Inspire Restaurant — Restaurant in Markham

Absolute worst dining experience thus far.

Seeing all the great reviews, we came with high hopes. Unfortunately, the whole experience from beginning to end was horrible.

Our server was very robotic, no greeting, no recommendations, did not ask if we wanted drinks, just wanted to take our food order. Did not seem like they enjoyed working here. Which wasn't too concerning at first, seeing as their menu looks really exciting and we wanted to order a lot of food to try. So we decided it's ok to skip the drinks for now.

We ordered the duck tacos to start, and I had the O.G. INSP Burger with the $5 upgrade for Duck Confit Frites, and my wife had Waff Out Loud.

This is when the disappointment starts. The duck tacos took about 15 minutes to arrive. There was literally 2 other parties of 2 in the restaurant. Why it took so long, I have no clue. While waiting for the duck tacos, we finished our waters, and our server never came to refill us. The duck tacos were bone dry, the description on the menu says "duck confit". For those who don't know what duck confit is, it is duck legs slow braised completely submerged in duck fat, it's supposed to be super moist and tender. To make things worst, the small 6" tacos were topped with a hand-full of fried taro on each. This should have been advertised as taro tacos and not duck tacos. The taro was super hard, not crispy, but hard. Each bite is a hazard of piercing the inside of your mouth. The whole dish just tasted like five spice, but very unpleasant to the bite.

Now for our entrees. My burger came with the duck confit frites upgrade, which was also topped with a mound of those rock-hard taro sticks. Needless to say, I immediately brushed it all off. Just to see a pile of soggy fries formed in the shape of a ball. The fries were absolutely horrible, super soggy, like they were soaked in water after frying. Completely on the other end of the spectrum versus the taro sticks. The tarragon aioli in the burger didn't taste much like tarragon, tasted just like plain mayo. For my wife's "Waff Out Loud" It's advertised as Prime Grade Strip Steak. For $26, getting some Prime grade steak, sounds like a really good deal! But when something is too good to be true, it usually is. We requested the steak to be done medium rare, it came medium well. The steak was absolutely dry, definitely was not prime grade. Probably not even AAA grade for that matter. This is definitely false advertisement. The waffle was not crispy, and the center was dense, very unpleasant to eat. All their food comes with a lot of garnishes on top, probably to cover up the poor quality of product they are serving.

Throughout the entire dining experience, our server never came to check on us, or even dared ask how the food was. Took us 10 minutes to flag her down to get our bill.

We left hungry and unpleasant, will definitely not be returning or recommending this...

I let it be known that I was scouring the city for a new dining experience. In came a friend raving about Inspire Restaurant; a relatively new restaurant on historic Main Street Markham that apparently served up exceptional meals. I had to investigate.

Though there is group seating, the restaurant is not all that large. If you're going to head to Inspire, get a reservation, because I certainly could not just waltz in. When you enter the restaurant you'll likely have the same trouble that I did trying to categorize its interior. It's somewhat dimly lit, with a mellow colour scheme, and decor that you can't really place your finger on. You might even say "inspiring". (I had to. No shame.)

When it came to the food, I kept with my current obsession; Chicken and Waffles. The chicken and waffles at Inspire is listed as including: chicken, homemade waffles, spicy berry compote, ginger maple butter, and berries. Though this is accurate, it does not at all explain the unexpected experience of this dish. The thick waffle is served with 3 pieces of chicken that hit the crispiness sweet spot. Not too giving, not too crackling. The waffle has a slightly green colour inside, that I can't really explain, but regardless, its doughy flavour pairs quite well with the spice of the chicken. Things get weirdly special with the spicy berry compote. Like the decor, I can't quite place my finger on what they were going for. You'll taste the sweet berry flavour that matches the syropy waffle theme, but right along with it you'll get a hit of curry-esq Indian flavour that supports the chicken. It was a welcome addition that I would have loved more of.

Though I didn't personally have the Dbl Bacon Cheesecake Burger, my friend did, and he loved it. The menu lists grade prime beef, matcha cheesecake, apple wood smoked bacon, pickled onions, and minced picked ginger aioli. Though we both saw cheesecake listed in the ingredients, we were thinking "OK, so they're going to maybe incorporate some cheesecake sweetness into the bun", or "maybe the cheese itself will be cheesecake inspired". Nope! They actually just toss a slice of cheesecake on top of the burger! His words: "Weird", "It actually works!".

Get a reservation. Go to Inspire. Try some inventive takes on food that you think you know. But don't go so often that I won't get a...

UPDATE SEP3/2022

Vanessa will make you feel like your are family and is such a good owner. Food quality is even better than I remember. So glad this place survived the pandemic. That Sweet Chick (chicken) Burger is my go to everytime, never dissapoints.

Thanks for everything Vanessa. My wife and I loved the food and conversation.

Cowsi : )

We are regulars of this establishment and have tried a variety of things.

It's a cozy place with elagance and a personal touch. You'll find a small menu that's specific enough to make your selection hard and a diverse enough menu to spark your appetite. The inspire word in the name of the restaurant lives true to its name, featuring unique clashes of different food groups; like the waffle and fried chicken. As odd it may seem, these chefs can compete with the best of them. My wife and I spend ample time tasting and trying out new restaurant's ranging in all prices and places.

No matter what, nothing ever deserves 5 stars, because there is always room for improvement.

To start, the beer selection is really poor but unique. They change up their selections of beer with only one or two varieties, along with a mystery import/domestic beer. I'm a huge beer fan-wishing for a wider selection.

The only other negative aspect to this restaurant that my wife and I found, was the space around us while seated at our table was limited-unless you sit at the corners or ends of the restaurant, near the walls.

The atmosphere & interior design was unique and had a pleasant and soothing vibration that made the dining experience exquisite. The food is served quickly without compromise to its quality, presentation and care. I find the little touches like the real cotton towels in the men's bathroom to dry your hand-not only environmentally responsible but also a high class experience. Oh! Don't worry, you throw the towel into a basket-bin below, so non are re-used

Pricing of the food for two people, with two drinks, two appetizers and two entrees is about $90 on average with the tip of 10% included.

I would recommend this place to anyone without a doubt, because I know your dining experience will blow you away.

Good luck getting a reservation though!

Make sure you call first before you drive...