Starving Artist — Restaurant in Toronto

On Monday, November 1st, my friend and I decided to check out a local restaurant for brunch. We decided to try Starving Artist. When we arrived, opened the door and stepped inside, one of the staff asked me to put a mask on, right after her, the gentlemen asked me exactly the same thing. I politely replied that I am exempt. They asked me to show a doctor's note as a proof, to what I said that I don't have to provide proof according the mask by-law. They seemed pretty confused and the lady behind the counter said that this information I provided was old and was thoroughly searching on her phone to find the updated version. We were waiting inside for about 5 min while she was looking it up, I stepped outside and took a photo of the government issued signage regarding masks, where it clearly states that the proof of exemption in NOT required. The gentlemen agreed to sit us down at a table that was just few steps from the entrance. Note that the restaurant had just one table occupied at that time and it was pretty far. We sat down, ordered our drinks and food. When the gentleman brought us our drinks, he also brought a mask for me and said that if I want to go to the washroom, on my way out of the restaurant, and for the next time, I have to wear a mask because in their research behind the counter they found that doctors note indeed required. At that point I was confused because they acknowledged the mask exemption on their door, let us in and even took our order. I told him how I felt and that I am not going to wear a mask. The server made us leave the restaurant, took away our drinks and canceled our order.

I honestly don't like writing this kind of reviews but this experience made me feel like a second class citizen, and I truly felt discriminated against. I encourage the owner to review the current mandates with the staff and make sure they understand all aspects of a given by-law. If a business neglects other important components of a by-law, it is simply breaking it, which is illegal to do. If you are so dedicated to implementing something, implement it entirely without leaving anything out. Medical exemptions are real and do not always have to be visible. I understand the confusion and the desire to do the right thing, but we have to be mindful of how we treat our community because at the end of the day, we need each other to grow. We are all different and if we respect each other - we...

WYCK RECOMMENDS Waffles, Not Greens — I’m Brunching, Not Detoxicating

Intro Scene In a strip mall that screams “tire rotation,” there’s a brunch spot serving art, chicken, and carbs like it’s a love language. Starving Artist Brewery is that rare find where the vibe is unfiltered, the waffles are unmissable, and the salad is politely declined… again.

What Was Ordered

Spicy Chicken Waffle Sandwich – crispy, juicy, and built for people who don’t fear flavor.

Potato Waffles – regular waffles are cute, but these are commitment.

Salmon Waffle – sounds chaotic, tastes like brunch’s best plot twist.

Mimosa (whispered to be “stronger”) – delivered without judgment.

Smoothie – thick enough to qualify as gym prep.

Side Swap Attempt #74 – they default to salad. I’m Italian. I didn’t come here to leaf. I ask for beans, fruit, or potatoes. Sometimes they say yes. Sometimes they smile like I’m adorable and ignore me. I respect it.

Service Commentary These are real ones. The servers are sweet, patient, and immune to brunch madness. You could order waffles with a side of drama and they’d still refill your mimosa.

Vibe Check Busy, messy, alive. The crowd’s a mix of creatives, couples in hoodies, and people who absolutely did not wake up early. There’s a wall of art for sale by artists you’ve never heard of — half of it brilliant, half of it confusing, all of it kind of perfect.

The Space Itself You might wait. You might hover. You might sit too close to someone talking about NFTs. But it’s cozy, colorful, and just grungy enough to keep the influencers away. The dream.

About the Neighborhood Dufferin & Finch. Strip mall. Car washes. Old signs. Zero pretension. And best of all? You might still smell meat in the air while taking a walk. That’s how you know you’re close. You don’t need a map — just follow your nose and your cravings.

Hits & Misses Hit: Potato waffles are the brunch MVP. Hit: That mimosa whisper. Hit: Staff who get it. Miss: Salad defaults — respectfully, stop trying to change me. Miss: Wait times, but again, worth it.

Final Verdict This isn’t a brunch spot for people who photograph their food before tasting it. This is for waffle lifers, side-swap rebels, and anyone who believes brunch should be comforting, messy, and ideally meat-scented. I’ll keep coming back, salad be damned.

Rating 3.8 / 5

Perfect For Saying “no salad, please” with conviction. Chasing brunch like it’s your...

Let me tell you how I went these just now and the service was the worst ever and I’m a usual from 2020-2023 I moved to Niagara so haven’t bin back in a while but I was in the gta and I could tell ALOT has change!I honestly hope this reaches the owner eyes cause hiring Indians for your business was the worst thing you’ve ever done!. They don’t know customer service and the lady there point to the table and tell me go sit there then she turn around and never addressed me about the menu, when I asked she was like it’s on the table! I said I’m on a meeting on my phone can I have a paper menu then she gave me it then walked off! Offered no drink and never came back !!! I had to tell the chef what I wanted for my order! Then they tell they prep the egg so I couldn’t get egg whites! Two minutes later I’m watching the chef crack the eggs!!!!!!! By the way the lady told me she prep the eggs in a mixture! So here the food comes! Only the omelette with nothing else on the plate no fruits or salad(was mind blowing) cause I don’t remember service or food being this horrible! Then I left and wanted to pay my bill was 30 dollars cause I added avocado to my order and 1 waffle and bacon. I gave her 40 dollars and 50 cents cause my bill was 30.50 she gave me 9.50 LORDDDD AND SHE CANT COUNT !!! This was on July12,...