Brunchworks Cafe

This place has very affordable brunch options. The server were very nice. We had a groupon when we first went which was nice but it didn’t really help much because of their limited menu. As well as, you cannot count sides into the groupon.
We roughly paid the same as if we dining without the groupon.
The coffee was nice, though sometimes burnt.
I got the Cali Eggs Benedict which was bacon and guacamole with a side of has browns.
We have been to this restaurant a couple of times and my partner would always get something different.
The French Toast was okay, it was not as fantastic as hoped. It comes with one or two strawberries. Fruit would have been a nice addition.
Overall, a great brunch place to dine at!

Bad… Pay under the table… Then fire u whenever they please under wrongful dismissal. Heard from many ppl. plus there were flies in the tuna and they had a conditional pass for a long time

The waitress forgot my bacon I would’ve rated it a ⁴⁄₅ but I’m upset cause it took so long to place an order and also get my food and coffee.
Love the environment it’s so cute here to have breakfast and I wasn’t that upset cause I was with a friend catching up but they need the staff to be more attentive to the customers.

so promising walking in the door then the seating arrangements, the service, the noise was all apparent. thought i was going to have a stroke after seeing more than 3 4 top tables occupied by 1 guest.
i asked for lemon, waitress said restaurant had no lemon, at the end of my meal she brought me lemon.

12 months ago, this was a great breakfast/​brunch spot, but in the last year something changed. The food was often stale and/​or freezer burnt or was not cooked properly. After a couple bad experiences in a row, where I had to send food back, I stopped coming here.

Reading a lot of reviews with one star. Sorry for whatever happened to you guys. I actually had a pleasant time here. The food was like all breakfast diners, but the portion makes this place stand out from all of them. I love my breakfast and I’d go out and find the best place. I’d say this is one of the best I have tried, so far. Price matches that of the portion and quality is good. I have only been here once, because this is not close to home at all. Maybe if I come here more, I may see the things some of you guys are talking about. For now, I give it 4 stars!

This place has been bookmarked for a while due to the enticing pictures of its poutine. Following my first visit I was not disappointed, the coffee is good and they have an extensive menu that can entertain the widest variety of eaters. From vegetarian options to meaty breakfasts the selection is sinfully inclusive. Don’t go here if you are looking to keep your calories down, there are just too many rich foods to pull you off the diet train. Service was good and the location was well decorated. Would recommend this on Sunday mornings to quell the hangovers and fill your stomach. Lot of seating room as well which is nice to find at a café in midtown.

I went to Brunchworks today because I was looking for a place to study. The environment is a mixture between a café and a diner. It’s totally acceptable to spend hours sipping on coffee and eating snacks while plugged into the wall.
I had bottomless coffee, home fries and their ABC juice (Apple, Beet, Carrot). None of the food was extraordinary but neither were the prices. They also had soy milk for my coffee.
The service would be considered slow if you were in a rush but for someone spending hours studying it suited me fine.

Brunchworks is unfortunately awful. I intend to avoid this place at all costs in the future. I went to Brunchworks because I was in the neighbourhood with a friend after a spin cardio class nearby. I ordered an orange juice to start. When it finally arrived, it tasted like it had gone bad and came from a box… not the ‘fresh squeezed’ as promised on the menu. I then ordered the St. Claire omelet with hashbrowns and multigrain toast for breakfast. The entire meal was a disappointment. My omelet was overcooked with greasy ingredients tucked inside. The hashbrowns tasted like they just came out of the freezer and lacked even the illusion of effort. The toast was equally uninspired. My friend ordered eggs poached soft, and they came out so soft that they were basically not even cooked.
The place was also overrun with teenagers on their lunch break and felt more like a cafeteria than a restaurant. I’m looking forward to never having to eat here again.

Had coffee and a giant piece of Caramel Crunch cake that was fantastic. Friends had great poutine and root beer floats.
Unfortunately the sports café next door has a ‘smoking section’ that was just killing us through the sliding glass windows. They weren’t smoking cigarettes, so we left a little buzzed, may not be back as it was seriously endangering our sobriety.
Service level was super low, which was okay in this particular case.

Gross. Can’t even toast a bagel. My wife’s fruit garnish had a bite out of it (waitress said «sorry!» and picked it off the plate, serving it anyway). Staff serve you and then ignore you from then on. I have never paid the bill at my table, always had to walk up and flag someone down. Went back several times because it was right by my old place, always hoping it would be better. It never was.

Just like the Unilocal rating says — this place is A-​Ok!
I had purchased a Groupon for $ 25 for $ 55 worth of food for four people — pretty good deal! We came on a Saturday evening and it was not very busy — I think a total of two other families were in the restaurant.
Our server was nice and friendly, though a bit absent, and he said he was going to bring us some board games (they have a list of some common ones available) but, alas, they never arrived at our table :(.
Brunchworks has a HUGE menu, so there’s definitely something for everyone! They seem to specialize in breakfast and comfort food: many different kinds of poutine, pizzas, burgers, hot dogs, hot sandwiches, generic breakfast foods, etc.
I was able to sample quite a few items: quesadillas, breakfast platter (eggs, bacon, french toast, pancakes, etc.), breakfast poutine, cesar salad, and chili dog — all tasty! Did anything blow me away? No, not really. But you can’t really go wrong with good food and large portion sizes at good prices.
It’s the type of place that works well with a number of situations. It’s super family friendly so a good option when you’re with your fam jam looking for a brunch spot, but it’s also the type of place where you could come solo & enjoy a coffee and some sweets!
Worth checking out if you’re in the area & looking for some no frills brunch, or craving some comfort food!

My partner and I stopped here for sunday brunch spontaneously when we were in the area. I can’t really understand all of the negative reviews below after my experience there.
We were seated immediately and brought menus efficiently. We ordered a smoothie and a mexican style breakfast plate (huevos rancheros) to share. The drink came before our meal, and the food came in a reasonable amount of time. The server was friendly. For a $ 13 plate, the two of us were easily filled by sharing it.
We noticed a lot of families and groups with children in the restaurant, even during the busy sunday brunch hour, and the restaurant staff seemed to welcome this.

If you are reading these reviews while stuck in a massive hipster line up at another popular brunch spot, trying to decide whether you should give up and try this place instead — don’t bother. You’ll start your day off angry and frustrated.
That’s what happened to us. We left a big line at BOOM to try this place down the street. We got a table right away at Brunchworks, but only because no one came to seat us (even though there was a please wait to be seated sign) so we just grabbed an empty table. The group behind us waited another 10 min before seating themselves as well.
Bad start. It took another 20min before someone came over to take our order. We ordered coffees, smoothies and breakfast. The coffees came. The smoothies didn’t. Then the food arrived, but still no smoothies. After 5 min, we asked our waitress where the smoothies were and she assured us they were coming right up. After 10 min., I asked another waiter to check on the smoothies we had ordered but never received. He never did. I made eye contact with him each time he passed to see if it would remind him that we had asked him to check on something, but it never dawned on him. The place wasn’t full and there were 4 or 5 servers on. No excuse for the bad service. By this point, I realized I should have believed all the poor Unilocal reviews for this place, but it was too late. We finished our meals, and the waitress came to collect the empty plates, and said «Sorry about the smoothies guys. I guess you’ll be wanting them to go.» Our jaws dropped. We had wanted them WITH our meal, normally before the meal even. We made it clear that we did not want them, and that they should not appear on our bill. She said «I’m not sure I can do that, but I’ll see.» Are you kidding me?
Then we watched 3 of the waitresses meander around behind the cash register counter, giggling, while we literally waved our menus in the air trying to get their attention to bring the bill. Not one server had their eyes up, and there were only FOUR tables full at that point. One of us had to get up and walk over to the register to get the bill and pay. No apologies were made about the service or the smoothies. Also, I only was offered one coffee refill, and it was close to the end of the meal.
I’ll never go there again. Whoever owns the place should be embarrassed for the quality of serving staff they have hired, for not hiring ENOUGH staff to provide reasonable service — even after all the horrible reviews here with the same issues over and over again. They should be embarrassed for the horrible presentation of the food (a kid could do a better job), the measly portions (for $ 10 a plate breakfast it should be spectacular), and the low quality of the food (store-​bought neon red tortilla, and store-​bought mass-​produced salsa for huevos when you are located so close to a Tortilleria). Also, the eggs were cold when they arrived at our table. Get it together. This is NOT an OK standard of service.

Super friendly service. Comfortable environment with open patio/​window — a perfect place to have a breakfast. I created a custom poutine and i can say its the best poutine i ever ate. It might cost a little more but you get what you pay for! SUPER POUTINE — fries, cheddar cheese, cheese curds, gravy and extra bacon. Its fully layered and it will be the best poutine you’ll eat!
The poutine is sooo big that you must have two people to finish it!

I can’t speak for the lower-​rated reviews, but I’ve had nothing but quick and friendly service and good food every time I’ve visited.
The setting is super casual but comfortable, reminding me of Future’s Bakery: plenty of table space, a few cushy chairs, with a focus on basic comfort food (mainly breakfasts) and decadent desserts (with a large selection from Dufflet’s.)
I’ve only had the brunch items, but the portions were HUGE and satisfying.
We just visited today, and my boyfriend (who is a big guy) could barely finish his breakfast burrito. I had the standard breakfast which I also couldn’t finish, as the heaping portion of homefries and thick cuts of marbled rye was overwhelming (in a good way.) They were also kind enough to substitute the fruit (as we can’t eat melon) and gave us generous cuts of fresh pineapple and orange (which most places skimp on.)
You will not get anything fancy at this place — just good, basic food at very reasonable prices (meals average about $ 7-​$ 10. People complaining about it being «pricey» obviously don’t go out for brunch very often.)
I will definitely be back in the evenings, as they have a giant menu for poutine (YES!) and offer board games to those who want to sit and have dessert with friends.

Went there today for the first time. I did like the place. Service was good and the pancakes were really good. Middle of road breakfast place with a great menu variety.
I cannot share the experience of the other reviews. It seems they have their act together after a rocky start.

New restaurant near St. Clair W. and Oakwood serving up breakfast/​lunch/​brunch and dessert. I’ve gone here a couple times for breakfast. Not that impressed. Their standard bacon ‘n eggs breakfast is your common diner variety right down to the cubed, bland, pan-​fried potatoes. Pricey at $ 8. Tried their Huevos Rancheros, when it arrived I was so mystified as to the arrangement I had to stare at the plate of food for a good minute before I could comprehend how I was going to tackle it. The tortilla lay like a second plate with all the toppings spread out individually like side condiments. It’s like the cook was too lazy to arrange it properly, which traditionally is in layers, where you can taste it all together.
There’s plenty of seating which makes it popularly for large families. Expect the squeals and squawks of young children. Overall I’d say give it a pass as there are better places for breakfast within walking distance. However if you want a place to bring your kids and/​or want a fancy dessert you might want to drop in.

I really, really wanted this place to be good because I loves me a good breakfast place within walking distance from me but this place really fell short for me.
The place looks great and the people that work there are really nice but my girlfriend and I both agreed that the food had absolutely no flavor at all.
At first I was thinking that it might have had something to do with the fact that I was extremely hung over and thought that maybe this was playing with our taste buds but as soon as I took a sip of my V8 and it tasted perfectly normal I realized that it was just the food.
Sausage like paper, eggs like air and steak like sawdust.
Don’t think I’ll be back unless they get a new chef and I start hearing great things about this place.

Came to Brunchworks Café today with a voucher in hand for $ 20 worth of food and drinks with William T. Upon arriving (around 1PM), there was a short wait between 20 to 25 minutes. Luckily, the wait was shorter than anticipated and we were given the menu to browse while waiting.
The interior reminds you of a local diner that parents would take their kids to on a Sunday, or somewhere, where a group of girlfriends get together for breakfast à la Sex and the City. There are big windows which allow for a lot of natural sunlight. They also have an impressive display of desserts; cakes from La Rocca; pastries and other desesrts from Dufflet. Fresh juices are also available and the choices are scribbled on to a chalkboard close to the many board games that are available (Battleship, Sorry and Operation just to name a few).
A while after, our orders were taken. Water was dearly missed at our table but that was easily remedied when requested.
Espresso comes out of a Nespresso machine that takes discs and comes in levels of boldness ranging from 2 – 10. Serious espresso drinkers may be slightly offended at the sight of a Nespresso machine — but I didn’t mind. I got a double espresso and it was just the right level of boldness at 7 for me. My dining companion got a regular coffee (free refills) and it was a medium roast.
On the table you will find individual packets of Kraft Peanut Butter, Kraft Marmalade and Kraft Strawberry Jam. Milk, cream, sugar, salt, pepper and ketchup are also at your disposal.
I opted for the soup of the day, which today, was a Chicken and Wild Rice Soup. When it arrived I nearly fell off my chair because the portion size was more suitable for 2 than for 1. The «wild rice» was lacking as was the chicken. Orecchiette was used in place of rice. The soup was nice and thick, and was chunky and filling served with olive oil drizzled crostinis.
I ordered the Little Italy Omelet substituted with egg whites (+$ 1.95) with sundried tomatoes, mushrooms and mozzarella cheese. The dominant flavour came from the sundried tomatoes as mozzarella cheese is a rather mild cheese. It came with a side of home fries and serving of fruit (grapes, pineapple, cantaloupe, honeydew melon and orange slice). It also comes with your choice of: white, whole wheat or rye bread. The bread comes toasted and buttered.
My dining companion ordered the Huevos Bruncheros with eggs over easy. A tortilla topped with sour cream, salsa, guacamole, refried beans and Chorizo — it was definitely a feast for the stomach, but also for the eyes. This also came with a serving of fruit. I did notice the eggs were slightly overcooked, but otherwise, a very savoury dish. My word of advice is to mix everything together before you devour so that you get to taste all the flavours in every bite. Delish!
Verdict:
Although there are fancier brunch joints in the city (think Leslieville or Trinity Bellwoods area), I do love myself a greasy spoon diner once in awhile. I would recommend Brunchworks as the food is actually quite healthy and not greasy at all. The atmosphere is very laid back; somewhere you can either go solo with a newspaper in hand; somewhere you can have a brunch with a bunch of gal pals; somewhere you can treat your family to; and yes it is even somewhere you can take your significant other to.
If you are lucky you will find street parking at Robina Avenue, but if not, there are plenty of affordable Green P lots in the area.