Farooj Abo Alabed excels in authentic Lebanese cuisine, specializing in expertly grilled meats and flavorful sandwiches. Diners can anticipate succulent chicken shawarma, perfectly seasoned skewers of shish taouk, and tender kofta, all prepared with traditional spices and techniques. The establishment offers a vibrant atmosphere where the aromas of fresh herbs and chargrilled delights fill the air. Each dish is a testament to the rich culinary heritage of Lebanon, providing a genuine taste of home-style cooking. It's the ideal destination for those seeking bold, satisfying flavors rooted in classic Middle Eastern recipes.
Farooj Abo Alabed is widely celebrated for its exceptional charcoal-grilled chicken and authentic Lebanese flavors, with many diners describing the food as juicy, fresh, and incredibly delicious. The signature chicken sandwiches and flavorful garlic sauce frequently receive high praise, often being compared favorably to traditional meals found in Lebanon. While the atmosphere is described as beautifully decorated and welcoming, the restaurant is consistently busy, which can lead to significant wait times during peak hours. Although some visitors feel the service and portion sizes could be more consistent, many others appreciate the hard work of the staff and view the high quality of the meals as well worth the visit.
Honestly, I'm really disappointed with my experience at the Laval location. I waited 55 minutes for my order, which was already frustrating, but what bothered me even more was how the situation was handled.
While I was waiting, it honestly felt like people who knew some of the staff in the kitchen were being prioritized & getting their orders taken care of before mine. I understand that restaurants can get busy, but that's not a fair way to treat customers who have been waiting.
When I asked to speak with the manager, instead of actually bringing the manager, the employee brought me someone who was working with him. That made the whole situation even more frustrating & left me feeling like my concern wasn't being taken seriously.
I'm not upset just because I had to wait. I'm upset because of the way I was treated & the lack of professionalism when I tried to ask about my order.
Unfortunately, this was my last visit to this location, & I won't be recommending it to anyone in my community either. It's disappointing to say that, especially when I genuinely wanted to support the restaurant, but after this experience, I don't feel comfortable coming back or encouraging people I know to do so.
I really hope management takes this feedback seriously, because customers deserve to be treated fairly & with respect.
I understand a lot of people leave negative reviews about the place, & i hesitated so much before coming because of that, but decided to take a leap of faith & try it
🌟 SERVICE: I was definitely satisfied at the end, the staff are amazing, very friendly & patient despite how busy they are, I spoke with the management (Muhammad) about why they have so many negative reviews, & it seems like people are not accepting the long wait despite how busy & crowded it gets, he took the time to discuss it with me & address my concern, excellent customer service, some people are just not reasonable when it comes to accepting the wait time at such a busy restaurant
🌟 Food: the food was very good, the sandwiches are tasty, fries are nice & crispy, but the highlight was their Sumac garlic sauce with the fries 😍
I've visited this place several times since they opened & unfortunately the wait times to get your order are simply ridiculous.
Let me start with the positive: the sandwiches are spectacular. They're the only reason I kept coming back & giving this place multiple chances. However, great food can only make up for poor service for so long. If the service doesn't improve, definitely i will won't be returning.
My first visit was during a busy period, so I was willing to be understanding. However, it still took nearly 50 min to receive 4 chicken sandwiches.
On my second visit, the restaurant was only moderately busy, yet it took 45 min to get two sandwiches.
For my third visit, I called ahead for pickup *25 minutes before arriving* but I still had to wait an additional 10 min on the store for 3 chicken sandwiches.
The fourth visit was my last. I placed a pickup order **30 minutes in advance** for three sandwiches & once again, had to wait another 10 min after arriving.
After several visits, it became clear that the problem isn't the food-it's the organization. Watching the staff work, everything seemed chaotic & poorly coordinated. These aren't overly complex sandwiches to prepare, especially when the chicken is already done & ready to be assembled in the pita & finished on the charcoal grill.
This kind of delay will eventually drive customers elsewhere, am one them. There are plenty of similar restaurants nearby, including long-established places like this place, where customers can get quality food without spending nearly an hour waiting for a few sandwiches.
I genuinely wish this new business success because the food is excellent but at the end of the day, you got to experience the whole thing & it's simply not worth spending 45-60 minutes waiting for 3-4 sandwiches. Great food brings customers in, but efficient service is what keeps them coming back.
Outstanding sandwiches, but extremely slow & disorganized service makes the overall experience frustrating.
When it's busy expect to wait 30 minutes for your food, the food is great, the staff hustles, the only thing that I find annoying is watching the owner count his money & take pictures of the lineups instead of cleaning the filthy tables & sweeping the filth on the floor when all the workers are hustling making orders, if I see him acting like he is better than the employees again I will definitely stop eating here & will encourage others to do the same.
As a Vietnamese person, I can't claim to be an expert on authentic Lebanese food, especially since so many places offer fusion or Westernized versions.
I noticed some reviews mentioning the wait time, but I think we have become so accustomed to everything being fast that we sometimes forget quality food takes time. Especially flavourful, charcoal-grilled meat.
While waiting, we had the pleasure of speaking with Lebanese customers who came all the way from Brossard. They told us the food tasted very close to home, even to what they have eaten in Lebanon, which was very reassuring.
We ordered the musahab sandwich & the kebab sandwich. Both were delicious, although the musahab was my personal favourite. For anyone who enjoys spicy food, ask for the spicy sauce. It adds the perfect kick without overpowering the flavours.
We were there at 2:30 PM & it was busy. We left at 4:00 & the line got even longer. It is a little far from where I live, but honestly, this place is worth the detour.
If you're looking for authentic, delicious Lebanese food, this place is absolutely worth the visit. The sandwiches were packed with flavor, the meat was fresh & juicy, the hummus was excellent, & even the fries were seasoned perfectly. Everything tasted homemade & prepared with care.
One thing people need to understand before leaving a negative review: this restaurant is EXTREMELY busy, especially on weekends & during peak hours. Wait times of 20 to 40 minutes, & sometimes even longer, are completely normal when there's a lineup out the door. If you can clearly see dozens of people waiting ahead of you, simple math tells you the kitchen can only work so fast.
A longer wait does not mean the food is bad. In fact, it's often the opposite. Great restaurants attract crowds. Judging the quality of the food based solely on wait time isn't really fair, especially when the volume of customers is obvious from the moment you walk in.
The staff worked hard, the food was fantastic, & the restaurant was packed for a reason. Be patient, enjoy the experience, & you'll understand why so many people keep coming back. Highly recommended! 👌🔥🌯🇱🇧
Very disappointed with the service experience. Reaching the restaurant by phone was extremely difficult, & despite arriving early to pay & place an order for pickup scheduled two hours later, the order was still not prepared on time. Unfortunately, this created an embarrassing situation in front of invited guests.
I understand that busy periods happen, but better communication, organization, & overall management would greatly improve the customer experience. Regrettably, after this experience, I will not be ordering again.
