maha's

amy (@carbs.and.cocktails) invited me for brunch on the east side and i was totally in! once she realized i could not say no to brunch, she suggested going during the week. weekday brunch? is that a thing? i would soon find out!. on a friday afternoon, we played hooky from work and made our way to maha's. she warned me that there was always a line and they don't take reservations. i mean, a line up on a friday afternoon for brunch? really? really. weekday brunch is a thing.

this is a small but charming egyptian brunch place in little india. the wait was a bit long, about 35 min, but the food was worth it. they don't take reservations so you may inevitably have to wait given the small size of the restaurant, but their food is delicious. would definitely recommend.

i recently checked out maha's after hearing a lot of neighbourhood buzz about the resto. this was also my first time having egyptian food. i have a side of the pickled eggplant and the classic cairo breakfast. the food is very well seasoned and so flavourful. the flavours are unique, definitely different than what i was used to, a mix of salty, sweet and savoury. the bread is wonderful, you can tell the food is homemade. service is attentive and friendly. the restaurant is small and there is often a lineup. the decor is simple but inviting.

oh this place! it was such a long wait on a saturday afternoon. i heard a lot about it and i was thinking it is a big restaurant. but it wasn't!

luckily, it was a nice day outside and i didn't mind waiting outside. was i thinking of what i would do during winter? yes i was. we got seated after 30 minutes and the food arrived after another 35 minutes. i was having mixed feelings if i should be coming back here or not.

we ordered the chicken sandwich/wrap and a foole platter with bread, sliced boiled eggs and labneh. i really liked the chicken burger, it was tangy as it was sautéed with parsley and very different. foole was okay. i felt it needed to have more flavour as you're having it with a bread and yoghurt.

i definitely need to try their other items but i wonder if the wait is worthwhile. it is also quite far from core downtown. not going their anytime soon.

food is good! wait times not so much.

prices have also increased

we decided to check this place out on a weekend, my friends love the food so took us here. be prepared to wait.

11:30am arrival, told there is 1hr and 15min wait
12:20pm arrived back and waited another 20 mins for table
12:50pm: ordered appetizers and food
1:33pm: appetizers arrived
1:50pm: got main course

ambiance/decor:
very small space limited tight seating. they have pictures all over the walls. with the space being small it sometimes feels claustrophobic with all the pics and furniture. its a tight fit. you can see the kitchen as it is right behind the cashier. since it is small you can feel the heat from the kitchen in the summer. there is outside seating available. there are 2 bathroom!

staff:
friendly, almost feel bad for them as they are sweating buckets. because they are so busy they miss your request often for items etc.

food:
they bring you cold water (mint or regular)

flafel $4: you get 2 pieces on a bread of lettuce with tahini sauce. they were really tasty and definetly fresh but they are smaller pieces.

bread:$1 for a mini bread (very small bread)

watermelon salad:$9 for that price you'd think you get a little bit more. portion are small but salad is definitely delicious (only available during summer)

cumin potato: delicious but it's mostly the sauce that make them delicious

chicken sadwich:$10 huge portion, the chicken is spilling out the sandwich. it was really good. this is the best thing ever. i crave it all the time!!

kebdah liver in pita: this was delicious too

the food is good no doubt. the atmosphere is great too. you feel like your just at someone's house in a foreign country eating food.

this review is just a warning that expect to wait awhile for food!! also if really busy and limited seating expect to share a table with stranger. i didn't mind but some people certainly do.

incredible authentic egyptian food from the restaurant.. recommend the mouth watering chicken dish to order.

arrived at 8:15 and was promptly seated as the wait staff was available. the honey-cardamom latte was delicious. i had the max sandwich. the falaffel was a bit salty. the hummus was amazing! service was mediocre.

to be fair the food was very flavourful however the quantity didn’t matched the price charged. it’s for people who are willing to pay extra $6 for just the tasting experience for each entre that they have not tried before or can’t get it somewhere else. we’ve been lucky to have all of authentic egyptian and levante food, way better taste, quality and quantity.

ambience 3/5
taste 4/5
quantity 2/5
price 1/5
service 3/5

this little gem, located at 226 greenwood ave toronto is as good as it gets. we tried the basturma scramble, lentil soup and the cairo classic. all three dishes were authentic and superb. the black tea with mint was also a highlight to the meal. all orders are made from fresh ingredients. definitely worth several more trips here for brunch. the staff were all courteous and very helpful with our selections. yummy!!

we went today, long queue but service is excellent and quick, polite and friendly people. prices are fair, food is really good and tasty. highly recommended

good food and great atmosphere! had to wait about half an hour outside in line before we were invited inside but it was well worth it. the food was great. the portion of food was big and staff was very friendly!

as soon as i saw the line of about 20 people, i questioned whether we should stay. but, there’s little choice in the area and we decided to wait a bit to see how quickly the line moves. the turnover gradually happens and after waiting for 45 minutes we’re stuck… we’re waiting for the long haul. when i finally walked through the door and the heavenly aromas enveloped me … i knew it was worth the perseverance.
 

you didn’t wait so long for traditional brunch plates like omelettes, eggs benny, and pancakes. glancing at the menu, the first dish - the cairo classic ($16) – already promised a meal of exotic items. the classic is a plate of foole (creamy fava beans stewed with tomatoes, onions, and spices) that’s topped with boiled egg slices, tomato feta, and a light falafel. it’s a lovely messy dish as you try to squish as much of the beans and other items into the soft fluffy toasted balady bread. then when everything’s about to burst, you bite into it to find an eruption of flavours and textures.

then add some of the tangy crispy balady salad to the mix and all the flavours change - the acid of the cold pickled vegetables cutting through the hot thick foole. just be warned, family style dining at maha’s is a must as there’s so many things to try and dishes are rich, so it’d be too heavy to have one thing on its own.

the egyptian falafel ($16) is akin to the scotch egg where soft boiled eggs are encapsulated in a crispy falafel. what an inventive dish! biting into the golden brown sphere, i’m greeted with a combination of creamy yolk, moist spiced chickpea, and a bit of crispy coating. the eggs sit on a pile of

lovely and cosy egyptian restaurant! if you’re in the area and looking for a traditional breakfast pass by for sure! their options are only egyptian but did i mention their bread? it’s exactly how it is in egypt! family owned restaurant, but keep in mind the lines and they don’t take reservations! quick things

i was looking forward to eating here for so long as the reviews are fantastic and i often see a lineup out the door to get in. we went on a weekday afternoon and it was not at all busy, so i was excited to be seated quickly. the interior is very cozy and comfortable and i loved the decor. the service was also quite friendly. i'm just very disappointed with the food. i am middle eastern so maybe my expectations were high, but when my falafel can out absolutely covered in mayonnaise, i couldn't believe it. it's traditionally not middle eastern at all to use this condiment, and the fact that my poor falafel just tasted like pure mayo was such a let down, even though i tried to scrape most of it off. why not use tahini, like what is usually used with falafel? it wasn't mentioned on the menu, or else i wouldn't have ordered it. the foole was also very underwhelming. it was desperately in need of salt and lemon, and it was runnier than i personally like. maybe i'm spoiled for having access to amazing middle eastern food at home, but for a restaurant of such a price and reputation, i really expected more.

nice restaurant! the place is small but with really nice ambient, you feel like being somewhere else rather than toronto.

does it worth the 45min-1 hour waiting? just once! im not disappointed but i wouldn’t repeat it. the service is kind of slow, the food is too salty, especially the sunny egg with feelo.

the lentil soup and maha’s blowing mind chicken are really good though.