Wexford’s Little Arabia: where to eat halal in Scarborough

Why this part of Scarborough is called Little Arabia

“Little Arabia” and “Little Araby” are informal names for the concentration of Arab shops and food businesses along Lawrence East. They describe a community that grew through everyday shopping as much as eating out: meat counters, groceries, pastries and places to sit down for a meal. Arab America’s account of the strip describes that mix, while a 2024 Condé Nast Traveller feature follows a food tour through its grocers and dessert shops. Arab America; Condé Nast Traveller.

Wexford Heights is the wider business area. Its boundaries extend from Victoria Park to Birchmount, and its food scene reaches beyond the Arab restaurants that gave the informal nickname its currency. A guide that stops at shawarma would miss the Afghan kabobs, Pakistani karahi and Somali meals along the same road. The local BIA, established in 2004, also organises Taste of Lawrence, the neighbourhood’s food and culture festival.

Ghadir Meat & Restaurant, at 1848 Lawrence East, makes the connection between shopping and lunch particularly clear: its own site presents both a halal meat market and a Lebanese restaurant. Shawarma Empire’s chicken, beef and falafel menu at 1823 Lawrence East offers another familiar starting point near Pharmacy. These are useful landmarks for understanding the strip, alongside the HFP-listed restaurants below. Ghadir’s website; Shawarma Empire’s ordering menu.

Where to eat in Wexford’s Little Arabia

These eight linked listings cover different kinds of meals on the Lawrence corridor. They are grouped by what you might want to eat, rather than placed in a league table.

Nasib’s: a shawarma or falafel lunch

1867 Lawrence Avenue East

Nasib’s is a straightforward place to begin near Pharmacy. Its published menu offers chicken and beef shawarma sandwiches, falafel, shish tawook and platters, with hummus and other sides. Choose a sandwich if you want to leave appetite for dessert; look at the platter options if lunch is the main event. The restaurant describes making its dips, dressings and sauces from scratch. Restaurant source.

Sumaq Iraqi Charcoal Grill: shawarma and kebabs

1961 Lawrence Avenue East

Sumaq’s Scarborough branch brings Iraqi cooking into the mix. Shawarma and grilled kebabs anchor its menu; HFP’s recorded menu also includes Iraqi kebab and chicken and lamb tikka. It is a useful option when one person wants a wrap and another wants a grill plate. Select the Scarborough branch when opening its menu or ordering, since Sumaq also operates in Mississauga. Restaurant source.

Naan & Kabob: an Afghan meal near Pharmacy

1801 Lawrence Avenue East

The Lawrence branch of Naan & Kabob is an Afghan option for kabobs, rice and naan. Its branch ordering menu lists tandoori chicken, shami kabob and Qabli lamb shank, as well as larger platters. Start with an individual plate for a solo meal, or compare the platter contents when eating with others. Kunafa’s shares the same civic address, making the two an easy pairing to plan. Branch menu.

Karahi Boys: make dinner a shared order

1921 Lawrence Avenue East

Karahi Boys Scarborough makes sense when the group wants to sit down around a main dish. Its branch menu distinguishes chicken and goat karahis, including Charsi and Namak Mandi styles, alongside Pakistani barbecue and naan. That is a more useful way to choose than simply ordering “a curry”: decide on the meat, the preparation and whether the table wants a second dish from the grill. The branch offers half and full karahi portions. Restaurant source.

Sahan: Somali suqaar and goat ribs

2010 Lawrence Avenue East

Sahan Restaurant is a reason to look beyond the corridor’s best-known shawarma names. Its own menu lists goat ribs, labelled awlal, chicken and beef suqaar, steaks and fish. Rice or pasta accompanies the main-course choices. It gives a group another direction for dinner and puts Somali cooking squarely into the story of this part of Scarborough. Restaurant menu.

Aleppo Kebab: Syrian and Armenian flavours

2075 Lawrence Avenue East

Aleppo Kebab describes its cooking through Syrian and Armenian influences. The menu moves between mild beef kebab, spicy Adana kebab, shish taouk and falafel, with hummus, kibbeh and manakish offering ways to build out the order. The contrast between its mild and spicy kebab choices is a useful starting point for a table with different tastes. Use the current 2075 Lawrence East address; older coverage may point to its former location. Restaurant source.

Kunafa’s: cheese pastry and coffee

1801 Lawrence Avenue East

At Kunafa’s, the decision starts with texture. The shop lists soft and crispy kunafa made with Nabulsi cheese, alongside Turkish coffee and mint tea. If this is your first visit, those two classic preparations give you a clear place to start before considering the shop’s other sweets. It is an obvious second stop after a savoury meal, rather than an afterthought added to the same order. Restaurant menu and location.

Crown Pastries: something for the table at home

2086 Lawrence Avenue East

The Lawrence branch of Crown Pastries works especially well at the end of an outing. Its range includes baklava, kunafa and maamoul, with assorted baklava among its published products. A mixed box lets the meal continue at home without asking everyone to make room for another full dessert immediately. Check that the branch is Lawrence East when looking up directions: Crown also has a Kennedy Road location in Scarborough. Menu; branch addresses.

How to plan a Wexford food outing

A first visit: lunch, dessert and a little browsing

Begin around Pharmacy with a meal at Nasib’s or Naan & Kabob, then make Kunafa’s the dessert stop. The groceries and food shops are part of the appeal of this stretch, so allow time to browse instead of treating each address as a separate drive.

A longer dinner: one main restaurant, one sweets stop

Choose Karahi Boys, Sahan or Aleppo Kebab for the meal, then check whether Crown Pastries is open for a takeaway box afterwards. Keeping the evening to two stops gives the main meal enough time and avoids ordering more than the table wants.

Getting there, crossing the road and parking

The TTC’s 54 Lawrence East route serves the corridor, with stops at Pharmacy and Warden. Check its live route information for your connection and any service changes. If driving, choose the first restaurant before setting your destination and read the parking signs for that property.

This is a working arterial road with separate plazas on both sides, not a pedestrian precinct. Plan crossings at the signals, and do not assume that a parking space at one business covers an extended visit elsewhere. For a short outing, pick a compact group of stops rather than trying to cover the whole business area. Confirm seating and step-free access with individual restaurants if those details matter to your group.

Checking halal information before you order

The neighbourhood’s reputation helps you find food; the restaurant’s own information should guide your order. Open the linked HFP profile for the branch’s recorded halal statement, menu and any certification details. If you require a particular certifier or slaughter method, ask about that specifically rather than relying on a cuisine name.

For example, Canada Halal EC lists Sumaq at 1961 Lawrence Avenue East and states that every meal made at that location is certified by it. That statement applies to the named outlet, not automatically to the other restaurants on the strip. Certifier’s listing.

Halal Food Pass is a directory, not a certification body. Our halal information policy explains how restaurant statements are presented, and our guide to supplier and restaurant certificates explains why the distinction matters.

Questions about eating in Wexford