Flaming Stove

What is Flaming Stove? Tucked inconspicuously inside the back of a Hasty Market at 21 Davisville Avenue, just steps east of Yonge Street, Flaming Stove is a Midtown counter that has been churning out premier Levantine street food since 2010. The operation is purely utilitarian: there are no dining tables, bar stools, or patio chairs, only a bustling open counter framed by towering vertical spits and a convex saj dome griddle. Customers line up down the convenience store aisles, drawn in by the aroma of toasted flatbreads and searing spiced meats.

Flaming Stove Menu & What to Order The undisputed champion is the chicken shawarma saj wrap, a forearm-length, two-pound bundle of juicy halal chicken, pickled turnips, tomatoes, and parsley slathered in toum, tahini, amba, and house flaming hot sauce before being crisped on the griddle. Vegetarians are equally well-served by the freshly fried falafel saj wrap and cheese manakeesh, alongside ready-to-go tubs of silky hummus, baba ghanoush, and braised shilbato with eggplant. Grab an iced canned beverage or fruit juice from the convenience store fridge on your way to the register to balance out the garlic-forward punch.

Know Before You Go This is strictly a grab-and-go operation with no reservations, so plan to take your meal back to the office, home, or over to nearby Oriole Park to eat outdoors. The weekday lunch rush draws a steady line of Midtown locals, but the counter staff works with assembly-line speed to keep waiting times brief. The shop sits less than a two-minute walk from Davisville subway station, with short-term street parking available along Davisville Avenue and neighboring residential streets.