Does the Boustan in Toronto taste like the one in Montreal?

Food & drink

There is a Shawarma Restaurant in town and it has left people wondering is it good? If you have ever been to Montreal you probably have heard of this famous place Boustan.

It is a McGill student’s staple diet apart from Samosas. It is where you go after a night out. For the first year of my McGill life, I think I ate Boustan on most days. I had a regular order which included beef shawarma extra sauce combo and garlic potato. That garlic oh my god I don’t think I have ever eaten anything better than that garlic.

After eating Boustan every day I did get sick of it and didn’t eat it for 2 years. 4th year I was back to the Boustan life. Now, Boustan opening up in Toronto is what I have been waiting for.

There are good Shawarma places in Toronto like Ghadir and Empire but they just never felt like the Boustan Shawarma. Because well they don’t have the same garlic sauce and the Boustan sauce.

So let’s get to the point is it the same as Montreal?

Boustan has been franchised and this is the same thing. It is the real deal. You can tell by the fact that they have put the Boustan logo on everything. Very different from when I ate Boustan and had no wrapping. The name does speak volumes so I understand why they have it everywhere. But does the real deal mean it tastes exactly the same? We had to put it through the taste test to find out.

I ordered my staple Beef Shawarma pita with a side of garlic potato. They have different sizes of garlic potato you can even buy a large which I thought was quite impressive. I stuck to the small I know the garlic potatoes are heavy.

Garlic potato

I thought the garlic sauce was on point. The potatoes on the other hand I feel could be smaller and cooked more. I mean it was 5 years ago that ate Boustan so my memory might be failing me but I do remember the potatoes being smaller and more cooked. The garlic sauce though reminded me of my youth.

Beef shawarma

I got everything on my Shawarma and extra sauce. They put plastic wrap around the Shawarma which I thought was quite nice as usually when I order things with extra sauce I have to suffer with it leaking.

The Shawarma was pretty good. I felt it was a bit different in taste to the Montreal one but I think the ingredients were the same it was just not put together in the same way if that makes sense. But the Boustan sauce reminded me of Montreal so that tasted exactly the same. The beef had a bit of a taste that I never felt in Montreal. All in all, it was the best Shawarma I have tried in Toronto so go get it! The vegetables were good the sauces were great.

There are plates as well but I am strictly a pita sandwich type of gal and I am not changing my ways.

How to order?

You can order on the phone in advance. If you go to the restaurant go to the end and that is where they take your order and you pay at the end.

Wrap Up

My bag did tear and all my Shawarmas fell on the ground so I would request that they make a better bad but apart from that I have no complaints. There was a little bit of rush but it took me around 10 minutes.

Now the Boustain in Montreal was used to late hour rush but this one will take a bit getting used to as the staff is new. The ambiance was quite clean and refreshing. Very different from Montreal which was a hole down some staircases which gave it an authentic feel but this one has the feel that you wouldn’t mind sitting there and eating.

As usual for drinks, they only sell the Pepsi brand which annoys a coke fan like me

For dessert there is Baklava but you will be quite full with your sandwich. It is quite heavy! You can eat it for the whole day’s meal. It is more expensive than I remember having it for like 5 dollars but the times have changed and a sandwich is now for 7.5 dollars which is still quite good.

My recommendation is to get a combo of garlic potato, shawarma pita, and a drink. Beef is always better than chicken since it has more taste in my opinion. My recommendations to a newbie Boustan eater.

Order in advance if you don’t like waiting! But the wait isn’t that long or at least when I went it wasn’t. I did read some reviews about the wait being long but I feel as the staff becomes more experienced they will be flying out Shawarmas.

ALSO I WAS SHOCKED AND IMPRESSED TO KNOW THAT BOUSTAN HAS LIKE 40 LOCATIONS!

I am sure there will be many more opening in Toronto who knows it might be the next Paramount out here.

It has a lot in Montreal but one in Ottawa and well now Scarborough!

Address: 2074 Lawrence Ave E Unit 2074, Scarborough, ON M1R 2Z5

Boustan Menu

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