Bombay Frankies - Queensway — Restaurant in Toronto

I love Indian food and better yet I love Indian street food. My obsession with Pani puri and chaat is off the charts. When I found out about this place I was super excited.

First off the place is pretty cold and sterile, but very clean. Not a place where you want to spend any amounts of time in, but we ate in anyways for convenience.

My husband had the Crispy Butter Chicken wrap. The "meat" had no texture whatsoever, we can safely say it was mechanically processed and formed. Tha flavour was good and the outer wrap was tasty, but that undeniable formed meat was off putting. And at no point was the chicken crispy, so to call it a crispy butter chicken is a bit deceitful. My husband described the "chicken" texture as foamy.

I had the Crispy Butter Chicken Bowl. The first bite was a total let down and I tried to convince myself i could eat it. When you spend over $40 for 2 at a fast-food joint you kinda hope to get your money's worth. Not this time. Again the same FORMED chicken!!! It was soooooo bad and the rice way over cooked. I love love love Indian and Pakistani food and have grown up with it. Look, I'm not looking for Dil Se quality, just something to fill my Indian cravings, y'know cheap and cheerful. I found the food pretty insulting. Everything was MUSH. Even the pakora chaat we got was mushy, you couldnt tell where the pakora started or ended and whatever chutney and yogurt they used was absorbed fully by the pakora. Ive never had a pakora that was so mushy and yet so dry. The best thing I had there was the freestyle coke machine and the potato chips (also note, no masala anything on these chips just regular chips from a bag) they give you on the side.

The best part is, when I asked about the "meat" they couldn't say it was breast, thigh or other. And to top it all off they tell me after the fact they also make in house chicken???!!!!!! O.o Why would you not use the fresh in house chicken for all your dishes??? And no mention of it in their restaurant. Whyyyyyyyy??? That to me is insane.

Would never recommend this place to anyone. This place left such a bad taste in my mouth. Could be the worst Indian food I've ever had. They asked if I wanted a to go box.....crickets No thanks.

I give this place 💣💣💣💣💣 and not in a good way.

Also note, the massive larger than life full length portrait of the inspired chef...

Awesome experience. TASTY food.

UPDATE: I tried the chicken vindaloo wrap. AMAZING. See added pictures. The wrap is long and thick. Nice quality roti stuffed with a good deal of vindaloo chicken curry, and some cool legumes. It leaves a good after taste. Very filling. Nicely packaged. The roll is so stuffed and neatly put together that it can stand on end after a few bites (see picture). The owner also came by and checked on my dining experience. I can see that quality is monitored actively by the owner and workers.

Update: The chicken tikka wrap is also excellent. It is spicy. If you want something cooler I recommend the kerala vindaloo wrap.

It is actual chef-inspired food as their slogan says. That is to say, an actual first-class chef's vision and quality standards drive are the foundation for the food here. Unlike say, Prince St Pizza or Shake Shack that people in tdot seem to think are great.

I tried the 3 piece samosa with the default mint chutney. It was served on copper tableware. The pastry was just the right thickness and the stuffing was flavourful. An easy, clean eat. Look how big they are in the photos below. And look how rich it is in spices. Lots of peas too.

The mint chutney, which they gave a decent amount of, was A+. Cool chutney also has a palate cleansing effect. Look at the photo below, they served it in a fancy metal dish.

Server was extremely nice. Was happy to answer questions about menu items and visible at all times.

Interior was original, the wall paintings tell a short story in poem. Even the neon Open sign, shaped like a flame, breaks norms haha.

Amusingly, this awesome experience was only $5. Fast, original, vivid food. Yet people in Toronto will wait 30 mins in line for a slice of unsophisticated overhyped (Prince St) pizza for $6. I hope the Bombay Frankies location at The Well opens up soon so I can eat closer to home, and so it can drive some sense into the local food culture and level-up the Toronto foodie's culinary sense. Bombay Frankies is the kind of place Toronto desperately needs. Toronto does not need any more trite startups like cookie places or pizza variants, it needs novel, high-quality stuff like this.

Thanks Bombay Frankies for bringing some originality...

As someone who grew up in Mumbai and has eaten countless vada pavs, samosas, and frankies from actual street stalls and local joints, I walked into Bombay Frankie with high hopes, only to walk out sorely disappointed.

Let’s start with the vada pav. What they served is not vada pav by any stretch of imagination. The "vada" was baked, not fried, instantly stripping it of the crispy, spicy, golden glory that defines a real vada. It had no texture, no flavor, no soul. And the “pav”? It wasn’t pav at all. They used a burger bun that felt more like something you would find at KFC or McDonald’s. A proper Mumbai pav is soft, airy, and slightly chewy, not a generic patty bun. This was a complete letdown.

The samosa was equally uninspiring. It tasted lifeless. No spice, no freshness. Just a sad triangle of disappointment.

And the so called Frankie. What they’re selling here is not a Frankie. It’s just a generic wrap that bears no resemblance to the street style Frankies of Bombay. No flaky paratha, no signature tangy masala, no chatpata flavor punch, just a wrap with some ingredients thrown in. It’s almost offensive to call this a Frankie.

To anyone who has actually lived in or visited Mumbai, this place will feel like a parody of real Mumbai street food. The dishes are stripped of their authenticity, flavor, and character, replaced with generic, westernized versions that completely miss the mark.

If you're looking for a taste of Bombay, this is not the place. You are better off finding a proper Indian street food joint or even trying to make it at home. Bombay Frankie left me disappointed, disheartened, and honestly, a little sad.

Please check the pictures, the food...