Top 5 Hidden Restaurants in Mississauga

If you have never been to these restaurants before it’s probably because you’ve never seen them.

Whether these places are in a back alley or on a side street that you have never been on or will be on, these restaurants are hidden and you’re missing out as a result.

These places run the gamut from upscale to casual to ethnically specific and one thing is for sure — these places are great when you are in the mood for that style of food and you won’t see them unless you Google map them.

Here’s the list of the top 5 best hidden restaurants in Mississauga:5 – Grano Ristorante

Grano is definitely one of our city’s hidden gems. It’s tucked away in Enfield Place at the City Centre. This is one of those restaurants that’s perfect for a romantic dinner or a girls’ night out. It is a small space, so I suggest making a reservation. Although not known for its great service, the food is always on point. And honestly, if the food is that great, I can overlook questionable service. I’ll take the abuse, Grano! I mean, everyone is entitled to a bad day or two.4 – Udupi Madras Café 

You’d be forgiven if you said you’d never heard of this tucked-away gem on Enfield Place, right behind the Sussex Centre. It’s not visible from the street, but its central location and unique menu brimming with Southern Indian vegetarian cuisine puts this pleasant finding high on our list of must-visit Indian restos. The café, intimate and decorated in dark, rich hues, offers diners the chance to sample medu vada (a sort of savory doughnut), various dosas and South Indian Thali, a mini five-course meal served with a pickle, pappad, yogurt, buttermilk, sambar, rasam, poriyal, dal or kootu, gravy, rice of the day, white rice, chapati or poori and the dessert of the day. The Thali is served on a round platter with rice in the center and, despite sounding overwhelming, isn’t too much for one person to finish. Diners looking for an even more authentic experience can enjoy a masala chai (tea) after their meal. The fair price point, attentive service and highly customizable menu (you can specify spice, oil and texture level for dosas) makes this inconspicuous vegetarian resto more than worth the search.  3 – Shandra’s

Tucked away in a hidden strip mall on Eglinton between Tomken and Dixie is Shandra’s Roti Shop — one of the best and most popular roti shops. Shandra’s has been around for 20 years and that speaks volumes. With a variety of roti’s, rice dishes and Caribbean appetizers, you can’t leave without being satisfied. Today we tried the chicken curry roti and it was delicious. The chicken was nice and moist and the potatoes were cooked to a perfect softness and the spices were exactly what you wanted. Expect to stand in line at lunch. 2 – Jessie’s

This place has been mentioned on a few top 5’s and rightfully so. Jessie’s established in 1981 is located in an industrial plaza at Kennedy and Matheson and boasts huge lunchtime line-ups — and for good reason. This place has a little bit of everything, from great food to large quantities to great service and good prices. All four are hard to find. When you first walk in, you’ll see a chalkboard that shows all the specials and the special that stuck out was the beef brisket on a bun. You can also find a smoked meat sandwich. You watch that meat being sliced and put on rye right in front of your eyes. You can also watch them prepare the most popular dish on the chalkboard menu: the chicken Souvlaki dinner. Two pieces of advice: get there a little before noon to avoid the lunch rush and bring cash, as this place does not accept debit or credit. Enjoy and you’re welcome!1 – Michael’s Back Door 

Before we start talking about the food and the restaurant, we’ve got to say that we love the name and where Michael’s is located. The setup is so unlike anything else in Mississauga, as it is located at the back of a building in Clarkson off Lakeshore Road and is almost a secret because it’s completely hidden from public view. As you park in the back alley, you will find a glass solarium protruding from the back. It’s almost like you are walking into a secret location. We tried the risotto pescatore which had risotto with shrimp, scallops, fresh tomatoes and white wine and it was some of the best risotto we’ve had. The shrimp were huge, the seafood was plentiful and the rice was perfectly cooked. The server was very pleasant and knowledgeable and gave recommendations, as any good server should. This isn’t a big place, so make reservations — especially on Friday and Saturday nights. This would be a perfect place for a date and they even have a piano room that can accommodate 40 people, which is great for a corporate dinner. They recently introduced a wine room for up to 16, which is great for family parties when you just don’t want to cook at home. Michael’s is expanding so much that it might have a front door one day. Also, Michael’s Back Door has been around since 1981, so you know they’re doing something right.

1. Michael’s Back Door Restaurant
2. Jessie’s
3. Shandra’s Roti Shop
4. Udupi Madras Cafe
5. Grano Ristorante