Fire on the East Side

Weird issues at brunch today. The food was quite tasty, and the portions were huge, but each of us had something missing from our plates (my egg breakfast didn’t come with the promised biscuit, so I had to chase the waitress down to get it, two of our salads weren’t dressed, and my friend’s granola was missing the honey and lime the menu claimed it came with).
Service was friendly, the food was served quickly, and they were playing 90s dance music when we walked in, but I don’t think I’ll go back.

This is a great little neighbourhood spot just off of Yonge. There’s a nice little patio out front and it’s fairly spacious inside.
I had the grilled cheese pulled pork, and it was as good as it sounds! Just the right amount of cheese and the sauce used for the pork was great.
The beer selection isn’t amazing, but what’s on the list is decent.
The service was excellent.

Fire on the East Side is the best place for brunch in the neighbourhood. Great service, and food are always consistent. Complimentary banana bread is also such a nice touch!
My favourite dish is toad in a hole. Love it!

Excellent location for the brunch, service was alright. I ordered crab cake benny ($ 14), I find the crab cake too salty, size of the salad is small, fries taste stale and eggs are over poached! (Noooo~~), came with a group of 5, only one person got a running egg york, the rest are half solid egg york. Coffee is alright but not the best and its using those packaged milk and creamer. I prefer the fresh type. The first batch of the coffee was cold so had to get the waiter to change to a new hot one.
The verdict: The egg benny was a fail, but the ambience was good, and it was not too buzy for sunday brunch.

We came here for Mother’s day as has become tradition (or so it seems). We made a reservation and it was fairly busy the night we came in. Lots of people having drinks and apps and just hanging out. We were seated in the corner (our usual table) and perused the menu.
Not much has changed here on the menu and my family and I agreed that its time they overhaul the menu and make some changes because we’re running out of new things to try. We had wanted to try the herb potato chips but were told they were sold out — very sad! We got the daily mussels which had collard greens, white wine and shallots and an order of the scallops, everything to share. I ordered the fried chicken this time as I’ve been eyeballing it for quite a while and its still on the menu.
The mussels were good but not the best mussels we’ve had here. The sauce was good but it lacked a little something. The scallops were quite good, I could have eaten an entire order just myself and I would have been happy. My fried chicken was unexpected. You know what you expect when you get fried chicken? Yeah, throw that idea right out the window and prepare to be blown away. Two chicken thighs, pounded (?) long and thin, breaded and then fried to a nice dark brown, placed on top of a bed of mashed potatoes, with some kind of gravy between and collard greens sandwiched in there too. I didn’t really get any garlic off the garlic mashed potatoes but the entire plate was so well put together, I ate the entire thing. It was a good sized portion but I couldn’t stop myself.
For dessert I got the fritters which were excellent. Hot, dense and rich with whipped cream on the side, I couldn’t finish them by myself so my dad and brother helped me polish them off. These are a must-​have if you come here.
Overall, great meal, hoping to see some menu changes in the future but definitely tasty food!

I just want to give a quick update. My girlfriends and I found ourselves back at Fire on the East last Sunday for brunch. I was hesitant, but there was a table, so I couldn’t argue with that.
I must say the brunch was good! Our server was polite and friendly. She brought us complimentary banana bread which was creamy and smooth and delicious.
The Caesar I had was decent.
I ordered the healthy scramble, which for some reason came with french fries. It was a good portion of tasty, well seasoned eggs, salad, 9 grain toast (and fries.) I’d have it again, sans fries.
All in all this was a good experience and I think I’ll return to Fire on the East Side for brunch.

I’ve eaten here a few times over the years, and I’m still not 100% sure how I feel about it. I think it’s a 3 or even a 4* for brunch, but not much better than a 2* for dinner.
Although I would go back again for brunch, last night may have been my last dinner here. We were in a group for a friend’s birthday (only 8 of us — not a huge group) and while we were definitely there to enjoy a leisurely meal (not expecting to be in and out in an hour or anything), the wait times were unsatisfactory. This included a delay in getting drinks (in some cases over 20 minutes) as well as food. The food itself is pretty decent, but not amazing (last night I had the short ribs as well as the fried chicken). The atmosphere is fun and the service is pleasant, both at brunch and at dinner.

This is my go to brunch place, when I’m craving eggs benedict or brunch. I love the banana bread here as well.
Everything thing that I’ve tried here is good. Their smoked salmon bennie is delicious. The hollandaise sauce is amazing and the eggs are cooked perfectly. This is paired with french fries and salad. The portions are a good size and filling. You can substitute regular fries for sweet potato fries. Or if you are in the mood for poutine, their breakfast poutine is great.
I like the atmosphere of the place and the décor is welcoming. While it can get busy, I’ve never had to wait too long. In the summer you can eat outside in their patio area. I like this place so much, I’ve taken most of my friends here. I’d definitely recommend coming here.

Neighbourhood, yes. Nice neighbourhood. All dishes were yummy and the menu may seem limited, but maybe it’s just focused. I shared a calamari appetizer and followed with an unexpectedly generous sumptuous fried chicken. Too much fried food but that’s on me; they serve huge, very fresh looking salads.
I think I would like the brunch even more and will come back to check it out.
I recommend the berry mojito — the raspberry rum and blueberry purée put it far above any other I’ve tried.

Fire on the East Side (FOTES) is the kind of place that I should really like, yet continually disappoints. A frequent spot for failure-​to-​launch first brunch dates, and send-​offs for barely-​noticed co-​workers, FOTES promises big southern-​style flavours on the menu, but fails to ignite on the palate.
I’ll say up front, my favourite thing about FOTES is their water. Served from an ice-​cold pitcher, it’s spiked with citrus. Good for me, bad for the resto, since I don’t feel the need to order a beverage. Service is polite and accommodating, though not memorable.
The food itself is branded Southern, with detours into Cajun county. in practice, this means a lot of deep-​fried chicken, which is pleasant but bland.
Brunch is the best thing going. Eggs benny are properly poached in water, not microwave radiation; hollandaise is sunny; peameal bacon arrives overdone, but that’s how I like it. Salad accompanies most plates. Uniform mixed greens in uniform sweet vinaigrette. Why do Toronto restaurants think that salad pairs well with dessert topping? Still, the scambled eggs are fluffy, the roast potatoes golden outside and creamy inside (although you’re better off ditching them for worthwhile frites)
Lunch is meh (squared). a gumbo starter is less Mardi Gras on the toungue than ash wednesday; no heat, no salt, no texture beyond stingy grains of rice, slimy okra and the odd overcooked bit of mystery seafood.
Crabcakes are just ok; thin shreds of seafood lost in old-​bay heavy breading, rather than gorgeous clumps of knuckle meat.
An Angus burger is OK, but overcooked to toughness. It could be saved by the fat from the cheese, if only there were more than a teaspoon. Ditto for the pulled pork, which tastes as though it «fell off the bone» a while ago, and has spent the last while toughening in a warming tray.
Mainstream media teaches me that Southern cooking is all about warmth, family, and heart-​stopping portions of fat and carbs. Cajun cooking should add a layer of heat and tasty pork/​seafood to the party. FOTES should be a riot of flavour. Too often, it just leaves me cold.

Hello, Fire on the East Side. You certainly look lovely tonight. With your eyes (candles) a-​sparklin’ and your pristine décolletage (boobs).
[Before you interject, FOTES *does* have boobs. Chicken boobs, that is. Southern fried, good lawd.)
Anyway, where was I. Oh, yes. What a warm, welcoming embrace it is to glide through the entrance and see your companions smiling from an intimate corner. The light, dim. The décor, subtle but lovely. The drink specials, duly noted. The prix fixe, I will have it.
For an affordable prixe fixe-​y price of $ 25, I went for the calamari, mushroom risotto and chocolate mousse. Let’s break it down:
Calamari: so so. I would have preferred more spice; overall it was a wee bit bland.
Mushroom risotto: As Chef Ramsay says, risotto should be the consistency of lava when you pour it on a plate. This gets points for being lava-​y. I thought the flavour was prett-​y, preeett-​y good — but not exceptional. There was, however, a metric f*ck-ton of risotto… so we have a two-​or-​three-​meal winner in our hands.
Oreo Chocolate Mousse: Not a favourite. The whipped cream didn’t taste like the real deal to me, and there was, for lack of better word, a «musty» aftertaste throughout.
Mojito: Hit the mark on this one! In my experience, FOTES does drinks well,
I have a feeling that FOTES is the kinda spot — like most — that prepares some items super well, and the rest are filler. I have yet to discover what those highlight items are. (I would wager on the fried chicken to be a winner.)
I really enjoyed my FOTES experience — like I said, the atmosphere is terrific and also, the service was top notch. I just don’t think I made the right choices (WHAT ELSE IS NEW). Conclusion: 3.5.

Was looking for a place for dinner with friends to close to both the Bloor and Yonge lines, outside of stuffy Yorkville, so FotES fit the bill. Glanced at a menu ahead of time and saw the margaritas were on special for $ 6, making it an easy to persuade my friends that this was a good choice.
Arrived at 6:30pm on Tuesday and it wasn’t terribly busy — maybe just over ¹⁄₃ full. Mind you, it was also a crappy crappy rainy day. Sitting down I had a flashback to a few years ago when I had taken my parents here for brunch. I remembered it being tasty so I was getting excited…
Started with margaritas, which were perfect. Not too sweet, and you could tell they was a generous pour. I opted for the Mango which was excellent and my friends were raving about the classic as well. Ended up with a second round, this time Palomas, which were equally delicious.
Onto food. We ordered, to share: jambalaya, rissotto, fried chicken, and mac n cheese. My friends both liked the jambalaya best. It was very tasty and contained some really juicy prawns (as well as chicken, chorizo, and mussels), but the dish was a little mild on the spice/​heat for me (mind you, my spicy hot tolerance is VERY high). I was all about the fried chicken! It was boneless/​skinless but still so juicy and crispy. MMM. And I don’t even particularly like chicken! Rissotto was tasty but not particularly exciting so I wouldn’t order it again. The mac and cheese was a bland disappointment, so definitely skip it!
Finished off the meal with a shared pecan tart. It was flaky and delicious. Mmm.
Including tax and tip, the meal came to $ 45 per person which got us each ¹⁄₃ of an appie, an entrée, ¹⁄₃ of dessert, and 2 drinks. So, pretty reasonable considering the quality.
All in all I loved this place. It’s a cute atmosphere, perfect for catching up over cocktails. There’s a patio that looked like it would be amazing on a sunny day. I would definitely come back. My only complaint is that the service was SLOW. I mean the place was not busy at all but it took forever for the waiter to come around and ask if we needed a second drink or whether we wanted dessert. This meal spanned 3 hours! It was fine for us because we weren’t in a rush, but it’s something to be aware of if you plan on visiting.

Went for brunch today and based on reviews and how busy the place was, I expected great things, but I received pancakes that were anything but tender, and to call them blueberry pancakes was insulting… they were plain pancakes with a handful of blueberries thrown on the plate!
Hubby had the Crab Cake Benny, which was ok, but not much hollandaise, and the crab cake was a bit fishy tasting.
The most insulting part of the meal was that I ordered sausage to have with my pancakes… it was the kind of sausage you would get from a hot dog cart… nothing like a breakfast sausage!
The waitress was friendly, but took a while to get coffee refills.
After having brunch last week at The House on Parliament which was fantastic, I doubt we will be back to Fire on the East Side for Brunch, nor dinner.
I was originally going to try and go back for dinner for the Fried Chicken, but reading that it is a cutlet killed that idea… I keep searching for real authentic southern fried chicken… I have found it as far north as Saratoga Springs New York, but seems not in Canada.
Oh well, we have poutine!
PS — I realize it was free, so I shouldn’t complain, but the banana bread they brought to the table before the meal was terribly dry and did not taste like bananas… more cinnamon taste than anything, but I guess because I make a mean banana bread, I am a tough critic!
:P

I’ve had drinks on the patio here, but had never eaten a meal here.
Had a reservation for 8 people at 11 am for Sunday brunch today and I was the first to arrive. We were seated upstairs (kind of a disappointment). Coffee and my Mimosa arrived and was very nice. We all arrived and had ordered. Our server was very nice and accommodating throughout the brunch.
Joe and Gino ordered stuffed french toast that was really not «stuffed» but rather two pieces of bread stuck together with filling, they both seamed to liked it though. Tony ordered steak and eggs (eggs to be hard), they arrived running and the steak was not really hot as it seemed almost just warmed up, yet though it was tender and had flavour. Andre has the pulled pork poutine, and since we didn’t hear him talking, I think he enjoyed it. Bill ordered the Empanadas and he said they were good, they looked nice… I ordered the F.O.T.E.S. eggs and when they arrived they were ice cold… I was really looking forward to this dish and it was just a bit of a disappointment. Wentworth order the quiche and he said it was very nice.
The bread they bring to the table at the beginning of the meal was apparently good — I never got any and the server never replenished the plate. The cornbread apparently was nice, but was not very flavourful and was a little overdone.
We ordered more coffee, paid our bill and all in all it was OKAY — think we will try another place for brunch next time.

Crab cake benedict — get it.
Came here for brunch on a Sunday. We forgot to make reservation, but we were seated promptly at the patio on a beautiful sunny day.
Our server was friendly and mostly available.
My mimosa was delicious; coffee was not as good as I remembered it to be, but the crab cake was AMAZING. A small hitch was that I asked for my eggs to be poached dry, but it came out wet anyway. They took my plate away and I was sad while everyone else waited. The food was worth the wait though.
Oh and the sweet potatoe fries… yum…
I love this place.

I’ve always been a huge fan of this establishment. The other day, I came here for dinner instead of my usual brunch. The food was good, and more unique than your typical Canadian fare. It was a great place to catch up with an old friend. I have to say, the meal itself is not even memorable enough for me to remember what I ordered to describe to you and it was only a few weeks ago. But I would like to go again, let’s put it that way. It’s one of the few choices in this area that is suitable for a good casual sit down dinner.
Last weekend, I came for Brunch. People! Instead of waiting in line for an hour, call and make a reservation! They take them!
Came here on a busy post Halloween Sunday morning, and got a table for 3. Food was excellent as always. The Smoked Turkey Rosemary hash has evolved into a Smoked Turkey and Sweet Potato Hash. Still good, with perfectly cooked poached eggs on top.
Service was frustrating. Trying to get their attention to get the bill was a nightmare and me waving my arms around wasn’t doing it.
Also, they share the bathroom with a nightclub (Fly) that’s around the back. It was god awful to see the club in daylight, let alone the bathroom. And I think it was unacceptable that remnants of the night before remained in one of the stalls and it was a absolute mess.
I really don’t like walking back there anyday, and I understand the shared facilities, but something needs to be done in the way of a curtain or a corridor to separate this so I, as a patron, do not need to see the club.
Anyhow, wil be back, but trying to shut my eyes as I walk to the toilets.

I have been wanting to have brunch at FOTES ever since the EPIC Unilocal Elite party there last year (Mojitos! Hey!)
We scored a seat on the patio for Sunday brunch after a short wait at the bar inside. (Definitely worth the wait for patio seating)
Our server was nice and brought out a pitcher of water and some free banana bread to get us started.
I tried the FOTES eggs (2 poached eggs served in a dish with fresh salsa, black beans and guacamole). They came with some fries and a side salad. Food was very delicious and the eggs were cooked perfectly (I asked for soft boiled). $ 12.
My friends seemed equally enthusiastic about their food.
Good brunch cocktail selection too although I thought my friend’s mimosa was overpriced — $ 8 and served in a small champagne flute.
Bill was brought out promptly upon request. Smooth service and great food, great place for brunch!

This is an excellent choice if you want something classy and casual in the downtown core! I’m not a fan of brunch/​breakfast food so I thought I’d try the dinner menu here. I ordered the half chicken with corn fritters and green beans. The portion was more than generous but everything was really delicious so I left feeling pretty full in spite of my usual restraint.
Next time I will have to try a few of the appetizers — there are several tempting options and these would make a great meal in and of themselves.
The patio seating is really lovely here and i like that the front facing window opens up onto the patio so you can sit inside without feeling totally closed off. I thought the staff here were really attentive and friendly. The bathrooms are downstairs — watch your step!

If i didn’t have the cheesecake stuffed french toast at Lola’s yesterday, i’m pretty sure i’d be absolutely enamored with the Chocolate Butterscotch Tart stuffed French Toast here at Fire on the East side.
This was a 3.5* but service was good, so i bumped it up to 4 instead of 3.
The french toast was good, but it was a little on the dry side and i needed to drench it with maple syrup even though it was already sweet, thus making it extra sweeter. Overall, it was a good meal, but i don’t crave it the way i did (and still do) the one @ Lola’s.
Very good service (the host was über sweet and polite, unlike some hosts i’ve run into lately (ahem, Splendido).
Also very reasonable prices for the meal.

This was an excellent place to spend my anniversary. I had made reservations but it wasn’t necessary as we had our pick of seats out on the patio. They have a decent sized patio with about 10 tables. Being just off Younge street you would expect a lot of traffic noise but they are far enough that you can enjoy a romantic evening on a warm summer evening without the hustle and bustle of the tourist crowds.
Because it was Sunday they had Sangria on special for $ 5 a glass or $ 18 a pitcher and a choice of red or white. We opted for a pitcher of red which was just enough for the two of us to enjoy with out dinner.
They had a set summer menu (competing with Summerlicious) for $ 25 a person which had excellent choices. I started with the soup of the day which was a watermelon gazpacho with poppy seeds. The soup was very flavorful and creamy and had a hint of heat as it maybe had some chili powder or something in it. My wife started with the stuffed jalapeños topped with mango chutney. My taste of them was delicious, the mango offset the spiciness quite well but wasn’t too sweet.
For the main dishes I had the blackened steak with chipotle seasoned salsa and a cornbread muffin. The steak was well seasoned and the cornbread perfectly moist. My wife had the asparagus risotto with Atlantic salmon. The risotto had a creamy, buttery-​ness unlike I’ve ever tasted. The salmon was excellently cooked and without that fishy taste you can sometimes get. For dessert we both had the bread pudding with chocolate and raspberry purée. The best part of the dessert was finding a warm chunk of white chocolate hidden in the middle.
The staff were really friendly and engaged. Our server regularly checked in to make sure everything was ok, but wasn’t intrusive.
Overall just a great experience.