that’s it, sir. I give you the money, you give me the hummus. No smiles exchanged. You don’t even have to fake a “bonjour”, I know you don’t mean it. Let’s keep it money and peas between us.

I can live with that.

Original review: I was a customer for years. It's more recently that I've become more of a regular, but I am never going back there.

Here is my full analysis.

In general, the humus is the best humus I've had in my entire life. From time to time the recipe differs, and sometimes for the worst, but mostly, I loved it.

The baklavas are also a delicacy. I always ate the honey baklavas, which sometimes were cooked perfectly, but it would be hit or miss in the sense that once out of twice, they would be overcooked to my liking. Once they didn't even have honey.

Now, I don't want to operate on suppositions, but what I observed through time was that the man who runs the cash does not smile. At least, not for me, not for that white woman that one time, not for those other white folks. I was surprised to see the man can laugh, smile and be generally agreeable when someone is addressing him in his own language. It must be a pleasure of course, to speak one's own language, or to meet someone of the same ethnicity as one's self. I am white, but I was completely baffled when I went to return rancid oil. I may be white, but I am very greek and our family has always enjoyed olive oil. I am indeed, french, greek, and epicurian.

Here is what led me to boycott this store now and forever to go.

I bought a big can of olive oil there; good oil that lasted for the time being. I went back when it was empty to buy a new one. The new oil was absolutely rancid. I went back to get a new one and, although the man didn't seem very pleased, he allowed us to replace it with another can and allowed us to get the difference of money back. That one was a big bottle of olive oil that was, not as bad, but rancid as well. It was slightly more subtle, especially to the smell, but the rancid taste was there and there was no way I could eat rancid oil. It didn't even work to make mayonnaise. I returned that one and that was the final straw for me. The man smelled it, laughed at me in a condescending fashion, it was the first time he laughed or smiled in any of our interactions over the years, and suggested that I simply don't like olive oil and that I do not know what it should taste like. I got my money back after I asked for it, at least.

Sir, I hope you didn't put the rancid oil in your recipes, but I won't be...

I tried the falafel, and was surprised to see that it had a brown interior, was super salty, and the texture was off--it was gooey. Then I decided to try the safia sweets (on the shelves underneath the cashier), the mammoul aux dattes and mammoul aux pistaches. They both tasted aged, dusted, bland! I checked for the expiration date on the wrapper, but it wasn't anywhere to be found. Just don't eat those or the falafel. How do you mess up falafel? Its so easy too.

I checked the store's inventory and it is limited. its got beans, canned goods, olive oils, olives, bread, amongst other things that were just the same thing but from a different company.

I also found it to be pricy. I dont see any...

Notre premiere visite aujourd’ hui … the quality of the food and the quality of service is amazing, this nice men that help my wife, when she got back in the car she could not help her self making statements such as wow, amazing, extremely nice etc … small store, but with a lot of goodies and excellent food. And the service- you feel like you are family! Thank you looking forward to...