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Square-Boy Drive-In
Categories: Restaurants Burgers Restaurants Greek Burgers, Greek [Edit]
875 Danforth AveToronto, ON M4J 1L8
Neighbourhoods: The Danforth, Greektown
(416) 461-2571
- Price Range:
-
$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- No
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- No
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Late Night, Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Drive-Thru:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- No
31 reviews for Square-Boy Drive-In
Review Highlights
"Best Chicken Souvlaki in Toronto period."
(in 6 reviews)
"Bonus: The gentlemen behind the counter are damn funny and..."
(in 3 reviews)
"...garlic loaf smothered in tzatziki and topped with onions..."
(in 3 reviews)
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31 reviews in English
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Review from Adam G.
Toronto, ON
Greasy goodness on the Danforth!
Always a lineup means great food!
Tiny booths always available because most do takeout... -
Review from Chris K.
Toronto, ON
12/30/2011
I've given Square Boy a few chances, but I just don't get what people love about this place. I would say it's average or even less than average, depending on what you order. Yet, there's always lineups. That boggles my mind because there are places on the Danforth that offer better food.
My only suggestion: stick with Greek food when you go here.
Twice, I've ordered burgers that were terrible - each time the burger patty was flat and seemed like it was thawed, the bun was stale and flaky and the burger itself really didn't have any flavour. I will never order another burger from there again.
The experience was a little better when I ordered chicken souvlaki on a bun on my third visit. -
Review from Tatjana L.
Toronto, ON
12/12/2011
Have been a regular at Square Boy for years, just like most of the East Enders here, usually getting the chicken souvlaki on a pita. Souvlaki is succulent and not greasy - the seasoning is to die for (making the souvlaki tastier than at all the Greek restaurants on the Danforth), especially when combined with their in-house tzatziki and lemon sauces. For under $5, it is very filling and perfect for late night cravings that don't make you feel bad about yourself. Make sure to get extra tzatziki! Their milkshakes are really tasty as well. I have often joked that if I were rich and famous and wanted food flown in, Square Boy chicken souvlaki would definitively be a regular feature.
The decor is old school diner but tightly packed - better for a quick bite than hanging out with friends for a long time. There always seems to be a line no matter what time of day, but the wait for me has never been too bad. Free parking is probably a great perk for some, but I usually crave Square Boy later at night when it is free on the Danforth anyways. Location is close to Donlands for those taking the TTC. Though it is a quite no frills place, one thing that prevents me from coming more often is lack of debit/credit card payment options. -
Review from Natalie T.
East York, ON
11/16/2011
VIBE
The look from 1985 has been updated slightly to 1988. The prices are also still stuck in the 80s. This place is compact. For instance, one customer can enter the door at a time. You're greeted by a pacman machine while in line. It's all kinds of awesome. The cooks are old Greek guys and speak Greek to each other. It's very Danforth. And the cashier knows his prices inside out. And the clientele? Men. Teenage boys, cops, construction workers, fathers and sons. They're all here. There are women too, but mainly men.
I EAT/ATE
I come here once in a while. I opted for the cheeseburger on this visit. It's not too far off from the frozen burger variety you get at your grocery store. But at $3 I'm not going to complain. Plus, they give you extra pickles. Bonus points. I got a side of fries and gravy and a 7 Up. Salty is an understatement for the gravy, but it's thick and slathered all over the fries in a cardboard box. Classic greasy meal and hits the spot for a craving on a Friday when you're feeling lazy. Total combo cost: $5.65 I spent more on a chai latte and a croissant at Starbucks! RIDIC. Their souvlaki is also a great deal at under $5 but I haven't had it for a while so I won't comment.
OBLIGATORY CATCHY REMARK
It's hip to be square. Especially at these prices. If you're a burger snob, this is not the place for you.Listed in: 30 Day Challenge, It's Just Lunch, Burger Time
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Review from August L.
11/16/2011
I honestly don't know why people like this place so much.
FOOD
The food taste horrible. I get dragged here by my one friend b/c she loves this place (I think it's just b/c it's cheap) but I would honestly not come here on by choice.
The food is either tasteless or just stale.
PRICE
cheap
VENUE
Not only is the food greasy, I feel greasy just walking into this place and sitting down. -
Review from Chris T.
East York, ON
9/30/2011 10 Check-ins Here
this place brings back memories of when i was a tiny little boy growing up on the Danforth and after church we would come here. Well 20 years later and now i have moved back and live here!
I don't go out of my comfort zone here and only order the chicken on bun with fries. DAMMMMNNNN is it ever good. A nice garlic loaf smothered in tzatziki and topped with onions and tomatoes. They remove the large chicken souvlaki and top that off with their homemade lemon sauce which to me looks like olive oil mixed with lemon but hey that is their recipe not mine. Since moving back to this area i have been back almost every week and will continue that as long as they have chicken on a bun!
only problem i have here is the long wait sometimes but meh life isn't always easy hahaha -
Review from Craig B.
Pickering, ON
8/13/2011
Gyros on a pita is my favourite. Hamburgers are not so great.
The staff can be standoffish because they have customers coming out of the ying yang and don't have to be particularly nice.
Wish they were friendlier to the non-Greek speaking customers but then again, I guess I don't have to go there. The food does bring me back despite the less than friendly staff. -
Review from Sheila B.
Toronto, ON
7/6/2011
Square Boys is a neighbourhood institution for those who went to high school or grew up in the "hood". It's dirt cheap and fast. Do i think it's the best burger i've ever had nooo, but hey it's $4.25 for a frozen patty with the usual suspect toppings, frozen fries & a pop. (only pepsi product no coke). We don't need descriptive here it is what it is, don't think too much about what your eating.
One of the best deals here is the 1/2 chicken dinner with fries or salad for $6.25 . It's Rotisserie and always the best to get when they first open otherwise the chicken is a bit dry and overcooked. Two people can share this it's plenty of food.
Also, the chicken or pork souvlaki on pita with fries is $5.95 and just as good as what you get at the other eat-in sit down places west of Pape.
The service is always fast and courteous (sometimes). I don't find the old guy with mustache as endearing as he thinks he is with his miserable comments that are suppose to be funny, there is a fine line between dry wit and insults. Other then him the rest of the guys are friendly.
If this is not a place you have gone to before the nostalgic factor is missing and I don't think you will enjoy as much as the local yocals.
free parking lot & cheap beer with outside patio available. Comparable to Johnny burgers in scarborough maybe not a good but at least Square boys has seating.
cash only!! -
Review from cat k.
Scarborough, ON
6/17/2011 4 Check-ins Here
I love Square Boy on the Danforth.
The food is tasty and totally reasonable. I had the gyros dinner which they make nice and crunchy, and their greek salad is great. I think it was about $12 including a Carlsberg.
There is almost always a lineup but it moves quickly.
We don't often get to go to this neighbourhood but when we do we almost always plan a stop at Square Boy . -
Review from Nicole C.
3/21/2011 2 Check-ins Here
Square boy is the perfect fast food place that doesn't make me feel like I'm eating fast food. The little diner is a great place to pick up one of their handmade banquet burgers or Greek dinners. My husband is a fan of their gyros dinner and I always go for the burger and fries combo.
The place is small but any restaurant with an old school Pac-man game wins points with me. This is defiantly not the place to bring a stroller unless its patio season and you can sit outside - there is simply no room inside the restaurant. But there is a pretty big patio when its not packed. Also it's true there is also a wait for food, but its cooked fresh on an experienced cook-line and you can be happy to know that its not just being spit out of the kitchen.
Make sure you bring cash as they don't accept any kind of plastic - and make sure you NEVER ask for a Coke because the guy behind the cash won't be very pleased with you. He's obviously a Pepsi lover. -
Review from Steeven L.
Etobicoke, ON
2/6/2011 1 Check-in Here
A nostalgic diner feel right in the heart of Greek town! Square Boy looks like it's been transported right from the 60's into modern day Toronto. They serve a combination of classic diner options with a mix of the ever present Greek fare of the Danforth. Want a souvlaki skewer on your hot dog bun? No problem.
The place is tiny and always packed but if you're willing to wait 10 - 15 mins, it's totally worth it. Their burgers are homemade and actually taste like a burger. Tot top it off, you can have a meal for two for under $10! -
Review from Adrian P.
East York, ON
11/29/2010
Excellent homemade burgers, excellent shakes, excellent prices.
This is a great neighbourhood greasy spoon with some classic characters behind the counter. -
Review from Jordan T.
Toronto, ON
12/13/2010
The only thing keeping me from giving Square-Boy a 5 is that it takes a loooooong time to get your food. Also, it is beyond me why anyone would get a burger there (not that I have ever had one), I'm sure they are fine but you can get burger anywhere. The souvlaki is the cat's ass.
Also a note to Susan O., I have been to much worse purveyors of food in the great (and I truly mean great) city of Chicago.Listed in: The bEast End
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Review from Charles J.
Toronto, ON
7/12/2011
Great for quick, cheap, greasy, and delicious take-out - love their chicken souvlaki and fries. Perpetually busy, for good reason.
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Review from James K.
Toronto, ON
Updated - 5/2/2010
It's exactly what you're expecting. The banquet burger combo is cheap and filling. At 1/2 the price (if not less) than a 'gourmet' burger it's also 1/2 as good. But, that's still pretty good. It's on par with McDonalds price-wise, but you'll feel better about yourself eating here for these reasons:
- Authentic atmosphere
- Local businesses are being devoured by places like McDonalds
- Beer
- No gut-rot aftermath
- Onion rings
- Ms. Pac-man tabletop video game
- Tzatziki
- Rad old dudes
- They're also funny
- It's always got a line
I could eat a burger everyday.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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7/28/2009
Great value thanks to the low, low prices. The food is edible, if not excellent and the beer is… Read more »
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Review from Gord M.
East York, ON
6/23/2010
Sometimes it's not just about the food.
The points in James K's review really sums up a lot of the Square Boy experience for me and I'll add these points as well:
- Black Label in the bottle
- They remember your face
- They want your business
- They always have the same lame jokes
- Chicken souvlaki on a bun fully-loaded.
- Good for pre or post Only Cafe pints
In my experience, that of my friends and from what I've read here, stay away from the burger and stick with the souvlaki and enjoy the Square Boy experience. -
Review from Sofia M.
Scarborough, ON
8/7/2011
I have been going to square boy for the last twenty years.. I used to think they had the best gyros on the Danforth.. However, these last few years they have stopped giving customers a decent serving of gyro meat in their sandwiches..
They've really started skimping. Today, we ordered 3 gyros on a pita, and were appalled that they "filled" our third gyro with only the burnt little scrap pieces they had to scrape off the scoop. I complained that my sandwich barely had any meat in it but they just laughed and told me that it was fine.
Also, keep in mind that they cross-contaminate their food by handling raw chicken, burgers, and cheese with the same utensil, don't wear gloves or wash their hands after wiping their noses, and apparently that they could care less about making the customer happy. -
Review from Brad K.
Scarborough, ON
9/6/2010
Have been going here for years, shocked that nobody has mentioned how good the gravy is, fried and gravy are a must whenever I am there.
Place is full of character with the above mentioned Greek guys always providing entertainment, and it is true that once you have been a time or two, they remember you as soon as you walk in.
As mentioned here, the guys can't make a salad to save their lives, but they are very good with any meat.
My usual order is either gyros on a pita (never fried like mentioned in another review) or a chicken souvlaki on a pita with fries and gravy.
Makes for a great dinner.
My only criticism of this place is that they recently renovated and put in new seating booths, they are too tight a fit for me, plus they are too high, we used to come with a group and everyone could chat, can't anymore with the new high booths.
I will be back for sure, and hope you will too -
Review from Karl R.
3/6/2010 6 photos
The regular burg is definitely a M&M quality frozen burger. You can see them defrosting on the counter. The more expensive hand made burger is pretty decent and appears to be hand made from ground beef. Everything is flame broiled and basically you're getting a burger you could do up in your backyard. But if you don't have a backyard and live in an apartment/condo that forbids bbqs on your balcony, if you're craving the taste of a backyard burger, Square Boy is your cost effective bet.
The fries are nothing to write home about, I guess. But you can get some taziki sauce on your burger. You can't get that at Harvey's. Prices aren't bad. You get your Harvey's experience for about a $1.50 less. Plus you get some Greek guy chat straight out of SNL's Billy Goat Tavern. They might have Coke, however.
http://www.youtube.com...
Seating is limited. I'm finding the Donlands a very interesting mix of aged bar fly types and "the danforth" hipsters migrating east. Square Boy's patrons seem to represent this confluence. Table over some guy was rocking back and forth with the DTs. At the cash was a guy rocking his Anton Apolo Ohno soul patch for all its worth. The sit down Galaga coin op almost brought tears to my eyes.
Verdict: Harvey's for those who can't afford Harvey's. Go up market and get the home made burger and feel like you have some real meat in your mouth.Listed in: When you're alone and life is…
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Review from Suzie G.
East York, ON
7/21/2009 ROTD 12/24/2009
Delicious and cheap. What more can you possibly want?
I went to Square Boy tonight on one of my many repeat visits since I was first taken there by a friend in September '08. As always, it was yummy, affordable, and I walked away crazy full.
As others have mentioned, the burger combo (a large, fresh-cooked patty with your choice of toppings, a carton full of fries, and a can of pop) costs a mere $4.25 + tax (add a little bit more if you want cheese on it). This is not only cheaper than a chain fast-food joint, but it's also WAY more delicious! I should also note that they have a wide variety of pop can options, and I usually indulge in an old-school fave such as Grape Crush.
I've also tried the souvlaki there which is pretty standard amongst the other fast-foodish places along the Danforth. Not the best I've ever had in the area, but very good for the price.
Oh, and you've gotta love the staff. Those old Greek men and their sarcasm and bluntness always makes me laugh!Listed in: My fave Danforth area stops
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Review from susan o.
6/19/2010
It's a neighborhood fast food joint that's supposed to have good gyros and chicken shwarmas that my friend who lives in the area recommended.
First, I ordered a gyros on a pita with a side salad. Instead of charging me $8 for the dinner plate, he charges me another $4.25 for the salad on top of the $4.25 for the sandwich he rings in separately.
The salad was a mound of shredded iceberg lettuce, a couple slices of tomatoes and olives drowning in a pound of syrupy Italian dressing. The gryos was as chewy as shoe leather - tough like it was old or fried too long (yes, I saw them fry it and not shave it off the core).
Maybe I should've ordered the burger or chicken shwarma like most of the peeps seemed to, but my food was bad and the service shady. There's no way a place like this could serve this crap and stay in business in Chicago or even a more central neighborhood in Toronto, for that matter. -
Review from sarah l.
12/21/2009
A ton of cheap, shitty food. This is an undeniably GREAT value. But I would never want to eat it again.
The good:
- There is actually a free parking lot here. Holy Awesome!
- The old Greek guys working here are made of sass.
- see above re: extremely cheap and plentiful (but bad).
The bad:
- The food is bad. Specifically:
(a) the burger - thin, flavourless, texture of M&M steakette patty
(b) the fries - frozen, fried in lard and not oil, and disgiusting
I would probably never go here again, but for $4.80 including tax, you get a lot of food, which is probably not better than Wendy's jr. bacon cheeseburger combo. -
Review from SJ C.
Toronto, ON
10/14/2011
Square boy has ruined me for other souvlaki joints. I swear it's the best in the city. Moist, tender, lemony, garlicky and served with equally awesome tzatziki. The staff are old-timers who take their job seriously- the place runs smoothly and efficently. Still, on a weekend night the line up could be out the door. You can call ahead for take out. Also, its cash only. If you haven't been, go.
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Review from Jarek B.
Toronto, ON
3/13/2010
Square Boy offers the best grindage in the east-side, especially after a night of drinking down the street at The Only Cafe. I rarely find myself down on the Danforth unless I'm visiting the Only, and Square Boy is the perfect food solution at the end of the night. (Note, Square Boy closes before the Only does, so time your inebriation/hunger ratio accordingly).
The burgers are large as hell, the fries and drink combo is cheap, and the meal will leave you satisfied, I guarantee it. (Disclaimer: This is not a guarantee).
Bonus: The gentlemen behind the counter are damn funny and friendly. A visit to SB is never dull. -
Review from Dianna C.
Toronto, ON
10/4/2010
Yum. Love the food especially the souvlaki. The counter staff are hilarious especially the older gentleman on the register who channels the Soup Nazi. He's hilarious.
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Review from Dee P.
East York, ON
3/5/2011
I can't tell you how excited I am to have discovered this little diamond in the rough right around the corner from my new abode !! The chicken souvlaki pita is unbelievable & I don't know how they make a profit with the prices they sell everything for. Great little dive with great food & the guys behind the counter add to the ambiance.
Dee -
Review from Chris L.
East York, ON
2/22/2010
I'd passed this place innumerable times and wanted to try it...finally did. I really expected to have the classic greasy spoon experience. Unfortunately, I did not. Very disappointing, no matter how cheap. Won't be going back. Tasteless burger patty with condiments 'thrown on'...I think even the onions had been sitting around since the place opened and it's been around a long time.
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Review from Ryan F.
Toronto, ON
4/18/2009 1 photo
Busy, reliable and popular with the locals. Very cheap fast food made from appropriately cheap ingredients. It's passable, but certainly isn't doing wonders for the community's vital signs.
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Review from michael t.
Toronto, ON
12/17/2008
I love this place. Good solid food at extremely reasonable price. The burgers are great and you can get a burger combo which comes with a drink and fries for a little over $5.00. The place is clean and always packed at dinner time.
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Review from Jean-Guy N.
Toronto, ON
2/24/2010 1 Check-in Here
Best Chicken Souvlaki in Toronto period. This is not a burger joint.
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Review from Original E.
Toronto, ON
2/24/2010
One of the best fast food institutions in Toronto, but not as good as Johnny Burger :)
