Toledo Chicken

I can’t tell you anything that hasn’t already been said. All the earlier reviews are «SPOT ON»!!!
The food is made to order and fabulous. The owner greets you and you can feel his passion for the food he cooks for you.
If you are looking for a new taste, this is the place. The chicken is full of flavor. The sauces go well with anything you order.

One of my favorites in all of RVA.
Over the course of a few visits I have tried their signature chicken with Mediterranean rice, the Jordan chicken wrap beef shwarma, appetizer sampler (the one with labneh, hummus, and two different kinds of baba ghanoush), and the baklava.
There is nothing I tried that I didn’t like. My personal favorites are the appetizer sampler and the beef schwarma.
The best part of the whole restaurant is the owner/​service. Just as everyone else has said, he is so nice! And you can truly tell he cares about his food and his business. Everything is made with love! (as cheesy as that sounds)

I have been to Toledo Chicken several times and always enjoy the meal. I would give the Jordan chicken wrap and humus and baba ganoush all six stars out of five (better than perfect). The best thing on the menu though, is the tabouli. It always is fresh and delicious and I am not a big salad eater, so that is saying something. All the flavors go so well together. The owner is a most gracious host, and this community is lucky to have such an establishment.

What an enjoyable dinner! Actually what a fantastic, unique flavorful experience. This was a first hand experience of genuine Mediterranean dining. Toledo Chicken is NOT just a chicken restaurant. It is a beef, lamb & chicken Mediterranean delight with ALL the different delish sides available. I had the beef combination with the Mediterranean rice. I also ordered the stuffed grape leaves, We also had an order of Yucca. I did a take home of their lentil soup. The toasted flat bread was nicely prepared. The owner, Bashar was our server. He did a fabulous job of reviewing the menu. I’ve never said let’s support this Southside restaurant before, but I’d like to eat there for yrs to come. It’s in the same strip center as Pepe’s on Midlothian Turnpike, our fav Mexican restaurant. Stop in and enjoy a very unique meal. How unique you ask? It is totally antibiotic free, all Halal, kosher meat. This is a healthy, delicious restaurant on the Southside that is wonderful to have. I’m not Jewish, not that it matters, but I want food that is free of antibiotics and is organic. That’s what you get there. Stop in. I didn’t have room for dessert but it looked fab. If you think my review is over the top, read the other reviews. This is a wonderful place, so try it.

Visited on a Saturday night about 4:30. Food was fresh and prepared well. I got roasted chicken, green beans with onions and tomatoes and sweet plantains. They were great. My wife got the Jordon Chicken grill and rice & beans. It was prepared as described but she did not care for the spice mix (cinnamon specifically). The owner walked us through the menu items in details and was very helpful. The food appeared to be similar to Lebanese and followed that style and spice mix. We got baklava for dessert and it was excellent.

This is the kind of restaurant that serves food you can’t get anywhere else and leaves you craving for more. If you’re looking for authentic Mediterranean food this is the place for you. The Chicken Shawarma is the closest I have been able to find to doner kabobs found throughout Europe. The owner is extremely friendly and will explain every item on the menu. Prepare yourself for a hole in the wall, it’s not a fancy pants place.

Highly recommended. For the 5 stars I’m comparing this place against other nearby lunch options that cost about the same ($ 8-​$ 12 pp).
First, the staff (owner?) is very friendly. He explains the menu quickly but if you ask he will slow down and walk you threw it.
The food is cooked while you wait but it doesn’t take long. It was hot and tasted great.
They offer complementary hot tea while you wait and it is very good.
My bench seat was well broken in and not very comfortable. No biggie, I was in and out in 30 min.
Over all it looks and feels like a local place, and it is.
I got the two piece chicken with a side of Med. rice with the jalapeño dip with a drink for $ 8. Compared to what I get at nearby lunch spots it was a great deal and healthy.
I will go back.

Our family stumbled across Toledo Chicken when driving around looking for a lunch place and we were pleasantly surprised at how much we enjoyed the atmosphere and our meal. The owner walked us through the menu and gave great detailed descriptions of the available dishes and sides.
We really enjoyed the kabobs with the Mediterranean rice — the jalapeño sauce and garlic mayo are a must-​try!
If you like Mediterranean cuisine, definitely give this place a try. PS — there are a few vegetarian options as well.

Delicious! First time here, and we were all pleasantly surprised. Having been to the other ‘Mediterranean markets’ in town, we can say this is definitely the cleanest and friendliest, and the food is without question the freshest. Service was amazing, the owner explained everything so well.
We got a whole chicken (which fed 3 adults and 3 kids), stuffed grape leaves (fresh, not too Briney), and a Mediterranean sampler which had hummus, fava beans, babba ghannoush, and mujadara. The hummus was creamy with lots of tahini which made for an almost cheesy flavor (in a good way), the eggplant in the babba ghannoush was nice and smokey, and the fava beans were out of this world.
To sum up, we will certainly be back… Soon!

After reading some positive Unilocal reviews for this place and realizing it was only a five minute drive from my hotel, I decided to check it out. We walked into an empty restaurant and were quickly greeted by someone who seemed to be the owner. He ran around the counter and quickly walked us through the menu. It all seemed a bit rushed, but it really wasn’t the end of the world. He was very friendly and seemed very eager to help since we had never been to the restaurant before.
Once we ordered our food (chicken shawarma and falafel sandwich) we just silently waited around while our food was prepared. We took the order to go and when I started eating I instantly regretted doing so. The chicken shawarma was super dry and definitely needed more sauce. My guy said his falafel sandwich was also dry. He also ordered lentil soup, which he took one bite of and immediately threw away. We also tried to split the baklava, but it was also really dry and just all around not good. Plus, the prices were high for what we got. We spent over $ 20 on food that definitely should have cost no more than $ 15.
I was super disappointed by this place, but I think they definitely have potential. The staff was very friendly and helpful and the food is almost there.

Great food for a good price. Fast and friendly service.
Chicken shawarma pita is great! I’ll definitely be back.

I was very excited to experience this place based on the reviews.
When I walked in the interior was dated but immaculately clean. I was promptly greeted by a kind gentleman who actually came from behind the counter to take my to go order and review the menu with me.
I ordered the falafel sandwich with sweet tea ($ 5.99) and French fries ($ 1.99). After about 10 minutes, the order was ready with a smile and constant re-​engagement throughout the process.
Now the food: The falafel the was perfectly cooked but lacked seasoning. The pita had the perfect soft, chewy consistency and the toppings (parsley, tomato, veggies and cucumber sauce) were all super fresh. The amount of parsley was a bit overwhelming for my taste. The fries were nothing to write home about – very bland but hot and fresh. I was able to doctor up the meal with the garlic mayo which was pretty tasty.
Not the perfect falafel experience but the overall service and cleanliness were so refreshing that I will come back and just doctor it up with seasonings.

The best food you can ever have if you ever wanna try real Arabic food. Very tasty very clean & so fresh.
I’m Arab and this good food is so original

Went here with a
coupon, which they no longer honor, but decided to try it anyway. Glad we did. We went for lunch, and while it took over an hour to get through lunch (there were only 2 gentleman working– they’re understaffed), it was worth it. I had the Jordan chicken wrap and my wife had the chicken sharma pita, and we had lentil soup and Mediterranean salad as sides. Everything was very good. Haven’t had much Mediterranean before, but this seemed very authentic. One of the gentlemen took the time to take us to the counter and show us various dishes on display and explained what they were. That was a nice touch. We’ll be back to try some different items.

Just came back from having lunch here, after finding this place on Unilocal in the morning. Yes, the owner did take the time to explain and show all the menu items to us. We had actually made up our mind beforehand, but we appreciated the time he spent with us. I had the Jordan chicken wrap, since I never tried it before. It’s filled with chicken and caramelized onions and tons of spices — at least that’s how I would explain it. I really enjoyed it. I could have easily gone for the shawarma, but I felt it right that I mix it up a bit. I also had the garlic mayo to dip it in, which I would recommend. Don’t let the mayo part scare you away. I also went with a side of the tabouleh, which was very fresh tasting. I enjoyed my meal.
Husband had the chicken shawarma with fries. He has a tendency to eat the fries first, but he actually forgot them, and that’s our way of knowing the main dish is tasty.
We will be recommending this place to our friends because it’s nice to try some new places, especially those that aren’t big chains. I really appreciated the level of service and attention and I’m positive that’s why the feedback about this place is so great.
Plus, parking is a breeze and everything is rather inexpensive.

Unbelievably great experience. The owner was so sweet, informative, and passionate about the food (and his customers!)
He took us down the cases and explained what each item was in detail (the spices, the texture, country of origin). We were so blown away by his hospitality!
We ended up getting a Mediterranean/​middle eastern feast (we just couldn’t decide…)
We ordered
1. Mediterranean sampler: hummus, baba ganous, eggplant dish, and Greek-​style green beans. 5 stars for the eggplant/​green beans, 4 stars for baba ganous, and 3.5 for hummus (needed more salt and lemon). This came with chips.
2. Tabbule: 5 million stars!!! So fresh. Wouldn’t change a thing
3. Jordanian chicken wrap: 4 stars. Such a unique flavor combination, but so good!
4. Beef shawarma: 4.5 stars. Perfectly marinated beef with a creamy, refreshing sauce. Oh baby, so FRIGGIN good!
5. Fried yucca: 5 stars. Crispy on the outside, soft, light, and flavorful on the inside. Ah so good!
6. (Last thing, I promise) Syrian and Turkish baklava. 5 stars. The Syrian baklava was more taffy-​like in texture, and the Turkish was creamier and denser. I loved the Turkish best. I will be back just for some more of these bad boys.
We took the cheese katay home with us to try tomorrow.
One of the best culinary experiences of my life. So so so so glad I came. I’ll be back again and again… and again… and again.

Went back for the chicken! Repeatedly! The labneh is amazing, the chicken is amazing, I don’t even know what the super-​garlicky eggplant stuff that isn’t baba ganoush is called but it’s amazing even if my breath afterwards is not…

Your 5 step approach to eating here:
1. Don’t let the outside scare you! It’s an amazing clean little place in an older strip mall.
2. Don’t let the name confuse you. Toledo is the name of the Spanish city where the owner’s 600 year old spice rub has been passed down for generations.
3. Walk in with your mind wide open and admit you don’t know anything about the food. The owners will walk you through everything and they have so much pride for their food.
4. Let them suggest what you try. I had the chicken and a side of Mediterranean rice and it was amazing.
5. Don’t skip dessert! I had baklava
Other tips, make sure you try a sampler platter. It was really good. Everything was reasonably priced. Huge plus it has options for vegetarians and no hormones added to chicken.
My husband and I really enjoyed it and I plan on going back soon. Next time might order the whole chicken and two sides… Defiantly looking forward to the rice and the eggplant again!

I’ve been to Toledo Chicken three times and each visit was worthy of a five-​star rating. I count myself lucky that it’s only 5 minutes from home. My experiences have been similar to the others: the owner and staff were very welcoming and friendly and gave a culinary tour of the day’s specials and specialties. It made me feel appreciated as a customer.
My first visit was the famous Toledo chicken in the family pack to go, which includes a whole chicken with two sides. I chose the Mediterranean rice and Mediterranean salad. I knew it would provide at least 3 meals for me and it did. Can’t beat it for $ 14.
I’d read other reviews about the Jordan chicken wrap and the owner’s description was enough to clinch the deal so I chose this for my second visit. I don’t know if I can even describe it properly, but it’s a flaky-​ish dough filled with an incredibly flavorful spiced shredded chicken, accompanied with their dipping sauce. It’s a knockout!
For my third visit I went for the shawarma, which is as good as any I’ve had. I chose the eggplant salad as a side and I think it stole the show with its delicious layers of flavor. I could eat a big bowl of this stuff. I also tried one of their alcohol-​free beers. I can’t remember its name but it was quite good.
So, to summarize, I’d wholeheartedly recommend Toledo Chicken. Great food, friendly and attentive service, very reasonable prices. The abundance of strong reviews should be enough to convince you to try it so please do. Honest restaurants like this deserve to succeed.

What is it with great restaurants in horrible locations? I have been on a roll writing reviews about places like this. Trust me, when you see Toledo from the outside, you might not want to stop in. I have been curious about it for quite some time, but was reluctant to go in until some of my favorite Unilocalers wrote glowing reviews.
It’s a bit confusing… Is it Spanish food? Is it Mediterranean food? Let me answer that: It is pure deliciousness. The owners LOVE what they’re serving. And when I say love, I mean love. They will describe in great detail how everything is prepared, what seasonings they use and the difference between food from Syria and Pakistan and everywhere in between.
Here’s my advice: try it. The hummus was delicious. The chicken shawarma was fabulous (I had never had it with Mediterranean pickles before). I consider myself a tabbule snob and consider the Mediterranean Bakery’s tabbule to be the best around. The tabbule here was different from any other I have had and it was great. It had a hint of mint, with just the right amount of lemon, and not too many onions. The owner insisted I try it wrapped in lettuce leaves, so I did. My husband ordered the chicken that had been marinated for 19 hours and it was moist, flavorful and perfect. He also ordered a side of yucca. If you compare the yucca to Chicken Fiesta’s, it is cut into smaller pieces with an almost panko breading.
Although I skipped dessert today, they have a wonderful assortment of baklava, cookies, etc.
I will continue to go to unattractive shopping plazas to find food this good!