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Red Rocket Coffee
Categories: Food Desserts Food Coffee & Tea Desserts, Coffee & Tea [Edit]
1364 Danforth AveToronto, ON M4J 1M9
Neighbourhood: The Danforth
- Price Range:
-
$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- Free
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- No
34 reviews for Red Rocket Coffee
Review Highlights
"and the baked goods are absolutely divine."
(in 6 reviews)
"3) Sat outside on a nice, cozy patio."
(in 15 reviews)
"Our Indie Coffee Passport crawl ended here with a lot of..."
(in 3 reviews)
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34 reviews in English
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Review from Marie F.
10/9/2011 7 Check-ins Here
*Insert rocket Onomonopia* The first time I went to Red Rocket I swear I thought the barrista sneezed in my latte. After a few visits, I realized that the uber hipster behind the counter was not releasing mucus into my $4 drink but in fact handing it to me while making what I assume is "Rocket Sounds!"
In any case, the staff here is always super friendly and the large side patio and WiFi make homework around here a breeze. I always stop by for a cafinated fix before my hot pocket treatment at the Ten Spot next door. My only complaint about this place is they often don't have any sandwiches or food left. There aren't many snack places in the immediate area where you can simply grab and go, so it's annoying to walk in and find out the last rocket ham and cheese sammy was just sold :-( -
Review from Jane T.
Toronto, ON
11/5/2011
It makes me feel bad to say anything bad about Red Rocket, but I'm going to do it anyway.
Firstly, it's a lovely, bright, welcoming coffee shop with consistently excellent food, a gorgeous patio, and seating for every mood. Indoor, outdoor, counter, table, or cozy club chairs for two. Perfect place to bring your laptop, or your kids. The staff is friendly, the atmosphere great, and the customer's are never rushed.
The reason I don't go there is because of the coffee. The last several times I've been (I'm a neighborhood semi-regular) there've been different staff behind the counter. Rarely have I seen the same face twice. Therefore my morning latte's turn out differently, and if there's a line-up, they are often frustratingly slow.
I don't want my first coffee of the day made by a trainee. It's painful to watch someone being walked through how to properly foam my latte, only to be served something watery and not delicious. This happened recently, and I did not have the time nor the patience, to wait while they attempted another one.
There a lot of coffee shops in the area, and the quality of the coffee will always be the main reason to draw me in. I like to trust the ability of the person behind the cappuccino machine. I don't have to like them, I just want to know that they have an understanding with their clientele, and their machine.
Like I said, Red Rocket is a very nice place. I just won't go there for my coffee. -
Review from Kyle P.
Whitby, ON
6/13/2011
Quick review here:
Goods:
1) Best medium roast coffee I've ever had
2) High quality Golden Sugar was available which added some extra goodness to my coffee (usually don't use Sugar at all)
3) Sat outside on a nice, cozy patio
Bads:
1) I had to get plain coffee because I didn't know what anything else was! The menu is in Code and when you have people behind you and a client on the patio waiting you don't have time to figure it all out.
I'd have liked a takeaway little menu with the descriptions of the menu items so I could plan for my next visit.
Fun place. Going back. -
Review from Nicole H.
Toronto, ON
1/31/2011 1 Check-in Here
I'm standing at the counter, lovely server staring at me.. I stammer out "Umm... what is.. Dirt And Worms?" Apparently it's a fancy hot chocolate with all sorts of whippery and gummi worms on top, if I recall correctly. There's one whole section of the chalk menu devoted to strange custom drinks like this, too crazy to remember off-hand, and it only adds to the adorableness of Red Rocket.
I'm down with the simple stuff, so I settled for my regular order of a soy latte which was perfectly lovely; not even the fact that this was my 5th coffee of the afternoon could ruin it! Our ragtag bunch had to mill around a bit and then make the best of some bar seating as the small amount of tables (quite cramped up) were all taken. In the end it was a decent spot to sit, if only to be constantly distracted by the bits and bobs of kitsch and pop culture ephemera strewn effortlessly around the walls/counters/shelves. Like a cherry on top of an ice cream sundae. Just lovely.
Red Rocket on Queen was a great end point to our UYE coffee crawl, the natural progression of caffeination along Queen East. While I am not really ever in the area, RR has a quaint little charm I think i'd like to make a point of revisiting (perhaps in patio weather to get a better seat!). If it weren't for the adorable kitsch and server, it'd be a 3 - but I can't let its location (inconvenient to me) drain away that extra star.Listed in: Caffeine Nation: The Toronto…
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Review from Stephanie C.
Toronto, ON
2/18/2011
#indiecoffeepassport #9
Our Indie Coffee Passport crawl ended here with a lot of caffeine coursing through our veins. .
I was hesitant to order another Americano, my coffee drink of choice, but an item did pique my interest. It was the Miami Vice which is like an Americano and the espresso is brewed with sugar. Interesting, I thought. But taste wise, it's just like an Americano with sugar.
Overall, it's a nice little café to chill at and if I'm ever in the area again, I'll come back. The patio looked inviting and if there wasn't snow on the ground, I'm sure we would have sprawled out there and let the caffeine rush fade out. -
Review from Michael N.
Toronto, ON
6/4/2011
Truly, one of the best places for coffee in the city ... and the baked goods are absolutely divine. Seriously, after having their cheddar & apple scone, I had to rethink my entire perception of what a scone should taste like!
The coffee is really good as well, whether it's simple brewed or a complex latte. Their menu is extensive too. But the best part of this place is how welcoming and quirky the staff are. You really feel valued when you go here, (whether it was your first or twentieth time) some of the best service I've had in this city. The atmosphere is infectious - just happy and fun. You get the sense that everyone (servers & customers) just like being there.
Seriously, I'm thinking of moving to Leslieville just so I can go here every day ... but we do gotta do something about their hours. Closing at 6pm just doesn't work for us nite-owls ... -
Review from Dishan W.
1/19/2011 1 Check-in Here
This was the last stop of the Leslieville Indie Coffee Passport Crawl put on by Nicole H, and by that point it was down to Eliah H, Stephanie C, Hana B, Vivek and myself. And it's pretty safe to say we were all pretty buzzed up at this point.
Regardless I still got myself a large coffee drink (the miami vice) and I'm afraid I liked it too much to put it down even when I could feel the caffeine hitting me hard. The menu seemed to have some very interesting drinks with some dandy names and as much as I would love to be be a frequent visitor here, it's way too far for me to commit to that. From what I remember the prices were not that bad, my drink cost less than $5 and it had quite a bit of volume in it.
Staff were pretty chill and friendly and the overall place while small and a little cramped up did feel very inviting and they had interesting random stuff up on the walls/shelves, but I see that their patio in the summer makes up for the "crampiness" inside, so maybe a summer visit should be in the books as well as trying out some of their edible treats!Listed in: Caffeine Adventures!
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Review from Angela L.
1/14/2011
This original Red Rocket Coffee feels completely different from the Wellesley location. The low ceilings of the basement space filled with cushy seating makes for a much cozier and warmer atmosphere. My "green bee" which is a green tea version of a London fog complete with a surprisingly complementary drizzle of caramel was absolutely delicious. The extremely personable barista was even honest and friendly enough to charge me for a small when I offhandedly guessed that my tumbler was a medium.
The mini carrot cake whoopie pie was delicately crumbly on the outside and wonderfully cakey on the insides and perfectly not-too-sweet. There were several other similarly interesting baked goods options that I very much look forward to returning to try. With such a sea of coffee shops out there these days, it's truly exciting to find one that's at the same time a little bit unique and immediately comforting. -
Review from Isabella L.
Toronto, ON
10/3/2010 4 photos
C O F F E E P A S S P O R T S T O P (#12)
Drink: London Fog
Atmosphere: Small and cozy. Cramped with tables and chairs. It's located a bit "underground" so there isn't much sunlight, BUT with the light they lack inside, they make up with the big gorgeous patio they have outside.
The barista was friendly and looked half asleep. She almost forgot to charge me for my cookie!
My drink was okay. If not, even a bit below average. She asked if I wanted a drizzle of caramel on my London Fog and it sounded appealing so I went for it. Yeah...wrong choice. The caramel totally killed the taste of the tea, but also, you can tell she put too much milk already as the taste of the tea wasn't very strong to begin with. So basically this is how it tasted: a light taste of actual earl grey, mixed with this annoying caramel taste and milk.
On the other hand, my cookie was pretty good. I got a "Chewy Chocolate Chip" cookie.
Verdict: I absolutely love coffee/tea breaks with a cookie, ESPECIALLY a good London Fog with a baked treat, but this place just did not deliver very well.Listed in: Indie Coffee Passport Stops
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Review from Jennifer K.
Markham, ON
10/6/2010 5 photos
Red Rocket Coffee does have a homey, intimate feel. Ended up you will have a lot of interaction with your fellow coffee mates because the tables and chairs are arranged so closely together.
My friend tried the Red Rocket here, she did not realize that I ordered the chilli version for her, and she is not too excited about it. She found the taste too overwhelming. Hey, I thought everyone love spicy.. is Jen's spicy world!
My large cappuncino redeemed using my Indie Coffee Card is A-ok. But wish they serve it in glassware instead of paper cup -0.5 star
The lady that served me is nice and friendly and with a great smile.
Free Wifi +0.5 star
BTW, there are kids under 10 years old set up playing area at 2 of the tables.. why would parents let their kids hang out at coffee place all by themselves? -
Review from Allison T.
Toronto, ON
3/27/2011
The end of March approaches & we decided on Leslieville's Red Rocket for a last kick at the can. After some explanations of their "fancy" drink menu (they must get tired of explaining their code names...) we waited at the end of the counter. The place was quite busy, even for a Sunday afternoon - we couldn't have sat down together even if we wanted to (we were on the go!)
Our drinks came. We claimed them proudly & were on our way.
My partner's drink was lovely. A dark chocolately coffee. Lovely & oh-so-caffeinated (a shot of espresso in coffee...woh).
My Chai Latte? I probably should have trekked back & politely asked for a redo/something completely different. (But had someplace to be & were well in route...) It was too watery for my consumption. There was no soft foamy texture to it. Just dirty-tasting water. Grr.
I poured it out, quietly recycled its container. Sigh. I vow to have a more triumphant kick at the can before the end of March.Listed in: Indie Coffee
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Review from Mariko M.
12/18/2010
My coworker would rave about this place when we used to work with each other. Apparently she comes here daily to grab a coffee. I was at The Ten Spot next door so I decided to drop in after my appointment.
I liked the interior of Red Rocket. There are enough areas to sit (albeit intimate as there's not much space between your seatmates) and the place looks clean. The staff are friendly enough. I had a lot of questions about the drink menu as they didn't have any explanations. Employee was kind enough to explain the various drinks in detail.
I ended up having the latte and the food looked 'meh' so I ended up not ordering anything to eat.
My experience here was a-ok. Nothing stellar, but most definitely not horrible. As I said in my review of The Ten Spot, I'm nowhere close to here throughout the week so I'll likely not be back here unless I'm in the area ... which at this time looks like it won't happen. -
Review from WaYnE c.
Maple, ON
9/13/2010 6 photos
Fourth on "Kat F - Miss U Crawl" is Red Rocket Coffee which for some reason the door leads to a couple steps that sets you a bit underground. If you look out the windows, you'll see people's feet as they walk, while the outdoor side patio is a step or two above ground. Btw, this is also part of the Indie Coffee Passport.
The feeling of this atmosphere is more enjoyable for my preference in comparison to Te Aro or Mercury although the seats are a bit tight except for that corner 2 armchairs near the TV which shows a Black&White movie(See Photo). The older gentleman here is always keeping busy planning out task and such while the younger man prepped my Medium Cappuccino.
The Cappuccino was pretty average but I give them that extra *Star* because I actually felt comfortable here. Go pay respects to the Red Rocket Teapot and take a complimentary Red Rocket Postcard.Listed in: Coffee Drinks
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Review from Mac A.
Toronto, ON
11/11/2011
What a neighborhood coffee shop should be. Most food baked fresh on premises. Great customer care. WiFi always works. Unpretentious staff with a sense of humor.
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Review from Ricky Z.
Toronto, ON
7/10/2010 1 Check-in Here
I WANT to like Red Rocket more than I do. For years, I hoped a coffee shop would open close to me, and my wish came true--I can practically see it from my front window. It's located in a very cool space--tons of light, great layout, awesome patio, raised bar seating (which I love) and lots of interesting art on the walls. The only thing--and this is quite a stumbling block--I just don't think their coffee is very good.
I just walked over and got a small dark roast and, to be honest, it tastes terrible. No matter which coffee I order it has the same odd flavour--kind of vegetal or something. I blame it on Reunion Island Coffee; it seems I have never had a good cup from those guys.
I do find that Red Rocket's Americanos are better, though. Especially if you order them "long." That means they run several shots of water through the same espresso, adding less plain hot water, resulting in a stronger cup.
I implore the owners of Red Rocket to look into a different brand of bean, perhaps something locally roasted. Just use what the other a-list coffee shops use. When I sip an Americano from Mercury my body tingles. It would be so nice to have that feeling at RR, too!
This place has the potential to be a great establishment. They are half way there already. (I failed to mention that they are always BUSY and their baked goods are really quite good, especially their house specialty shortbread.) It's the type of place where I'm very happy to people watch, or sit down and work, work, work. I just want to be happy to drink their coffee, too! -
Review from Mitch S.
Toronto, ON
12/12/2010 1 Check-in Here
Okay, so this place gets a solid star above the other locations for their ambiance and better made cappacinos! Again, I wouldn't rate this among Torontos best coffee, but it's a great place to browse the web (*read write Yelp reviews), catch up with friends, and stay warm next to the make fire on their TV.
Try the carrot cake things with creme in the middle, pure indulgence :) -
Review from Kat F.
OK, clearly Red Rocket heard my pleas for better music because today it's been a rotation of Daft Punk's Alive 2007, Simian and Ratatat. It can't get more kickass than that.
Also, I just housed the best date square I've ever had in my life. It was slightly chilled, tart, soft and not too crumbly. I hate it when there is too much powdery crumble on top and this was the perfect amount of crumble. It's called a "Satisfying Date Square" and boy was it ever. $2.95.Listed in: Reliable Wi-Fi In Toronto, The Most Sinfully Decadent…
2 Previous Reviews: Show all »
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8/9/2009
I was about to bump RRC down to three stars for serving me a watery, unsweetened chai latte today… Read more »
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Review from sarah l.
Updated - 1/29/2010
I have to update that nothing here has changed in that I really don't like Reunion Island coffee, and I now also don't like the older guy who has served me the last 2 times I have been here. He's friendly but he gives me the creeps and we always have to have too-detailed a conversation about my order. I liked it when it was 20-somethings here.
They still have sandwiches though, and even though I've never eaten one they sure look good.Listed in: Coffee in…, Turn Down Your Baby
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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5/15/2009
Probably the friendliest coffee place staff in town. They also have cubanos on the menu, which is… Read more »
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Review from Abby R.
Toronto, ON
8/26/2009 1 Check-in Here
The Red Rocket is kind of like this review: nice but nothing exceptionally special or witty.
So I've been here twice this week writing reports, and it's pretty darn good. Overall, I like it - especially because it's a ten minute bike ride from my house. The black bean veggie wrap is to die for, and they sell the industrial muffin which can't be beat. The staff are pretty awesome overall, and I like the general community feel of this place. If you wanted to stalk yelpers, this might be a good place to start (since, you know, that's what I do here). Plus, there is free wifi.
2 reasons for the 1 star off:
1) It's hot in here (no correlation with the fact that I bike ride here, I'm sure ;)
2) It feels a bit sterile in here, I am not sure why. It must be me because everyone else is lovin' it in here. Maybe it's the chairs? I dunno...
I will totally continue coming to this precious little place because it's so close to my place, but I am definitely going to check out other wi-fi free places to find *the* spot for me. -
Review from Jon S.
Toronto, ON
4/29/2009
4 stars because:
(a) friendly staff
(b) steps from my apartment
(c) great layout and setup
(d) plugs for your laptop at basically every seat
(e) free Wi-Fi
(f) huge summer patio
Missing a star because I'm not the HUGEST fan of Reunion Island coffee, but it's still pretty A-OK. Oh, and there are occasionally tons of babies and strollers. When that's the case, I get my coffee to go.
OH! And while I'm at it, their hours aren't the greatest. Some days they close as early as 6pm.
But overall, it truly is a cute and welcoming neighbourhood coffee shop. -
Review from Kelly A.
Toronto, ON
4/9/2010 37 Check-ins Here
It's a good coffee shop and very close to my house. I like the coffee, and they have a great selection of food too, if you're hungry. My only two beefs are the fact that they charge a different price every morning when I go to fill my travel mug. The old dude, especially, seems to like to charge more. The price goes from about $1.50 up to $2.75. No big deal, but a little odd.
Secondly, the scones are a little greasy. They are very tasty but, if you rubbed them on the wall, that wall would become tranparent due to oil absorption. -
Review from Gaurav S.
Toronto, ON
2/22/2009
I'm in love with Queen East, so please do take my bias into account :P
I'm a big big fan of Red Rocket!!
Red Rocket's got it's own style, fresh baked goods, daily made sandwiches, a great open concept, free wifi, and bar-style window seating with electric outlets available all over the place! It's evident that they are designed with the consumer in mind. :)
In the summer, the Red Rocket's patio is my favourite work-from-"home" spot in the city. Check'em out :) -
Review from Ken M.
Toronto, ON
3/10/2011 3 Check-ins Here
One of my more common morning caffeine stops.....
I'm mostly a straightforward coffee guy, none of those complicated fluffy looking things.... The Drip coffee is OK, but I'm here for the Espresso, or some days Americano....
Nice side patio, which should only get better as the weather does...
Staff is usually friendly and often open even BEFORE they're supposed to be, a good thing in the early morning... -
Review from L B.
Toronto, ON
12/7/2010
I came here for a tea and it was over $2 which is pretty expensive in the tea world (to my knowledge anyway). I got the apple cinnamon which was good but they lose points for the price.
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Review from Chris P.
12/18/2009
Came in to get a hot chocolate. The staff sold me on getting the Mayan hot chocolate which, on its own, probably would have been really tasty. I asked for them to put some pepermint flavour in and they yet again upsold me on getting the toasted marshmallow whipped cream.
There was waaaay too much pepermint and the toasted marshmallow whipped cream tasted like burnt toast.
After being here a couple times and never really being pleased I think I'm done with these guys. At least I can get consistency at Starbucks. -
Review from Jimi S.
ON
11/28/2008 3 photos
Red Rocket. Red Rocket. Red Rocket.
(can you picture my head spinning or jack nicholson looking all crazed with teeth clenched?)
anyhow, thats nothing like what your experience would be like at Red Rocket Coffee. the Rocket sits across the street sporting its equally impressive parcel of real estate as the one that bestows the garages of the Toronto Transit Commission streetcars or you might say THE RED ROCKETS.
what makes their place most compelling on the outside is its enormous daintily covered patio. freshly made this year, this wooden patio has long posts that have a makeshift roof made from beams and swaths of fabric. you might feel like youve parked yourself in someones backyard (minus the grass).
when you enter youll find historical views of toronto as it was in yesteryear around this area. turn around and youll see a glass counter filled with delectable pastries and cookies. my fav is their shortbreads. whats great as well, is that should you feel a little peckish while you are nursing your creamy latte, you could absorb it all with one of their gourmet sandwiches like the chicken & green apple curry wrap or the chipotle black bean & roasted veggie wrap. dont fret if youre not a wrapper, as they have fresh bread for sandwiches as well.
the staff is incredibly friendly and the coffee is pretty good too. -
Review from Jay U.
Toronto, ON
9/29/2010
Red Rocket's signature drink, appropriately called the "Red Rocket" is one of the best coffee drinks I've ever had. It contains drip coffee, two shots of espresso, and a shot of chocolate syrup. Highly caffeinated, delicious, and satisfying.
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Review from Michael M.
Toronto, ON
12/12/2010
Came here on a Sunday evening. Barista clearly did not know how to make a latte. Took out a carafe previously steamed milk from the fridge and re-steamed, which turned out too hot and flat in texture. He seemed new to the job, but the supervisor with him didn't seem too interested either.
If I wanted a place that didn't take their coffee seriously, I'd go to Tim Hortons or Starbucks. If I'm making the trip to an indie coffee shop, I expect a little more care to go into their drinks. I doubt I'll be going back. -
Review from Jenny T.
2/5/2010
I like Red Rocket! I live really close by and it's so convenient to have such a nice cafe near my house. I go to Red Rocket with my study buddy sometimes and we just stay there for hours sometimes and they don't say anything. It's a small place, it's cozy and the tables are a bit bigger than at Starbucks, so it's easier to have textbooks out. Try to avoid lunch times if you go there to study though, because it gets noisy. I also love how they have free wireless internet!
I'm not a coffee drinker, so I can't comment on that, but I do like their Gen Mai Cha tea. I also drink their Skinny Genie tea, which is a bit strong if you leave the tea bag in, but I like it! In the summer I drink their Busy Bee tea (which is a blueberry white tea) iced with some added sugar. If I could make a recommendation; I wish they had a larger variety of tea.
I've also tried their food. My favourite is their wrap (forgot what it's called) but it has sweet potato, apples and mayo in it. I think it's their chicken wrap. It's good for just brown bagging it to work or to stop the stomach from rumbling while studying there. -
Review from John B.
Toronto, ON
6/9/2009
This is a very good spot to get some quality espresso. The semi-subterranean cafe is still airy and quite atmospheric, and they seem to serve more desserts and food than other cafes in their class. If I lived closer to here I'd frequent Red Rocket most definitely.
Listed in: Toronto's Best Espresso
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Review from Kit C.
Toronto, ON
12/15/2009
Great food, nice ambiance. But I judge a cafe by the quality of its coffee, which is the weakest thing on the menu at Red Rocket.
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Review from Greg C.
Toronto, ON
7/25/2009
I'm going to say the espressos are not up to par with Mercury et al but man are they ever good. This is how every cafe should run. A neighborhood stop done right. The staff not only remember your drink early but they're so easy going and sweet it starts the day off right.
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Review from F C.
Toronto, ON
6/26/2010 2 Check-ins Here
Good. Organic. Friendly. Nice patio. Good 'hood. Expensive foods, though, even though it is tasty stuff. Owners are great. What's not to love?
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Review from Jay C.
Toronto, ON
10/5/2009
Way to much $$$ For the stuff they sell.
