MADO - Square ONE — Restaurant in Mississauga

UPDATE 2: We were recently took another visit to MADO, and I’m very happy to share that the experience this time was completely different — in the best way. From the moment we arrived, we were greeted warmly and seated promptly. The staff seemed much more organized and attentive, and the service overall was significantly improved. Our food came out quickly and in the correct order, and we genuinely felt taken care of throughout our visit. It was a relaxed and enjoyable dining experience that allowed us to fully appreciate the ambiance and offerings.

It truly felt like a different vibe compared to our initial visit — more welcoming, more polished, and definitely more in line with what we had originally hoped for. We had a great time and appreciated the care that went into making things right. It’s clear that our previous experience must have been a one-off, and I’m glad we gave MADO another chance. Thanks for having us.

UPDATE: After contacting mado via social media/email as per their request in the comments, they haven't bothered to reply nor circle back on my complaint. Pretty disappointing as they were active to respond on a review right away but not offline.

ORIGINAL REVIEW: I had high hopes for MADO at Square One, especially given the appealing decor, but unfortunately, the experience fell short on many fronts.

My fiance and I entered through the mall entrance a bit after 4pm and waited at the host stand for over 5ish minutes without any acknowledgment. Once we were finally seated, it was difficult to get the attention of any server. The staff seemed overwhelmed and disorganized—servers were constantly rushing around, and we had to wave someone down every time we needed anything.

We decided on our order fairly quickly on 2 mains (we had time to view the menu at the hostess stand), but our initial server misplaced her iPad and couldn’t take our order right away, further delaying the process. When the food started to arrive, it came out in an unusual and poorly timed sequence. For example, the bread arrived near the end of first delivered dish, when it should have been served at the start. The second dish, the pizza came much later than the first dish, and I had to flag down a server to get it after I noticed it sitting ready on the counter. Our original server was nowhere to be found, and I had to flag down another staff member to retrieve it to ensure we didn’t receive it cold. I also saw another table experiencing the same delay with their pizza—it seemed like no one was making the effort to retrieve the orders even though the pick up bell rang.By the time the pizza arrived, the first dish was already done. What if we were was hosting a business client and our dishes came at different times. A bit embarrassing, I'd say. BTW the pizza seemed like it was prepped with pre-made frozen dough. Wasn't very enjoyable as it was overly greasy.

To make matters worse, the washroom was in poor condition. There were paper towels on the floor by the door, some stalls lacked toilet paper, and a toilet hadn’t been flushed. It didn’t reflect well on the restaurant’s cleanliness standards.

Portion sizes were quite small for the price, and the service simply didn’t justify the cost. The staff didn’t seem interested in engaging with guests, and overall attentiveness was lacking. The restaurant wasn't even full and looking around, it seemed like a bunch of other tables were always waiting too. I ended up tipping more than the experience warranted, just to be kind, but left feeling disappointed.

As a local Missisauga resident, I wanted to enjoy this place and support a nearby business, but based on this experience, I won’t be returning. I hope the management takes this feedback seriously and makes improvements—there’s potential here, but it’s currently...

Extremely stoic and cold service. Nothing like what Turkish cuisine ought to be. Here is what you’d expect from Mado square one - from a person who has been there at least 4 times now.

Expect the person in front hate to hate you deeply:

Diana looks like she has social anxiety. Don’t know why she would be put in charge of entry? You go in, Diana looks like she is done with you, and wants you out. The person at the door is usually very bad. Idk, i guess you need one person to do that to add value and justify your marked up price?

You sit down, and wait for a server. The table in front of you has been waiting for longer, and Diana does her best to ignore that table’s request for a server.

The table in front of you raises their hand, and Diana says “server will be with you” and runs away.

Then you wonder when your server is going to come, and Diana ignores you too. Usually you have to call a person to get their attention, and then they are running and doesn’t have time for you.

I used the washroom and left. Diana, the person who made me wait for a server, smiled a smile of relief as I left - not even asking if I have been served.

I hope the person in charge of hiring Diana stays in charge - this will ensure Mado’s failure in a couple years and the space will be open for a better business.

Frankly is not just her, a lot of their staff feels cold - Diana is the coldest. Disappointing. Place looks nice. Go in and order people around like a mean boss, because that is what they respect. Pay for your overpriced kebab and impress whoever you want to impress - whoever eats upscale Halal only - and leave immediately. Thats what I do, and thats what i did.

Food is decent by the way, a bit overpriced but you pay for the ambience, it’s all cool. Their kebabs are juicy, with a nice smoky flavour. Their bread has a nice savoury flavour - you can tell they have been made on-site and served freshly baked.

The quality of the complimentary bread they serve before a meal is a true sign of their potential. Their ice cream is very close to the best Arabic/Turkish ice cream you can get in Canada - a chewy, soft, gummy texture, cool and refreshing without being heavy like cream based ice creams. This is what Middle Eastern ice creams ought to be like.

At the time of writing, Mado makes your meal right in front of you, in an open kitchen. Skilled chefs, for sure. But the sad service leaves a lingering sour taste in your mouth.

They wont last long, I’ve seen failing businesses in Square One many times as a ‘Sauga resident. This is one of them for sure - only a matter of time. I am done giving this hopeless place my money. At this point I have to be a masochist to go back a fifth time - and no ice cream...

We often passed MADO at the local shopping mall, but only recently decided to dine there for lunch. Our initial impression upon entering was MADO's strikingly bright and modern interior, which is cleverly divided into distinct sections highlighting authentic Turkish cuisine, including an open kitchen, bakery, ice cream station, and Turkish coffee station, as well as a weekend buffet station. The menu showcases a varied assortment of Turkish specialties, comprising salads, hummus, muhammara, freshly baked Turkish bread, and olives. Additionally, a selection of dipping sauces is offered, including labneh yogurt, mayo, mustard, sweet chili, and ketchup.

We had initially planned to try the traditional Breakfast: Grilled Turkish sujuk (sausage) and halloumi skewers, mushrooms stuffed with mozzarella, three kinds of cheese plate, sigara borek with cheese, menemen, roasted green pepper, roasted tomato, french fries, mixed olive plate, honeycomb with kaymak, and Turkish tea,  or Cozy Breakfast: Feta cheese, cheddar cheese, mozzarella cheese, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, honey and butter, boiled egg, tahini and molasses, jam, green and black olives, walnuts, seasonal fruits, dried figs and sigara borek.

However Menemen proved to be a stronger attraction: Turkish Shakshuka : prepared with sautéed tomatoes, green pepper, tomatoes, onions, and eggs. And Eggs Benedict With Smoked Salmon : English Muffin, Poached Eggs, Smoked Salmon, Hollandaise Sauce, Hash browns and mixed salad.

The menemen was delightfully flavorful and dipping bread in it further elevated its taste. Additional bread can be ordered as needed. The egg Benedict was expertly prepared. Although we were satiated, the temptation of their ice cream proved too great, with mulberry and sugarless fig flavors being particularly noteworthy. The ice cream showcased an ideal harmony of texture and flavors. Our choice of desserts constituted a true highlight, and they furnished a perfect ending to our lunch.

The establishment's overall ambiance was cozy, and every dish we tried was exceptionally flavorful and expertly prepared. We may sample the main courses on our next visit. Main dishes include samosas, sigara borek, bulgur, Adana Kebab, vegetable ratatouille, Chicken Shish Kebab, grilled chicken with mushroom sauce, chicken curry, chickpea stew and Beef Sac Kavurma.

The service was acceptable and the staff was fine; however, they necessitate some...