- Restaurants |
- Nightlife |
- Shopping |
- Coffee & Tea |
- All
Vesta Lunch
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 6 am - 5:30 am
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- No
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- No
- Price Range:
-
$
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Good For:
- Late Night, Breakfast
- Alcohol:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- No
20 reviews for Vesta Lunch
20 reviews in English
-
Review from andrew m.
Toronto, ON
2/22/2012
Its a small diner with very little room. Its open 24 hours, and if you're are looking a place to eat where you can good value for your dollar, Vesta is a great place to go.
The food is very hardy and simple (better value than going to a harveys.)
However I would like to highlight something on their menu that is tops, its the 'house fries' they have. Its actually chopped potato mash, that are cooked on top of the flat grill, and its given a sprinkling of salt, pepper, sweet paprika (and will never find its way into the frier.) Wish other places did this.
Anyways, the food is simple, filling, and perfect for those people who are hungry after hitting the clubs/bars, and they don't over charge you.
Don't expect anything gourmet, its a greasy spoon that serves comfort food for those who are hungry at 3am. -
Review from Ayesha A.
1/2/2012
I live nearby and have wanted to try this place foreva-eva, however it looks so grimey that I needed some good excuse to go in.
Welcome statutory holiday an 24 hour diner a few blocks from my crib.
Went there at the wee hours of the morning yesterday knowing only that I was starving and not ready to spend a lot on food.
Being a semi-part-time-vegetarian there was not much option for me (predictable) however my friend got a deluxe burger (which comes with fries) and I upgraded it to greek style poutine and just ate that. We also got a chocolate milkshake which we devoured.
The food was okay-pretty much what you would expect, but the service was great. They were very kind and being the middle of the night, it was pretty fast, as well.
Not bad for a 24 hour nearby greasy spoon. -
Review from Natalie B.
Toronto, ON
2/11/2012
I am usually a fan of dives, greasy spoons, mom 'n pop shops etc, but the food here just isn't good. It isn't even good if you've been drinking. It's really a pity considering I live nearby. To put things into perspective: if there was a fast-food place next door (e.g. Wendys) I would choose to go there over Vesta lunch despite in theory wanting to support local businesses.
-
Review from Lisa C.
Toronto, ON
11/14/2011 1 Check-in Here
I finally had my first visit to this Toronto fixture a couple of weeks ago.
So greasy... Might I recommend only trying it if you've had a considerable amount to drink first.
You can tell at a glance that this place has been around forever, but they've had a long time to perfect service and it gets the job done. Menu and one long low counter with seating run the full length of the place. A TV in the corner keeps you informed of the news, and staff are happy to chat while you wait (not long) for your meal.
I had the gyros breakfast on this visit and enjoyed it, but kept looking over at my vesta-companion's meal of liver and onions - it looked kinda good - not what I would have expected of liver and onions at all.
Open 24-hours, I have to assume they get most of their business during the hours that most other places are closed. Still, not bad. -
Review from Chris T.
East York, ON
9/21/2011 1 Check-in Here
3.5 stars!
All i know is that this is the best place to go for food after some drinks...sorry i mean a lot of drinks hahaha
food was decent but that's what you get for late but the friendly staff makes this place a must go if you are in the area. Next time you go tell "Momma" Chris says hi. she is the one that wears the little cute black hat.
Go with the breakfast special or chicken club with fries. -
Review from Robert K.
3/7/2011 3 Check-ins Here
I have no idea how many stars to give to Vesta lunch. Were you actually to go there at lunchtime, in the full light of day, you would find it greasy, dirty, uncomfortable and disgusting. One star. And yet, at 3am with a belly full of liquor, Vesta Lunch is absolutely 5 star perfect.
I don't know. I'll compromise and give it 3 stars. Of all the greasy spoons I've visited, this is probably the greasiest.Listed in: Greasy Spoons
-
Review from Hideki K.
6/20/2011
At Vesta, you get what you expect.
There's no need to pretend here at Vesta. It's a mom & pop (without the mom) cash-only 24h diner located on the NE corner of Dupon & Bathurst.
You're don't go to Vesta at 2am expecting gourmet food. It serves its purpose.
I work in the area, so am only here during lunch hours. Having said that, the food isn't spectacular. I come here sober, during daylight hours, sans food beer-goggles. So my rating is based on comparing Vesta with its surround places around Bathurst, and it falls short.
I tried it out a couple of weeks ago. Although the menu has primarily Greek items, I opted for the Fish & Chips, which only came with one piece of fish. The fries were nothing special. It also came with a serving of salad. The tartar sauce is given in packet form.
They do have a solid male-only following during the day. These regulars seem to be in no hurry when dining here.
Since I am not in the area at the wees hours of the day, I won't ever get to experience Vesta in its full glory, but that doesn't bother me.Listed in: T.O - Best of Bathurst Lunch…
-
Review from Graeham M.
Toronto, ON
1/13/2011 1 Check-in Here
This 5-star rating is based solely upon how fantastic Vesta Lunch is for a hangover on a late Saturday afternoon following a staff party where too many alcoholic beverages were consumed the previous night.
With that clearly out of the way, one has to give Vesta kudos for both its longevity (est. 1955), the sheer volume of its eclectic menu, its price point and the hours of operation cannot be beat. With a waning 24 hour diner scene in the city, Vesta is a welcome sight at 3:30am or whatever other ungodly hour one deems fit to enjoy authentic Souvalaki and a milkshake.
With an all-day breakfast and light speed service thrown into the mix, Vesta is worthy competition for even the greasiest of spoons. -
Review from Rannie T.
Toronto, ON
1/13/2011
There is nothing high brow about this place. There are hardly any seats, and often you have to sit beside some obnoxious drunk guy, who is too loud, invading your personal space and is hitting on your best friend. But that's all a part of the charm of this 24 hour diner at the corner of Bathurst and Dupont.
For the longest time, I use to drive-by this place on my way home, when I lived in North York and I was always curious as to how greasy their spoons were. Well when I finally stopped in, I wasn't disappointed.
My staple is to order a grilled cheese sandwich with bacon. The bacon isn't on the side, it's actually a part of the sandwich. delicious. I don't make a habit of coming here, but if it's late night, and I'm passing by, you may catch me enjoying a sandwich here. -
Review from Elaine K.
9/12/2010 5 photos
This place is a godsend on the long trek home after a night of drinking. Let's be clear, I would not go here if it weren't on the way. But because it's on the way home and open 24 hours a day, I find myself squeezed into the tiny place every couple of weeks.
The food itself is not great. It's greasy diner food. I always order the liver and onions, and it's always fine... crispy fries, great dairy-free out-of-the-box gravy. The fact of the matter is, I'm usually so drunk by the time I get there that anything I eat tastes delicious. The husband always gets a BLT, which he seems pretty satisfied by every time.
The service is friendly, jokey and great. I honestly don't know how people manage to be nice to drunks, but I guess we're their bread and butter.
It's a great place for post-boozedown eats, people watching and overhearing dumb college students' drunken ramblings about life. -
Review from Angela H.
4/5/2009
To be honest, I have never been to Vesta Lunch before 3am, or for that matter, sober. This is the greasiest of all spoons, where it would be cruel to your body to eat there for a regular meal. This is definitely a place to go after an incredibly ridiculous night of boozehounding.
I'm going to tell you a story...
Whenever we'd go, our friend Tyler would joke that he was going to order the apple pie and cheddar. One night he was brave enough to give it a whirl. The man working said they were out of apple pie, but they had blueberry. Disappointed, Tyler accepted. To everyone's surprise, the man cut a piece of pie, and proceeded to melt a cheese slice on top of the blueberry pie. A piece of processed cheese on top of blueberry pie!!! WHAT! Disgusting. But also, hilarious.
Vesta Lunch get a 3-star rating on account of the amusement that comes along with paying late late night visits there, as well as their main sign reads "Char-Brolied", instead of "Char-Broiled". Nice effort, fellows. -
Review from Noel D.
6/3/2010 20 Check-ins Here
I want to hate Vesta Lunch given the quality of their greasy food, but its so cheap and its close proximity to where I live keeps me coming back. Mind you I don't think I have ever been to this place earlier than 3:00am and I have definitely never been when sober.
It's down the road from me so if I am walking past on my way home from a night out then it seems like a good idea, but it usually isn't. I tend to order things like sloppy burgers with homefries and it always tastes like the most amazing food given my state, but in reality I know it's probably not. The homefries tend to be undercooked and this concerns me when it comes to eating anything meat-based. But at least it's cheap and all the drunks sitting along the tiny counter are likely thinking the same thing.
The place is absolutely tiny. You walk in and hope it's not crowded because I can't imagine what it would be like when things are standing room only. I imagine you would have to wait outside for your order. I recommend getting take-out because you really don't want to spend more time in here than you have to. Plus the food will likely look less appetizing under bright lights. There's been some instances where I have been waiting for food and I have to entertain drunken knuckleheads, but if you're cool with the staff/cooks then they will have your back in a second if things get out of line. -
Review from Dardana M.
ON
1/12/2009
I liked this place, but I think I was more in love with *the idea* of this place. You know what I mean?
I love me some diners, some burgers, some souvlaki. And this one has a super-cool atmosphere on top of all that, with its long, skinny counter and flourescent lighting. The staff were definiitely interesting and friendly, and twenty-four hour joints always get bonus points with me. Maybe if I went during the wee hours and not the early evening, maybe if it was a post-drinking visit (which is tough, as far as I'm concerned, cuz it feels too far away from most things, at least in the winter), it would have had the magic I was looking for.
My burger was good; I enjoyed myself; the bathroom was a little terrifying; it's close to my friends' house. But no, it didn't change my life. -
Review from Melissa J.
Toronto, ON
11/10/2008
Blech. As soon as I moved into this neighbourhood, everyone and their mother told me, "YOU HAVE TO GO TO VESTA LUNCH". So one day, I finally walked down the street and went there. And never went back.
I guess with this place, you either love it or you hate it. Personally, I didn't like the fact that the place made me claustrophobic. I've been in bigger bathrooms than Vesta Lunch. You have to sit down at the counter and watch them make your food, and watch them pour the pounds of butter and grease into your food....only to come home and realize you smell exactly like the food you just ate because the fried smell is in your hair.
Nope, not for me. My food was so basic, I could have made it myself at home, and I wouldn't have gained 5 pounds from eating it.
Basically if you have more than 2 people with you, you should not come here simply because you will not all fit inside. And if you are a germaphobe, you'll be happy to know that you will be able to see exactly how many times the cook washes his hands. But I firmly believe that ignorance is bliss in this scenario, and the only way to be ignorant and healthy is to abstain from Vesta Lunch at all costs. -
Review from Todd V.
Toronto, ON
10/24/2008
If Edward Hopper lived in Toronto and decided to paint his famous painting "Nighthawks" (http://en.wikipedia.or...) in Toronto, you'd see a few people at the counter and a cook making cheeseburgers in front of the grill at Vesta Lunch while traffic slid by in the night along Dupont.
This is as diner-y as you can get. Forget the faux quaintness of the Fran's franchise (http://www.yelp.ca/biz...), this is the greasy spoon of all greasy spoons. It's a shoebox of a place that has possibly four to five tables, and a counter that runs the length of the restaurant with stools for singles to sit, eat, and not bother to hang around long. You go in, you eat, you leave, and are able to do so, 24 hours a day. The clientele will run the gamut from locals looking for a quick bite, those of a "harder" ilk, looking for a cheap lunch, and those that are hammered from a night of drinking looking for something to put in their bellies at 3:00am.
All of this does not take away from the fact that as diner food goes, this stuff is really good. Never had a bad meal here, but since they've been slinging hash since 1955, you'd assume they've got it right by now. The interior may not be for everyone or even first-date-friendly, but this place more than serves a necessary purpose. You're able to get good food quick and cheap. And not just lunch, as you may infer by the name. -
Review from Luke A.
Toronto, ON
9/6/2008 1 photo
Like the guy said when I came here, "Our place is only seven feet wide, but our menu is thirteen feet long!" Vesta Lunch is a fantastic counter-style diner that's been around for over sixty years, is open twenty-four hours, and is staffed by real characters.
You can come for steak & eggs, burgers, souvlaki, and, of course, banter--in other words, all the hallmarks of a classic greasy spoon. If you want to get the delicious breakfast special, don't show up too late: the price goes up after 11 AM. It's served lighting-fast, although if you're not assertive, you might not get much input into how the eggs are done. -
Review from Devyn G.
Toronto, ON
5/13/2009
One of the few, and probably last, truly 24-hour greasyspoon diners in the city, and still with the same formica counter that graced the place when your grandfather had his morning coffee there. It's not classy but it's classic, not cuisine but it has character. And when you're hammered at 3am, there's nothing quite like a plate of hot eggs, toast, and coffee under fluorescent lighting to wake you up pleasantly.
Listed in: Tea and Eggs Over Easy
-
Review from Richard T.
Toronto, ON
10/16/2011
one can only assume why i was at Vesta Lunch last night at 1:30 in the morning last night...but when you can sit down with four friends, order your meal, and have it served within five minutes, you know you've found a great spot.
-
Review from Dallas H.
11/23/2009
A Toronto institution. Open all night. The guy at the grill was hilariously entertaining. The food was pretty retro. And by that I mean not great. Still, I'm a sucker for an old-school greasy spoon, so hop on a stool and eat a triple-decker sandwich while pretending it's 1950.
-
Review from Anonymous A.
11/9/2008
Best burger and fries I have ever had after midnight. After a night of partying, don't go to a fast-food place, come here instead.
