Arabesque Family Restaurant — Restaurant in Kitchener

A Heartbreaking End to Over a Decade of Loyalty! I don’t often write reviews, but today I feel compelled to speak out — not out of anger, but out of deep disappointment. I’ve been coming to Arabesque Restaurant for over 10 years. It’s a place that has felt like home to me and my family. I’ve recommended it to friends, always confident that this restaurant would deliver both in food and in spirit. But today marks the end of that long, cherished chapter. I drove 16 minutes today to pick up my usual: a chicken shawarma wrap. When I walked in, the first thing I noticed behind the counter was a young man, seemingly in his 20s, leaning forward, completely focused on his cellphone. He was wearing a hairnet and black nitrile gloves — seemingly prepared for food handling. I greeted him twice, and both times was ignored until I jingled my keys to get his attention. He finally looked up and asked how he could help. I placed my order, paid with cash, and watched in growing concern as he handled the food. What disturbed me most was that the same gloves he used to handle his phone and my money were then used to prepare my food — without any change or even washing of hands. He took my cash with gloved hands, gave me change, and then immediately began making my shawarma, handling every ingredient. No glove change. No hand sanitizing. Nothing. It was disheartening. I’ve trusted this restaurant for years, but food safety is not something that can be compromised — not ever. Cross-contamination from phones and money to food preparation is dangerous and unacceptable. Someone could get seriously sick. I shared my concerns with an older man who came out from the kitchen — possibly the manager or owner — and explained everything that happened. But the damage was done. I left without my food, because I could not bring myself to eat it. I won’t be coming back. To the management: you must take this seriously. I’m not just one upset customer — I’m someone who’s supported your business loyally for over a decade. I’m saddened to say goodbye, but I refuse to risk my health or that of my family. This experience has made me lose trust in a place I once loved. I will be sharing this with my friends and family who used to accompany me here. Please train your staff and uphold the basic standards of food safety. — A loyal customer of over 10 years,...

Immediately upon entering, you get a wonderful smell of savory, warm spices and fresh pita. The take-out counter is beautiful with mosaics, stone, metal, and these colourful lamps above the display case. My pictures do not show the full beauty of the restaurant. All of the food in the cases looked fresh and bright and the employees that were assembling the plates were giving large portions. I had never tried Lebanese or Palestinian food before but the host was so sweet gave me some samples on a plate to try with pita. Mutabal is one of my new favourites and I will absolutely be coming back to have that!! The host also let me into the kitchen area to grab a photo of the wood-fire oven where they make their soft pita breads in-house.

I ordered a Cheese and Za'atar Mana'eesh and it was a soft flatbread with an herby, crunchy seasoning with a mild but salty cheese on top. It was an absolute delight to try! I usually prefer my spices finely ground so I think I might try something different next time but the flavour profile was wonderful with a base of oregano and sesame. My husband ordered the Chicken Tawook Plate and couldn't finish the large portion. I tried the Toum (garlic sauce) and it was delicious! The rice was seasoned beautifully, the chicken was well cooked and flavourful, and the cabbage salad was nice and sour and refreshing. We were so full that we haven't gotten to try the Kunafa yet! That will be shared after dinner.

Overall, the food was delicious and filling for the price, the atmosphere was cozy and warm (which the host said was very traditional), and the staff were all very welcoming, friendly, and treated me like family. The food overall was flavourful but not over-seasoned with an appetizing aroma. It was mild and the flavours of each dish complimented each other wonderfully. Highly recommend you try Lebanese and Palestinian food at...

Best food I've come across! But was incredibly disappointed with my most recent experience. After arriving at the restaurant, we were greeted by a hostess who seated us and proceeded to inform us that the menu could be accessed via a QR code. It would have been nice to know that you had to click on the menu item and order it through the app....we found this out after sitting for 35 minutes and the waitress came to check on us. After ordering, we waited another 20 or so for food. My friend and I each ordered a shawarma wrap. After our wraps came out, we had taken out first few delicious bites before the waitress came back and told us we ordered a third. And when we both said we had not, the waitress actually accused us of ordering in it. I felt so uncomfortable and it was quite aggressive and she made it out to be a huge deal. So we showed her our receipts and then she admitted it must have been their machine that printed out the same order twice. No apology for how she came off or interrupting our meal to accuse me us of something we didn't do. Had she just come over and asked, it could have been handled so much nicer. After that, we did not see the waitress again. No refills, no checking in to see if we were satisfied with the food, and she didn't even bother to bring us the receipt. We arrived at 1130 and did not depart until 1:30. Two hours for a quick lunch date was not okay. I had to go scout out (who I presume to be the manager or supervisor) assistance. He was very very nice! Disappointed overall. And won't be dining in at the...