Listed In: Middle Eastern Restaurants, Middle Eastern Fast Food
By Izzy G on June 30, 2026 Verified by Google
My first time trying Iraqi food, and I was so impressed! I ordered the beef & lamb shawarma and the chicken bowl, and both were absolutely delicious. The flavors were incredible, and you can really tell everything is made with care.
One of my favorite touches was that they served a complimentary soup while dining in, it was so flavorful and a great way to start the meal.
The restaurant itself is modern, clean, and beautifully designed, and the staff were incredibly kind and welcoming throughout my visit.
If you’ve never tried Iraqi street food before, Alforat is definitely the place to start. I’ll absolutely be coming back!
By Zubair Mohammed Iftekhar on June 7, 2026 Verified by Google
Alforat Iraqi Shawarma was an interesting experience with both positives and areas that need improvement.
I had accidentally placed my pickup order at the Scarborough location while I was in Toronto, and after realizing the mistake, I informed the restaurant that it would take me nearly two hours to arrive. While I understand the order had already been prepared, it would have been a great customer service gesture to prepare a fresh shawarma upon arrival, especially since the food had been sitting for such a long time. Instead, the same order was handed to me when I got there, and naturally it was cold by then.
We ordered two types of shawarma, one in samoon bread and one in tanoor bread. The standout was definitely the samoon shawarma, it was my first time trying it, and I liked it. The bread was excellent, the filling was generous, and it felt like it had a great amount of chicken and overall flavor.
The tanoor shawarma was also good, but I couldn't help thinking how much better it would have been if it had been served fresh and hot.
The food itself shows a lot of promise, especially the samoon shawarma, but I feel there is room to elevate the customer experience with a bit more flexibility and thoughtfulness in situations like this. Small gestures go a long way in turning a good experience into a great one.
By Jo** ! on May 17, 2026 Verified by Google
Clean small restaurant! Self service, we ordered at the front and pick up our food. We ordered shawarma chicken wrap and shawarma chicken platter. The free bread and soup were great! Alforat is very consistent in delivering their quality food and in any branches. We tried all alforat branches: Mississauga, downtown and northyork. Please keep it up delivering quality food and hygiene environment! Thank you 🙏
By Hunter Hunter on March 7, 2026 Verified by Google
We tried Iraqi food for the first time and got 2 boxes: lamb and beef shawarma arabi, and chicken shawarma arabi. We asked for hummus with it, but got baba ganouj instead and wish they put more of it. Plenty of garlic though and we couldn't finish it! We had a 30-ish minute wait-time which I felt was a little too long.
Note: Iraqi shawarma has pomegranate molasses! Something new we didn't realize.
I would come again but go for something different.
By Stan on February 1, 2026 Verified by Google
Update:
Came back and it's better than before. The restaurant is extremely cold in the winter. Please do something about this, as not everyone will opt for take out.
Original:
There's just so much shawarma competition in the area to claim this is the best, but it's definitely one of the better ones!
The wrap held together well and had a nice crisp to it. The chicken was a tad dry, but it was still very flavorful. I also wish they put a little more garlic in the wrap as I felt I tasted mostly pickles and chicken. The complimentary lentil soup was appreciated! A decent sized wrap and soup for under $12.50 is amazing value.
The lady working the front was also very friendly.
By ABCD123 - on January 21, 2026 Verified by Google
Excellent all around! Great portions and incredibly delicious food. The lady with blonde hair gave exceptional customer service, top notch. Even with takeout, we were offered pea soup while waiting, which was such a nice touch. Everything was well packaged, and the restaurant was super clean. No complaints at all. Ordered two Saj Chicken. Tuesday evening visit.
By Kurt Monteiro on January 10, 2026 Verified by Google
Both the lamb/beef and chicken sharwama had generous portions on meat and were delicious. The chicken sharwama had a generous helping of sweet pomegranate sauce that makes it different from the typical sharwama joint. The 3 types of bread (you get to pick one) for the wrap are all ok, and are not made fresh to order (or recently to order). The hummus lacks richness, which seems to be the result of not enough tahini. The service was quick, very friendly and helpful. The place is bright and had a good atmosphere for casual dining.
By Antik_12 on December 24, 2025 Verified by Google
Tried Alforat Iraqi Street Food and really enjoyed the family platter—for $80, it comes loaded with chicken and beef shawarma, kabobs, fries, garlic sauce, hummus, pickles, and coleslaw, with generous portions and great presentation. Also you get lentil soup the moment you enter the restaurant and in this cold it tasted really nice for my throat. The chicken shawarma was my favorite, followed by the kabobs; the beef/lamb shawarma was flavorful but had a very strong lamb smell, so if you’re sensitive to that, I’d skip it. Fries were excellent, the restaurant and washroom were clean, customer service was very welcoming, and parking is free, which is a big plus. Overall, a solid Iraqi shawarma spot.
By Alizzane Persaud on October 4, 2025 Verified by Google
I was excited to try this shawarma spot. The shawarma is super easy to make seen lots of platter orders come before mine. Long long wait 45 min + I think they forgot about my order till I asked for my receipt. That was okay still for me I have waited long and the food makes it worth it. Eventually as more workers came out the energy picked up and I received my food. They put cooked onions in the wrap which already tasted weird. And my wrap had no molasses sauce which makes the wrap obviously taste better. It tasted like a Costco rotisserie chicken on a pita. Overrated and bland. Also I asked for mild spice and it was super super hot drenched in it and not even marked. They only marked no pickles which we asked for two wraps and it out it lol. Made it very clear a toddler will be eating too. (Ordered a third wrap for him) Will not be going back….
By Steph Anie on September 23, 2025 Verified by Google
The owners are so friendly and staff are always working with a smile and joking around with customers. We ordered a platter to share for people and it was way too much food.
They gave us complimentary lentil soup in a little sweet dessert which is so nice of them.
The quality and flavor of the meat was just right. And i love that they make their bread in house. We will definitely come back to try other items on the menu.
By Qhader on September 23, 2025 Verified by Google
We went there with a bunch of friends. We were new to the cuisine and also first time at their restaurant. The cashier over there initially said as very welcoming but afterwards she had a weird sassy attitude. We asked her many questions to understand what to do order may that caused inconvenience to her. Finally she suggested to go for Samoon tray to which had ( 3 lamb beef and 3 chicken) and it tasted soo good. They have an own kitchen and you know what they are doing. Bakers donot know English so you cannot customize by speaking to them but they were trying to do in the language they were comfortable in with others. After I took few pictures of the kitchen her attitude changed again and she was again hospitable. She also at the end gave us Turkish sweet which she didn’t knew the name . It costed us $54.99 + tax. Overall a good experience and must try.
By Revin on September 15, 2025 Verified by Google
AMAZING! I drive all the way from Newmarket to Scarborough just to eat here, and it’s 100% worth the trip every single time. Alforat truly brings authentic Iraqi street food to life. The flavors are rich, the portions are generous, and everything tastes like it’s made with care and tradition.
The restaurant itself is clean, welcoming, and has a great atmosphere that makes you feel at home. The staff are friendly and attentive, always making sure you’re taken care of.
If you want real Iraqi food done right, this is the place. I’d happily make the drive again and again. Highly recommend!
By Stan on July 7, 2025 Verified by Google
There's just so much shawarma competition in the area to claim this is the best, but it's definitely one of the better ones!
The wrap held together well and had a nice crisp to it. The chicken was a tad dry, but it was still very flavorful. I also wish they put a little more garlic in the wrap as I felt I tasted mostly pickles and chicken. The complimentary lentil soup was appreciated! A decent sized wrap and soup for under $12.50 is amazing value.
The lady working the front was also very friendly.
By Sona Saadat on April 26, 2025 Verified by Google
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Exceptional Iraqi Street Food with Unmatched Hospitality!
My recent visit to Al Forat Iraqi Street Food was an unforgettable experience! From the moment we walked in, we were greeted warmly in their beautiful, clean restaurant. The owner’s generosity was beyond anything I’ve seen—when the register was short on change, he insisted I take $20 back instead of $18, refusing to let me pay extra.
The complimentary hot drink dispenser- tea (a nice touch for customers) and the lentil soup he offered while we waited were just the beginning of their incredible hospitality. The food itself was absolutely delicious- I had the hot, crispy falafels and my kids loved their chicken shawarma wraps. Every bite was fresh, flavorful, and authentic.
What truly sets Al Forat apart is their other than the amazing food is the outstanding customer service. They go above and beyond to make sure every guest leaves happy. If you’re looking for amazing Iraqi street food in North York - this is the place! Highly recommended-we’ll definitely be back!
#IraqiFood #Shawarma #Falafel #BestStreetFood #Hospitality #MustTry #FoodieFavorite #AuthenticFlavors #GenerousService
By R T on March 5, 2025 Verified by Google
Very bad management and service. We had to wait 40 mins for our Alforat family platter to arrive. The food is good but the service is not. The cashier said Friday and Saturday are very busy, which I understand and it’s busy for most of the restaurants. They really need to up their game on getting food out faster. Even the pickup folks were getting frustrated on the wait time for the order.
By Rachael on February 28, 2025 Verified by Google
Samoon is hard to eat but very yummy. Very large portion. I will stick to wrap for ease of eating.
Meat is perfect here. Nice soup as a nice add-on.
Sauce is nice. Extra spicy is great.
A few tables here available to eat! Great customer service.
By Z K on February 27, 2025 Verified by Google
Great Experience visiting this new gem. We ordered a kabob family platter and it came with colour full rice and bread. It looked, smelled and tasted awesome. Thumbs up for the great service and we were also treated with hot lentil soup when we were waiting while our food was getting prepared. Great ambience and service. The wait time to prepare our food was around 20-25 min, which I felt was little more than I had expected. Definitely recommend.
By Zaid Syed on February 27, 2025 Verified by Google
I recently dined at this branch of Al Firat over the weekend, and it turned out to be a great experience. The Samoon Shawarma was the highlight—it was quite big, packed with tender, well-seasoned meat, and the bread was fresh and slightly crispy on the outside. We also tried the Shawarma Plate (Lamb), which was equally delicious. The lamb was juicy, flavorful, and paired well with the sides.
The hummus, however, was a bit underwhelming. It had a decent texture but lacked the rich, creamy depth I was expecting. On the other hand, the complimentary soup was a pleasant surprise—warm, comforting, and nicely spiced, setting a good tone for the meal.
The restaurant’s ambiance was inviting, with a cozy and relaxed atmosphere that made for an enjoyable dining experience. What stood out most was the staff’s hospitality—they were attentive, friendly, and accommodating with special requests, which added to the overall positive impression.
All in all, it was a satisfying visit, and I’d happily return. 4 out of 5 stars!
By Tajrian Binte Zaman on February 20, 2025 Verified by Google
I am in love with this place. The food is amazing and the service is superb! Omar Ahmed Waleed - super nice and friendly. This place is such a hidden gem 💎 And the fact that it's an Iraqi restaurant makes me feel so proud even though I'm from South Asia 🇮🇶
By Kimmy A on February 8, 2025 Verified by Google
This place is legit 10/10 perfect. Food is perfect and they're super friendly and generous. They don't charge extra for things. There is seating inside too. New favourite place. We got the lamb tandoor wrap with pomegranate molasses and a side of falafels with garlic sauce. They gave us free soup and extra turnip. Super friendly people.
By Farhana Mowli on February 7, 2025 Verified by Google
I just love their Swarma. Although we ordered rice platter other day and it was not as expected. The quantity of rice was okay but the quantity of meat skewers were not enough! taste was okay though
By Eat With Buns (EatWithBuns) on January 25, 2025 Verified by Google
Gluten-Free Options: Yes - risk of cross contamination
Halal/Kosher: Yes
Vegan Option: Yes
Vegetarian Options: Yes
Nut Free Options: Yes -risk of cross contamination
Dairy Alternatives: No
First Impression: A bright and clean shawarma shop with a welcoming energy.
Order: Lentil soup, lamb and beef plate, lamb and chicken plate, orange soda, black tea.
Favourite/s: Lentil soup, lamb and beef and black tea. They were all of high quality and left me wanting more.
Critiques: The seating next to the door is not the most comfortable during the winter because it’s a very busy restaurant so there are people coming in and out and bring in cold air.
Bonus: The lentil soup and tea are complimentary.
Take Away: This is by far my favourite shawarma in the city. I wish they had more locations!
Follow on tiktok: @eatwithbuns
By Altair Adwan on January 8, 2025 Verified by Google
No exaggeration one of the best lamb and kebab rolls I’ve had in a while. Chicken shawarma was good but I’ve had better. Multiple flavours of rice provided. Great garlic sauce, couldn’t ask for a better customer service. Highly recommend
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