Osmow's Shawarma - Toronto

The Lamb Shawarma Wrap Combo and the Chicken Shawarma Wrap Combo were absolutely delightful!

I have lunch at Osmow's twice a week at various locations, but I found the pita to be quite thin, which isn’t what I typically expect. Also, there wasn't much sauce included. Overall, it lacked the authentic flavor that I associate with a true Osmow's pita.

The food is quite tasty, although the rice can be somewhat inconsistent; once, I had some that was a bit too soft and mushy. Overall, the daily specials are so appealing that they often draw me in, and I frequently end up ordering more than I intended. I would advise against going during lunch on weekdays, as it tends to get quite crowded with students and the lunch crowd.

The food here is exceptional, and the restaurant is spotless. However, I have some concerns about the hygiene practices of the food preparer. It appears there is a significant risk of cross-contamination, as it's unacceptable to touch cash, the cash register, your mask, tablets, beef, chicken, and then bread, all while using the same pair of gloves. This method is not sanitary. The person preparing the food should either focus solely on food preparation or, at the very least, change their gloves frequently. Wearing the same gloves throughout an entire shift is simply not acceptable.

**1. Appearance: 2/5** This was my first time trying the Chicken on the Rocks, and it arrived looking dry, with hardly any sauce. The sauce is a key part of this dish, and the lack of garlic tahini made it even more disappointing. The chicken seemed overcooked and unappealing. **2. Smell: 3/5** The smell was quite faint, with just a slight hint of garlic sauce and spices, which didn’t entice me. **3. Taste: 3/5** The signature rice was flavorful, just as I'd remembered. However, the dish suffered from too little sauce and dry, overcooked chicken that tasted like it had been on the grill too long, complete with burnt edges. **4. Texture: 2/5** While the rice was great, the chicken didn't hold up. It was tough and had burnt bits, which made the overall texture unappealing. More sauce and juicier chicken would have greatly improved the dish. **5. Temperature: 4/5** On a positive note, my order did arrive hot and fresh. **6. Flavor: 2/5** As a fan of Osmow's and a regular visitor to various locations, this was my first genuinely disappointing experience. Perhaps it was just an off day, but the flavor was lacking and didn’t justify the price. The dish really needed more sauce, and the chicken could have been juicier and better cooked. I might think about giving this place another chance down the line, given that it's a franchise and usually upholds a consistent quality across its locations.