Maha’s

You should go to maha’s if you have time, time and more time. And then a little more time. The food is really nice. It’s yummy and like nothing else in the city. The honey cardamom latte is worth waiting 30 minutes for. And trust me, you will. These people really know how to whip up some yummy food, but they have no clue how to run a restaurant. The service is soooooo bad it’s almost funny. Except it’s not, it’s infuriating.
We got there today at 11:30. We waited 30 minutes for a table, which I get. Small, popular place. So you wait. We were a table of 3 behind a table of two on the wait list. A table for 3 opened up, and a table for two opened up. The table for 3 got up about 3 minutes before the table for 2. The guy seating people was going to seat the table for 2 at the 3 top! I actually had to say, ‘don’t you think it makes more sense to put them at the table for 2 and us at the table for 3?’ To which he agreed. But had I not said something we’d probably still be waiting. Then it took them 20 minutes to get us our drinks. Finally they took our order, and we waited another 40 minutes. And one of the things we ordered were cold dips. Seriously??? Finally they brought our food, and announced that they were actually out of one of the dips. That we waited 40 minutes for. It was just one thing after another. I’m not sure I’ll be back, which sucks, but it’s just too frustrating.

SO GOOD!
Came across this place online, and just HAD to try it!
We ordered the Maha’s mind blowing chicken, Cairo Classic, Pharaoh’s Po Boy, the Honey cardamom latte, and hazelnut latte.
Everything was delicious and the place was beautifully decorated, very kind staff as well.
Would return! :)

I LOVE Maha’s food. The eggs with Basterma has been a favorite of mine and the lattes are amazing. The place is quite small so make sure you get there early.

This place is definitely a hidden gem! I found this place through blogTO and was rated one of the best brunch places. I cannot agree any more! The food is a must try and a very different experience of Egyptian food! We went quite early around 10am and our wait time was about 30 minutes. Go earlier to avoid lineups because it got a lot busier as time went by!

Amazing food and friendly service, although the line-​ups, especially on the weekends, are ridiculous.

The waiting time is pretty long (50mins) but worth it! We got Cairo Classic and shakshuka. Tomotoes, onions mixed with soft fava beans, take a big spoon of that plus a big bite of balady bread, sooo good!

This place is golden.
I had the po boy sandwich with a side of the fries. It was piping hot, supremely flavourful, and altogether mindblowingly delicious (not unlike their mindblowing chicken). I actually thought of waiting for another hour for a second helping before I snapped out of it. I stole bits and pieces of my friends’ dishes, but none of them came close to the po boy. Don’t miss out on this. You deserve it.
I visited Maha’s for the first time at around noon on a Saturday. Big mistake. It took my party of 5 approximately 2 hours to be seated, and another hour or so to be served. This place is TINY — seating 20 people in total. Therefore, you shouldn’t make the mistake of strolling into the neighborhood with a completely empty stomach. You might be in for a long wait depending on the time of your visit.
I legit want to visit Egypt now.

This place is such a gem. Try to get there early (or late) to avoid the rush, although you may find they’re out of a few dishes by the end of the day. Made fresh, tastes fresh. Really enjoy the Egyptian mint tea, falafels, and dips.

The place is small. Can seat about 20 ppl at any given time which causes the 45 minute line up. Love how the ambience of the place though with a lot of personal décor touches. The food was good but the service was a little slow. Making the experience a little sour.

Heard this place is amazing. been seeing pictures all over the Internet and blog to has described it as top brunch place. We decided to check it out today (Thursday at noon). First even though it’s in the middle of nowhere and it’s a weekday, there was a 45 minute line up for 3 of us to get a table.
Loved the interior, very welcoming cozy trendy home set up. The restaurant itself is tiny, dont think it seats more than 30. Anyways the menu is clean and has enough choices without overwhelming you too much. The price point is also good.
We ordered the bojo, bastura scrambled with side of foole and Egyptian felafel with lattes and hot chocolates on the side. Presentation was great with everything but in terms of taste I expected more. Not to say that it was bad or bland but it was alright. Nothing I would crave and go back for. The dishes are pretty unique and must try but nothing mouth watering. Ps I don’t think they put sugar in our lattes cuz we had to put our own so not sure if that’s the WY it goes or what.
Regardless I would give it a 3.5 star. It would have gotten a 4 but our food took super long to come, the wait was really long, the service wasn’t the greatest and I think 4 star is too much n 3 is too little.
Try it for yourself though:)

Arrived at 2:20pm on a Saturday and got a table for two 1 hour 30 minutes later.
Saw Maha (she had a nametag) cooking in the kitchen herself as we waited :)
Here’s what we ordered:
* Maha’s Mind Blowing Chicken Sandwich: had parsley, onions, tomato and garlic sauce. Really delicious and filling, presentation is great as well
* Cumin Homefries: good, came piping hot
* Cairo Classic: fava beans with boiled egg, a falafel, and bread. I had a couple bites of this, pretty tasty as well though I preferred my sandwich
Overall good experience, would go back on a weekday assuming it’s less busy then!

This is like a little hidden gem in the Leslieville neighbourhood nestled amongst the houses by Greenwood and Gerrard.
The place was bustling with activity when we arrived but there wasn’t a waitlist which was fine by me. :-) It seems like a hotspot for those that enjoy their Middle Eastern coffee brews too.
The space is very bright with lots of windows letting in the sun which really adds warmth to the atmosphere. I like the clean and modern look of the eating area.
We decided to sample the Cairo Classic (fava beans, sliced boiled eggs, falafel, and home-​made tomato feta with charred balady bread) and the Date Grilled Cheese (butter sauteed dates with 3 cheese blend stacked on egg bread)
Overall, I enjoyed the Cairo Classic more than the Date Grilled Cheese. Both dishes looked vibrant with with colour and presentation which helps to wet the appetite.
The Classic felt very hearty with the baked fava beans and slice eggs providing a very good combination along with the charred bread. The beans were cooked to be nice and soft The Date Grilled Cheese just may not have been my thing as a brunch item but I did find the cumin fries that accompanied the dish delectable.
Will definitely want to come back in the future and explore more of the menu when time allows.

Really lovely place, looks family run.
Don’t come here for anything quick. Expect to take your time and relax.
Nice affordable meals.
I’d come back!

Maha’s is a slice of Egypt in Toronto’s east end. An awesome byproduct of globalization.
It’s a very cosy (read small) place, so it gets packed quite quickly. By 10 am the line was out of the door. The staff are very friendly and the décor pays homage to the hosts’ Egyptian lineage.
The Cairo Classic with beans, tomatoes, onions, hard boiled eggs, falafel and delicious bread is ridiculously filling but unfortunately quite limited in taste. Because the portion is so big, getting through the dish can seem like a chore towards the end.
The cumin fries while decent could’ve been more flavorful. I also ordered the Cardamom Tea, a couple cookies and a vegan sandwich for friends, who all reported that the food was ok. Apparently the cardamom tea somehow tasted bitter.
I enjoyed my time at Maha’s primarily because of the ambiance, experience of a slice of Egypt in Toronto and the sunny day.

Everything I’ve eaten at Maha’s has been seriously decadent and delicious. Brunch here is a beautiful way to start your weekend or your Sunday. You may need to wait in line for up to an hour, I like to get on the list and then go for a stroll and window shopping in Little India, there’s lots to see there. You can also order a Honey Cardamom Latte while you wait, you’ll probably want at least 2 while you are there. Then eat the Mind Blowing Chicken, or the Pharoah’s Po’Boy, Falafel Eggs, Date Grilled Cheese, Lentil Soup, or anything else on the menu. The falafel are the best ever.
Maha’s, you’d get five stars easy if the service was better. I’m giving four because the chef owner has come out to thank me for waiting after a particularly long wait for food, food that was spectacularly delicious. Her sons work the front of the house, and while they all seem lost and in over their heads, the pretty one especially has difficulty — I’ve had to remind him 3 – 4 times before to get a latte without apology, or that I’ve already paid the bill. The waitstaff not only waits tables but also buses tables and tries to keep up with wait list crowd control, but basically this means they do a poor job at all of these things. On my most recent visit. I watched a busy server make 3 separate trips to clear a table — one to clear plates, one to clear glassware, one to wipe down the table. It took her at least 3 minutes per visit, as she had to navigate through the waitlist crowd both ways, who all should have been outside. But that’s 10 minutes that someone isn’t sitting at that table, and 10 minutes that her other tables aren’t getting their food. Kick the waitlist outside — no apologies! Or let people call to get on the list. Hire a busser and let them use a tray — that’s one minute to clear a table. What Maha’s really needs is a general manager who keeps everyone moving and organized, it would allow then to turn tables twice as fast. The food is incredible, I hope that they find more skilled and hospitable help soon. The crowds will keep coming!

I don’t know what to say about Maha that hasn’t already been said.
The place is as fantastic as the review says it is. The wait for a table is also as long as the review says it is. If you’re willing to wait you’ll enjoy your experience.
Go hungry and go feeling open minded and you’ll love every bite. The honey cardamom latte was to die for, the lentil soup fantastic. I also enjoyed the traditional veggie Egyptian sandwiches but there was so much food I couldn’t even finish them.
Thumbs up to Maha! So glad to have it in the neighbourhood.

Is this the best brunch spot in Toronto? Possibly. Is it the best brunch spot in the East End? Likely.
Maha’s is a fabulously tasty brunch, lunch or early dinner option — as long as you don’t mind a bit of a wait. (But let’s face it. Those lineups on a Wednesday morning really just go to show how good the food is).
The deliciously unique menu boasts standard breakfast fare with an Egyptian twist, extreme sandwiches, and plenty of both vegetarian and vegan options.
My personal favourite is the Pharaohs Po’boy, shrimp perfectly deep fried in a delicate egg batter, then stuffed into fresh baldady bread. The vegetarian version (the Arnabeet) which subs cauliflower in for the shrimp, might be just as good.
Having said that, for your first time — do the Cairo Classic. Trust me, come hungry, and enjoy.

I went to this place after seeing so many instagram posts on it. The restaurant was east of the downtown core but the commute was worth it! I went here for brunch
Maha’s is very homey. The server that we had was very attentive and super nice. He took time to explain the menu to us.
I had the CAIRO CLASSIC: The foole was very hearty and filling. Foole has beans, tomatoes and onions. I enjoyed it but it wasn’t spectacular.
EGYPTIAN FALAFEL: I enjoyed this dish way too much. The crispy Falafel had a hard boiled egg on the inside which was still gooey and creamy. It definitely hit the spots. It was crispy and creamy.
TURKISH COFFEE: I enjoyed that it was strong and different from other coffees that I had!
There was so much on the menu that we wanted to try. When we went there, they ran out of certain items on their menu, such as the Lentil Soup, Baba ghanoush.
Overall it was one of the better brunches I had in the city!

Delicious fresh food. Amazing brunch spot. Get there early for no wait and great service.
For the last few months I drive down Greenwood to get to work, and I kept noticing that there was always a lot of people inside this place Maha’s. Even early weekday mornings. It prompted me to eventually look it up and find that blogTo had rated it best new brunch spot and it had favourable reviews on Unilocal.This is for a reason because the food is great.
I’ve never been to Egypt, so I’ll assume its pretty authentic. We both got the Sunny Eggs and Foole after I had trouble deciding. But the waiter’s description of the oozing eggs into the fava beans had me sold. There is a nice acidity to the fava beans. They have tomato in them, which might be it, and maybe a little lemon? Either way they mix wonderfully with the fat from the egg yolk. The bread was to die for. It tasted like if naan and pita had a baby, and I was letting it play in my mouth. The salad on the side is nice for some freshness.
Great and unique food. Reasonable prices. Warm and friendly atmosphere (if you go at the right time). I think I like it.

Really good authentic Egyptian food is very hard to find in Toronto, hence the reason why Maha’s was on the top of my list of new restaurants to try. Maha’s is a small family run Egyptian restaurant in the Leslieville area.
I went on a Thursday afternoon with a friend hoping to avoid any long lineups. Upon arriving we were quickly seated and the place is quite small and quaint and probably seats 20 – 30 people at most.
We ordered the Cairo Classic ($ 12 plus tax), the Pharaoh’s Po Boy sandwich ($ 9 plus tax) and Maha’s Mind Blowing Chicken sandwich ($ 7 plus tax) and a Turkish coffee ($ 3 plus tax).
The Cairo Classic ($ 12 plus tax): it was fresh, well executed and nicely presented. It was good but not amazing, it’s more of a hearty, comfort food breakfast meal.
The Pharaoh Po Boy sandwich ($ 9 plus tax): This sandwich drizzled with lime juice was amazing. perfectly seasoned, nice light batter and the shrimps were cooked perfectly. Something you have to try at Maha’s.
Maha’s Mind Blowing Chicken sandwich ($ 7 plus tax): Another sandwich that was really good, marinated chicken tossed with chopped parsley, onions and tomatoes in a sauce that consisted of tehina, mayo and garlic.
Turkish Coffee ($ 3 plus tax): It’s really hard to describe this because I have never had Turkish coffee before but the taste is very distinct and at the same time very strong but in a good way.
Overall, I think Maha’s is a great small family restaurant that offers great Egyptian food that is hard to find in Toronto. It’s a small quaint place and as I mentioned before it probably doesn’t seat more than 20 – 30 people, so I can see how busy it can get on a weekend. Nonetheless, it’s definitely a restaurant worth trying with great food and friendly service.