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Sarah's Shawarma & Falafel
Category: Restaurants Middle Eastern Middle Eastern [Edit]
487 Bloor St WToronto, ON M5S 1Y2
Neighbourhood: The Annex
(416) 975-9986
- Hours:
Mon-Thu, Sun 11 am - 2 am
Fri-Sat 11 am - 5 am
- Attire:
- Casual
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Price Range:
-
$
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- No
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch
- Alcohol:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
About This Business:
Authentic homemade Jewish food, plus Middle Eastern and Classic Canadian dishes. Frequent live music.
26 reviews for Sarah's Shawarma & Falafel
Review Highlights
"...tasty beat pickles, fresh parsley and potent hot sauce."
(in 6 reviews)
"...hungry get the falafel combo sandwich which comes with..."
(in 2 reviews)
"...with all the fixins (fried eggplant, potato and cauliflower..."
(in 3 reviews)
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26 reviews in English
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Review from David M.
Toronto, ON
4/9/2011
These are pretty danged good falafels! The beets were a nice, unexpected addition to the filling. (BTW, if you think Mystic Muffin makes good falafels - and I don't - you should try these ones.)
At 2 for 5 bucks on Bloor, how do they pay their rent? Oh well, that will just have to remain a mystery.
The coleslaw was good too. -
Review from Angie S.
Toronto, ON
11/12/2011
This would haVe been a solid 4 star, it was my favorite falafel joint because the flavor of the falafel balls was tremendous (though not as fluffy as Ghazelle) and the hot sauce was the best...they used a Harissa sauce in oil (which for some reason very few falafel places do which is a pity).
However, a few months back the business changed owners and none of the original staff is there. Quality and flavor has really suffered. Their salads were never that great nor was there a good selection. That has not changed. Their hot sauce changed (for the worse) and the falafels and shawarmas are just ok. May as well go to Ghazelle. It's a shame, I loved this place for the past 10 yrs or so.
Still decent.. Nothing worth going out of your way for. -
Review from Debaser S.
Toronto, ON
1/5/2012
This place is nice enough. Came through and had a falafel once, not expensive but not super cheap. Service and decor is average. Nothing to write home about
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Review from Imran N.
4/9/2011
I'm a big fan. I've grown up eating shawarmas my whole life and this is the closest i find to the real thing in Toronto. They have a lot of good options, even i your vegetarian. They even have the pickled turnips which many shawarma places just seem to forget about or charge you extra for.
Also have to appreciate their excellent assortment of different juices. -
Review from Andrew G.
Toronto, ON
1/7/2011
"I don't like falafel" is a lie I used to tell myself.
It started many years ago, living at home with my family - my sister went on a middle-eastern kick and convinced our father to prepare some falafel for dinner from a store-bought boxed dry mix. It was bland and dry, so I came to the conclusion that the fault lay in the very idea of falafel.
This changed in my first year living in Toronto. I was out with some chums at a concert at the nearby Tranzac, and we wanted something to eat, fast and cheap. "Sarah's!" some fool emphatically suggested. I begrudgingly handed over my five bucks as the same fool went to make the food run for us all. The fool and his money were soon parted, in exchange for a falafel.
This thing changed me.
I could no longer keep telling myself the lie; "I DO like falafel" was all I could find when I accessed the place in my brain where I once kept it. (Then I would have a seizure from screwing around inside my brain too much.)
I've given Sarah's a five-star rating because I've never had a better falafel anywhere. I subsequently have categorized all falafel I've eaten into a three-tiered scale:
- Low-Quality Falafel (LQF), like that first instance, or the microwaved schlock they reheat for you at College Falafel.
- Medium-Quality Falafel (MQF), like those on the vegetarian plate at Cleopatra's (mmmmm), or from the unfortunately now-closed Syriandipity.
Of High Quality
Falafel, (HQF), there
Is only Sarah's
(I closed with a haiku there) -
Review from Marco V.
Toronto, ON
1/29/2011 4 Check-ins Here
Dirty and Delicious.
So this isn't the nicest or cleanest of places, but in my opinion, you really can't ask for much from a shawarma place. And once and for all, is this the correct spelling? Gotta love multiculturalism in Toronto and their freedom of interpretation. I digress.
The best thing about this place is that the meat is always tasty and tender, and they are generous with their portions. I've found that at a lot of other places I've tried, the meat just is way to dried up and the wrap is just more pita than anything else.
My suggestion: get the chicken/beef combo. You won't regret spending that extra dollar or two. -
Review from Thomas H.
4/29/2011
It's sad, but Sarah's has really gone downhill.
They used to be a great option for a quick and tasty shawarma, with Tamarind Jumex being a nice bonus.
But the food has declined to the point where I'm not going back. -
Review from Tamar A.
11/2/2010
U of T finals weren't U of T finals without a 10pm break from All-Night Fung (am I dating myself? That's okay, I'm delightful) down to the Annex to go revive our souls and replenish our brain juices with a big, drippy schwarma.
Pita, savory hunks of little charred chicken bits, lettuce, tomatoes, hummus, pickled turnip, onions, and a drizzle of garlic sauce come standard. Pay a little extra and throw on some amazing baba ganoush and tabouli. Watch hungrily as they place the paper-wrapped bundle on the toaster for safe, warm keeping, pay with cash, and peel off the slightly crisped casing to reveal a savory, gooey, unconscionably tasty cylindrical meal.
There's no shame in licking the paper.Listed in: Hogtown's Highlights
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Review from Lauren M.
12/6/2010 2 Check-ins Here
Somewhere around 2.5 star. Falafel-afel-afel-afel-afel-awful!!!!!!!!!!
(There used to be a crazy lady on the streets who used to mutter that in the Annex, honest. Maybe she really was referring to Sarah's) Just kidding. Their falafel is actually ok but nothing special.
Anyway, my bitching and moaning about this place is that it keeps getting more and more expensive. WTF? Some of the plates are $10.99 plus tax and the portions are NOT big. Considering this is a cheap-o takeaway place, nothing on the menu should be $10.99.
I like the food way better at both Ghazale and Laila down the street. At Ghazale I can get a combo platter for $6.99, the food is tastier and the portion is at least double in size.
I used to live directly 2 floors above Sarah's for about 2 years. We had mice infestation x 1000000, so I worry about the cleanliness at Sarah's, although I've never actually spotted any mouse turds inside the place.Listed in: Cheap eats Annex edition
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Review from Claudia G.
Oakville, ON
2/23/2010
A favourite spot amongst the U of T crowd, Sarah's offers a respectable selection of fine middle eastern favourites.
On the menu perched up at top of the wall (a la fast food style), you will find the ubiquitous chicken / beef shawarmas, falafels, hummus, baba ganoush and tabouli. You will also find some less popular items such as dolmas.
What sets Sarah's apart from the competition is their consistent delivery of quality ingredients. You will never find a chunk of fat in middle of your shawarma sandwich. It is always well seasoned, lean and nicely caramelized. Even the veggie garnish that go into the pita sandwiches are well prepared; tasty beat pickles, fresh parsley and potent hot sauce.
Their vegetarian options are also worth mentioning. Falafel balls are golden crunchy, hummus is top knotch and baba ganoush might be some of the best I that have ever had; very smoky flavour and creamy texture.
The restaurant even scores high on the value department, since you can roll out of here under ten dollars (or maybe even under 5, depending on what your flava flavs are).
The low points: dingy atmosphere.. mysterious basement washroom that is not exemplary (par for the course in Annex?).. and near impossible street parking. The Nazi enforc...errr.. I meant the Parking Enforcement are out on full force in this area all times of the day.
Going off topic slightly, I once received a parking violation ticket even though the parking stub dispenser was dead (I was informed by the kind officer that I should have crossed the street to get one). So sneaky me, here is a tip for Yelpers: Park down a block at the Kinko's . Then walk into Kinko's rear entrance, and exit through the front entrance leading to Bloor. That way if there is anyone watching, you appear to be a shopper. :) -
Review from Melissa F.
Toronto, ON
6/7/2009
I actually am really not a fan of this place. I don't get the hype- the meat and the falafels are not fresh and I find everything a bit dry and they compensate by bathing it in a lot of grease which just equates to overly dry meat coated with nasty oil.
every other place I see them cut the meat right off the spit and fry the falafels right in front of you when you order,
this place gets two big thumbs down from me.
I almost feel like I should say sorry for the bad review since so many people seem to be taken with sarah'sListed in: You are severely overrated.…
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Review from Quan L.
Toronto, ON
3/12/2011
i love strolling around this area, especially on a warm sunny afternoon. nothing like stopping in here on a beautiful day for a falafel, right? my shawarma/falafel knowledge isn't great, i just know they make an a-ok one here.
the decor is a bit lacking, but i think it suites the place. although, my inner-germaphobe has his eyebrow slightly raised.
great prices for good food, but to be honeset, i can barely tell the difference between other shawarma/falafel places. i'm ignorant, i know. i think i need someone to show me where i can get an great authentic tasting shawarma. -
Review from Matthew S.
Toronto, ON
2/9/2010
There's no shortage of places to get your falafel and shawarma fix along Bloor between Bathurst and Spadina. As any self-respecting U of T student will tell you, Sarah's falafels are among the best along this strip of Bloor. When compared to the broader spectrum of Toronto falafels, however, they're no more than average.
Falafel balls are okay considering they're not made fresh, quantity and variety of toppings is pretty good, and the hot sauce is tasty. The space is nice for a falafel joint and there's a good number of seats for eating in.
Overall a decent falafel if you're in the neighbourhood, but not worth going out of your way.Listed in: Peace in the Middle East
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Review from Bryan T.
Toronto, ON
12/21/2010
I generally hate the restaurants on this strip of Bloor-- bad sushi, pub grub, truly mediocre cafes, greasy noodle houses passing off chow mein as pad thai, etc. Sarah's though can be trusted for a good falafel. I like the hot sauce they use, and I like that they put the falafel in a panini press. My one complaint is that they wrap falafels in tissue paper, which after pressing sticks to the falafel; paper is not technically food.
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Review from kai s.
Toronto, ON
11/14/2008
I love the shawarma at Sarah's. I'm partial to the beef, which is nicely marinated and just plain tasty. What I especially love about Sarah's shawarma is the fact that they're served toasted. After they wrap up the sandwich, they press it down on a toaster--not dissimilar to a panini grill--and results in a pita that's just nicely crusted and warm.
It's a rare day when I walk by the Annex and not stop at Sarah's. I've never met the Sarah of Sarah's Shawarma. But, I'm in love with her and I never ever cheat on her. -
Review from Brad K.
Scarborough, ON
9/6/2010
These guys used to make my favorite chicken shawarma in the city, but the last few times I have been there quality has been horribly inconsistent, and there is a constant upsell.
I could see if people were asking for bigger pitas, offer a bigger one and charge more, but these guys started using a much smaller pita and offering one a little larger than the regular one they used to offer.
Of course the price did not go down when the sandwiches shrunk, and to top it off, I have not seen them carve fresh shawarma meat in such a long time, now it is all precut and in a warming tray, who knows how old the meat is?
Anyways, used to be a great place, but has gone downhill recently. -
Review from Josh N.
Toronto, ON
1/15/2009 3 Check-ins Here
One of my favourite Falafel spots in Toronto. The Falafel Combo sandwich is not to be missed (fried eggplant, cauliflower + falafel).
Usually its pretty clean and there is lots of seating. The ingredients are fresh and they offer both whole wheat and white pita as a choice.
Pricing is reasonable and they have a good drink selection. Definitely my choice out of a number of middle-eastern take out spots along the strip between Bathurst and Spadina on Bloor. -
Review from eh B.
Toronto, ON
9/11/2009
Chicken liver. Seriously. I go to a Syrian shawarma/falafel joint to have what is probably Toronto's best chicken liver (probably Toronto's only chicken liver pita sandwich).
I used to just go here for the falafel. Occasionally wandered over to the veggie plate. Tried the shawarma a couple of times. enh. And then one day they actually had the chicken liver, and I ordered it and it was perfect. Tender, not hard, tasty with all of the regular pita sandwich toppings.
Whenever they have the chicken liver I order it. When they don't have it, I'm very sad.
If the place was just a bit cleaner, I'd be going for the full five stars here. -
Review from Junaid U.
Toronto, ON
5/17/2009
Shawarma joints are a lot like convenience stores, they're scattered all over the city, they all offer the same goods and you generally know what you're going for before you even get there. Sarah's however is a bit different.
For starters, this is the one and only Syrian joint i've ever been to. They're hot sauce is not Frank's nor is it Siracha, its Sarah's and its spectacular...full of flavour yet powerful enough to pack a wallop that will have you in tears in no time!
This place has a hot table full of all sorts of great middle eastern foods but the staples (shawarmas and falafels) are what i go for. While the shawarma here is the best you can find downtown...the falafel is what i really crave when i think of this place! Like Josh said, the Falafel combo sandwhich comes with all the fixins (fried eggplant, potato and cauliflower + falafel)...together with their one of kind hot sauce, the fresh out of the frier falafels are to die for!!! Finally, when you price these bad boys at 2 for $6...you cant help but keep coming back for more!
By far, this is my favorate spot in the Annex! Its definitely not the prettiest restaurant in the Annex...but you can feel the love that goes into the food in EVERY bite! If you havent already been...take you taste buds for a treat n say hello to Sarah's for me!
side note: For all you mussies...this place is as halal as they come!
As-Salmu `Alaykum (Peace be upon you) -
Review from Jason C.
4/8/2010
I tried this place after the reviews, and I was like eh. i had better.
the meat was a salty, and there wasn't anything special.
I have been having Ali Baba near Dundas square, which imo is pretty good. in our trip to TO, shwarma was a great snack for us, and we really enjoyed them.
i like the other place instead of Sarah's for a few reasons:
1. Sarah's already has the meat cut up and is just stored on those containers. the meat is not grilled one more time upon ordering. AB place slices the meat and puts it in the grill one more time.
2. sarah's grills the schwarma inside the foil paper. i like to get my grill marks on my sandwich, and get it a bit crispier.
this is just imo. i m pretty sure there are other good places, but wasn't to impressed with Sarah.
I didn't try Ghazelle, which is very close to Sarahs, but at least Ghazelle's smelled good from outside. -
Review from Leeor J.
4/25/2010
I'm revising my review to 2 stars. This place just isn't good anymore. The meat is really dry. they raised their prices. They're just coasting. At one time they had a really flavourful and spicy shawarma that was really distinctive. But that was years ago. Now it's just bland. too bad. I'de go to Laila in the neighbourhood if I was willing to wait 25 minutes to get a freakin' falafel.
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Review from Dream S.
7/3/2009 5 photos
dear sarah's,
your spicy beef kebab was delicious! you were like a little spicy party in my mouth! not only did you fill our bellies with your shawarma goodness, you were easy on the pocketbook as well! your workers were friendly and nice and your establishment was nice and clean! i couldn't have asked for more. :)
love,
dreamsrey -
Review from Aaron B.
4/12/2010
One of my co-workers likes to go here about once a week and he always gets the chicken shawarma wrap. I always get the chicken shawarma plate (well once beef, but I switched back to chicken). The plate comes with three salad sides, hummus, a pita, and hot sauce (optional). It's a BIG meal and it's quite delicious and almost healthy (depending on which salads you get). Sarah's also has a notably wide and eclectic mix of beverages despite it's size and I'm still not finished exploring the options. The decor is cheap but still interesting. The prices aren't particular cheap though. My shawarma plate + drink is around $13, though that might be the most expensive thing on the menu and it's more food than most eat for lunch.
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Review from Izabella d.
3/9/2010
our favorite toronto falafel. hands down.
get its spicy, and if you're super hungry get the falafel combo sandwich which comes with fried eggplant and cauliflower. the pickled turnip gives it a great crunch, the tahini a bit of tang, fresh tomato and lettuce crisps it up and the garlic sauce, hummus tops it all off.
i won't lie, i have never had any of the shawarmas but i can only imagine they are just as amazing. -
Review from Lan T.
Toronto, ON
6/7/2009
I really like Sarah's. It's just so flavourful. I've only had the falafel (not eating meat really limits my options) but it's pretty darn good stuff.
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Review from Anonymous A.
11/9/2008
Not a bad place, the shawarmas are tasty and come in two sizes: regular and large. The price difference is just a few dollars, and the spiciness of them is great. Your mouth will be tingly and you'll need to buy a few drinks.
I think they also serve the dessert baklava here too, though I've never tried it.
