Hugs and Sarcasm

859 Queen St W, Toronto
(647) 352-4227

Recent Reviews

Sort by
Amber P

Always a great meal at hugs and sarcasm. Love a gluten free menu !!!šŸ’œ

Dietary restrictions: Gluten free menu !!!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Fries, French Toast

Chesna Anthony

The best burger I’ve had in Toronto. The double packed beef burger was so fresh and amazing!

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 5

Service: 3

Rochan Kakar

I was double minded about this place at first but oh boy did they deliver. Their hot and honey chicken sandwich was phenomenal. Everything was perfect. Temperature, flavor, quality of the bun , chicken , ingredients. Simple place, sweet staff, cannot wait to go back and try their brunch menu. Pancakes look amazing!

Atmosphere: 3

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Fried Chicken

Kejia Yan

The pancakes are so good. I am from Alberta and came here visiting a friend. Would visit again just for the pancakes

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 5

Service: 5

Jennie Hornick

Disappointing Experience

My partner and I went for breakfast, and while the restaurant was busy and potentially understaffed, we were initially understanding. I’ve been a server for 10 years, so I know how challenging these situations can be.

From the start, the service was very slow, which we didn’t mind given the circumstances. However, when our server finally took our order, she seemed irritated and unfriendly. Again, I understand stress or bad days, so I didn’t let that bother me.

The real issue began when our food arrived. My partner’s meal was fine, but my eggs Benedict was inedible. The eggs were hard-boiled instead of poached, and the bread was so soaked it was unappetizing. I am not a picky eater, but I couldn’t eat it. I had one bite and gave up, opting to eat a few potatoes instead.

No one came to check on us during the meal, and when we finished, we had to get up to pay because no one brought us the bill. My partner informed the server about the situation, but her response was dismissive and rude. She told him, ā€œYou should have let us know,ā€ despite the fact that no one had come by to check on us. She reluctantly offered a ā€œdiscountā€ of $2.50, which felt insulting considering I had to pay for a meal I didn’t eat.

This experience left us deeply disappointed. We’ve been frequent customers at Hugs and Sarcasm because my partner (who’s Irish) enjoys the fry-up, but after this visit, I doubt we’ll return.

To be clear, I understand how demanding a busy shift can be, and I’m forgiving when service steps are missed. However, how a restaurant handles these situations is crucial. Dismissing customers’ concerns and making them pay for food they couldn’t eat is unacceptable. I can’t recommend this place to others after this experience.

Atmosphere: 3

Food: 1

Service: 1

Dana Lawrence

Food was good, but service was slow and not very friendly. I ended up standing up at ask for the bill after not being noticed for almost 10 min. Water was not refilled until I asked but was brought promptly after arrival.

Dietary restrictions: Had many gluten free options!

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 5

Service: 4

Spadina Fort York Guide

Somehow, until this month (Oct 19), I have missed this gluten free gem, despite regularly walking by and assuming I wouldn't be able to eat there! If you're looking for an option that has both delicious gluten free food and food for gluten lovers, at a place that also understands how to protect from cross contamination, this is the place to go! Normally, I have so many questions I need to ask before ordering to get a sense of if a restaurant understands how to keep me safe from gluten, and as soon as I told them I was celiac, they proactively rhymed off all the precautions they take. Which absolutely put my mind at ease. On top of that, there are multiple delicious options for everyone! We started with the spinach dip & chips that was modified to be gluten free (no naan bread). 3 of us had delicious mocktails (the Fruit Fizz & the Tropical Tonic) for anyone who wanted yummy non-alcoholic options. For those wanting a spiked drink, the Pineapple Ginger Mojito was a hit too! 2 of us had the gluten free fish and chips (despite only 1 of us being celiac) and we both loved it both the day of and because of the large portions, it was yummy again the next day as leftovers. 2 of us had the "Hot N Honey Chicken" (not ordered as gluten free, but option to make it gluten free) and enjoyed it so much it was eaten in 10 minutes, despite being a hearty portion too. The service was so attentive and welcoming. We were having such a good time that I forgot to take pictures of everything except the dessert (Gluten Free Sticky Toffee), which was so mouth watering that originally only one person ordered and immediately upon it arriving at the table, 2 more of us ordered it as well. It was awesome and the picture does not do it justice. For those of you who also appreciate quality and comfort, it might sound random, but they also have the nice toilet paper, not the sandpaper stuff. At every point, we all felt well taken care of and it was a great atmosphere too. All 4 of us were already planning our next meals there before we had even left. I'm so thrilled we went and can't recommend it enough!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Pudding, Fried Chicken, Fries

Martin B.

Stars

We had an overall great experience at Hugs and Sarcasm! The food was fantastic — the fried chicken sandwich, in particular, was a hit, especially for my celiac girlfriend who was very impressed with their gluten-free options. The food came out quickly, which makes sense since we went during a non-busy time, and the atmosphere was welcoming.

However, our main server could have been more attentive. They often forgot our requests and seemed unsure about certain policies, having to check with the manager a few times. This slowed down the service a bit, and we had to give a couple of reminders. On the bright side, the British server who helped out was excellent — super attentive and really made sure we were taken care of.

Despite the hiccups with our primary server, the quality of the food and the effort from the rest of the staff made it a memorable visit. We'll definitely be back!

Vegetarian options: Salads and options that could be made vegetarian

Dietary restrictions: Celiac safe

Kid-friendliness: Games available

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 3

Recommended dishes: Fries, Fried Chicken Sandwich

Vincent

Poor Food (Fries & Burger šŸ” were definitely not cooked enough..), Average Service (Had to repeat my Starter when receiving my Main Course AND after such a long wait..) and Low/Dirty Location/Seating Place ?! 😵
You’re better go to somewhere Healthier, Happier and Nicer => Even at any Chiptole Restaurant, it is so much Better & Smiler than here ! šŸ˜‰
I didn’t mention to the Staff I was unhappy as it was pretty clear that the Manager was unhelpful and wasn’t in the mood for any help or the slightest effort.. šŸ‘ŽšŸ» Unfortunately the only truth here is to be Sarcastic.. šŸ˜†

Atmosphere: 2

Food: 2

Service: 1

Rob Brown

Best fish and chips I've ever had. Light and crispy, plus the fish was really fresh. Very celiac friendly. Enjoyed their beer and food tasting event the other night. Look forward to attending many more.

Dietary restrictions: Celiac friendly

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Hayley Ryan

My husband and I hosted a large family brunch at Hugs and Sarcasm this past weekend. We worked with Kate to plan our event of 20+ people and she made the entire planning experience so easy and seamless. We did a buffet style brunch and the food was terrific. We had everything from pancakes and french toast to bacon, sausage, home fries, and eggs. There were also add-on options including a coffee/tea station and even a mimosa station with different types of tropical juices. The restaurant was super accommodating for guests who had allergies or dietary restrictions as well. We had a ton of leftovers and they made sure to provide enough to-go containers for us to pack up anything we wanted to take home.

Thanks Kate for having us!

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Sausage

Olivia Miller-Koren-Fasullo

The best gluten-free food I have ever had! My whole group was raving about the quality of food and my fish and chips were so crispy and fresh, I had to ask to make sure it was gluten-free, I couldn't believe it!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Cathy Gallagher-Louisy

This place is amazing! The fried mushrooms and popcorn chicken are so damn good if I was in any other restaurant I would seriously think they’d brought me the glutenous food. The menu says everything is gluten free unless otherwise specified, and they can make substitutions for anything that does have gluten.
Staff were wonderful, friendly, and attentive. They even set up an extra table to accommodate us because they were full when we arrived. I was so grateful.
I will definitely be back. Soon!

Dietary restrictions: The menu is gluten free unless otherwise specified.

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Fried Chicken

Sam MacPherson

Amazing place. Food was so good and staff was very friendly. Just coming off my acid trip and I found this place right by bellwoods. The walls were sturdy and I felt a calm presence overcome me. I wouldn't call this a religious experience, but this might be the closest I've ever felt to the universe, god or whatever being you choose. There was less trees than the forest but the construction was made of wood and I estimate about the same amount of raw material exists as the woods. The sandwich I ate was made of meat with some bread that I had two bites and saved the rest for the woods later where I moved in.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

James Scapillato

Food was amazing, service was personable friendly and super funny! Already planning my return. Their Yorkshire puddings are so so good!! I crave them everyday since I had them 😊

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Loading...