Gold Standard Queen — Restaurant in Toronto

Wyck Recommends: Gold Standard Queen – All Sandwich, No Space

Picture this: You’re starving, half-frozen, and standing at the corner of Queen and Brock—where the wind slaps harder than your last situationship—and the smell of bacon and hot sauce lures you toward a bright little shop with three stools and big promises. You think, “This is gonna hit.” And hey—it does… but not without a few bumps.

What We Had:

The Gold Standard Breakfast Sandwich – fluffy scrambled eggs, sharp cheddar, crispy bacon, pickles, aioli, and hot sauce on a toasted English muffin. Tastes great. No notes on flavor. But at $10 for a takeaway sandwich with nowhere to sit? That’s a choice. Service: Not friendly, not helpful. No greeting, no vibe, just an order number and a bag. You’ll get fed, but don’t expect warmth or welcome.

Vibe Check: It’s not a vibe—it’s a sandwich mission. You’re either standing awkwardly indoors with strangers breathing down your neck, or outside in Parkdale wind chill questioning your life decisions. There’s technically seating, but only in the same way that a windowsill technically counts as furniture.

The Space Itself: Visually? Beautiful. Tin ceiling, tiled floor, good light, plants, retro signs—it’s got that curated, urban breakfast charm. But physically? It’s tiny. Like, “two humans and a stroller is a full shutdown” tiny. The stools and counter look cute in photos but function more like decorative suggestions than actual usable space. Most Canadians aren’t built to perch like hummingbirds.

About the Neighborhood: This part of Queen West is loud, weird, and full of energy. You’ll find thrift gold, momos, record shops, and at least one guy ranting about landlords on a megaphone. Fun fact: The area was once Toronto’s furniture manufacturing hub—now it’s where sandwiches are made and personal space goes to die.

Hits: ✔️ The sandwich is fire—great ingredients and flavors ✔️ Fast, efficient service (even if not warm) ✔️ Cute design, great for a quick solo stop ✔️ Iconic Parkdale location with character

Misses: ✖️ Interior is unbelievably small—you’ll be shoulder-to-shoulder with a stranger before you even finish ordering ✖️ Not enough space to sit, eat, or even stand comfortably ✖️ No parking, chaotic intersection, no place to chill ✖️ Service was cold—zero welcome, no helpfulness

Final Verdict: Gold Standard earns its name for flavor—but everything else is a logistical struggle. You’ll leave full and mildly annoyed, like someone who paid for a great concert but stood behind a pillar the whole time.

Rating: 3.5/5

Perfect for: Locals grabbing a quick bite, sandwich lovers, people who already ate there before Avoid if: You want to sit, feel welcome, or not get elbowed...

Poor customer service drops this rating down to 3 stars despite 5 star food. The breakfast sandwiches are excellent, however, there is no way to get in touch with the store to place a take-out order ahead of time or to call if there is a problem.

This morning my partner was charged the extra $2 to add kale to our two breakfast sandwiches and then got home and realized it was missing from the sandwiches. I have no way to get in touch with the store other than go back and tell them the mistake and then wait outside in sweltering heat for 10 mins while they remake my order correctly, which my partner already had to do to order them in the first place because I can’t call in a take-out order! We live in the neighbourhood and have visited many times because the food is so good but the customer service is consistently awful, totally indifferent and lacking...

On our way to pick up our breakfast sandwiches, we stopped at the coffee shop and while we were there, we did a mobile order for our breakfast sandwiches because we had heard that they are quite busy and actually on their website it will tell you how long the wait is currently. They were ready right on time. Handed to us with a smile. And after the 15 minute walk home, they were still nice and hot and tasted very fresh and delicious. Since we were not from the area, we also split one of their burgers, just for a taste. Equally delicious!...