Persian Cuisine Express

Not impressed at all. I read the reviews here before visiting there today. I have to side with those who recommend against it. I am Persian and that was not good Persian food. Tadigh (is supposed to be crispy rice) was soft and kinda soggy and obviously warmed up in a microwave (super hot) and although in the menu I chose the one that comes with a topping, he brought this little bowl of soup and whispered something about the soupy topping being complementary. Even Doogh (yoghurt drink) was tasteless (I doubt it was bottled as said in the menu). Best of all, although there were only 2 other tables of customers for dinner on a Friday night, after ordering and sitting there for 20 minutes, he came back pointing to the menu to double-check my order, and of course he had it wrong. When the main course arrived, the rice and Soltani (lamb or beef kebob) was cold, and the tomato was burned. Chicken was the only part that was half-decent. As you have guessed, I was very disappointed! Service was below average. Sound funny, but even water tasted stale. Later, he asked if I wanted a complementary tea, I said might as well, it never came until I asked for it again. I am visiting Ottawa but for a $30-bill per person, I know you can get a whole lot better Persian food in Vancouver!

I was introduced to this restaurant by a friend of mine recently who's been going there for over seven years. I'm a member of Arab community and we had two parties there so far (more than 100 people every time). Everybody loved the food. It was buffet and there were variety of food on the buffet for every one with different taste (chicken, beef kabob, five stew foods and a big salad bar, drink and coffee and tea was included. The meat is Halal and the certificate was shown to clear up any concern. Everybody was happy with the food, service, and price. I talked with the manager himself and he is very nice and he was very helpful to stay with our budget. We used to pay lot more for less with different venues. I have tried other Persian Restaurant in Ottawa also there is no comparison with food, service, and price. I also found out this place holds party for Spanish, Persian Community, and they do weddings and big parties in the restaurant (also cater outside the restaurant).
We can't wait to have our next party at the restaurant again.

I've been a regular at this place for many years - been going for lunch and even some dinners! We've always liked the food and the waitress was great at making suggestions about what to try. She even got me (!) to try something that I was sure that I wouldn't like - she was right, I have to admit that I was wrong! I can't believe some of these other comments! are you sure that this is where you ate?? I mean, nobody's perfect, but the food and service have always been pretty close!

Yeah the place looks nice enough and spacious and the pictures reminder of Great Persian Empire, however, the food was not as great. I tried Ghaymah and it was real bad with burned lapeh and uncooked potatoes and the Chelo Kabab eatable but still below average. When I walked in the Saturday manager who think of himself too much (well he is managing a restaurant lol, big shot) said something to the cook, likely in the habit of talking behind the back of customers or making fun of them and making himself look like a boss lol to poor employees by showing attitudes.

THE FOOD IS OVER PRICED AND THE SERVICE STINK.
We went to this restaurant for dinner. We sat ourselves because the server was on the phone and she was the only person working there. Took us about 10min before she brought us water. We should have known that the place sucked when during the dinner hour it was TOTALLY EMPTY. No one was eating there.

We ordered kabob and stews and some other stuff. So, she came out with this plate of really overcooked meat and horrible salad and stew ( seemed to have been reheated from previous day). The food was really salty, I never get sick from food, so I ate it, anyways. That night, I got nauseous. I think the food was out too long from their lunch buffet.
So the food was overpriced and the service stunk. I do not go there anymore and not recommended to anyone.
And, honestly, I am bowled over by the review here and looks like one of the review was written by owner (explain the place and advertise itl).

Persian Cuisine Express is around for ten years, so we can safely assume that they do something right, as the restaurant business is extremely competitive.

After reading the reviews, we decided to judge for ourselves and we were not disappointed. The all you can eat buffet offered lots of choices, from well cooked meat to a salad bar with numerous vegetables, including dolmas.

As far as we know, it is the only restaurant with a built in patio, so even when it is raining, you can sit outside which is a great feature in Ottawa's business district, where patios and terrraces are very hard to find.

The best part is, the restaurant has its patio on Laurier along the recently opened bicycle lane that goes right through down town Ottawa. It is very entertaining to see people cycling and walking by while you are eating. It definitely gives somewhat of a Mediterranean atmosphere on a hot day in the summer.

The service is very friendly and polite with coffee being refilled after lunch. Don't be scared off after reading the negative comments, the food is well cooked, there is lots of choice and there is a healthy salad bar, which can also be bought separately by weight, from what I saw from the corners of my eyes.

And the price for the buffet is right: $13.75 is definitely not a rip off in this time of increasing food prices.

Disappointed :(
This was the worst Persian food we have ever had. We ordered different dish, the chicken was not cooked and tasteless, the meat was dry and tough, the garden salad was awful and old, the bread was stale and stew was cold and we could hardly see any meat in it but full of split peas. We ordered baklava and it came to a ridiculous price. Worse off the baklava wasn’t even fresh, it was very dry.
No refills. You actually have to buy another coffee or tea! Are you kidding me?
This restaurant should not be operating. Compared to other places food is lower quality, the price is higher and smaller portions.
Since the owner is being cheap and not hiring any waitress, the service that everyone was getting was below the average.
Not to mention that we went to check the express line and came back she (owner/waitress) took the glasses and cutlery from our table (STOP BEING CHEAP!).
It seems very disorganized, poorly managed and poor service.

First exprerience was when we went there for lunch. We waited 15 min. for a drink order and loooooong wait for service and bill. One woman is working the entire restaurant, taking care of the cash, taking the orders, bring the orders to our table and looking after everything else (very unprofessional place). We orderes stews and chicken and beef kabobs. The stews were old and were heated in the microwave. Chicken kabob was not cooked and beef kabob was burned. Completely unimpressed.
Won't go back, won't recommened to others.

When we arrived, our table had 2 dirty plates. The food was prepared quickly because it was microwaved. It also got cold quickly. The rice was stale and the kabob was burnt. Our kabob barg was not authentic. Our server was constantly coughing and we felt that our food was probably contaminated with her germs too. We don't know why we stayed and didn't leave right then. We will not return to Persian Cuisine Express again.

My family and I found this little gem in one of our trips to Ottawa. The food was fantastic, the place was very clean and the staff was great.