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Rawlicious
Categories: Restaurants Vegan Restaurants Vegetarian Vegan, Vegetarian
2122 Bloor Street WToronto, ON M6S 1M8
Neighbourhoods: Bloor-West Village, Swansea
(416) 519-7150
- Hours:
Mon-Thu, Sun 11 am - 9 pm
Fri-Sat 11 am - 10 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- Free
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
30 reviews for Rawlicious
Review Highlights
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"balsamic and ginger date dressings on the side." In 3 reviews -
"If you want to experience great raw food, go to Rawlicious." In 8 reviews -
"I especially liked the spring rolls and the tamarind sauce." In 4 reviews
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30 reviews in English
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Review from Laura T.
Toronto, ON
2/16/2012
I'm not vegan, vegetarian or a raw foodie bit I do try to have 2-3 days a week where I don't eat meat.
I enjoyed dinner at Rawlicious last night. The service was efficient and friendly and the food tasty. I loved that as a Celiac i could order anything on the menu (restaurant eating can sometimes be a nightmare) We shared the beet dill ravioli, pizza of the day and the raw-wich. The ravioli was rich and flavorful as was the pizza. The onion bread on the raw-wich was a bit overpowering for my taste especially after the red onion on the pizza. I love the decor here. Most vegan/raw Resto's are either cafeteria style or just feel like a cheap diner with expensive prices. At Raw-licious I felt like I was out on a nice dinner date. I will definitely be returning! -
Review from Diane R.
Toronto, ON
3/1/2012 1 photo
I work out at the gym a few doors down from this Rawlicious location. I am currently training for a fitness competition and have been eating clean and healthily to support my goals.
After my workout, I was famished, and I decided to try "Rawlicious" to pick up something healthy for dinner.
I was hoping to get something with a lot of protein. After scanning the menu, I didn't really see anything that tickled my fancy (within my training diet guidelines) so I opted for the Olive-Currant-Nut & Seed Salad (Kalamata Olives, Currants, Pine Nuts, Pumpkin Seeds and Hemp Seeds on a bed of Mixed Greens) with Ginger-Date dressing (Ginger, Dates, Lemon, Garlic, Olive Oil, Coconut Aminos & Seasonings) on the side. I figured the nuts would give me the protein that I needed.
To say I was disappointed is an understatement.
I could have thrown this salad together at home. Now, you might be thinking--why did you order it? You read the ingredients. Yes, I did. However, I thought the quantity of nuts would be enough to qualify as satisfactory servings of protein. I was expecting to see a meal similar to what I would get from Fresh restaurants.
There was maybe--if I'm lucky--two tablespoons of each topping on the salad. I basically paid $10 for 2-3 cups of mixed greens, which sells for about $5 (for the big container) at the grocery store.
It's safe to say that I will never be purchasing a salad from Rawlicious ever again. I may pop in to try one of the smoothies or a "blonde macaroon" (those looked good), but that's about it.
If it's good, I'll revise this review. -
Review from Melanie H.
Toronto, ON
1/9/2012
I NEEDED to go here today. I was having some serious heartburn from a large latte and 2 breakfast pastries, and my body was begging me for something healthy and fresh.
The new location is big, bright and airy and they don't have those moldy cushions on the floor anymore. It seems more like a nice dining room setting, and less like a hippie hang out. Their old patio will be missed, however.
The menu is pretty much the same, and we ordered what we always get: nori rolls, caesar salad, and the pizza. Pizza was a little over-dehydrated today, but I felt so good when I left this place (like a million bucks!) that I forgive and forget. So 2 appetizers and one main dish is enough for 2 people, the food is very filling. The bill with tax and tip was $35, a price well worth it to feel good after eating out for a change. -
Review from Fabio N.
Toronto, ON
I must start this review saying that I'm NOT a vegetarian - not even close, actually. I also generally like my food cooked or baked. I find anything au gratin delicious!
Yet I love this place. I was skeptical the first time I went there, but forgot all my preconceived ideas when I tried their version of pasta bolognese.
It's not pasta, it doesn't have ground beef and it's cold, BUT OMFG, IT'S DELICIOUS! It's still my favourite dish to this day. Their burrito is a close second and you should definitely try it too.
They have a nice patio in the back and a separated room for big(ish) groups.
The service is efficient and quick (there's no cooking time after all!).
Definitely check it out, even if you're a heartless carnivorous bastard like me. -
Review from Crystal E.
Calgary, AB
8/16/2011 1 Check-in Here
Like Fabio, I am also not vegetarian or vegan but I had wanted to try Rawlicious for quite some time due to the great things I had heard about it. I was introduced to raw foods about 2 years ago and just love trying new things, so I also brought a friend along with me and we were both very impressed - can't wait to come here again the next time I am in Toronto!
We started off with the Nacho Platter, which was very tasty and we just loved the special Rawlicious nacho chips. For our meals, I had the taco wrap and my friend had the special of the day which was lasagna. Both of our meals were so fresh and tasty, we were blown away. Since my friend and I are both lactose and gluten intolerant, we just loved the options and how things are made here. We also finished off with the raw cheesecake, which is super delicious - I like it more than regular cheesecake (I know, shocking!).
We also had great service and didn't wait long for any of our food, so we were really happy with our experience. All of the other food we saw going out to other customers also looked great, so I can't wait to come here again and try something new!Listed in: Toronto Madness
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Review from Zoe R.
6/4/2011
We had these groupons, and off a group of us went. Pretty generous, given that they were letting us use 1 coupon per every 2 ppl and some coupons out there say 1 per group of 5 or what not.
I wish the location was closer, since I'd like to come here more often.
I ordered the tropical pizza special, with mango and pineapple, on a bed of pesto and "cheeze"/nut-based spread. Side salad. Ordered ginger date dressing but server couldn't tell the dressings apart.
Others at the table ordered the pad Thai (which looked amazing and was wolfed down before not too long), more pizzas, rawitch (a raw sandwich), and smoothies. We left FULL. We also ordered (between the group) raw nachos (they were actually pretty filling), and semi-raw rice noodle rolls and raw sushi.
If I could go back, I'd go for the pad Thai. Prob. I'd do w/out the nacho appetizer b/c after eating half of that, I was starting to feel full!
The smoothies that everyone ordered, all looked so tasty. I didn't want to be even more filled up (sometimes it doesn't take that much)... so avoided one.
~~~
ambiance: very comfortable. Although if you're over 5'7" you might mind having to crouch down for the duration of the meal - we were in a back table, and sat on pillows rather than chairs.
We went to a nearby place for some tasty ice cream, partly b/c we all pretty much felt full after the meal. Only one friend, did not feel full.
She doesn't eat garlic or onion, and we all learned that garlic and onion is in EVERY salad dressing, every pizza and sandwich crust, and nachos, there is. She could only order an appetizer and smoothie. -
Review from Jane T.
Toronto, ON
6/22/2011
It's often been my experience that any name ending in 'licious', usually isn't. But in the spirit of keeping an open mind, and upon the recommendations of friends, I went for lunch at Rawlicious.
I wanted to like it - I really did. The little restaurant itself is delightful. Thoughtful, airy, intimate, with lots of jewel-like pillows on the floor, And the patio is even better - truly a beautiful little oasis in the Junction. Even our waitress was lovely - and made it clear that we could take all the time in the world, and that we were most welcome to sit forever.
I order the Zucchetti, and it was so beautiful. Green zucchini noodles in a big white bowl, tossed with basil and Parmesan. My friend ordered a Taco Salad, a gorgeous array of vegetables, avocado, and refried beans all lovingly presented. After the first bite I was impressed by the freshness, but after three more bites I was bored. I missed the warm savory deliciousness I associate with pesto. This was bland. Texture outweighed taste. And my friend's dish - though gorgeous - didn't have the variety of flavours I like in a salad. The beans weren't bean-a-licious at all! They were dull and nutty.
Let me point out that I'm not a vegetarian. I dabble in chicken and fish, but I do love vegetables, and I've been to vegetarian restaurants that were completely satisfying. Unfortunately Rawlicious just isn't for me. Well presented? Certainly. And beautiful, without a doubt.
In fact everything looked lovely, but not necessarily delicious. Perhaps they should just call it Raw-eautiful instead. -
Review from Jennifer C.
Thornhill, ON
1/1/2012
The Bloor-West Rawlicious? Hah, save your money for some where else, anywhere would be x100 better.
The food was terrible. I'm not talking about, oh because it's unfamiliar food, I'm a vegetarian my self and was very excited to try it out... I'm talking about basic cooking 101 skills. How does a chef not know how to season? Everything was over sweet, over sour, over everything. One of the dishes had a lemon relish sauce and it was just SO unedible. Worst part is they spread it all over your dish so your whole dish is super sour. Lemon is strong. If you're not going to dilute it and soften the sourness with something to compliment it, don't make it so over powering and 'raw'. Another dish had sweet walnuts. It was like someone poured a pound of sugar, coated it in caramel, then dipped it in more sugar. Was nothing tasted before coming out of the kitchen? Not just the type of food but it was just so unedible because of the level of sugar and lemon that was comprised in all the dishes. After my meal, I just felt sick and my palettes were shattered and numb.
Waitressing was lousy and terrible too, there were empty glasses all over the floor, no one was reflilling, no one was interacting with the customers. It acted like a fast food joint, bringing food in and out in a rush without a care about the customers needs. Took half an hour to get my bill. Took an hour to get a waitresses attention in which she took another 20 minutes to actually remember to bring me the extra water refill I needed. And mind you, these requests: good food and good service, are not hard things to ask. You would think it comes with the food industry trade. Staff focused more on having fun with each other, popping champagne and drinks with each other rather than paying any attention to paying customers. It wasn't like they were understaffed, there were about 7 people on the floor including the chef and what looked to be the owner/hostess of the shop yet they were too busy with their 'own friends' in clear view and only one girl was serving and cashing out customers at the same time, no wonder we couldn't get a hold of a waitress for attention..This shop fails on so many levels in serving the proper etiquette in order to run a successful business. But most of it starts with the staff. Uneducated, uncaring, unprofessional and totally unskilled, it was the worst place I went to share a meal. I kind of felt ripped off of my money, vegan food isn't cheap.
Hope my relayed experience can help others make smart decisions when thinking of ever going to Rawlicious. I really wanted it to be a good night, but it just wasnt. -
Review from Roma M.
7/5/2011
I wasn't as wow-ed by this place as I hoped to be. Maybe I had high expectations for someone who already enjoys vegan food from time to time. Other than that possibility I'd recommend Fresh http://www.yelp.ca/biz... over Rawlicious in a heartbeat.
I had the warm pizza and my dining partner had the Pad Thai. The warm pizza was highly acidic, and granted the acidity of the toppings would typically be non-existent in a typical h-eatery maybe they should have skimped on a few of the stronger vegetables for the sake of my esophagus. The Pad Thai was pretty awesome, however.
While we were here there were several other full tables and all of them were looking around frantically for waitstaff, who both appeared to be wholly disgruntled to be working there that evening.Listed in: Vegetarians, Gluten-Free
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Review from Rick Y.
Toronto, ON
11/3/2010 ROTD 11/23/2010
My wife and I ate at Rawlicious (Junction) today. So impressed!
Starters:
- spring rolls
- Olive-Currant-Nut and Seed salad
- balsamic and ginger date dressings on the side
Entrees:
- Rawitch
- Pad Thai
Desert:
- cheesecake
- chocolate brownie
Everything was raw (perhaps dehydrated), organic and unbelievably tasty. Really, so good!!!
The spring rolls, while still good, were perhaps the weakest point of the meal. They were kinda ordinary, tho the marinated veg interior was flavourful, they just didn't stand up to the rest of the meal.
The salad was a mixed greens base with a very flavourful topping. Both dressings were very good, tho I preferred the slight sweetness and bite of the ginger-date.
The Rawitch is build upon dehydrated onion "bread" and is very generous. The Pad Thai is on kelp noodles (0 calories) and has a nice balance of flavours. The kelp noodles, if you haven't had them, are a little crunchy, a nice texture.
The cheesecake was very light and had a wonderful lemony zing and a raspberry coulis.
The chocolate brownie was intense!!! So rich. So good. Could easily have been 3 or 4 deserts :)
Will definitely, definitely be back. -
Review from Maddie R.
5/26/2011
I came here with my boyfriend for a date night. We had a really nice time!
Good: atmosphere- it is cozy and comfortable. It feels like you are walking into someone's house. Service- very friendly. Shake- we shared the "chocolate milkshake" made with almond milk and avocado- super yummy!
To start we ordered the Nacho platter. It was good-fresh and not too heavy.
For our mains my boyfriend ordered the Pad Thai and I ordered the special- a vegan "meatloaf" with BBQ sauce. I felt that the Pad Thai, while looking beautiful, lacked the flavour punch that I was expecting ( I was envisioning more of the "tangled Thai" salad from Fresh, which is so tasty). We were arguing about who should order it at first ,since we both wanted to, but I wanted to sample as much as I could, so instead opted for the special and I was glad that I did. As for the meatloaf, it was tasty (mostly due to the BBQ sauce), but I was surprised to see that my plate was 75% salad. Luckily, the salad was delicious (the ginger-date dressing is awesome) so I was happy.
For dessert, we had the brownie and the raspberry cheesecake. The brownie was the winner hands down- it had a coconut vanilla frosting that was rich and creamy. The cheesecake however was pretty disappointing and bland (they have an awesome vegan raw raspberry cheesecake at The Beet down the street that I am partial to I suppose).
Overall, I like the feeling of this place. It is pricey however, which I am fine with, due to the high quality of ingredients, but the food itself was hit and miss. Perhaps by patronizing Rawlicious a few times we can figure out what the clear winners are stick to those- that way when the bill comes it won't hurt as much. -
Review from Avi L.
Toronto, ON
3/31/2011
This Junction restaurant is one of the most interesting on the Dundas west strip. Funky art, big comfy chairs, a wicked middle eastern themed back room - basically, the vibe is West Coast chill. And this is obviously a huge draw. Here's the thing. I've been back a total of three times now. I love the staff. They're super friendly. And as mentioned I like the feel of the place. But I'm not organic bananas about the taste or price of the food.
I had the Cesar wrap the other day and the green shake. The wrap was fun to eat; a giant cabbage leaf surrounding a raw-style-bean-and-tahini preparation. It was healthy. But the strength of the raw garlic and lemon, combined with the low seasoning made the dish somewhat hard to eat. Actually, I had to stop eating it. Though, the spring rolls were yum, with fresh tasting veg and herbs, and a nice peanut dipping sauce. My partner loved her wrap...
The genesis of this review comes down the fact I recently lunched at another raw spot in town. The feel of the place and the staff are great, as mentioned. But In the end, when I'm hungering for Raw food, I think I'll head to another spot. -
Review from Nicole H.
Toronto, ON
Rawlicious is one of those places that shows you how awesome being creative with food can be - and how tasty! I was in for lunch, so didn't want something too overwhelming like one of their pasta dishes. I ended up choosing the Ceasar wrap.
With the collard green wrap for freshness, and the fantastic creamy dressing coating everything inside, it was a definite flavour and texture winner. The seasoned nut loaf bites were bursting with flavour and were a nice combination with the greenness/creaminess of the rest of the wrap. Lovely! I then opted to try the raw pumpkin pie (it was Thanksgiving weekend, why not?) - a small slice, but it packed quite a flavour punch. Heavily based on coconut and cashew, but still with the rich blend of spices you'd expect from a pumpkin pie.
Service here was friendly and helpful, and they're very welcoming to people who've not been before, helping them with menu info and decisions. The decor gives off a real vibe of homey warmth, almost like you've gone to a friend's for a meal. The location (bit of a hike from downtown for me) and price (my two items came to just shy of $20) knock this down to 4 stars, but otherwise colour me impressed! -
Review from Chris M.
5/21/2011 1 Check-in Here
Stopped in here after a sunny walk in High Park. Nice little place, quiet with eclectic decor, paintings, charming fixtures and so on in a relaxed atmosphere. I'd never eaten at a restaurant dedicated to raw food before.
We ordered the nori rolls, the pizza special with mango, pineapple, pesto and cilantro, and pad Thai. The food is very creative and refreshing (I quite liked the nori rolls as an appetizer, they really clean your palate nicely.) The pizza was not spectacular, though like the nori, it struck a nice balance between crisp/clean feel and stronger sweet and salty flavours. I thought it was a little too heavy on the cilantro, and it was a pretty small portion.
I stole a bite or two of pad Thai, which was very good: the "twist," something that many of the dishes here seem to have, is that the cold "noodles" are made from zucchini, which gives them a crisp, light, salad-like texture that works well with the peanut dressing and peppers in the dish while still feeling satisfying. It's really a hybrid between a noodle dish and a salad, which is surprisingly impressive.
If you're looking for a light lunch someplace that might surprise you, check this out. Just keep an open mind! -
Review from Lupillo R.
Toronto, ON
9/13/2010
If you're reading this I assume you already know that Rawlicious is a raw-vegan restaurant so I'll leave it at that and get on with talking about the food.
The dishes are very creative. I loved my "pasta" with bolognese sauce and my "cheesecake" dessert. I tried the lemonade which they sweeten with agave and liked it and my wife enjoyed her fresh juice. We also enjoyed the eclectic decor and the homey feel. The local artists' art on the walls was also nice.
I have 2 complaints... First of all I found it a bit pricey. I understand and appreciate the fact that it's all organic but even so, I wish it was a tad cheaper. Secondly, the location. It might be great for people who live around High Park, and there's ample parking right outside on Dundas, but it's a bit of a hike for a downtowner, especially if you're taking the TTC. -
Review from Matthew B.
Vancouver, BC
10/30/2009
I love dense, walkable old Toronto neighborhoods and the Junction area of Keele and Dundas is a hidden gem I've just discovered. There are many old shops and up and coming original restaurants.
I selected Rawlicious for my birthday dinner because I thought it would be original and healthy, and it had good reviews on http://yelp.ca. However, I declined to read the reviews carefully, and really think about what the title implied.
Rawlicious is truly a restaurant for people with open minds. It possessed a clean, modern and casual decor. For example, there is one table near the window with cushions instead of chairs to sit on. Cool!
But it's not until you have a good look at the menus that you realize you're not in Kansas anymore. It all begins with a smoothie section with many interesting flavors. I ordered chocolate mint, and my wife had raspberry. They were fantastic! We saw several couples pop in and order smoothies to take away.
The rest of the menu contained a subtle central theme. No meat, no cheese, and though I didn't see it explicitly stated anywhere, everything is RAW!
Yes, a disclaimer might have been helpful to stupid people such as myself who can't put 2+2 together.
The menu consisted of things like salads, but then there was an entrees section containing meals such as Pad Thai, and Pizza; foods that tend to be customarily warm.
I ordered the pad thai and my wife ordered the pizza. The food arrived a very short period later, far more quickly than usual. Hmmmm...
The pad thai contained diced up yellow bell peppers, noodles, and other diced up veggies all covered in a bizarre yellow sauce, and sprinkled with a few cashews. My wife's 'pizza' was more of a flatbread covered with salsa with some random raw vegetables on top.
At first glance, everything seemed... fairly normal. It did look like pad thai afterall. But the realization that everything was cold hit me like a bucket of icy water in the face.
The best I can describe it is that it was like eating last night's left-over pad thai straight from the refrigerator the next morning after covering it with a salad dressing.
I took one bite of my 'pad thai' and felt nauseous. It wasn't because it tasted repugnant exactly, but rather it was just such an odd sensation. Pad Thai is hot, or at least warm! This was... something else...
I must have squirmed around, making all sorts of funny faces, like a little kid forced to eat Brussels sprouts for the first time.
But hey, I'm an adult now. This is my choice, so I had to live with it. I took a few more bites thinking "This isn't so bad... I guess I can handle it." After all, I'm cultured. I'm a renaissance man! Look at me in this Raw restaurant! I was proud.
But somehow the nauseous feeling would not abate. I pushed the plate away, leaving about 85% of the entrée untouched. I couldn't do it.
My wife finished her pizza undoubtedly thinking I was a spoiled brat. Considering it was my choice of restaurant and she wasn't enjoying it either.
I will justify my behavior as follows: I'm of the opinion that we should be selective about what we put into our bodies. Once upon a time, I used to be ignorant of nutrition and saw the gut as a type of void. I honestly thought you could put just about any food in any quantity into it, and it didn't influence too much how I looked or felt.
But about 5 years ago I underwent a dietary revolution, and have come to believe in eating nutritious, tasty and fresh foods whenever possible. I won't force myself to eat things that are excessively unhealthy, or taste very bad just because it's there. I'm an adult now. If I don't like how things taste or make me feel, I'm not eating them.
The server came to take the plates away, and asked "how everything was" with a cautious look after she felt the heft of my uneaten food still remaining on the plate.
I was honest with her. I said "we'd never tried raw food before, and weren't prepared for it at all." She was polite and seemed like she'd seen similar reactions before. We paid the bill and left.
After grabbing a Mars bar from an adjacent convenience store, and my blood sugar level began to normalize I reflected on the meal with my wife, who was by now complaining of indigestion.
The whole experience reminded me of going to church. Not because the restaurant was trying to convince you of anything in particular. But it occurred to me that some people must eat this type of food all the time. They must have strong beliefs, and a tendency for self-deprivation. Plus, the whole experience left me with a bitter taste in my mouth.
Yes, just like church.
What struck me as most odd was the poor nutritional composition of the meal. No proteins, no fats. As we all know, this is a health-conscious age we're living in. Fads like this are popping up all over the place under the guise of good health. We must be careful to examine if something is actually healthy or just claims to be. -
Review from Heather W.
2/25/2009
This place was delicious! I had never eaten at a "raw food" restaraunt before, but it was great. Almost everything was completely raw, everything was vegan. I was with a group of four and all of us loved what we got. The servings were healthy and filling.
Also, the staff was ridiculously sweet and I wanted to hug them all and ask them to come live with me.
The atmosphere was great... and oh man! The DESSERT... Yes, apparently raw vegan desserts do exist and they were so delicious I can't even conceptualize how you can make raw vegan brownies and pecan pies but they are incredible.
Unless you like super busy/ or meat filled food it's a great experience, even for a non-veggie like me. -
Review from Faye C.
6/26/2011
I've dined here a few times, and my favourites are definitely the pizza and the "pad thai". We've also tried their "spaghetti" - which was ok, and the wraps. It's pretty good, and they make good smoothies.
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Review from Renata R.
3/21/2010
At first, looking at the menu, I thought "oh my god I'm in a trap".
Vegan raw food? This can't be any good.
Incredibly, everything is AWESOME. Even the "pasta" my husband asked.
You see, I'm NOT a vegetarian - neither my husband. But we really enjoyed our night there and all the food we had. It's vegetarian food done RIGHT. -
Review from Marie F.
7/6/2010 1 Check-in Here
I got bombed on a Monday!! I got up at 7am, drank for 12 hours straight, did countless shots ate wings, hot dogs and chips and went to bed at 1am... I am a wreck! Borrowing from the pages of Pat B. I needed a detox and decided I would be nice to my body for one day and try Rawlicious.
I am currently sitting in this adorable place and feeling like I have just left Toronto's hot and sometimes hectic streets for a serene oasis far from stress (honestly I want to put on yoga pants right now, listen to Sigur Ros and just chill!
I ordered the special of the day: "Taco" Salad (which had a nice spicy kick) and the Tropical Green smoothie; both arrived within 5 minutes of my order. Both items were fresh and tasty leaving me (and my liver) feeling like we did the right thing! I like that they have tons of dessert options to choose from. The strawberry cheesecake was delicious without being overly sweet. I am NOT a vegetarian or vegan and like Renata R. I would agree that this is veggie done right!
The service was great. In addition to being super fast, my waitress was super sweet and cheerful (maybe Fressen should take note!)
Honestly my only complaint would be that they play the radio instead of music... hearing the traffic report between songs isn't particularly soothing but I am honestly grasping at straws to find something negative to say because this place was awesome.Listed in: Veggie Friendly places (don't…
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Review from Lauren T.
Toronto, ON
7/29/2010
I finally checked out Rawlicious! It's such a cute location with a homey vibe inside. Actually, it feels like you're in someone's house... and I sat out on their patio. I'm a vegan but not a raw vegan. I do enjoy experiencing raw food especially at specialty raw-restos. I can't make the dehydrated crackers and "breads" at home so I enjoy eating them at places like this.
The highlight of my four course meal was the special. It was curry crackers with cashew cheese and a mango current chutney! It was so good and I think they should just add this to the regular menu. I even over heard another table tell the waiter this.
The disappointment of my meal was the sushi rolls we had next. They didn't come with any of the ingredients it said were in it on the menu... no mushrooms, no avocado, and the worst part is there was like a teaspoon of WASABI in each piece! UGH. Wasabi was not mentioned anywhere in the description.We returned them and the waiter gave us the cold rolls instead. SO I guess that means I really had a five course meal! The cold rolls were pretty standard but the tangy peanut sauce they came with was delish. I could have eaten it all on it's own.
I also tried the zucchini bolognese with neatballs. It's a pretty large main course and I only ate about a 1/4 of it and took the rest home... to heat up in the microwave :/ I know! I am not a strict raw foodie so I didn't technically break MY rules. But I'm sure the staff at Rawlicious would be disappointed with me. There's just something wrong with eating really COLD "pasta". It's not palatable at all. The neatballs, however, are very good, warm or cold. I think they're made of almonds mostly but they have a meaty texture and great seasoning.
I also HAD to try dessert and so I took home a chocolate brownie with vanilla icing. It was $8 so I was pleased to see how big it was. Kind of like a piece of cake. But MUCH too rich and sweet. It was almost like fudge. Of course I ate it over the course of 2 days, but I wouldn't eat it again. I have to say, having tried some other raw desserts in the past, they're just not the same as baked desserts. I find they often have too much coconut or agave in them to make up for the lack of decadence.
Rawlicious is an experience and for anyone who is vegan or enjoys eating this kind of food every so often, this would be the place to go for sure. But I find the raw food really takes a toll on my tummy. It's hard to digest. I won't go into details but I had my share of problems that night! I also had a shit ton of energy and was like hyper sensitive to sounds... rather weird. That's the power of LIVE FOOD, I suppose. But maybe I just ate too much of it... perhaps I should scale back next time! -
Review from Garry C.
Whistler, BC
7/4/2009
I generally don't enjoy visiting raw restaurants because I find the portions a bit small and sometimes 'it's the place to be'. But Rawlicious is filling and the atmosphere is very relaxed. I enjoy coming here!
The food is wonderful, colourful and very tasty. I can't recall anything that I've had there that I would not have have again. There is a large selection of smoothies, fantastic desserts and the best raw sandwich; the 'rawich' ever!
If you want to experience great raw food, go to Rawlicious! The owner is also one of the nicest people you'll meet - she puts her love into the food and it shows! -
Review from Li S.
York, ON
8/10/2009
"Accidentally" came across this one day when I was hungry. I was not disappointed. I especially liked the spring rolls and the tamarind sauce. The staff was very friendly, the atmosphere warm and inviting, in fact it was the cosy space in the window that got me inside and it is a very comfy place to relax and eat.
Even if you don't normally eat raw food (I don't) I'm sure you will really enjoy it. -
Review from Brenna K.
Toronto, ON
6/22/2009
This place is great. Not only do they have amazing food and drinks, but the staff is extremley nice. I dragged my boyfriend here against his will (he was afraid he would be hungry after) and he loved it. Most items are really filling and the atmostphere is great. Try the spring rolls.
The only thing to be warely of is if you go for dinner the pizza is amazing but I found the portion to be small for the price. I would try a wrap or pasta dish which is more generous. -
Review from Kim B.
ON
12/3/2008 12 photos
To be honest, I can't believe I'm the first person reviewing this place! It's such a great veggie restaurant in a great neighbourhood!
I was a bit weary ahead of time (I'm a lover of meat) but went in with a bit of a cold looking for some veggies to boost my immune system. I was instantly comforted by the laid back decor, and incredibly friendly staff (no hippy-diva attitude here!).
I ordered a basic salad, which was HUGE and filled with beautiful fresh avocado, tomatoes, red peppers, cucumbers and various greens topped with poppy seed dressing.
They also sell a variety of smoothies, although their tea selection is a little lacking (I really felt like a tea to go, but they didn't have many caffeine free options). But, all in all, I'd highly recommend this place to anyone (meat eater or not). -
Review from Ashley W.
Toronto, ON
11/8/2010
I came here with a Groupon (yay!) and my bf and I ate pretty much everything in sight! We had the nacho app, some beet juice, a pad thai, a bolognese and then two desserts (I forget which two...).
Everything was amazingly fresh tasting and we were thoroughly impressed! Sat in the back patio and then moved to the front window when the mosquitos got a little out of control. Great service, great ambiance, great everything! :) -
Review from Kent P.
6/15/2010
So TODAY I went to Rawlicious up in the Junction. Felt it necessary for a detox meal after a weekend of ethanol-overkill. It was fucking sweet. I had some sort of fake chicken salad sandwich and a kale/spinach/mango/pinapple/banana green smoothie. Go there! And if you want to try it out- there's lots of people out there with 50% off coupons from GrouponTO...find one.
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Review from Michelle A.
Toronto, ON
6/26/2010 1 Check-in Here
This restaurant is amazing for vegetarians and meat -eaters. A great selection of salads, wraps, sandwiches + raw pad thai and zucchinni pasta. I tried a currant, hemp, pumpkin seed, black olive salad and tasted a friend's taco wrap that had nut nut loaf, guacamole, salsa, wrapped in a collard green. Both were amazing and full of flavour. I also recommend trying their tea. It's not listed on their usual menu as they have a tea menu that changes all the time, but all great/interesting flavours - I had a berry-flavoured white tea called beautiful follishness. Friendly staff and beautifully-decorated with paintings for sale. A wide variety of seating options - bar stools, tables, comfy chairs, pillows on the floor + a nice back patio. Overall, an excellent spot for a healthy lunch.
Listed in: Very vegetarian-friendly…, Best meals in T.O.
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Review from Min Min T.
Scarborough, ON
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Review from carey c.
Toronto, ON
5/8/2011
My husband and I decided to check this place out on the basis of the reviews, and we went on a Sunday night. The place was packed and the overloaded staff was running around; visibly stressed out. There wasn't even a system in place for a wait list. We thought that if the place was that overloaded, they should have put a sign on the door to that effect. They seemed understaffed as well. I once worked in a raw place in Chicago, and raw prep is always demanding. It seemed like they had two people doing prep! Raw clients are always forgiving. If the food costs this much, they should hire more people for the busy nights. The place needs a system for busy nights; and reservations should be allowed for smaller parties. This gives me even more disdain for raw restaurants, because the management takes advantage of the novelty of raw foods, as well as the assumed patience of the clientele. My husband was going to write a harsher review, but there it is.
