Tarek’s Cafe

This is the best place to eat in the city. 100% consistency. The two guys that run the place are phenomenal at what they do and very hard workers.
Most consistent, well run establishment in Hali for the last many years.
Best food in the city.

Never disappointed with this place! Had the Philly chicken wrap and it’s so full it falls apart as you eat it, also got the grape leaves, first time I had them heated up and what a difference that makes, first time I had them heated. If you never ate here you gotta try it!

I am a HUGE Supporter of Tarek’s Café. I have been going here for about 10 years. If you are interested in having a flavor party in your mouth Tarek’s is your one stop shop. The Staff is amazing as well! My 2 favorite meals are the half and half and the chicken rigatoni

Having heard good things about Tarek’s, I’ve had it in my list of places to hit up for a while now, but only recently stopped by for a late lunch. The location is befitting that of a lunch joint, and I like that they’re sticking it to the likes of Subway which is next door in this little strip mall on Robie Street.
It’s a pretty casual spot with the main counter and open kitchen running the length of the back of the restaurant. Mismatched chairs and tables sit somewhere in the 30s, mostly at two-​person tables for the lunch crowd. After surveying the menu above the counter, pictures and prices included, I inquired about the «half and half» plate I had read about online and saw above me. It came highly recommended and came with two proteins, beef and their chicken shawarma. It wasn’t cheap for lunch at nearly $ 14, but the one being made in front of me for someone else looked hefty and well worth so I went with it, grabbing an iced tea from the cooler to have while I waited.
With there only being a trickle of other customers at this point, my order was soon called out and I went back up to grab it and upon seeing it knew that my first meal of the day would keep me full for a while. It was loaded with strips of shredded beef and onions, the chicken was surprisingly hunks of meat instead of shaved pieces of meat, curry rice, salad, pita, hummus and tzatziki.
The shawarma was a different take than I’m used to but it was definitely good, being tender and moist and with a light flavour from the marinade. The beef wasn’t quite as good unfortunately, and although it had great browning and a big garlicky hit, some bits were over cooked and a bit chewy.
The salad was like a Lebanese version of a garden salad with big pieces of tomato, cucumber, celery, green pepper, onion, pickled beets and lettuce, with a moderate dose of parsley and a light dressing. Everything was fresh and crispy, even the lettuce for being well out of season, and the dressing added a nice bit of zip to it.
While it wasn’t ground breaking, the curry rice was a vibrant yellow and had a enjoyable curry flavour, minus the spice typically associated with curried dishes.
I really enjoyed the tzatziki, which had a noticeable cucumber flavour to it, which is a refreshing contrast to the blander store-​bought versions I’m used to. The hummus wasn’t as much up my alley as it wasn’t as smooth as I like my hummus to be, but it did carry on the garlic-​heavy theme of this place, which I didn’t mind.
Paying (in cash, as you must) on my way out, I thoroughly enjoyed my meal and found myself wishing that other places in the city had meals like this one.

Yummy delicious mid eastern food, one of my favorite choices. I love everything on their menu, tabouli salads to meat platter. My stomach is always satisfied after eating their lunch meals. A must try if you appreciate good food. They only take cash no debit or credit cards.

Best shawarma In the city. Everything is fresh. The staff are great and friendly. The prices are right. Definitely a café style place. Order your food… Wait for it at your table (don’t stand around people. It’s rude. And don’t make the staff look like morons when food is ready and you can’t remember what you ordered…)
I’d suggest for a wrap the chicken shawarma… Or a full plate… The half and half plate… To die for

I was in shwarma mood of the chicken variety and decided to try Tarek’s. I was hungry and short on time. Despite the tips about cash only, I didn’t remember this until the sign on the door about no credit or debit smacked me in the face. I had to get back in my car and drive to the RBC a few blocks away. Cash in hand I made a second attempt at achieving shwarma nirvana. The line up was light and I was offered a small bowl of steaming hot veg soup in a curry broth– nice touch. A little while and exactly $ 9.15 later I had a tightly wrapped chicken shwarma pita. It was a fairly big, stuffed wrap and after a couple bites it was obvious that the ingredients were fresh and sauces were likely made on site. However there was way too much tahini sauce on it; so much so that it was hard to get an idea of what the shwarma was like on it’s own and it overpowered everything else. Not to mention it made it messy to eat with sauce dripping everywhere. Otherwise it would have been a good lunch for my drive. It wasn’t bad but really I am not sure what the fuss is all about when it comes to Tarek’s. I have had better middle eastern food at the Venus location in HFX shopping centre food court. Not that Tarek’s is bad, rather Venus is that good and cheaper. I understand that a small business owner doesn’t want to pay fees to accept credit card and debit but not taking cash is a real hassle for the customer. I say get with the times and accept other forms of payment. Tarek’s is an established business with multiple locations not a hotdog stand
Warning: extreme garlic breath alert! If you have lunch here and work in an office with others expect your coworkers to be making saving throws versus the odor that will linger around you. The mouthwash and toothpaste does nothing! My spouse complained about garlic breath several hours later.

This place is only seven minutes by car from my work. I’ve been going there for years. I’ve been having lunch there for many years. Chicken Shawarma Pita is one of my favourite dishes. It’s a popular spot for a lot of the people working in television across the street. You may see Steve Murphy there at lunch time!

I’ve eaten at Tarek’s every once in a while in the 6 years that I’ve lived in Halifax and I’ve never understood what the big deal is.
1. It’s hot in the summer: No AC + open kitchen = HOT
2. Cash only
3. The food is ok. On my most recent visit I had the curry ginger chicken combo (came with rice, pita and salad). The chicken texture was odd. I ended up leaving ¾ of it on my plate. The sauce it was cooked in was fine but nothing to write home about. The rice was good (it was the best part of the whole thing). The salad was ok (tomatoes, cucumber, celery, etc) and the pita was quite dry. You do get a small bowl of complimentary soup while you’re waiting for your food (lentil and corn chowder were the two being offered the day I was there) — it’s put up on the counter and you just take one if you want it, this place is pretty much all self-​serve.
When our food was ready it was placed on the counter and the employee was trying to get our attention to tell us it was ready. It was quite busy and noisy at this particular time and another customer finally noticed what was going on and was the one to come over and tell us our food was ready. That wasn’t very professional in my books, it wasn’t that far to our table to just walk it over. My thanks to the fellow patron who alerted us to our food being ready since the staff couldn’t be bothered.
Tarek himself always seems grouchy and grumpy. Nothing here really makes me want to come back.

Service was quick and friendly, they had little snacks for you while you waited for your order to be ready. I got the diced chicken pita, they put some cheese on it that I wasn’t a fan of and it wasn’t heated too much, but it was OK. I might try again if I was in the area but order something different. Always encouraging to see the face/​owner of the restaurant there working.

Fresh and tasty shawarma, for $ 10/​person.
PS: we found out about it from
, who rate Tarek’s as Halifax’s best Middle Eastern and silver medal for shawarma:

I don’t live in the north end anymore, but this place still holds a familiar place in my stomach. The food is amazing, and given how Halifax is lacking diverse meal options (especially affordable and quick) this place is a gem.

Hands down the best Middle Eastern food in the city. The staff and the owner are amazing. It’s a cash only place, so I recommend bringing cash with you to avoid paying the high ATM fees. The half & half plate is always a safe bet, but you really can’t go wrong with anything on the menu.

It ain’t fancy and it’s cash-​only but I don’t care.
I can see this place is a little off-​putting to some who don’t get the «system». You go to the counter, order your food, get your own drink from the cooler, pay and wait for them to call you to come get your food from the counter when it’s ready. Yes, it’s informal, no they don’t bring you water (but if you brought your own I don’t think they’d care one bit). But once you learn the flow it’s all good and year after year it’s always the same staff busting their butts behind the counter. That says good things to me.
And the FOOD! SO GOOD! We do not visit Halifax without going to Tarek’s (usually our last meal on the way out of town because it is sooooo garlicky). I usually get the Chicken Souvlaki Pita and he usually gets the Philly Steak Pita and they are always fresh, hot, big and ridiculously delicious. I recommend them to anyone who will listen.
If we had one closer to home I’d eat there once a week minimum, maybe more.
I don’t know how Subway stays in business next door.

Being nestled in beside a chain resto can often be pretty daunting, but this charming little joint has it nailed with a great menu, all tasty and all delicious.
Slipped in for dinner recently and picked up a falafel pita. Bit of a wait because it was busy, but priced well for the portion and absolutely delicious. The menu goes far beyond pitas too, with Mediterranean delights for one and all.
In a part of town where it’s easy to go greasy, definitely a welcome oasis!

I work nearby so I eat here frequently but that does not stop me from getting take out on the weekends for my wife and daughter.
Tarek is an AMAZING chef and a super nice guy as are the rest of his staff. I have tried a lot of dishes from his menu but usually I get the falafel pita or veggie pita or greek pita. Everything on the menu is excellent. His food is super fresh. His signature garlic sauce is wonderful.
Here’s a tip — ask for the hot sauce they keep behind the counter. Tarek makes it and I can tell you as a fan of hot sauce his is one of my favorites. I put that *&$ on everything at Tareks.
Lunch here will cost about $ 10. Although, a lot of times I get a bowl of soup and pita bread and that costs $ 3.50 and it is filling.
Skip the Subway — Eat Fresh at Tareks.

The only things I’m not a fan of here are that it is cash-​only and the parking lot. Otherwise, I love this place.
I love that I can go here on my lunch hour, get something fresh and healthy, and still have loads of time to spare. I’ve tried a good chunk of their menu through my own orders and sampling from fellow lunch-​goers and everything has been wonderful. My favorites, by far, are the pitas and the Greek salad with chicken.

This is the best thing to happen to my work place. My entire office is a fan of the $ 10 buffet. While not technically «all you can eat», it turns out all I can fit on a plate is all I can eat (pro-​tip: you can fit more in the take out container).
You never know what’s going to be on the buffet menu from one day to the other, but I’ve yet to be disappointed. Didn’t love the buffet kibbi, but I can deal — I like their kibbi well enough if I order it on it’s own.
Like other Tarek’s locations, this one is cash only. An ATM is on site, but I prefer to plan ahead and avoid service fees.
Staff are great and will answer all your «so, what’s that? and that? and how about that?» questions as you pile up your food.

I love the ability to bookmark a place I’ve been wanting to try so that on the rare occasion I can’t figure out where to grab a bite, I can turn to my trusty «to try» list.
Tarek on Robie was one such place. So close to home I forget that it’s an option when on the hunt for food. The first thing I noticed as we walked up to the door is the incredible smell. The next thing I noticed was the extensive Middle Eastern menu (and by noticed I mean you miss it cause it’s right there in front of your face above the grill). My intimidation by all the choices must have been apparent cause the super cool kid behind the counter (and I say kid lightly since he was probably in his mid 20’s) starts asking us what we were in the mood for.
Plate or wrap? Plate
He says they’re making fresh falafel at that moment so that might be a good way to go.
Agreed.
Then he suggests the appetizer combo (10.95) which will come with said falafel.
Agreed.
We also ordered the mixed kabob (16.95) and sat ourselves down and waited…
(with the sample bowl of soup he gave us to try = bonus)
Okay so here’s the jist of my review:
The food is freaking good. However it was the friendliness of Steve (oh Christ I hope that’s his name — the manager aka the cool kid behind the counter) that gets the last star in this 4 star review. He pretty much wooed me the second we walked in until the moment we walked out (belly’s fully satisfied and happy from all the good food).
Who ever owns this place should hold on to this guy for as long as possible. He is good for business!

I got 4 words for this review
Eggplant pita cash only!
For lunch it is a good value and oh so good. I go here whenever I am on the road for work and in this area for lunch.