Laheeb Grill — Restaurant in Ottawa

Wow, if you’re looking for authentic charcoal meats and middle-eastern style sides, Laheeb Grill is a great choice! They are relatively new (2 months old), and their owners are very helpful and patient.

I tried:

Lentil soup: a perfect start to the meal, this opened up my appetite and it wasn’t too light as there were lentils inside the soup. The taste wasn’t too salty, and it was comforting given the slightly rainy weather outside!

Eggplant dip: this is my favourite middle-eastern dip, and I really enjoyed Laheeb’s version. It was smoky, buttery, and had high-quality olive oil on top. It went really well with the pita bread and pickled veggies (turnip, pickle, onions) supplied.

Hommus dip: great flavour, very velvety (not gritty), not too salty.

Fattouch salad: I particularly enjoyed the slightly-sour/salty crispy bits of pita bread on top of this salad! Usually, I’m scared of fattouch salads being too sour, but this one was very balanced and fresh.

Main platter with filet mignon, kabab, a lamb chop, shish tawook, and veggies kabab: WOW! This is the star of the show. All of the meats were very tender (only lamb chop had some slight gristle, but nothing major), and it was hard to decide on my favourite! The meats were not fatty, and were very well seasoned which I appreciated. The shish tawook was probably the best as the chicken was juicy and so flavourful (I want to learn how to make it at home)! It came with some fries which were thick cut and went well with the meat (dip them in garlic sauce)! Prices are reasonable and the owner told me they are freshly made to order.

Atmosphere: There is sufficient seating inside to eat there, as it’s best to eat the food while hot! The plates are disposable, which cuts down on costs, compared to having servers. There is also ample parking in front of the restaurant (it shares a large parking lot with Subway)!

Service: A few minutes after I sat down, an employee came to my table and asked what I was craving that day, and gave a helpful explanation of the menu, emphasizing the low price of around $30 for 1 kilogram of meat! I met with the owner and his partner, and both were very helpful with the menu. I decided to let the owner decide what I should try for a more authentic experience, and it did not disappoint! The dishes were brought out quickly, and there wasn’t that much wait time in-between dishes. He checked on me to ensure I wasn’t missing anything too, and smiled often (which is important to me)!

Note: I was invited to try their food, and really appreciate being gifted this dining experience! I will be back to bring my friends and family. I am already craving the charcoal...

Once upon a time, I decided to treat my family to the much-anticipated Arayes Meal!

Off I go, happy as Larry, when bing! My phone tells me our feast is ready for pickup. I'm hungry and the kids are ready to eat too. So I zip out of the door happy to have ordered for just the right time.

Well, the moment I step into the restaurant - surprise! No feast in sight. Apparently ‘order ready’ in restaurant lingo meant ‘we’ve just thought about starting your order’.

With a promise of ‘a few minutes’, I wait…and wait… till those minutes turn into an episode of ‘Survivor: Restaurant Edition’. 45+ minutes tick by - all this AFTER they had announced my order ready for dispatch.

Finally, with hunger growling louder than a grumpy bear, I got my food. But wait, there’s more!

The Arayes came glazed with an unexpected guest - some syrupy substance which at first glance looks like extra glistening grease. Well, never judge an Arayes by its cover!

First bite in and BAM! A wave of sour-weirdness hits me faster than a sneeze attack after sniffing pepper.

Who knew? These folks had turned their Arayes into a canvas for their love of pomegranate molasses, generously slathered on top! If you’re thinking savory meaty goodness – think again. This was more like tart candy from another dimension.

Suffice to say, no one in my family was fan of these tarted-up imposters pretending to be Arayes. The whole saga turned out to be a culinary comedy skit that no one enjoyed.

If you’re ordering from here: pack your patience and brace your taste buds for a...

For $16 for the charcoal chicken (4 small ground chicken strips) and handful of the fries that weren’t very good all sitting on a tiny bed of greens is ABSURD. Okay, the grilled onion and tomato were nice but all together this was scarcely a platter. Everything you’d expect with a platter cost extra. I added a small baba ghanoush, a tiny hummus, and a small salad which was quite small and just lettuce and pita. Couldn’t really taste the lemon or sumac. I asked for rice instead of fries and that was flat out denied. The whole thing came to $35, still not sure how this was so expensive. The charcoal chicken was indeed very tasty and smoky and I guess this is what drives customers to come in. Having said that it was a meagre portion. Not sure why they ask for a tip when you order online and regrettably I tipped them. They don’t do anything extra for a tip and friendly service? I guess they politely spoke with each other but barely said anything to me. Not the friendly Lebanese I’m used to in Ottawa.

I got a wood fork and a plastic knife-that’s all they offered. Maybe I’m being picky but come on, it’s weird. One last thing, I hate it when people speak while hovering over the food, so if the dear man serving me has something contagious, I’m sure to get it. Sorry folks, I was really hoping to find a great new place. For $35 I expect a bit more for take out. Chicken was tasty but I can’t justify the cost for a little...