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Beacher Cafe
Category: Restaurants Breakfast & Brunch Breakfast & Brunch [Edit]
2162 Queen St EToronto, ON M4E 1E4
Neighbourhood: The Beach
(416) 699-3874
- Hours:
Mon-Fri 9 am - 11 pm
Sat-Sun 8:30 am - 4 pm
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Attire:
- Casual
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- No
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Good For:
- Breakfast, Brunch
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Quiet
- Has TV:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
21 reviews for Beacher Cafe
Review Highlights
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"Plus, the eggs florentine are seriously delicious." In 7 reviews -
"Hollandaise was subtle and not overbearing and the eggs..." In 3 reviews -
"Patio is great for ppl watching in the Beaches." In 4 reviews
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21 reviews in English
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Review from Shiona R.
6/15/2011
Sunday brunch with a group of five. Service was fast and attentive, eggs benny was delicious and I have to say everyone seemed to love their choices. Food is very reasonable and they have a decent brunch selection...am going to try the french toast next time as a friend had this and it looked so good.
Update - was back again! Fantastic, despite the fact that this place was super busy the waiting staff were attentive and food came out fairly fast. They claim to be well known for their hollandaise sauce and quite rightly so....it's perfect! This place is, in my opinion, a must for Sunday brunch at the beaches! -
Review from C M.
North York, ON
5/6/2012
Walked in here on a Friday evening, not too busy.
The decor is lacking, the service was so so and the food was decent at best. But, the nice patio and laid back feeling of the Beach is everywhere in this eatery. Maybe it was our first evening of the spring spent eating outdoors that made us feel buoyant and happy leaving what was really a 2-star dining experience.
Would go here again for a burgers & fries kind of thing. -
Review from Cheri D.
8/5/2011 1 Check-in Here
Just had lunch here. I liked the looks of the patio right on Queen St. It's East of the busiest part of the Beaches, and a bit more laid back.
'Meh. I've experienced better' perfectly describes my meal today. I'm not big on burgers and sandwiches, so i ordered the Chicken Fingers. It came with fries AND caesar salad, which i thought was a great deal for $10.99. But when it came the chicken fingers were 'meh'. Kind of greasy. The salad was 'meh', no bacon bits and a bit soggy. The fries were okay. It also came with plum sauce, which i like. All in all... left me feeling nothing much of anything.
Also... the carpet in the interior scared me alot :S Ewww... grossly stained. Please replace that. -
Review from Karen G.
Toronto, ON
3/13/2011
I'm reviewing this spot as a dessert spot
1. Because I've only been there once, and only ate dessert
2. Because a search for dessert spots in the Beaches at this time, really yields nothing spectacular (other than Ed's Real Scoop, but since these places are nearly side by side, you can have your cake and ice cream AND eat them too!)
My boyfriend and I were looking for a dessert spot in the area and weren't overly excited about booking it out to the nearest Cafe Demetre on the Danforth, so we thought we'd just cruise down Queen Street East and test our luck. We saw the cute, candlelight Beacher Cafe and thought we'd drop in. We weren't disappointed - the place has a number of fresh cakes and pies by the slice, and a diverse menu of wines and specialty cocktails. My boyfriend was even able to order a B52, as they had no specialty coffees on the menu (the only thing that was a little strange, as it's winter and all the cocktails listed were iced) and yet it was made perfectly to order. We had the Chocolate Raspberry Cake and 1 slice was giant enough to satisfty the sweet tooth of us both.
We were the only couple in the place at 9 pm on a Saturday, but that didn't stop us from throughly enjoying our dessert. Great spot overall! -
Review from Peeter L.
Toronto, ON
12/11/2011
Very good eggs Benny. Chocolate chile con carne terrible - tastes like its right out of the can.
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Review from Mike C.
Toronto, ON
11/24/2010
Solid brunch spot. Really good food, reasonable prices, decent enough coffee.
Has a patio I'd like to hit when it's warner, but it is a fine option for brunch in the east end. Kids seemed to like it too, if I lived further east I'd have it as a regular brunch spot. -
Review from Anne M.
Toronto, ON
4/22/2010
For years we spent our hard earned cash here. YEARS!
Then one day our daughter then 2.5 years old was a tad too loud and rambunctious. We were asked to leave and to go somewhere else!!!!!! The owner of this establishment is unbelievable rude and he has no table side manner. He treats his serving staff terribly and can't hang onto employees. Their food is way over priced and not even that good. I am only too happy to spend my hard earned cash somewhere else. Somewhere where the food is worth the asking price and the standards of cleanliness are higher.
Spend your money elsewhere in the Beach. There are businesses that are much more deserving. -
Review from Carrie v.
York, ON
11/3/2011
great food and prices...awful service Went in for brunch one weekend and were initially amazed at the variety on the menu and the great prices but the visit was totally ruined by the atrocious service. It wasnt that busy bit it still took forever to get our food and when it came, it was the wrong order. Coffee refills were non existent. Maybe it was our server, maybe she was new but we wont go back there.
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Review from Kelly L.
North Vancouver, BC
10/6/2011
Mice, giant silverfish, lack of hygiene from kitchen staff (not something that is ever ok when preparing food!), cooks smoking in the kitchen, cooks eating fries from customers plates before it goes out and then putting it back, crap quality of food. I could go on. How is this place not shut down yet??? I vomit in my mouth just thinking about all the violations this place makes in a day. Owner doesn't care about his customers or employees, just about making money as cheaply as he can. One good thing out of this mess: the servers.
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Review from Kat F.
11/8/2009
My Saturday morning craving for Eggs Florentine got me on the horn with Abby "I miss runny eggs and hard liquor" R, who was happy to indulge me in a last minute jaunt to this Queen East establishment.
The decor is pure Valhalla Inn circa 1983, complete with carpeted floors and brass railings. It actually reminds me of the not-yet-reno'ed IHOPs in upstate New York. The brunch menu is compact with lots of eggy options, including the aforementioned Florentine for a mere $9.40.
The florentine was served on two fresh croissant halves (yum!) with a side of boiled and fried up potatoes, peppered so slightly with Hungarian paprika and some other spices. Hollandaise was subtle and not overbearing and the eggs were poached just right.
As you may already know I like my spinach only slightly wilted and definitely not thawed or canned. The spinach was wonderful although there was far too much of it. I had several mouthfuls of spinach but when I looked down on my plate there was still at least a cup of it (in wilted form). Quite frankly my digestive tract was in oxalate overload.
Service was polite and attentive. I'm dead chuffed that I now have a new option for benny in The Beach!Listed in: The Best & Worst of The…
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Review from Mike B.
Toronto, ON
1/1/2011
Great breakfast spot - it's better then most of the places closer to the heart of the beaches. You can actually find parking around this cafe!
Good food, good service, will be returning soon. -
Review from Ricky C.
Toronto, ON
5/31/2010
Perfect spot to go when hungover, and no patience to wait at a trendy Leslieville brunch spot (not knocking them!).
Very traditional brekkie place. My go-to mean is the Eggs Benjamyn (Pouched eggs w/ smoked salmon).
Service is speedy. Patio is great for ppl watching in the Beaches. -
Review from Ted K.
Toronto, ON
7/30/2009 1 photo
The Beacher has been part of Queen Street East for a little over 20 years. In that time it has evolved with the changing face of society. One might say this modernization has been a double edged sword for us locals that grew up in the area and remember when their prices matched the quality and quantity of the food, not the $1000 paintings on the walls and the nouveau "trendiness" of the location.
Please don't get me wrong; the food is quite nice and I've never met a rude server. It is very clean. The atmosphere is wonderfully relaxed and pleasant, while the spacious accommodations assure that every patron is welcome to stay after their meal to nurse a cup of coffee while chatting with friends.
However, over the years I have seen the portions shrink and the prices climb, fluctuating heavily with the seasons and holidays/festivals. At times I've wondered if The Beacher has mistaken its food prices for the daily gas-prices.
Please refer to my attached photo for an example of "Jazz Fest" prices. After eating this thimble-full of salty and burned soup* I commented to a staff member in a humorous/serious tone that I had never had soup that cost 50 cents per spoonful. To their credit not one, but two servers apologized and agreed that it was overpriced, and even volunteered the owner's email address to formerly complain. (No response yet, dare I hold my breath?) Regardless, when the servers feel embarrassed to hand customers their bill you know something is definitely wrong.
(Don't even get me started on the portion size of that $8 hummas.)
But despite the glaring flaws that have crept into the carefully maintained image of being a 'family friendly & affordable restaurant', I still like The Beacher. I enjoy going there with friends after a long walk on the beach, or in the late evening for a bottomless cup of coffee and some good conversation. (Their late closing hours are wonderful.) I simply no longer order anything larger than an appetizer.
A few years ago I might have given 4 stars, a couple years ago I might have awarded 3, but between the portions/quality I've received lately and the added insult of price-gouging, I feel compelled to offer up a solid 2. If I could award a 2.5 I would.
* Due to a pre-existing medical condition I needed to eat immediately and did not have the luxury of sending the soup back and walking out. -
Review from Hendy K.
Toronto, ON
10/4/2009 1 photo
This is my favourite brunch place in Toronto. Been to most of them, as that is a Saturday tradition with me and this one takes the cake. High-end, medium costed food. Great service. Lots of room (people not bumping into your the whole time). There is a nice patio for warmer days and you can get in and our in a hurry.
I used to drive around going to new places but I've since stopped. This place rules. Eggs Benjamin! -
Review from Ian H.
Toronto, ON
1/15/2012
Food very so-so, but great summer patio at a prime Beach location.
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Review from David S.
Ajax, ON
8/25/2010
I have lived in the Beach since I was a young lad, so I am very familiar with the Beacher Cafe. It is one of my favourite places to go for brunch, lunch and dinner in the beach area.
In all of the year's that I have been going ... I have only run into one server (the bald guy) that works there who's manners leave little to be desired, but otherwise the wait staff are very friendly and attentative. Food is good! And the deserts are from Dufflet's - so of course they are awesome! -
Review from Abby R.
Toronto, ON
5/22/2009 1 Check-in Here
The beacher has officially become my go-to brunch place in the beach.
We've hit up a few brunch places in the beach and this one has the best food by far. Obviously, it's no Bonjour Brioche Bakery, but it's close and the fact that there are no wait times seriously gives the place some brownie points. Plus, the eggs florentine are seriously delicious! If you are looking for some serious hollandaise sauce, look no further! My husband has had a variety of things off their menus, and has really enjoyed all of it too.
Cute place! -
Review from Tee Jay R.
Toronto, ON
4/9/2011
We ended up here for breakfast on an early Monday morning because none of the interesting-looking places in this unfamiliar neighbourhood were open. It provides competent renditions of brunch menu standards (eggs benedict, smoked salmon scramble) at standard prices, and (like most breakfast places) mediocre coffee, and that's about all there is to it. The service was pleasant and sunny, and the dining room is spacious and clean. I'll have to take others' word for it that it's one of the better places in the area, since I can't imagine making this neighbourhood into a dining destination.
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Review from David M.
Toronto, ON
Updated - 10/15/2010
Back for a perfectly good breakfast, with friendly, attentive service, and above average toast.
Listed in: Breakfast places, Diners, Greasy Spoons and…, Pizza
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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6/3/2010
Although we've lived in the area for years, we stopped going here about 15 years ago because they… Read more »
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Review from Evangeline P.
Toronto, ON
7/6/2011
This spot is our go-to for brunch and we absolutely love it. The bennies are great and live up to their reputation, french toast never disappoints. The best of all is the service, always above and beyond and they get to know their regulars too!
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Review from Julianna B.
Toronto, ON
Updated - 6/8/2009
The family dropped by for birthday brunch on the weekend, and we were happy with the food & service. The sausages and bacon were great, and the eggs were really good. OJ is Tropicana, but the morning glory is fairly well priced at $6. We didn't have room for cake. A friendly, bustling spot, and not direly expensive!
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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4/21/2009 First to Review
A lovely place to sit on a warm summer evening and watch the streetcars go by. The menu is… Read more »
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