Ali Baba’s Middle Eastern Cuisine

Burnt meat and sour sauce. Disgusting.

Big restaurant on a busy street (Dundas St west)
They shouldn’t be thinking very cheap.
trying to charge you for a small bread. Which is already comes with your shawarma plate.

This Ali Baba’s is always super clean, and the salads are always bountiful, colourful and fresh. This is my favourite location and I start having cravings if I don’t eat here for a while. Whoever used to make the shish tawook sadly took the recipe with them because it hasn’t been the same in months but I can’t really quibble. I can’t stress enough the cleanliness factor here! The prices are great, they have specials everyday and the staff are very friendly. They stay open late and even better, because they get a late night crowd, the food is super fresh even at midnight!

Nothing could go wrong here. Best falafel or shawarma for the price. Offers are good. Staff is friendly. Best place to go for a quick snack or dinner in the area

Ali babas is classic. They have amazing daily deals and specials. And always fast service with a smile! My favourite are the beef shawarmas and chicken shwarma! There everywhere so you have a variety of options of locations to go to! I prefer it as a grab and go food but they do have casual seating set up inside if that’s what floats your boat!

There are several locations and we have found the service exceptionally friendly every time! The food is authentic and so good! I had the fish pita for the first time time today and was not disappointed! It was so fresh, moist, and perfectly seasoned. The toppings went well! It was a crazy low price and we will be back any time were in the city! xo

Delicious food and the 2 for 1 falafel deals on Tuesdays are worth the trip downtown.

Awesome. Every day has a special offer with great taste and good volume. The price is reasonable.
I ate two times, woooowe, yummy.

I’m stranded down in this part of town while working a handful of miles from here. I say stranded because a few miles means something different in downtown Toronto.
I wanted to walk to china town but its raining pretty hard and its a good mile or two to get there. There isn’t much by my hotel so I figured I’d give it a shot. We have lots of these type of places in metro Detroit (Dearborn primarily).
Walked in, first thing I noticed was a Q-​Tip on the floor which turned my stomach a but but I stayed. The staff are pleasant and got my food out quickly — chicken shawarma wrap, Samosa and drink for under 10 bucks.
The sandwich started out good but looking around and not a single clean table continued to make me feel a bit sick. Just then as I take a bite and look to my left, I several baby flies stuck to the wall (last seat opposite the register). It is clear nothing has been cleaned in a long time. I decided to pitch the food and look forward to breakfast.
Ugh!

Food was mediocre, my falafel was cold and a bit too much batter for my liking, big portions tho for $ 7.50
The rice was kind of odd, had some dark black mushrooms in it

Not the greatest service, but the Crazy Hour $ 3 shawarmas from 3−6pm are sooo good it merits 4 stars.

TORONTO STAR ARTICLE JULY 5
Blind man wins human rights case after restaurant bars guide dog
Published on Jul 05 2014
Jonathan Forani
STAFF REPORTER
Gregory Scott Hill just wanted a warm bite to eat.
But when he, his wife, and his guide dog walked into a Toronto Ali Baba’s Restaurant on a bitterly cold February afternoon in 2013, an employee told them the dog had to go.
«Why do I gotta go through this?» Hill, 52, recalls thinking. «It’s tough enough to get around being a blind guy, but to have to be fighting just for your rights all the time,» he says, trailing off. «We’re not in 1955 anymore. This is 2014 — and Canada yet.»
The Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario recently agreed, ruling in Hill’s favour on a discrimination complaint he filed in April last year.
The restaurant’s owner, Yousef Bani-​Ahmad, was ordered to pay Hill $ 5,000 in compensation and post signs welcoming service animals to his franchise locations. All of Bani-Ahmad’s staff must also complete an online «Human Rights 101» training course.
Though Hill, blind most of his life, doesn’t feel that $ 5,000 is enough, he concedes the ruling is fair.
«Some of these restaurant owners, the only way that you can wake them up is to shake their wallet,» he says. «If they were to have a disability of some sort — other than what seems like the disability of greed — then maybe they would understand what we have to go through.»
What Hill experienced that day happens more often than he likes to admit. «Toronto, it’s a big place. There’s so many people that just don’t understand human rights.»
He had a long Monday of errands in the city that day with wife Marta Londono. The Markham couple was relieved to find Ali Baba’s Restaurant on Dundas St. W. open, as the city was still recovering from a Feb. 8 snowstorm, one of the biggest in years. The two were tired, hungry and bitterly cold. Freezing rain fell sideways, he recalls, cutting at their faces. When they walked into Ali Baba’s around 3 p.m., they thought they’d found the right spot for a late warm lunch.
But, spotting Mara the guide dog, the employee said they had to leave because of health regulations against dogs in restaurants. When Hill informed him that Mara was a service dog and showed him an ID card issued by the Attorney General’s Office, the employee allegedly called his boss, Bani-​Ahmad — a phone call Londono filmed with her phone, outraged.
«[He was] more interested in what his boss says, not what the law is,» says Hill.
Bani-​Ahmad, who represented himself at the tribunal, denied receiving such a phone call that day, but acknowledged that his employee had made a mistake. He «accepts that the situation was embarrassing for Mr. Hill,» the tribunal’s decision reads. «He confirmed that he believed that a person’s dignity is ‘worth his life.’» Bani-​Ahmad could not be reached for further comment.
The couple left for another Indian restaurant down the street after the employee told Hill the couple could be served, but the dog had to stay outside.
Isai Chalmiev, Hill’s legal representative, says this was a clear-​cut case of discrimination, but it still baffles him.
«It just doesn’t make sense to me, how people from other parts of the world don’t know that a service animal is a service animal. It’s not a regular animal,» he says.
Chalmiev usually helps clients fight traffic tickets as a paralegal at GTA Traffic, but has begun to branch out with cases like Hill’s. «We gotta preserve our human rights,» he says. «This is all we have at the end of the day, right?»
The tribunal ruled in Hill’s favour on June 25, citing section one of the Human Rights Code: «Every person has the right to equal treatment with respect to services, goods and facilities, without discrimination,» including disability.
«If this ruling stops somebody else from having to go through the indignity that I did, or stops a store owner, or a restaurateur from discriminating — fantastic,» says Hill. «There’s no other way to say it than just blunt force. It’s gotta stop.»

Their daily specials are enticing but once you move your eyes away from the specials and into the restaurant, you start to feel differently. I can’t put my finger on it but there’s something «ghetto» about Ali Baba. Not the type to care much about atmosphere or service, I walked in.
We were hungry and I wanted some middle eastern food. It was a Thursday so we ordered 2 Shish Tawouk sandwiches for $ 10. I was lucky they didn’t have any chicken ready so they made fresh ones. The tray where the grilled kebobs would go doesn’t look very appetizing. It had a strange liquid. When I think kebobs, I don’t associate it with being stored in a liquid until served. Fortunately the chicken skewers went straight from the grill to our sandwiches. We also ordered some Falafel to share. I like how they sell individually with no rice or sandwich.
The sandwich was ok. But it’s a messy ordeal to eat it. A lot of the toppings have some liquids. I’m used to eating Persian kebobs and the meat at Ali Baba lacks that smokiness that I like. The flavor just isn’t there. I don’t think they marinated it. It feels like they are relying on that sesame sauce for taste. The falafel was alright. Although it was freshly fried, it wasn’t very delicious.
Even though the meal was just so so, I somehow decided to come back the next day. Friday’s special is 2 platters of your choice. Not a massive discount but a discount none the less. We chose chicken and beef. Once again the food was edible but it seemed to have more sauce than I liked. It’s delicious in a heavy way. In my mind, the sauce weighted a ton per teaspoon.
After 2 consecutive dinners at Ali Baba, I think I can safely conclude it’s not that good. I mean, the food is edible… but I don’t want edible. I want mouth watering goodness.

I like shwarma, and sometimes I’m so desperate I go to Ali Baba’s and then immediately regret it. It’s just that Ali Baba’s is everywehere.
I think it goes without sayin the service sucks balls. They ask you «you want everything?» I say «no onions»…only to see him put onions in it… everytime. Since it’s not my first rodeo… after he asks me the first time I know I’ll have to remind him once he starts putting the toppings. I learned the hard way oneday after telling him only once and seeing onions in my shwarma after getting home. Nothing sucks more than trying to pick apart a wrap.
Falafel is dry. I got it on a Tuesday…2 for 1 special. It’s barely worth that deal. So damn dry.

I’ve only been here for their Falafel sandwich special. It’s a decent and cheap option for lunch, especially when you’re in a hurry to get back to work.
The staff is super kind, especially the lovely lady. I love the toppings they offer, especially their hot sauce. Since the turnover is exceedingly high during lunch so you know the falafels are fresh and warm.
There isn’t much more to it; just a solid option for a quick, cheap lunch.

Cheap good tasty and not-​too-​dry Middle Eastern food. Waitress was really nice and generous. Fish of the day is probably something to try (it looks good but the dish was still full at 5PM = why?).
Not sure I would seat and eat there (not really appealing at all) but this is now one of my new (take away) lunch place.

The food is really good. The atmosphere is a little lacking but since the food is cheap, you should not be expecting harps playing nearby.
The people there are friendly but kurt. If you are ok with that, try the place out. If you are a wuss, don’t even bother as you will be whining all night long afterwards. Ok, it is not that crazy but don’t expect amazing service, just fast.

Terrible service here. I wouldn’t say their chicken shawarma was anything special either. I’ve avoided this chain to a maximum but gave it a shot — did not help my expectations.

Have made 2 more visits to this location since May (read my earlier review — 2 stars) — completely disappointed… I am done giving this place a shot, and shooting down my appetite.
FOOD:
— decent quality, but don’t make the shawarma properly. It’s not a freakin’ salad that I’d be content with the stuff tossed together. I want a proper wrap.
— They grill it for less than 30 seconds. And it wasn’t even busy. I was the only person there. What the heck… I want a warm, nicely grilled, properly assembled shawarma. No – that’s asking for too much at Ali Baba. It’s like asking for a medium-​rare steak in federal prison.
— They don’t listen for what you want or especially don’t want. And once they’ve slobered the topping in, it’s there to stay… Yup– whether you like it or not, that’s what you’re getting then.
— they also have samosas and baklavas — if you absolutely must have a samosa or a baklava, then I guess you could… FIND ANOTHER PLACE.
Food rating: 0.5 /​5 (I’m too nice to give a zero but way too disappointed to dish out a 1).
SERVICE:
— I think my description above will explain my overall service rating.
Service rating: 0.5 /​5
PRICE:
— good deals — 8 bucks for 2 wraps; they have specials for each day
— but so do other places (Wrap N Grab shawarma place is a block away at Dundas St and Chestnut St) — so the deals at Ali baba are not exquisite at all
Price rating: ⁴⁄₅
DECOR:
— the one thing that stands out about Ali Baba’s as compared to other shawarma places — they have decent chair/​table set up.
— spacious and clean.
Décor rating: ⁴⁄₅. I just wish they would back their décor with what they’re actually there to sell — food and service.
OVERALL RATING: ¹⁄₅
— they have had time to settle down at this new location. because they are a franchise and have a good-​looking place, it seems they keep getting business. But not a second star in my rating (like that matters though =P)! ;)
Why to go there:
— if you are looking for downtown toronto’s choices of shitty shawarmas and shittier service
Why not to go there:
— if good food is what you seek, and if you have some value for your hard-​earned (or tax-​return in my case!) money.

For some reason, I walked into Ali Baba’s with the feeling that I was the first person EVER to set foot in this restaurant. I’m not sure why I felt this way. My dining companions watched amusedly as I asked the staff when the restaurant had opened. When they told me 10am, I beamed with excitement. «They haven’t even been open one day!» I exclaimed. But my friends were quick to clarify. «Were you open yesterday?»
«Yep,» was the reply, «every day.» Turns out they have been open for months. Whatever.
It’s pretty spacious inside but not exactly a marvel of hospitality. The stairs to the washroom look like they could cripple a man, and have been cordoned off with the equivalent of a child safety gate, but for adults. I can’t wait to see someone eat it on those things.
A few things worth nothing about this Ali Baba’s. They have daily deals which nets you a sandwich or two at a steal. We took advantage of a pair chicken shawarmas for $ 7.99. In typical Ali Baba fashion the wraps were excellent. Especially since I washed mine down with Strawberry Milk. I can’t believe they sell that stuff here. (Or anywhere for that matter.)
You can pay with debit or credit if you like. There wasn’t a line up when I went (around 2am) but I’ve heard it can get pretty busy here.
Obligatory Title Pun: Open Late (and SESAME).
Menu Readability: Better than average.
Need to mention: Have you actually read the story of Ali Baba?
What this place teaches me about myself: I can eat shawarma anytime of day.