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| - Shawarma Empire snob here....
Ever since finding Empire, I turn my nose up to a lot of shawarma places; most places are either unauthentic (tzadziki instead of tahini?!!!), the meat is cooked poorly, or it is too expensive. While Pitalicious isn't quite the taste (or bargain) that I have come to enjoy down at Lawrence and Pharmacy, it is the perfect place for someone who works in Markham and just wants some decent middle-eastern food for lunch.
Came in after debating it for a long while (something about the business name made me think it would be a gimmicky place, watered down in order to appeal to "gentler palates" - not so), propelled by the positive reviews here on yelp. I was impressed with both the food and the service; the meat was being cooked freshly, toppings were fresh, there was a selection of sides and desserts at the counter, and a large dispenser of homemade lemonade with fresh mint sat nice and cold near the cash.
Service
Everyone in Pitalicious is family, mom on cash, dad on food, and daughter supporting the two simultaneously. Service is friendly and helpful; everyone was more than willing to explain the dishes to me, and to chat a little bit about food and culture in general. Growing up half-Armenian, a lot of the dishes were similar/familiar to my family's, but with a some different spicing.
Food
What I've had so far:
Chicken Shawarma,
Chicken Shawarma dinner w/ mujadeen (rice & lentils with fried onions)
Dolma (grape leaves)
Baklava (cigar & traditional)
Lemonade
The chicken is great, crispy edges and not overcooked; haven't tried the beef (looks a little dry) and lamb isn't my thing. Really liked the mujadeen; the rice, as well as the meat and sauce, all have spicing in it that makes me think along the lines of cinnamon, or allspice....something more African? What's really interesting (and unique for me) are the array of toppings: aside from the standards (sumac onion, lettuce, cucumber, pickles, turnip), sandwiches are stuffed with tabouleh, cabbage slaw, hummus, a THICK garlic sauce, and topped with a hot pepper.
The baklava are really good. They have three varieties: traditional (triangle wedge), cigar (rolled), and a four-cornered one. Just need to try the last one.
LEMONADE! This lemonade is ridiculously good, made fresh, and the fresh mint really adds a dimension of flavour that makes it unique.
All in all, this is a great spot for lunch, and a better alternative to Wendy's, South St, Tucker's, Swiss Chalet, and everything else around here.
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