Toronto's most-hyped Middle Eastern restaurant rapidly expanding
A Toronto shawarma restaurant that's gotten heaps of hype from celebrities and regular folks alike is embarking on a major expansion path across the city.
People in the GTA hold their shawarma preferences as dearly as their own families, but, by and large, most people can agree that Sumaq Iraqi Charcoal BBQ is among the best.
blogTO readers voted it the best in Toronto, after all. But you don't just have to take our word for it. The Scarborough-founded Iraqi barbecue restaurant has built significant cultural cachet entirely on its own, earning glowing reviews from scores of locals and even food influencer Keith Lee.
Further proof of Sumaq's ever-increasing foodie street cred is the impressive expansion path it's been on this year, securing outposts in busy downtown Toronto locations to supplement its established presence in Scarborough and Mississauga.
The chain opened its first downtown Toronto location on Queen West earlier in the summer of 2026, and now the chain is preparing to open another, which could quite possibly prove its busiest yet.
Coming in early 2027, the restaurant will be setting up shop at Union Station, launching what will likely be its most high-traffic location yet.
Joining major players like Shake Shack, Jersey Mike's and McDonald's, the location at the transit hub could serve as a potential launching pad for even greater expansion to come.
Sumaq Iraqi Charcoal BBQ currently operates four locations in Toronto and the GTA.
Fareen Karim
