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Flo's Diner
Categories: Restaurants Diners Restaurants Breakfast & Brunch Restaurants Burgers Diners, Breakfast & Brunch, Burgers [Edit]
70 Yorkville AveToronto, ON M5R 1B9
Neighbourhood: Yorkville
(416) 961-4333
- Hours:
Mon-Wed 7:30 am - 8 pm
Thu-Fri 7:30 am - 10 pm
Sat 8 am - 10 pm
Sun 8 am - 8 pm
- Attire:
- Casual
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Good For:
- Lunch, Breakfast, Brunch
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Drive-Thru:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
29 reviews for Flo's Diner
Review Highlights
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"The best grilled cheese in the city" my coworkers exclaim." In 3 reviews -
"Especially when the patio is open." In 8 reviews -
"I always order the eggs benedict." In 4 reviews
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29 reviews in English
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Review from Amber T.
Toronto, ON
4/13/2012
Damn - that's some good grilled cheese! My date ordered the grilled cheese with bacon ($9) and it was pretty darned good. No Kraft singles here! Super buttery and perfectly grilled without being burned. Lots of tasty bacon. I tried the grilled chicken sandwich ($11) without the onions. The chicken was generous, moist and juicy and the basil pesto and sauteed mushrooms were great. Added a little mayo because I like my sandwiches saucy. The cream soda was A-mazing! Served up in a classic glass bottle with a straw, it has a cute nostalgic flair. Plus, it just tastes better this way. Servers were very friendly and speedy and made us feel welcome.
The only bummer was that the sound system was broken so we couldn't listen to the usual 50's and 60's music, which I love. Oh, and my side salad was pretty sad. Just some wilted mixed greens with no other veggies and only one type of dressing available. The fries were not bad, though.
I wish it was a bit busier, because the food here is really far superior to anything I've had at Fran's, Golden Griddle, or Mars.
I can't believe I found an affordable, unpretentious and delicious diner in Yorkville. I will definitely go back. Hopefully the sound system will be working. -
Review from Ali D.
Downtown Core, Toronto, ON
2/12/2012
Overall quite a bland experience.
It shocked me that everything from the coffee to the hollandaise was just lackluster.
As a serious bruncher I was quite disappointed. -
Review from Jonathan S.
York, ON
1/6/2012
Flo's Diner is everything you love, hate and love to hate about Yorkville, all at once. Once upon a time, it occupied a snazzy old-school diner space at street-level. All brushed chrome and red vinyl, it's retro charm made occasional lapses in service forgiveable.
Today, Flo's still churns out diner classics to patrons seated in the same red leather booths. Only now, it does so from a second-floor perch in a groovy 70's inspired office-tower-condo-retail oddity that's typical of these parts. Access is a challenge for the uninitiated. Brave souls may totter up a set of external corrugated metal stairs. Those in the know head into the building, up the elevator, and out to the diner doors.
The greeting that one receives varies from indifferent to inconvenienced. Staff aren't exactly happy to see you, but your money's as good as the next guy's, so you can come on in.
The room itself is cramped functional; transplanted diner fixtures, counters and bric-a-brac are meant to evoke the original location. It doesn't quite work, but large windows at the front o the shop let light in, and give one an excuse to people-watch.
Food is what you'd expect. Soda is served in plastic tumblers, all-day breakfasts on clunky maroon-ringed plates. Salads are capable, but undermined by the ocasional badly wilted green and too-tart balsamic dressing. Grilled chicken is underseasoned and tougher than the majority of Yorkville shoppers. A Caesar salad fares better, but is undercut by too much, too-watery dressing.
Maybe Flo's isn't really a salad place, anyway. They do sell a credible club sandwich: more chicken, this time seasoned properly and cooked to toothsome goodness, with bacon burnt-to-hell and fresh lettuce and tomato (better in summer than winter). Bonus points for the rich challah; deducted for slightly skimpy slices.
Burgers require two hands; basic, solid grub.
Grilled cheese looks good, but I question the value of ordering something that I cook when I'm really in no condition to cook.
Fish and chips sees golden-battered crispy fillets alongside chips referenced below. It's fine; even better for being priced a few bucks cheaper than most. I doubt it's fresh, and certainly not organic, wild or any other clever descriptor, but throw enough malt vinegar on anything and it tastes like malt vinegar.
Coleslaw is non-descript; fries are better. They are golden and crisp; their sweet-potato cousins are just a bit sweeter and crisper. Skip both in favour of an order of onion rings; massive veggie beasts that blanket sweet onion with tons o' crunch.
Like any good diner, Flo's is best measured on the strength of its breakfast. Coffee arrives slowly, and refills require prompting; it's fine. Eggs are done to a turn. Breakkfast meats are well-done and potatoes provide proper carbohydritic soakage of foreign chemicals. You can laze at the table until the caffeine kicks in, and you're ready to start your day.
Neither exceptional nor horrid, this place is a solid middle ground. It has it's quirks, but as in life it's best to just go with the Flo(s). -
Review from Madelaine D.
Toronto, ON
10/31/2011
"The best grilled cheese in the city" my coworkers exclaim! I'm not so sure it's the best, but it's definitely pretty damn good!
Lots of cheese, delicious white bread and slathered in butter. Yum, yum, yum! The decor is everything you'd expect of a diner too; little booths around the restaurant and diner styled stools at a bar by the kitchen for the solo customers looking for an all day breakfast.Listed in: 30-Day-Challenge
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Review from Amira D.
East York, ON
9/13/2011
I like going to flo's because it's kind of hidden in yorkville. Only people who know Flo's ever go to it which means it's usually not that full and you can always get a table. They have a big patio on the outside with lots of umbrellas and a diner feel on the inside. Sometimes the service is slow just because they don't have much staff working.
I'm a fan of the all day breakfast thought I always get my favourite - grilled cheese with sweet potato fries. The grilled cheese is amazing, especially because it is served on this thick egg bread so it is also very filling. Also, there sweat potato fries are delicious - always upgrade when you can. -
Review from Jonas B.
2/28/2012
For a good, basic traditional breakfast, I'd highly recommend Flo's.
I'll start with the atmosphere, which is probably the best thing about the place. Classic diner, but on a second floor in Yorkville with tons of windows and outdoor space, so you get to watch the street traffic go by (or perhaps I should say "go buy").
Food is solid, competent diner food. I had a back bacon benedict and my wife had an omelet, and both were quite good. We also had a poutine, which was a little disappointing, but it's hard to eat poutine sober and not find it disappointing.
Service was great - Coffee never stopped coming and the food came quickly, so overall it was a great experience. -
Review from Archimedes T.
Toronto, ON
Went there to try out their grilled cheese and bacon with cole slaw. Although it was one of my better grilled cheese sandwiches before, I think something went wrong when I ate it recently as it wasn't as good as I remembered.
It's still one of the better grilled cheese sandwiches as they use eggy bread.
Maybe it will taste right next time I go there. As such it does not go to my Reasons to Go Downtown list. -
Review from Anabel L.
Toronto, ON
8/31/2011
In the urban chic of Yorkville lies a comfortable and cheery diner called Flo's. It's just up a few awkward stairs. They have a nice patio and a stereotypical interior - by stereotypical I mean the kind of decor one comes to expect from a "diner".
I probably wouldn't make the trek up to Yorkville on a weekend, but it happens to be a stone's throw away from my work which makes it a great place to have lunch.
Being the big breakfast buff I am, they have more than enough egg dishes to satisfy you, your friend, and your friend's friend.
Two eggs, perfectly poached by the way, and peameal bacon. Did somebody say BACON?
I went just the other day with one of my favourites, Bana. It's her birthday soon. Bana likes eggs and manicures, just like me! Happy birthday, xoxo. -
Review from Robert K.
3/7/2011
The notable thing about Flo's is that it's a reminder of what Yorkville used to be like fifty years ago, before it became a luxury shopping neighbourhood. As much as Yorkville has changed around it, Flo's appears to be exactly the same as it would have been in 1960. So that's vaguely interesting. Also, I hear they have good milkshakes, though I've yet to try one.
The food is a notch above ordinary diner food, in quality and in price, though the menu is more or less what you would expect - bacon & eggs, burgers, club sandwiches, etc. Nothing extraordinary.
In the end, I don't like Flo's. Because when I go to a diner, I am there for that sort of dingy - but still charming - diner atmosphere. Flo's doesn't have that. They have all the right furniture and retro signs and such, but it just feels caricaturish. A little too polished, a little too much money around. It all feels precious and contrived. But I guess it's OK, if you're in Yorkville looking for something to eat.Listed in: Greasy Spoons
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Review from Ira L.
York, ON
9/12/2011
To say i was underwhelmed at the food and service at Flo's would be an understatement.
While it may have been labour day, and you could pardon a slight (ever so slight) decrease in the quality in service (who wants to be working labour day). This was awful. We arrived and got seated and ordered quickly, which is the highlight. Form there it went downhill. Once we ordered, we waited, and waited and waited. While the place was relatively busy, no more so than a typical brunch diner on a Sunday or Saturday, the service was awful We saw our food sitting there for 15 minutes getting cold and old. Couldn't even find someone to service it to us. no one would stop to help us. When we received the food it was poorly done. The waffle was crispy (did i say crispy - i meant rock hard) on the outside, raw on the inside. The chicken on the chicken Caesar salad was dry tasteless and lacking anything resembling of flavor - for the few measly pieces that were there.
I know people who go to to Flo's often. I don't get it. I wont be going back there again and suggest you don't either. BLECH -
Review from Thomas H.
4/29/2011
The exact kind of food you expect from a diner, but more expensive, and quite mediocre.
There are other fantastic options a stones throw away from this place. -
Review from Spiro P.
Toronto, ON
12/11/2010
My friend ordered a shrimp salad and the shrimp was over cooked.
She notified the waiter and she took the order and replaced it with another dish. The service here is really good, but the food is standard.
I didn't mind the vegetarain chili, but I have had better.
I would go back here to give it another try though. -
Review from Melissa G.
North York, ON
5/26/2009 ROTD 12/1/2009
I was just introduced to Flo's this past weekend and I was definitely pleasantly surprised to learn about another reasonable and amazing brunch/lunch spot on Yorkville.
As well, my happiness due to discovering this place did not end because the food was wonderful too!
My friend and I did our Sunday afternoon brunch there and all I can is I had trouble picking out my meal because there was a huge selection!
They have at least 8 to 10 different omelettes on the menu, different fresh juice options, as well as the sweet tooth breakfasts such as pancakes, waffles and french toast.
I went with the pancakes topped with strawberries, homemade whipped cream and fresh Canadian maple syrup and it was delicious!
The pancakes were so warm and buttery, they melted in my mouth!
So basically, as you can tell, I had NO PROBLEM clearing my plate!
I washed down my pancakes with a fresh cup of coffee, which was brewed to perfection.
My friend got a yummy looking omelette with green peppers, tomatoes, mushrooms and cheddar cheese scrambled into the eggs. The eggs were accompanied with crispy whole wheat toast and fries.
Together, our bill came to $22!
With delicious food, a great seat on their patio on a sunny Sunday afternoon and a cheap bill, who could ask for more?! -
Review from Christopher L.
Vancouver, BC
Needed a "normal" breakfast after days of Yorkville hotel morning fare. Colleague recommended Flo's. It was nearly empty on a weekday morning; nice and quiet.
My colleague and I were on business so dressed in dark suits, we looked the the typical Bay St. cut-outs. Perhaps on that account, the staff were not the most overly friendly but were efficient and effective. No issue there.
It's a diner, so I expect food you eat, not look at. I wasn't disappointed, my Tuscan omelette fit the bill with the usual OJ and straight coffee to wash it down. It was surprisingly tasty, served hot, and the sun just started shining through the filmy 2nd floor windows. It's a diner...
It was still a bit pricey, not true diner prices, but the ambience is there.
The nice thing was when it started filling up with locals and casual regulars; there were normal conversations of down to earth Canadians, in the middle of Yorkville. I sure looked out of place, but did not feel it.
The Law has eaten and will return... -
Review from Teresa H.
Stouffville, ON
12/20/2010
This place is epic and has been in the area for many years. Its done in a 50's sort of diner way but the food is not 50's.
I always order the eggs benedict. They have fresh squeezed O.J. and I have had the salad nicoise as well.
For breakfast, brunch or lunch especially when its summer and the patio is open. Its wonderful!!!! Staff is great. Service is great. -
Review from Danielle E.
Toronto, ON
5/16/2010 1 Check-in Here
I am not a mac 'n cheese expert by any means, I am however trying to replicate an experience of "chipotle mac and cheese" that changed my life. The mac and cheese at Flo's was sadly underwhelming. No sauce to speak of, just naked noodles covered with a smattering of various cheeses, that were a bit bitter actually. The accompanying greens were standard "green salad" fare, and I personally wasn't wild about the house dressing. I was nervous about ordering a substitute as per the warnings of previous patrons; "any substitutions are EXTRA".
As far as service goes, there were very few other patrons in the diner so my expectation was speedy, it turned out to be a little more on the slow side. Nothing to take issue with, but then again nothing really to go back for. Honestly even as I am writing this the I am remembering feeling very underwhelmed. My companions meal was standard fare, and tasted as such.
Bottom line...there are at least a dozen other places in this area where you will eat better for about the same price. -
Review from Victoria M.
Toronto, ON
1/31/2009
Flo's is great. They have amazing omlette's on a sunday mornign after a night out.
Can't go wrong here. Especially when the patio is open.
If I had one negative to say it would to have the booths redone because there are tears in some of them from all the use and putting duct tape isn't really a good look. -
Review from Jay G.
Toronto, ON
6/1/2009
In the heart of Yorkville with a great view on the patio/balcony area and an interior that has a great retro feel.
Food here is typical diner food but is done really well. Service is top notch and prices are spectacular. If you're looking for something more grounded in a neighborhood that can sometimes be snooty, Flo's is what you are looking for.
Overall, this is the place to go for good food, good atmosphere, and good times. Try the sweet potato fries, pretty sweet. -
Review from Dardana M.
ON
1/13/2009 3 photos
This is what a diner in Yorkville looks like. The usual gruff and grit being replaced with something more clean and polished, given a more delicate twist. From the understated retro-diner decor, to the very nice and softspoken waiter, to the music (Feist's "1,2,3,4", the second we came in. I felt like I was on and episode of whatever the modern-day equivalent of Dawson's Creek is), to the volume of the music (almost quiet enough to be background, but loud enough to enjoy) to the lighting.
This goes for the food, too. My steak sandwich was made on that very soft and and doughy-type of foccacia bread with sundried tomatoes and mushrooms on top. The steak, the entire sandwich, well it downright gleamed. The most picture-perfect steak sandwich I have ever ordered. I did wish the meat itself had a *tiny* bit more flavour, cuz the HP sauce that I had to add didn't seem to mix quite right with the other, more bourgeois flavours. Nonetheless, it was delicious. The tangy, creamy salad dressing was also fantastic, way better than the usual half-assed toppings for a side of mixed greens.
The atmosphere was grand; everything perfectly understated but still carrying a certain distinctive character. I would (and will) go back there in a heartbeat.
...In spite of the fact (as Anna alluded to) that they charge an extra $2.50 for "real" maple syrup with your waffles (instead of table syrup)!?
They're lucky I don't really like waffles anyway.
...Me again. I just couldn't leave without adding that they played George Michael *and* Velvet Underground, side by side. Pretty much my idea of a dream playlist, in case you care. -
Review from Lauren W.
Toronto, ON
5/30/2010
We were walking through Yorkville trying to decide on a place to have lunch, when we saw that Flo's looked busy and had a patio. It was one of the few places in Yorkville I haven't eaten at, so I figured why not?
We couldn't get a table on the patio since it was too packed, so we settled for inside, which was fine because they had huge windows that were all opened anyways.
We ordered, service was pretty slow. When my food arrived I was actually disgusted. I ordered the chicken sandwich with a side salad. The salad "dressing" tasted like mud, and the lettuce itself looked dirty and brown. My poor excuse of a sandwich was barely edible, and it was a struggle to swallow.
I didn't say anything, until my sister piped up and said her meal was pretty disgusting and the bread of her chicken burger was stale. We decided that our meals were both equally disgusting.
Our friend had ordered chicken fingers and fries, had nothing to complain about, but I guess you can't really go wrong there.
To their defense, I did see a lot of breakfast food passing by which looked pretty good, and maybe it was just what we ordered that sucked. But the service plus the bad food killed it for me. Next time i'll stick to Remy's. -
Review from Jen K.
Toronto, ON
4/11/2010
I usually aim to avoid Yorkville like the plague but when friends suggested Flo's Diner for Sunday brunch, I was instantly roped in.
"How bad could it be?"I thought.
Oh it was pretty bad.
Pretentious people, screaming babies, average food.
The restaurant is located inside an office building. Enough said.
Okay, maybe I"m exaggerating just a bit with 'very bad' but there are so many better places for brunch.
Two people in my party wanted to substitute for different kinds of cheese and were told that "absolutely no substitutions during peak hours" are permitted... as in during BRUNCH time. So you can substitute items in your french toast and omelettes during non-brunch hours.
Amazing. -
Review from Paul R.
Toronto, ON
9/15/2009
Flo's is a great place to grab something casual or a nice sunday brunch.
The service is decent and the prices are a little more than one would expect from a diner but this is Yorkville after all.
I'd say I frequent about 3 times a month and I'm always happy when I leave. Recommended. -
Review from Anna V.
Toronto, ON
10/9/2008
Flo's diner has been around since I moved to Toronto 15 years ago. Of course, it used to be an authentic 1950s diner with chrome exterior, that stood on its own on the edge of the parking lot that's now that crap park and a concrete building, just north of Bloor off of Belair.
When they first moved to the new location on the 2nd floor of some weird 70s style mall off of Yorkville, I wanted to boycott. The old booths in the new slick enterior, the shortened bar, the overall stunted growth of it sucked. But, I've slowly come around. Afterall, it's a neighborhood staple.
It's your standard breakfast place, but beware, they will charge you for every alteration or substitution you make, even if it's as simple as, "no butter" on your toast. -
Review from Tamar F.
8/23/2009
When I left NY to Toronto, one thing I missed was hanging out at Tom's Diner. Then (around the time of TIFF), one of those page sixers took a photo of Rachel Bilson & Adam Brody (aka Summer & Seth from the OC) eating at Flo's. Eureka! A diner just a few minutes walk from my place. However, I associate diners with late night grub. And despite having posted hours till 9 or 10 pm, on light nights this place just closes early, unannounced. The food is okay, but really pricey and nothing special. There's some attempt at making it look like an old-school diner, but I still missed Tom's.
One nice thing is that in the spring/summer you can sit outside and the outdoor seating is really great. However, don't even try to climb the spiral staircase in the winter, since it's icy as hell. Instead, just go inside and take the elevator up a level. -
Review from Alison B.
7/27/2010
I'm a fan. Yes, yes I am.
I only started going to Flo's recently but ended up back there three times in a month. It has a good price point, a good variety of food and the portions are large. A good refuel for the Yorkville shopping. I find the area lacks good 'pub food' or 'american food' and Flo's covers its bases well. I recommend! -
Review from Roy S.
Burnaby, BC
10/7/2010
Great. Good service and food. Very reasonable prices.
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Review from Keidi K.
3/30/2010
I love Flo's especially with the warm weather. The patio is great and there is a large selection of food, its usually my fancy brunch place.
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Review from Mika D.
Toronto, ON
11/27/2010
Food was OK, were not too generous. Overall OK, not that great a value.
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Review from Joe N.
9/25/2009
my favorite place for brunch in Toronto. usually very busy during the weekends from 11am to 2pm. amazing service. We know the waiters there for at least 6-7 years. they know your orders by heart. great food, focus on the omelettes. very kids friendly, also give the kids a balloon at the end of the meal. they have outdoor seating during the indian summer.
