Natural food restaurant with locations in Toronto. No animal products in the cooking; however, dairy is offered as a side option. Weekend brunch. Open Mon-Fri 11:30am-10:00pm, Sat-Sun 10:30am-10:00pm.
Category: Vegan-friendly, American, Western, Juice bar, Take-out, Canadian
Reviews (37)
First Review by veggiewoman
Contributions +14
Loved it! - Edit
Order the BBQ Burger! It's delicious. If you easily fill up on food, you might want to skip the side of fries.
Pros: Good food, Water at the table!, Price wasn't too bad
Cons: VERY busy! Tight space, Washrooms are dark :( , Ginger Ale was VERY GINGERY... just a heads up
Contributions +683
Mainstream - Edit
I didnt get athe best of first impression given that the place is packed, noisy and somehow feels too trendy to be genuine.
Yet the food was actually quite good (I recommend the green poutine - but with normal potatoes, not sweet ones)
Pros: Excellent food, beers and wine
Cons: packed, noisy
Contributions +33
Trendy - Edit
I went here for lunch and it was packed, but not uncomfortable. I really enjoyed the ambience.
I ordered the chipotle onion ring burger (?) and it was pretty good. My mom ordered the black bean burrito, and we both thought it was good but a little on the bland side. However, the side order of fries were delicious with the garlic mayo!
I definitely want to come back to try some of their smoothies and bowls and just enjoy being in the city
Pros: large menu, healthy options
Contributions +24
love - Edit
Amazing food! Every time I have gone the food has been great. Even my Non-veg family love it too :)
Cons: busy
Contributions +234
Uninspired assembly line food - Edit
Fresh is the ubiquitous vegetarian chain in Toronto. It is on par with McDonald's for popularity, number of vegans and vegetarians who actually dine there and food quality.
That's not a compliment.
There are now 4 Fresh locations in Toronto but this one and the one on Spadina are likely the busiest due to the proximity to U of T and the downtown lunch crowd. Try not to go during peak hours around lunch or dinner unless you want to wait.
The food is very low quality. They serve store bought faux meats instead of making their own. Same goes for the cupcakes and other desserts. They're made by Sweets from the Earth and generally aren't very fresh like the name of the place would have you believe.
All the food is non-organic. I suggest you avoid the bowls at the very least. They don't seem to have any theme or inspiration to them and taste more like a bunch of random ingredients and a sauce placed on either rice or soba noodles. Has anyone who manages this place ever tasted them? It's not cohesive. I've eaten similar bowls at veggie restaurants from Portland to Tokyo and can honestly say Fresh's are some of the worst. (Aux Vivres in Montreal makes one of the best Buddha Bowls ever, if you happen to be there.)
Dieting young women and people who've been working out at the JCC across the street come here to eat. You're crammed in like sardines if you get stuck along the banquet wall. These people must feel good about the food at Fresh because it's probably the only vegan or vegetarian thing they'll eat all week. I think when you go completely vegan, you're taste buds grow and develop. You don't just settle for a pile of diced produce on plain brown rice with flavourless sauce and weird things like tomatoes in it.
The place is always packed. Service is generally okay but there's high staff turnover due to the volume they deal with. In the kitchen things are thrown together assembly line style and it's clear in the food. They're constantly looking to hire line cooks on craigslist because it's probably gruelling and underpaid back there too.
If you're a vegan or a true vegetarian, avoid at all costs. For tastier bowls in Toronto and much less fuss, go to an Urban Herbivore location, get the grain bowl with the lemon tahini or carrot sesame dressing.
Other things you should know about Fresh:
- the owner wears a fur trimmed Canada Goose jacket made from the corpses of coyotes and ducks and geese
- worst vegan pancakes in the city. Sadly very few options for vegan pancakes in Toronto, so recommending you go to Starving Artist for vegan waffles instead.
- very overpriced sweet potato fries
- the faux meats are bottom of the barrel and GMO soy Yves brand products. They taste terrible too.
Pros: none
Cons: bad, assembly line, bland food, overpriced, overhyped, long wait for a table
Contributions +67
great place! - Edit
Amazing vegan selection, worth the money, big portions. Worth a visit. Onion rings are brilliant.
Contributions +63
Decent, but not super healthy - Edit
We've been going to Fresh for years, even back when it was known as Juice for Life. I've noticed a fall off in quality, especially in their hummus plate (no more red lebanese olive oil). The drinks are still great, and you can get some decent treats, but most of the food is fried, and not very healthy and sometimes not at all appetizing - there are much better restaurants in the area for vegans, but if you like fried stuff this is your place.
Pros: Good hours, Great Drinks
Cons: Too much fried stuff
Contributions +24
fabulous vegan selection - Edit
I went to Fresh with my colleague who doesn't eat dairy or gluten and we had so many choices, including lots of vegan cakes for dessert!
We shared these amazing quinoa crusted onion rings and sweet potato fries for appetiser. Both portions were huge!
For main I had a chipotle bacon burger which was fabulous. The restaurant is vegan but they do have vegetarian cheddar or goats cheese you can choose to add on top which does have dairy. I chose cheddar with my burger and it was also great.
My colleague had a soba noodle bowl with lots of veggies and tofu
For dessert I had the amazing carrot cake. It was so moist and the slice was big which was greatly appreciated! My colleague had a vanilla cupcake and she said it was also good.
Fresh had so many options anyone could find something they liked. It was also reasonably priced and right on Bloor Street which is the place to be in Toronto (or at least that's my understanding!)
Pros: vegan cake!, many gluten free options, fabulous burgers
Cons: nothing - everything was great!
Contributions +268
Popular with students - Edit
This place seems popular with U. of Toronto students; it was packed each time I went there. I found the food to be quite good and tasty, and rather healthy, with lot of choices. The prices are reasonable, and the atmosphere is relaxed. At lunch it gets cramped and somewhat noisy, but the food gets to you rather quickly. In all, an enjoyable place to go--I would definitely return.
Pros: good student-geared place, good food
Cons: not elegant
Contributions +1951
Great food - Edit
I used to go there all the time when I lived in Toronto. The food was always great, many vegan options, bowls, pizza, tons of veggies. The place had a large student and hippy population. The service is court and by no means amazing but I went back for the food.
Pros: Great food
Cons: Noisy, Tables close together
Contributions +11526
good food - nice place - Edit
I came here on my way out of town and needed something to go in a hurry. The staff were friendly and I opted for one of their burgers. I was hungry, and although it didn't look that special in a to-go box, it was one of the best veggie burgers I've ever had. The bread was awesome, and the burger texture was too. It came with a small kale salad (very small), and I was quite satisfied.
Pros: Good burgers
Contributions +21
Mediocre food and abysmal service - Edit
This was my second and definitely last visit to Fresh. When I first tried this place about a year ago, I was not impressed. On that occasion, I experienced lousy service and overpriced mediocre food, not to mention the incredibly cramped tables and noisy environment. I had ordered the "magic tofu" wrap, which was far from being magical. It was basically a mushy medley of nondescript veggies combined with overcooked tofu "steaks".
After my most recent visit, I realize that nothing has changed. Although the restaurant was half empty when I arrived, and was told that "your server will be with you soon", it was at least 10 to 15 minutes before anyone even showed up at my table. Several employees seemed to be standing around and chatting with each other, or texting on their smartphones, rather than attending to customers.
When the server finally arrived, I ordered the miso burger, which comes with a "side of marinated kale slaw".
When the order finally arrived I was quite disappointed. The burger was overdone, bordering on what one would consider burnt. It had the consistency of wood chips and sawdust and was not very tasty. The "side dish" of "kale slaw" was tiny and was nothing special as far as taste. Even though the restaurant was far from full, it was still quite noisy.
I cannot understand why Fresh appears to be so wildly popular, in the light of the poor service, mediocre food and crummy ambience. I guess it is just another example of an over-hyped trendy yuppie hangout. I will not be back.
Pros: Convenient Location
Cons: Mediocre food, Poor service, Not good value for money
Contributions +73
SO YUMMY! - Edit
we went to eat here expecting a quick light meal and we got HUGE portions! some of the best food we've had out! we got the quinoa onion rings with the avocado chipotle sauce. yum. we also got the grilled veg burrito which was good and had many layers of flavor. the best thing by far was the powerhouse bowl. we forced ourselves to finish it after being full because it was SO GOOD. next time i will probably get the smaller bowl. i didn't realize how huge the portions were!
Contributions +124
Fresh on Bloor and spadina - Edit
Huge selection of healthy and tasty food.
Contributions +15
NOT so Fresh - Soggy - Edit
My parents, husband and I went to Fresh Monday night. I was wanting to go for a while, and I was so disappointed. I would go back only if I were in the area. I would not go out of my way.
The menu was wide with a variety of burgers, bowls, and wraps. But it was all really greasy and made me feel sick. It is vegetarian/vegan food that has healthy drinks, but it seems like "bar food" made vegetarian. I guess I was expecting the health factor to be greater.
The crowd is very university centred. We waited a half hour for a table. They said it is busy like that every night after 7. The servers were friendly and accommodating and even brought my dad a fresh orange juice on the house as he is diabetic and his sugar was slipping during he wait.
If you don't mind greasy, the BBQ burger was tasty and my parents liked the mushroom onion burger. The sweet potato fries were soggy and not so tasty. My hubby had the Beach Bowl. He said it was ok, but too oily. The soups were delish and the E3live shot was a little icky. You be the judge.
Pros: vegan
Cons: oily, noisy, crowded
Contributions +18
Great Food - Edit
I love the food here, the burger is my favorite. I make a point to eat here everytime I'm in the area.
The tables are a little close for comfort but that would be my only complaint.
They have a large selection of vegan desserts from Sweets From The Earth.
Vegan heaven :)
Contributions +40
fresh is fresh - Edit
i used to live really close to this place. i always enjoyed eating there. the food is good, the service was good when i went. it was usually packed and therefore loud, but if it's packed you know people are liking it. :)
Contributions +25
Sensational Vegan Fare! - Edit
If you are after healthy vegan/vegetarian fare in a funky and friendly setting then this is the place for you! We dined at the Fresh restaurants four times during a visit to Toronto and the food, service and ambience was fabulous every time. If you can't eat all that is on your plate the staff will happily package it up for take out. I highly recommend leaving room for the Carrot Cake!
Pros: Friendly Staff, Good Value, Sensational Food
Cons: Can be noisy
Contributions +16
A Favorite! - Edit
Fresh is a staple of the vegetarian/vegan dining scene in Toronto. Always great food at a reasonable price. I have yet to try something that I didn't absolutely love. Fresh is a great place to take your meat eating friends...Fresh has certainly helped me convert a few meat eaters. Also, they have a great cookbook that features all of the recipes from the restaurant; worth checking out.
Contributions +60
Lots of options... - Edit
I've been here for lunch with my boyfriend and there was a lot of people. The menu is wide, and you can customize your own meal, and your own smoothie. I did chose ingredients for my own wrap, so i can't really review on their ability to make a great meal. I loved what i had, since i knew what i was getting ; there was no surprise. The only thing i was surprised about is that all the ingredients came on 2 plates, with the wrap on the side. I told the guy i wanted to have a wrap with those inside so i thought they would make it into a nice presentation. Anyway that is far from a big deal, i did not really care about making it myself. My boyfriend had a dahl soup with corn bread and a salad and he liked it. The smoothie was really good. The service was a bit slow, but friendly and fun. Maybe i would have wrote a more constructive review if i had chosen one of their home made plate and if i would have ate dessert. Since i didnt, all i can say is that i'll go back if i can to try more food.
Contributions +16
A Disappointment :-( - Edit
My hubby and I went for lunch. Got there at about 11:27 a.m., but people listen up: they will not open the doors until around 11:32 even if they see you are outside freezing in the snow.
It was loud. Don't go there expecting to have a conversation. Crowded, tables too close together, and servers look stressed out, but do a great job.
Food was... ok. Bland. We ordered different stuff, and neither of us were impressed.
We won't be back.
Pros: Vegetarian
Cons: Noisy, Parking Bad, Food just ok for the $$
Contributions +18
Bad Bad Bad - Edit
First thing wrong with this place: Wraps are not vegan and they don't tell you unless you indicate that you are vegan. It has been this way for some time now, but they are "looking for an alternative"
Second thing wrong: They treat their employees like crap, not a good thing for a restaurant like this one. Most people probably don't care, but if you think it's important to give your business to companies that treat their workers with respect and dignity, then choose another place for tonight's dinner. I've had friends that worked there who've been fired without a reason, shifts cut while they hired more people, and who have been transferred to another location without notice or consideration that they had just moved to avoid having to take transit. The operation is poorly managed.
On the positive side, the food tastes really good. Too bad...
Contributions +57
Great Brunch - Edit
We liked it a lot. Kid friendly. Good eats. Amazing vegan menu.
Pros: healthy, variety, friendly
Contributions +919
Sooo loud - Edit
To have a conversation with the people you're dining with when this place gets crowded - which is often - you have to almost yell. The tables are tightly packed together, too. They're making a KILLING at this Fresh location.
Other reviews have got their decent - but overpriced - menu pretty right, so I won't duplicate it.
An anecdote: some ignorant so-and-so brought a full fur coat into the place. A young woman got up, walked over to her table and mentioned - in a calm, casual voice - that it was a vegetarian restaurant and fur coats were upsetting to the diners for a number of reasons. This fur coat woman complained and the young lady was asked to leave. No joke. The owners are not even vegetarian: they just know a cash cow when they see one (see above).
Pros: huge menu, lots of greens
Cons: not veggie owners, overpriced, loud as heck
Contributions +167
Loved it! - Edit
My partner & I came here for lunch on a recent trip to Toronto and were both very impressed. It's pretty funky, nice decor and ambience - quite far removed from the usual bo-ho veggie places we are used to. I had a tofu wrap that was delicious, filling, and made me feel like I was eating something nice & healthy. My partner had a veggie burger with sweet potato fries, which was so nice, and quite different from the standard pre-packed veggie burgers you get in other places. The staff were nice and pleasant, and the price was good. We liked it so much, a few days later we went for dinner at 'Fresh on Spadina'!
Pros: Great, tasty food, Great choice, Good value for money
Contributions +27
Brunch is wonderful - Edit
My husband and I went there for brunch on a Saturday while visiting Toronto. We loved it. I ordered the pancakes which were wonderful, and fries and fried tofu. The fresh squeezed juice combinations are also good. My husband who is not a vegetarian liked his food as well which was a big plus.
Pros: Brunch selection, Fresh squeezed juices
Contributions +31
Too expensive for what you get - Edit
This place is insanely popular. While not one of my personal fav's, I end up going with non vegetarians fairly often-for some reason they can't get enough. The drinks/shoothies are great-but expensive. I find the wraps and burgers really dry. I can't in good conscience spend ten bucks on a rice bowl so i can't comment on them.
I like the dosa's and the coconut battered tempeh. All the sauces are delicious. The best thing about Fresh in my opinion is the soup. Every time i forget (or am too lazy) to pack my lunch i head over to Fresh (two subway stops from work) and grab a large soup for five dollars. I have never had a bad or even okay soup there. Every soup I've tried is great, even the one's that didn't sound very appetizing initially.
Overall, I find it overpriced but some items are of good value (soup and appetizers) and its a great spot for mixed veg/non veg diners.
Pros: great soup, great sauces, tofu
Cons: expensive, always crowded
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