Mississauga’s Ridgeway Plaza got a surprise dose of soccer royalty this week when Brazilian legend Ronaldinho Gaúcho stopped by Sumaq Iraqi Charcoal Grill, giving one of the restaurant’s most popular shawarmas his personal seal of approval.
“The legend @ronaldinho gave us a visit & he absolutely loved our Supreme Chicken Shawarma!” Sumaq wrote in its Insta caption, alongside a reel showing Ronaldinho surrounded by fans as he takes a big bite of the wrap before giving the “OK” sign.
If you’ve somehow missed the Ronaldinho era, the 46-year-old former attacking midfielder is one of the most recognizable players in soccer history. During his five seasons with FC Barcelona, he helped the club win two league titles and the 2006 Champions League. The star is currently in Toronto for the Living Legends match at BMO Field on Friday evening, an exhibition that will see Brazil legends face Toronto FC legends.
His Mississauga food stop put the spotlight on one of the GTA’s most talked-about shawarma destinations. Sumaq is an authentic halal Iraqi and Middle Eastern restaurant that specializes in traditional charcoal-grilled kebabs, shawarma, and other Iraqi dishes rooted in slow grilling, aromatic spices and freshly baked bread.
The Supreme Chicken Shawarma that Ronaldinho dove into features juicy, slow-roasted chicken slices marinated in flavourful Middle Eastern spices, but the restaurant’s wider menu also includes veal and mixed shawarma, Iraqi kebab, chicken and lamb tikka, Arabic platters, fresh tanoor and samoon bread, and desserts like baklava and cheesecake.
And this isn’t the first time Sumaq has caught the attention of a major name. TikTok’s most famous food critic, Keith Lee, visited Sumaq during his Toronto food tour in 2024, making the Scarborough location his first stop in the city! Lee sampled three shawarma wraps and was a huge fan of the veal and chicken shawarmas. After Lee’s visit, the restaurant’s follower count jumped from just over 6,000 to more than 20,000 followers.
Today, the restaurant has 160,000 Insta followers and counting, with Ronaldinho’s visit now giving it another viral moment!
Follow @sumaqbbq, or check out the shawarma yourself at Sumaq’s Mississauga location (3920 Eglinton Ave. W. #25) or its Scarborough location (1961 Lawrence Ave E.).
