Sumaq Iraqi Charcoal Grill - Scarborough — Restaurant in Toronto

I previously reviewed Sumac in Mississauga and rated it five stars. I still believe the Mississauga branch deserves more than five stars.

Today, I visited the branch at 1961 Lawrence Ave E, Scarborough. While I had high expectations based on my experiences in Mississauga, there were some areas that didn't quite measure up. Here are my observations and suggestions for improvement:

Location: The Scarborough branch is situated in a small plaza. While the Mississauga branch is also in a similar setting with limited parking, it compensates with a great family atmosphere, tasty food, good space, reasonable prices, and larger portions.

Suggestion: Enhance the overall experience with cozy decor and a warm ambiance to make up for the small plaza setting.

Parking: Finding a parking spot can be challenging due to the small area of the plaza.

Suggestion: Consider collaborating with nearby businesses to share parking space or provide clear signage directing customers to alternative parking options.

Atmosphere; The restaurant has only four tables, making it feel overcrowded. Customers waiting to place their orders are barely inches apart, which can be uncomfortable for those looking to dine with family or friends.

Suggestion; Optimize the seating arrangement to make better use of the available space and create a more inviting atmosphere for diners.

Price: Although it's hard to make an exact comparison, I noticed that the portions seemed smaller and the bill was significantly higher than at the Mississauga branch.

Suggestion: Ensure that portion sizes and pricing are consistent across branches to maintain customer satisfaction.

Waiting Time: Waiting over 30 minutes for ten skewers of kabab and ten of tikka was frustrating, especially considering the drive. I also observed an Uber or DoorDash driver waiting for a shawarma plate, experiencing a longer wait than I did.

Suggestion: Implement a more efficient ordering and preparation system to reduce wait times, especially for popular items like shawarma.

Kabab: When ordering, I was asked if I wanted a combo or just the kabab. Without a combo, you only get the kabab with a grilled tomato and onion. Unfortunately, my order had no grilled tomato or onion, and the grilled items were saltier than at the Mississauga branch.

Suggestion; Ensure that all items, whether part of a combo or not, are prepared and presented consistently. Adjust seasoning to match the well-loved standards of the Mississauga branch.

Lamb Tikka; The lamb tikka had a chewy texture and was poorly cooked. Each skewer costs almost $10, and it also didn’t come with grilled tomato or onion.

Suggestion; Focus on quality control to ensure that each dish meets high standards. Include traditional accompaniments like grilled tomato and onion for a more complete experience.

Extras; Extras like rice, fattoush, garlic, hummus, and four pieces of bread were priced at $23 to $24, which seemed excessive compared to the Mississauga branch where these items are included. The presentation of the hummus could be improved with a touch of olive oil and sumac.

Suggestion

Reevaluate the pricing and presentation of extras to provide better value and a more appealing dining experience. Remember that garlic is typically meant for shawarma and not for grilled orders; instead, consider offering extra bread, grilled tomato, or onion with these items.

Overall, while my experience at the Scarborough branch didn't quite meet my expectations based on the Mississauga location, I believe there is great potential for improvement. With some adjustments, I am confident that the Scarborough branch can reach the same high standards and provide an equally enjoyable...

It was my second time going to Sumaq in Scarborough. The first was about a year ago and it was good! It's very fast pace, it's a small place so it can be quite cramped in there as the place is so popular. My hubby and I very much enjoyed the food - I got a chicken shawarma plate and my husband got a chicken shawarma wrap, both amazing! The second time going was this past Saturday (Aug. 30th) as I was excited to bring my sister and brother in law to this place for them to try for the first time. It was not the greatest experience. We placed the order with the cashier, who input it wrong. My brother in law then noticed on the receipt after paying, she charged us for 3 mixed beef and chicken shawarma plates when it should have been just chicken, not mixed as we do not eat beef. There also is a price difference. My brother in law then went back to the cashier to let her know, and her response was "oh we already made it though" as if we were just to accept that. Completely the wrong reponse to a customer and very disappointed. For religious reasons we do not eat beef. She said she would let the staff preparing the meals know and to remake them, only after my brother in law had to ask for it to be done. That should have been her first reponse. Mistake 2, she then refunded the incorrect amount to my brother in law. When my brother in law let her know she argued back that she was right when she was clearly wrong. It was a difference of at least $9 or $10 to refund back to him. After having to take out his calculator on his phone to show her what the difference was, only then she refunded it correctly. Take away from this/ advice for the location, with a restaurant so busy, you should have a more customer oriented chaser as your front person and someone that can easily or correct something like this in a better way. The worst part, was the food was not made over for us (mistake 3). The beef was just removed from the meals and given back to us. Only until we got home, which is an hour away, did we notice this as there was still quite a bit of beef in all 3 meals and we could not eat it then. It was quite disappointing 😞 and the first experience for my sister and brother in law was not pleasant. Mistakes can be made, but own the mistake and correct it in a way that's respectful to...

I been here several times. 1st time was amazing(5 stars) 2nd time I took my Girl, bragging about how good it was but it wasn't the same, 3rd time I boasted to my friend from Oshawa tat its the best in Scarborough despite my last visit. This time I got a super shawarma(cause the 1st time I didn't see that) veal and my friend ordered a super chicken shawarma. I asked what is in it. Meaning What is in it cause I would like to choose What's going To be in it. She said it comes with everything. I said ok great, can I get extra turnip, she said yes. Ten I heard someone say spicy shawarma. I thought they're all spicy, so I double checked, she said, no you just say it, so I asked if I can make mine and my friend's spicy. She said I gotta pay an extra dollar each if I want it. I paid for mine and got a tiny container to add myself. Fine. Then my order came up. I paid for both my friends and mine I thought cause we ordered 2. Only mine came, I asked how long for my friends. She didn't order it. So I then had Ti wait anther long time for his. When we were leaving I asked, "I assume cause there's everything on it except spice which bought, there's obviously tahina on it, right?" no she said. I could buy it if I want for anther dollar. I declined. When we went To his van to eat it, I noticed his WAS super sized compared to mine and mine was the same size as the 1st time I went There so for approx $40, I had a tiny veal shawarma with no tahini and instead there was a ton of barbecue Sauce drenched in there. I Wasn't happy about it. My friend had a much larger pita abs it was full. Not sure if I'll go back but if I do, I hooe it's like the first time and make sure to give every sauce and topping exec if they say it'll be there, I'll do a check list of all I want including all I don't want, like barbecue sauce. I'll also double check if it's the correct size. Too bad, 1st time was a great experience , but since I felt everytime I brought someone and paid for them I got not good service /quality - or even the...