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Me Va Me
Category: Restaurants Middle Eastern Middle Eastern [Edit]
7000 Bathurst StreetVaughan, ON L4J
(905) 771-7377
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Has TV:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
26 reviews for Me Va Me
Review Highlights
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"...food, large portions, delicious hummus and baba ganush." In 5 reviews -
"This was the most perfectly cooked schnitzel I ever tried." In 5 reviews -
"This place has some excellent food on their menu." In 2 reviews
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26 reviews in English
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Review from Ehsan F.
Toronto, ON
4/18/2012
Excellent food. Huge portions.
We have been going to this place for the past 6~7 years.
My wife and I almost always order one Chicken Shawarma (ask upfront if they still has Chicken Shawarma left .. we sometimes leave if they have ran out for the day) and one delicious babaganush to share. -
Review from Kyle G.
Markham, ON
3/19/2012
I have been here a few times before so nothing really surprised me; which is a good thing. Anyways, dropped by this joint last night for some beef skewers and mashed potatoes and I was not disappointed; in fact, i was very satisfied.
Like:
- plenty of parking
- plenty of outdoor patio seating
- friendly and prompt service
- clean and comfortable seating
- gigantic servings
Dislike:
- heavy on dressing
- heavy on seasoning
- dehydrating recipe in general
Totally recommend this place if you have a huge party and you want to make sure everyone has something they'd like on the menu.
Cheers! -
Review from Bianca A.
North York, ON
3/3/2012 3 Check-ins Here
Have been coming to this resto since TIIIMMEE!! AND I must say the reason is because of their amazing house salad drizzled in their heavenly home made italian dressing, with perfectly sliced swirls of carrots and beets. Unlimited pita bread (also available in whole wheat) which comes nice and warm while you wait for your main. I suggest you order it with hummus and chili. This mini entree usually comes along with the main dishes like pork or chicken $15) souvlaki with your choice of rice or fries, steam veggies etc.
The rice is moist and cooked to perfection. Fries are crispy too and not like your normal stale restaurant onces, drenched in oil and almost no flavor.
Dad had the Basa Florentine which I think did not have enough of the fish, which was disappointing, however their souvlakis never fail to impress and fill a hungry tummy.
Their burger meat was tough and too much sauce, it literally soaked the bread and by the time we got home, my leftover was no longer edible!
Staff is always friendly and polite. -
Review from Jarita L.
Markham, ON
4/17/2012
To be honest I'm not a big fan of their shawarma. It's a bit bland and dry, but the hummus IS awesome, and I love that they serve Jerusalem mix (liver and hearts). It can get crazy busy here, but if people are willing to wait for food, it's usually a good sign that it's good.
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Review from Theresa W.
Vancouver, BC
12/31/2011
Came here on the recommendation of a friend for a decently-priced dinner gathering for 4. We reserved tables, which was a big help since the place was packed. Note: if you're making reservations, they require a $20 minimum per person.
The portions here are huge. We had so many leftovers, even though I split a meal with someone. A bottle of wine, a 3 dip starter, and a large dinner cost us about $25 per person. The hummus there is SO good. The lamb is fantastic, but I wish I had gotten something else for a side instead of the rice. The starter salad is crazy big too, so you'll definitely be full (a dinner meal costs $15 - $17!)
Our server was alright, he seemed pretty busy and was pretty sloppy with the wine serving - it dripped everywhere and into our dips. Otherwise, the place was a great choice for a casual foodie night out! -
Review from Tas H.
Toronto, ON
10/11/2011
Best shawarma in greater toronto!
I grew up in the middle east so I know my shawarmas. When my bf recommeded this place from his old neighbourhood, I was skeptical and he was tense when he took me there for dinner.
We ordered two chicken shawarma plates and I was stunned how good it was. Just how meat shawarma is supposed to be- simple, flavourful without all the fixings. They also probably served the best rice I've had outside my parent's place. The trio dip was ok but I just loved their dressing on the salad.
Tip: Ask for 'extra' hot sauce- its tastes like no other hot sauce I've ever tried!
Highly recommended if want to know how 'real' shawarma tastes like. -
Review from Jonathan S.
York, ON
11/29/2011
Sometimes I think that Bathurst Street should be re-named Shawarma Avenue for the sheer volume of Meditteranean restaurants along this stretch of road.
Me Va Me is a fine example of the genre. The menu features big, bold flavours, heavy on healthy salads and grilled items, and of course the spectacle of giant hunks of meat roasting on spits.
Appetizers range from old school hummus and assorted mediterranean dips served with fresh-grilled pitas, to more esoteric and modern fare. Smoked salmon on potato pancake sounds intriguing, but unless you're an eggplant junkie you can skip them all. Mains come with a meal-sized garden salad slicked by an addictive, vaguely citrusy dressing. Spend a few bucks and upgrade to a greek salad that features briny olives and satisfying feta cubes.
Is there anything more carnivorously appealing than a rotisserie? Is there a better site than watching one sabre off slivers of crisp roasted flesh off the pile, and hurry them to your plate still jumping from the heat? I speak of the chicken shawarma here; tender, marinated dark meat heavy on the cumin, sided with your choice of veg and starch.
For health's sake, I usually split my sides between surprisingly capable and crunchy sauteed veg and fluffy basmati rice. French fries sound good, but they're the batter coated kind, which I view as cheating. Mixed with the meat and what I can only call Israeli chalet sauce, it gives the city's best poutine a run for its money. Mashed potatoes are not, to the best of my knowledge, a staple of the region. One one night, they're delicious thanks to the addition of tonnes of dairy. On another, they're at once soupy and chunky for want of more mashing and less cream.
If the rotisserie makes your head spin, you can always order your protein skewered and grilled. It's a bit less consistent, and occasionally overdone, but salmon or chicken breast appeal to the most conservative diner. If you really feel naughty, choose the schnitzel; a pounded chicken breast the size of a baseball glove. Simple food, huge portions, decent value. I'm sure that the fancy stuff is good, too. I've never seen anyone order it.
If you're a regular, and speak the language, service is warm and friendly. Until you get to that point, it can be brusque and occasionally rude. Think of it as a chance to practice your people skills.
Coffee is decent, although they're pretty slow on the refills.
Thornhill woods may be a wilderness, but at least there's some signs of civilization. -
Review from Caroline B.
Pickering, ON
7/21/2011 4 Check-ins Here
Honestly this place should be on the list of bad ass places to eat in Toronto. I guarantee anything you order out of this place will be so delicious it will have you drooling for more.
My personal favourite has to be the Chicken Schnitzel. The sauce that accompanies it is so amazing you will want a bottle of it to take home lol! Lamb and Chicken kebabs here are cooked to perfection any way you want it and seasoned beautifully. For a side i'd go with the Rice or the Mashed Potatoes. You can't ever go wrong with their mashed ;)
Make sure also to try their Nana Tea. It's served with about a quarter cup of mint leaves in boiling hot water with the tea bag on the side. It's so refreshing and pairs well with the dinner. The Hummous is a must have as well before you start off, be careful not to indulge to much on it too since its filling.
Go now just don't even think! The waits on the weekends are brutal but so worth the time spent to eat the greatest food on earth! -
Review from Rachael T.
Toronto, ON
7/10/2011
So I was looking for something similar to skewers, roasted potatoes, and greek style food, I decided to check out this place that seemed to be the rave on Urban Spoon. Luckily around 8pm, there was not line up and the air conditioning was blasting inside.
The waitress, who seemed like a part-timer was patient as we looked through a very extensive menu. The beer list had 3 different prices, but I'm not sure if it was self explanatory where that the numbers represent domestic, import and premium because I had no idea what was what.
Frankly, I'm not super big on meat but was happy to share the assortment of meat skewers while I got the chicken schwarma plate.
There were complimentary hot peppers and pickles to start which is something new to me. Two large pieces of bread and a very fresh salad also came and I felt like I was full then and there.
Despite the courteous service and the huge variety this place offers, I can say that I've had better food. At least my plate was not that great. The chicken was not in strips which would add a bit of moisture, but rather small chopped up pieces of dry, lackless chicken. The rice was very bland, and you would have to combine all the sauces that were given to you to get some sort of decent bite.
Not going to lie, my friend's plate of skewers were cooked very well, with the meats tender and the potatoes well roasted. The portions seemed rather big, although the presentation was very empty and the plates looked very bare with just skewers and rice. I didn't think the price was that great as I could definitely get better food at this price elsewhere. -
Review from Frank L.
Toronto, ON
6/21/2011
This restaurant is recommended to us. I tried the one at Steeles and not this one on Rutherford. When I call in for reservation, there is a minimum reservation charge of $20 per person. I am told be ready to wait for 20 minutes on the weekday night. I found it unreasonably, so I prepared to walk in and no minimum charge applied. When I arrived at 6:30p.m. the restaurant is only 25% full. We go to the Bay view section and only has 3 tables seating with people.
We order a Trio Dip Platter, Beef Shish Kebob, Lamb Shish Kebob Sandwiches, Humus, and Fried Squid. My 2 friends like the Platter and Sandwiches. The Fried Squid is very tender. The Beef Shish Kebob is medium, tender and juicy. But I found that the beef probably is not BBQ together with the steel rod, rather the beef is cooked and then pierce through the steel rod.
It's around $30 pp tax and tips included. It is not too expensive but not cheap. I have not tried the Express they have next door but the Express does not have a full menu. -
Review from Sefy C.
North York, ON
1/11/2012
Great place!
Really good Israeli cuisine -
Review from Jennifer L.
Toronto, ON
4/25/2011
This spot was recommended to me by someone at work.
It's a little far north but if you live in the area or want to venture up town this place is definitely worth the drive.
They have a great Israeli salad (tomatoes, cucumbers and herbs) and their meals are massive! If you love meat - this is the place to go. Amazing lamb, chicken, and steak kebobs. You can get one skewer or two.
The prices are very reasonable for the amount of food you get.
The one drawback to this place is the wait! Every time I've been there I've had to wait at least 15 to 30 minutes. -
Review from Aviva S.
4/25/2011
This place is quite solid. Been here more than a few times.
Very delicious food for a good value. The meat is apparently very well made and there is always free pita and fried green peppers.
Great for people who are interested in dabling in Middle Eastern food.
Doesn't get 5 stars because it is ALWAYS busy and therefore there is always a wait between 15-45 minutes depending on the day (especially weekends) and salad is a little plain.
Tip for the vegeterians: the falafel in a pita is a great choice.
Without overcharging, there is authentic food with authentic taste. And that's coming from an Israeli who grew up there.
Check it out. :) -
Review from Tas A.
Swansea, Toronto, ON
10/25/2010
This place has some excellent food on their menu. The portions are more than adequate and the prices are very resonable. I had a Schnitzel sandwich ($9.99) on my last visit, and it was delicious.
There is a small patio outside, and the inside of the restaurant is decent. The servers and staff are nice, and service was prompt. -
Review from Devan R.
9/14/2011
So....I ate lunch 8 hours ago and I'm still full.
Seeing as Me Va Me's relatively new location is located just a km away from my parents house in Richmond Hill, I decided to take them there for lunch. For years and years now I have heard countless praise for this establishment, the Bathurst/Steeles location. However, anytime I ventured anywhere near Bathurst & Steeles, I would have no choice but to eat at Szechuan Gourmet, by far my favourite hakka restaurant in the country.
Me Va Me is a middle eastern restaurant boasting affordable prices, sizable portions and most importantly boom flavour.
I highly recommend starting with the trio of dips. A single order of dip will run you $5.99 and the trio $8.99, so really no one orders just one dip. The Baba Ghanoush (mashed eggplant dish commonly made with ingredients such as garlic, olive oil, lemon etc.) was outstanding, certainly the best I have ever had. The piercing flavour of lemon shot through above everything but was not overpowering, I was floored. They truly praise hummus at Me Va Me where they actually have an entire page of the menu dedicated to the smooth blend of chick peas and tahini (sesame seed paste). The texture of their hummus was fluffy and sooo smooth however the flavour lacked. I would have liked more lemon, more garlic and more salt and white pepper, overall a good hummus but I've had and can make way better. Our third dip was the fried eggplant, a fire roasted eggplant dish sauteed with onions in a rich tomato sauce. This dip was borderline blinding, the smokiness and flavour was perfection. Between both eggplant dishes I was sold on this restaurant. In retrospect I could just order the dips, a greek salad and call it a day.
We did however order mains but by the time they came we were so stuffed. Between the dips, the pita, the pickles, our falafel appetizer (slightly overcooked - too crunchy, good flavour), the hot peppers, and our salads which came as a part of our mains we were starting to reach capacity.
I ordered the grill plate, a half skewer each of white chicken, dark chicken, lamb (med rare), and beef tenderloin (med rare) with fried and a greek salad. The meats were seasoned and cooked well but again I was so stuffed I was forcing the meat down, I didn't enjoy it as much as I should have. The fries were cooked perfectly and the salad was great, ample dressing and a generous topping of feta.
My Dad ordered the Chicken Schnitzel which was nothing shy of badass. A butterflied chicken breast breaded and topped with sesame seeds. This was the most perfectly cooked schnitzel I ever tried. If you held up a bite on your fork to your face you would see the juice from the chicken slowly appearing, cooked Perfectly. My Dad ordered his main with steamed vegetables and an Israeli Salad. The steamed vegetables were not your typical nonsense you get at most restaurants. A 1/3 of a red and yellow pepper and a whole head of baby bok choy. The israeli salad which is a mix of diced cucumber, tomato, onion, lemon juice and olive oil was seriously lacking flavour, it came off as bland but still very refreshing.
Between my parents and I we tried maybe 5% of the menu. I absolutely hate big menus when going to restaurants, but overall the food tastes very fresh and I had lots of good eats today. Between all the dips, salads, appetizers, wraps, burgers, seafood, kebabs etc. thre are tons of options and can be overwhelming. So I would suggest browsing the menu before going to the restaurant.
Overall the meal was great, and I would certainly return. Our server Manny was extremely knowledgeable and helpful. Well maintained washrooms and a simple high ceiling decor. Liquor license is in effect, I put a hurting on some good ol' Hoegaarden. My parents had a mint lemonade which was phenomenal, the kind of lemonade you want to go home and make - luckily for me I have mad mint in my backyard, among other herbs ;)
I would also recommend looking into their take out option Me Va Me express located just beside the restaurant. It would be a great idea to pop in their to pick up dips and countless other treats if you were having guests over, or needed an affordable and tasty quick fix for dinner.
4 thumbs up. -
Review from Kathleen M.
4/16/2009
In spite of a name that sounds like an ABBA song, Me Va Me is a super popular Israeli restaurant.
This place is so popular that on the Saturday night we visited, our party of four had about a 45 minute wait (despite being told it would be 30 minutes). Unfortunately, seats are few and far between in the waiting area so we ended up in the drafty alcove between the front door and the second door to the restaurant. The host didn't call names to our area so my mother in law had to stand by herself next to the host stand for 45 minutes while we stayed with my grandmother in law (is that even the correct term?) who needed to sit.
My husband's family is such a fan of this place that his grandfather's 90th birthday celebration with 50 people was held here.
We shared an appetizer combo ($11) with our choice of five apps. We chose hummus for two of those (who can go wrong with "yummus"?), baba ganoosh, fried eggplant, and a Turkish eggplant/roasted red pepper dish I'd never heard of (something like "metahba"). I wasn't a fan of the whipped texture of the hummus but it had good flavor. The baba g was only OK. The big winner was the fried eggplant, which didn't taste fried - more like a cold eggplant roasted red pepper dish. The metahba was very similar to the fried eggplant and was also good. My husband who previously was an eggplant scaredy-cat because of its texture was an eggplant convert after the appetizers.
Between the apps and complimentary plate of pickles, I was almost full by the time my entrée came. I had a simple plate of pierogies ($8) from the appetizer menu. They came with carmelized onions and sour cream (and maybe apple sauce?), and were tasty, though way too oily. My husband had a chicken skewer ($12?) that was ridiculously huge. He made his way through about 1/3 of it. I think he preferred the apps to his entree, as did I.
The portions were huge and I took half the remaining appetizers with me to our room. I ate them again many times for late night snacks and breakfasts.Listed in: O Canada! My Place to Go Eat…
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Review from Michael S.
Markham, ON
10/9/2011 1 Check-in Here
Wow what a great dinner. Food was excellent, service ok, and it has plenty of parking.
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Review from Ariel G.
6/8/2009
Just had dinner there last night. You indeed have to wait even on a Sunday night after 8 p.m.
After a round of Draft Stellas, the table ordered some hummos and a fallalel appetizer. We were served the main course salads with the appetizer. We all upgraded to Israeli chopped salads. The hummos was delicious, but a bit too homogenized, creamy. It was also topped with Harissa, and lots of it. If you do not like hot spices, make sure you requested they omit it. The fallafel were freshly fried and were delicious. We also had a dish of mixed pickles (complimentary) which consisted of cucumber pickles, tomato pickles and pickled peppers. Overall the appetizers and salads were good, the fallafel extremely good. The salad was made Israeli-style with no oil. A bit of Olive Oil would have helped.
For a main course we ordered the following: 2 chicken kebab plates, one Jerusalem Mix (chicken livers and chicken hearts), and salmon kebabs. The chicken kebabs were very good, and the Jerusalem mix very delicious. I wish they offered a charcoal-grilled version of the the Jerusalem mix. The salmon was also well prepared.
There was plenty of food, and we all took food home. Overall we all liked this restaurant, had a lot of food. These are not complex recipes but this place has such a following and turn-over that everything is very fresh.
We will definitely return, but be prepared to wait. It appears that they have a policy of only accepting 1 reservation per night, just a token!
This establishment is riding a wave of popularity now. I wonder how long standards will be maintained, and how long it will stay popular. It is not popular because its trendy. In this case 'its the just the food....' .Time will tell.Listed in: A taste of the Middle East
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Review from Erik B.
Toronto, ON
8/10/2009
Went on a Saturday night, and yes you're going to be waiting. But its definitely worth it. The flatbread, hummus, baba ganush were all delicious starters. We all got the great looking house salad - not sure what dressing they use but it was delicious and refreshing.
My friends got chicken kebobs and a lamb kebob - huge portion cooked just perfectly. I sprung for the schnitzel... yummy.
The place has a simple, diner feel to it - people aren't coming for the atmosphere - its all about the food. -
Review from Merijaan J.
Toronto, ON
8/15/2011
We had the 3 dips for appetizer which were absolutely amazing and then the lentil soup, chicken livers and shawarma for main course. Food was fresh, tasty and delicious! Staff was very friendly and efficient and the atmosphere and decor was very nice and inviting.
It was worth the wait!! Cant wait to go again! My new favorite! -
Review from Bebe B.
Richmond Hill, ON
6/21/2011
The food here is delicious they all seem very homemade except for the bread. The dips and salad is really good. The entree portions are large. This is the place to come when your really hungry. The food is good so you have to expect to wait 15-30 mins. I don't see why people is complaining about it.
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Review from Joy S.
Woodbridge, ON
6/20/2010
My family and I come here alot for special occassions.
We went today for lunch. There was 7 of us total and we did have reservations.
This is a small restaurant, newly renovated!
There is a big, nice patio that you can go eat out on too!
The portions are HUGE. The prices are GREAT. The food is AMAZING!
If you like shwarma, chicken, pita, and anything middle eastern. You will love this place!
Its out of the way for me to get to but for special occassions its a great place to meet up! -
Review from David M.
Toronto, ON
11/7/2010
3 of us shared the cold appetizer combo (10.99) - hummus, baba ganoush, mushroom salad, green eggplant and another salad, forget which. All were delicious. Add falafel (6 "balls"), pita and the complimentary pickles, and it was enough food. With 2 of us having tea and coffee, this tasty lunch came to a grand total of 20 bucks...for 3! Such a deal!
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Review from Phil T.
Toronto, ON
7/2/2009
Great service, huge portion and great prices. Best hummus around. There is a great vibe to the place which makes it enjoyable.
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Review from Diana L.
Toronto, ON
11/11/2009
You can't go wrong with a place that is consistently busy. Great food, large portions, delicious hummus and baba ganush. This place has been a my family's favorite for many years. The only downside is the line up but they have a location that is dedicated to take out nearby if you don't want to wait.
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Review from Ford C.
Brampton, ON
6/9/2010
Lunch Tuesday June 8 - group of three - excellent food, great value-for-money - large servings, very tasty. Service good.
