Mainsha Plus is a ray of sunshine in the dreary Jane and Finch Plaza. To step inside is to inhale a deep and instant hunger, as racks of BBQ, fried and jerk-sauced chicken tempt would-be-diners with their spicy scents. Luckily, the long line moves quickly, with staff doling sassy smiles and saucy chicken as the Bob Marley soundtrack reminds patrons not to worry about a ting.
What's there to worry about? With full meals starting at $3--seriously, $3--Mainsha Plus offers a deep discount on flavour. Inspired by the mouth-watering chicken on display, my sweetheart and I order a king's ransom of Caribbean treats: a jerk chicken, stew chicken, and curry goat meal. Unfortunately , the curry goat has all been gobbled by 7pm, so we settle on curry chicken instead. $17 and 2 minutes later our feast arrives, the scents from the brown take-out bag making it hard to concentrate on the drive home.
It's tough not to tear into the sauce-stained bag, but we are rewarded for our patience. The tender pieces of halal chicken would be tasty on their own, but a smoky sweet jerk sauce, earthy bay-leaf stew and sharp yellow curry each stamp indelible brands of delicious on their respective fowl. Soft, earthy of heaps of rice and beans soak up juices, while tiny containers of crisp coleslaw offer the requisite nod to vegetables. We're both hungry, enthusiastic eaters, but even our piggy ways cannot get us through all three containers.
So, for $17 we get an amazing dinner AND lunch for two! We wash it down with Mainsha's homemade juice, a pink guava drink that tastes like a tart, tropical Kool-Aid.
The Mainsha chain, with additional locations on Dufferin and Eglinton West, has expanded their offering of traditional Caribbean by adding "Plus" to the name, and Khmer food to the Jane/Finch location's menu. Although we didn't try it, the fat pink prawns and fish stews made for some good menu-browsing, and I plan to grab some when I return for Mainsha Plus' Toonie Tuesday special: a mini chicken meal for $2.50, tax included.
Mainsha Plus is a place to be proud of: a cultural and culinary marriage that provides comfort food in often uncomfortable surroundings. If neighbourhoods were measured in flavour, then Mainsha Plus proves Jane and Finch is truly rich.
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when the meal price is too low, one must wonder what ingredients they use...
I've been there before. Really good food. I suspect their price points are low because they're not only competing with other restaurants but with the reputation of the area itself.
There's one in Thorncliffe Park as well.
the top left picture looks like Symbiote if you ask me, ill pass.
terrible picture too
Rice and beans is actually called rice and peas. I don't make the rules...
THEY NEED AUTHENTIC KHMER FOOD. ONCE THEY HAVE THAT THE CAMBODIAN COMMUNITY WILL BE FLYING THERE.
This is one of the best deals in the city: good taste and a good price. The food is fantastic (I like the jerk chicken but many people I know like their fried chicken). I now find that other jerk chicken joints are much more expensive and give you less food (in comparison).
Hey there x,
Where abouts in Thorncliffe Park are they located?
In thorncliffe, by the old Burger King, near Popeyes. There is one that I pass sometimes on O'conner and bermondsey, but I haven't tried that locale yet to see if it taste the same.....
i've been there often - its cheap! and tastes awesome! and the portions are huge! i'll take this over any other fast food joint any day
A location at Victoria Park and Lawrence opened in the summer. At first, the quality was excellent. However, the quality has gone downhill with the staff turnover. As for the comment about the ingredients, I have to concur.
I have been eating at Mainsha (not plus) for years. They have several locations in the west end I know of (Keele/Rogers, Eglington/Oakwood)
The food is delicious and wholesome. It is like eating home made coking but at a bargain price. If I lived closer I would eat there once a day.
Best is either the fried chicken or the BBQ chicken with Rice/Peas with coleslaw and drink for $5.
THIS FOOD IS SIMPLY AMAZING!!!!!!! IVE NEVER SEEN FOOD SO CHEAP AND SO GOOD. I EAT AT MAINSHA PLUS AT LEAST ONCE A DAY!!!!!!!!!! except sunday, they dont open then. these guys are forever going to have my business...well unless they close down.....................but i hope that day doesnt come around in my life time!!!!
It was my first time there and we didn't like it. Rice was too wet very wet just on drive home. We had a shrimp and rice and my husband had steamed fish and rice. We thought it was Jamaican cooking but no way . Jamaican's cook better then that. We won't be back. Yuckee
Mainsha Plus...hmmm, for about 4 months this Jane & Finch Location was managed and run by a young lady that was awsome!! She was able to turn this area/spot into a place that we were all respected. The food is always fresh and the wait time was under 5 minutes. Recently I visited this well needed restaurant in this area and the service has been compromised. They need to remember the basics of what they were thaught and continue to respect the customers always. This location is different and better than all the rest. Big up the lady who started this. She is HIRED!!!
I must say I'v been coming to this place since the first day it opened,...Patrons line-up and crowd up the front entrance just to get their Mainsha Plus fix. Once you eat the food your hooked, I come nearly twice a day because no other food can satisfy and cost as little as this place charges. When they call themselves fastfood take-out, they really are fast food. Even when this place is full of hungry customers awaiting their mouth-watering meals, you get you meals FAST!!!! They make all other competeing food chains look ridiculous. Even Popeye's next door cannot compete with them. Customer Service has always been great, friendly smiles and polite cashiers...I have no complaints. My greatest praises and appreciation goes to this place, it's staff and owner....it's come along way and for everyone in this neighborhood...you've been a blessing. Continue doing what you do.
I must say I'v been coming to this place since the first day it opened,...Patrons line-up and crowd up the front entrance just to get their Mainsha Plus fix. Once you eat the food your hooked, I come nearly twice a day because no other food can satisfy and cost as little as this place charges. When they call themselves fastfood take-out, they really are fast food. Even when this place is full of hungry customers awaiting their mouth-watering meals, you get you meals FAST!!!! They make all other competeing food chains look ridiculous. Even Popeye's next door cannot compete with them. Customer Service has always been great, friendly smiles and polite cashiers...I have no complaints. My greatest praises and appreciation goes to this place, it's staff and owner....it's come along way and for everyone in this neighborhood...you've been a blessing. Continue doing what you do.
I must say I'v been coming to this place since the first day it opened,...Patrons line-up and crowd up the front entrance just to get their Mainsha Plus fix. Once you eat the food your hooked, I come nearly twice a day because no other food can satisfy and cost as little as this place charges. When they call themselves fastfood take-out, they really are fast food. Even when this place is full of hungry customers awaiting their mouth-watering meals, you get you meals FAST!!!! They make all other competeing food chains look ridiculous. Even Popeye's next door cannot compete with them. Customer Service has always been great, friendly smiles and polite cashiers...I have no complaints. My greatest praises and appreciation goes to this place, it's staff and owner....it's come along way and for everyone in this neighborhood...you've been a blessing. Continue doing what you do.
I must say I'v been coming to this place since the first day it opened,...Patrons line-up and crowd up the front entrance just to get their Mainsha Plus fix. Once you eat the food your hooked, I come nearly twice a day because no other food can satisfy and cost as little as this place charges. When they call themselves fastfood take-out, they really are fast food. Even when this place is full of hungry customers awaiting their mouth-watering meals, you get you meals FAST!!!! They make all other competeing food chains look ridiculous. Even Popeye's next door cannot compete with them. Customer Service has always been great, friendly smiles and polite cashiers...I have no complaints. My greatest praises and appreciation goes to this place, it's staff and owner....it's come along way and for everyone in this neighborhood...you've been a blessing. Continue doing what you do.
I must say I'v been coming to this place since the first day it opened,...Patrons line-up and crowd up the front entrance just to get their Mainsha Plus fix. Once you eat the food your hooked, I come nearly twice a day because no other food can satisfy and cost as little as this place charges. When they call themselves fastfood take-out, they really are fast food. Even when this place is full of hungry customers awaiting their mouth-watering meals, you get you meals FAST!!!! They make all other competeing food chains look ridiculous. Even Popeye's next door cannot compete with them. Customer Service has always been great, friendly smiles and polite cashiers...I have no complaints. My greatest praises and appreciation goes to this place, it's staff and owner....it's come along way and for everyone in this neighborhood...you've been a blessing. Continue doing what you do.
Ok, ive eaten at pretty much all major chains of carribbean restaurants. mr jerk, sunrise, willys jerk, montego jerk, mainsha original and the list goes on. and one thing all these chains have in common is one thing, a F***ING LONG WAIT FOR YOUR FOOD!....so i decided to give mainsha plus a chance, because it's literaly down the street from my house and my friends have been wilding out about it. jus for fun, i decided to time how long it will take from the first "hi how could i help you" to the second i got the food in my hand. can you say 47 seconds? like SERIOUSLY WHAT THE F***!?!?!?!??!!? 47 seconds!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!??!?!?!?!?!?
the food, THE BEST IVE EVER HAD FROM ANY CARRIBEAN RESTAURANT, HANDS DOWN!!!!!
ever since that, they'll never lose my business, no matter how long those lines are, they move FAST!
management team are a funny bunch, in a good sense, they all crack jokes with customers and have laid back personalities, but ive seen cases where they were firm and stood their position on certain policies with professionalism and firmness.
staff? all smiling and cracking jokes with patrons as well as each other even when the pressure is on! most places in general lack customer service, but these guys knew how to hire the right people and it looks like the team's chemistry is that of a family.
on another note, there is a mainsha plus at the downsview flea market. .... not quite the same, though it's a franchise, it just doesnt taste the same, and the customer service there is in one word... SLACK. if you want to get your mainsha plus fix, head to jane n finch. these guys will treat you like royalty and even hook you up on occasion when you begin to come there enough.
best restaurant in toronto, point blank, period.