I don't often find myself driving into one of Ottawa's older neighbourhoods expecting to eat inside a convenience store. Usually Eat the Strip has us chasing hidden gems in far-flung suburban plazas, so it was a nice change of pace to discover one tucked into a residential pocket where people walk over for a loaf of bread, stop in after work and catch up with their neighbours. Those little everyday interactions are part of what makes a community feel like home, and Green Maple Mart & Kitchen has quickly become one of those places.

Long-time Eat the Strip readers may remember Red Rock Convenience, which occupied this address before. One reader wrote to me about it back in 2024, but somehow I never made it. By the time I finally walked through the door on a Monday afternoon just after 4 p.m., the Mechanicsville-based business had changed hands and a new chapter had begun.

The convenience store looks much like you'd expect at first glance. Shelves are stocked with everyday essentials, while a tiled floor leads to a wooden counter on the left. Sahar Dehghan greets me as I walk in, and beside the counter sits a round wooden table with four chairs. This is clearly a neighbourhood spot built around takeout, although there's just enough room for a quick meal before heading home. I imagine the regulars know exactly what they're coming for, while the occasional office worker from nearby Tunney's Pasture probably wanders over looking for lunch.

It's exactly the sort of place that gets me excited. There's something about convenience stores and small grocery shops with hot food counters that almost always leads to honest, blue-collar cooking at prices that are hard to beat.

Owner Ali Dehghan introduces himself and tells me he and his wife, Sahar, took over the business about six months ago. Before moving to Canada, he owned a fast-food restaurant in northern Iran near the Caspian Sea, in the province of Mazandaran. Although the couple originally hoped to serve more traditional Iranian dishes, they quickly realized the local market leaned more toward familiar fare.

"We love to serve the Iranian food, but we mix the Iranian food with international."

The menu reflects that philosophy. Alongside pizzas, burgers and sandwiches sits one item that immediately caught my attention before I even arrived: the spicy bandari baguette. I had spotted it while reading Google reviews and knew I had to try it. Ali seemed pleasantly surprised that someone who wasn't Iranian had come specifically looking for it.

While I waited, customers drifted in and out of the store. Some grabbed milk, eggs or bread. Others stopped by simply to chat. One regular updated Ali on his day while another was asked how his blood pressure had been. Ali laughed as he pointed out another customer who, he joked, was probably his most frequent visitor. It quickly became obvious this wasn't just a convenience store. It was the kind of neighbourhood gathering place where people stop in to catch up with familiar faces as much as they do to pick up groceries.

After about 10 minutes, my sandwich arrived.

It was substantial, wrapped around a soft sesame-topped loaf that I would later learn is baked fresh by Sahar every day or two. Ali confirmed they make the bread themselves, and that kind of extra effort immediately shows.

Sosis bandari is one of Iran's best-known street foods, traditionally made by sautéing sliced sausages with onions, tomato paste and a generous blend of spices before finishing everything with plenty of heat. Green Maple Mart's version stays true to those bold flavours while piling on fresh tomatoes, crunchy pickles, carrots and an abundance of raw onions. The spicy sauce reminded me of the flavours found in Indian achar, with its combination of preserved vegetables, warming spices and chili oil. Every bite delivered sweetness from the onions, acidity from the pickles, gentle smokiness from the sausage and enough heat to keep me reaching for another mouthful.

Outside, neighbours wandered past walking their dogs while others popped in to pick up a few groceries for dinner. Meanwhile, I was happily working up a sweat from the sandwich's spice level.

About halfway through my meal, Ali stopped by carrying a bottle of Frank's RedHot.

"If the sandwich is not spicy enough," he said, I could always add some.

Judging by the grin on his face, he already suspected I wouldn't need it.

I didn't.

Before leaving, I ordered one more item to take home. Danielle had been working all day, so I figured she deserved dinner too. I settled on the Newfoundland Breakfast Burger, one of 13 burgers on the menu named after Canada's provinces and territories, a fun touch of Canadiana. It came topped with lettuce, tomato, cheddar, bacon, red onion and, best of all, a fried egg.

Back home, we quickly understood why the burgers have developed a following. The homemade beef patty was juicy, the vegetables were fresh and crisp, and the fried egg tied everything together beautifully. Ali mentioned he'd love to start baking his own burger buns as well, but doing so would force him to raise prices. For now, he's focused on keeping meals affordable.

That affordability is important to him. He proudly told me that everything they serve is food he and his wife eat themselves at home, and that their children eat the same.

The couple has no shortage of plans for the future. Ali hopes to install a display freezer stocked with ready-made meals while using the existing display of fresh fruits and vegetables to expand into made-to-order smoothies. Eventually, he'd like to bring in more Iranian staff and introduce a larger selection of traditional Iranian dishes. His long-term dream is even bigger.

"I love this work. It's my dream."

That dream, he says, is to one day operate a large restaurant downtown.

He also credits much of his motivation to the people who walk through his doors every day.

"I love to have friendly behaviour with my customers because my customers support me and I have to support them."

Even the store's name came together unexpectedly. While he was driving, his lawyer called to ask what he wanted to name the business. "Green Maple Mart" simply popped into his head, and the name stuck.

For now, though, he's focused on steadily improving what he has, expanding the kitchen when possible and continuing to build relationships with the neighbours who have already embraced the business.

Our bandari sandwich came to just over $10, which feels like remarkable value considering its size and the care that goes into making it. The burger, at around $13, was equally satisfying. But if you're making the trip, order the bandari. Ottawa's food scene gets more interesting every time someone brings a little piece of home to our city, and places like Green Maple Mart & Kitchen remind me exactly why I started Eat the Strip in the first place. Sometimes all it takes is following a reader's tip into a neighbourhood convenience store to find a sandwich you'll be thinking about long after you've gone home.