Lebanese butcher shop in Scarborough serves up shawarma 'as we do it back home'

Lebanese-born Ali Dbouk first opened Ghadir Meat Marketin 1992, shortly after arrivingin Canada.

Dbouk and his family, like most immigrants from the Levant, first settled in Scarborough.

With a family background in the meat industry, Dbouk found a location on Lawrence Avenue Eastto open his shop, which was tucked atthe end of a strip mall next to an auto mechanic shop.

I first came across the store while having lunch at Shawarma Empire next door,a long-standing Palestinian takeout spot with a cult-like following. I remember one afternoon, standing in line outside Shawarma Empire, and noticinghow busy Ghadir was:arush of people grabbing meat products and groceries and Dbouk always seemed to be around to greet people. Slowly, a community was being built on Lawrence Avenue East.

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Fast forward over two decades, the Lawrence Avenue East strip is one of the best streets in North America for food from the Levant. (In fact, it's one of my most popular walking food tours.)

Everyone is welcome on Lawrence.- Ali Dbouk, GhadirMeat and Restaurant owner

Drive to Victoria Parkand Lawrence avenues, park your car, and as you walk east towardWarden Avenue, you will hit a variety of Middle Eastern restaurants that specialize in everything from charcoal grilled fish toSyrian spinach pies and every variation of shawarma you could want (Lebanese-style to Iraqi.)

"This area has changed so much. It's now a strong and beautiful community. Everyone is welcome on Lawrence," Dbouk said.

He played a vital role in the early days building the neighbourhood as a community hub for newcomers, and establishing industrycamaraderie that has cemented the Wexford neighbourhood as the hotspot for Middle Eastern foodstuffs.

Seeing that he needed a bigger space,he moved his shop across the street after learning about a vacancy earlier this year and openedGhadirMeat and Restaurant.

"With the new location, I was able to achieve my dream. We can have the butcher shop, a charcoal counter, groceries, and shawarmaLebanese-style shawarma."

Scarborough shawarma shop a taste of Lebanon

7 years ago

Duration 1:45

Ghadir Meat & Restaurant is constantly buzzing and has evolved from a butcher shop to a grocery store, takeout counter and gathering place, says Suresh Doss.

The bigger location also allowed Dbouk to play hosting duties to his regulars who pop in sometimes three to four times a week.

"It's an even tighter community now. People come here for shawarma, then they sit and hang out. They get to know each other, and they can also get some groceries on the way out."

Dbouk continues to be a community builder. He mentioned that with the influx of Syrian newcomersmoving into Scarborough, he has started to employ many of them at the new shop.

"We're neighbours back home. We don't see Lebanon and Syria as separate countries. We are like neighbouring towns. We will be neighbours here."

Now with more space and seating, the new Ghadir Meat and Restaurant has quickly become a hub for the local community, and they have great food.

I personally think the manakeesh is excellent. Dough is topped with a healthy spread of za'atar(ground dried thyme, oregano and sesame seeds) and cheese,if you wish, then baked in a stone oven. It's one of the best breakfast items you can have: pillowy bread with a mix of tang, salty and earthy flavours.

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The shawarma is also great. Since Dbouk runs his own butcher counter, he said he is able to maintain a high standard for halal meat. The meat is marinated in a house blend of spices, stacked up in a cone and slow cooked on a spit.

"We do our shawarma as we do it back home," Dbouk said.

It's then sandwiched with vegetables and house-made spreads or you can have it with rice, which I highly recommend. Buttery riceis covered in a dome ofcrispy, tender pieces of beef or chickenshawarma, then a slathering of any of the house saucesand a dollop of hot sauce.

Ghadir Meat & Restaurant is at 1848 Lawrence Ave. E.