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Mitzi's Sister - CLOSED
Categories: Nightlife Bars Pubs Restaurants Breakfast & Brunch Pubs, Breakfast & Brunch
1554 Queen Street WToronto, ON M6R 1A6
Neighbourhood: Parkdale
(416) 532-2570
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- 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:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner, Breakfast, Brunch
- Music:
- Background, Live
- Best Nights:
- Mon, Tue
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Smoking:
- Outdoor Area/ Patio Only
- Coat Check:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Caters:
- No
31 reviews for Mitzi's Sister
Review Highlights
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"the bf had the ultimate hangover sandwich." In 3 reviews -
"...magical substance called "Nutmeg Butter" and French Toast." In 4 reviews -
"Try the lamb burger & sweet potato fries." In 3 reviews
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31 reviews in English
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Review from Dave J.
Toronto, ON
4/3/2012
For my money, Mitzi's Sister is my West End go-to if I'm on Queen West or around Parkdale. I was just reminded of this the other night.
The other night a few friends of mine whom I eat nachos with wanted to meet up (seriously -- this is one of the things we do together). They are new-ish Torontonians and our thing is we try a new place every subsequent time we meet up (previous stops have included Bryden's, the Mugshot, Nirvana and Sneaky Dee's). I was near Queen/Ossington so I suggested the Cadillac, which became our plan. Upon walking by, I realized the bar was too full so I suggested we reroute to the Sister.
My friends loved it for its affordable prices and its outstanding (and reasonably priced) food, which puts most pub grub in the city to incredible shame. The nachos were excellent and unique; the haddock taco, which I have been known to venture far, far away from home for, was perfect as usual; and the poutine was, well, you get the idea.
Sure, it's easy to enjoy yourself at a place on a slow, drizzly Sunday with warm friends and cold beers, but it's the Sister's impeccable selection(s) and lovely service that will keep me coming back -- and which has. For years.
Long live the Sister. -
Review from Allison T.
Toronto, ON
12/1/2011
Look, I don't deal well with change.
& when they redid Mitzi's Sister, they changed a lot of what I liked about it. I liked that it was a slightly less clean brunch place where we could go & perhaps linger over a NOW magazine.
It is still nice. Too nice. Now there are rectangular plates & different plating &... is it just me or did they raise their prices slightly? Last time we went, we were surrounded by parents with young kids & strollers. No thank you.
I realize I am complaining about what most people would view as improvements...but like I said - I don't do change very well. -
Review from Patrick M.
Toronto, ON
8/29/2011
Heather and I took my brother and his fiance here for a late dinner Saturday night. We've had a few aborted attempts at trying Mitzi's Sister in the past, so were happy to finally make it in for a bite!
There were live tunes scheduled, and the opener was just tuning up. There was a couple at the door charging cover for the show. We had no intention of staying long as we had an early day ahead of us, and when my brother said "ah, man, there's a cover charge" the guy immediately asked if we were just there for food. We answered yes, and he said something like "no worries, then, come on in, just don't crowd the stage!". (We took a seat in the window, well away from the action; I like to think we helped make them look a bit busier than they were!)
So, points scored for being cool and letting us in FoC for food!
Anyway, we got situated and serverman came over looking a bit like a younger, hipper Weird Al, and that's awesome; so far the night's looking pretty good. We ordered a couple poutines (regular and mushroom), chicken tenders, and I opt for the chicken wings (baked!). I couldn't decide on the sauce, so Al recommended the Spicy BBQ and gave me some Tangy Suicide on the side to try.
Beer/drinks were had. Weird Al was amusing in his chagrined admission that they were low on draft options due to renovations. We dug his style and didn't let the lack of draft variety get us down.
Food arrived and man, those wings looked good! If I was deeply bummed by the mediocrity of Duff's "world famous" wings, I'm deeply impressed by the out-of-left-field-awesomeness of Mitzi's baked offering. These are tasty wings! The BBQ sauce was excellent with some decent kick, and I'm pleased as punch. At less than $1/wing, let me rephrase: I'm pleased as a jab-jab-feint-hook-to-the-body flurry for the TKO victory.
(While I sampled the tangy suicide, it's... gross -- like really sour shrimp cocktail sauce, seriously. WTF? Oh well -- I pushed it aside and tried to forget its existence, which is easy to do because the wings were that damned good. Whatever you do, don't get the Tangy Suicide sauce!)
Poutines were good. Not remarkable-good, but good. C'est la vie. Chicken tenders were rather tasty, and I'm inclined to say they're the best I've ever had -- but don't put too-too much stock in that, because I'm not a fan of breaded chicken thingdoos and haven't really had broad experience. These were enough to make me reconsider that, though, tasty as they were.
Finally, I'll close with saying that the same guy taking cover was cool enough to help a hardluck fellow off the street with his bag-o-change, trading for more easily carried (and concealed) bills. While this may seem weird, I gotta say it gave me the warm fuzzies. People can be pricks to those less fortunate than them, and Mitzi's vibe is decidedly anti-that mentality. Doesn't hurt them to do that small nicety, but I'm sure it's a big deal to the man in question.
Good on 'em.
So yes: Good to great food, drinks (fair prices!), cool service, positive vibe... yeah, we'll be back! -
Review from hangover n.
Toronto, ON
7/26/2011
I dig it, though I'd probably avoid the brunch crowd. I like to avoid 'brunch crowds', because they are dumb.
That's all neither here nor there, of course. I checked this place out on a sunny Monday afternoon. Prompt friendly service, a good time all around. -
Review from Mary D.
8/11/2011
We have favoured Mitzi's Sister as our go-to brunch place for about 5 years now, and it has been consistent over time.
I almost always get the French Toast - in fact, I can't remember a time that I didn't, but I'm pretty sure I've tried some of the other options like Huevos Ranchero and a sandwich of some sort. But I always love going and hearing what the French Toast flavour of the week is - it's different every time! Some of my favourites have been toasted coconut with key lime, and pomegranate with custard. Lesser favourites are any that are covered in chocolate - too sweet in my opinion. But no matter what, it is always satisfying.
My husband gets the Eggs Benny every time without fail too. It's funny - we don't get this stuck in a rut at other restaurants.... but here, we know what we love, and we stick with it.
Both come with their homefries, of which the recipe remains a secret. Those alone are enough to keep us coming back week time after time. The servings sizes are filling and generous, and proportionate to the slightly higher prices (but totally within reason).
We've been tempted to try their dinners, and have heard good reviews. But we seem to only find ourselves there for weekend brunches.
The atmosphere is nothing to write home about, but they do brunch, and they do it well. Long live Mitzi's Sister!Listed in: Sunny Side Up
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Review from Marie F.
Went here with my Groupon for a lazy Sunday brunch and I think I may need to knock this place down a star from my last visit.
I order the rancho huevos and orange juice.
The juice was freshly squeezed which was appreciated and the food was not bad but the presentation with disgusting. My meal actually looked like vomit!
The service was also very slow.... we waited over 15 mins to get the bill and another 15 for the waitress to come back and give us change.Listed in: God save the Queen...…, Getting my Groupon
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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7/5/2010
Apparently liner in Parkdale on a Stat holiday is a mission impossible! I literally checked out four… Read more »
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Review from Nikkita F.
Stratford, ON
8/11/2011 1 Check-in Here
It is a 3 1/2 for me, but three seems to low.
I went to Mitzi's Sister for some beer with friends, they all ate before we arrived. The beer was cold, the service was pretty decent for having one girl running the whole floor. I liked the music, and I liked the dark
dinge of it...Unique Seating... Super Clean Bathroom too... Good Dive Bar, I'm into it. Food Wise, the food they were putting out looked second to none, and the table of people we were with were raving about the Veg Burger, the Fries, the everything. I am returning here for food based on the incredible food review everyone gave.
TIP: Lots of Veg & Vegan Options on the Menu! Delish! -
Review from Giuliana B.
SCARBOROUGH, ON
1/22/2011 ROTD 9/12/2011
***3.5***
I just came back from yet another brunch at Mitzi's. This place is literally a 5 second walk from my boyfriend's house, so we have been here on a few occasions, mostly when we are too lazy to venture much further for brunch.
Some of the brunch items are truly delicious but some are lacklustre, and though the portions are HUGE, I find that some of the plates come piled with too many carbs. Sometimes I want a side of salad with my eggs and potatoes.
Today I had the fish cakes (made with cod) with poached eggs. It came with a mountain of home fries, and 2 HUGE and THICK slices of buttered sourdough bread. It also had some fruit on the side. The fish cakes were yummy and not too greasy. My poached eggs were perfect, and the home fries had good flavour. My problem with my plate was that I could only eat half a slice of my toast and about half my home fries. By the time the waitress took my plate away, I felt embarrassed to be wasting so much food. But seriously, who can have this many carbs in one seating?
My boyfriend had the ultimate hangover sandwich, which consisted of eggs,kimchi,garlic mayo and bacon on thick cut sourdough bread. His plate also came with home fries. I had a couple of bites of his sandwich and it was delicious!!! The mixture of the kimchi and the egg and the bacon - WOW!
When I came here last week I had their french toast (made with challah bread) and the topping of that day (their toppings change all the time) was caramelized bananas, graham crackers and whipped cream. DELICIOUS! It was just so damn good! Definitely the thing to order when they have it. My only problem was that the french toast also came with home fries. I don't know about anyone else but I don't particularly want to eat fried potatoes with my french toast. It just doesn't go. I left the home fries untouched, and once again I felt awful about wasting food.
I will continue coming to Mitzi's because its really convenient when I am over at the boyfriend's house to just pop in here for some brunch. And the food is good, however it just isn't mind blowing amazing. They would definitely get another 1/2 star if they started adding some salad to their dishes. Sometimes, I need some veggies with my side of artery clogging bacon and eggs. -
Review from Renata R.
12/16/2010 1 Check-in Here
Wednesdays you can have 12 buck pitchers and even the shooters are cheap. It's definitely a place for cheap drinks. Oddly enough it was FULL OF BABIES - the pub, not the pitchers.
Wednesday night is not so empty and when I arrived with my friends there was only one girl working at the bar and serving the tables. This was a bit confusing. Then another servers arrived and things got better.
From the menu, the only poutine without mushrooms (WTF?) is the curry-based and it's sooo weird I wouldn't recommend it. Ask for the nachos, they're great. Or the lamb roti! HUGE, dude!
Overall, it's a totally ok place. I'm not sure I understand the baby thing.Listed in: Party Time
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Review from Sahra G.
12/7/2010
I've only ever been here for brunch. My friends love this place and I find myself there often on a weekend. They LOVE the food. I find the food just OK. It's not bad, but there is better brunch out there. There is never a line to get a table and its never super busy. Food is prompt and there is never an issue with service but the food is just average. Prices here are normal. But again the food is just ok. The Caesars however... worth going for. Hair of the dog.
Oh and please Mitzi's staff... no more Regina Spektor at brunch. I'm nursing a hang over and would like to not feel like I want to kill myself in the process. -
Review from Min Min T.
Scarborough, ON
9/26/2010
I've discovered a new favourite for brunch, the Hangover Sandwich: fried eggs and kim chi, wedged between two thick slices of sourdough bread slathered with garlic mayo (mine sans bacon)!
It definitely takes me back to when I lived in South Korea. One of the few simple dinners I'd get was a fried egg, cooked kim chi and plain white rice. But DAMN, I never knew that kim chi tastes awesome with bread too!
The price tag on the food was a bit higher, but well worth it, since all plates come with fresh fruit and ingredients are top-notch. -
Review from Stephanie C.
Toronto, ON
Updated - 9/13/2010 1 Check-in Here
In my previous review, I wrote that Mitzi's Sister served "meh" food. This statement doesn't apply to their much talked about brunch. It was so good that two days later, I'm still remembering at how great it was. If you haven't been, do yourself a favour and go. You'll thank me later.
My friends and I met up on Saturday. Though a beautiful sunny morning, it was a tad bit too cold to sit out on the patio in the back and found a spot by the large windows in the front. Aside from having the gorgeous sunshine beam into the place, Mitzi's Sister is one of the best places to people watch. The cast and characters of the neighbourhood will perform before your eyes for free, and will help fuel great conversations. Oh Parkdale, don't ever change...
All of the reviews regarding the food are bang-on: our plates were pilled high and full of tasty awesomeness. My friends ordered the Huevos Rancheros and the spicy eggs with a side of order of bangers.
I opted for the Eggs and Fish Cakes. Recommended by our server, the fish cakes were the perfect combo of crunchiness on the outside and tasty and moist crab meat on the inside. Dipped in hot sauce, they were delicious.
It bears repeating that Mitzi's Sister serves an abundance of food per plate, and all fresh from the roasted potatoes to the fresh cut fruit.
My plan for my next visit at Mitzi's Sister is to fast the day before, thus avoiding the shame of leaving a morsel on my plate.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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7/15/2009
It's disappointment to hear someone describe the food at Mitzy's as "Meh, it's food". Already I… Read more »
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Review from Julia H.
East York, ON
7/17/2011
Service is really slow here. I waited for over 25 mins just for takeout. Definitely not worth the wait. However, they seem to have live music Friday nites, so if you are looking for entertainment and food sit-in is probably a lot faster
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Review from Daniel B.
5/4/2009
Everything I've ever wanted in a late-day weekend brunch spot.
Delicious food. Giant portions. Something involving this magical substance called "Nutmeg Butter" and French Toast. Stellar music for a morning.
But the best thing is the human zoo known as Parkdale right outside the window.... So as I sit there staring at my gorgeous girlfriend, nutmeg butter oozing from my face, I get the chance to stare at transvestite maniacs speaking to themselves.
It is amazing.
Breakfast meets cool bar meets the discovery channel meets a short bus. -
Review from Noemi W.
Halifax, NS
1/7/2011
I came here on a Sunday morning, extremely hungover. This wasn't my ideal brunch place to go to at that time, but it was just around the corner from my house so I decided to give it a try. It was about noon when I got there and the place was packed. We got seated fairly quickly but service was very slow. They seemed to only have one waitress on for the entire restaurant. We were seated directly in front of a large window and the sun was shining in so I started feeling a bit more positive about having come here, that maybe everything was going to be okay, the food would be wonderful and I'd go home satiated and happy.
It took a very long time for us to get our meals. I got the Spicy scrambled eggs and he got the fishcakes and eggs, on top of that we ordered a side of bangers. He liked his fishcakes and eggs, but thought it was a bit greasy. I couldn't finish my scrambled eggs. They were supposed to be mixed with feta but they felt so creamy and thick that I couldn't stomach it. Everything was greasy and unsettling.
I did have a ceasar and they put in lots of horseradish as I requested. This drink was excellent. Best thing I had there, hands down.
My advice? Go for the drinks or the music, but keep the food as a secondary item. -
Review from sunnee s.
Toronto, ON
5/15/2011
3.5 stars + .5 star for ultimate hangover sandwich !!
i actually got my wisdom teeth out a couple of days before coming here so i settled w something soft; french toast . the bf had the ultimate hangover sandwich .
my rating is slightly biased since im korean and absolutely loved the idea of kimchi sandwich for brunch . i dont really love kimchi per se, but when i was little, i used to love eating sauteed kimchi w bread . kinda weird, but it was my thing . taking a bite of that sandwich was a lot more than a bite of a sandwich . :)
my french toast was good but wasnt the best ive ever had . i really did like, however, of the idea of different toppings every week . oh, we LOVED the homefries . i think i secretly liked the homefries more than the french toast itself . and the sandwich .. oh the sandwich was absolutely delicious ! looking at the menu, my bf wasnt so fond of the idea of kimchi in a sandwich, but he ended up getting it anyways . he loved it . my brunch hater bf LOVED it !! i think this is the happiest ive seen him about brunch since the hoofs ! i did have a bite, had my mouth bleed and a piece of bacon stuck between the stitches, but it was worth it . haha :)
so thank you, mitzi's sister, for coming up w the UHS, reminding me of my childhood and making my day . :)Listed in: i do brunch amazing
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Review from Anonymous A.
6/5/2011
I had a burger here and it was good, but it was pretty far out of the way. The place is a cross between a bar, a pub and a restaurant which is really nice. I think it's about the same size as the Free Times Cafe.
The food was good, they had a weird beer that I tried: Apricot Wheat.
It's mostly the fact that this location doesn't have too much to do that I've given it 3/5 stars, otherwise it's a solid place. It feels like a College St. bar/pub after all. -
Review from Alex K.
6/7/2011
Excellent food, but the terrible service ruined it for us. Portions for my meal were very small for the price, but for the same price other meals were much better representative in terms of value.
I had bought m'lady a voucher for this venue as a Christmas present, since I knew that she loved this place. We went there a few days before the voucher expired (yesterday), and wow what terrible service.
We sat down and it took forever for the server to come to our table. When she finally came to our table, she asked if we were there for the nachos. It would appear as though nachos as well as Keiths were on special that day, however their sign that's usually propped up in front of their venue facing people walking up & down the side walk was lying against the wall and therefore illegible. She assumed we knew what was on sale. It took forever for us to get our meal, and then when we were done, we had to ask the bus boy to get pack up the rest of m'lady's meal, get her a water, and the bill. He asked the server for the bill and she yelled across the room "Are you using a Groupon?" After answering that we were, she eventually left the bill on our table. The bill was miscalculated in our favour, so I left more than enough to cover the rest after the group deal and left. She was just standing around the bar throughout the majority of our visit.
I got a mushroom ravioli which was very small for the $13 price, where-as m'lady got I believe a rota for the same price. My ravioli was tiny, yet very tasty, yet m'lady's roti filled her plate very nicely with a salad as well as the actual roti which was at least 3 times the size of my entire meal.
All-in-all, I'd very likely return for the food, however the service was absolutely terrible. I've been to this venue before and I don't believe I've ever had such a terrible experience with the service, so I'd return to see if perhaps the waitress was just upset because of all the group deals she was getting that evening. -
Review from Stephanie B.
Mississauga, ON
8/29/2011
This is one of my favourite places to eat. I've tried a lot of dishes but I keep going back to their freshly made chicken fingers and twisted sister fries (sweet potato and regular) with a side of homemade blue cheese dressing. It's my favourite guilty pleasure!
I agree that sometimes their service isn't the best but you just need to choose the time you go a bit more wisely. -
Review from Samantha F.
York, ON
4/3/2009
Apparently there's musical performances some times which are good?
Really, I'm just writing this review because one time I went I had the butternut squash soup with toasted pecans, and something else yummy in it, and while it was totally way too expensive, it was aMAZing.
And the back patio is cute and intimate, and the brunch is delicious.
Oh, and I enjoy the crowd that haunts it. -
Review from John F.
North York, ON
11/2/2009
Very high quality brunch/breakfast food. Menu is short and consists of about four specials plus regular items. You can order things like bacon or individual eggs a la carte though they are not listed.
Food was delicious and prepared with flair. I felt the prices were a bit high, but quality compensated.
Atmosphere is more like a tavern (which it is!) than a breakfast place but servers are very pleasant. -
Review from Alland B.
6/17/2011
Great Reuben, friendly service.
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Review from Dardana M.
ON
12/4/2008 1 photo
I really liked the feel of this place; nice, open layout, just the right amount of dimness (I hate eating in the dark), and pretty spectacular french fries.
I had accompanied my friend on a task to research their chicken wings in particular, and though I'm not that big on the dish in general, their sauce (Maple Chipotle, I believe it was called) was delicious. I'm not sure if it was due to our table's light ordering (we split a dish amongst three people, but told her why we were doing it-- research, I told you), but the service could have been a little nicer, methinks. Three people, two glasses of water...but we didn't say anything.
Anyway, even though the time spent in here was a little on the hurried side, I felt sad about leaving before the requisite 2 hours or so (they have a bar in the middle of the room!), and want to go back and make up for it.
Next time I'll order my own burger (which was very hard for me to pass up, as it looked hella good), and see if that helps. -
Review from Sarah H.
Toronto, ON
4/21/2011
Just went here for a drink on a Wednesday night, so I can't comment on the food, but service was friendly and attentive. It was a chill place to grab a drink.
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Review from Karen L.
Scarborough, ON
5/31/2011
Root vegetable roti FTW. Service was fabulous.
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Review from Lindy V.
Toronto, ON
2/7/2011 1 Check-in Here
Fantastic food! Very friendly staff!
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Review from TJ A.
Toronto, ON
4/1/2011
Try the lamb burger & sweet potato fries.... so good! I also like deal nights (one time I'm pretty sure I had 1/2 price nachos) and when they have concerts. Service is kind of surly, maybe that's just me... Decor is eclectic, interesting.
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Review from Tara P.
Etobicoke, ON
12/15/2010
Mitzi's poutine with lamb gravy is absolutely heavenly. I little on the expensive side but if shared as an appetizer, totally worth it.
I also have random cravings for their sweet potato quesadilla. It is filled with tasty bacon and sweet potato... with chipotle sour cream and guacamole on the side. A filling and tasty meal.
Another favourite of mine are their blackened fish tacos. This dish is served with 3 tacos brimming with blackened halibut fish, beans and pickled cabbage. Mmm, mouth watering. Mind you, this is a large meal. I typically end up abandoning the flour tortilla shells and just eat the filling. -
Review from Medhat S.
Toronto, ON
11/10/2008
Not my favourite breakfast place (go to Mitzis down the street if there's room) this is a great evening place: friendly, bustling, good food, probably some charming musical acts later in the evening, and a decent patio in the summer. Chicken fingers are particularly excellent.
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Review from bob s.
Mississauga, ON
7/18/2009
Great Pub, warm atmosphere, live music well presented and a real piano on stage!
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Review from Shawn B.
Oshawa, ON
8/3/2010
Sister to the popular Mitzi's brunch spot in Parkdale, this West Queen West spot boasts a fine mix of beers on tap and an eclectic roster of live music acts almost every night of the week. Be sure to check out the decor on the walls - one-of-a-kind, handmade instruments that look so incredible, one can only hope they're actually playable.
