Shawarma El Mina — Restaurant in Ontario

I used to be a loyal customer since 2022 — but not anymore.

Back then, this shawarma shop was absolutely amazing — both in quality and quantity. I was 100% satisfied with their shawarma and poutine, so much so that I used to drive all the way from Trenton just to get it.

But lately, the quality has gone downhill — intentionally, it seems. The food served now is often not fresh, and yesterday’s experience was the final straw. I ordered a chicken poutine, and while the fries and gravy were fine, the chicken was rock hard. It was clearly taken from a container where it had been sitting out and drying for hours.

The worst part? They had fresh chicken on the grill, but they deliberately didn’t use it. When I went inside to complain, the guy who served me casually offered to add some fresh chicken on top — which means they know what they’re doing and still choose to serve subpar food first.

Absolutely unacceptable.

If you're reading this and you see them taking chicken from a container instead of slicing it fresh — just know you’re probably getting old, dry leftovers. I had given them a 5-star review before, but now this place has turned into the worst shawarma spot I’ve been to.

This review isn’t just based on yesterday’s experience. I’ve noticed their quality declining since early 2024. Yesterday’s visit was simply the worst ever. I kept going back, hoping they’d return to the same quality they once had — but now I understand, that’s not happening anymore.

I won’t...

The absolute best shawarma. The beef is honestly incredible and mouth watering.. I could eat a whole plate of that on its own. You usually can't say much about rice, but their rice has almost a buttery texture and tastes amazing. Garlic potatoes are a banger, everything here is truly delicious. The dips, I could drink them straight.

The customer service is something you won't find anywhere else. The owner makes you feel like a friend or family member, just happy to serve you food and have a good conversation about anything you like, or to let you enjoy your meal in peace. If you are a regular, you have likely already experienced how friendly and personal the owner and staff are with each and every customer.

I live downtown and when I want good, authentic shawarma, I drive by what feels like 5 other shawarma places just to...

I've had the Falafel wrap, Vegetarian Platter, and Garlic Potatoes. All three are great. Falafel is usually fresh. Gralic Potatoes are SO soft its hard to understand how they get it like that. Vine leaves are also great.

I'm giving it 4 not 5 stars only because you have to be very careful about making your order if you don't always want "everything". They have a habit of doing it so fast that they've already reached for the toppings before you have a chance to say no. Not a huge deal, but just something to watch out for. If they slowed down just a little and paid a little more attention to what the customer wants, it would be 5 stars.

The one time they got my order wrong on Skip (wrong toppings), they offered me a free wrap the next time and they actually delivered on that promise. Much respect for following through...