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The Tulip
Category: Restaurants Steakhouses Steakhouses [Edit]
1606 Queen St EToronto, ON M4L 1G2
Neighbourhood: Leslieville
(416) 469-5797
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner, Brunch
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
Johnny H. said: "Wildfire is said to be famous for steaks and ribs. For me, it was famous for the advertisements at bus stops. So I had to find out what the fuss is all about. The waiters are really kind and courteous. It's just that they don't come…" read more »
28 reviews for The Tulip
Review Highlights
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"Steak house and all day breakfast." In 4 reviews -
"I like creamy, fluffy mashed potatoes and these were not it." In 3 reviews -
"...claim that they had the best steak in town for cheap." In 2 reviews
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28 reviews in English
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Review from Thom H.
12/21/2011
I think a lot of people would like this place better if "steakhouse" wasn't included in the name. Buck up, people. Why does a steakhouse need to be fancy? In fact, why should a steakhouse ever be fancy? After all, any line cook can heat meat.
The beauty of the Tulip is just how old-fashioned and unpretentious it is. Buttered bread, steaks from a diner, terrible coffee, big booths - these are all throwbacks to a bygone era. And this Coffee Time proximity theory that other reviewers mentioned - that's just insulting. Yes, the people you find in the Tulip are largely blue collar workers and yes, the fact that there are no steps and a bit more floor space than the average restaurant does attract the odd scooter-bound diner. What's your point? Like me, they come here because the tulip is an oasis from the pretensions of the modern restaurant where more effort is expended on plating than prep.
Steak and eggs at 3:00pm on a tuesday is a glorious thing. I've had better steaks at home and at other restaurants. But this one is good too, and the eggs are perfect as usual. The home fries are the best in town. They are not those pre-fab looking deep fries bits that most places serve. They are sliced potatoes deeply caramelized on a griddle. It takes time to make them this way, and they are devine. The coffee is complete swill - as I would expect - but it's hot and plentiful which is exactly what I want.
The place is clean, comfortable and friendly. -
Review from Alex S.
Toronto, ON
5/23/2012
I like places with character that attract characters. The Tulip is one of these places, with character/s in spades.
I like it here. The burgers are tasty (I haven't had the steak, but the number of passing plates suggests that it's a popular menu choice). The Tulip represents the type of restaurant that I secretly love, in that the "fresh" sides are so surely frozen* that I can easily justify fries with everything. FRIES! WITH EVERYTHING! MOAR FRIES!
*I don't even mean this disparagingly. The hot veggie sides just look homestyleaverage, and the salad my friend dug into was large, but unremarkable. Onto the freedom fries!
Burger with fries is my jam here: keep it simple, keep it meat-y. That's the secret to success at The Tulip. Pass it on.
Yelp note: settle into a booth, nom on some pre-buttered bread, and enjoy the local regulars. Sunday afternoon has a lot of families, and I love the feel that I'm stepping into a neighbourhood place teeming with local regulars. It's throw-back, in the best possible way. -
Review from Sara-Yan Y.
North York, ON
4/4/2012
Ate here a few times, once recently.
The steak is always cooked the way you asked, and it is very juicy. Besides the steak, everything else is mediocre. The service was fine, the side veggies are alright, the free bread with margarine is pretty bad, and the house salad is meh (only 2 choices for dressing too.) The atmosphere isn't the best, spacious booths, but everything else can be a turn off if you are having a date. I would only come here if I happen to be around the neighbourhood for whatever reason, is craving steak, and have some extra cash to spend. -
Review from Sarah S.
Ajax, ON
3/25/2012
I got the regular burger that was surprisingly delicious. But halfway through our meal a HUGE bug (with like 50 legs) that was like a huge centipede was on the wall right beside me... I almost died... I feel so bad because I actually really liked this place but that just revolted me.
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Review from Brian G.
Toronto, ON
Updated - 12/15/2011 8 Check-ins Here
I really don't know who writes some of these reviews but some people just cannot be pleased.
This place is clean, the staff is efficient and pleasant and the food is consistently good after dozens of visits.
I believe someone just has a hate on.
There at times are lineups to get in so someone is soooo wrong.
Today's fish and chips would rival any specially shop!2 Previous Reviews: Show all »
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11/27/2011
Always tasty, consistent quality. Clean and efficient staff. Cooks who cook quality and the fact you… Read more »
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Review from Jill C.
North York, ON
5/27/2011 2 Check-ins Here
The Tulip is your typical greasy spoon...
But The Tulip steakhouse? I am not so sure...
It seems we always end up here late at night when we have not found anywhere else to go, that's a good thing about this place it always seems to be open.
The server was okay, but it seemed you had to pest him for refills and he was just standing there the whole time and I believe we were the only table...
The weird thing about this place is having the bread already buttered for you, but that works to their benefit because they can just grab it and bring it to your table and also saves them butter... you never know where that bread has been......
I wouldn't order the turkey dinner as it tastes like an old shoe, I dislike turkey rolls ever so much, I need REAL Turkey!
How about the mashed potatoes. They came as two scoops beside the icky turkey on my plate. They had no taste and the gravy was disappointing as I despise BEEF GRAVY WITH MY TURKEY!! If you serve turkey as an everyday item you should have turkey gravy as well. Now back to the mashed potatoes, I like creamy, fluffy mashed potatoes and these were not them by any means. They looked so sad, but there was no helping them, poor little potatoes..
Again, this is just your typical diner; not a classy steakhouse. -
Review from Yvonne T.
Grabbed a bite to eat with fellow Yelper Tony F. prior to the awesome WAYLA Yelp Elite Event. It was not our original dinner location, but seeing as the Burger's Priest had no seating available and it wasn't exactly warm outside, we wandered down to the Tulip.
The Tulip is your typical greasy spoon diner. It is quite spacious inside. It was not extremely busy seeing as it was a Wednesday night.
We had originally wanted to order the White-Wine-Steamed Mussels and Calamari, but unfortunately had to sub the steamed mussels with escargots since they weren't available. I also ordered a small Greek salad as I thought I should get some vegetables in my diet after a weekend of meat-eating in Montréal.
The bread that they serve comes pre-buttered, so if you are health conscious, you may want to ask for it on the side. Two slabs of cold white bread... Nothing to Yelp about.
The calamari was nice and light, not oily nor greasy, to my delight. I didn't care too much for the dipping sauce that came with though. It was a tomato-based sauce.
The escargots were quite tasty, with mushrooms and breadcrumbs sprinkled on top. It went nicely with the bread.
I am glad I didn't order an entrée-sized Greek salad, as I almost fell over when I saw the size of their small. I asked for the vinaigrette on the side, and they brought me an entire rameskin-filled portion of it... Suffice it to say, I only took about 3 tablespoons, and the rest went to waste :(
Our bill came up to $27 including tax and tip. It was pretty filling as I avoided most of the appetizers floating around at the Yelp event after. My philosophy is "don't eat unless you're hungry." -
Review from Erwin M.
Ajax, ON
12/25/2011 1 Check-in Here
When you want a really tasty, juicy steak for a really good price, this place is it. From the outside, the place does not look as welcoming, and usually those that are on this stretch of Queen St. are usually there for The Burger's Priest (awesome burgers, by the way). You walk inside, and the atmosphere seems 'old'. The staff are very polite and welcoming though. You look at the menu, and they are just your typical diner meals. I usually get the porterhouse steak, and sometimes the prime rib. Steaks are cooked to perfection. Juicy when you cut into them. Perfectly seasoned. They don't use peppercorns or any fancy seasoning, just salt and pepper, and it comes out perfect. They serve it with a slice of onion, which if you have nowhere special to go or a hot date, is a perfect combination. I now always want to have steak with a slice of raw onion because of this experience.
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Review from sarah l.
2/28/2010 1 Check-in Here
Steak house and all day breakfast. There is even a breakfast option that comes with a steak. I would probably never eat steak here.
The good:
- There was no line, but it was busy, and busy with locals (good sign)
- Everything was dirt cheap for breakfast
- The food came out really fast
- There are signed photos of 'celebrities' on the wall including Silver Elvis and Mike Myers
- The portions were MASSIVE for the money (there were about 6 slices of bacon with my bacon & eggs)
- It was very efficient - Bill was brought and change returned promptly
- Appealing graphic design for lunch and dinner special menus
The bad:
- The locals were literally the locals from this corner which has a Coffee Time Theory index of 3 out of a possible 3. Everyone in here was pretty trashy.
- The food was pretty mediocre
- My eggs were undercooked but I didn't really care
- Their coffee is borderline terrible
Bottom line - this place was fast and cheap but I would never come here again.Listed in: Breakfasts
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Review from Kat F.
I was lured to The Tulip because of BlogTO's claim that they had the best steak in town for cheap. I thought to myself, "I'll order the all day breakfast and my friends can get the steak" however, my breakfast request was declined. All day breakfast is only served till noon.
Let me repeat that: all day breakfast (this is literally etched into The Tulip's marquee) ends at 12pm. Isn't that just "breakfast" then?
Anydawdle, I had the salmon with veggies.
The salmon portion was big and the fish was decent - well prepared, but the portion was too big. Who can eat that much fish? Personally I liked the baked potato (my tablemates didn't), but it was a bit "gummy" instead of fluffy the way baked potatoes normally are. Like it had been prepared hours before.
The vegetables on my plate were inedible. They were the standard "thawed and overboiled for an unspeakable length of time" trio of cauliflower/carrots/broccoli. I had no desire to expend any calories putting my fork to them; they were absolute mush.
If I'm ever up before noon, I'll go back to check out their "all day" breakfast! -
Review from Neil T.
Toronto, ON
12/15/2009
Sufficient, but not fantastic. I'd give this 2.75 stars and I am rounding up because I feel extra generous today.
+++PROS+++
1. Can't complain when there's a table full of fun Yelpers to dine with
2. Portions are lardy.
3. Prices are reasonable (i.e. $6.25 burger with fries on AAA beef)
4. They were able to take a reservation 28 minutes before we came in.
---CONS---
1. They were able to take a reservation 28 minutes before we came in.
2. Apparently they have valet parking right in front of the restaurant! The cost is $40 and it's run by the City of Toronto. Gotta love $70 dinners at a dive diner!
3. There was this really loud Asian guy there last night. Dude was super loud, rude, and his jokes were racist. I can't remember what the joke was, but something about commonalities between Hitler and Terry Fox.
4. Food is meh.
5. Steakhouse? I haven't seen such poor interior design and color choice since Chino Locos. The atmosphere is blah and you're better off making a steak at home and eating it alone.
Overall, not great for dinner, but probably worth a go for brunch/lunch. It seems more suited to that crowd. -
Review from Nicole B.
12/15/2009 2 photos
The Tulip steakhouse? I think not.
The Tulip looks more like a diner masquerading as a steakhouse. It wasn't dim enough. The wine list was laminated and the ketchup bottle..well, it had seen better days. Still, they claim to serve less expensive options for steak in the city. Frankly, I wasn't too impressed.
The steak options ranged from $17-30. Although it was debated that it was more meat for your money, the choices that were brought out left questions as to whether they understood their meat. Chris P's porterhouse looked more like a T-Bone. But others seemed fairly happy with their choices so it may just be the one.
I didn't order steak--I copped out at the Steak out. My downfall was my starving belly and looking at the menu. If I hadn't looked at the menu, I would not have seen the special of roasted sirloin of beef (pot roast really). It came drenched in gravy, which I love. It wasn't bad but it wasn't the greatest I've tried. It was average and it soothed my stomach.
The server was okay. He got the job done, but never asked if we wanted refills. He offered side dishes without really explaining them (a whole dish of onions?!).
The downsides:
1. the mashed potatoes. They came as two scoops on my plate. The taste was plain, as if they literally boiled a couple potatoes, mashed them and that was it. I like creamy, fluffy mashed potatoes and these were not it. Also, I noticed a couple potato chunks. I detest when they're not mashed completely and, if it wasn't for the gravy, they would've still been sitting on my plate.
2. The bathrooms. Shari and I ventured down the stairs and were hit with a smell of (as Shari put it) rotting pipes that they're trying to cover up. Sure enough, as we entered the women's washroom, they had hung air fresheners on the pipes underneath the sink. True steakhouse class right there!
Despite the average surroundings, I had a great time with everyone there. Great convos and hilarious jokes made for a great evening. Still, when I got home, I realized it was the awesome assortment of Yelpers that made it great and not necessarily the Tulip itself.
The Tulip is pretty decent in the way of diner food, but I've had better when it comes to steakhouse atmosphere, service and food. I would probably go back, but not for the steak.
Honorable mentions: spelling and grammar on the menu. What steakhouse would serve "Famous Choclate Cake" or "Steamed Musselswith cream sauce". Plus, the side options leave one to wonder, "what would they bake or mash" if the word potatoes is omitted? -
Review from David M.
Toronto, ON
8/30/2010
Monday morning.
9:30 I arrived to find my breakfast friends already there, having received their coffee and OJ.
9:40 Waitress took my order for coffee.
9:50 My coffee arrived
9:55 She took our breakfast order
10:10 Our breakfast arrived.
40 minutes to receive breakfast on a Monday morning at 9:30? Ouch! It WAS busy, but for most of the time there was only one server, who despite her dilemma, remained pleasant and friendly.
The food was ok, but no reason to rush back. There are plenty of better breakfast places.
(One friend had the sirloin steak and eggs, it was cooked properly, and he enjoyed it.)Listed in: Breakfast places, Diners, Greasy Spoons and…
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Review from Karen G.
1/4/2010
We finally tried this place on Saturday night. My brother has been coming here for a while and has enjoyed the food.
It helps to know what to expect so reading the review in advance was great. I am not sure why people made such a big deal about the ketchup bottle though. It was fine (PC brand ketchup).
This place is basically a diner. If you looking for fancy fare, you will be disappointed. If you are interested in hearty good food at reasonable prices and huge portions, you will not be. The service was sufficient, if not overly friendly. The previous reviewers were right about the mashed potatoes - they are bland and you will need the gravy if you order them.
I had one of the specials - the Roasted Shoulder of Lamb (at $10.75 with vegetable (fresh steamed broccoli), choice of potato and tangy lamb sauce (which was delicious) it was a steal! I shared my meal with four other adults at the table and still had more than enough. The portion was huge and the lamb was tender and falling off of the bone.
My kids ordered the cheeseburgers. I should have taken a picture of them. They were huge and the kids really enjoyed them. My 9 year old son ate 3/4 of it! My 13 year old daughter could only finish 1/2 of it.
The steaks were very good. Not the best that I have had but still good. We ordered the beef tenderloin with the peppercorn sauce on the side. The sauce was delicious. The steak was a little overcooked for my taste but still very tender and tasty.
The slices of pie (at $3.50 a pop) were huge. We tried the coconut cream, banana cream and lemon meringue and all were very good. I would go with the lemon meringue next time. The chocolate cake slice was huge - split it between two kids and still had to take a portion of it home. It was also very good!
We will most definately be coming back to The Tulip, even though it was very far out of our way since we live north of the City. -
Review from Julianna B.
Toronto, ON
4/29/2009
The Tulip is like a small-town American restaurant in the middle of the big city. They bring bread before your meal, but instead of a whole-grain flaxseed and cracked-wheat roll, it's a 8" high stack of buttered white texas toast. Sliced diagonally, for class.
The steaks are cheap, for Toronto, and delicious. I can't recall any individual vegetable I've eaten there, but I do remember ordering the fried onions and being presented with a plate holding nearly a pound of them, right off the grill. Save some room for pie. -
Review from Jay C.
Toronto, ON
10/17/2009
The best all day breakfasts and week day specials all at a great price.........
oh by the way Sketchy I'm so sick of hearing this about my area. almost every review i read about my area has something negative. -
Review from Caitlin L.
Toronto, ON
12/4/2008
OK - so appearances aren't always everything. From the outside, The Tulip looks like a pretty sketchy restaurant and the neighborhood doesn't do much to convince you otherwide (with a seedy XXX video store across the street).
A friend had recently dined at the Tulip and recommended it to us. A day or two later, we received another recommendation to check it out. We thought - what the heck, lets see what the Tulip has to offer. Taking the recommendation that the steaks here are good, that's what I had. And it didn't disappoint. The mash potatoes on the other hand were pretty terrible and I the veggies were frozen and a little soggy by the time my plate reached the table.
The service was great! The staff was super friendly and our dinner was severed quick.
I'd definitely go back! -
Review from Randy G.
Toronto, ON
12/31/2009
As with my fellow yelpers, I came here with a dream of cheap steak. A simple dream that has inspired mankind for generations. In this regard, my search was stymied by the cold, harsh axe of reality.
The good:
- Prices weren't exorbitant. Not cheap, but not awful
- The steak was tasty
- They serve HP sauce. If it's good enough for the Queen - and it does bear her seal - it's damned well good enough for you
- The waiter was good. Not record breaking, but I didn't feel ignored.
The bad:
- This is not a steakhouse. This is a family restaurant
- Some of the menu is either no longer offered or redacted for those of us with a low security clearance. In the first case, it's really cheesy to block out parts of the menu with black ink, stickers or white out (our menus all had variations of the three) when photocopies cost a nickel. In the second case, I'm just scared.
- Apart from the HP sauce, the condiments were a bit sketchy, most notably the ketchup bottle, which was held together with packing tape and most definitely not Heinz. Not. Cool.
- "All Day" breakfast apparently uses either some definition of "day" or "all" that is entirely new to me, because they end that at noon.
- The cauliflower tasted weird. Like, really weird.
The weird-but-fine:
- Those who asked for onions or mushrooms, basically would up with an entire meal of such. Which is fine in that there's no chance they wouldn't have enough, but seems a bit of a waste.
The upshot:
If I was in the area again, I could be convinced to come back. -
Review from James K.
Toronto, ON
6/7/2009
Whatever you're imagining you're right. It's ok, it's a lot of food for the money.
The Thanksgiving Monday Dinner is one of the most depressing experiences available. Try it, you won't be disappointed - but make sure you have Thanksgiving dinner with your family the day before. If you don't, it really will be depressing, not entertaining/depressing for others. -
Review from Claire D.
East York, ON
5/3/2011
I mainly only like this place for their breakfast, they have such good homefries. I highly suggest them. It used to be all-day breakfast a while back, but at a recent visit, I was told they only have breakfast until 4 pm.
I had the veal parmigiana at this recent visit, and it was really good. I can't complain about the service here, it's always good.. I don't really consider this place a steakhouse, but my mom really likes the steak and pork chops here. -
Review from Sheila B.
Toronto, ON
4/10/2010
I usually go for breakfast here once in a while but it's Monday to Friday...We had a bit of a sleep over with friends due to late night karoke session that lasted into the wee hours and friends don't let friends drive home.,..
We arrived around 10:30am and lucked out with the last parking spot out front brilliant..
The order: 2 eggs w/sausage over easy/toast and potatoes, one eggs bene with ham and hollandaise on side, 2 poached eggs soft with ham and the other stuff. One Tea, 3 waters. $20 and change plus tip.
Service was efficient and not overy friendly but they got the job done. All the food was perfectly cooked, not greasy and very tasty.
No complaints from our group. I think having breakfast there on the weekend is the way to go. Through the week it's hit and miss. note: eggs bene is only on wknds and holidays. Hollandiase had that perfect hint of lemon.
Will be back, only on wknd. -
Review from Pete S.
11/1/2010
i have mixed opinions over this place. while they cook a really really mean steak (better than many fancy steakhouses), their service is the pits and everything on your plate other than your steak is an afterthought. a thick slice of raw onion and a plastic looking tomato slice? throw me a fricken bone!
good for steak, nothing else -
Review from Minhaj H.
Toronto, ON
10/22/2010
The food is good. Moderately priced. It not "Keg" prices, so it's a bit easy on the wallet. Good location too. Staff are a bit slow at getting drinks and stuff. I usually order the 12oz Small Top Sirloin, on a Thursday, I decided to try out their breaded pork chops. It wasn't that great. The daily specials they have are hit and miss at times. Just, don't get the specials.
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Review from Pluggy S.
Toronto, ON
4/30/2009
Dont judge a book by its cover. Great food+sketchy locale=fun time! Tons of food for the money and tasty too! Dont expect a wine list nor glass for your beer, but come hungry and happy and leave full and happier. Love it!
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Review from Stephen B.
Toronto, ON
4/7/2010 3 Check-ins Here
Great weekend breakfast spot. It gets busy so be prepared for slow service at times.
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Review from Rich T.
Toronto, ON
12/8/2009
It's been about a year since I've been to The Tulip for steak. I should have waited a bit longer. While I love the value offered by most of their meals; the steaks are not at the top of this list. Still, for the money, it's worth the visit if you're going for basic diner food like the roast beef sandwich or burgers. +ives: decent value, quick service -ives: steaks
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Review from David S.
Ajax, ON
8/13/2010
OK... so I went there having heard about the wonderful reputation as being one of the best steak houses in Toronto. OK - maybe that was the case in 1975, but WTF? I can't remember what cut of steak I had, but it was by far not the best steak I had ever had, although I wouldn't call it terrible. It takes a lot fo screw up steak, but I would not call the Tulip one of the best steak houses in Toronto. Anyhow - the atmosphere is friendly, and its not horrible, but don't go thinking you are in for the meal of a lifetime.
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Review from Derek H.
Toronto, ON
1/24/2010
Terrible service... 2 grumpy servers for the whole restaurant at breakfast and they refuse to let you have rye bread before 11 am even though there's mountains of it. Lame. Also pretty grungy.
