It had been a long time since i had gone back to Fran's because we don't have one in Barrie. I went to Toronto for my 60th birthday. and thought i would check it out. I was seated quickly which was a surprise given how busy it is. it is a diner so you know what you are going to get. There was a buzz in the place as it is close to the Pride Parade route and a watch party for the Canada- South Africa fifa soccer game. Ok on to the food i had a waffle with mixed fruit , turkey bacon and home fries with a coffee. . The waffle was perfect crunchy on the outside and so fluffy on the inside with real maple syrup . The turkey bacon was cooked perfectly and the home fries were plentiful and so tasty . The price was less than 50 dollars which was a nice surprise and the service was great. This was a nice way to start my birthday thanks Fran's read more

This restaurant was in Downtown, close to St. Michael's Cathedral. We could actually walk to the restaurant after Christmas Mass at around 6pm. And the restaurant was open during Christmas. We had table of 7+1 where we have a baby. We had to wait for a while for our friends, and we only drank hot water, the server seemed not really like that. And he didn't let us know hot water would charge $1/person. It didn't seem to be really welcome. So we ordered some apps and drinks, then we approached to other place for mains. The wings we had were one with honey garlic and one with BBQ. They were decent. We might come back, but not the holidays! read more

Got a burger, milkshake, fried pickles and poutine. Pretty good, that salad was something I did not expect. No glass for the milkshake just the metal thing they make it in, and it was dense as hell. Pretty good for the price. Service was interesting. Dude seemed chill but I think he called us dude back. Left half way thru taking the order to go deal with something. When we left we were basically locked in the restaurant and someone had to move an ordering stand so we could leave... read more

Fran's Restaurant - Milkshake - Diners Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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Not open 24 hours as listed on website or building. Needed an early breakfast but did not open until 7 am.

Solid, classic diner food with good portions and decent prices. This wasn't a fancy establishment by any means - but exactly what you'd expect in a diner with the decor to prove it! Best thing I had was the pancakes... absolutely 5 stars on those! read more

Fran's Restaurant - Diners Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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Came here in the AM looking for a classic diner vibe. IMMEDIATELY got the ambiance we were looking for. We were seated right away and got our orders in very quickly. The server was very kind, our coffee mugs were never empty the food was just what we were looking for after a night out! Cozy, homey, and relaxing! Would definitely come back read more

Fran's Restaurant - Diners Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Fran's is a long standing Toronto institution serving up classic diner fare. I had the rainbow vegetarian eggs benedict which was not bad but was missing the asparagus. The food is pretty average here but this spot is nice for the old-school vibes. read more

Fran's Restaurant - Diners Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Service was quick. And the waiter was attentive and did a good job. We enjoyed our meal. The food was not out of this world delicious. However, it was quick and it did taste good. The sausage was definitely not what you get in the states. In a good way. I liked it. The portions were hearty! You will get enough food. The maple syrup with the French toast and pancakes was good. There is a seating area downstairs as well. It's a nice diner atmosphere. I will likely go back tomorrow and try something new. I definitely recommend. read more

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How do you review a diner that has been around for 80+ years? What can be said has already been said by critics and foodies of the past and yet I'm inclined to add my voice to the lot. Fran's represents a bygone golden era of shiny diners and the ambiance is still on display albeit a little duller and worn down. It's impressive that the restaurant is still in great shape and it's very clean which is important to me. However because it has been around for so long, it's feels old compared to the modern trappings of wood, metal, glass of newer establishments. Perhaps that works in its favour. Perhaps if Fran's decided to modernize and upgrade its interior, it would be lost among the other hundreds of restaurants off Yonge. Perhaps it should never change as a reminder of inexpensive and delicious food of what once was. And what a meal it was. I had the Big Breakfast (featured in the picture) consisting of two sausages, two bacon strips, two pancakes, two over easy eggs, home fries and rye toast. Jenny, my friendly and fast server delivered it with care and was on top of my coffee refills all throughout the meal. Everything was delicious, the bacon was crisp but not too much. The pancakes were sweet and fluffy. The home fries cooked perfectly crispy and seasoned. The eggs burst forth with a cut from my knife. The Rye toast whether it was made in house or ordered in was tasty. I can't find a fault in the food at all which is why Fran's has lasted for so long while other restaurants have come and gone. I hope Fran's continues to be there long after my lifetime as a reminder of what was but also what could be. I'll be back. read more

Fran's Restaurant - Big breakfast - Diners Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

I must be in the worst neighborhood for food in Toronto. This is the second place I've tried to eat today that was shockingly horrible. I guess Fran's is Chanda's version of Dennys... and we all know Dennys sucks, but this is way worse. Way worse. The food was stone cold when it arrived, nasty, and the coffee is horrid too. Luckily they serve it in a tiny little espresso shot cup. Don't be fooled. Anyhow, I know there is great food here somewhere. I'll find it. I'm here all week. read more

Great breakfast spot in the heart of downtown Toronto--just a 3-minute walk from the Eaton Centre shopping mall. The service was excellent, and the atmosphere inside was very warm and welcoming! read more

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Nothing fancy and little bit over priced. I got the chicken parm sandwich. It was ok, waiter was friendly and nice. Food came out dangerously quick. Cool diner vibes. read more

Fran's Restaurant - Chicken parmigiana sandwich - Diners Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Good size portion, quick service, retro booths and decor, huge tvs. Near College station. Diner vibes read more

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DECEMBER 2024 Update: Fran's Restaurant remains a Toronto favorite, with two well-placed locations: one on College Street near Yonge and the other on Shuter Street, east of Yonge. Known for its all-day menu and dependable comfort food, Fran's delivers a welcoming dining experience in the heart of the city. The two locations have ample comfortable seating ranging from 2 to 4 person booths If all-day breakfast is your go-to, the four-stack blueberry pancakes are a must. Topped with Fran's signature maple syrup and paired with soft, fluffy scrambled eggs and bold black coffee, it's a satisfying start to any day. For something more savory, the pictured Eggs Florentine Benedict is an excellent choice. Poached eggs sit atop a toasted English muffin, topped with a rich homemade Hollandaise sauce and served with crispy fries on the side--simple yet delicious. For more protein try the pictured Salmon Benedict (Eggs Blackstone) Seafood fans can't go wrong with Fran's Halibut Fish & Chips. The light, crispy batter pairs perfectly with tangy tartar sauce and creamy coleslaw, topped with Allen's Malt vinegar, making it a solid choice for lunch or dinner. Pair it with a cup of Fran's bottomless coffee for a complete, fuss-free meal. Fran's continues to shine as a reliable spot for comforting classics with a hint of nostalgia. Whether it's breakfast, lunch, or dinner, this Toronto institution delivers dishes atended by super friendly and efficient staff, that will keep this diner coming back. ... And no GST/HST until 14 Feb 2025! read more

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Solid breakfast as always. Having been here several times whenever I visit Toronto. Big portions, tasty food. I've always had a soft spot for old-school diners. Love the retro tables, chairs, and decorations. Our server was nice and attentive. Was craving pancakes. So I got some of those with maple bacon and eggs. Good coffee too. Of course inflation sucks for everybody, but the prices are definitely way higher, but that's the way the mop flops. We will always visit Frans at least once whenever I'm in Toronto again. read more

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2023: 24 hour diner conveniently located close to UofT and TMU. This has been a regular spot for so many years with their affordable prices and large menu. This time we got the ribs special and big breakfast. The food came fast and fresh, it's good but nothing outstanding. Generous portions, so I had leftovers. The interior is diner style with booth seating. They have 4 floors, which includes the basement and rooftop patio. Washrooms are downstairs. 2020: Our waiter was very nice, and proper measures were taken for the pandemic. There is a spacious rooftop patio for outdoor dining, and also a billiards table inside. The food is pretty average, good, but some overpriced. You are paying for the location. It's a great place to catch up with friends since it it near UofT campus. read more

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Basic all day breakfast foods. Stopped by for a quick and simple breakfast. I got the Traditional Two eggs breakfast which came with two eggs (I asked for over medium), choice of bacon or sausage , home fries and toast. I really enjoyed the sausages and home fries. My only complaint is that the food wasn't too hot. read more

Fran's Restaurant - Over medium eggs, sausage, home fries and toast - Diners Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Fran's is a diner! It has all of the diner fixings that you would expect. It's for sure better than a chain dinner - but the shine is a bit polished off. Inoffensive, but it really makes you yearn for this place to be a bit more. It's so close to great. read more

Food: 3 Stars Service: 4 Stars Ambience: 3 Stars Fill Factor: Filling I have been to Fran's only a few times prior to this visit and that was ages ago so I was pretty enthusiastic when my partner suggested it when we passed by. Fran's offers quite a few options on their menu and if you love your breakfast as much as I do then you'd be thrilled with their all day breakfast options. On this day however I decided to take another path and went with the meatloaf. I have probably had meatloaf less than 5 times in my life so I really don't know what constitutes a good meatloaf. The dish came with vegetables and my choice of fries, home fries, or salsa and nachos if I remember correctly. In terms of taste everything was pretty solid with the meat, gravy and onions being flavourful without being too salty or anything. Of course when you're in a diner you just have to order a milkshake. I got the strawberry milkshake which tasted great so no complaints there. The waitress we had was just delightful as she was friendly and talkative. I was having a rough day up to that point but her upbeat personality definitely perked me up. The decor in the restaurant is old school diner feel which was neat. I did feel however that the booths were a bit cramped as it felt very uncomfortable when the folks in the table next to us started coughing and sneezing. Overall I enjoyed this visit. To me Fran's is solid comfort food for those rough days or just want some all day breakfast. read more

Fran's Restaurant - The meatloaf - Diners Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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My husband and a friend and I went downtown for our annual Christmastime shopping jaunt, and decided to stop here for lunch. We waited a few minutes at the front before being seated. We were given our menus and seated at a cozy booth. The decor hasn't changed at all, still looks like a good ol' 50's style diner. We were all brought water immediately upon being seated, which was appreciated, and told our server would be with us shortly. Indeed she was. I ordered a decaf coffee (which never arrived. At least it didn't show up on the bill at the end of the meal.) I heard her repeat my decaf order so not sure whether they didn't have any or she just forgot. I went with fish and chips for my meal. Our friend went for a deluxe grilled cheese (I believe they call it something else but can't remember. It has grilled onions and bacons in addition.) There was a choice of Greek, Caesar or garden salad for the grilled cheese. For my fish and chips, it is standard with fries and slaw. The fish was very greasy, like the oil was not hot enough for a properly crisp fry. It was also very smooth and dark, like old frozen fillets. The inside was rather gooey instead of flaky. At least the fries were decent. The slaw was a little bland but ok. My husband was happy with his $9 strawberry shake, which was served in the metal cup it's prepared in. Our service was good apart from the forgotten coffee. I definitely would not order the fish and chips again if we came back. Still a solid landmark restaurant in the city. read more

When you sit on the chairs on the patio, please be careful, there are bed bugs on the chairs on the patio area. i got bitten many times around my legs. I ask the staff and complained about it (Marcy), she said she they can't really do about it. they don't treat it. so it's up to your own risk. It's just saddening that they don't do anything about it considering it's also a health risk especially they are a restaurant. read more

Fran's Restaurant - Diners Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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A great location as it's just across the street from College Park. Construction is currently bogging down all jaywalking attempts however. But worth the walk all the way to the traffic lights... My daughter and I shared the BIG breakfast, and still had some to spare! A great big portion! read more

Fran's Restaurant - So much food! - Diners Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Stopped here for breakfast as our first stop of the day. I had the chorizo and eggs, everything was good and came out hot; the hashbrowns were exceptionally hot - they were good alone, but ketchup made them better. The sautéed onions with the chorizo was good as well. Pleasant environment, has definitely maintained the 50's diner experience and I'm here for it! Service was good, our server was perfectly attentive. read more

Fran's Restaurant - Chorizo and eggs - Diners Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

We were looking for a quick bite on my bday and came across this old standard, the one and only original Frans! With a thorough Covid19 protocols, we were promptly seated and were promptly served. My friend ordered an all day breaksfast, I ordered the build your own omelets with egg whites. You can substitute for something more Keto friendly, like tomatoes and coleslaw instead of home fries and toast. All in all the service was good and the food was fairly decent. Just a quick tip when parking in the street. We didn't have the app downloaded and ended up getting a ticket for a few minutes over. -Zuk read more

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It was great google review but a bit overrated. No waiting for Sunday brunch. Nice ambience n friendly service. Food portions r big. We got poutine n steak, not a breakfast food but we wanted to try. Steak is well seasoned n nicely cooked. Poutine is too much sauces. read more

Fran's Restaurant - Diners Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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Stayed at a hotel where breakfast wasn't available at 5 am, so Frans delivery was pretty much the only option. Prolly would have tasted better dine-in. But the food delivered was pretty forgettable. The pancakes were the best part of the big breakfast I ordered. Scrambled eggs and sausage were dry. My wife's Montreal corn beef hash was also lackluster. Certainly better breakfast spots, but one of the few late night / early morning options available. read more

Food was amazing! Ambience was great. Service was quick and friendly even though there was only one wait staff for the whole restaurant. We had dinner before a concert and were in and out in less than hour. Would definitely return. read more

Had dinner here last night and it's a quiet little diner. There were two wait staff working, and a few people In the back. I saw some take out orders that weee going out the window. This place was a little slow for service, it took us a about 20 minutes to get our drinks, and the waitress left us alone for quite some time before coming back to get our dinner order. We also had to flag our server when we needed anything. The food is mediocre at best, I had the big breakfast, which was two pancakes, home fries, 3 sausages, 2 bacon, 3 eggs, and two slices or heavily buttered bread which I wanted toasted. Overall just meh. read more

The food, service, and ambiance are top notch at this classic diner. A definite must-do when in Toronto.

The most amazing experience. The drinks were delicious, I had a strawberry daiquiri and it was made to perfection. The chicken and waffles were so crispy and delicious with the maple syrup. They had a giant menu so it's a good choice for people with different tastes. Thank you Frans! read more

Fran's Restaurant - Chicken and waffles - Diners Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Good food, friendly staff, fair prices. You'll definitely get your fill here.convienent to all TTC stops. read more

Fran's Restaurant - Terrific greasy spoon, home cooking - Diners Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Service was excellent, and I like the feel of the diner. It's 50's style, with the firm cushions, and the tables come out from the wall with no legs so you don't bump into them. The chrome railings circle the tables (well, rectangle) so it feels like you're in box seats or something. Food was decent, but not fantastic. I had the Montreal Corned Beef Benedict, and Montreal Corned Beef is not that different from Canadian Bacon. read more

Breakfast is great. Do not ever order the quesadillas, as ours had zero cheese, as well as sweet chili sauce drowning the chicken to the point where it was leaking out of the takeout box. Nowhere on the menu does it say sweet chili chicken in the quesadillas, or god forbid i never would've ordered it. 1 star for the quesadillas, 1 star for the breakfast (it does not make up for the vile meal i just attempted to eat). read more

Fran's Restaurant - the disgusting chicken quesadillas - Diners Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

I had heard good things, but it honestly seemed kind of random :/ The entire menu was very basic and really only had the typical brunch items. The food was decent for what it was, but I think I would have liked to see some more variety. The service was also very mediocre - didn't really provide much help and wasn't very attentive so we just ate and left immediately. read more

Fran's Restaurant - Diners Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Walked past this cute diner and searched it up to see that it was super popular! It was pretty busy and I'm glad we got a seat in the restaurant (a day before the mandate lockdown) We got a booth by the corner and the waitress offered us some coffee. I noticed their sugar branding was Fran which was pretty cool. However they didn't have oat milk or almond milk so i was pretty disappointed as it should be pretty common to have non-cow milk in restaurants these days. I ordered a breakfast with poached eggs and turkey bacon, with a side of fruits and bread. It was pretty good, the eggs were cooked a bit odd, I've never seen poached eggs cooked like that, never less, still tasted good. I really enjoyed it. I stole a fry from my friends plate and it was really really good! Overall, a good restaurant, homey vibe, great price, what more can you ask for? Would definitely come again:) read more

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For a place that was a Toronto staple it sure has gone downhill. We went twice in the past year and both times we barely ate our terrible meals. Half chicken that tasted like it was reheated from a week ago. Yuck. Needing a password to use the washroom? Do better. Fran drescher is rolling in her grave with her name being trodden over with such bad food. Service was fine but who cares? Dog poop served in 5 minutes is still dog poop. read more

Went here for breakfast on the last day of my Toronto vacation. Absolutely loved this classic diner! It's been around since 1940 & the decor is very kitsch & reminiscent of that era. All of the employees were so attentive & kind, from the hosts, to the cooks, to our super sweet waitress. We chose to wait a bit to sit on the outdoor patio & considering Toronto was having a beautiful unseasonably warm day, it was worth it. My boyfriend & I both fixated on the Portobello Benedict with Hone Fries & shared a Mixed Berry Waffle. Everything was super delicious, flavourful & very filling yet crazy inexpensive! Definitely worth checking out. read more

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It's a diner. Expect diner food. It's good diner food. It's average diner staff. Prices are good. I am glad we went here for brunch. Got the corned beef Benedict and it was great. read more

Fran's Restaurant - Diners Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

I didn't know where to eat in the neighborhood so I followed the crowd and everyone seemed to be going here. The place was nostalgic which is usually a good sign but my and the other two in my group were underwhelmed by the food. The service and atmosphere were great. The waffles, eggs sausage (turkey) I had were meh. read more

Fran's Restaurant - Welcome to Fran's neon sign - Diners Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

I went with out of town friends as it was close by and child friendly. We were seated and served water very quickly which was nice on such a hot day. I loved the feel of the place; it reminded me of the diner I worked in as a teen. I've only been here once before and was looking forward to what was offered. I didn't want breakfast, and I felt dinner items were all hot, winter meals, and took a bit of time to decide on my dinner. I was thinking of the quesadillas and wish I had. I ended up picking the meatloaf with mashed potatoes and veggies. The vegetables were cooked to perfection; the mashed potatoes were quite lumpy which was very offputting. I like mine smooth; I'd rather have had fries or a salad if I'd known this was the way they were preapred. As for the meatloaf, I did not like it. The onions on top didn't really seemed cooked, just hunked on top with the gravy poured over. The meatloaf had a taste I cannot pinpoint, but I was disappointed. I ate it because that was my dinner, but I'd rather have not. I was surprised the children's pasta came with chunky tomato sauce. The child wasn't very impressed and pushed all the tomato sauce off saying it was lumpy and she didn't like it. Upon getting the bill, I was shocked that 4 people came to $150, but there was a shared appetizer and 2 alcoholic beverages. I had the Virgin Shirley Temple which ended up being $9.00. It was only $1 less than the alcoholic beverages my friends had. I couldn't believe it. I could have bought all the ingredients and made myself one - and more - for the same price. Our server was great, but I won't be rushing back. I certainly wouldn't be getting my meal again, and certainly not any drinks. Overall, I was disappointed and the odd taste of the meatloaf in my mouth. Big portions and great service is what Frans has, but after this time, not much else. read more