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Fran's Restaurant

3.3 (468 reviews)
Open • Open 24 hours

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FRAN'S RESTAURANT ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Casual
Moderate noise
Outdoor seating
Good for groups

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Recommended Reviews - Fran's Restaurant

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Bobby C.

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!

Tiffany W.

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.

French toast. $13.99. Side of bacon $5.99
Kevin H.

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.

Big breakfast
Daniel M.

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.

Chicken parmigiana sandwich
Ryan B.

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.

Antonio H.

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!

Phuong P.

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

Allen's Malt Vinegar
Hal C.

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!

Bar seating
Nipsy T.

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.

Menu
Eileen L.

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.

Over medium eggs, sausage, home fries and toast
Fiorella M.

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.

The meatloaf
Kervin H.

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.

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.

So much food!

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2 years ago

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2 years ago

Always great and attentive service. Amazing food. Great place to talk and enjoy a good meal with friends.

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3 years ago

Iconic place for me as I've grown up in TO. Sadly my entire families meal was cold. Cold eggs.

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A true diner. You can get pancakes or a grilled cheese at 9:00pm and to me that's something for everyone. The service is ok.

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8 years ago

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Hemingway's Restaurant - Clubhouse Sandwich, Jambalaya, Classic Cumberland Burger

Hemingway's Restaurant

3.2(344 reviews)
1.2 km•Yorkville
•$$

Came here with a large group for a trivia night! This was a fun spot for casual drinks and dinner…read more Given this was a special event, it was jam packed on the first floor but I was pleasantly surprised with how fast we got our orders taken and how quickly they came out. There was a lot of variety on the menu - I had the Thai Chicken Salad and I actually really enjoyed this! Tasted pretty fresh and the large portion size was very filling. Other standouts at the table included the fish and chips, Cumberland burger and Jambalaya. The prices reflect a typical Toronto pub in this area. There are a few separate floors but one thing I will call out is that it can get really hot in there - especially if you end up sitting right under one of their ceiling pot lights.

I liked the covered patio location with plenty of sunlight in the patio area if the weather is…read moregood, or indoor seating if that's your preference. Hemingway's is a combination pub and restaurant, with signs for various events (trivia night, and other I didn't catch a glance of), though leaning towards the pub side with TVs with sports on and a full bar. I went in the afternoon, a little after 12:30pm. We were seated quickly, but service was slow, and my part had to to wait for quite a while for the drinks, then much later, the food, to arrive. We pre-emptively asked for the bill when they arrived with the food since we weren't sure how long they would take to get back to our table in the afternoon. I got a Pineapple Mule, a zero proof drink and it was great. Tangy with a copper mug to make it a delightful sight. The food however, was pretty bland or too salty. I got a Kiwi lamb burger, which didn't have a strong flavor at all. I expect rosemary and lamb to shine, but I didn't get either in the burger. The burger toppings and the ketchup they handed me saved the meal. My party echoed flavor issues, but more so that their entrees were too salty. Mixed on the food being either too salty or too flavorless, but the portions were nicely sized at least and we had good drinks. Fries were decent at least, along with the poutine and calamari we got for the table. I would go again for the drinks and the shareables.

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Hemingway's Restaurant - Time for an IPA break.

Time for an IPA break.

Hemingway's Restaurant - Drinkipoo &Little snack!

Drinkipoo &Little snack!

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Crown & Dragon Pub - The three wing flavours we got

Crown & Dragon Pub

3.6(171 reviews)
1.4 km•Yorkville
•$$

Ok not sure how long this pup has been open buts it's been a long time. Was a regular on my wing…read morerotation spots in Toronto for years. Now that I don't live there it's been missed. Had and opportunity to revisit for a reunion with friends. Like going backwards in a Time Machine. Same decor tables Wow. The other thing that hadn't changed was the wings. Those award winning wing sauces were just as good as I remember. It was 1/2 price night place was lined up, but nobody was trying push us out to turn tables. We all agreed that we thought the wings were even better than we remembered. Service, even packed was friendly and timely. Want to try an independent wing place rather than a chain. Find your way to this place. Right on Yonge str so subway easy to get there. Do it.

Despite being showcased as an award winning wing spot in Toronto, Crown & Dragon underwhelms. To…read morestart, we got beers which weren't as cold and crispy as one might've liked. The wings came out extremely quickly, but somehow weren't as piping hot as you would expect. The quality of meat was just ok, and the wings are pretty average in size - the sauces were also solid but nothing to write home about. The fries were pretty greasy and didn't taste fresh at all, and the veggies had some dirt / residue on them. The dill sauce was very nice. Overall, I think there is a lot of room for improvement but also a lot of potential.

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Crown & Dragon Pub - Buffalo, key west bbq

Buffalo, key west bbq

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Earls - Bigger Better Burger, complete with tomato, onion, lettuce, pickles, mayo, and mustard on a brioche bun. We upgraded the dish to include the

Earls

3.8(22 reviews)
0.9 km•Yorkville, Discovery District, Downtown Core

I've been to a few Earls locations and have had hit/miss experiences. This was one of the better…read moreones, thankfully. The design of this location is nice because if you prefer a quieter seat, they have booths near the kitchen that seemed quieter than those near the bar/windows. Service was friendly and attentive, and we really enjoyed the happy hour specials! So much variety, and half off cocktails is always appreciated! All of us went for multiple fish tacos (yes, they were THAT good), and we happily shared some truffle fries and corn/avocado dip as well. However, I'd skip on the desserts. We got to try one of each dessert on the menu, and none impressed us :(

Really enjoyed Happy Hour at Earls Yorkville( inside Manife). Liked the whole restaurant was very…read morespacious, it was not noisy and service was very attentive. Food was served very quickly as well. Their happy hour is 3-6pm and when we walked in at 4:30pm on Monday it was pretty empty. Toward 6pm it was filling up quickly though. Salsa for comp chip & salsa was smokey and delish. Chips were fresh! Avocado & corn dip ($5 Happy hour exclusive) We did not know that they would serve us comp. chips/ salsa & ordered this. But no regrets! They served us plenty of Avocado dip. I liked that it was well seasoned but not salty. Fried chicken & pickle skewer( $12. Happy hour exclusive). Highly recommend this! Pressed salmon sushi($15) Surprisingly good. Liked the puffed rice on top and sauce was not overly sweet. Moscow Mule($7) Such a good value Rascal white wine ($9.13) Again great value Definately will return!

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Earls
Earls
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Amal - Dips Sampler: Baba Ghanoush, Hummus Basil and Muhammara

Amal

3.8(137 reviews)
1.1 km•Yorkville, Discovery District, Downtown Core

FOOD: Really good. Flavourful!…read more SERVICE: Superb AMBIANCE: The best factor. Extremely niche interior. 15/15.

There were 4 of us for dinner at Amal last night. This was the first time for all of us…read more We arrived for a 7pm reservation at around 6:55pm. We were seated and then greeted right away by our waitress. She gave us menus, but then didn't come back for about 15-20 minutes to take our drink orders. We each ordered a cocktail and they arrived within 5 mins. and all looked amazing. We had the Marissa Harissa which wasn't mine but I swapped for it because it was so tasty lol. It was spicy and a little sour and a little sweet. Very yum! I had ordered the Velvet Figue, which was tasty but a ittle on the sweet side for me. We also had the Amal Old Fashioned which was fantastic. My husband and I both said it was one of the best Old Fashioneds we'd ever had. The last one was the Amal Espresso Martini which was good but unremarkable. We waited about 20 minutes before our food orders were taken. We ordered several things to share. The first round came out around 10 minutes after ordering, which was good. We had the dip sampler and chose the hummus basil, baba ganoush and muhamarrah. The hummus basil was wonderfully smooth and had a great basil flavour. The baba ganoush was nice and creamy. The muhamarrah had a very nice flavour but was very sweet which was a little off-putting to me. I didn't hate it, but wouldn't order it again. We had the kibbeh which was fantastic. The texture and flavour were both perfect. We also had the spicy fingerlings which were great! They were very spicy and the sauce was lemony and so delicious. I actuallly mixed some with my muhamarrah to cut the sweetnss and that really helped. The rest of the food took about 20 minutes to arrive (after we finished the appetizers). We had the skewer platter for two and it was so delicious. The pistachio kabab was out of this world good. My sister doesn't usually enjoy lamb, but she liked this. It was spiced perfectly. The other two were very good too. We had the vermicelli rice, which was very nice. I make this at home so I'm familiar with it and really enjoyed it. The texture was perfect. Lastly, we had the pickle plate which was very interesting. The eggplant pickle was different from any pickle I've had before and was quite firm, which I wasn't expecting. It was tasty. We ordered a bottle of Lebanese red wine which was a very nice accompaniment to the skewers. All in all, it was a lovely evening. Our server was very nice and friendly and the food and drinks were very good. The 4-star rating is partly because of the very slow speed at which the food came out. I'd have given 4.5 stars if that was an option We would return.

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Amal - Interior

Interior

Amal - Amal's humus

Amal's humus

Amal - Interior

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Interior

Fran's Restaurant - diners - Updated May 2026

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