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Papaya Hut/Island
Category: Food Juice Bars & Smoothies Juice Bars & Smoothies [Edit]
513A Yonge StToronto, ON M4Y 1Y3
Neighbourhood: Downtown Core
(416) 960-0821
- Hours:
Mon-Fri 8:30 am - 11:30 pm
Sat 9:30 am - 11:30 pm
Sun 10 am - 10 pm
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
18 reviews for Papaya Hut/Island
Review Highlights
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"The guys behind the counter are chatty and fun." In 3 reviews -
"Chili: veggie or beef, both are great." In 4 reviews
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"These smoothies are incredible." In 3 reviews
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18 reviews in English
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Review from Freeda B.
Toronto, ON
1/7/2012
This place does look like a hole in the wall, because it is, but that's ok, because the end result is fantastic! Good food, good juice, good homemade banana cake, good guys, good prices, make for a return experience.
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Review from Tara E.
12/27/2011 1 Check-in Here
One of my favourite places to grab a smoothie or a juice. It might have something to do with the fact that I'm pretty sure their smoothies use ice cream or "frozen yogurt". The kind of frozen yogurt you scoop out of a barrel with an ice cream scoop. Whatever it is, I'm sure it's full of calories, but it's just so darn tooting good that I keep going back. Their Island Aphrodisiac smoothie is calling my name! Friendly service, although you do have to wait a while sometimes. There are even line ups in the winter!
No tax is a nice touch. -
Review from Melissa L.
12/1/2011
A co-worker recommended E3 live as a supplement and mentioned this store as his source.
My husband and I went here this week to buy a bottle and also get some lunch since fellow Yelpers had good things to say about the food.
A 16oz E3 bottle is $40.
They don't charge tax here.
We also decided to share an avocado pita spiced up with some hot sauce and their signature health nut smoothie.
The total here came to $8.75.
($6.75 for the smoothie/pita combo plus a double cup size upgrade which was a couple of bucks extra.)
Both, food and smoothie, were very good.
The pita was a bit messy to eat, but the taste was great.
The smoothie is amazing.
I am suspicious that it might have a lot of calories since the vanilla fro-yo and the coconut were quite strong (=read: sweet), but the smoothie is just so enjoyable. ;)
The service here is very friendly.
The second we stepped through the door we were greeted loudly and handed samples of the health nut smoothie to try.Listed in: Smoothies!
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Review from Terry P.
11/30/2011
This place makes really great smoothies, and the staff are quite friendly and chatty, which is not what I expected when I first went in (the place is very basic looking, both inside and out).
I do find it a little expensive but I think that's more reflective of the way I feel about smoothies in general than of this particular shop. I just have a hard time paying $5 -$6 for a drink. They do have a decent punch card deal (buy 7, get one free I believe) for frequent customers. -
Review from Aaron M.
Toronto, ON
4/5/2012
Best smoothies in town, get the Health Nut if you've never been before. I also really like Blueberry dream. Their smooties go well with their vegan banana bread. Their chilis and soup are also very good.
I'd get their sandwiches more too but I've yet to see them ever wash their hands. I asked them to wash their hands once before making the last sandwich I ever got there and got tons of attitude after he sprinkled his fingers with water for about one second so now I stick to the things they do best and never touch.
Also note, though they say they open at 9am... they mean somewhere between 9 and 10 so don't lineup at 9 thinking they will be open any second.
Be warned, once you have these smoothies, you'll never be able to enjoy Booster Juice ever again! -
Review from Dishan W.
10/1/2011
This is an extremely small location but they sure dish up great food! I got myself an organic falafel wrap along with their chili. Both dishes were very well done. The falafel didn't taste like the majority of them out there, it was extremely wet and resulted in a big mess. The chili I was pleased to find out held true to it's name by actually being spicy. It's safe to say that with the messy falafel and hot chili, a large number of napkins were needed on my part.
I ended up getting a custom veggie drink which while small in volume was very well (it is hard to mess up a fresh veggie juice I admit).
What I really enjoy about this location is the fact that everything I got came at an extremely reasonable price as a combo. You could opt for a protein shake of sorts too which my dining buddies got and seemed to enjoy.
Very friendly guys behind the long counter all adds up to a great spot for a quick meal in an area where one can be overwhelmed with food choices. -
Review from D B.
Toronto, ON
10/14/2011
This place is off the MF chain. I've had almost every flavor and they're all good. I have personal preferences but you can't go wrong.
The health nut / incredible hulk (w/ E3 Live) is perfect. -
Review from Mike G.
Toronto, ON
6/19/2011
These smoothies are incredible. I have been to a lot of cities and had a lot of beverages. Wow.
They're pretty nice there, too.
It looks terrible from the outside, but just get over it and go in and order anything. Give it a shot. So good. -
Review from Karen W.
Toronto, ON
3/21/2011
I lived near here for years, so I've eaten at most of the restaurants on that strip of Yonge. It's certainly not a culinary hotbed.
If you're in the Yonge and College area, Papaya Hut has the best-tasting eats around!
Things you need to know:
1. Avocado wrap: so simple, yet so satisfying! Get it with hot sauce.
2. Chili: veggie or beef, both are great.
3. Health Nut: this is their signature smoothie for a reason.
4. It's not fancy (but neither are you!)
5. The guys behind the counter are chatty and fun. -
Review from Steph L.
9/5/2010
Walking down Yonge street, I hadn't eaten anything for breakfast and I was looking for a quick fix.
Usually, when someone tries to coax me into an establishment, I ignore them.
An older dude stops me on the street and says:
"Hey there, you look like you work out, want free smoothie samples?"
I'm starving. Free smoothie samples...ok!
I follow him into a tiny run down little venue.
The place didn't really look like a place where I would want to hang out.
The dude goes behind the counter, pours me a smoothie sample, and starts giving me the sales pitch. The benefits of E3, discussion of protein, pro-biotic yogurt, etc.
He starts asking questions about where I work out, but at this point I've tuned him out to focus on my sampling.
The sample was really tasty, smooth, and hefty. Banana, yogurt, I don't know exactly what was in it (since I tuned him out) but whatever it was, it was good. I order the regular size for 6 bucks.
More expensive than most juice places, but it is like a light meal.
Also, they have vegan soups and chili which sounds decent.
I'll probably be back one day, smoothies are great, as long as you don't mind that they are served with a side of sketchiness. -
Review from Char C.
Toronto, ON
3/15/2011
This place has the best smoothies hands down. It's not a place I would want to sit and hang out in but the smoothies they serve are just AMAZING... Health Nut!!!!
The staff I've never had a problem with, they are always so friendly!!! If they make extra they always give it to you in a different cup, that's the difference between a company that cares and booster juice.
Just go in and try it....it's truly worth it. it'll run you from 5-10 dollars. -
Review from Wendy H.
Toronto, ON
5/31/2009
My friends are all like, "eww, it's dirty" and I'm always like, "dude, suck it back and don't pretend like you hate it cause there's no way you actually do."
Sometimes I get a belly ache (dairy overload?), and sometimes the night guy is a little weird, but I always ALWAYS love what comes outta that straw. Sometimes they try to push the pre-made smoothie, and sometimes they don't have all the ingredients for the smoothies on the menu, but THIS SH*T IS SO GOOD. (Note: I really love smoothies).
These aren't like, uber healthy drinks - they've got frozen yogurt in 'em - but they're still pretty healthy and like I said, SO GOOD. You can give me stink face if you want cause the place isn't shiny pristine, but I'm not lying when I tell you that you will like what goes into your lemon-faced maw.Listed in: Why Living In The Village Is…
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Review from Kaye H.
Toronto, ON
5/23/2009
Okay. So I was going to give Papaya Hut a million stars for having one of the most incredible smoothies I have ever had. And the vegan soup I had there was amazing too. Aside from the undeniable sketchiness of the place, the drinks/food are terrific.
But then I was walking past Papaya Hut yesterday, and outside, they had a display of the sizes: small, medium, large. A small is much cheaper than a large. When I went to the Papaya Hut to order a vegan-friendly smoothie, I asked for a SMALL. I know that I did because I was trying to conserve my cash, avoid igesting a bazillion calories, and the guy behind the counter faltered a tiny bit before giving me a kind of strange, "mm..'kay". I received a HUGE cup which cost about 6 bucks, and with the soup, my order was around $12. I didn't mind because it was all so good and I assumed the huge cup was the only size available.
Now if you offer a small, and I ask for a small, and you acknowledge it, why not give me a small? I detest when establishments take advantage of their customers. I do not like being manipulated in these types of situations, because it has happened before this as well.
Perhaps it was a mistake, and that is why I did give Papaya Hut three stars, instead of one. Perhaps he really did not hear me and acknowledge me as I perceived him to. Or maybe the different size thing is a newer addition. But I have a sneaking suspicion I was taken advantage of.
It is going to be so hard to avoid the temptation of blended, oozy, fruit goodness whilst walking by this place. Good thing I'm moving. -
Review from Dardana M.
ON
1/25/2009
A resounding "yes!"
Talk about an oasis. Seeing this store stick out, like a green thumb (hello, the palm tree on the sign?!) out of the greyness of surrounding businesses and wintry sky will put anybody in the mood for their sunny flavours.
Yes, like "island aphrodisiac" which happens to be my favourite, okay??
Though I have, on occasion, been implored to try whatever was just-blended and leftover in the blender. It always tastes perfect, and then, well I'm stuck, cuz I want them both. One day, when I was hottest and starving-est (and already brokest) I chose the newness, and then I tripped and spilled the glory all over Bay St- so now I'm superstitious.
Which is why I hung out there this past Halloween (true story!).
The cups are huge and worth every (slightly pricey) penny, and they have been known to let you sip the first bit off and then fill it up again with the dregs...provided some jerk like me doesn't sneak in there to taste it first. -
Review from Anna V.
Toronto, ON
9/25/2008
Yonge St. Is the worst ever in terms of food. It's basically a trinket shop mixed with a strip mall and the ind of variety in food you find on the side of a highway.
Papaya Hut is an oasis in a desert of suck.
the guy who owns it is very hands on. they always have a "deal" he's pushing with the smoothies plus the sandwiches, but here's the thing; he really knows what he's talking about.
You can get the cheapest E3Live shots here, and the smoothies he makes are actually organic, actually good for you and the prices are great considering the competition.
I like the thai texturized tofu sandwiches and nature burgers. it's got a mini diner feel to it, which makes for a great quick getaway from the loud, suburban toxins that run rampant on Yonge.
The best is that al the men who work here seem like rough construction workers, which is kinda a rad contrast tot h super healthy menu. The worst is that the bathrooms are all busted and rapey feeling. They're clean, but in that way that they never really seem clean, even when they are.
Either way, on a scorching summer day, Papaya Hut might save your life. -
Review from Mike S.
Toronto, ON
8/29/2008
Toronto in many ways is a city of chains; we have them everywhere and the smoothie market is no different. We have Jugo Juices and Booster Juices in numbers that you wouldn't think to be possible, but out of this faceless miasma of corporate juice factories there is hope and it was there first. I have many passions in life, one of which is a bunch of fruits mashed into a juicy pulp and then sucked through a straw. Papaya Hut is so good that it doesn't need to impress you with stainless steel and fancy pants uniforms. It doesn't distract with the trappings of our consumer society it offers substance instead of flash and it has the best smoothies on earth.
I can say that confidently because I am a cheap bastard. Before I tried Papaya Hut's smoothies the idea of spending five dollars on a cup of juice was outrageous to me, until I tasted the sweet nectar known as "Island Aphrodisiac" and then I knew that I couldn't have spent the money better. I could recommend half a dozen different smoothies to you, they're all good , but that would rob you of the opportunity to try them all and I can't in good conscience do that; because the joy of Papaya Hut is, that everything you order is different and yet equally delicious.
Like the review? Check out the link to my blog on my profile. -
Review from Imran N.
4/20/2011
in the filth of yonge street eating establishments, lies this filth looking surprise.
|No tax on the island"....i don't care about that, this place can take all my money for all i care. It's that good, that every so often, i crave it. like crack.
Papaya hut is famous for it's smoothies. i found out about it from a gym buddy and it became my after workout necessity. then i moved work, gym etc and forgot about it. then i dreamt about it one day again. and my obession with the place began once more. i travel far for my fix now.
Every time i go now, i order the combo - chili/soup, burger/sandwich, and a healthnut smoothie/or juice for $9.75.
It's really really good, doesn't make me feel like shit or guilty after eating it, and it's cheap. let's get serious, you don't get that much food and GOOD food anywhere in toronto for that little money.
What you need to be prepared to do however is wait. The guys behind the counter can sometimes talk too much, and it's not bad company, but they're slowing down the fix prep. In the evenings, there's usually only one guy behind the counter, so if you're getting a big order, order and take a seat. It will take a while. and always remember, good things come to those who wait. -
Review from Daniel S.
Toronto, ON
4/14/2010
As others have mentioned this place does have a bit of a sleazy quality and the service leaves a bit to be desired, unless your a girl that is. With that said the smoothies are really good and I do keep coming back. They also have a pretty decent frequent buyer system, you only need to buy 7 to get one free.
