The Big Chill — Restaurant in Toronto

While searching for great ice cream shops with accessible entrances, I chose to try The Big Chill, based on the great reviews (& of course, it presents as wheelchair accessible). Upon my arrival, I first noticed the door facing College St. is not accessible for an electric wheelchair.

There is a slight step up to the door. Perhaps 1 of the height of a true step.

For a strong person in a manual chair, it is accessible ( or if you have a friend with you, who can tilt your chair & assist you up that 1/2step).

Disappointed, I gathered my optimism, realizing there is an outdoor seating area & another door on Manning St.

There is a 1/2 step tapering down to ground level at the opposite side of the door frame.

That could be accessible for a manual wheelchair if the door was able to open fully.

For an electric wheelchair, this door is not accessible either.

1st, the glass door is unique, such that in an accordian style, it gives the option to open it 1/4, 1/2, or 3/4 way.

This door is 1/2 open, on the side where the step is the highest, and additionally, with only 1/2 of the door open, this entrance is inaccessible for an electric wheelchair.

I have been sitting outside in their sitting area, taking photos of the doors (and writing this review), hoping someone inside will notice Im out here.

Additionally, Im not able to call out to them, as due to my disability I need to communicate by writing.

Suggestions: There are local T.O. companies that provide custom made light weight ramps that are easy to bring in and out of your shop during business hours.

AODA regulations require accessible doors. The College st. door fitted with an automatic door opener button would put the shop in compliance with the AODA.

Having a sign at either or both doors indicating a method you'd prefer we use to attempt to get your attention if we require your assistance to enter your shop. Do you have a text feature on your phone number? Can you add a "chat" feature on your website? ( surely you'll come up with brilliant ideas, since you've created 34 ice cream flavors, all of which I'd love to try. If I could just get inside.

The waffles must be amazing. I've enjoyed their flavourful aroma for the past 30+ minutes that Ive sat out here.

Why 3 stars? I have faith in people reviews, and thus, I trust the ice creams, shakes, waffles, sunsets, sorbet and more that you offer, are wonderful and worth the trip from Queens Qauy..... If I could taste them.

Full 5 stars for the treats, given in good faith. Minus 1 star for each...

We have been loyal customers of Big Chill for many years and have always enjoyed the treats and friendly service. However, our recent visit left us very disappointed.

We were excited to celebrate the warmer weather with a visit to Big Chill. My partner has celiac disease, and we’ve always appreciated how accommodating the staff have been in the past. We know they can’t have the cones and certain ice cream flavours, and we’ve always been careful to ask.

When my partner requested a flavour they had enjoyed many times last summer and informed the staff of their celiac allergy, they were told it was not gluten-free. Surprised, we asked about another flavour that should have been safe — again, we were told it was not gluten-free. When we asked which flavours were safe, the staff simply said, "The only ones we can say are gluten safe are the sorbets."

Trying to clarify, we asked to see the ingredients — something we have done many times before without issue. The staff refused, repeatedly saying, "We can't guarantee that they are gluten-free," without making any effort to check or explain what had changed. When we asked if the ice cream provider had changed or if the labeling standards had shifted, they gave no answers, just the same repeated statement.

It was especially frustrating because the store was not busy — there was no one waiting behind us. As someone with celiac disease, my partner understands that eating out carries risks. But what is disappointing is the complete lack of respect and effort from the staff to even try to assist or inform their customers.

We weren’t asking for a guarantee — we were simply asking for basic information, the same way we had in the past. Sadly, Big Chill has lost our trust with...

My recent visit to Greg's Ice Cream on College St. in Toronto was, unfortunately, a rather disappointing experience. I had high hopes for their sea salt chocolate caramel scoop, but it turned out to be surprisingly flavorless and underwhelming. It lacked the rich and indulgent taste that such a combination of flavors should provide. I couldn't help but think that opting for a classic like Häagen-Dazs would have been a wiser choice.

To make matters worse, we also ordered the chunky chocolate scoop, which ended up being a frozen disaster. It was so over-frozen that it became clumpy and nearly impossible to enjoy. What added to the frustration was the fact that we were unable to sample any flavors beforehand, even though the store was empty on a Monday evening at 6 PM. The worker was resolute in their stance that sampling was not allowed, which left us feeling stuck with our choices.

In summary, my experience at Greg's Ice Cream on College St. was marked by a lackluster sea salt chocolate caramel scoop and a chunky chocolate scoop that suffered from severe over-freezing. The inability to sample flavors in an empty store only compounded the disappointment. It's safe to say that this visit was far from satisfying, and I would advise considering other ice cream options in the area for a more...