Xawaash

What is Xawaash? Set in an Etobicoke plaza along Queens Plate Drive, Xawaash translates the rich, cross-cultural cooking of Mogadishu into a polished, welcoming dining room. Born from a hit Somali food blog and YouTube channel, the space balances contemporary family-style dining with comfortable booths equipped with individual screens for watching live sports. The room is immaculate, lively, and driven by authentic hospitality.

Xawaash Menu & What to Order The kitchen excels at slow-cooked meats and fragrant spice mixes, anchored by the stellar Lamb Mandi—tender, fall-apart braised lamb laid over aromatic jeweled rice studded with raisins and caramelized onions. The Beef Suqaar is equally essential, serving up finely chopped, spiced beef tossed with crisp peppers that begs to be dipped into their vibrant, fiery classic green chili sauce. Finish the meal with a warm slice of Somali date cake and a steaming cup of clove- and ginger-spiced Somali tea.

Know Before You Go Ample strip plaza parking makes access straightforward right off Rexdale Boulevard and Highway 27. Walk-ins can easily snag a table for weekday lunch specials, though dinner hours on weekends fill up fast with large family groups, making an advance reservation through their website a smart move. They are open late seven days a week, serving until 10:30 p.m. most nights and 11:00 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.