A quiet, hidden-away local diner with adequate food and old-time atmosphere.
When visiting Toronto recently, I wanted to ensure that our busiest day started out right with a good breakfast, so that meant searching the local area for good eats: Yelp recommended this place.
Parking wasn't so great, but we managed to squeeze into the small lot with some twisting and a jump over a big, deep pothole filled with water. The place isn't much to look at from the outside, but that's not why I try out new diners: it's what's inside that counts.
Inside is a throwback to the 50's, which is in surprisingly good shape and kept quite clean if a little worn from time. We sat in a corner booth and enjoyed the fact that the morning sun didn't fry us through the windows, giving us a chance to take in the diner in all its retro glory.
The food was all right. If I had to describe it in a single word, it'd be 'servicable' - neither good nor bad. The portion size was decent, enough so that the waitress gave me a 'You can't finish that?' look with her best mom-face on, which I appreciated. It's unfortunate that the bacon, sausages, pancake and eggs weren't inspired in any way - I've eaten at hundreds of different breakfast places over the years and in my experience, these were moved out of the kitchen without any TLC apart from making sure they were cooked to modern standards.
Overall, I'd probably go back again, as there wasn't much else in the area, but I'm sure that if a new, modern place opens up locally that has a halfway-inspired kitchen staff, then the 401 is going to be in a run for its money. That upsets me, as I'd hoped for better for my first( and likely last )visit, because from the look of the place, the food should practically stand up and shout that there's a history of diner food here waiting to be discovered.