Good show but not the place. Look at your bill before you pay. They add a 15% tip and a tipping option after. Staff is rude as well.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Steve smith
Friends and I thought to try this place during our stop in TO and after seeing a lot of good brunch reviews. We loved the ambiance and decorations. Thats where it ends. Tbh.. the food was underwhelming. The latkis tasted old and heated from a previous day. The eggs were luke warm and wet. Some of the salads were good but everything else tasted like leftovers. What bothered us the most we ordered a large orange juices. A large glass came filled with ice top to bottom, with maybe 1 cup of juice. Each one was 8 dollars each. I paid the whole bill with a 20% tip.. on the way out our server told us to go back and tip the accordion singer and no thank-you for her tip. The nerve!! Not at all impressed. We won't return
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 1
Service: 2
Evi Kamen
Really enjoyed it
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Adam D
Always great!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
DAVID STEIN
Uberscheisse. Skimpy, salty, and BLAH dessert.
The best of us are in the States.
Food: 1
adam scott
Had a unique and wonderful experience here. Tuesday night shows at 7 are fantastic. Alex is a great host for the shows, funny and keeps things rolling perfectly. staff are nice and service is good. Highly recommended for anyone looking for live entertainment, food and drinks with friends.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Francine Peters
Ordered a fabulous brunch for take out. The food and presentation were fantastic and delicious. Guest raved about the hummus and grilled veges and deserts especially. Will be back for more.
Food: 5
Service: 5
Alexzander Samuelsson
I want to share my experience here as I went to an event in the back and it was my first time at free times cafe. The food was fantastic, had the brisket sandwich and was so good. The staff were attentative and the atmosphere is homey and cozy, you feel there is a lot of history in the walls which is rare these days.
I wanted to share one thing that really took me by surprise. They have an automatic 20% tip policy, and I already had a couple of drinks and wasn't really thinking and really enjoying the performances in the back I wasn't expecting the server to say the tip was included and cancel the tip portion. I was shocked and asked how much, she said 20%, and literally I just tapped not thinking because the flow. But when I sat down it really didn't sit well with me, so I spoke to the staff to share how I felt about it. They said it wasn't mandatory but it certainty felt like it how it was presented. I asked if I could get a refund for the tip and I don't mind giving one even after the experience but I didn't feel like 20% was justified. They refunded it, I offered a tip in cash saying it's not about tipping or not tipping, but them choosing 20% and making it seem like it was what I had to go with was my issue. They refused the tip, I sat back down and finished the show.
Overall I liked the place, food was great, but honestly this situation really left a bad feeling about the evening. Nobody wants to feel like they have to do something like tip, especially when they choose 20% for you and then it's on you the customer to ask to change it or refuse. That's not good service and if management wants their staff to get more money, charge a bit more for food and pay staff a fair wage.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 1
Ashley Russell-Taylor
Classic and homie environment with great tasting foods. Traditional ✡️ sunday brunch was amazing. Unique atmosphere and you can never complain about live music over brunch.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Naz
A fun, welcoming, cozy and vibrant cafe celebrating 45 years of service. The owner Judy is at the heart ❤️ of the Free Times Cafe's philosophy of being a place for community to gather, enjoy entertainment and great food! Catering available, and a stage with a dedicated events room for a reasonable price. Highly recommended to support Free Times if you are looking for a place to land.
This cafe has been open for 2 weeks and I’m already back here for 3rd time. The deserts was amazing, the pizza was one of best I had and service is top notch Abd Almoite has been great.
Definitely recommend
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Haha Byebye
Hands down the worst restaurant experience I’ve ever had. As someone that has been to probably over 500 different restaurants in over 10 different countries I’m disappointed to say that the WORST one i’ve ever experienced was in my home city, Toronto. The food tasted like it came straight out of a microwave, everything looked like it had been sitting around for days. And that’s not even the worst part of this place! The staff were incredibly rude from the moment we sat down. They acted like we were inconveniencing them by being there. When we were being moved to the other room to watch a performance the waiter made us carry our drinks while we were clearly struggling to carry our jackets, bags, and cameras (since we were photographers for the event) and he was carrying nothing. What really pushed me over the edge was how they kept trying to force us to order stuff we didn’t want. There is a sign that CLEARLY states you must order one food OR drink item which I will include a photo of below, we both ordered extremely ridiculous priced cokes and a lemonade. ($8.50 for a regular sized glass of lemonade and $5 for a glass of diet coke which didn’t even come with a lemon wedge by the way). And honestly if it was a nice restaurant that wouldn’t have been an issue whatsoever but the place is run down. Then, we are told we MUST order food by the manager and waiter, even though my friend previously called the restaurant and asked if there was a gluten free menu which by the way the lady on the phone lied to her about and said “yes we have a gluten free menu”. So my friend told our waiter that she couldn’t eat because of celiac disease, which he didn’t even know existed and still kept pushing her to order something after we explained to him that she would be hospitalized by any contact with gluten. The waiter then leaves and comes back without apologizing and says well you can get this salad, which she obviously says no to just based off of what we had been dealing with the entire night. On top of that when we get to paying for our drinks the manager adds a tip onto my friend’s bill and did not give the option to leave no tip- if the service wasn’t so embarrassing and disrespectful this wouldn’t have been an issue.
We felt pressured, ignored, and insulted.I genuinely don’t know how this place is still open. Don’t even waste a single BREATH speaking to these people. Let alone any money or time.
. If there were an option for negative stars, I’d use it.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Lobsang Rapten
Great cozy spot! Went for a small comedy show and enjoyed it tremendously. Fish and chips was MASSSIVE - in this economy?! And yummy too!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Maria Yeskina
They’re doing the great job!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Rahul Parhar
Great event space, came for a comedy show and got good service throughout the show too.
Good show but not the place. Look at your bill before you pay. They add a 15% tip and a tipping option after. Staff is rude as well.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Friends and I thought to try this place during our stop in TO and after seeing a lot of good brunch reviews. We loved the ambiance and decorations. Thats where it ends.
Tbh.. the food was underwhelming. The latkis tasted old and heated from a previous day. The eggs were luke warm and wet. Some of the salads were good but everything else tasted like leftovers.
What bothered us the most we ordered a large orange juices. A large glass came filled with ice top to bottom, with maybe 1 cup of juice. Each one was 8 dollars each. I paid the whole bill with a 20% tip.. on the way out our server told us to go back and tip the accordion singer and no thank-you for her tip. The nerve!! Not at all impressed. We won't return
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 1
Service: 2
Really enjoyed it
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Always great!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Uberscheisse. Skimpy, salty, and BLAH dessert.
The best of us are in the States.
Food: 1
Had a unique and wonderful experience here. Tuesday night shows at 7 are fantastic. Alex is a great host for the shows, funny and keeps things rolling perfectly. staff are nice and service is good. Highly recommended for anyone looking for live entertainment, food and drinks with friends.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Ordered a fabulous brunch for take out. The food and presentation were fantastic and delicious. Guest raved about the hummus and grilled veges and deserts especially. Will be back for more.
Food: 5
Service: 5
I want to share my experience here as I went to an event in the back and it was my first time at free times cafe. The food was fantastic, had the brisket sandwich and was so good. The staff were attentative and the atmosphere is homey and cozy, you feel there is a lot of history in the walls which is rare these days.
I wanted to share one thing that really took me by surprise. They have an automatic 20% tip policy, and I already had a couple of drinks and wasn't really thinking and really enjoying the performances in the back I wasn't expecting the server to say the tip was included and cancel the tip portion. I was shocked and asked how much, she said 20%, and literally I just tapped not thinking because the flow. But when I sat down it really didn't sit well with me, so I spoke to the staff to share how I felt about it. They said it wasn't mandatory but it certainty felt like it how it was presented. I asked if I could get a refund for the tip and I don't mind giving one even after the experience but I didn't feel like 20% was justified. They refunded it, I offered a tip in cash saying it's not about tipping or not tipping, but them choosing 20% and making it seem like it was what I had to go with was my issue. They refused the tip, I sat back down and finished the show.
Overall I liked the place, food was great, but honestly this situation really left a bad feeling about the evening. Nobody wants to feel like they have to do something like tip, especially when they choose 20% for you and then it's on you the customer to ask to change it or refuse. That's not good service and if management wants their staff to get more money, charge a bit more for food and pay staff a fair wage.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 1
Classic and homie environment with great tasting foods. Traditional ✡️ sunday brunch was amazing. Unique atmosphere and you can never complain about live music over brunch.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
A fun, welcoming, cozy and vibrant cafe celebrating 45 years of service. The owner Judy is at the heart ❤️ of the Free Times Cafe's philosophy of being a place for community to gather, enjoy entertainment and great food! Catering available, and a stage with a dedicated events room for a reasonable price. Highly recommended to support Free Times if you are looking for a place to land.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
This cafe has been open for 2 weeks and I’m already back here for 3rd time.
The deserts was amazing, the pizza was one of best I had and service is top notch
Abd Almoite has been great.
Definitely recommend
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Hands down the worst restaurant experience I’ve ever had. As someone that has been to probably over 500 different restaurants in over 10 different countries I’m disappointed to say that the WORST one i’ve ever experienced was in my home city, Toronto. The food tasted like it came straight out of a microwave, everything looked like it had been sitting around for days. And that’s not even the worst part of this place! The staff were incredibly rude from the moment we sat down. They acted like we were inconveniencing them by being there. When we were being moved to the other room to watch a performance the waiter made us carry our drinks while we were clearly struggling to carry our jackets, bags, and cameras (since we were photographers for the event) and he was carrying nothing. What really pushed me over the edge was how they kept trying to force us to order stuff we didn’t want. There is a sign that CLEARLY states you must order one food OR drink item which I will include a photo of below, we both ordered extremely ridiculous priced cokes and a lemonade. ($8.50 for a regular sized glass of lemonade and $5 for a glass of diet coke which didn’t even come with a lemon wedge by the way). And honestly if it was a nice restaurant that wouldn’t have been an issue whatsoever but the place is run down. Then, we are told we MUST order food by the manager and waiter, even though my friend previously called the restaurant and asked if there was a gluten free menu which by the way the lady on the phone lied to her about and said “yes we have a gluten free menu”. So my friend told our waiter that she couldn’t eat because of celiac disease, which he didn’t even know existed and still kept pushing her to order something after we explained to him that she would be hospitalized by any contact with gluten. The waiter then leaves and comes back without apologizing and says well you can get this salad, which she obviously says no to just based off of what we had been dealing with the entire night. On top of that when we get to paying for our drinks the manager adds a tip onto my friend’s bill and did not give the option to leave no tip- if the service wasn’t so embarrassing and disrespectful this wouldn’t have been an issue.
We felt pressured, ignored, and insulted.I genuinely don’t know how this place is still open. Don’t even waste a single BREATH speaking to these people. Let alone any money or time.
. If there were an option for negative stars, I’d use it.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Great cozy spot! Went for a small comedy show and enjoyed it tremendously. Fish and chips was MASSSIVE - in this economy?! And yummy too!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
They’re doing the great job!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Great event space, came for a comedy show and got good service throughout the show too.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
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