Okay... so life has gotten very busy and I am officially behind one blog post. Also, partly because we did 2 stops in one week... but ultimately, I have this post and one more to compose before we head out for dinner again this week. Yikes! Eating is totally worth it, though!
Walking in, there is a table for large groups directly to your left, and the space around it is separated from the rest of the restaurant by a half-wall. Kind of a nice idea if you want to go with some friends and feel a little special in a small place. Highlighting this space is a large framed chalkboard for guests of the restaurant to write comments on their experience - something I've never seen anywhere before. Now, I'm sure they read and edit as needed, but ultimately, there is definitely a risk factor in doing such a public display. Hopefully it hasn't come back to bite them in the proverbial arse at any point.
Another separated space in the Limestone Kabob House is - to be quite frank - a really odd one. Directly in front of you as you enter is a children's play area complete with puzzle piece floor mats and books. I sincerely hope that I'm not sounding "judgy" to anyone - really, people can do what they want and as long as children don't disrupt the eating experience of others, I'm not bothered - but when I take kids to a restaurant, the expectation is that they sit at the table and have good manners. Because of that belief system, I was really thrown by the play area. Perhaps for some this is a "pro" as the restaurant could appear to be more family friendly, but I'd be curious to see how often the space gets used... Overall, the restaurant decor is simple - and simple works nicely. Colour schemes are neutrals with a splash of red and tapestries hang on the wall. 
Now, to the ordering process. I think this is worth commenting on because I had to ask how it worked and noticed that other customers who came in were doing the same. At the back of the restaurant, there is an ordering and pick-up counter. Essentially, you can read a menu or look up at the boards above, choose what you'd like, then place your order. When it is ready, it is placed on the counter for you to pick up. I was very surprised by this style. If you have ever been to 5 Guys, it's just like that... but the big difference here is that there isn't the demand of huge lines of people like what I've seen in a "burger joint". I really was expecting to be able to order and be served (listen to me, all high and mighty!), so I was kind of disappointed with the style of service. Additionally, I think I was more disappointed because the one staff member working behind the counter was fine with walking all the way to a table to let customers know that their food was ready, but each time she did, she left the food sitting on the counter for customers to then follow her back to get. She could have easily dropped off the food - especially to the elderly couple who clearly had mobility issues - but instead, made the trip to the tables empty-handed to instruct customers to go pick it up themselves. Very odd. I think that this style of service (compounded with the fact that there was a strong smell of cooking/burning in the restaurant that gave me a bit of a headache) left me feeling that I would most likely order takeout in the future if I was to visit again.
And - to visit or not to visit again? That comes down to the food. Here's what we ordered:
Carrie: Tikka Kabob Dinner: chunks of beef tenderloin served with rice, in-house salad and flatbread.
Tonia: Sultani Kabob Dinner: combination of Barg (filet minion) and Kofta (lean ground meat) kabob, served with rice, house salad and flat bread.
Todd: Chicken Shawarma Wrap served with fresh lettuce, tomato, onion, cabbage and tahini sauce. Todd also ordered a side of Boulanee - fried tortilla stuffed with potatoes, green onion and herbs with garlic yogurt.
Samer: Chicken Breast Kabob Dinner served with rice, house salad and flat bread.
Food was pretty fast... maybe not "fast-food fast" the way that the service style suggests, but still fast (and if I keep mentioning the service style, then my friends who say that I perseverate would have more support for their argument to that end). Food was also presented well - it looked nice and smelled really good, too!
Perhaps it would be best to get to personal opinions and ratings:
Carrie: 1.5 forks. Sadly, I didn't enjoy the taste of the food as much as I enjoyed how it looked. The best part of the meal was the salad (you can't really screw up lettuce and tomatoes, which is all there was in the salad) and my ginger ale, which they didn't make (clearly). I really wasn't a fan of the spice on the rice - it just wasn't my cup of tea - so I didn't eat much of it... and while the flavour of the meat was okay, the meat itself was so dry, it felt "dusty" in my mouth. I know - that is a really weird word to use - but really, that is the first word that comes to mind. Maybe I should have sucked on the meat instead of chewing it? The flatbread was just that - a flat piece of bread. There wasn't any flavour to it, and the sauce that was served with it (a red chili hot sauce thing that the woman working couldn't tell me what was in it, but did know that the chef makes it in-house because the rest of the food isn't spicy) wasn't enjoyable for me, either. I did notice that they have naan on the menu listed as "coming soon" - and hopefully soon comes quickly.
Tonia: 3 forks. Tonia's meat was much better than mine. It was really tender and seasoned well - quite tasty! The rest of the meal, however, Tonia was "neither here nor there" about. She was hoping for falafel when she walked in and was quite surprised that it wasn't offered (how does that happen?!), but was perhaps more disappointed by the lack of dipping sauce for the kabobs other than the red stuff. Tonia thought it would have been really nice to have a garlic sauce to dip the meat in.
Todd: 4 forks. Todd enjoyed his meal. He was succinct in saying that "the food was tasty" and he would eat the shawarma again for sure.
Samer: 3 forks. Samer thought that the chicken was the only thing that saved the meal - it had an amazing marinade. While he admits that he is picky, he wanted the limestone salad with fatoush and kabooli, but they didn't have any - which forced him to have to make a quick "game-time" decision and change his order. Samer was also disappointed by the fact that they only salad dressing offered was ranch. The rice was average.
Overall Score: 2.88 forks. Ultimately, it was my score that dropped this overall score, but I'm still committed to being honest. Would I be willing to try it out again? Probably... but I think that I would stay away from the dinners so that I don't have to face the rice again.
You'll have to keep your eye on Urban Spoon for a review if you're interested - the Limestone Kabob House has yet to make it to their site, so I don't have a rating from there to compare. I hope that they just get better the longer that they are open..
The next blog will highlight our trip to Dianne's Fish Bar - a new restaurant downtown. I hope to have it up soon!
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