History

Greek souvlaki reached Toronto with Greek immigration through the 1950s and 1960s. The Danforth's Greektown became Toronto's reference Greek-Canadian neighbourhood by the 1970s, with Mezes and Astoria Shish Kebob House the longest-running. The Taste of the Danforth festival in August closes the avenue for Greek-Canadian food and music, drawing more than a million visitors during peak years.

Common allergens: Dairy

Make it at home

Yield Serves 4Hands-on 20 minTotal 2 hrDifficulty Easy

Ingredients

  • 600g boneless pork shoulder or chicken thigh, cut in 3cm cubes
  • 60ml olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 4 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 1 tablespoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • Black pepper
  • Wooden skewers, soaked 30 minutes
  • Pita bread, warmed
  • Tzatziki sauce
  • Sliced red onion
  • Lemon wedges

Method

  1. Whisk olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, oregano, salt and pepper in a large bowl.
  2. Add the meat cubes, toss to coat, cover and marinate at least 1 hour or up to overnight in the fridge.
  3. Thread the meat onto skewers, 4 to 5 pieces per skewer.
  4. Preheat a grill or grill pan over high heat. Cook the skewers 8 to 10 minutes, turning every 2 minutes, until charred outside and cooked through.
  5. Rest the skewers 5 minutes.
  6. Serve on warm pita with tzatziki, sliced red onion and a lemon wedge.

Tip from the editors. Pork shoulder is canonical; the fat keeps the meat juicy. Marinate at least 1 hour for the lemon and oregano to penetrate. Char over high heat.

Where to eat greek souvlaki

Greek souvlaki in Toronto

Mamakas Taverna ★ 4.4

Greek$$$ossingtonMon-Thu 17:30-22:00, Fri-Sun 17:00-22:00; Sat-Sun lunch 11:30-15:00

Mamakas Taverna on Ossington is owner Thanos Tripi's 85-seat Aegean kitchen since 2015, traditional Greek taverna cooking from scratch each morning.

Signature: Whole grilled fish, Saganaki

Order: The whole grilled fish, dressed Aegean style with lemon and olive oil.

Tip: Sister Bar Mordecai sits at 1272 Dundas West for a pre-dinner drink. Weekend lunch runs into early dinner without a break.

80 Ossington Ave, Toronto, ON M6J 2Y7 Book →

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