Mooring Eats Shawarma — Restaurant in Toronto

I love this place, it has my name written all over it. First of all, the decor inside is stunning. My two favourite things: the colour teal and bikes on the walls! This is the place you go if you don’t wanna spend a lot but still wanna have a fine restaurant with good quality food experience. I really appreciate the decor in this place because it just seems like the owners really put an effort in making it look seamless and aesthetically pleasing. They didn’t just slap together some pieces of restaurant furniture and call it a day. Anyway, the customer service is awesome. I first discovered them because they were offering food to a homeless lady on Lakeshore through a Facebook group I’m in. So I decided to check this place out.. The first time I went there, the young gentleman served us tea on the house- talk about a warm welcome! The shawarma was very good and the garlic sauce had a perfect kick to it! I stopped by there again during COVID and they seemed to be following protocols really well. I’ve been on the hunt for the best shawarma place in Toronto and I must say- this place tops my list. They heat the shawarma wrap up which I really appreciate and their ingredients are super fresh! The customer service is on point and also their bathroom downstairs is nicely decorated with a perfect selfie mirror! I highly recommend this joint and would love to see them thrive on...

Local gem - 5 stars! Ordered chicken shawarma plate, beef shawarma plate, and baba ganoush.

Takeout presentation was beautifully packaged and visually full of colour — a pleasure to feast your eyes before diving in. Don’t be fooled by the packaging or layout, there’s plenty of food in there and you’ll be stuffed before scraping the box clean.

Rice is well seasoned and fragrant; chickpea salad is so refreshing and bursting with lemon juice. The beef and chicken are served well done (which is not my personal preference) but there is a wonderful smoky-spice layered in the flavour of the meat.

I love the garlic paste because they make it the proper way! A pure white, fluffy, smooth consistency with fresh garlic; it’s a more time consuming technique than other quick-eat joints that use mayo. It’s rare to find a restaurant these days that honours the proper technique for the best results. Once you think you’re full, the lingering taste of the garlic paste alone will keep you reaching back for more food.

Baba ganoush — wow, packed with flavour! The charred eggplant reminds me of my childhood. Love the rustic touch of slightly chunky bits of vegetables in the otherwise smooth purée.

Compliments to the Chef!! All 4 of us deeply enjoyed our meals and wow’d by the quality, healthiness, flavours, and honestly amazing price...

4.9 average review? This place was a joke. My warning bells started going off when I walked into the place and saw that shawarma was on the menu and there was no meat roasting on their spit. It wasn’t a good sign but I was hungry and decided to try it anyway. Unfortunately, it was every bit as disappointing as I thought it would be.

Let’s talk about the chicken shawarma plate I had - the chicken, wherever it came from, was bland and dry. The sides I had, the rice with lentils and chickpea salad, were terrible. The rice was overcooked and mushy and the chickpea salad tasted rancid like it was at least a few days old. Same with the pickles and turnips, they tasted almost rotten and days old. And the worst part? The chicken and rice had to be MICROWAVED to be heated to serving temp. I should have called them on it right then and there but didn’t want to make a scene. I was famished, bit the bullet and I regret it.

See photos for how much of the food I left and the aforementioned no meat on spit. Super disappointed and I’ll never go back. Don’t believe the 4.9 hype and waste your money here, stay...