Came before a concert and sat at the bar. Great food, great drinks. Chatted with the owner. Will 100% be back.

We ate there last night. The food was incredibly fresh. The service was fast and courteous. Our wait-person was so accommodating after our grand daughter dropped her glass of juice, and she brought her another one. I just found the fires to be a bit too salty. The aioli helped to offset that, though. Very trendy place and seems to be a millennial hotspot. I would recommend. read more

Eastside Social - Calamari - Seafood Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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Mid week dinner!!! And it was the best choice !!!! It was quiet but the patio out back was busy. I did enjoy the quietness inside the dining room. The service was great, our server was very attentive and made some delicious recommendations !! Definitely will come back! read more

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Service was great. Pasta with shrimp had odd flavouring. Noise level was deafening. Eventually moved to bar area for a quieter atmosphere.

Somewhat longer than usual serving time. Not crowded but loud on a weekend brunch time. Have seen it crowded in the night. Service is straightforward nothing bad about it. Tasty food for brunch but not worth trying again. The dinner and bar menu have more options especially for seafood. read more

The food here is pretty good, the vibes were chill and servers were nice. The place is a but dark and kinda small with not much seating. We got the fish and chips, oxtail risotto and burrata. Everything was super delicious, fish and chips were light crispy not soggy at all, risotto was super creamy and flavourful with the oxtail, burrata was also very tasty. Will definitely come here again to check out their other items on the menu. read more

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This was a great spot for a casual dinner. I really liked the vibe of the space and servers. Relaxed and friendly with a hint of hip! The food was quality and well prepared. I had two appetizers. The beet salad was enough to share and fresh. The pork belly was the star, well balanced with the puréed celeriac. The sourdough bread was nice and chewy. The mock Caesar was good too! It was a touch loud but there was a table of 12 across from us. No issues. read more

This restaurant is a favourite of my son. He took me there for my birthday. It's a cosy space. The server was 10/10. She was attentive and funny. We both had steak frites. Cooked to order. Delicious. Wine prices range from affordable to money is no object. It was a memorable evening. read more

Made a reservation here for my dad's bday. It took a while to get seated, however, we did arrive a tad early for our reservation. Once seated, you have to scan a QR code for the menu (would have preferred paper menus). The vibes of the dining room were the study of an interesting and worldly person, with a cozy decor, bookcases and fishing decor (but a modern touch). The food we ordered was on the smaller size for portion size however the food was delicious. The server was nice and was able to provide a dessert free of charge for my dad. We will be coming back here for sure! (P.S. 2 for 1 oysters on Wednesdays!) read more

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Wow where can i even start? Honestly was looking for a place for my girlfriends to celebrate a birthday. This place knocked it out of the park. The atmosphere and vibes were amazing! The staff was extremely kind/friendly and our waiter was just soo funny and entertaining but attentive as well. Food was delicious as well - the oysters were really fresh, clam chowder was soo good and not too heavy/thick, recommend the ox tail risotto and i loved their twist to their broccoli dish! I will definitely come back read more

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Tasty food, good quality, pricey but worth it. My wife and I had lunch here and got: - Molasses Bread: OMG this alone would make me come back! The bread is homemade goodness, while the miso flavour of the butter really differentiates it. - Grilled Octopus: Octopus is a great test of how good a restaurant does seafood. Eastside Social kills it - great grill and char, with the meat ever-so-tender. Only downside is the portion size is really small for the price. - Fish and Chips: Haddock is meaty and the batter coating is tasty and not overly thick. Fries are thick and on the right side of saltiness, and the slaw is sweet and refreshing. Only quibble is I would have liked two pieces of fish for the price. - Mussell Frites: Undisputed star of the meal. Mussels were fresh and plentiful and perfectly cooked (not rubbery at all). The sauce was amazing (white wine that was spiced up with garlic and chili flakes). And of course, those yummy fries again. - Eastside Mess: Perfect capper to the meal, this dessert is summer on a plate. The lemon curd is properly sour, the berries are properly fresh, the meringue chunks add a pop of texture and sweetness, and the chantilly cream finishes it off. Service is quick and friendly, with great suggestions. Overall, Eastside Social was an absolute delight. read more

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Everything was oversalted. and overcooked. even the French fries A very limited menu. No sides, no soup, only salad is kale. Mot even good enough to call it bar food. The service was good enough. Weird decor. high prices for bad food. Cannot recommend it! read more

First time here and I was pleasantly surprised by the size of their back patio! It was definitely a vibe and better than sitting on the Queen Street 'patio' beside the traffic. This place is a solid 4/5. We started with the sea bream tostada which was a ceviche. It was REALLY good except that the portion was really small for $22. Definitely not enough if you're the kind to think, "I'll get two appetizers as a meal". BF had the risotto, which was really only OK. It definitely needed salt, and tasted like it was simmered in a veggie broth and not a chicken broth, which would have made it more flavourful. I wouldn't recommend it. I had the mussels frites and I was surprised by the portion of the mussels. They were cooked well, and we were happy to have the fries after the small appetizer. Would come back to try the fish tacos. read more

It was kinda fancy, but the interior was kinda tight... not worth the prices. The potato's that came with brunch were delicious!!!

Staying in a different part of Toronto we weren't as familiar with the food scene so we checked out the list of hot restaurants East of Toronto I think he TO blog and that's how we found Eastside Social. The interior makes you feel like you're at a comfortable dinner party at a close friends house and our waiter made us feel equally at home. He didn't introduce himself but from what others have posted I'm assuming it was Marty. Wisecrackingly funny and engaging! We started with two delicious cocktails - the salty dog and dill on dill - both were outstanding but I wanted to bathe in the dill on dill. Despite some other reviews saying the calamari was salty we decided to give it a try - DO IT!! Best calamari I've ever had! Marty said the trick is potato starch! Light and perfectly cooked- we asked for a wedge of lemon that cut the saltiness a bit . We split the fish tacos - unlike any fish taco we've had before ... again super light and fluffy ... and the ahi tuna on the crisp rice cake! Outstanding! 4 stars instead of 5 as we felt a bit forgotten once we ordered drinks and rushed when they brought the calamari... timing in service/kitchen seems way off - people eating their calamari before we even ordered got their mains AFTER we were done with ours. Our mains came as we were just tucking into the calamari But the food and ambiance = 5 read more

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Once again another excellent meal served by amazing staff! Menu has changed. Some new items like the East Side Mess dessert. Berries, meringue and a creamy deliciousness! So freaking delicious! Donairs are now a lunch only option. Sad face. Steak done to perfection. Clam chowder was yum! Beet salad to go, for lunch tomorrow. And Marty was here tonight. Crazy funny guy! Love him! read more

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The service here stands out. I don't want to take away from the excellent food, but the staff makes this place shine. I brought my girlfriend here on her birthday, and our server made out night easy and memorable. I've tried the fish and chips, poké bowl, fries, and muscles here and have enjoyed every bite. I am looking forward to enjoying the beautiful patio once again in the summer. read more

Been many times but last night's fish and chips were awful. Soggy breading inside, fish had almost no seasoning and was a terrible texture. Chips were not edible due to oversalting. Server was fabulous,said she would replace the fish but why bother. I had no expectation of an improved plate. Dessert was great. Friend's risotto was good but oversalted as well. Again, server was amazing and saved the night. read more

Great find in Leslieville! We were seated in the back patio and it was well decorated and secluded from the hustle and bustle of busy Queen St E. We got the shared punch bowl for 4 and it was a great value to share drinks amongst a group. Had the mussels and the sauce it was cooked in was amazing. Service was friendly and nice. We were immediately greeted and served. Food and drinks came fast. Would definitely recommend and come back again. read more

Cozy setting and fun dishes - but impersonal and rushed service; oversalted and overseasoned food; explicit time pressure to finish meal; and very loud environment. Given these problems, the experience wasn't worth it overall. read more

Had brunch at this bustling, traditional pub with fun decor. The menu is not too sprawling, but has memorable brunch menu items - we had the breakfast tacos and mushroom hash, together with the molasses bread. There are more items to explore, so ample reasons to come back! read more

Patio is a hidden gem in Leslieville and the brunch was just perfect. They have excellent portion sizes and food is fresh and fast.

Came here while I was visiting a friend in Toronto. This was a very cute pub. We ordered the fillet "Oh" fish sandwich which was excellent then we had the burger was very good and filling. However the clam chowder was meh, very watery and not a lot of clams. The grilled octopus was salty but had a nice char to it. Next time I visit I'd order the fish sandwich again. read more

Eastside Social - Grilled octopus, a bit on the salty side. - Seafood Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Busy spot in Leslieville. The burger was ok and came with a huge amount of fries, the oysters were good, though the best dish of the night was the cauliflower (though I've never seen cauliflower listed as Market-Price) which was a healthy portion though pricier than expected. Service was good and overall a good experience. read more

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Food: Oysters are nice and fresh for $3@ on a Friday night. The homemade bread was great that we had to order an extra plate. The scallops were perfectly cooked; they were creamy, but the risotto that came with the scallops was a huge disappointment. It was grainy and flavorless. The mussels and fries were ok. The fries outshone the mussels. The mussels were cooked in a very runny Thai sauce and was a bit over cooked so they became chewy. The crispy cauliflower weren't crispy at all and was too sweet. The grilled octopus was tender. Service: there was only one server serving 7 tables, and he enjoyed socializing with guests so it did take very long for us to get our orders in and to our glasses refilled. Atmosphere: it's my first time there, so I don't know if it was typical that the place was noisy or not. I am not a fan of loud guests, but there was this one table that was so loud, and whenever the server went over to their table, it got even louder... Overall, the food was ok, service was slow but it was quite loud in the restaurant which made the whole experience less enjoyable for me. read more

Really wanted to like this place but fell short with service and the entrees. The bartender had no personality and was quite brusque, clearly the lady who sat beside us also wasn't impressed. Our Server forgot our fries, which I know happens but didn't feel like she really cared or wanted to do anything to redeem the small mishap. When it comes to food, Monday half price wine and $2 oyster were a steal but the entrees lacked luster and taste. Chowder was good, great consistency and flavorful. My fish taco was mushy and his fish special wasn't so special. There was a gentleman who looked like the owner who was approachable and friendly. I think if the rest of the staff had his enthusiasm then this restaurant would be amazing. The space is charming and cosy. read more

Thought I put a review of this already... but turns out I didn't! Anyhow, apologize in advance for the bad quality pics :(. The restaurant was spacious with a nice patio at the back. Service was attentive but then there was only 2 tables that night (on Sunday) so lol.. -Complimentary Dark Molasses Bread: The bread was significantly denser and I'm usually not a fan of those, and I found the taste to be bitter yet sweet at the same time? -Grilled Octopus - $20 the server warned me that this dish would be quite garlicky, and he was completely right! The octopus was tender and charred just right to bring out the flavors. With that said, the dish was too salty and heavy because of that puddle of olive oil. I love garlic and I thought this was a bit too much for me as well, and it was incredibly spicy because of the red chilies! -Salmon Tartare - $17 The salmon was buttery light and fresh, I liked how the soy & lime vinaigrette wasn't too overpowering and complimented the fish perfectly. With that said, the dish was overly salted as well... read more

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Booked a reservation online and when I came in they greeted me by name. Don't be fooled by the double entrance, it's the one to the left. Super clean and cute place to have dinner and drinks. This is the kind of place that is a bit pricey, but well worth it. The waiter was fantastic and the food was even better. Get the molasses bread, just do it. My mouth is salivating just thinking about it. The PEI oysters and their daily pasta special was superb. Just perfect. read more

Eastside Social - Seafood Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

We need a quick restroom so we stopped here! Immediately noticed grilled octopus on the menu! This is pretty excellent!! It's to die for! Texture and char is perfect--possibly the best I've had in Canada. Our server made our stay. A must stop on Queen! read more

We had a great evening!! Loved our waiter with all his dripping kindness and polite hostility. Always loved a good side eye roll. He was truly the STAR of the evening. The food did run a close race though. We started with the Calamari, which was very good (a tad salty but not enough to create any disappointment) and then the Grilled Octopus.. which is divine!! Highly recommend both. Then Cleaned our palette with some fresh oysters and prepared for the Entrees. Entrees were a combination of Fish Tacos (Very Good) Kanpachi (Excellent) and Steak Frites (Very Good) and sharing the Crispy Kung Pao Salad (sooo Good!!) The table next to us were enjoying Steamed Mussels and the Mussels Carbonara Pasta and it looked and smelled amazing. Judging by the way they cleaned their plates... I am very confident to share that it must have pretty Damn Good! I was a tad concerned going to this restaurant after looking at some of the reviews on Yelp... and must say I am glad that I didn't listen. Whoever is concerned about the portions sizes... Seriously! Get over it!! The portions are perfect!! Not the typical American roll yourself away from the table and waddled out the door. Instead we enjoy the perfect amount of food that tickled our tastebud and left us comfortable and wanting more but glad that we had just the right amount to leave gracefully, with a spring in our step that comes from just the right amount of alcohol, balanced with the perfect flavors that we will remember fondly as we continued our conversation from dinner reminiscing and laughing about the evenings events. The whole restaurant has a great vibe and I would not hesitate to come alone and hang at the bar and treat myself to a night out and enjoy again the food and the amusing staff and perhaps indulge in a conversation with a stranger. Loved it and will sending all my friends who will be in Toronto for Canada Day to enjoy a meal and some classic waiter entertainment. :) Truly a Hidden Gem in Plain sight on Queen Street. What are you still reading this for... Just go... see for yourself. read more

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IT'S PATIO SEASON!! Came for dinner on a weekday with my boyfriend. At first we thought the restaurant was totally empty, but lo and behold, the patio was revealed to us in the back and was pretty much packed. We scored a corner seat and was given water promptly (it was pretty much filled the whole night). The patio is covered with umbrellas and fenced up. Absolutely beautiful on a summer evening (even better with some summery drinks). We got: POACHED PEAR WITH PROSCIUTTO AND GRILLED HALLOUMI (15.00) Picked Currents with Port and Prosecco Reduction *mwah* So decadent! I wasn't feeling too hungry so this was all mine and you get 3 pieces with it. I would say it's a bit pricey for what you're getting, but hell it's good. FISH TACOS (13.00 + Add extra taco 6.00) Cabbage & Apple Slaw, Chipotle Aioli 2 tacos, which are both sooooooo good. Yes I've been to Seven Lives. I would say these tacos are pretty much on par. The service was great; servers attentive and personable. Overall, might stop by this place again to try their other dishes. It's like fancy/pricey tapas type food w/o the pretentiousness. read more

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My wife and I found this place online ironically and decided to check it out. It was listed in a TO blog or some sort of article. I'm glad we checked it out as it was different from many other places we've dined at. Entering East Side Social we were met by a bartender behind the bar with a smile, and the friendly hostess. Promptly we were seated. Luckily for us we got there around 6, being the 3rd table to seat. Shortly after we sat, the place was booming. A small group gathered, several couples arrived, and a father with his young daughter were noted to be on a "date" night. Almost all the tables were taken. The diningroom is bright enough for dinner, but soft and low enough for comfort. I'd like to be able to describe the decor but it won't do it justice. You'll have to see the pictures. Getting to the food, it was delicious. It was different. My wife had the fish tacos which were not too far off from some others she's had elsewhere in the past, but the flavours were quite rich and filling. I had the grilled octopus, and although I found it quite flavorful, it was a slightly saltier, heavier dish filled with oil. I would get it again, but my wife and I agreed that getting only one of our two dishes to share and a salad would've been a better balanced lighter meal. Especially since we had the daily bread and beer as a starter. I don't think it helped that we also had french fries with the dinner - but it was still great overall. Just beware some dishes are heavy and salty. The staff are really nice and professional. They're casual which fits into the coolness of the beaches (and my personality) but because they all wear black they easily pull off the professional style. This place is on my list of restaurants I'll be visiting again. Check it out if you're in the area, you'll enjoy yourself no doubt. read more

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marty is the best server in toronto. make sure you go on marty monday for the 80's tunes and half price wine (get the booze bucket anyways) fish tacos are the best!!! oysters are next level. read more

Eastside Social - Best fish tacos ever. - Seafood Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Grilled octopus was good but not Great. Mine was burnt a bit. The texture was awesome though. I didn't like the mountain of oil on my plate and I felt wasteful leaving it there. The staff is were pleasant and attentive. Jokes here and there, cleaned the table when we made a mess of the Japanese cheesecake. Parking was easy, on the street, right inside. The atmosphere was good. Would come back again in distant future. read more

We had a great meal here last night even though they were slammed and short on staff. The service was attentive and friendly to the right degree. Homemade molasses bread is dense, sweet and just like East Coast style as is the chowder. We ordered a variety of items at our table and nobody was disappointed. They cook the seafood very skilfully - and importantly there is not a lot of garlic being flung into everything. The flavours are nice and subtle. the Kung Pao style cauliflower appetizer was especially delicious. definitely recommended. read more

There's been a lot of hype about Eastside Social but I was definitely a little skeptical seeing the menu items from the initial reviews (Torontolife, BlogTO) and the pricing associated with it. I've come to learn that sharing plates are generally a little bit more expensive for the portion size so you really have to appreciate the flavours, the people you're with and hope you're getting an overall great experience. When I walked in just after 6pm, I was greeted by really friendly people and I was surprised that the place was empty, hearing that reservations have been filling up quite often and it was hard to get a seat. However, I got my table of choice, by the giant window, with the opportunity to people watch :) After my guests arrived, we all ordered glasses of wine.. which showed up in rather odd little cups- the kind that your kids would drink grape juice out of, or very small glasses of chocolate milk at a breakfast restaurant (from my recollection of working at one). Very unconventional... We ordered a few items to eat and share - - Devilled Eggs - Sea Bream Ceviche w. Taro Chips - Market Salad w. Smoked Trout - Cod Fritters w. two types of sauces - Surf & Turf Tacos I didn't get to try the devilled eggs, but I was told that compared to the ones at County Snack Bar, this really didn't compare. I'm a pretty big fan of Tacos and didn't get to try these either... but no one really raved / talked about them after eating them, which is never a good sign. I had the Market Salad w. Smoked Trout and was pretty disappointed. The Smoked Trout was extremely salty and was really dried out like it was over smoked, to be honest. The pieces of trout was minimal, and within the salad, there were pieces of pepper that I was NOT ready for... so be aware of the spice. The light pieces of "pepper" are not what they seem. Overall, a dish full of unpleasant surprises. The Cod Fritters were dry, and did not have much flavour at all... another subpar dish. We could not stress enough how much we didn't want Cilantro in our dishes - one of our guests really did not enjoy it and even the slightest bit would lead to avoidance. Yet when the ceviche came out, at first sight, she noticed it and questioned whether there was CILANTRO!? And the waitress thought for a second and claimed.. yes there may be a slight bit..... I don't know how much this was stressed so the lack of detail was extremely off pudding. There was no effort to make this right. I was okay with eating it and thoroughly have really enjoyed ceviche.... but this was way too tart from the overwhelming amount of grapefruit. There was nothing to balance out the sourness of flavours, and the hardness of the taro chips did not help. After writing this review.... I've changed my rating from 3 to 2 stars. Our friends paid for the meal and I'm sure it wasn't cheap so I hope they enjoyed our company, because I enjoyed theirs much more than I enjoyed the overall meal. Sadness :( read more

Went for our4th time last night. Previous 3 times were great but something changed. The menu is different. The plates are different. It used to be down to earth East Coast, it feels like they're trying to be "Toronto" now. The chowder- previously perfect, is now bland and soupy. My main- the skate schnitzel - previously a hit was flavourless. Did they run out of herbs and spices? Now the kicker... We didn't get our food for an HOUR after we were seated. When i asked the waiter he said, "yes there is a 25 min waiting time for food." No apology. No explanation. Not even acknowledgement we had been sitting with empty drinks and water glasses. Sadly crossing off this one from our neighbourhood round. Let me know when you guys get your act back together. read more

People may rave about dinner service in this latest new joint in the ever-changing Leslieville restaurant/brunch scene. But although the menu offerings are the same no matter what time it is, I find the experience at Eastside Social seems quite underrated compared to other places around here you and most others could go to for a weekend daytime stomach fill. Get past the emptiness; let's get nautical, nautical. Nothing's fishy about it; the quaint nautical themed decor everywhere anchors the restaurant's emphasis on light seafood and Maritime-themed fare, without making you feel like it's a seafood restaurant-great for those like myself who aren't big on choking on oysters, as well as those that do. Arrrrg, Eastside certainly makes for a decent choice for a classy date night meal setting, because who the hell wants to go to a greasy dump seafood joint for a date? The freshly smoked trout (smoked in-house) puts all those supermarket frozen smoked salmon stuff to shame and is a must-have for any smoked fish fan-the flavours are just smokin' fresh and heavenly! The Yorkshire pudding poutine ($15) was fun to eat (a demi-glace is used in place of the requisite gravy, offering an different kind of beefiness). Service was very warm, all that is missing is more people to fill the seats on a Sunday afternoon. {TTC: take the 72 bus or the 501-2-3 to Queen/Carlaw} read more

Over priced for the food. Oysters on special are $3, grilled octopus was good but swimming in olive oil, I wouldn't get it again. Fish tacos were just ok, pear prosciutto with halloumi app is over priced, you get 3 pieces and it isn't amazing. Given the small menu I hoped they would do their dishes extremely well. I give 3 stars for the atmosphere, service, and homemade bread. read more

I went back to Eastside social and I'm very glad I did. The second time I went there to give them another chance, just because I'm in that part of town often, I called before and booked a table for two on a Thursday night. The food was fantastic and the win was amazing. The prices are steep, but that seems to be the new norm in town. The staff were very friendly, they helped us with finding this one wine that they had on their list and we fell in love with. So I kept going back there every month or so and the bartender, sadly I don't know her name but she is very lovely, remembered me to my surprise!!! So a couple of weeks ago I had some visitors from Dubai and I decided to take them there. They were shortstaffed so the owner was there helping serve people. Let me tell you he was great he was honest and upfront he told us that there was going to be delays in service because they were shortstaffed. I truly appreciate that kind of honesty. Because this sort of thing can happen to any restaurant and it's not their fault obviously, but most places would just pretend like nothings wrong and expect the patrons to put up with it. But these guys were actually honest and upfront which in turn translates into the patrons being understanding of the situation. Did I say most dishes are amazing? My most favourite one is the grilled octopus and the one I was talking about is Montelpelchiano! read more