Lazy Daisy's Cafe — Restaurant in Toronto

TL;DR - Good food. Slow service. Loud (echo-y) space. Not worth a wait but worth a casual visit!

Long version - I've been here a couple times this summer (2024) and twice before. This review covers overall and specific experiences.

Patio in the back is take-out only on weekdays (no table service). *Edit, adding from a response from the owner, "the patio does have table service friday thru sunday (weather dependent) 830 am til 8 pm." Order at the counter for take-out. Otherwise, it's table service, wait to be seated. I think I saw one table available for 6, but it's mostly seating for 1-4. Street/public (paid) parking. Children/stroller friendly. Children's menu items available. No reservations.

Wait service is slow. Flagging our server was unsuccessful. I saw other patrons eagerly looking towards her direction to get her attention, sometimes raising a hand, while I was trying to as well.

Food service timing has been dependent on how busy they are. I've had it in 10 minutes and I've had it arrive in a little over 30 minutes, which is still acceptable but definitely on the longer side of waiting.

One time I saw the server helping in the kitchen and the kitchen staff helping to bus tables/serve. It was nice to see everyone working together but I think they could do with an additional (designated) wait staff. Most of the staff seem quite friendly.

Payment for table service seems like it is acceptable at either the table or counter. We tried to arrange to pay at the table after seeing other customers pay at the table, but we ended up paying at the counter after we couldn't flag down the server. A neighbouring table immediately followed suit behind us when we went to the counter to pay.

Prices are average to slightly expensive but really not "expensive" when you consider it's fresh, locally sourced, home-made, and good quality.

The food is good! If you like buttermilk biscuits, they do a burger with the bun substituted with them (pictured)! The mac n cheese is also very good and super cheesey (pictured). I also enjoyed a BLT with their house salad! I ordered my BLT on sourdough. Warning for those of you who are picky with the end pieces of a loaf, they do use the ends (pictured). I think it made for a smaller sandwich but I was definitely still very satiated by the entire plate! I liked the salad dressing. I've also tried the fried chicken (from the Due South plate, pictured only in background). The batter layer is pretty thick and crunchy! It is well-seasoned but not very spicy. You can always throw some Choula on it which is on the table. Very tasty still!

They have a great assortment of hot and cold drinks. It's nice to see things like Golden Latte, Sapsucker, and Harmon's (non-alc beer) on the menu.

The space is loud. Kitchen work, customers chatting, and clanging utensil sounds really bounce throughout the space. I had a hard time hearing my dining partner who was sitting across from me. The walls could use some baffling IMO.

Speaking of walls, the decor is very cute! I loved the sunny-side-up-egg-flowers. Very cosy feel. Some tables have a unique wood pattern burned into them. They have anti-pest devices plugged in the outlets which I liked to see too.

Our table still had quite a few crumbs on it from previous customers, despite being reset with cutlery for our arrival. They were quite busy on this day though.

Recently they started opening for dinner. If you're looking to try this place out without a crowd, it was pretty dead when I went that time but I hope their dinners start taking off in the neighbourhood.

I always see a line up on weekend brunchtime. It's a very popular place in the neighbourhood and I understand why. I would return here but wouldn't go out of my way or if I had a timing to meet...

Had their Son-Of-A-Rise breakfast sandwich which was egg, bacon, avocado and also tried their Biscuits with Sausage Gravy, with eggs on top, and then a side of fried Chicken thigh.

I'll break it all down for you starting with the biscuits and Gravy. First off , I understand that biscuits and gravy is not always the most appealing dish to order in terms of presentation, but to be honest when the plate was placed in front of me, i was strongly put off by the look. I'm a huge foodie, and was excited to give this a place a try, some put aside the initial negative impression and dug right in!

The gravy didn't not have a normal "gravy" texture, it was more like an oatmeal texture, almost goopy. To be frank it wasn't that the gravy was off-putting in terms of taste, rather, it was that it just had NO flavor! I had to hit it with a good amount of salt, black pepper and hot sauce to taste anything. Couldn't taste the sausage in the gravy but I assume there was some there, which is what I presume gave it that "oatmeal" type of texture with all the chunks. The biscuit was not enjoyable because it didn't hold up well with the oatmeal , I mean gravy! The biscuit was all mushy, so couldn't get to enjoy the biscuit much, which is what they're known for. The eggs on top were unseasoned, dry and lacked flavor.

The dish came with a side of tomato slices which I found an odd pairing but out of the entire dish the tomatoes were probably the most redeeming part of the dish as it was a nice escape from the tasteless gravy and biscuits. The tomato was also firm and fresh tasting, not mealy or sour , which was nice.

Ok so for the fried chicken. Let's start with the positive. The chicken was moist, a decent size, and was de-boned, which made it easy to eat. The problem was that again there was no flavor in the chicken. I'm not a stickler for complex Michelin star flavour profiles here, I really just wanted the thing to be properly seasoned with, maybe some salt ? The chicken tasted like there was not even any seasoning used in the batter. It was similar to the gravy - just BLAND. The crust was crunchy, and flaky, but I found most of it fell off while you tried to eat it. Again I added some salt and black pepper to try and "create" some flavour here. Didn't happen.

I only had two bites of the breakfast sandwich so won't spend too much time here. No major positives or negatives other than again, it just honestly lacked flavour.

The service? The service I would say is inconsistent. It took forever for our waitress to come to us to take our order. However I noticed folks seated after us , had their server come to them right away and take their orders. It's a bit chaotic in there, so perhaps that's where the problem is. We went on a weekend and it does get very busy, and loud. This is not the place you want to go to enjoy a calm atmosphere and be able to have a conversation with the people you're dining with. You can tell this is very much a neighborhood type of diner, with regulars, families and small children. This is probably one of the only redeeming qualities that it feels like it's a very mom-and-pop community oriented place to dine, so I'll give it that.

If you're in the neighborhood, and there's no wait, sure try it out. But do not go out of your way to dine here. Food is bland, it's over -hyped, and the food is kinda forgetful, with inconsistent service. Again, the food wasn't horrible it was just nothing to rave about. "Basic" and and "mid" are the two terms that come to mind when I think...

I am so disappointed to write this review as someone who truly loves local business and wants to support it as much as possible. However, I am also conscious that the events of tonight could have been much more serious, and unfortunately were not handled as such.

My partner and I went to Lazy Daisy's for the first time tonight for dinner. I am plant-based, and part of it is that I have a very severe dairy intolerance that can result in extreme pain. I had always wanted to go to Lazy Daisy's, but was nervous I wouldn't be able to eat anything... until I read a review from someone else who was vegan about their great experience.

Mine, unfortunately, was not the same. After confirming with one server that it was possible to veganize the burger and then saying out loud "ok so the smashburger with no mayo, no cheese, and having it on a dairy-free/gluten free cheddar jalapeno biscuit", having them confirm the order, and eating the whole meal, I asked a second server if I could grab a package of the v/gf cheddar jalapeno biscuits to go. That second server informed me that they no longer make them. I was really taken aback, because I had apparently just eaten it - but was actually wrongly served a three-cheese, jalapeno biscuit. Butter. Cheese. Buttermilk. Delicious - for sure - but not something that you want to hear if you have adverse reactions to dairy.

The whole thing was handled, frankly, really poorly. Once I realized and asked why I was served something with dairy, after clearly asking to have it dairy-free/vegan, I honestly got a blank stare. There wasn't any accountability, the servers didn't seem to realize they had a mislabelled menu, and while my meal was taken off the bill, it wasn't with some self-advocacy from my partner. I'm lucky I know I ate dairy, because I was able to go home and take some medicine that will hopefully make my reaction less severe - but others may not be afforded that opportunity.

Please, Lazy Daisy's - update your menu and listen to your customers when they ask you questions. They may sound inane, but I promise some of us ask for a reason. It may just keep someone...