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Fran's Restaurant
Category: Restaurants Canadian (Traditional) Canadian (Traditional) [Edit]
33 Yonge StToronto, ON M5E 1G4
Neighbourhoods: St. Lawrence, Downtown Core
(647) 352-3300
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Good For:
- Late Night
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Caters:
- No
24 reviews for Fran's Restaurant
24 reviews in English
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Review from Laura C.
Toronto, ON
As a former frequent visitor of the Victoria street location, I wasn't surprised the service today wasn't adequate, I guess that's consistent with the management. This was a 2 star review turned 3 star due to the nice way that they split the bill and made payment super easy.
However, it was a busy Sunday morning and we came for brunch at 11:30am. Their 'policy' was not seat anyone until their entire party was ready. This wasn't known to us until we got there, so be warned.
They were waiting on me and AT, but they were already 5/7 people, and they still were not able to be seated because of some ridiculous rule (even though the table makeup would not change if we were to not show up for some reason).
When they were waiting, they witnessed some couple being sat down at a table of 8 without their whole party being there, and the hostess got an earful from the manager. This was also the reason they weren't seated.
At some point, the tables were actually going to be given away, and we were right there crossing the street. They had to fight with the hostess to give it to us when we did get there (about 1 min away!).
(btw, we're sorry we were late!!)
Anyway, after settling down after that fiasco, we ordered. The food wasn't amazing, but it was still good. It's at a decent price point, but I've had better.
I got the Vegetarian Benedict, which was veggies on an english muffin, poached eggs and hollandaise sauce. It was okay. Homefries were crunchy and yummy. At least that stayed the same between locations.
AT got the Scrambled eggs on a croissant with avacado, tomato and goat cheese on a croissant. I'm glad I didn't opt for that, I had expected a crisp half cut croissant with most scrambbled eggs on it. Instead, it was a whole croissant, smooshed flat (not seeing the point), with flat eggs omelette style. i felt like I could have made this at home. At the same time, maybe I expected too much. AT really enjoyed it though.
Another friend got the vegetarian chilli, and I tried some: I have to say, it's extremely hearty and delicious for a vegetarian dish, and if ever I were here for lunch or dinner, I'll probably get that.
Coffee refills were good, sometimes magically appeared, kudos for that.
I'd recommend coming here on a quieter morning for breakfast or lunch and I think you'd have a better time.
There is parking in the parkade on Scott Street south of wellington for $3 on the weekend.Listed in: NOV 2011 - 30 days Yelp…
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Review from Yvonne T.
3/27/2012 1 Check-in Here
It baffles me why, with all the other great places to eat in this neighbourhood that Fran's is still in business.
Came here with 2 of my female co-workers as it was one of their birthdays (hey, she chose the restaurant I didn't). The hostess has a dual function as a bus girl as she has to wipe down the tables and be available at the front to seat guests.
One order arrives, and its the wrong thing. How do you confused steak for chicken? However, they do remedy the problem right away.
I should've known better than to have wanted to be adventurous at a place like Fran's. I ordered an overcooked Grilled Liver & Onions that came with a naked mash (where's my gravy?)
However, at 1PM when we strolled in this place was packed. We even had to wait for a table.
The burgers are huge but the anorexic buns are not thick enough to hold all the condiments in the bun and its a sloppy mess to eat.
All in all my Grilled Liver & Onions was $10. It filled me, but that was about it. The sauteed vegetables could rival that of any hole-in-the-wall Chinese restaurant.
Definitely won't be back again. -
Review from David M.
Toronto, ON
3/11/2012
A friend and I got a hankering for rice pudding after the Raptors game - we figured it would cheer us up - so we popped in to this (rapidly fading) Toronto institution.
We ordered 2 coffees and 2 rice puddings. The (horrible) coffee came pretty quickly, but then the wait began. After about 10 minutes, we asked a passing waiter if he could send over our server. "Sure, but she's pretty busy". She didn't come over, but a few minutes later, my friend made eye contact with her, and she made a gesture like "yes, your order will be coming soon".
At this point, we figured the kitchen must be making the pudding from scratch, which included harvesting the rice paddies. Our server continued to tend to others, making no motion towards the kitchen, so we tossed down a couple of toonies, and casually left, unfulfilled. -
Review from Nat G.
2/20/2012
I don't even know where to start. Our waitress, Liz, was extremely rude and downright unprofessional.
1) I asked politely if I could get a substitute for bacon and sausage in my breakfast item, as I do not eat meat, and received almost no accommodation. No extra pancake, not even fruit, after negotiation I finally managed to get a couple slices of tomato. She also offered an extra egg but that was no help since she stated it was mutually exclusive with the tomato.
2) I asked for my eggs loose (in fact I had to repeat myself), and they came in overcooked.
3) The food came but our silverware was nowhere in sight, leaving us staring at our food like puppies.
4) We talked to the manager and got little acknowledgement. Very unapologetic, he claimed that they had a large volume of customers, and that "every child in town was here". If too many customers is an issue, don't worry, the quality of your service should resolve that problem.
5) When the waitress brought my food. I asked if I would also get tomatoes, to which she replied that they had added an egg and I would have to switch. Without leaving time to reply, she tried to tug the plate OUT of my hands - to switch my already made 3 scrambled eggs to 2! Cheapest move I've ever witnessed in a restaurant.
6) And finally the cherry on cake. As she was removing our plates, the waitress dropped a knife on one of my friends, and did not even acknowledge what happened or apologize in any way! That was unquestionably mean and inappropriate.
Well there it is, if you plan to brunch there, I wish you best of luck. -
Review from Joanne W.
4/8/2012 1 Check-in Here
Came here with my friends on a Friday evening after watching a Raptors game. I was thinking, "Hey - breakfast at night? You can't do no wrong." So I ordered myself "Fran's scrambled on a croissant." (3 large fresh eggs, green /red peppers, onion, mushroom, asparagus, tomato, sliced avocado, goat cheese and rich Hollandaise sauce). I was expecting something similar to that of an eggs benny ... Instead, it was scrambled eggs on top fo a croissant, and the croissant wasn't good either. Disappointed? Very much so.
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Review from Sandra K.
North York, ON
7/10/2011
We went here for brunch and were pleased. The patio is great for the summer, and makes it my favourite of the three Fran's. There definitely trying to dress this one up, and even the waitresses here are dolled up in little black outfits. The menu is the same as the other two locations and I was pleased to discover that the banana chocolate chip pancakes were as delicious as ever.
Generally, the food is your average diner fare, nothing really spectacular. It's a good alternative if you are in the downtown core and tired of Marche, and not willing to wait in line for O&B. -
Review from Coy W.
11/10/2011
I used to come by Fran's often for breakfast when we didn't want to put up with the long waits at Eggspectations down the street.
Their is nothing special or fancy about their breakfasts but they definitely hit the spot if all you are looking for is a some what fast bacon and egg breakfast in the downtown core.
The servers have always been great to us and I might actually come by the next time I'm in the area. I've never tried anything else from their menu other than breakfast. -
Review from David D.
Markham, ON
10/5/2011 2 photos
Nestled along many fine dining restaurants, including Biff's Bistro, O&B, and Houston Steakhouse, Fran's makes its mark by offering a quick and cheaper alternative in the district.
From several visits, I have mixed feelings on coming back here again.
The staff are friendly. Though service can be quite slow, whether if the restaurant is busy or not. It took several attempts just to wave my waitress down to refill our water. It was not until the bill came did she bring a pitcher of water.
Fran's is best known for their breakfast and diner type food items, though there is nothing spectacular.
Fran's Fish & Chips - Poorly executed. It was thin and tough to eat. It seemed over deep-fried as the fish appeared dark brown, more than what it should look like - golden brown. Coleslaw wasn't any better.
Fran's Philly Beef Sandwich - Cooked medium rare. This was a decent sandwich, but I had better.
Fran's Onion Soup - Melted cheese, large garlic croutons, beefy broth and sweet onion. It was a nice starter on a cold night. Not bad, not great.
Note: Don't be fooled with food items that start with the word Fran's -. It doesn't necessarily mean it's any better than the ones you've had. -
Review from Teena D.
8/29/2011 6 photos
I had supper here tonight with two friends. It was such a nice night and we sat on the patio (it's huge).
Liz had the Legendary Banquet Burger (Classic Franburger topped with melted cheddar cheese & bacon) with sweet potato fries. She said it was good.
Deb had the Baked Macaroni & Cheese (Not your ordinary mac & cheese! Tender pasta with 5 different cheeses [cheddar, parmesan, Swiss, Jack & blue], fresh cream & baked with a herb crust). She said it was very good.
I had Fran's Chicken Sizzler (Grilled chicken breast glazed with Fran's Jack Daniels BBQ sauce, bacon & mozzarella cheese). I substituted the fries, homefries or tortilla chips & salsa for healthier white rice. Other than the chicken being cool (it was supposed to be hot), it was delicious and I would get this sandwich again.
Our server was Julia and she took good care of us. She gave us the right amount of attention but left us alone so we could yak. It's been a few months since I've Deb and Liz and it was good to catch up.
Liz left a bit early to catch a drive home with a friend. Deb and I sat around and yakked a bit more. When we were leaving, Julia gave us a hug good-bye.
With good food and service, I betcha we'll be back! -
Review from Elvis A.
7/5/2011
This review is mainly for the patio area as I didn't get to try any food there. We came here on a Sunday in afternoon and not realizing Biff's doesn't open till 5 PM on Sunday we ended up here. The Patio is huge and luckily they have a separate smoking section even in the patio which should quiet the folks who frown upon cigar smoking even in the out door area. I got some dirty looks from the some patrons (hey I am allowed to smoke outside) I ordered Jack on the rocks friends ordered beer and white wine. The Prices were OK and the service was good they don't have a huge selection of hard spirits so beware of that. Nice Clean washrooms.
Recommended for a drink in the patio. -
Review from Noel D.
2/16/2011 1 Check-in Here
I've been to the Fran's on College a few times and always thought it was decent enough, but this location? Not so much. I don't think these places have ever really been known for their quality food but I ate at this location a few weeks ago and it was borderline cafeteria.
The atmosphere has that diner vibe that I love, and they had a lot of HD television screens around the place -- possibly because they are located in the sports district. Our waitress was incredibly nice and efficient, but one thing sort of threw me off: the food came to our table very quickly. Too quickly for my liking. Did they just pop something in the microwave?
I got something along the lines of a veggie wrap, which was decent, but didn't really differ much from the wraps you might get at a truck stop, packaged in plastic wrap and borderline stale. The food seemed fresh but I still have my doubts they were able to prepare me and my two sister's meals in less than 10 minutes. Something has to give. -
Review from Adam B.
5/7/2011
I first recognized Fran's when I was staying at a Day's Inn on College and Fran's was a block away and was open 24 hours. This new one, on Front, isn't open 24/7 but it is a new addition to the downtown dining scene that isn't yet another Irish pub.
I tried a late-night breakfast platter of eggs and peameal bacon. They let me switch the home fries to french fries and I was happy with that. However, the fries reeked of frozen and definitely didn't have much taste going for them. Actually most of the platter didn't. It was all so-so and I might have done better at Golden Griddle.
The saving grace of the restaurant is the beer selection. Surprisingly alongside the usual Molson crap, was a tap of Hop City Barking Squirrel which was kind of like a Newcastle and one of my personal favs, Mill St. Belgian Wit. That really surprised me since most bars in town, if they offer Mill St. at all, offer the Tankhouse Ale and while that is good, the Belgian Wit is exceptional. That's what brought me in. The food was secondary.
Service is hit or miss and the WiFi actually bleeds in from Biff's next door. Thankfully, there's no password since I was working on website projects while dining and drinking there.
Overall, not a great place to dine. Better to drink. And maybe that's the point. The food is so weak that you need strong beer to balance it all out! -
Review from Feifei R.
Vancouver, BC
7/4/2011
I had salmon entree. The fish is overcooked, so hard and flavourless. Beans on the side screams boring.
My friend got chicken breast, for $14! But god, that was the smallest chicken breast ever, like a A cup size... not even organic, so not excusable.
Services was so damn bad.... never go back! -
Review from Marie F.
6/2/2011
Sometimes I love my friends and sometimes they plan get together at Frans which makes me question not only their mental state but use of common sense!
Let me set the tone for my tale of disaster....
-Co-worker's going away gathering
-She doesn't drink
-We get off work at midnight
-We are a group of 25
-We'll be hungry!
So Fran turns out to be one of the hand full of places in the city that will accommodate such a list of requirements (notice good food is not on the list or else we'd be screwed!)
We made a reservation for 25 at midnight a week in advance and showed up as planned. When we arrived the manager had his head down on the counter and his staff was flipping chairs onto the tables....
Turns out they've had one couple in the last two hours and decided to close the kitchen early (they close at 2am)... WITHOUT CHECKING TO SEE IF THEY HAD A RESERVATION! So as our group starts trickling in via car, bike and TTC the manager begins to panic and offers to have a table set at the Victoria street location. We had originally tried to get a table there in the first pace via phone but we were told they could not accommodate such a large group on a concert night.
The manager gave us $13 in taxi fair which was nice but only allowed 4 of us to make it to the new location without forking over more $$$. He also requested for us to have a table for 25 setup at the other location.
Though I think the manager dealt with the problem in the most adequate way possible... I feel this could have been avoided if they had just read their reservation book or called us in advance. If it was just me and a few friends I might have given this one 2 stars but for inconveniencing a group of 25.... 1 star seems fair! -
Review from Shiona R.
7/11/2011
Hmmm I have mixed feelings about Frans. It's fine, the place is clean, staff are always lovely, patio is nice, food has always been fine, free refills on soda (nice), good value for money but I have been a little unwell after eating here twice and it is probably just coincidence.
Things I have tried in my many visits -
Steak benedict...eggs perfect (I hate over cooked poached eggs), steak cooked to how I asked for it and in general everything tasted fresh and lovely.
Pancakes, waffles etc - delicious, fresh, fluffy and just how they should be!
Maple leafs breakfast thing - tasty, and Frans baked beans were superb
Meatloaf - I was disappointed with this, it was ok but just!
Steak - its hard to go wrong unless its a bad cut or not cooked as requested...it was fine and cooked to how I like it! -
Review from bold c.
Toronto, ON
2/11/2011
Dinner was great.
30 Sec Summary
------------------------
1. Greek slovaki (chicken) was tasty and juicy
2. Salad was fresh and crisp
3. Dessert was wicked.
4. Ambiance (less impressive than the old location) on St. Clair
5 Staff friendly but slow
6. Parking expensive (got a ticket even when I paid!)
Recommendation: not bad! -
Review from V A.
Toronto, ON
3/27/2011
OK, this place has taught me one thing. When you eat at a restaurant, stick with their specialty.
Started with the onion rings. They looked half way in between hand made and machine made. Served with ranch dressing that tasted like half ranch and half tartar sauce. Sauce was tasty, but I ate half of my rings with ketchup. (have i used the word half enough times yet?). We both ordered the 10 oz striploin steak special. Why? Because it was on special, duh!!
Steak was fairly thin, and had a lot of fat in the cut. It was ok, but not what a good steak should taste like. So back to the lesson, i should have stuck with the diner food that they specialize in. My friend noted, that the steak wasn't that good, but it tasted exactly how he expected it to.
Dessert. Friend said "Sky High Lemon Meringue" was good. I had the Hot Fudge Brownie Binge. WOW. Warm moist brownie topped with both ice cream and whipped cream and hot chocolate fudge. Amazing. Too bad I had ordered so much food that i could not finish it. Leaving leftover dessert should be a sin!!
Closing thoughts: If I based this on the steak it would be 2 stars. If it was based on the dessert it would be 5. If i come back here i will order something small off the "diner portion" of the menu, and re-order the brownie binge for desert ... even if i came for breakfast. -
Review from Noel T.
Etobicoke, ON
2/16/2011
This new place is a great addition to the Frans Restaurant all around Toronto. Whats great about this new Frans is they have new dishes at which the other places still do not have as well as the regular classics to which my favorite as always are their rice bowls, philly beef sandwhich as well as their big breakfast.
The ambiance is great as well though the only thing is that this Frans closes at around 2am while the others are open 24 hours. Still is a great place to eat, especially for breakfast lovers. -
Review from Rafi N.
Toronto, ON
7/5/2011
Fran's is a modern yet traditional diner. The food was okay and the service was great. I came here on Canada day with a friend, his wife and child for a drink and dessert.
*** FOOD & DRINK ***
I had already eaten when I got here, so I just had some dessert and a beer (Stella).
* Hot Fudge Brownie Binge *
This was a large dessert that looked like a sundae served in an oblong bowl. The brownie was good and tasted like a typical brownie with a fudge icing on top. The brownie sits atop vanilla ice cream. The ice cream tastes like store bought ice cream, not very authentic. The rest is whipped cream and a maraschino cherry which is mostly for looks.
*** ATMOSPHERE ***
Fran's has the look of a traditional diner with a modern twist. The floor have black and white tile like a chess board. The diner is really clean. There is a patio and seating that is indoors yet open to the patio, so you get the best of both worlds. The clientele has a lot of families, some with very young children and babies. The restaurant does have highchairs for those who need them.
*** SERVICE ***
The service was great! As soon as we entered, we were greeted and seated. Our servers were helpful and friendly. They were very interactive with my friend's child and offered to give him crayons to keep him entertained. Food was served quickly after ordering and water was always topped up.
*** PRICE ***
My friend picked up the bill this time, so I didn't have to pay. However, I thought their prices were competitive. The dessert could be a little cheaper (I think it was ~$12), but it was a big portion.
*** FINAL THOUGHTS ***
Fran's is a good diner especially when it's nice outside because of the patio. It's a good place for a family meal and there's a small park across the street with a water fountain. The location is nice, the look, feel and service is great. The food is okay, but I think Fran's offers a good experience. -
Review from Brian Y.
5/9/2011 1 photo
There's a new Fran's around Yonge and Front in Toronto. And if you're unfamiliar with Fran's they're a known staple for breakfast and diner type foods. Their most popular location being on College and has expanded across the city.This location has been here for a couple of months and is located in a very cliché area. It is surrounded by steakhouses and close to the busy business downtown core. So is it out of place or perfect placement, debatable. Either way we were in the location so we got a table for a weekday dinner.
The interior is an upgrade to their typical decor. It's been catered to fit in with the surrounding restaurants and clientele. We order quickly as we were starving. I got the fran's legendary banquet burger with all the typical toppings (ketchup, mayo, lettuce, tomato, pickles and onions) with home fries. Angela got Monte Cristo which is french toast with ham, turkey and swiss that's grilled with home fries. My sis got the chicken parm sandwich with fries. We also got a basket of onions rings to start off with which sits well with the sis. =P. The wait wasn't bad at about 10 mins before the onion rings came and another 5-10 for the rest of the entrees. Our waitress was all really nice and there's a number of lcds to catch the local game.
The onion rings were the big pub style version with large onion rings. My sis is more of the "Harvey's" type where the batter and onion rings are infused well together striking a good balance. She doesn't like it when the onions are strongly present. And I have to say they're okay but I too prefer "harvey's" type of onion rings. My burger was surprisingly good. I mean I wasn't expecting much so maybe that helped. But it was a solid burger and they cooked it well too. Wasn't dry and it did in fact remain as a moist patty. And home fries as side, yess pleasee. One of the benefits of going to fran's? Home fries as a side option and they weren't bad at all.
For the ladies, angela enjoyed her monte cristo. Was it a fatty choice, ohh you betcha. Not only was it fatty in nature but she also chose to pour a fair amount of maple syrup on top. Another unexpected surprise was just how well the ham, turkey and swiss went with the also moist french toast. I myself would have wanted more meat, but Angela seemed happy with the amount. And tho 100% fatty and non heart-attack friendly, the maple syrup did definitely help to bring all the taste to a full circle. I too am guilty of enjoying more with the maple syrup. My sis's chicken parm was definitely wayyy too big for her. She's a tiny eater unlike myself and Angela. She ended up having to pack about half her dinner. The chicken parm wasn't bad and was definitely saucy. But it wasn't anything special and tho saucy and filled with cheese (thumbs up), I somehow just expected more. As well her fries weren't very good. I know she ended wishing she had gotten a salad or home fries instead.
Overall, fran's was not bad at all. The price is manageable and it's in an expensive area of downtown. Having fran's as an option is definitely nice for peeps working dt and want to have something before heading home. Yess it's a diner so definitely not the healthiest and yes it's greasy, but I liked it. The only dish which was a little let down was the chicken parm, but still it wasn't horrible. Just average at best. So I welcome fran's to a location that needs food that isn't starting at $20-30 a dish. It's in a very cliché and business oriented area, so Fran's against all odds, I hope you make it.Listed in: the burger blog
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Review from shyni y.
6/4/2011 4 photos
It's quite possible that the college location of this chain has raised my expectation of this place and quite possibly skewed my review. Meh.
Meeting my friend in the middle of the night for relationship crisis is not usually how I like spending my Thursdays but you know , since it was at Fran's with their yummy goodness, I braved the rainstorm to lend a ear.
The good.
This is the second Fran's I've seen with Modern decor- I love it. The mosaic art piece of Marilyn Monroe is stunning. Love the colour scheme in the washroom. Love the lighting - really well put together place I'd say. My tummy starts to grumble in happy expectations and my mind is loving the decor- it's going to be a fab eating experience.
The bad.
I had a salad - Greek salad - which seemed more like a house salad. The lack of onions, olives and Greek dressing really left me disappointed. I was really in the mood for a good, oniony greek salad.
What made this worse, was that ever so often I felt like I was chewing.. .sand??! it wasn't food but it was definitely too small and I knew it wasn't going to kill me ( I really couldn't interrupt my friend's vent session either) so I chewed on.
The I had banana split - never really was tempted to have it so it was a new thing (yes I'm deprived) and I was in for another disappointment. My friend was kind enough to tell me after I ate it that I should order something like that at Dairy Queen - really not helpful - but I digress.
There was only 2 scoops - chocolate and strawberry - and I'm not a fan of strawberry ice cream. Definitely not enough syrup but it certainly looked alright and I loved the real whipped cream.
overall? not really. I'm going to the college location - at least there, when my tummy is satisfied, so are my taste buds.Listed in: Dining quiet, Breakfast and Coffee spots
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Review from Moritz H.
7/22/2011 1 Check-in Here
Good food. New location
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Review from Min Min T.
Scarborough, ON
9/26/2010
Yes! I finally found another brunch place that serves veggie sausages. The bonus is that you can get them any time of day, even at 3 in the morning.
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Review from Dale D.
Toronto, ON
1/21/2011
I was ever so happy when I saw the long shuttered Jimmy The Greek being transformed into a Frans last summer. I really enjoy the traditional American diner experience. I live just a couple blocks away and have always enjoyed the Frans further north at Shuter & Victoria. However I have been underwhelmed on my first 6 or 7 visits.
The new diggs look nice. The outdoor terrace is spacious. However the food has been just so-so and the quality of the wait staff is mid to low.
Like another reviewer on one visit I did get up and leave after waiting 10 minutes for service.
On the plus side, they were the only restaurant in the neighborhood serving a traditional Thanksfiving dinner las October.
And hey, the bathrooms are really nice :)
If yelp permitted a 2.5 rating that's what i'd give it. For now I'm giving it the benefit of the doubt in hopes that it will improve after it gets it's sea legs.
