Taste Of Egypt — Restaurant in Saint John

Our first time at Taste of Egypt's new location at East Point shopping center. We arrived on a Friday at 11:30 as lunch was starting.

Exterior: New building shared with Taco Boyz. Parking lot is new with ample space for the seats in the restaurant.

Entrace: The atmosphere throughout the restaurant has been appointed to provide an authentic Egyptian vibe with replicated egyptian artifacts and symbology throughout. The ceiling has black sheets draped to give a bit of a streets of Cairo vibe complete with regional music

Service: During lunch, front of house duties and service were handled, attentively, by the same server. She made 3 rounds before our mains were even served and 6 or 7 rounds total. This shows me that staffing numbers are wisely managed to balance the business and the service.

Food: For our appetizer, we selected what we thought could be the most authentic experience.

We selected Arayes (GF+DF) for $14.00 (at the time of posting) it consists of grilled beef kofta, cooked in pita bread, served with our house garlic mayonnaise and hot sauce. Think of a thin hambuger with a pita bun, except this burger has a far deeper taste profile that you would expect from the region.

My wife's lunch selection included a lentil soup appetizer. I expected plain bland lentil soup. Instead, we were greeted with a blended soup that had a layered and yet smooth taste and consistency that was delightful. Both were fun, had great taste, and had perfect texture. The meat in the Arayes was juicy, and the pita was soft.

For our mains, again, I selected what I hoped to be the most authentic experience, and my wife selected a more fusion dish.

I selected the "Key of life" as my main (GF) for $25.00, a plate of hummus, topped off with chicken shawarma. Served with garden salad and pita bread.

I judge the passion for food creation and for the customer experience from the back of the house in the little details. I judge management based on little details as well. My plate hummus was shaped into a heart, the dressing for my house salad had an excellent taste balance and was a simple yet elegant mix of Olive oil, vinegar and Oregano. A restaurants management can manage one of two ways and I look at a salad at the start of the day to help me with this. Management can instruct the back of the house to save any remaining prepped fresh veg at the end of the previous day to be used up first at the start of the next day OR they can instruct the back of the house to ALWAYS use fresh. We were the second people in for dinner at restaurant opening, the other customers didnt get salad and my lettuce wad cut fresh. That is very important to me....the little details.

My pita was moist and fresh and my hummus was excellent as was the chicken it came with.

My wife selected the falafel burger with greek potatoes. It was the best falafel she ever had and the greek potatoes were on point.

Her selection came with baklava for desert. We have had it at many of the Mediterranean themed restaurants in the area and this offering trumped all of their BAR NONE. It was flaky and fresh it had not been sitting for days it was presented fresh and crisp, from the base to the flakey top.

One other thing that made me feel like the customer was put first: the tap water is filtered. There are not many restaurants in Saint John that add that detail.

Facility: 10/10 Authenticity: 9/10 Food: 9/10 Service: 10/10 Overall: 9.5/10 I doubt you will find a better egyptian...

We absolutely adore Taste of Egypt! It's become our go-to spot ever since our daughter turned one (she’s now almost two)and every visit feels like a warm hug from family. The moment we walk in, we’re greeted with the most genuine smiles and hospitality. Our little one is always welcomed with her own colouring sheet, and the staff never fail to make her feel special.

As parents, the family-friendly touches mean the world; from the spotless family washroom with a changing table to the availability of high chairs and booth seating that gives us some privacy (and helps contain a wiggly toddler!).

Food-wise? Absolutely phenomenal. Our daughter LOVES the Arayes (we order it every time) and happily share as a family. The Chicken Shawarma Dinner Plate is our go-to, we never stray because it’s just that good. Greek potatoes? Perfectly seasoned. Greek salad? So fresh. Chicken? Tender and flavourful. Even our toddler gets in on the garlic mayo, it’s just that delicious.

While we have our go-to meal, we would also recommend the Pad Thai, Grape Leaves, Baba Ghanouj, Greek Burger and Shawarma Poutine!

What really sets Taste of Egypt apart is the people. The staff and owner are always friendly; striking up conversation but also keeping things quick and smooth when we’re trying to manage our toddler’s schedule and get home in time for bedtime routines! It’s clear they truly care about their guests, and that’s something you just can’t fake.

If you’re looking for a spot that’s welcoming, delicious, and perfect for the whole family, this is it. Thank you, Taste of Egypt, for consistently making our evenings feel special and stress-free. We can’t wait for...

I had a highly disappointing experience at Taste of Egypt. The food quality was shockingly low, making the entire dining experience a complete waste of time and money. It's hard to believe that such substandard fare is being served under the banner of Egyptian cuisine. The dishes lacked any semblance of authenticity, and the flavors were an absolute disaster. It seemed like the ingredients were of poor quality and poorly prepared, as if they were hastily thrown together without any consideration for taste or presentation.

The service was equally abysmal. The staff appeared indifferent and disinterested, and it took an eternity for our orders to arrive. When the food did finally make its appearance, it was cold and unappetizing. The ambiance of the restaurant was dull and uninviting, with an overall lack of cleanliness that made me question the restaurant's commitment to basic hygiene standards.

Overall, my experience at Taste of Egypt was a regrettable one. I would strongly advise anyone considering dining at this establishment to reconsider and find an alternative. This restaurant falls far below the mark, offering an unpleasant and lackluster dining experience that fails to deliver on any level. Save your money and your taste buds and steer clear...