Tarboosh Restaurant — Restaurant in Mississauga

Another family run spot in Cooksville, Tarboosh looks to be a busy family affair that has it's long term customers saying it's great. With the suggestion from Yelp, I decided to give it a shot to see how it could compare to my food adventures when I was in Dubai.

To start, I would say the restaurant is housed in a pretty run down building... it clearly is old and the parking lot looks like something out of a 'wrong side of the tracks' feel. The inside of the restaurant is ok... aged and worn but fairly clean. The interesting thing about it is the wooden designs all over the place that reminds you of the ceramic mosaics I saw in Middle East. It also has a large painted mural of what would be a stereotypical desert scene with men riding camels.

You can call it in for take out or dine in with a vegetarian buffet on offer or do menu dishes. EVEN if you don't call it in, the take out speed is quite good! I did this and I have to give credit where credit is due. They made my falafel fresh and hot in less than 10 minutes from order. THAT is good!

So their menu reads quite typical for a Middle East restaurant... shawarma, kebabs, meze with pita, and falafel. I've been dying for a good falafel... it's been far far too long since I've had them in Dubai. I feel Toronto is missing the falafel spices to make an excellent one. Ordering here is pretty easy and the service is friendly enough to take it and run with it.

Falafel - I would say these are quite different from the ones I'm used to. For starters, I loved how these were just fried fresh and given to me hot within 10 minutes. That made me happy. The texture these are quite different... they're fluffy with their outer shell delicately soft & crispy. I'm used to outer shells that have a great crunch that gives way to a moist soft inside but still has a mild chew. It's quite a different take. I would say the taste though... it's missing spices. I tasted some coriander but it was missing salt, cumin, garlic... onion. Something. It was a bit bland. 3/5

Chicken Shawarma - The best item we tried. These were still moist and the flavour was good... lemony without being too tart, well seasoned, and had a bit of nice char to give it a more smokey flavour. I would say that these would be good in a pita or just on rice. I did find these nicely tender. Definitely their stronger item on the menu. 4/5

Hummus - I found this similar to the falafel... just missing flavour. Though it was smooth, it didnt have a strong taste. If anything, it had a tiny subtle taste of tahini and thats it. It needed more garlic and salt... maybe a bit of cumin to liven it up. Something. Though it probably is a good filler... it was a bland filler. 3/5

Tabouleh salad - This was a decent rendition of the traditional parsley salad. They did chop the parsley finely enough so it didnt feel like you were chewing on branches and it had enough citrus to bright it up. The tomato were out of season but it added to the juiciness of it. It could have used a bit more mint or onions but it's not a bad salad. 3.5/5

Overall, I like the speed of them making items fresh and I found the place to be genuinely warm. I just didnt find the flavours as bold as I know they can be from Middle East so I'll keep on searching for that spot to make me fondly...

Tarboosh Restaurant is an excellent restaurant that I would be proud to treat my guests to. For many reasons this place stands out from other Lebanese/Middle Eastern restaurants in the GTA. There is literally nothing on their menu that I would not recommend; you can't go wrong with ordering anything here. However, in this review, I want to focus on their shawarma because from that item you can tell a lot about the owners of the restaurant and the people who run it. I would be ashamed to order shawarma for anyone I respect from any restaurant in the GTA except from Tarboosh. They will never put me down in terms of the quality and deliciousness of the meat, whether beef or chicken. Every single restaurant I have ordered shawarma from always has something disgusting in their shawarma, such as skin, fat, or a combination of these unappetizing items. Imagine you ordering a sandwich with these items and unknowingly eating them because they are inside the wrap and, therefore, not visible. On top of that, the shawarma in these restaurants is usually not tasty at all. Tarboosh is different, both the beef and chicken shawarma they serve you is pure meat, and they are so delicious. It is unfortunate for me that I do not live in Mississauga or I would be dropping by this place for a sandwich or a combination plate twice a week if not three times. Serving clean and delicious food is a sign that the people of Tarboosh are good people who respect their clients and genuinely want to serve them the best clean food, food that they themselves are proud to serve their honoured guests. To the owners of Tarboosh, I would like to say: "Thank you very much for running such an excellent restaurant. I really appreciate the respect you show your customers, not just in your manners, but in the clean and good food you serve them. I wish your business flourishes and that we see more respectful people like you open similar...

How can one be both mad and grateful - towards a best friend, over a restaurant - particularly 'Tarboosh Restaurant?'

Today, I had the privilege of experiencing a lunch at Tarboosh, that left me completely satiated, impressed beyond any pre-conceived notion of what to expect, and feeling a profound need to write an endorsement of this wonderful restaurant for all to read!

Why was I mad at my dear friend, Naguib Kerba? A man who has been eating at Tarboosh for 30 years? Naguib has repeatedly told me about the wonderful food and great service at Tarboosh, but after experiencing it today, I am mad that he hasn't insisted on taking me there sooner!

Why am I grateful towards my dear friend, Naguib Kerba? A man who has been eating at Tarboosh for 30 years? I know that Naguib is certified 'Foodie,' a true connoisseur of world class food, great food preparation, and excellent restaurant service. I also know that Naguib has four very specific 'Favourite Restaurants in Mississauga, that he loves - Tarboosh being 'right there in the mix!' Today, Naguib helped to raise the bar for me, in terms of what qualifies as truly outstanding Middle Eastern Food, and for that, I am grateful!

When I sat down, I was showed a menu. Naguib said: "Don't worry, I'm going to order for us." - and ORDER, he did!

After introducing me to our most delightful waitress, Georgina - one of the most professionally polite, engaging and lovely waitresses you will ever meet, Naguib requested the Lentil Soup, Falafels, Beef Kofta, Chicken Kabobs, Lamb Kabobs, Taboula, Tahini, Humus, Eggplant, Naan, and more!

The food arrived quickly, fresh, was well plated, and most important - tasted FANTASTIC!

Tarboosh is highly recommended, and when you go, I hope you have the privilege of being served by Georgina!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Dan Bodanis Mississauga...