Doug McNish’s Public Kitchen

I think the food is good but not amazing (exception the mac & cheese which is amazing). The staff are so sweet! There was a new girl when I went today and she was so nice and patient with me, which I appreciated since I’m the most indecisive person in the world. I also appreciate the passion for vegan fare and the many options for take-​away!
I am also a proud owner of the Kale is the new Beef t-​shirt, which I absolutely love!
One complaint is that the food is expensive, which probably hinders me to stop by more often :(

The food is exceptional. I had the burger of the day with a Caesar salad and both were so flavorful and filling. My sister ordered tostadas and said the same thing. Who would think healthiest food could taste that good?! The price you pay for it is absolutely justified. The staff is friendly and helpful. Would give 5 stars if the décor was more sophisticated.

Loved how knowledgeable and passionate the service staff were about every single menu item!

First time here as I’ve heard and read nothing but good things from friends and reviews. As a vegetarian, I was looking forward to a fulfilling meal and ordered the Goji Berry Latte and Scrambled Tofu:
Likes:
You get a good amount of food
Cashew butter was tasty
Complimentary popcorn
Outstanding customer service!
Dislikes:
Tempeh Bacon tasted like the inside of a butcher shop (that raw meat smell)
Scrambled tofu was overly seasoned with spices that resembled Indian flavours. Not my thing unless I’m having in the mood for it. Goji Berry Latte was overpowered with cinnamon.

Such a great brunch. A little on the fancier side of vegan fare, but in a very relaxed unpretentious atmosphere. Win! The menu ranges from light breakfast fare to a serious brunch with items like pancaked, tofu scramble, and even a vegan breakfast sandwich with a faux egg (runny yellow yolk and everything!). The popcorn as a complementary ap is brilliant, too. Take me back!

Delicious food, beautifully crafted with just the right balance between components. In particular, the candied orange rind on the french toast was fantastic. Portions were good. Wonderful chef. Would love to see a downtown location.

On Saturday me and 8 of my friends enjoyed a wonderful brunch here. Everything from the reservation process to paying for our bill went smoothly. I was very impressed with the quality of the food and how much it tasted/​resembled the «original». It is a bit pricey but like I said, quality food. I got the eggs Benny with a side of tempeh bacon and it was amazing. Next time I think I’ll try the breakfast Poutine and the goji latte. Both looked divine. A must go for every vegan looking for something you can’t find anywhere else.

Choose here after Lauren Toyota mentioned Doug’s cashew cream cheese on her vlog. I came here for my birthday and enjoyed the scramble platter, it was very filling but I wasn’t a fan of the tempeh bacon (to smokey sweet like a teriyaki flavor). I would come here again, very kid friendly. The reason for the low score is the restaurant size and location. There needs to be more restaurants like this in reachable areas, this is the time for change… people are ready!

Great brunch spot my wife suggested we try. While it was hard to distinguish on the street, once we found it, and the free parking lot behind it, it is an amazing brunch spot. Food came out quickly, I’m a big vegetarian, and as far as vegan spots go this place surpassed my expectations. Definitely pricey, but I don’t mind paying for quality

Certainly the best Veggie-​Burger in Toronto, as well as the top vegan weekend brunch. Outstanding vegan mac & cheese, as well as a host of other take-​out options. Prepare to be amazed…

What a delicious brunch spot! On a quick Unilocal search, I came up with Public Kitchen. An out of the way vegan eatery just west of Allen Rd. with an incredible selection of gluten-​free and vegan options.
I went for the scramble platter and a black coffee. Scrambled tofu with caramelized onions, mushrooms and peppers, home fries, sautéed greens, tempeh bacon and black bean sweet potato chili and GF toast with miso butter on the side. Just incredible: fresh, healthy and plated with care. Their fair-​trade coffee was good too. Prices accurately reflect the quality of food.
If you have time, check out their small cooler in the rear of the dining area. It’s filled with house-​made soups, salads, sauces and various energy bites you can purchase to go. They even make their own kombucha!
Comfortable atmosphere with friendly down-​to-​earth service and some of the best vegan food I’ve ever eaten.

Amazing food! I’m a huge carnivore and I think I could eat here 8 days a week, no exaggeration.

As I’ve mentioned in other reviews, I’m not a vegan or a member of the GF movement — but i’m very open-​minded to the veg dining experience. I’d heard alot of great things about Doug McNish’s innovative recipes and I’ve enjoyed his cookbook ‘Eat Raw Eat Well’ so I was excited to join a friend for brunch at the Public Kitchen.
DECOR/​AMBIENCE: Simple, bright, and cozy. White walls with posters and articles of Doug’s accomplishments, and a wall of shelves lined with his cookbooks, snacks, single ingredients, etc. It was lively and busy when we arrived at 10:30am on a Sunday. I’d recommend calling ahead for reservations on a weekend.
SERVICE: ¹⁰⁄₁₀. His staff are friendly and incredibly knowledgeable. Our waitress was able to rattle off every single ingredient of every dish, describe the cooking processes he’d use, and make recommendations. You can tell his staff are committed to the lifestyle and believe in what they’re serving.
FOOD: A true artisan dining experience. Dishes are inventive and hearty enough for a rabid carnivore.
1) Popcorn: Savoury popcorn is served instead of a bread basket.
2) Coffee: Served with coconut sugar (which i’d never tried before, but liked) and almond milk
3) Cinnamon Toast Crunch Smoothie: WOW. Just, wow. Tastes exactly like it sounds, and I’m thrilled that it’s in the cookbook I own because this is getting replicated for sure.
4) Negg McNish: A poached «egg» served on a sprouted grain english muffin with cashew cheddar cheese, creamy mayo, and ketchup. This is the closest alternative to an egg that I have ever tried, complete with that ooey-​gooey runny goodness when cut open. Served with a generous lightly-​dressed side salad and a hashbrown patty that was seasoned nicely.
5) Tostadas: A platter of cashew sour cream, guacamole, pico de gallo, lettuce, and sunflower seed ‘refried beans’. The tostadas are a curiously fantastic corn and carrot concoction that is dehydrated until crisp. We loaded them with the fixings and cleared the plate clean.
6) Crepes: Raw apple banana crepes loaded with berries, coconut cream, walnut date crumble, and a cacao fondue. I wasn’t crazy about the texture of the crepes and found the flavours a little underwhelming, but my friend really liked it and found it refreshing.
7) Sundae: Vanilla ice cream with cacao fondue and strawberries. I completely forgot that this was a dairy-​free creation. Firm, sweet, and a hint of the underlying coconut base — it was sinfully delicious.
PRICE: Smoothies are $ 9 – 12, dishes are $ 10 – 17. Considering the quality of the ingredients (all organic too) and the creativity of the dishes, I believe these prices are more or less justified (though smoothie prices seemed a bit steep). Overall, nothing to keep me from coming back again!
OVERALL: Cozy setting, lively ambience, and delicious dishes. I’d highly recommend Doug’s Public Kitchen to anyone vegan, vegetarian, or omnivorous. I can’t wait to return and continue eating my way through the menu.

100% vegan, ½ raw and ½ cooked.
This place is almost 5 stars, and would be if they were more popular. It appears Torontonians (Torontonites??) do not yet have enough interest in raw food to support a full-​time kitchen. Currently, they only have a couple items available made-​to-​order and a couple dozen others available in a display case to-​go. The limited selection of freshly prepared dishes cost them a star.
I tried the made-​to-​order raw dish (enchiladas I think). I was impressed enough to pick up one of Doug’s raw «cookbooks».
I’ll be back next time I’m in town.

I was there on the coldest day in February but it was worth braving the outdoors. The food is imaginative and delicious. the atmosphere is very white and bright surroundings. It looked like they use card tables. But it’s all about the food which was superlative. I can’t wait to come into town again for another meal.

This is without a doubt the place to find the best vegan and gluten-​free food in the city. Doug is the nicest man and will tell you everything about anything and then ring you the most tasty meal. The veggie burger is the best. Actually though. I doubt I will ever find a juicer or more satisfying veggie burger ever. The tostada has every flavour you would ever want in a meal. It’s honestly perfection. I could it it every single day. The tofu scramble burrito is so tasty and made me totally reevaluate tofu scramble.
All the to-​go foods are equally as awesome. The sweet potato and cauliflower was so good I even liked it cold! And the desserts will bring a single tear to a vegan/​gluten-​free eye, the peanut butter fudge really did bring a tear to my eye the first time. Not even kidding.

So delicious and filling! Make sure you come here hungry! Considering the big portions, the price is great. Really satisfied with the food. Doug himself comes out from the kitchen and checks up on his customers :) nice touch! Would recommend to all vegan AND non vegans to try it out! Make sure to call for reservations on their busy Sunday brunch :)

A party of 4 of us visited Public Kitchen on April 5^th.
We had a delightful meal where we purposely did our best to try a range of dishes from the menu among the 4 of us. The scrambles and club sandwich were awesome.
Very tasty, and very satisfying. The tortilla wraps were tasty and each plate felt well balanced with a variety of ingredients.
The savory popcorn appetizer offered free when we arrived was nice to nibble on as we considered our meal options.
No question this is one of the best vegan options in the GTA!
It is truly an artisan food experience.
Also a key part of our experience, the service was very friendly and upbeat.
It was a wonderful atmosphere on an unseasonably cold April day. We lingered over the end of our meal in conversation — and there was never any push to clear our bill despite it being quite busy.
My only wish is that they were closer to our home in the east end.
No matter, it will be well worth the rip in the future!
The VegHeads team.

I was there yesterday and had wonderful time the food was delicious and service was great. I can’t wait to go there again. Tostada was delicious

Just visited for veggilisious. I got the cinnomon toast smoothie, breakfast scramble, and a borsht soup to take home. My friend got the tropic thunder smoothie, the pumpkin waffle, and chili to take home. It was $ 25 for a main, smoothie, and take home litre soup.
The scramble comes with tempeh, tofu and vegetables, home fries, chili, toast and a spread for the toast. The scramble and vegetables were perfectly seasoned, the tempeh tasted maple smoked. I loved the home fries. They weren’t hard like you get in some places but soft and seasoned. Good to eat with the tofu. The portion was massive and I ate it all!!! I’m not a vegan by any stretch but would go back and get this.
My friend loved her waffle. It was gluten free and dairy free. And despite that she said she would have licked the plate
Can’t say enough how wonderful this was. Its in the middle of nowhere but will for sure be back