What are your favourite restaurants in your city?

[TorontoDrew]

Originally Posted by WhipperSnapper

I'm not a foodie. The slop served at the local waterholes are sufficient enough. Surprisingly, I have been to many of the places on the list but, that's not why I'm commenting. I've been to the Burger Priest by Coxwell and Queen. I believe it to be the original location. It is definitely an overpriced, over hyped burger.

You're correct it is the original. I was house sitting last month near there so gave it another shot. A double bacon cheese burger no sides or drink came in at around $11.50. I'll never go back, it was a greasy mess and pretty small. parts and Labour makes a decent burger as does the BQM on Ossignton.

[manny_santos]

Originally Posted by niwell

13. Burger's Priest. You like good burgers? Go here. Toronto's version of In and Out.

I've never been, but a friend of mine from the 905 likes this place a lot. She recommends the Vatican burger.

There's a really good Mexican restaurant I've been to on Queen Street in Toronto, I think near Bathurst, I can't remember the name of it for the life of me. They serve Negra Modelo beer, which you don't see much in Canada. The head chef is from Xalapa, Mexico, if I recall correctly.

[giallo]

^Toronto sounds like it's got some spectacular places to go eat. I'd try every single place you mentioned.

niwell, please post photos of whatever you can. Food is best looked at than read about.

[softee]

Burrito Boyz is another good place in Toronto in the cheap eats category. Their burritos are so huge and satisfying I've yet to even try a large, the "small" is always more than enough for me!

[niwell]

Originally Posted by softee

Burrito Boyz is another good place in Toronto in the cheap eats category. Their burritos are so huge and satisfying I've yet to even try a large, the "small" is always more than enough for me!

Yeah definitely! There's too many restaurants it's easy to forget things. Although I prefer Burro Burrito on College St. Both are good though. The burritos I had in San Francisco were better, but Toronto isn't much far behind anymore, surprisingly.

Also in the cheap eats I can't believe I forgot the Poutine options. Toronto has appropriated poutine in a big way and I'm into it. Smoke's is great for poutine with loaded toppings. But if you want something that rivals the best of Montreal, go to Poutini's on Queen West. Unless it's 3am on a friday/saturday. Then lineups will ruin your early morning.

[Rumors]

Côte St Luc Bar-B-Q.....yummy.

[khabibulin]

The Underground Café in Winnipeg. Not open in the evenings.

The Works in Ottawa.

[Boris2k7]

Calgary

1. Long's Chinese Food - great little Szechuan place just off of 17th Ave and 14th Street S.W. Small place that is tucked in behind a Green Chili and a Chianti restaurant. Their shredded pork with chili and garlic sauce is amazing.

2. Golden Bell Saigon - hands down best Vietnamese in Calgary, and that's saying something. Great selection that pretty much hits all the favourites. Recommend the phở bò kho or the bánh xèo. They also make a pretty mean pad thai, and have subs, vietnamese coffee, bubble tea, etc. The 17th ave location is the one I have the most experience with and they, like most vietnamese places around Calgary, are really fast.

3. Pig and Duke - pub just off the corner of 12th and 12th SW. Fine selection of pork-infused dishes. Get The Hammer (kielbasa sausage with smoked applewood bacon), The Duke (8oz beef patty with Canadian bacon, pulled pork and double smoked bacon) or the Swinetine (fries, curds, pig sauce, bacon, pulled pork, fried egg). They also have a competition -- if you can eat The Pig (16oz burger) in less than 40 minutes it's free.

4. GAGA Pizzeria - just down the street from the Pig and Duke is this little pizza place run by a Hungarian couple. They have calzones, greek salads, baklava, homemade soups, etc. Try the Signora Gaga pizza (Mozzarella, Spinach, Olives, Prosciutto, Bocconcini and Figs) or the Mafiosa (Mozzarella, Ham, Pepperoni, Mushrooms, Hot Peppers, Capiccollo, Garlic and Oregano). And did I mention that this place goes really easy on your wallet? Alternatively, if you want greek-style pizza, head over to Niko's.

5. Jimmy's A&A - great donair and shawarma place. Huge portions. Recommend against getting anything bigger than a medium unless you are really hungry (actually, even then, not a good idea). I personally stick with the shawarma here. There are a couple of locations around town -- I've tended to go to the Beltline one but I've heard that the Capitol Hill location is a lot more fun.

6. Peter's Drive In - a Calgary staple. The burgers aren't really praiseworthy, but the milkshakes will bring the boys to the yard. Pretty much guaranteed long lines on any sunny day. And actually, if you are looking into milkshakes but don't want to get up to Edmonton Trail, you could also try Fat City Franks for their malted milkshakes.

7. Khao San Thai - you will probably have to reserve a bit in advance, but it's worth it if you want what Thai food Calgary has to offer. Not sure I have any specific dish to mention, but the pineapple red curry is among the more interesting dishes. Alternatively, if you are on a budget, it's lunch, and you want some really good, quick Thai, try Jacky's Thai in Eau Claire Market.

8. Tango Bistro - it's in a location that demands driving, but among Calgary's admittedly small selection of decent brunch spots, this tops my list. The chefs change the main dishes each week but you are guaranteed a wide selection from a buffet-style brunch. Alternatively, if driving out isn't that appealing, try Red's Diner or Galaxie Diner in Beltline.

9. Green Chili - hard to say what is the best Indian food in Calgary, but Green Chili makes a fairly convincing choice. They have five locations around the city, one of them just at the corner of 17th and 14th (mentioned above). They also offer takeout! I'm rather fond of the chicken korma as well as the goat curry.

10. Crepes 'n' Cravings - rounding out the list is my favourite crepe shop, nestled in on 17th ave. You can get savoury crepes, like the Montreal smoked meat crepe, or satisfy your sweet tooth with something like the cherry cheesecake or the Waffle-cone crepes. They also have gelato and belgian waffles. The man working behind the counter there (the owner maybe?) is just about the nicest guy ever. Alternatively, if you need to satisfy your sweet tooth and aren't quite in the mood for crepes, head over to Village Ice Cream.

[niwell]

Some pictures of the places I mentioned - dug through my phone and found some.

Kinton Ramen (from tonight!):




La Carnita:




Big House Pizza at Only Cafe:




Patois:



And something I didn't mention in the above post, but one of my favourite sandwich places - Porchetta and Co. This is a special - they change it up every week and do specials on Thurs/Fri/Sat. This one is fried jerk chicken with oxtail gravy in a coconut bun. So good!

[Beedok]

I can usually only afford fast food.

[kwoldtimer]

Kitchener has been into tapas/small plates lately. I enjoy Public (foodies), Belmont Bistro and Gilt (trendy, decent cocktails). The food at Imbibe is good, but it's mainly about the craft beer.

In Waterloo, I like King Street Trio (contemporary, local ingredients) and Taco Farm (taco bar/Mexican fusion). The Bauer Kitchen is comparable to Trio and very popular but somehow doesn't do it for me (it has been a while, I need to go back).

Plus, of course, any place in town or out in the villages that serves schmecky food!

[hipster duck]

Vancouver:

Rangoli's, La Quercia, The Eatery, The Acorn, Bestie's, Phnom Penh (sp?), Tacofino, Peaceful, Santouka, Sushiyama (not the best, but amazing value), Basho, The Red Wagon, Dynasty, West.

Toronto:

Oddseoul, the Black Hoof, Tavoos (brunch only), Joso's, Enoteca Sociale, The Stockyards, Porchetta & Co.

Actually, I'm a little out of date on Toronto restaurants. There are a lot of new restaurants that I'm excited to try out on my next visit.

[MonkeyRonin]

Originally Posted by Beedok

I can usually only afford fast food.

In any given city there are a ton of fantastic, cheap restaurants, so unless you're just concerned with convenience there's really no excuse to have to go out to fast food chains.

Even if you're just getting a burger or a slice of pizza there are inevitably going to be way better places than McDonalds or Pizza Pizza in the same price range. And if you're that broke that you can literally only afford fast food...you probably shouldn't be eating out anywhere anyway.


Some of my favourites in that "cheap n' cheerful" category in (central) Toronto - the type where you can get a great meal for $10:


New Treasure - best dim sum in town, complete with requisite plastic tablecloths, flourescent lighting, and dingy basement location.

Kabul Express - Afghan with the all charming ambiance of a Tim Hortons.

Tiffin Box - Top-notch Indian food served on cafeteria trays.

Banjara - Indian in an old donut shop.

Sam's Philly Steaks - Philly cheese steaks!


Also, places that I can't make any snarky comments about:

King of Chicken, Pho Hung, Pho Tien Thanh, Pho Linh, Golden Turtle, Salad King, Nazareth, Gandhi Roti, Bacchus, Gordo Ex, El Fogon, Jumbo Empanadas



And some not-so-cheap places to add to niwell's excellent list: (some of these are kind of obvious, but...)

Sabai Sabai, Khao San Road, Amaya, The Host, Zucca, Momofuku, Electric Mud BBQ

[theman23]

Originally Posted by MonkeyRonin

In any given city there are a ton of fantastic, cheap restaurants, so unless you're just concerned with convenience there's really no excuse to have to go out to fast food chains.

Even if you're just getting a burger or a slice of pizza there are inevitably going to be way better places than McDonalds or Pizza Pizza in the same price range. And if you're that broke that you can literally only afford fast food...you probably shouldn't be eating out anywhere anyway.

This really isn't true. Most of those "fantastic, cheap restaurants" are still charging $10 a plate, which is more than what you'd expect to pay at fast food chains.

Its really hard to beat the value menu in terms of affordability. It usually ends up being cheaper than cooking food on your own.

[lio45]

Originally Posted by theman23

This really isn't true. Most of those "fantastic, cheap restaurants" are still charging $10 a plate, which is more than what you'd expect to pay at fast food chains.

Its really hard to beat the value menu in terms of affordability. It usually ends up being cheaper than cooking food on your own.

Agreed.

If you're a cheapskate, like me, nothing beats McDonald's for value. (Most other chains also have deals like that... Taco Bell, for example. But I find it even crappier food.)

McD's has several $1 burgers in the Value Menu. Small fries is also $1 in most states. I am pretty sure that in Quebec there's at least a couple burgers for something like $1.39... last I checked (I don't eat there if I can help it).

For $3 you can definitely have a "meal" over there. No independent restaurant (unless in the third world) can match that.

Of course I wouldn't recommend it too often, but when I'm on the road, that diet (one $1 McDouble) mixes well with the carrots, apples, bananas, peaches, Nature Valley bars, and all kinds of nuts that I'll get at supermarkets. (Fueling up at "Murphy"/Walmart when they're on the side of the interstate = trip inside to the produce aisle.)

At home obviously I won't go for that kind of crap food, but for price, it sure can't be beat.

[WhipperSnapper]

Originally Posted by lio45

Agreed.

If you're a cheapskate, like me, nothing beats McDonald's for value. (Most other chains also have deals like that... Taco Bell, for example. But I find it even crappier food.)

McD's has several $1 burgers in the Value Menu. Small fries is also $1 in most states. I am pretty sure that in Quebec there's at least a couple burgers for something like $1.39... last I checked (I don't eat there if I can help it).

For $3 you can definitely have a "meal" over there. No independent restaurant (unless in the third world) can match that.

Of course I wouldn't recommend it too often, but when I'm on the road, that diet (one $1 McDouble) mixes well with the carrots, apples, bananas, peaches, Nature Valley bars, and all kinds of nuts that I'll get at supermarkets. (Fueling up at "Murphy"/Walmart when they're on the side of the interstate = trip inside to the produce aisle.)

At home obviously I won't go for that kind of crap food, but for price, it sure can't be beat.

There are many fantastic holes in the walls in Toronto that offer food for a lot less than $10 a plate. They can still be had in the downtown area although much fewer than 10 years ago. Just the other day I had a made to order $3 burger that may not be among my favourites but certainly put the $5 Big Mac to shame.

A food court will charge $10 a plate eventhough they deal in high volume. A counter in the office core of Toronto will run you $25000 a month in rent alone.

[niwell]

To be fair, I've only had Burger's Priest a few times, and that was a few years ago when it was still newish and only had the east end location. It's certainly possible that it's gone down in quality since then (and up in price!).

I'll second the above mentions of Khao San Road, although it's gone down in quality as well which is why I recommend Pai for Thai food. It's run by the former owners of Khao San! Enoteca Sociale is great as well.

If you want to watch sports and have a few beers I'd highly recommend the Dock Ellis on Dundas near Dovercourt. The honey glazed chicken sandwich is amazing, and the prices are reasonable. Although I still find the concept of a hipster sports bar amusing.

If anyone has any cheap, good Chinatown recommendations I'd be interested! I used to live near East Chinatown and had that area figured out pretty good (not difficult), but the main one is still a bit of a mystery to me. I know the best places are in up in Markham but that's not happening.

[TorontoDrew]

no Bull Burgers are comparable in style to Burgers Priest but they use better ingredients and have better service.

[niwell]

Originally Posted by TorontoDrew

no Bull Burgers are comparable in style to Burgers Priest but they use better ingredients and have better service.

I'll check it out! Also I think hands down the best burger I have had in the city is at Allen's on the Danforth. Doesn't count as cheap though.

[TorontoDrew]

Originally Posted by niwell

I'll check it out! Also I think hands down the best burger I have had in the city is at Allen's on the Danforth. Doesn't count as cheap though.

I bet they make a good burger. The best I ever had was at Gusto on Portland. $17 but worth it.

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