Roses Kebab Land Express (take Out)

As I arrived, I noticed the parking lot behind the building looked a bit sketchy and dirty, with a large trash bin right next to the small area meant for parking three or four cars. I then walked around to the front, which I thought was odd since there wasn’t a rear entrance despite the parking being located in the back. When I looked at the menu, the woman behind the counter seemed okay, but my brother mentioned that she whispered something under her breath because we were taking a bit of time to decide. The prices on the menu were quite high; we ended up spending almost $70 for two people, which feels steep for takeout. Regardless, I was still in the mood for Persian food. Since I’m on a low-carb diet, I asked if I could substitute the rice for a salad, but the lady told me salad costs extra. Fine, I accepted that. We waited for the chef to grill our meats fresh right in front of us and then headed out with our order. To avoid the view of the dumpster, we drove to a nicer location to eat. The chicken and beef were delicious, as was the grilled tomato; the chef did a fantastic job with those. However, the salad I received seemed like it had been sitting in the fridge for a while—the purple cabbage had stained the other vegetables, and some of the lettuce was slightly brown. Overall, the prices were high for takeout, the customer service was just okay—not the best—but the flavor of the freshly prepared meat was good. My brother also noted that the saffron rice was very tasty. I’d rate the salad a 3 out of 5. Give it a try, but there are definitely better Persian options out there.

The kabab koobideh here was just average. I've definitely had better tasting koobideh at other places. While there were no major issues, I probably wouldn't return, especially with so many other options nearby. The roses koobideh was also not as it was described; the chicken pieces were quite thin and small (which is hard to see in the picture).

We either received the wrong order or there was no saffron in the chicken. The joojeh was tasteless and lacked its signature yellow color. While I don't mind paying a premium for good food, it’s disappointing to not find saffron in the chicken marinade. A manager is welcome to respond if there was an error with my order, but for now, I won’t be returning.

However, there were several downsides. The Kabab Barg was the worst I’ve ever tried—lacking flavor, with not enough salt or saffron. The Kabab Torsh didn’t meet my expectations either. In my opinion, the top choice for kebabs in the Greater Toronto Area remains Reyhoon Persian Eatery. Additionally, I found the prices to be quite high for the quality offered. You can easily find better kebabs at Iranian supermarkets like Khorak. I expect a restaurant experience to exceed what I can get from a grocery store, and it's also frustrating to see a mandatory service fee for dining in. Given the range of better options available in the city, I doubt I’ll return.

Delicious Persian cuisine! I really enjoyed my meal here. It was my first time trying the walnut yogurt drink, and I found it to be a fascinating combination that I liked. The only reason I rated it 4 stars instead of 5 is that there was no Persian bread on the menu. Adding a selection of freshly baked ethnic breads would really enhance the experience!