THIS IS BY FAR MY MOST HORRENDOUS RESTAURANT EXPERIENCE. To sum up for those who won't read my essay of a review: we arrived at 8, our mains came at 10:45 we tried to leave because the food was taking too long the manger promised to comp our drinks if we stayed for mains and then refused to do so once we ate and then threatened to call the police when we argued that they had lied to us to get us to stay and eat. So the essy begins... Myself and 7 other friends made a reservation over the phone on Tuesday to go to King Rustic on the same Friday at 8 for a small celebratory dinner. We arrived promptly at 8 and notified the hostess that we had a reservation, we were met with blank stares and then asked when we made the reservation and if we made it over the phone. it was clear they did not have a table ready for us so we waited about 5 minutes while they scrambled to push tables together to accommodate us which was fine it wasn't a very big deal. we then ordered drink and appetizers. The drinks came in a reasonable amount of time but the appetizers took about 45 minutes ... Yes FORTY-FIVE MInutes! The Sangria tasted like watered down fruitopia, we ordered 3 pitchers and between 3 girls we had 6 glasses each. My friend who is under 5 feet, under 100lbs didnt even have a buzz she would normally be pissed drunk after that many drinks. so Im summary there was little if any alcohol in out Sangria. For appetizers we ordered 1 fried chicken, 1 cheese dip and 1 nacho. the friend chicken was very nice (my favourite thing), cheese dip was pleasant, the nachos were mediocre as best some of the chips were soggy. we then placed out main orders, after I kid you not another 45 mins of waiting we flagged down our waitress to see what was going on it was now 10:30 and we did not have main courses. She said she could check and get back to us. She returned to our table to inform us that they were out of beef burgers which 2 of us had ordered but that they have chicken or turkey burgers available (cant remember which) we agreed to the substitution about 10 mins she started bringing two main courses out. The burgers that were ordered we ordered with cajun fries they came with mashed potatoes, we informed the waitress we ordered Cajun fries and she said the kitchen was out of cajun fries. So at this point the only thing on my plate that was not a substitution was the burger buns. She asked if i wanted to order something else, I said okay.... I said "I'll have the fish tacos" she said " sorry we're out of fish tacos". I said "okay, I will have the friend chicken" she replied "I'm so sorry we're out of friend chicken" At this point I was obviously frustrated. So we said you know what we're just gonna get the bills for the apps and the drinks and go. The manager then came carrying in his hand two new burgers WITH the cajun fries we were told just 5 minutes ago they were out of. We explained our situation and that we would simply pay and leave. He apologized and said he really wanted us to have our main courses because they were ready and that he would comp our drinks. We were reluctant but he insisted so we decided to stay. at this point 2 of the 8 who couldn't wait any longer had left. They brought all 8 main courses anyways. The food was mediocre it was simply edible. When the bill came none of the drinks we comped we asked why the manager then said he would only comp 4 beers. The table drank 4 bottles of wine, 3 pitchers of Sangria in addition to the 4 beer and this was all before the offered to comp us so we were prepared to pay for everything we consumed. But they refused and when my friend and I went up to explain that we completely understand why they won't comp the bottles of wine as we expected that they wouldnt and that they are making us pay for food we didnt even want to eat, we basically did them a favour by staying and paying for food that took an hour to come the least they can do is comp the sangria and beers like promised, the female manager said if we did not pay our bills and leave she was going to call the police. IT WAS A HORRENDOUS EXPERIENCE. I WOULD NEVER IN MY LIFE SET FOOT BACK INTO THIS RESTAURANT!!!! read more

*** 3-1/2 STARS *** I was here with a group of 7 people last week for dinner. I was also surprised there hasn't been any reviews anywhere and I was even more surprised that I live a couple blocks away often get takeout at Sushi 930 next door and never knew this place existed -- it has been open since the beginning of last December. The space was once Saviari Tea & Cocktail Lounge, which was an interesting concept, but was plagued by a rather cheap and uninviting atmosphere and always lacking in customers. I had my doubts about this restaurant when I first saw their menu online. Their food is claimed to be rustic fusion, which sounds rather like a cop out and their dishes sounded lack-lustre with nothing that really stands out. When I arrived at the restaurant I noticed they did a good job in transforming the once bleak space into a place that is much more warm and welcoming. In keeping with the rustic theme, there is lots of rustic wood furniture and paneling, rustic nik-naks, and the proverbial Edison bulb light fixtures everywhere. While the space is much improved, however the restaurant feels a bit odd, as the floor was dominated by a couple rows of large bar-height tables down the middle of the restaurant with dining tables on either side. This lack of room and flow seemed to make it difficult for the servers to attend to their diners and it makes walking to the bar or bathroom more cumbersome. The TV sitting at the end of the bar was on the Rogers channel preview channel and was very distracting. The rustic themed effort of the restaurant felt almost like a Lone Star restaurant trying to be hipster, which the atmosphere seemed to be a bit off or not quite put together. The music was a mix of electronic and funk, which I liked but was played way too loud, especially when there were not that many people there. I started off with their Apple Crown cocktail which on the menu said it was a must try, which I did and it was very tasty. It was Crown Royal with lemon tea, infused honey, house made bitters, dusted with cinnamon with a dried apple slice on top of a large cube of ice. It wasn't overly sweet and had enough booze which I really liked. I would order this again, though they had a nice and interesting cocktail menu selection. My table had a couple orders of the brie appetizer which was baked brie topped with toasted pine nuts and drizzled with honey and served with slices of ciabatta, they all really liked it. I had a really hard time ordering my main course as nothing really stood out and many of the dishes were either very simple or served with tomato sauce which seemed like a very easy and had potential of being bad (at least in my experience). The menu was a mix of Italian, English pub, Mediterranean, and bits of other cuisines, so it really had no focus which was why I was having trouble ordering something I would really like -- everything felt really safe. I went with the hangar steak as I was craving steak. I wanted their perogie dish, but they didn't have any that night. I requested the steak be cooked medium-rare but more on the rare side. I found the beef on the tough side despite being perfectly cooked, but it was well seasoned and nice flavor. The sides of mashed potatoes tasted creamy and buttery good, the asparagus was tender, however the side salad was barely dressed and dry and the odd side of guacamole didn't go with anything on this dish and I didn't care for it. A salsa verde or chimichurri sauce would be much more welcomed here. Every else in my party seemed to like their dishes, though someone had a side of brussel sprouts which arrived cold and was overcooked and too soft. One dish that looked really impressive was their Double Grilled Cheese Beef Sliders. The dish came with two sliders and they were much larger and substantial than your typical slider. It was essentially a burger inside a grilled cheese sandwich, brilliant! I will definitely order that next time. The waiter was nice enough to give us a complementary sample of tiramisu for dessert as we were all too full from dinner. Even though I am not a big dessert person I really liked the tiramisu and would order it if I was hungry enough for dessert. Overall I thought my dinner experience was good, but it still needs improvement which is understandable as this restaurant has only been open for less than two months with little business or publicity. Also there was only one person working the front of house -- he was the waiter and bartender for the entire restaurant when we were there which made for slow and spotty service, but he was very nice and courteous and greatly appreciated our patronage. An extra wait staff would definitely improve things. I'm sure they will iron things out with their service as they get more customers and experience. I will definitely check back in a few months. read more

Food was delicious. If you are looking for fantastic comfort food this is your place. We have walked by so many times and the perogies caught our eye. The sauce on the Swedish meatballs rocked. As do the garlic mashed potatoes. No need to head to the local pubs - this is way better bang for your buck. Seriously give it a try. read more

I went here for a dinner with my friends. I had previously booked a table for 3 people and specified that I would be there at 8:15. When I arrived, there were no parking spaces, so it took us about 10 minutes to find one. After I went inside to sit, they told me that they had given our table to another group, as we were "late". There was no call to inform us that they were doing so, and they sat us down at a small table suited for 2 people. As for the food itself, it was good, but not excellent, worth the price however. read more

Tried this place tonight for the first time based on other reviews - it was FANTASTIC! The staff is awesome and accommodating, super friendly and helpful which just adds to the experience. But when it gets right down to it, it's about the food, and it did not disappoint. The portions were great, the food was so fresh and delicious and the drinks excellent. Happy to say the only thing that out did the quality of the staff was the food - win win! read more

While we were staying at the Thompson hotel last week in Downtown Toronto, i asked one of the staff if there was a place around the area that me and my friends can go and have a great time. They recommended us King Rustic, we went there we were astounded, it reminded us of a place that we always go in New York City. We sat down, the waiter took care of us right away with a big smile, we felt so welcoming. We look at the menu and is great, their food selection gives everything from Perogies to Spanish Adobe meatballs. It was hard for and my friends to decide what to order because everything sounded exquisite. I personally started with the spinach dip and then i ordered the Grilled Chicken Cajun style, so delicious and to drink i had a Vodka Martini on the rocks with three olives which it was perfectly made by the bartender. In our opinion between fusion foods is one of the hottest trends in the world, and i've been to a lot of places. By the way if anyone who doesn't understand what fusion inspired cooking means, it's the combination of elements from different culinary traditions. My friends and i are more than happy with the service, the drinks and the food. We're definitely visit King Rustic again, that's for sure. read more

Some very tasty - albeit rich - dishes, like their baked camembert. Decor is fun, bar stock is good. But it is way way way too noisy to bear! Can't go back. read more

Came with kind of low expectations due to the last merchant that was in this space. The decor was proper I was surprised once I got in there. The server was extra nice and you could tell she cared. I feel like the cocktails were the real highlight which isn't broadcasted enough on the website and in the marketing. Love dem King Cubes. The meatball sub was real good and the cajun chicken wasnt all that. I feel like it was lacking a bit of flavour. I love brussel sprouts and I thoroughly enjoyed King Rustics. Overall I am glad this spot is in my hood now. Def made it in the roto. One small suggestion would be fresh ground pepper. Holler. read more

Great food and friendly staff. Cool environment that is great for a date. Try their infused alcohol - pear and fig bourbon and jalapeño tequila to name a few. read more

King Rustic - Salmon salad and chicken. Salmon was delicious! - Comfort Food Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

The Good: Original menu. Consistent quality. Nice decor. The Bad: 90% of the time, the service is excruciatingly slow. The "side" consists of 8-10 potato chips. Not particularly affordable. Overall: If you have some time to kill, and you're in the mood for something a little different from normal pub fare, King Rustic is worth a try. read more

Came here with a party of 12 for a birthday on a Friday night. I understand we were a big group and a fair wait for our food is reasonable, but it took us an hour and a half for our food to arrive!!!! We ordered at 8:30pm, and food was served at 10pm. I've never had dinner this late. The worst part is they didn't even come check up on us in between letting us know the status of our food, instead they only kept asking if we wanted more drinks. When I asked the waitress if our food was ever going to come, she says "yes it's on its way, there's only 2 people working in the kitchen and we did order a lot of food". Really? You would only have 2 people working in your kitchen on a Friday night? It sucks because I kept seeing them take food out from the kitchen, but it went to all the other tables except us - which makes no sense to me since we were there before those other tables. When the food arrived, I was pretty much hangry (hungry + angry). My friends and I just ordered a bunch of appetizers to share. Don't get the tacos. Saw the $5 taco deal and seeing other people's plates it did look good, but it was a disappointment. The fish taco is not the usual fried fish kind of taco. it was just grilled, Mama's Perogie ($13) This was one of the top recommended items at this restaurant. Comes with 3 large pieces. Essentially it's dumplings filled with garlic mash, mushrooms, and caramelized onions, topped with sour cream, bacon and fried onions. It was tasty but lacked a bit of flavor - needed the sour cream and bacon bits, I personally prefer dumpling skin that is not as thick but I believe that is the style of perogies. Fried Chicken ($14) Comes with 3 large pieces (boneless and skinless chicken breast and thighs), a salad and fries. The chicken were deep fried in herbs to add some flavor, they were nice and crispy. Nothing special in my opinion. Signature Chicken Meatballs ($12) It comes with 3 large meatballs. Was actually pretty tasty, the texture of the meat was nice and soft, slightly juicy which was good considering it was chicken meat. The sauce was really good - the dish came with bread for you to dip in the sauce so both went really well together. Lasagna ($16) Comes with a salad on the side. I personally enjoyed the lasagna the most. It was cooked just right and not overly done - I liked how the layers of pasta were still slightly chewy and not mushy like typical restaurants. You actually couldn't slice the lasagna with just the side of the fork and would need a knife. Loved the flavor. It had a decent amount of cheese, meat and sauce - even spread of each and it didn't taste heavy at all. I really like the atmosphere and deco of this restaurant - has a real rustic, wooden vintage kind of look. They even serve their food on wooden plates. Some of their drinks are served in like King's cup/medieval looking cups which is cook. Food is ok, but I don't think I'd go back. There are better restaurants in downtown toronto. I would say it's a chill place to go, but don't go in groups considering how slow they serve their food. read more

My dining experience was marginal. I ordered a pasta dish and it was absolutely void of salt and my companion ordered a chicken dish and the chicken was cut into chunks. We also ordered mojito which didn't contain any simple syrup or sugar. I shouldn't have to tell a bartender or "mixologist" how to prepare my drink or a chef to put salt in the pasta water. read more

I have been twice now. First time was for drinks, (their ceasar is amazing) and the second was for dinner with two other couples. I got the basa entrée and it was incredible. My husband got the grilled chicken salad and it was HUGE. I couldn't believe it. Everytime we leave restaurants he usually says he is still hungry. Not this time! Actually all 6 of us raved about our food. Id def recommend the tiramisu for dessert as well. The owners and staff are extremely friendly. Great neighborhood spot. Very cozy on a cold winter night. read more

I've been here a few times now and always a great experience at King Rustic. The place has a real cool vibe. Drinks are always made really well, all reasonably priced and the food is awesome. Definitely recommend the meatballs and the Moroccan lamb burger. I found my new local. read more

I live right around the corner and my old office used to be right across the street. Safe to say it was one of the frequent watering holes after work. Usually here for good craft beer on tap, and a small snack the odd time. Had the Cobb salad(Huge!), and the burgers which were decent too. They do have infused spirits in-house which I've dabbled in a few times. Cool spot if your close by and lazy to walk a couple blocks. read more

We were in town for the weekend, and checked King Rustic out. The food is amazing, I had the Salmon Salad, and it was light yet filling. Their drink selection is hand crafted, making it original and tasty, excellent drink menu selection. The ambiance has a chill vibe to it, similar to a New York vibe for a night out for dinner and drinks. There was live music when I was there, but not extremely loud so that you cant talk, just loud enough to set the tone of the Bar. The service was fast and courteous. I def will be going back again on our next trip out to Toronto. read more

The 5 stars are for the staff, the food, and the drinks. I had the salmon with kale and it was terrific! There was a perfect blend of flavors but even more importantly than the food, the staff were so warm and friendly and gave terrific suggestions. I'm new to the neighborhood but I will DEFINITELY be back. go to the bar and sit with Lauren. He's great! read more

Came here from my bday with 12 friends. I had left it pretty late on finding a place to make a reservation, but had no problem booking here. The food was really good, great selection for drinks and the server was great too. Only down side is that they don't split bills. Would definitely go back. read more

Smallish menu but food was fresh and very good. Shepherds Pie was one of the best I've had. Service was quick and friendly. Decent beer selection. Overall good value for the money. read more

This place is awesome! Underrated, we were in town from California, and they had the best menu I've ever seen. I got the shephards pie, and it was great, served in a little cast iron, it stayed hot the whole time. read more

A true bar with a great selection of beers and quality home-cooked food options make this place a place to visit again! The atmosphere is definitely rustic and the bar/restaurant becomes alive after 6:30pm. It's definitely a neighborhood bar, but should be sought out by travelers for a 'neighborhood-feeling pub'. read more

Found this spot on the way home from the Indy. Mama's perogies are def worth ordering, and the lamb sliders and California Love salad were delish too! Good local beer selection on tap. Wish we had tried the house lager. Next time! read more

Hard to believe someone hasn't opened a place like this before down this part of KW. Amazing service, cool vibe, just worth coming in all around. read more

This place is nothing special and don't think they deserve such a high overall score. My friend suggested going to this place because she lived nearby and wanted to support a local business. Their menu wasn't too big but half the items were crossed out. I ordered a draft beer and when the waiter brought it, it wasn't filled to the top. He said they ran out and couldn't fill up the entire glass (which was smaller than a pint) and said they would take $1 off the beer. He didn't even ask if I wanted to have a different beer. I ordered a hangar steak with a side of brussel sprouts. The hangar steak doesn't come with any sides at all. Both dishes were over-salted and portions are tiny. I think I got a total of 8 brussel sprouts. It must have been the server's first day because he meticulously wrote down my order but had to double check again on what drink I ordered within 2 minutes. The waiter brought our food but didn't give us cutlery until we flagged him down. Then he brought forks and knives without napkins even though his platter had napkins on them. He came back with napkins but essentially threw them on the table. When we got our check, he forgot about the "discount" on my beer and was confused about splitting the cheque. He was also waiting right over your shoulder so I guess he's pretty desperate for tips. I wouldn't go out of my way to dine at this restaurant. If you're in the area and want salty food but in small portions, this place is for you. read more

Have been here twice, one for beers and once for some food & cocktails. The drinks and service was outstanding both times. Plan on heading back once their little patio opens up! read more

I live in this area and I have been to King Rustic many times. I must say I've always been very impressed. I've tried most of the menu items, although I find it hard to venture from the perogies which are delicious! I think I have made it through most of the cocktail list as well. The bartenders renditions of old classics, as well as newly inspired fusion cocktails, are simply fantastic. It's a very community driven restaurant and the owners are some of the nicest people I've had the pleasure of chatting with. I see some of these bad reviews refer to menu items being unavailable. I've noticed that they do change the menu quite often, which I think is a good thing. However, this shouldn't stop you from checking this spot out. I recommend a Saturday night when they have the jazz band there! read more

The service at this restaurant is beyond terrible. We waited 30 minutes to get drinks, and the place wasn't even busy. We weren't allowed to have the Summerlicious menu because we didn't specifically "request" it. We then proceeded to wait another half an hour before we could order our food. When the food arrived, my friend had a huge piece of hair in her salad, and the restaurant was out of ketchup. Needless to say, this place looks great from the outside, but it is poorly run and over priced. Not worth the trip. read more

A great new restaurant in our neighbourhood, have been few times now. The cobb salad is my favourite along with the chicken meatballs and sandwich and the mashed potatoes. All the meals I have had were excellent. Their house sangria is also fab. Not a great selection of wines (and a little pricey for the location) or beer, but I think the plan is to add more. They opened for brunch first time last week but I didn't get to go, but hope that will continue. A must visit. read more

The food is fine - nothing great - but the service is abysmal. The last time I went there, I ordered the salmon salad. When my salmon salad came out, the salmon wasn't in a solid piece - it looked like they had broken it (dropped it?) in the kitchen and then just scooped it on top of the salad anyway. There were a lot of wait staff working, but they were mostly talking to each other or behind the bar. I finally got someone's attention, and she told me they could remake it for me if I was really unhappy "but sometimes it just comes out as one piece, and sometimes it comes out as a lot of little pieces." Ridiculous. She should have just apologized and taken it away - or not brought it out in the first place. read more

Great neighbourhood place with surprisingly good food (and sizable portions) and bartenders that take the time to think about their beer list and curated cocktails. Never seems as busy as it should be, so please Yelp'ers keep this place in the neighbourhood! read more

Portions are massive, but food is quite average for the price. Had the turkey burger on one occasion and the penne ala vodka on a second occasion. Neither dish was bad, but definitely no wow factor here. Also, the restaurant has a very nice wine list (albeit a bit overpriced) - However, both times I ordered wine my first wine choice was out of stock and when I ordered my second choice, I was served wine in terrible, inappropriate glassware. The first time my wine was served to me in a beer glass (because they had run out of wine glasses) and the second time my wine was served in a very old, scratched up, thick rimmed wine tumbler. Both made the experience of drinking nice wine not so nice. Service is friendly though and atmosphere really chill. A good place to check out some live music and have some drinks (maybe not wine!). read more

I've been twice. Once with a large group (13 of us. we made reservations before hand.) and then again with three of us. The first time, it was an absolute gongshow. Our server had no idea what she was doing. No one's bill was correct at the end of the night, people's food arrived cold, drinks and food were forgotten and she was awkward as shit. Like zero people skills which i kind of feel is essential for a server. At the end of the night my friend was waiting to pay & our server asked her what she was waiting for. That being said, the food & drinks were delicious enough to come back a second time. Maybe the large group just frazzled our server (even though we made reservations & they knew to expect a group of 13). I arrived with my friends & ended up with the same server. Dear God. She was still awful, and even more incredibly awkward. My friends had sat down for approximately 15 seconds (not even an exaggeration) before she asks if we know what we want to drink or eat. Obviously not. Then she'll just come up to our table & stare asking if we need anything. She still managed to forget to charge us for drinks, and also put all the appetizers on my bill, even though we shared. at that point, i just wanted to kinda get away from her. the reason i give two stars is because the food is actually delicious and the cocktails aren't bad either. Decent selection of beer & wine. I'd still like to come back but honestly - i have no idea how that server is still employed. read more

Ordered take-out as I usually do. Orders are consistently inconsistent. Latest order had no spoon with the soup order (nice) and was missing the chips as the side to a sandwich. Very expensive for no sides. read more

I've been to King Rustic twice. The first time was pretty good but the second time not so much. We ordered the guacamole and the chips were chewy and soaked in oil. The fish tacos were also pretty dry. I believe there was only one server working, which isn't fair but service was quite slow/inattentive. read more

I had high hopes for this place... and even gave it 3 chances to bebetter - but after my 3rd visit - I have to say that it has been a disappointment on many fronts. Services is hurried and curt. Meals get dropped off and the waitress is gone even as I call after her for cutlery, napkins, and more ketchup. There was no 'food check' conducted and the meal came out late and cold. The watery 'craft' beer that they served makes Coors Light seem like a lager! Also, the place is deafeningly loud and regularly understaffed. Will not be returning. read more