Golden Diner — Restaurant in Toronto

So today is May 12th, 2025 and we arrived at 1730. We have been coming here for 12 years and we have never had the pleasure of having this server [yes I'm being fascicious]. The service and meals we've had here have always been enjoyable until today.

The white haired lady dressed in black and white didn't say hello, no greeting at all except just how many, we said 2, and she said "sit there". Well we wanted to sit in the corner so we did, and the glare we received when we didn't do as she said wasn't nice at all. She actually purposefully avoided us for not sitting where she told us to sit, and made us wait longer to place our order, it was evident. The restaurant was basically empty and she was the only server. We soon found out why she wanted us to sit closer to the cash register, because she yelled across the room, "what are you going to have?" I had to twist my neck around to yell back at her what we wanted. It was like she didn't want to write anything down and just punch it into the computer cash register, we were not happy with that at all.

We came here specifically because I wanted to try the halibut fish and chips and although the food came hot, the breading on the fish was so thick you couldn't even feel the fish - and it's $3.00 more than the haddock. After eating half, the tartar sauce was already used up with all the breading and I told the waitress that there wasn't enough tartar sauce to finish my fish. She took out a small container of tartar sauce and walked over to the cash register to charge me $2.00 for it. I asked her if she was planning on charging me for it and she said, "oh yes....it's very expensive". I said to her, "tartar sauce is mayonnaise and relish...so it's not expensive". I refused to take it at that point and had to finish my fish without it. The staring and glaring that she provided when hearing me share my discontent with my partner [and it wasn't so loud] was just another thing that upset us. I hadn't finished many of my fries and the second person had quite a bit of food left on his plate as well. We asked for containers for the left over food, and she brought one. I stuffed everything into the one and didn't bother asking for a second one.

I sent my dinner guest away so I could provide feedback to her as she didn't make us feel welcomed at all. In fact, I told her that although I recognized her in passing, should I ever come in and she is working, that I would not come to eat there. I told her about the way she told us where to sit, and refusing to come to the table to take an order rather than yelling at us, and of course the tartar sauce issue. She wasn't open to any criticism and so I just paid and left. I won't stop coming when Roy or the younger woman is working, but will check in and keep walking if I see this woman on shift. I just have to say, if you can't be pleasant to customers then maybe you're in the...

Joined the waiting list at 11am on a Sunday morning and were seated by 1:30pm. The waiting time is a real deal but if you're prepared for it you won't really be disappointed.

For brunch, or rather lunch by the time we were seated, we ordered the following:

Honey Butter Pancakes (5/5): the stack was perfectly prepared - had the right rise and perfect consistency. The lemon zest was present and made itself very much known as did the subtle salt in the pancake batter itself. The honey butter was golden. All in all, this order had the right level of jazz and spunk while maintaining the true and classic essence of a good ol' diner pancake. We also opted for a side of the Berry Compote to bring in that extra zing for when you want to add depth and more versatility to the luxurious pancake mouthfuls. This is the Apex of a good stack!

Breakfast Egg Sando (5/5): the scallion brioche bun is soft and fluffy in the best way possible. The salted eggs and cheese scramble is silky smooth, and paired along with the crispy, oily hash-browns has all the right textures and flavors in every bite. This is an ideal brunch sandwich. Quite memorable and a very repeatable order!

Side of Katsu Fried Chicken (3/5): to add a little more depth to our order, we ordered a plateful of Chicken Katsu but this did not serve. While somewhat generous in quantity, we felt that the flavor was lacking - no salt, no pepper, nothing. Seasoning at every stage of the cooking process is a must, no matter where the fried chicken would end up- as a side or in their Katsu Sandwich. This was a miss!

I would absolutely recommend their Pancakes and Egg Sando to anyone making...

You walk into a place like this not for the food, but for the promise of something vaguely comforting. Vinyl booths that stick to your thighs. Filter coffee that tastes like water in which coffee beans have been soaking in for a few years. A laminated menu that hasn’t changed since the invention of credit cards.

The eggs were eggs. The toast was toast. The potatoes just gave up on being Breakfast. A soft, starchy embarrassment of a vegetable. Everything else was fine in that soul-numbing, beige kind of way. Service was kind, in that “I’m at the end of my shift and I’ve seen some shit”. Home fries were cut up by an insane person who’s creating the world most difficult jigsaw puzzle. No wonder they weren’t cooked - chef didn’t know if he should aim to cook the mini pieces or the gangly looking ones.

This is not a place you come to eat—it’s a place you come to exist. For a moment. Hungover, heartbroken, or hiding from your boss. And sometimes, that’s enough but sometimes you want something to taste better than the dull monotonous drip that life becomes.

When your eggs get cold by the time they get to you, you know you’re not alright. When the French toast in combo one is dry and looks like a leather bag that’s been drying in the Sahara for a few summers now, you know you’re not alright. When you get maple syrup that’s sweet like fake compliments, you know you’re not alright. You know that when you order orange juice and you don’t get it but you still pay for it - you know you’re not alright.

All I wish is they cook the home...