Reviews Rose City Kitchen

Rose City is a cute little walk in place that offers a small dining area, and great food. We ordered the RCK original box, and the RCK poutine, both with falafel, and both came rather quickly- only about a 5 minute wait. Tastewise I liked the flavours that the poutine offered- the hummus aioli, the tabule, the halloumi that was mixed in- they all worked together to create an enjoyable experience. I personally found the RCK original to be a bit lacking, though. I don’t know if the harissa sauce worked perfectly into the dish, and I just wish that the rice was a little bit more seasoned. Nonetheless, both were enjoyable and I’m excited to go back to try more.

Good for a quick cheap meal. I got the original box meal with chicken which is great value for $10. The dressing was very strong so probably would try a different one next time.

Great Food. I always get the Lebanese with Halloumi.. great food. great service

Ate here for the first time today. Nice to have a fresh, tasty option on a strip of the city that's loaded up with fast food and greasy filled pitas.

$11 (tax in) for 2 half pitas with chicken feels a bit pricey, until you realise that everything is prepared fresh and served at fast-food speed.

The sandwich (RCK Classic) was pretty good, although not filling.They also went a bit heavy on the garlic to the point of overpowering most other ingredients (no kissing or client meetings after eating).

Otherwise, not a bad wee place. Patio on the side of the building is a nice touch. Liquor licence next, maybe?

Rose City Kitchen is most definitely an undermined eatery in Queen West, located just West of Queen & Spadina. I avoided this spot (like many other Queen West spots) while residing in the neighborhood since I believed that it wouldn't be worth trying, but really - it deserves all of the praise! Their incredible fresh flavour combinations, made to order. Sandwiches are served up in a half-cut pita. "1 for a snack, 2 for a meal, 3 if you’re starving..." is recommended - but I was strangely super stuffed after sharing (!!!) a poutine, we were struggling to finish up our two half-cut pitas. The beauty is that you start with choosing your protein - Chicken ($5), Falafel ($4), Steak ($5) and Halloumi ($5), then onto the style of condiments and seasoning, there are the "RCK" Original, Greek, Lebanese, Morrocan and Egyptian to choose from. 

RCK Poutine ($7) 
With Sumac-seasoned Fries, grated Halloumi, Hummus Aioli and Taboulleh. Add Falafels (+$1)

Good god. A Middle Eastern Poutine?! Give it all to me. The Falafels here run for 55c a piece, my inner hustling Asian-self felt that this was fantastic value as we received four for $1. The fries were crispy, and were a filling delight - Mediterranean generously oozing - tangy, and full of flavour.

Glass Coke bottles  
I don't fancy pop at all. But we "had" to get these they are apparently from Mexico...

Morrocan Sandwich ($5)

Harissa dressing, Couscous, shredded Lettuce, Red Onions, Tomatoes, sliced Almonds, Apricots, Parsley and Chickpeas with Steak

Greek with Chicken ($5)

Tzatziki, Cucumber, Lettuce, Red Onions, Tomatoes, Oregano, Garlic Oil and Haloumi Cheese with Chicken

We managed to take our first nibble of these 30 minutes after it was prepared for us. So... The pitas were of course stiff, and within an hour (or two...), they were completely cold. I just wasn't hungry! The flavours were absolutely incredible! I can only comment on the Greek tasting incredibly authentic; I loved the balance of the bits of Apricot and the strong Harissa dressing in the Morrocan. Very nice. The meat was very dry, but it's what I sort of expected.

Great service, fresh, awesome for take-out and nice pricing. Be prepared to wait about 10 minutes if you're doign take-out, throughout my (three? four hours?...) stay, that was the approximate time that I scouted. RCK is an awesome change up from my usual fare of eats. I will definitely be back to try out their Halloumi, perhaps a single Pita and their Humus.

Okay I love this place. LOVE! Too bad I dont go here too often. The food is class. Love the options they have to offer. And love the food serving style. The menu looks awesome. Love the minimalistic vibe to it! I love their greek, moroccan and lebanese sandwich. The flavours are always bang on. The best part about their portion size is, that you can try out multiple options. All in all a great place on Queen Street!

Gluten free pitas!

We were in last night for a Zomato foodie meet up, and I loved it!
I got to try a little bit of everything, by my faves were the Moroccan salad and the poutine!
Everything were so fresh, and the staff were so friendly.

I've walked by this place so many times, and I'm glad I made it inside today.

Great flavors, fresh ingredients and they make everything in-house, including the hummus and pita. They've got just enough variety on the menu to mix things up if you're a regular patron, without being overwhelming.

Delicious food and good price. The service is on the slow side but the food has always been great. As a vegetarian, I am happy with their selection and will recommend it to friends.

Not bad at all for a quick lunch.  Rose City offers various Mediterranean-style sandwiches, with meat / vegetarian options.  I went with the Greek, with chicken, and it was a nice tasting sandwich!  The fries, though, came out of nowhere - they were fantastic.   

My only gripe is that the portion sizes are tiny, but they do warn you that you should order a couple if you are looking for a proper meal - so shame on me there!   The staff was very friendly, and the service was quick.  The interior seating is rather limited, so keep this in mind if you are heading during lunch hours.

I've been to Rose City Kitchen before for their pre-launch for a media event. I decided to come back for a quick healthy lunch. This time I got a Kale Salad with grilled halloumi cheese and a side of falafel, the total came to around $10 and change. I like how RCK has vegetarian options as well as choices for meat lovers. Their wraps and fries are on point too!

Lunch time and positive reviews of rose city led me straight to this little place. Decided to order a simple pita sandwich with Lebanese dressing. My policy with ordering food is simple. If they can do the simple and straight right, then they can do everything else right. It tasted very good. Definitely not the best pita I’ve had, also, not the best option for lunch. Smaller in size, it works best as a snack. 

When Toronto caught the Food Truck bug back in 2010, a small handful of passionate chefs rushed to the scene to claim their unique space. Today, looking back on the evolution of the street food scene that I have followed so intently, it’s been such a pleasure to watch these “veterans” retain their reputations as the top street food proprietors while growing their empire in new creative ways.Unlike a lot of American cities, where year-round vending is quite pleasant (hello, Austin and Miami), Toronto truck owners have quickly figured out that the logistics and demand for street food kinda sucks when you’re out in the cold. One solid solution? Build on the brand and loyal following they’ve garnered through their mobile biz and use it as evidence they’ve got what it takes to hold down the fort in a brick and mortar space. I call it the ol’ mobile to mortar one-two-switch-a-roo. We’ve seen it now with Fidel Gastros/ Lisa Marie, Gourmet Gringos, Hogtown Smoke and now, the sassy lady behind Gourmet Bitches.After much anticipation (including being named one of the top restaurants of 2014 before it even opened), food truck entrepreneur, Shontelle Pinch, has opened Rose City Kitchen, a new Middle Eastern eatery amidst a bevvy of burger shops on Toronto’s Queen West. According to the beautiful Shontelle, “Rose City Kitchen's mission is to change the way you experience the delightful cuisine of the Mediterranean region.” Named after the historic city of Petra (a rose coloured mountain community thousands of years old), RCK pays homage to the international spice trade between the Mediterranean cost, India, Southern Arabia, Egypt, Syria, Greece and Rome.  The 15-seat intimate “snack bar” style space was imaged by Toronto based design firm, Salt&Pepper, and blends minimalism, Mediterranean authenticity and subtle sex appeal. With the kitchen fully exposed, diners popping in for a healthy lunch or supper can watch as meat is grilled, pita is baked in their mini wood oven and their sandwiches are assembled with to order. During the summer months, guests will have the opportunity to nab one of the 10 seats outside if they’re not looking to rush back to work or home.As previously alluded by the location-referenced name, RCK’s menu is inspired by the trading and cultural junction of the Mediterranean region. Everything (including the stone-oven baked pita breads) is prepared in house, with gluten free varieties in the works! The offerings includes both familiar Middle-Eastern favourites (like hummus, falafel, and house made pickles), as well as playful culturally inspired items like their cherry harissa, Tabouli poutine, and rose infused hot sauce). Another interesting element that sets RCK apart from the city’s various other Mediterranean eateries is that they won’t be using any traditional spits – a choice the team made to safeguard against food safety and hygiene concerns. I popped by for a little preview of the goods, so here’s a little sneak peak at what you might be sinking your teeth into when you visit RCK. RCK Hot SauceHoly moly- this is good. Made with real roses, the hot sauce has a heavy kick of heat but is balanced with a nice gentle sweetness, a good amount of acidity and some delicate floral notes. Harissa Aioli (for dippin' fries!)Love the combination of the spicy harissa with the creamy, tangy mayo. Though it was definitely hard to choose, my favourite sandwich of the bunch was probably the Moroccan which had a really addictive kick from the Harissa and a delicate sweetness from the apricots. Coming in close second was the Egyptian because the sweet caramelized eggplant just melted like satin on my mouth. Add a little of RCK’s rose scented hot sauce and holy hell, it’s good. Overall, though, I really liked that each sandwich was so different in flavour profile and customizable with chicken, steak, falafel, or halloumi cheese so that you could get something very different every time. Even better was that the size (1/2 a pita) made it easy to mix and match to try a few without committing to intently on just one protein or baseSome of the absolute best falafel I’ve had in this city. Super crunchy on the outside with a nice meaty texture within and a lot of great aromatic flavour- I really got the cinnamon and cumin combination coming through and that made me wiggle in excitement. RCK Poutine ($4, plus choice to add on Falafel, Chicken or Beef) Tabouli, Hummus, and Shredded Halloumi Cheese A very creative and delicious take on the poutine, and what’s not to like? I love the combination of the crispy fries, the salty cheese, the tangy hummus and the herbaceous grain salad. Somehow I feel healthy eating this basket of deep fried goodies? HumusExactly how I like it. Super smooth with a nice balance of lemon, sesame and garlic. Rose City Kitchen is now open to the public for lunch, dinner and catering gigs, with delivery opportunities being discussed for a future start. If you’re a lover of the incredible eats from Gourmet Bitches food truck or just have constant hankerings for Middle Eastern food like me, then I definitely suggest you check it out. For more information, check out their website or follow them on twitter. Disclosure: This meal was complimentary, however, as always, all opinions are my own -

Looking for a quick snack or a full-out meal on Queen West? Yes, there's a LOT of places to choose from, but nothing quite like the new Middle Eastern snack bar, Rose City Kitchen.

Ever since their opening earlier this year, I've been dying to go try this spot that quickly created a social buzz amongst some Toronto foodies.

It's a quaint and small 15-seat eatery at the corner of Cameron Ave and Queen St with most diners to be walk-in's. All their food offering is made from scratch with quality ingredients with pitas cooked in the wood-oven right before your eyes.

Their three main dishes are pita sandwiches, poutine and salad, which you can choose from 4 different proteins: falafel, chicken, steak and halloumi (a Cypriot cheese made from goat's milk).

RCK Poutine ($7.00)
Fries with hummus, tabouleh & shredded halloumi

Moroccan Steak ($5.00) & Moroccan Chicken ($5.00)
Harissa dressing, couscous, lettuce, red onions, tomatoes, almonds, apricots, parsley & chickpeas

Greek Chicken ($5.00) & Egyptian Steak ($5.00)
Tzatziki, cucumber, red onions, tomatoes, lettuce, oregano, garlic oil & halloumi cheese
Eggplant, red onions, chickpeas, dates, cabbage, lemon juice & garlic oil

RCK Original Chicken & Steak ($5.00) each.
Hummus, tabouleh, home fries, carrots, lettuce, garlic oil & cherry harissa dressing

I really enjoyed each and every pita sandwich we ordered, with my favourite being the Moroccan Steak or the Chicken. The combination of the ingredients packed inside the pita pocket was very tasty. I also recommend squirting some of their rose-water infused hot sauce to give your sandwich or poutine a little kick!

Because of their half-size pitas, you can easily order 2 or 3 different types of sandwich as a meal. With fresh ingredients and quick service at very affordable prices, it's no wonder they're always booming with customers.