Free Times Cafe
Categories: Nightlife Bars Restaurants Middle Eastern Bars, Middle Eastern
320 College StreetToronto, ON M5T 1S3
(416) 967-1078
- Hours:
Mon-Sat 10 am - 2 am
Sun 10 am - 12 am
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- Free
- Good For:
- Late Night, Lunch, Dinner, Brunch
- Music:
- Live
- Best Nights:
- Fri, Sun, Sat
- Happy Hour:
- Yes
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Smoking:
- Outdoor Area/ Patio Only
- Coat Check:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Good For Dancing:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
29 reviews for Free Times Cafe
Review Highlights
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28 reviews in English
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Review from Tara E.
3/1/2012 1 Check-in Here
I've been a number of times for open mike night when my friends are playing, and usually take advantage of their drink specials, but this weekend was the first time I went for their 'Bella, Did you Eat' Jewish style buffet breakfast.
Oy. Excellent. The meal starts off with coffee, tea, and fresh squeezed orange juice, which is included in the price. Then on to the front of the restaurant where the buffet is displayed. There was a wide variety of both sweet and savory dishes. Eggs with either apple or smoked salmon, french toast, fresh fried latke's (and least when I went up), blintzes, lox and bagels, gefilte fish, fresh fruit, salads, home made baba ganoush, and dessert items! Wowza.
This is a dairy meal, meaning because they serve dairy they don't serve any meat, but fill up on smoked salmon, and I swear, it won't be a problem! (And this comes from a bacon LOVER.)
My only complaint was that the service was less than stellar. A pitcher of milk was spilled, clean up was haphazard, orders for coffee and tea were forgotten. Still, it's a buffet, and you don't really deal with the servers that much. And I have received good service before, so maybe it was just an off day.
Another note, there is live music, which is fun, but we were seated near the front, and the noise did make it difficult to talk (and was probably rude to the musicians to chat through their set). If you're there to catch up maybe request a table further away from the stage (or be prepared to feel guilt like I did.)
$19.95 brunch =$26 with tax and 15% tip. (What do people normally tip on a buffet where you serve yourself?)Listed in: Eating Near U of T
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Review from Mark B.
3/13/2012 3 Check-ins Here
Comfy little bar next to Kensington Market, Free Times Cafe has some regular tables for customers who just wanna grab a bite. The good thing about this place is the small stage for singstars wannabes but with like real voice and real guitars and stuff.
Customers can enjoy the new Toronto's talents with a good beer and a burger. -
Review from David M.
Toronto, ON
Updated - 9/19/2011 1 Check-in Here
I met three friends here to try out their mid-week breakfast (vs. weekend brunch). 3 of us had the breakfast special at 7.95, which included 2 eggs, "bacon" or sliced tomatoes, 2 latkes, a multigrain bagel and coffee. It is still excellent, but lost a star for the following reasons;
It "opens" at 10 am. (A tad late for breakfast.)
It opened at 10:10 am. (Inexcusable. Staff was inside, while we huddled outside.)
Chef doesn't do poached eggs. (Wha???)
No condiments were included with the latkes. Sour cream was $1 extra. (How can latkes be served without sour cream or apple sauce? Both are served when one orders them as a meal or side.)
Why did I only subtract 1 star for all the infractions listed above? I still love this place. The food is excellent, the server was friendly and (eventually) attentive, the coffee was above average, the vibe is great, the music was nice, it's an institution, they support local musicians, the Sunday brunch is fantastic...need I go on?Listed in: Breakfast places, 5-star Reviews
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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8/22/2010
Hmmm, I may be in trouble. I've already gone on the record saying The Senator is my favourite place… Read more »
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Review from Magdalena R.
Toronto, ON
11/26/2011
Came here once upon an evening to join a few friends for dinner. We all chose the buffet because it smelled delicious and was well priced.
I stuffed my face with yummy latkes and blintzes. The rest of the food was not bad. Our server was nice and made sure our drinks were always topped up. At one point, even the owner swung by to see how we were doing.
All in all, my mind was not blown, BUT I did have a nice time. I would definitely come back for some more latkes and blintzes. -
Review from Yi Qing S.
Toronto, ON
9/7/2011
Free Times is one of my favourite restaurants in Toronto. I like all of their food, though I particularly love their Caesar salad (a little pricey, but worth it - get the one with chicken, it is really juicy and delicious), burgers, and breakfasts (which come with pretty tasty coffee and wholewheat bread, though I will say that their back bacon is more on the "meh" side). Also - all their claims about how amazing their latkes are? TOTALLY TRUE.
My only beef with Free Times is their inconsistent service. They have a few servers who have been there a while and are really great. A couple of times I've been there with friends and even after we finished our food and talked for ages, they just kept refilling our water. Then at other times we either got a really flaky server (who wouldn't take our orders properly or listen attentively) or rudely got served the bill when we weren't ready to leave yet.
That being said I would still recommend it very highly. I've been going to this place for years now and have only grown to like it more and more. -
Review from Zoe R.
5/31/2011
yum to the yum!
I LOVE their latkes and occasionally crave these deep fried potato goodies. Comes with apple sauce and smooth sour cream.
I do need to caveat emptor you, dear reader, since if you order take out, these oily round latkes, will come out of the deep fryer SO HOT, that it will actually burn the styrofoam container. I ordered a set of latkes yesterday and picked off the visible (slightly melted) styrofoam. I eat latkes only occasionally and it's just another form of tasty comfort food, for me...
Their coleslaw is also notable, but have that, with other foods (so the slaw isn't concentrated)... Flavourful non-shredded large pieces of marinated purple cabbage.
Their pea soup is lovely.
I've had their blintzes. Also good, but I don't crave them.
They have an all-day breakfast for under $10.
tip: get on their mailing list. Sometimes they send out discounted all-you-can-eat buffet prices. Their reg. buffet price is around $20.Listed in: My Old Stompin' Grounds:…
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Review from U U.
Toronto, ON
8/16/2011
This place was a 3 star (maybe even slightly less).
Pros:
-The server was really friendly and very attentive
-Nice selection of veggie food, including specials
-$5 pints woohoo
Cons:
-Some of the leaves in the salad were so old that they were completely blackened and slimy (that look which lettuce gets when it has been sitting in the fridge too long). -
Review from Helena K.
11/23/2010 1 Check-in Here
Judy Perly, the owner of Free Times Cafe, stopped in her tracks when she saw me. I glanced behind me. No, it was definitely me who'd caused that response.
"You," she said, inhaling deeply, "look so much like an old friend of mine." I got the impression that the friend was deceased---if she was a Catholic (like me), I'm almost certain she would've crossed herself---and I just sort of smiled and nodded. She shook herself, took me to my table, asked me where I was from, and told me the history of "Bella! Did Ya Eat?," Free Times' Sunday brunch, which is so named in honor of Judy's grandmother, who made sure everyone had a full plate.
I'm a vegetarian and was concerned about a potentially limited selection, but there were tons of veg-friendly food from which to choose. The latkes, blintzes, and array of fresh fruits are amazing. The coffee is good, the service is excellent, and the live, traditional Jewish music is so rad, I could barely stand it. It's just a fun and upbeat place for brunch. Come hungry and fill your plate with goodness.
Before I left, Judy stopped me again and asked, "your name isn't Helena, is it?" I nearly shat myself. "What did you say??" I said, grabbing her arm. "Your name isn't Irene, is it?" she repeated, and I let out the breath I'd been holding. That would've been just too uncanny. -
Review from Tamar F.
9/3/2010
Back in my UofT days, I had frequented Free Times after nights in the area. Decent pub grub (well, I stuck to the fries) and pretty darn cozy. About two weeks before my wedding, though, my dad decided that he wanted to host a brunch for the family and asked me to find a place. Some of the brunch spots right by where we were staying were either booked already or didn't take weekend reservations. Then a nagging voice in the back of my head reminded me that Free Times offered a Jewish Brunch that I never took advantage of. Oy vey!
Judy helped us book our group of about 30 (we have a big fam, what can I say?) The brunch buffet is pretty large and features several traditional Jewish foods, albeit not all breakfasty items. Think lox, eggs & onions, lox with bagels, latkes, rugelach, gefilte fish, and blintzes. I wasn't blown away by the food - my Bubby did better - but it was decent. The atmosphere, though, is hilarious. Think old world Jew meet a semi-hip clientele... then again it is Kensington-adjacent.
We enjoyed the Klezmer music and the older folks liked the communal "oys." The music they get is pretty darn good, I got to say. The service was also pretty good and we all had a great time. Thanks Free Times!Listed in: Egg-celent Choices
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Review from Dale M.
Toronto, ON
2/10/2010 ROTD 5/2/2010
Oy!
Sunday Brunch at Free Times Café is like no other brunch you'll find in the city. For me, it was like crashing a family get-together full of complete strangers, yet feeling strangely welcome.
I've had dinner on the patio a few times but never realized what an extensive dining area lay inside, including a lovely back room that makes 40 feel cozy and served as stage for an experience that had me feeling like an honorary Jew by the time I stepped back out the front door almost two hours later.
I wondered what I was signing up for when Avigail suggested we head out for "Jewish Brunch." After briefly lamenting the absence of bacon (or ham, or sausage, for that matter) I decided to go in with an open mind and try something completely new to me. As it turns out, it's possible to get absolutely stuffed on a delicious brunch buffet without consuming an ounce of pork!
Saturday brunch is a la carte; I highly recommend waiting an extra day and heading in on Sunday for the buffet ($20), especially since many of the same items are served.* I'm not one to drop $2-$3 on a few paltry sips of orange juice or coffee with my breakfast, but both are included in the price (!), the OJ is fresh squeezed (!!) and the servers are quick with a free refill (!!!).**
Another perk of holding out for Sunday is the klezmer band (http://en.wikipedia.or...), which plays sets at 11:15 and 1:15. Guests are welcomed and the band introduced by more-hostess-than-proprietor Judy Perly, who brings a sense of warmth and celebration to the occasion that makes it feel like a special one even when it's not.
The Food
Being a complete neophyte to Jewish cuisine, I made the most of the trip and tried as many different things as I could possibly fit down my hatch. I was delighted with almost all of them.
The latkes were delightfully thick and crispy cakes of shredded potato, served with traditional sour cream and apple sauce. The blintzes were stuffed with cheese (ricotta?) and laced with just a hint of orange. They're deceptively filling, so just have one if you want to sample the spread. A host of bagels with cream cheeses and other topping options was next; I opted for cream cheese with lox (cured salmon) and was left a very happy camper. Scrambled eggs with lox also found their way onto my plate (delicious), as did two salmon cakes that stand out as the sole regrettable choice of the day. Fish was offered in several smoked and pickled varieties, followed by veggie and fruit plates and finally a spread of traditional Jewish and North American desserts, including dates (which I happen to love) and a crumbly-but-tasty sesame cake.
My favourite dish of the entire array was by far the pickled herring. Not the sort of thing you want to eat a lot of even if you are a fish fan, but the big chunks of tender fish and surprisingly tame brine made it hard to resist.
* Make a reservation.
** The coffee, as it happens, is lousy. I recommend pre-caffeinating with a latte from Manic just down the road.Listed in: Bragging Rights
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Review from Tamar A.
9/24/2009
BELLA, DID YA EAT?!
You know, being Jewish has its perks. You get long, curly brown hair, a nice olive complexion, a good college education, and a childhood rife with the only kind of purgatory in which we believe: gastrointestinal. Every holiday we get a dinner AND a brunch the next morning, complete with heaping platters of blintzes, lox, whitefish salad, bagels, smoked mackerel, olives, hummus, leftover brisket from the night before, fruit, herring, gefilte fish, coffee cake, and, if you're my aunt in Thornhill, Swedish meatballs.
Oy, such amounts of food. Is it heaven? Is it hell? Who knows, we're Jews!
Unequivocally, of course, the hardest part of being Jewish is sitting on your hands and WAITING for these holidays to 'round the bend once more. Thankfully, Free Times and old aunt Bella have made this hellish paradise available each and every Sunday for the moderate price of about $20/person with tip. Hey, it's cheaper than med school.Listed in: Hangin' in Hogtown, Good morning, Starshine
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Review from Jing K.
Toronto, ON
5/15/2010
More like a 3.5.
I had a satisfying all day breakfast for $7.95 ($6.95 if you order before noon) which included coffee and friendly attentive service. When the plate arrived it was, and looked full. This is kind of a big deal for me as a) a person with a healthy appetite and b) a person who likes good value especially for food like eggs that I can easily make at home and c) that probably makes me like everyone else reading this review.
So back to the plate; two eggs over easy, two properly sized and righteously greasy latkes, a whole grain toasted bagel, four slices of back bacon, a little heap of green salad and three slices of fruit that didn't include mealy melons, and not much white plate showing. Thumbs up.
We lucked out with great weather today and with the patio situated at the part of College with the super-wide sidewalks our three-stroller brigade had nice seats in the sun with minimal patio furniture rearranging necessary. I noticed that a couple other tables were able to dine with their dogs sitting just outside the patio boundary and again with the wide sidewalk your pooch wouldn't get in anyone's way.
This is the same mom-group that went to Caplansky's a couple of weeks ago and we all agreed that today's experience was better.
So maybe more like a 3.75 star review. I just can't give it a 4 which on my personal scale is, "when's the next time I can go back?".Listed in: Boring reviews (3 stars)
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Review from Eric N.
4/19/2010
Free wi-fi
Friendly service
Good breakfast/brunch
I like! Came here after a little stroll around town, and had a plain jane standard breakfast, 2 eggs, back bacon, and toast. what made this extra special were the latkes. mmmm two crispy lumps of deep fried shredded potato and batter goodness. I'm still salivating thinking about it.
My sidekick had the three -egg omelet, which had asparagus, which I feel should be put in omelets in many more places (:
Two had a pretty hearty and satisfying breakfast for less than $20 -
Review from Dave R.
Hamilton, ON
6/10/2009
I was introduced to this place by our monthly computer security enthusiast meets. We generally meet on the patio, weather permitting, or in the dining area. The food was well prepared, and the menu is extensive. If you want kosher, mediterranean or americanized food, it's on the menu. I haven't been there to see live music yet, as the back stage area feels a bit too pretentiously cliqued, and I was afraid for my life when I walked back there once and was confronted by a dozen staring bohemian vagrants who were upset that I'd interrupted their acoustic hero. Sorry about that guys!
One thing must be said... The gent serving the patio when I've been there is SUPERHUMAN. Every beer I've ordered has been in my hands within 0.75 seconds of me ordering. I swear it! Beer selection is decent too. -
Review from Jackie P.
Toronto, ON
2/6/2011 1 Check-in Here
Blintzes? Check
Bagels? Check
Live Yiddish Klezmer music? Check
A woman I could well enough call my own Bubbie? Check
It's very tough being Jewish downtown. Deli's, Dairies and a good old fashioned bagel house are very few and far between downtown. If i'm craving a lox bagel, eggs and onions or a scoop of tuna I usually have to head north to one of my favourite Jewish brunch joints. BUT for the past couple of years I've allowed Judy's Bella brunch to fill that void.
As I'm sure you've read countless reviews on 'Bella Did Ya Eat' brunch, I will only kibitz for a brief moment. I'm a bit of a nostalgic buff, as you can probably already tell from my other reviews. I yearn for a piece of the past, even the ones I've never experienced. In this sense, the shtetl (http://en.wikipedia.or...)
I really believe Judy has re created this with her brunch. Music from the old world, chatty gossiping ringing from each table and plates rotating varying Jewish soul food treats. There's so much food and its good too. Blintzes, latkas, french toast, eggs and onion, bagels, lox, dips and spreads, cheese, fruit and more more more. They are constantly refilling so everything's fresh and delicious. Bella's brunch is a perfect place to bring family, a few friends, a 3rd date, or some people who want a new brunch experience. The only problem is you have to keep it down for most of the brunch because of the music. There's also a limited seating time, so by the time the music if finished you've got to hit the road. No worries, you have plenty of time to eat and relax. It's just not the place if you haven't seen your friend in a couple years and want to catch up. I've experienced a few dozen of the 'shhhh's'. (There is another room, away from the music you can sit in)
Judy doesn't stop at brunch. She's a smart business woman who loves what she does and constantly offers other exciting events at her restaurant. Almost every other night there's some type of music event happening at Free Times. Whether it's an open mic on Mondays, an old band doing one last hoorah or a new one not even discovered, Judy searches high and low to always give her patrons a reason to come back. There's breakfast, lunch and dinner. They're open early and close date.
Overall, I give Free Times a 3.5/5. The brunch is fab, but I haven't been as impressed by the menu items. The servers can sometimes be hit or miss (Judy is always a hit) but I keep coming back for a taste of tradition. Judy does it so well. I really believe she deserves a star on College street for remaining fresh, unusual and dependable. As they say in the old world, "come for the schtick and stay for a nosh" -
Review from Vanessa G.
Toronto, ON
9/10/2008
The Free Times Cafe is like that old college haunt that you frequent to hear your friend strum on his guitar. Which is exactly what I do about once a month.
The open mic night is a great way for fledging artists to have their music heard. I've heard some really great up and coming Toronto artist come through here on more than one occasion. Although honestly the acoustics suck and they could do a little more to amp up the performance area. However, beggars can't be choosers and Free Times often has a pretty solid crowd in attendance - a must for any aspiring musician.
The waitstaff is also super friendly and attentive here and the food is unexpectedly delicious. I highly recommend it for brunch especially.
Plus, Free Times is a great place just to grab a beer and people watch on College Street. -
Review from Greg S.
Toronto, ON
7/31/2011 1 Check-in Here
Never had Jewish food and didnt know what to expect from their brunch on Sunday but I was blown away. Their blintzes, cod cakes and lox w/ cream cheese in bagels were the fav's but the whole spread which was fish and dairy based was off the chain good and well worth the price for all you can eat.
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Review from ILLAN K.
Toronto, ON
4/23/2009
Having read the other reviews, I'm feeling like perhaps I came on the wrong night. That being said, my gripes aren't really crowd specific, so maybe I'm just more picky.
I came with my girlfriend after a day at work and was hoping for typical pub food. I saw a sandwich board advertising a burger and beer deal for $10.95 and thought that was perfect. Upon closer inspection, the beer was a half pint of their crappiest on tap brew (Amsterdam). Still, I figured they'd charge me an extra $2 or something to get a full pint of something else. That was not the case. A pint of Amsterdam there is $4.95 and a burger is $9.95. So they give away the first half of Amsterdam for $1. That's not a bad deal. When I asked about getting the second half of the pint (who drinks a half pint anyway?), the waitress informed me that it would be an additional $3. All of a sudden, now the burger and beer deal saves me a whopping $0.95...not much of a special of the day if you ask me.
Already annoyed that it would cost me this much for a beer I don't even like, I decided that I would forget the Amsterdam and just get something I liked at full price. The whole thing cost around $15 before tax, which is not outrageous, but I'd say a bit pricey for a plain burger. I think $8 is more what the plain burger should be, 9$ for a cheeseburger and $10 for a deluxe burger. At least those are the sort of values that popped into my head when I walked into the place, but their extra toppings were $1.35 each, which is absolutely outrageous.
My girlfriend got a california wrap, which was advertised to have sprouts in it, but instead was loaded with cucumbers (not advertised), which was strange, but she likes cucumbers so didn't complain. She also got a can of guinness, which came already half poured. It seems to me that if you get draft beer, it comes poured, but if you get a can, it should come in a can, not half poured. That was bizarre.
The thing that tipped the scales to one star instead of two was when the burger finally came, I asked for Mayonnaise as any good Canadian would for his burger. The waitress told me that Mayonnaise isn't a condiment like ketchup or mustard and would cost the extra $1.35 as an extra topping. SERIOUSLY??? $1.35 for MAYONNAISE??? That almost deserves 0 stars for that alone.
Anyways, I'm droning on. But seriously, it's College St. Go somewhere else that's better and cheaper. You'll thank me for it. -
Review from Rachel L.
Toronto, ON
10/4/2009
Listen, Bella, I ate, and I went back for seconds.
So, I have to say that not only do I live around the corner from this and walk past it on a daily basis, it took me two years before I decided to actually go inside and order something. I find a lot of people do this. I wonder why.
Anyway, I went once for brunch, which was good, but not great. But good enough. It's a bit like if I decided to make brunch for myself and then decided I just wanted someone else to do it for me. The challah French toast didn't knock my socks off but it hit the spot.
I went back at 4 AM or so and ordered hot cider and wedge fries. That hit the spot. Order that.
In the back is a venue, and from I can tell it is a pretty nice one, but I am yet to go to a show. You should go to a show there and then write about it so I can decide if I want to go to a show there.
Either way, I always swoon when I read the menu and get to answer questions like "What's a matzo ball?" and grin when I see my comfort foods of latkes and hummus, but any place that serves bacon with EVERYTHING is not kosher. Did you catch that Yelp? This place is kosher style, but so am I.
PS All the waitresses here are really nice and cute and never make me feel bad for taking too long to order. -
Review from Rick Y.
Toronto, ON
1/15/2010
Free Times is a college st. staple. Great food, eclectic entertainment, entertaining staff. Just a good time all the way around.
Their Sunday brunch is amazing - definitely something to get to if you can. You'll leave stuffed with blintzes, lox, brisket, and more salads than you'll know what to do with.
If you're really lucky, there'll be a klezmer band playing - such fun! -
Review from Dardana M.
ON
11/28/2008
I once worked at the Free Times Cafe for about 3 Sundays in a row, bussing the very busy and (I soon found out) mind-blowingly delicious Sunday Brunch extravaganza known as, "Bella, did you eat?" (the sweet and entertaining anecdote behind this name was offered by the owner to the crowd each time, so I will assume this is usually the case).
The employment didn't work out for scheduling conflicts with my other job, but the really awesome and helpful staff made the new kid (me) feel right at home, and the greatest part was that I was welcomed to enjoy the buffet to my heart's content once 3 o'clock or so rolled around. And that I did. A vast spread of largely Jewish cuisine, all of it delicious and homemade (I still remember placing the doilies under each bowl of food, which was a slight hassle but a nice touch which seemed to make perfect sense).
Oh, I was also very fond of the fact that the fresh-squeezed orange juice was free-flowing (very important to me). It's the kind of place I always want to take any out-of-towners in my possession, but sadly haven't managed to in awhile. That reminds me... -
Review from Matty K.
Toronto, ON
9/2/2008
I think of soup lunches and I think of beer on the small street patio at the northern entrance to the Kensington Market.
They have open mic nights for a variety of events: poetry, music, comedy...
The hummus and warm pita bits are a good snack. -
Review from Jonathan S.
York, ON
10/1/2010
If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything.
OK, so I'll start with the nice part. As a performance venue, Free Times has welcomed all kinds of acts to the city. From book readings to jazz concerts to the ever-popular Yiddish Cabaret theatre, Free Times has given a voice to all kinds of acts that don't fit easily into what can be a cliquey club scene.
The space meanders between storefronts. The lighting is dim and the walls suitably grungy despite consistent attempts at upkeep, but Free Times is what it is: a defiantly bohemian watering hole/coffee shop for waves of U of T students taking their first steps along the path that Churchill described. "if you're not a Liberal in your 20s, you have no heart. If you're not a Conservative in your 40s you have no brain". Irony abounds, as newly minted hipsters wear their Che Guevara T-shirts and keffiyahs to chow down on old school Jewish favorites and Israeli fare. But then, if Fidel Castro can state his support for Israel, why can't a bunch of nascent Canadian lefties?
So, Free Times has atmosphere in spades, even when you come back with a harder heart and softer brain. Wait staff are young, cute, artistic types. Easily flustered, but when they toss their hair back you don't mind that your plates are mixed up. There's a good selection of draft, and the coffee is free trade and fabulous. Given the crowd's student bent, you'll forgive FTC for limiting refill, or charging if you plan to hog a booth and watch the show. The blintzes are as close to homemade as you'll get here; crispy golden on the outside and sweet and creamy on the inside. Latkes are tiny and crunchy. Sided with blah applesauce, they owe a debt to the golden perfection that is the MsDonalds hashbrown.
The Bella, Did You Eat??!!?? weekend brunch is a hoot if you like sing-alongs in dead languages. Sometimes, the entertainment is enthusiastic with the mic, leading to awkward call-and-response moments. The brunch presents classic opportunities for schednfreude, such as when the mic gets passed to non-Jews who foolishly wandered in off the street for bacon and eggs, or to multigenerational families. Middle-aged parents look uncomfortably at their parents, who return the look; these are kids who grew up thinking their parents spoke the mamaloshen perfectly, only to find out now that when used in song, nobody knows what the heck they're signing about. The frazzled owner tries to lead the room in a crash course in Yiddish culture, which is basically a series of variants on the theme of "Oy" ( "Oy", "oy vey", "oy gevalt"). Whether this is comedy or cultural exchange, it rests uneasily with the program as a whole, and sounds a slightly stereotypical note.
That is what Free Times does right.
On the other hand, dinner service is slow, awkward and often flat-out wrong. Dishes are sent to the wrong tables, orders incomplete, ingredients missing. The menu walks a thin line between "eclectic" and "off-putting"; loosely organized between standard Canadian bar food, Jewish European soul food, and quick-and-dirty Israeli cuisine. Hamburgers are cooked past dryness, although toppings are fresh. Middle Eastern offerings are well-intentioned, but one wonders how much experience the kitchen has with these ingredients; it's all overcooked, and the flavors are off compared to what you get further up Bathurst. Respectfully, there is also no excuse for charging over $10 for a plate of falafel, etc. This is street food, Israeli cucina di poveri. It's made from chick peas and sold to undergrads, for crying out loud.
A final note, Free Times has recently entered the smoked meat wars, perhaps out of concern over the emergence of Caplansky's Deli just a few doors down. You can see the merit of two different approaches to food and restaurant management. Caplanskys does very few things, but does them to the best of his ability. Nothing is wasted, as precious smokey brisket trimmings find new life in soups, gravies and knishes. It's all made fresh. Free Times offers a more ambitious menu, but their meat is brought in from XXX, direct from Montreal. Among hardcore montreal deli enthusiasts, this might be a selling point, but by now they've largely migrated up to Centre Street by the Promenade. Mall. Caplanskys relies on the fresh, local nature of its ingredients, which Free Times does as well, if more selectively (a more expensive, organic burger is testament to this attempt). Ever taken the six hour trip from Toronto? Know how it feels when you exit the car at the hotel? If not, try the cryovac smoked meat and you'll see what I mean. -
Review from Danielle B.
7/25/2009
Ok, DON'T go here for food. It's overpriced, for the portions, cold and the service was awful. The waitress had half a brain and borderline straight rude. For the price you can get way better meal down the street at Nirvana or Sneaky Dee's, this is definitely not one of College Street's finest even though its a been a landmark of the area.
That all being said, they usually have interesting and good local musicians playing in the back and I have enjoyed a number of shows there.
In short- go for the music and drinks, skip the food! -
Review from SaraJane K.
Vancouver, BC
9/27/2010
I've only been here once, so to be fair, maybe it was just an off day for the cook or something. My boyfriend and I were wandering around Toronto at around 3pm on a Friday trying to find a place to eat a late lunch. We stumbled upon Free Times Cafe and thought it looked fine. It was such a nice day that we decided this would be great because of the patio and open windows. Ugh. Living in Vancouver, I forget that people are still allowed to smoke on patios. Disgusting. I absolutely do not want to smell someone's cigarette while I'm eating. We ended up moving tables three times trying to get away from the cigarette smoke from outside.
That being said, the server was totally cool and friendly with us wanting to move around. The servers were also quite helpful in helping me find some vegan options on the menu, which I greatly appreciated. I want to be clear that I never had an issue with the servers attitude or anything like that. They were always quite friendly to us. One of the servers did tell me that the falafel there is the best in the city. If that's true, then Toronto falafel must taste like sewer water elsewhere.
I got the falafel plate and my boyfriend ordered the ceasar salad. He was kind of stoked because usually there are anchovies in a ceasar salad (he's just vegetarian, not vegan like myself). His salad looked really weird. He said the dressing sort of just tasted like watery mayo and there was dried parmesan sprinkled all over the top - like that really cheap Kraft parmesan you get at the grocery store that's all powdery in the green container? That stuff. The "bread crumbs" were just pieces of wheat bread crust. The lettuce looked fresh enough at least.
My falafal plate was such a disaster. I kept thinking that if Gordon Ramsey walked in here, he would turn this place into one of those Kitchen Nightmares episodes. The hummus was alright, but nothing to write home about. Not much flavor, but not offensive at least. The falafal was fried much too hot and too long. It was burnt on the outside and still raw in the middle. The grilled vegetables appeared to have been grilled many days before and taken directly out of the fridge. They were cold and rubbery and I couldn't even force myself to eat them. The couscous salad was passable, but dry with no flavor. For some reason there was salsa in a bowl in the middle of the plate, too. That was weird. The eggplant salad was old, probably made a week or so before. It was bland and oily and looked like it had been sitting around for a long time. The pita bread was stale and burnt. I could hear a loud noise when I banged the pita triangles on my plate!
To top all of this off, the server never once came back once we had our food. I was drinking water and was only given a small glass, which I finished rather quickly. It would have been nice to be able to say that at least I could get a refill of water after this horrific food.
I have never had food this horrible before, especially not something that should be so easy. After we left, we immediately found somewhere else to eat so we at least wouldn't be hungry for the rest of the day. Yuck. I would never, ever go back here again and I would never, ever recommend anyone to go here either. -
Review from John F.
North York, ON
9/24/2009
Nu, go to the brunch, have a nosh, fress a little more, listen to Yiddish music and and have a great time. Happens every Sunday. Eggs and lox, bagels and lox, latkes, blintzes, herring (many kinds), salad and cake. Have a sliver of cake, you look like a scarecrow. Coffee and tea included, yet.
-
Review from Quan L.
Toronto, ON
9/13/2010
i've been here twice. the first time, was good. the service was great, decent food. we went for a late dinner and there was music in the next room. it made for an enjoyable evening. (4 stars)
the second time...the most recent time...we had a new waitress. it was her first day serving and MAN, did everything take an extremely long time. i think there were only two other tables, one had just ordered. my friends and i saw a couple sit down, wait for awhile and then leave because no one came over to them. we didn't complain or anything, i think we felt sorry for her, being it was her first day. i don't think i want to list the things she forgot and did wrong.
the food was pretty good. i think the best thing they serve here are the latkes. browned to perfection. all the other food is just a tiny bit better than pub/diner food. this time, the food saved the waitress's tip and it's star rating. (2 stars)
i'll probably give this place another shot before i close my books to it. it better be fantastic though... -
Review from Ben M.
Mississauga, ON
6/19/2010
Free TImes is a fantastic bar/restaurant/cafe/venue. The servers are all super nice and fast, the kitchen is open late, and the food is really good. Last night the owner (Judy) introduced herself and ended up making us a bunch of extra food for free (thanks for the Sliders Judy!) She also makes her own special mustard - an essential addition if you order Smoked Meat (which is also very good). All in all, this is a perfect place to go if you want to relax, have some drinks, and eat some delicious food.
