Joummar Restaurant — Restaurant in Mississauga

I absolutely loved the decor of this restaurant and the concept behind it, but I think that there are various changes and improvements to be made for me to give this restaurant five stars. My review is based on 3 categories that I will rate separately

Food (4/10) In our group of 4 we ordered the Potato Chop This was delicious, but it was hot on the outside and still cold on the inside -Shish Tawook I was personally very disappointed by this dish as the chicken was not well done, and I bite into a piece that was still not cooked which made me completely stop eating as I lost my appetite. -Iraqi Kabab This was very delicious, if you are someone that likes the taste of lamb (very strong) -Habet Although I did not try this dish, the member of my family that did expressed that the bread underneath the meat was delicious, but the meat was not cooked well

Knafa Missing the sweetener syrup on top of this dessert

Tea

Lentil soup and bread complimentary Lentil soup was not hot when it arrive to the table, one piece of bread given

Overall, the presentation of the food was great, the dishes made us excited to try and were well portioned, but the taste did not meet the presentation as the meat was mostly under cooked except for the iraqi kabab.

Service (4/10) Customer service is a very important aspect for me personally when looking and reviewing different restaurants. Joummar staff needs major training in improving customer service and response to costumers. From close observation it became clear that there are a number of individuals working at the restaurant, but there is a lack of response and care for customers. For example, I made eye contact multiple times with the servers and no one responded to me until I decided to call on them (this happened about 6 times throughout our meal - as I asked for missing ingredients, and tea and the bill at the end of our meal).

Atmosphere (6/10) We walked into joummar at around 1 pm on a Saturday, there were about 2 other families there and the restaurant was full of staff. The decorations and the set up of the restaurant created feelings of nostalgia, as my family was discussing the different concepts that reminded us of Iraq. The music was okay, although I felt that it did not match the character of the place (mostly playing newer Iraqi music, with the concept and atmosphere of joummar I think older popular Iraqi music would be more appropriate- ilham al madfai, etc. ). Also, the menus and the booth that we were sitting in was stained, there were food stains on the menu as well as the part of the booth where I was sitting. Throughout our meal, I also noticed that the other two families were getting annoyed with the service, and I over heard the families discussing the slow service and their disappointment.

Many of my friends encouraged me to check out joummar and compared it to Samad al Iraqi, but personally having visited both Samad al Iraqi (London) and joummar there is a big difference between the two and joummar has a long way to go to reach the five star rating. I might give this restaurant another try in the future, but for now I would rate it at 14 out of 30 based on the criteria that I have outlined above.

REVIEW UPDATE 2022- I think the restaurant has new management. My family booked the restaurant for a celebration and the food was absolute delicious ! The staff was very responsive and they worked well with the event planner. Completely different experience than the first time ! Well done to the new management for all the...

This was the absolute worst customer service I’ve ever seen. Our group was so excited to eat here and made a 7:30 reservation. My husband and I walked in 10 minutes early and no one was waiting in line. Several employees were walking by and around yet nobody acknowledged us. Finally after a really long time a female employee walked by but then turned around and said hello. We told her we had a reservation for 4 people so she said she would clean a table. Then after another long while of standing with no others waiting, I saw her serving cake and singing Happy Birthday to a group and we continued to wait. Then a male employee came and we told him we had a reservation and he went to check on a table. He never returned to say it’ll be a short wait. Nothing. He went on to serve tables. My husband went to the bathroom. At this point a Middle Eastern group walked in. They were acknowledged immediately. The girl who greeted them asked about reservations, and I said I’m a group a four and they said they are a group of six. She said I’ll seat you guys and proceeded to walk them to a table as I stood there dumbfounded. When she returned I told her that I was standing here since 7:20 and they just literally walked in. She apologized. At this point it was past our reservation time. I was so upset and shocked I told my group we were leaving. While we were outside the male employee came and said that our table was ready. No apology for the wait or what transpired. Just an excuse that their table of 8 was cleaned first. Well first of all it was a table of 6 and after that extremely long wait our party should of been seated first, since we were waiting long before the other group. He continued to ask us to come back but I felt it was too little too late. I didn’t want to spend my money here and couldn’t imagine how long we would wait for food. We ended up at another similar restaurant down the street and were greeted immediately. Such a difference. We will never...

A Heartfelt Appreciation for Dani's Exceptional Service and Delicious Food!

Dear Dani,

I hope this message finds you well! I wanted to take a moment to express my deepest gratitude for the incredible dining experience you provided at your restaurant. From the moment we stepped in, your warm and welcoming smile set the tone for an unforgettable evening.

The food was simply outstanding! Your menu recommendations were spot-on, and each dish surpassed our expectations. The flavors were rich and tantalizing, a true delight for our taste buds. The attention to detail and the evident passion you have for your craft truly shone through in every bite.

However, what truly elevated the evening was your exceptional service. Your attentiveness to our needs, friendly demeanor, and genuine care for our dining experience made us feel valued as guests. Your knowledge of the menu and willingness to accommodate our dietary preferences made the whole meal feel personalized.

Throughout the evening, you created an atmosphere that was both relaxed and refined, ensuring that we felt comfortable and cared for at every moment. It is clear that you take great pride in your work, and your dedication to providing outstanding service did not go unnoticed.

Dani, you are a true gem, and we are so grateful to have had you as our waiter. Your professionalism, warmth, and passion for your job left a lasting impression on us. The way you seamlessly balanced attentiveness without ever being intrusive was admirable and contributed to making this dining experience one of the best we've ever had.

Please share our heartfelt appreciation with the entire team as well. It takes a coordinated effort to deliver such an exceptional dining experience, and you all succeeded brilliantly.

Thank you once again for making our visit to your restaurant truly special. We will undoubtedly be back, and we will eagerly recommend your establishment to our friends and...