Loved how bright and clean everything was. When I was a kid, this place was dark and dank…read more Unfortunately the disabled access button on the outside wasn't working but the inside door one was. Right away, you could smell disinfectant which was exciting. Last time I went to an American Chuck E Cheese and I got a horrible bacterial infection that needed antibiotics. Staff were super friendly from the get-go, asking us for a selfie of our group for safety. That's the selfie you show on the way out so you're leaving with your same party members. My only suggestion about this is that the location provides a branded selfie wall or something so you still have a good picture! Used coupons to save on 2 1-hour passes and then a 1 hour pass for myself (separate transactions). Enjoyed the play time being by time and not by credits. Kids had a great experience and I saw a staff member disinfecting game machines while we were there. Very pleasant place to come while on our second week of BC March Break.

Upon entry, we were asked to take a photo of our family on our own phones -their policy as they ask…read moreyou to show this same photo upon exit to ensure you leave with the same kids (your own). Lots to do for little ones. For a fee, kids can use the small bright play structure (easy to supervise the whole space from behind the mesh boundary). The fee includes admission to the small trampoline area. With that said it wasnt crowded even on a Friday night. A staff member stands outside of this play structure and trampoline to ensure you have a wrist band which proves you have paid. He opens and closes the gate for kids to enter and exit. A selection of arcade games - some with you tickets to redeem for prizes and some just your standard video arcade game. Typical selection of prizes. The Chuck E Cheese mascot comes out every hour, for a dance party. He walks around holding up a sign that reads "follow me" and leads you to the centre for a party. There is an interactive dance floor where this takes place and a large screen from which you learn the dance moves. Chuck -E can definately use some more pep in his step. He wasnt enthusiastic (at least at this location) at all. In fact of all the staff, I only observed one (the one leading the birthday party) to be friendly and enthusiastic. The rest of the staff were either too serious for a kids play place, unenthusiastic, not very friendly, some even strict. As I was wacthing my kids play in the play structure, I repeatedlyheard what looked like someone from management checking in with the staff member manning the play structure saying things along the lines of "make sure they have a wrist band". Pizza wasnt anything special. Chicken wings were ok come plain with plum,bbq and ranch sauces on the side. Their birthday cake was surprisingly really good.

Went with friends as hang out activity in Scarborough Town center near by store lots lots of free…read moreparking. Going inside there is a small arcade area washroom on site and the mini golf counter. Checked in and got the putters and balls. 18 holes some more challenging than others. Set up is nice all the glow in the dark paints pop out like neon lights. Fun spot. Now the score card that can be downloaded online rather than pencil and paper. Great price $15/ per person. Would come back another time.

Went to this place for a quick little daydate. We did mini golfing which was super cute and I loved…read morethe layout of the golfing. Place was very small though. I wouldn't say this location is for children per se. Maybe for a cute adult day. The staff was friendly.

Fun place. It was…read morereally crowded on the weekend that I went. It took us at least 10 mins before we can find anywhere to sit. Food at the supermarket was not good. I didn't end up eating there as the food looks bad. Kids had fun playing games.

Located where Zellers used to be beside Hudson's Bay at Centrepoint right on Steeles and Yonge…read more This place is HUGE! It takes you to a full vacation-like feel. At the entrance you are greeted with staff to sign a waiver on the iPad. Then you have to "check-in" where you purchase your tokens and playground pass if you like. For kids they give them a bracelet and put a parent's phone number in case which is a huge plus! For tokens you can purchase them more inside instead of at the check-in counter. The claw machine tokens are separate though so you'll have to purchase them inside. Once you receive your boarding pass, you give them to the staff there who says "Enjoy your vacation" and go through a mini security. I didn't get many pics because we were honestly too excited and just in awe. After security you go up the escalators and you've entered vacation! It's honestly incredible inside from arcades, to restaurants, darts, VR, golf, baseball, and so many more! They even have a mini store there with snacks, drinks, etc! Just a lot of things. We will come back! It's just amazing here. Gotta take more pics as well this time around. My kids loved it so much. They spent hours at the playground and want to come back again the next day!

My second visit to playdium with my little one. This location seems a little brighter than the…read moreFairview location. Loud. Arcade games mostly look to be the same offering at the other location, except this location also has an aerial obstacle course and a few that I didnt see at fairview. Food is yuck. Overpriced, dry pizza that's no better than cardboard. Ordered earplugs for our next visit.

I've been to this location many times. I prefer this than the one at Fairview Mall because it's…read moremuch bigger. The experience is always great, my family and I always have a blast. The food is made fresh, love their pizzas! The place is clean and very spacious which is great, you don't really have to wait to play the games. I would definitely be back again!

After being cooped up with illnesses all week, I decided to take my kids to this drive-thru exhibit…read moreafter seeing a promo code online. It seems bigger than the one in Mississauga we went to last year. There were also some really creative displays! Given it was so early in the season, we were able to go thru once, do the walk thru and then if there wasn't a lineup, we could drive thru a second time. It was much more immersive and there were some extra touches for the kids that my son loved. Highly recommend: grabbing a hot chocolate at a nearby Tim Horton's, grabbing some snacks, and enjoying some festive fun. Entry price is per car. They pace entry times so it's not overly crowded. Staff are very helpful and visible (although, like last year, they all hide in nearby cars when there's a break in traffic). It has become a fun Christmas tradition.

Hit up Shamrock Bowl & Restobar for some old school 5-pin bowling on a Friday evening. 8 lanes…read morealong with billiards ($2.00/game) and a foosball table. Each lane is limited to four people. Wasn't too busy with only half the lanes occupied. Our group of 6 rented two lanes for 90 minutes ($60.00/hr). Shoe rentals are $5.00/person. Managed to play three games; part of the charm is you have to manually calculate your own score. Also ordered drinks and typical bar food ($7.00 french fries and $17.00 pepperoni pizza).

Had a great time here last weekend. It was super easy to book your lane online. That staff were…read moreamazing and the price wasn't too bad at all. They have a big space for hanging out before or after your bowling session, with TVs, arcade games and food (although we didn't try the food this time). It would be great to host a party here. You have to keep your own score, which adds to the fun retro vibe.

I am giving this ribfest 3.5 stars out of 5…read more It has been a few years since I have been to a ribfest in Markham. It used to be an annual event at Warden and Highway 7, but it has changed to the lot next to the Cineplex in downtown Markham. I was trying to figure out where I would park. Just seeing a movie on the weekend at this Cineplex can be a challenge when it comes to parking. Sure enough, all parking spots were taken when I got there after work on Friday. To the organizers of this ribfest, signs to parking should be up to help patrons. There was a lot across the street from where the ribfest was. I drove in and asked a security guy if this was public parking. He said no. He wasn't exactly helpful as to where I could go to park. I just pulled out and winged it. I did find parking in a lot on Birchmount, just south of Enterprise. Parking was free. However, it did take a couple of big Markham blocks to walk over to the venue. You pay $2 for admission, which is decent. If you have a handbag or bag, security requires that a scan be done. I went through just fine. There are a decent number of places for you to test your tastebuds as far as ribs, pulled pork, and chicken go. After much thought, I went with Gator BBQ. I ordered the chicken and rib combo (quarter chicken with a half rack of ribs) for $17. I also got baked beans ($2) and cornbread ($3) as sides. I ended up placing a loonie in the tip jar. When you do that, one of the staff members rings a bell and indicates that you are a tipper. It definitely put a smile on my face. You need to bring cash. Most venues accept cash only. The woman behind me asked if Gator BBQ accepted credit cards. I didn't know. She went up to ask and it didn't. She then asked me if it was okay if she went to the ATM and where she could line up behind me again. I was fine with it. She was grateful, as she had her young daughter with her. My plan was to either eat in my car (many of the benches were taken) or bring my food home. I saw the Beavertails sign and immediately got an apple cinnamon beavertail. The skies were changing from cloudy, to overcast, to downright stormy. Sure enough, nearly halfway into my walk back to my car, a huge downpour took place. I felt like I was swimming at one point. I took shelter in the lobby of a restaurant. Sadly, I don't know what the name of it was, but I would like to thank the folks there for housing me and a bunch of soaked folks during the pouring rain. To put the downpour into perspective, I walked for roughly thirty seconds and my entire front-facing self was soaked. My t-shirt was sticking to me and and I was drenched. I stood there waiting for the rain to stop. It was nearly half an hour. I was still holding my food. It was a first for me to eat food not offered at the restaurant in which I was seeking refuge from a ton of rain! The ribs were delicious. They were tender and flavourful. The baked beans were perfect. They weren't overly salty or sweet. I love cornbread. This square hit the spot. The chicken was moist and tender. I typically don't eat the skin. It was so good that I ate it all up. I didn't have a drink with me. I downed all my food. Everything was that juicy. Naturally, my apple cinnamon beavertail was amazing, as always. It's comfort food for me. I need it, since I was soaked. When the rain was letting up and the sun was trying to break through the ominous clouds, I made my way to my car. Downtown Markham is new and improvements are definitely needed. The parking lot was flooded in a number of spots. It was to the point where I had to walk through one huge flooded area and my sneakers ended up getting soaked, right down to my socks. I had a great food-tasting experience. The infrastructure, including signs to parking, needs help. It also took me twenty minutes to exit the parking lot. (143)

Always a Great Event!!…read more Wow, I can't believe I'm only the second reviewer!! I've been going to this RibFest now for many years. I typically go to 5 or 6 rib Fests in the GTA every year. This is now the second year that the Ribfest has been hosted by Downtown Markham in the parking lot east of the Cineplex Plaza. if you are attending this event go to the website and they will post where to park. I parked just across the street from the Pride of Canada Merry Go Round, and its where I parked for the 2018 Rib fest as well. Save yourself trouble as many try to park in the theatre parking lot and it is usually full of shoppers and moviegoers. Now to the RibFest!! Yes once you walk in they ask for a 2 dollar donation that goes to charity and you have to go through a metal detector when you arrive. The event is full of volunteers to help you so if you need anything ask!! There are portable toilets and a handwashing station so you're covered if you have to go. The event is split into a few areas, the main area, where the ribbers are, the kid's area with rides and prize games. The vendor's area when you walk in and the south side of the event is where the main stage, the beer tent, and a covered area for eating as well as many places to sit if you want to watch the entertainment on the stage. We were a little disappointed with the kid's area this year as the selection of rides was smaller. Last year they had a few more rides. The rides this year seemed to be geared towards smaller children and toddlers. My kids were 5 and 7 years old and they weren't that impressed with the rides. On another note, all of the kid's section is right out in the sun, with no shade and the bouncy castles were burning hot and my kids did not stay in them too long. Note to the organizers, get better rides and set up in a shaded area. Now for the main attraction, the ribs!! I noticed more and more Ribbers are serving beef ribs, which is great since not everyone eats pork. There were also additional food trucks serving other items besides ribs. Some of the selections are stinky tofu, poutine, beavertails, lemonade, and a few other options. This year we decided on Razorback Ribs, the Razorback team were awesome, they treated us very well and let my kids inside the grill area and showed them how ribs were made. They also made us some ribs without sauce, since one of my kids didn't like their sauce lol. Our meals from Razorbacks included Chicken, Pulled Pork, Ribs, Coleslaw, baked beans, and Corn Bread. We got poutine from the poutine truck, which is run by Prince Edwards Fries, which were very tasty. Aside from the Kids area being subpar, and the fact that is was a really hot day, this Ribfest was a success!!! I can't wait until next year!!

Stouffville Country Ribfest has been kicking around for years. Oddly, I had never dropped by until…read morelast Saturday. Since this pandemic, the format has changed from a large ribfest with lots of activities at Memorial Park to a drive-thru version at the same place. I decided to give the drive-thru a whirl. Drive-thru events in Stouffville are organized exceptionally well. If you are getting a COVID-19 vaccination shot at the drive-thru, you need to book through Eventbrite. The same holds true for this ribfest, which was painless and straightforward. I booked a timeslot to drop by between 5 pm and 6 pm. I got there just after 5:30 pm. It was easy to locate. A woman that I first met asked if I had checked in online. I did and showed her my confirmation. She was pleased. She then found my name on her list and asked me to drive up a few feet. A second woman handed me a menu. I thanked her and slowly drove over to the rib vendors. This ribfest is probably one of the smaller ones that I have been to. There were only two rib vendors: - Sticky Fingers - Fat Boys BBQ Since I had already got ribs from the former at Scarborough Ribfest the previous weekend, my choice was simple. Go with the latter! There was good music provided by Excellent Productions to keep us all entertained while lining up. Perhaps I'm the only weirdo who ended up taking a photo of the staff there as I waited in line. Everyone there waved at me! I love friendliness. The Fat Boys BBQ line moved fast. When it was my turn to place my order, I had a helpful and nice woman help me out. I got the following: - Full rib rack meal, which comes with coleslaw and baked beans - Cornbread (2) I love cornbread. I had a feeling that this place's cornbread would be yummy when I saw a sign there that it offered a fully loaded cornbread with pulled pork. I paid using a credit card. I provided a tip. The woman let her colleagues know that I had added a tip and they all said thanks in unison. It was so unexpected, but a lovely gesture. I pulled up next to where all the barbeque magic was happening. Another woman provided a bag with my name on it. I thanked her, placed my food safely in the car as if I were guarding it with my life, and drove home. The food was amazing. Let's start with the cornbread. I love cornbread a lot. It was fabulous. It was perfect. Soft and buttery. Yum! I'm so glad that I got two. I had the other one for breakfast and smeared peach jam on it, which I have never done before. Wow! If I see this place again at another ribfest, I'm getting the fully loaded cornbread. The ribs here are so good! The meat was tender and hearty. The sauce was flavourful and delicious. I loved the ribs so much. I couldn't eat them all in one sitting. I had the remaining half the following day and they tasted even better! The baked beans were the best batch that I have had in a while. It was smoky, full of flavour, and wasn't overly sweet or salty. Just right. So yummy! The only weakness was the coleslaw. Although it was fresh, it lacked flavour. I ended up adding rib meat and baked beans on top. The coleslaw was that bland. I had a great experience here. There were lots of clear signs around to indicate that you're driving in one direction, along with staff to help with any questions. The entrance was at Hoover Park and Park Drives, and I exited at Park Drive and Main Street. (320)

Didn't visit Markham ribfest this year as they charge $5 admission and the lines have become…read morecomically long. Instead, opted to visit ribfest on the last day in Stouffville. It turned out to be a much wiser decision imo. More available parking, free entry, much cozier space (held in Memorial Park) but also WAY smaller lines. You were able to get to the front of the food lines within 15 mins tops. My friends and I bought our bbq from Sticky Fingers as it had the largest line (isn't that usually the rule of thumb? Pick the vendor with the longest line lol). So a friend and I ordered: - a full rack of pork ribs - a full rack of beef ribs - a pound of brisket - mac n' cheese - baked beans Funnily enough, we unanimously agreed (along w/ our friends who tried some of it), that even though it was RIBfest, the brisket was the best. We got some fatty and lean brisket in our pound and it was glorious. The pork ribs were 2nd place. While the beef ribs were good they still weren't quite as tender as I think I've ever had. The pork ribs also had way more flavour. The seasoning didn't quite permeate the beef ribs all the way down to the bone. The sides were mediocre. While the mac noodles were al dente, the cheese sauce was bland. Overall 4 stars. Can't give 5 stars because those prices were getting kinda ridiculous ... holy hell. They raised the prices out the wazoo.