Good ambience, yet to taste food and beer. Service is decent. Will post detailed review soon! read more

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Darlene, Gord and I had a late lunch this afternoon at C'est What?. I had Butter Chicken, which was just okay. Gord had Jambalaya, which was spicy and he enjoyed. Darlene had nachos and she felt her nachos were something she could have put together at home. read more

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We had an event in the afternoon and this was a good choice. The atmosphere was cozy, with a fireplace, lounge chairs, 2 pool tables and plenty of well-placed coat hangers. They even have a selection of board games to choose from. No idea on the food cost since someone else is paying the bills. A while variety of drinks (alcoholic and non-alcoholic). Staff were friendly and prompt with clearing empty glasses/plates. One thing to watch out for... It's in the basement and not accessible for those who just mobility device because you have to take a flight of stairs to get to the bar. read more

Notmally, the beer is very good. That being said, we witnessed two tables receive the wrong beer orders simultaneously. The service was so awful, it changed the taste of the beer. The food was OK, a little cold and flavourless. The service was what really brought the whole experience down to a 1 star review. read more

Had a nice meal with a big group here recently. The vibes are great. It's a pool bar so definitely grab a table and play if interested! We shared a few appetizers- the Tostitos and the sweet potato chips. Both were great! The dipping sauce they come with is really tasty! One of the beers a person I was with wanted was unavailable and our server came over with a recommended alternative which was appreciated! Overall, our server was really nice and kept an eye on us throughout the night. For my meal I had the mango salad and added chicken. There was a very large amount of red onion but it was otherwise delicious! We also shared the brownie for dessert which was the best part! So yummy! read more

It's been a while since I visited c'est what. It is one of a few places that you can find true craft beers and you don't see InBev Brands such as Coors Light or Belgian Moon. Yes, their beer selection is great and price is very resonable. You have a three size choices of small, medium and large size to order beers. (Large size means full 20oz) Ordered pulled pork poutine and it was surprisingly good. I will definately try more food next time. Service was super friendly and very attentive. Very spacious and cozy atmosphere as well! read more

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We've been coming here for years and love it, the food, the ambience,, the service & the people. Tonight we had a hostess who unfortunately made us feel like we were so unwelcome and as well she was so unhelpful. Luckily it wasn't the first time we were there or we would never have returned. One of the reasons we love it so much and have been coming there as regulars for years is because of the great people who work there. She really put a damper on the evening. read more

C'est What - Breweries Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Last Sat. (May 14) I met 4 others for a get together at C'est What's recently re-opened Beer Garden. It was my/our second visit, having first gone there late last summer. There were some notable changes from last year: a long bar on the left-hand/west side, and the introduction of a sofa, complete with an open flame setup. We met at 5:30 pm and the Beer Garden remained fairly uncrowded for the duration of our visit, which was until around 9 pm. I ordered 3 beers - they still have a limited drink and food menu for their outdoor establishment - all of which were great. We had fairly attentive and friendly service as well. There is also a much improved 'outhouse' for washroom needs in evidence and I can't recall when I've seen and used an outdoor/portable washroom which was as luxurious and upscale as theirs. After awhile another from my group and myself decided to take advantage of the much more comfortable looking sofa; as it was not being used prior to us sitting there the flame wasn't lit but a Staff Member promptly stopped by and turned on the propane tank, and showed us how to turn on/adjust the flame to our liking. I had a great time there and overall I found my return visit more enjoyable than my first. They are starting to do Events at the Beer Garden, i.e. a Beer Festival on Friday, May 27 so I look forward to another return visit soon. read more

C'est What - Breweries Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Excellent fresh pub food. Fun basement rec room vibe with exposed brick. Summer patio is nice.

Fantastic food, I've had almost everything on their menu with zero regrets. Great selection of beer(s) and whisky. Staff is super friendly, know their products well and welcome you back every time. One of our favourite places to go. read more

I come to C'est What as an escape from my every day which can be quite heavy. All I need is a pint, some light fare, and my book and sometime my writing at the bar. C'est What provides this all for me very well. The staff is always very welcoming and makes me feel at home. Food is great and the drink selection is always a fun adventure, when I dive in, since I tend to stick to one choice. However, while I've come in with my adult son which was awesome as well, today I went in with my autistic adult daughter and the staff made sure her needs were met. This made for an enjoyable night for my daughter and I am forever grateful for it. She enjoyed the food (Classic Poutine), the accessibility of the venue, and how accommodating everyone was to her. And THAT made for a great night for her and I. Thank you. read more

The best gourmet burger I have had all year, possibly in my life. The Black Garlic Burger! Great bun, 2 patties sandwich an amazing black garlic mayo and cheese. No frills - lettuce, tomato, pickles etc...Just amazing beef! Fries were spot on, fresh cut shoestring style. Bob Belcher would be proud. Ambience is fantastic. It's on a lower level and you literally feel like you are hanging out at a friends basement. Service was also top notch, our server was very knowledgeable. As I am not a big beer drinker I'm only accustomed to mainstream beer. But telling my server what I liked, she was able to point me in the right direction for a great pint. I'm from up north and would not hesitate to drive/subway down just for that experience again. NO CAP. read more

The service was absolutely terrible. A very rude barman threw a hissy fit because we had food from outside we wanted to discard to order dinner. I'm still angry days later. I'm disgusted with myself for not confronting the little prick. I tried to do the "right" thing and walk away avoiding an incident. Now the thought of that guy laughing about getting away with how he spoke to me gnaws at me. I implore anyone with any sense of dignity to avoid this place. I just wish somebody warned me. I've spent thousands of dollars there over the years. My family can really run up a tab. I would never consider going in again UNLESS it was too confront a prissy little bartender who gets off putting his chest out to kids. I am very angry that I didn't confront him there and then. Did you have a bad day? Guess what? You have me a bad day. read more

This place has a great underground bar and a roadside patio option. Both looked great but we opted for the indoor experience. Our server was super friendly, and told us that although the food menu had been reduced (due to the pandemic) all the stuff on the menu were their best items, and they were right! We got the Bison and Lamb Burgers which were delicious and super filling. My friend joked that they should offer half portions as an option. For drinks we both got wheat beers, but the ginger wheat beer in particular was really good. Definitely recommend grabbing their 4 pack to go. Overall it was a great first time for us at C'est What! read more

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My best friend was moving out east with his family, and he and his partner used to come to C'est What all of the time. We decided to come here for a farewell dinner with the fam before they go. It's a very spacious downstairs restaurant with low ceilings. They had beautiful art (for purchase I think) around the bar. I had the lamb burger. It was on flat bread instead of a bun which I actually really liked. It was so juicy and flavourful. Drinks were flowing, and although a bit slower due to the pandemic, but our server was wonderful. read more

Good food and selection of beer. A mouse turd on our table and the mouse running around kind of spoiled the experience. read more

C'est What - A mouse - Breweries Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Cute little place, the service was a little slow at first but completely understandable as they had to open up a section to accommodate the influx of people. I really enjoyed my bison burger and the fries were so good. I only tried the beef ribs out of the other dishes and they were really good! I wish there were more! I did also try the sweet potato chips but was hoping that it would have a little bit more crunch. They also have a variety of beers and all kinds of sizes which is great when you feel like you can't chug an entire pint. Although we didn't get to play there was a pool table there and a cool fish tank. Would come back. read more

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On this visit, we didn't try the food, so this review is focused on the beer menu and outdoor patio setup. There's a great beer menu here and almost baby beer lover will find something new to try and enjoy. On this visit, we were seated on their outdoor patio. We passed on their beer garden, and really enjoyed the vibe along Front St at dusk. Service was awesome as usual. read more

C'est What - Hop Addict IPA | Yellow Flowers - Breweries Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Excellent craft beer selections, fantastic food, and a nice, welcoming atmosphere. This is one of my favorite gastropubs, and I wish I lived closer to it, as I live in Michigan. However, whenever I visit Toronto - I always visit this establishment. read more

With all the burger hype in the city, I thought I should jump on the bandwagon. Been hearing a lot of good things about C'est What, so off I went. Takes a lot of convincing to eat somewhere with good beer. ;) Located in a lower level on Front St, it was about a 10min walk from Union. It's open concept, so it doesn't feel like you're in a basement. The staff are warm and welcoming. We were seated and headed for the beer menu(it is a good one!). It seemed like many patrons had also come here for a beer after a long day! Seemed like the right thing to do. I don't see McAuslan's Apricot Wheat on many menus, so that sealed the deal. My friend is a hoppier beer drinker and tried the Big Butt Smoked Dark Ale and the Chocolate Ale. I tasted both. The smoked ale tasted like beer and bacon.... it was interesting! I'm a chocolate gal, but I don't feel the chocolate flavour came through as strong as it should have. Many other beers on the menu I'd like to try! As for food, we shared a Buffalo Burger and a Lamburger. I mostly just wanted to say 'Lamburger' out loud. So worth it. The Bison burger was tasty! Bison a very lean meat, so there was ample tomato-onion chutney. It was juicy, but dense. The herbed fries were so good, that they're in my top 5! My Lamburger was on fresh naan with fresh veggies and oodles of tzatziki(as there should be!). It came with housemade chips. They were OK, but the herbed fries were too good not to steal. I'm a fan of lamb and this was doing it for me. I'd get this again. At least now I know it's as enjoyable to eat as it to say out loud. :D The service was great. The hosts were welcoming and our server was super cool. A chill atmosphere with chill staff. There was live music going on as well, but it was in a different room, so it wasn't super loud. It was played to the rest of the venue over speakers, so you could still talk and not yell. Looks like I'll be a repeat customer! read more

C'est What - Breweries Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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I love C'est What and it's the kind of longstanding Toronto restaurant that I'm always grateful is still around after all these years. I'm loathe to even knock off one star but that's just because the menu is a bit limited. That's kind on only worth a half star deduction. What makes me love C'est What? They have 3 pool tables, that are in good condition, the cost to use them is reasonable AND they have a absolutely great selection of craft beers. You'd think that alone wouldn't be that special but in downtown Toronto it is! The food, limited menu regardless - is tasty, particular the ribs. The staff I've found to be very attentive and friendly. They also play good music! Lots of 90's hip hop and rock. The place also seems to attract a good crowd of people too somehow. Overall a good cold craft beer, some ribs and pool tables in a really central location. What more can you ask for? I've lived in downtown Toronto for a long time wish we had more places exactly like C'est What. read more

A small group of friends and I came here at 8pm on a Saturday evening! We just happened to have spot this restaurant as we were near the St. Lawrence market. The restaurant is actually in the "basement" as we had to walk down the stairs. When we arrived, we were greeted by the host which she took us to our seats. The menu is quite extensive in terms of drinks. I got the Aussie Rules which is an Australian Sparkling Ale and it was light and refreshing. we also ordered the traditional poutine and fries to share and they were okay. Nothing spectacular about them. What I wanted to try the most was the Beer Float. I have never had the beer float and was told by the server that it is one of those drinks where you either love it or hate it. The description says that it is "a scoop of vanilla ice cream, whipped cream and a cherry on top of your choice of Mocha Porter or St. Ambroise Oatmeal Stout". I chose the Mocha Porter. The taste was very interesting; and just like what our server had forewarned, I absolutely LOVED it but my friends all HATED it. The beer was dark but the ice cream definitely cut the bitter taste. After eating and drinking or perhaps while waiting for your meal, why not play a game of pool. I loved the ambiance here and it is definitely a fun restaurant to hang out with your friends in the heart of downtown Toronto. read more

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The food and service is okay. I had the morrocan stew that comes with naan and coucous. The couscous was very bland, and the naan was soft, white and doughey- nothing special. Tomatoes, chickpeas, raisins, carrots etc. Stew nothing special in terms of flavours. Presentation was nice though. My friend had the butter chicken, which was creamy and very flavourful! This place is very unique to the decor. Exposed bricks and low ceiling, artworks, pool table, bar and some board games in the front. Went during the day so not many customers, but the waitress' service was okay. She didn't ask if we needed anything, if the food was okay or if we were ready for the bill. Overall, food, service was meh. Great environment though. 3/5. read more

C'est What - Moroccan stew w/ naan and couscous - Breweries Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Know what , it's was a good place to go and hangout. We went for our team outing after work for some nibblers and drinks. I must say the place didn't disappoint us. It was good food and a cozy ambiance. read more

Fabulous place that looks a little blasé from the outside. You walk downstairs and you see the bar and restaurant area that is all comfy with a fireplace, stone and wood. Great vibe here. Lots of different ages.drinks seemed a tad expensive and the $1 extra for the Trump Tariffs for all bourbons was surprising. Food was spectacular. I had the butter chicken and a side of the Brussels Sprouts. My friend had the butter chicken frites and enjoyed them. The brussels sprouts were cold and I mentioned to the waitress and she took them back in we receive the new serving. The rice was a tad cold but I just put the butter chicken on top of it. I would return the next time I'm in Toronto. read more

C'est What - Butter Chicken! Good and spicy!!! - Breweries Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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Nice spot with a fantastic selection of beers and good food. It is underground so it is kinda dark but the atmosphere is that of a local that attracts some regulars and some tourists. read more

This place is a bit of a hidden gem for me - my group was looking for a place to eat in the area before an event and we found C'est What. I didn't have any expectations as I've never heard of this place but I was pleasantly surprised by the whole experience. From entering the establishment, the staff were very friendly and welcoming. We were seated quickly and got our orders in a timely manner. Two of our orders (ribs + mac and cheese) required more time in the kitchen to be made, which we were okay with and appreciated the heads up given our group's schedule. The food options were much more reasonably priced than I imagined and the quality of the food was not affected by the budget-friendly pricing. At the end of our meal, we were in a rush to leave. The server quickly picked up on that and made sure to get our bill to us in a timely manner so we could leave for our event. Overall, I would recommend this to anyone looking to try something new - the atmosphere was very lively with great music and there were people playing billiards in the background. read more

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C'est What is A-OK if you want to beer and talk nonsense with your friends. Nothing fancy, nothing pretentious.. but definitely don't bring your date here, she/he would think that "oh we are just friends, nothing more..." Good draft selections and friendly bartender... even let you have a taste before serving you something that he thinks that you might not like.. I definitely would not have enjoy Big Butt Smoked Dark ale.....or any big butts! All the drafts comes in half pint, great if you are doing a bar crawl which in my case..or you can early a couple of other beers and do it like a beer tasting. read more

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Good vibes, yummy food, nice beer selection, stellar staff. Sure there are better places to eat in the area but I liked it.

I came across this place Google search up places in downtown Toronto to visit for dinner. Someone recommended this place and while it is a cute place I definitely don't feel that it was a place to go out of my way far. I'm giving this place at 3 because I do feel like the place is a great place for friends to have a casual meet up for some drinks or even to play pool which was gold which is in the dining area. So that looks like a nice spot atmosphere. I did feel that the place was not overly packed but the service was slow. Benefit of the doubt maybe they were short-staffed at night. Sadly I did learn not to mix poutine and hard cider as that was not a great combination for my stomach hahaha. Overall the poutine did have a nice flavor and I did like the hard side of that they serve me. For the most part I do to the prices are fair and I think it's be a place to go if you're just going for a few beers or ciders to knock-back for happy hour. read more

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Our original plan was to grab a bite at the St. Lawrence Market but that place was a zoo, of course, so we headed out onto Front to hit one of the many pubs. I'd been to C'est What before for a beer-tasting event and remembered liking the joint, so I figured this was as good a time as any to sample their eats. We decided to share a couple of dishes: Butter Chicken Poutine ("Frites, butter chicken, cheese curds, almonds, mango chutney, diced green onions"): I've had plenty of Butter Chicken poutines in my day but this was undoubtedly one of the best ones. The plentiful butter chicken was rich and flavorful, while the almonds and chutney added a very welcome depth of flavor. The generous serving of cheese curds and the tasty fries were the icing on the cake, essentially. Pulled Pork Quesadilla ("Pulled-pork shoulder, beer BBQ sauce, cheese, tomato-cilantro salsa, black bean roasted corn salsa"): This was another above average dish. The sweet, tangy beer BBQ sauce was so flavorful and rich, while the various other toppings worked equally well. The pulled pork was tender and plentiful. And the accompanying nachos and guacamole were quite good, too. I suppose my one complaint would be that the food didn't arrive hot. It was closer to warm. It was pretty disappointing, actually, because it was clear that the food would've been so much better had it been served at the correct temperature. read more

Now, I've been coming to C'est What for years. To grab a pint with a friend, I'll keep coming back. The beer list is extensive and the comfort food is decent. However, I came here with my team from work and it was a completely horrible experience. Firstly, the website says no reservations. Their voicemail says the don't take reservations. They NEVER answer the phone. I showed up with my team of eight people - early on a snowy day. I was asked if I had reservations - I said no, but I had tried to call many times. They made space for us at the back which worked fine. The first server definitely did not want to be there. He said, what do you want and his attitude was completely embarrassing. It turns out his shift was ending - not that he told us, he disappeared. The second server was much better. I'm used to having a server make recommendations about the beer - we had to ask but at least she was friendly about it. They were out of the bacon-shrimp, which was one of the only appetizers I could eat. The third server was equally as bad as the first server. I felt frustrated about the entire evening. I apologized to my coworkers and I will never return here with colleagues. read more

C'est What - Breweries Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Came here for a "late" dinner last night (around 9PM on a Saturday) and saw the place at near max capacity for the 1st time! It definitely has a different vibe versus daytime - it's much more like a pub/co-ed watering hole at night. The crowd is very mixed with a lot of people in their 20s and 30s hanging out at the bar alone or in pairs and tables of larger groups of all ages. They have board games and playing cards available and I saw groups utilizing these while waiting for their food, so that was interesting :) Tips- 1. Bring your official ID /since they card everyone at the door regardless of whether you'll be drinking or not. 2. Hence, kids and families this place is not for you in the later evenings 3. Don't order their salads = sad and small, so you're better off ordering their apps or mains 4. Noise level is quite loud, had to shout at my partner at times for him to hear me read more

C'est What - Mediterranean salad ($13) - not a fan, sad and small. Order their carbs/protein based apps and mains instead - Breweries Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

The lamburger was delicious! My friends and I thought that the food items on the menu were limited but they were good and came in large portions. I also enjoyed the ambiance here. read more

C'est What - Lamburger - Breweries Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

C'est What? C'est okay. I'm a sucker for basement bars, craft beers, and franglish puns -- so this spot had my name all over it. We stopped in for an early dinner on a weeknight when it was just starting to fill up. The atmosphere is pretty good for a casual dinner or drinks with friends, and the service was fast and friendly. The beer list is exclusively Canadian and they make several of their own in house. We tried a sampling of their housemade beers and a few others -- Big Butt Smoked Dark Ale, Coffee Porter, Steve's Dreaded Chocolate Orange, the Eephus Oatmeal Brown Ale, Headstock IPA, and the cask. The Coffee Porter and Chocolate Orange were among the best, but it would have been hard for either of us to have more than one. The other selections were all pretty good, but we're big IPA and dry ale drinkers (read: love hops) and none of them packed much of a punch. I'd try them again on a long night out, but for just a drink or two I like my beers strong and meaty. The food was slightly better, and there are still a few items on the menu I'd like to check out on our next visit. We ended up ordering the Moroccan Stew and the Jambalaya, and both filled our need for comfort food on a cold night. We saw from other tables that the portions were pretty big, so we didn't end up ordering any of the appetizers or sides. It turned out to be a good decision because we both found the walk up those stairs to be more than a little daunting after we'd finished our meal. All in all, it was a cool little spot to hang out for a few beers and fill up on rice. We'll be back to check out more of their selections and hopefully find a few rotating seasonal beers that might be more our fancy. Jusque là! read more

C'est What - C'est hydrated! - Breweries Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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Real casual. Two words that first came to mind when I walked in. Came here with a friend on Saturday night for some birthday drinks. A good variety of beers to choose from. If you're not a beer lover, don't fret - wines and mixed drinks are available too. Pub grub is served too. Pretty good too! Yay, I'm a fan. read more

They have an extensive beer menu and lots of food options to choose from. The place is also pretty big and seats a lot of people. Service could be more attentive. It is a very cozy place and a good spot to catch up with friends. read more

C'est What - Burger, beer and a mixed drink - Breweries Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

I hate to rain on the love parade that seems to be happening around this place, BUT....I will. Sure, it's cozy. And they've got all sorts of beers. But they also seemed (the staff) pretty uptight during my visit. They seem really keen on reservations and even more specifically, reservations for a specific number of people. That's....a downer. On the upswing their poutine is pretty good.....topped with green onions for an extra kick. Mmmmm......gravy. read more

C'est What - Breweries Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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Visited two times. This is comfort food but its UNIQUE. They do multicultural/diverse comfort food and they do it well. Also, every entree is under $20. Score! I think they served a lot of different types of beers as I see office workers ordering round and round. Some of their unique offerings include chicken naan burgers, moroccan stew, jambalya, lamburgers, rotis, and chicken fingers with frites. Make sure to order their sweet potato chips as a side as it was delicious. While I visited, I noticed a sign on the table saying they make their food fresh from scratch using real ingredients, so I like enjoyed that aspect of them caring about freshness/quality and not just reheating frozen entrees like Moxies, etc. The atmosphere here is dimly lit, lots of wood, casual pub style. I like this place! read more

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Very groovy place that I haven't been to in years and I'm not sure why. I work nearby and even though there are plenty of options in the Harbourfront / Esplanade / Union Station area, a lot of them are either fairly pedestrian or don't really cater to the vegetarian in the crowd (i.e. me). Okay, I guess that's not really fair...there are a lot of good places, I'm just picky (and a vegetarian). Plus I was taking a friend out for dinner after work to ask him to be in my wedding party so I wanted to impress at least a little bit. He's more hip than I am (at least when it comes to food) so that meant no Jack Astor's, no Fionn MacCool's and no to any of the places that severely limit my dining options. So C'est What? is what (what?) I settled on! They had a bouncer dude (which can always be a little off putting, I won't lie) but he was friendly and kindly told me that I should go inside to wait for my buddy rather than loiter outside, seeing as they were having a beer tasting that night and it would very soon be packed! I haven't even stepped inside and I'm already liking this place! After thinking about it though for a minute we didn't even end up technically doing the tasting thing...it's just too complicated. You have buy tickets and then you trade the ticket (or two or three depending on the beer) for a little mini cup and then you keep track of which ones you like and rate them...you get the point (or not). This is getting to be too much work and will surely cut into our drinking time. So how's about just getting half pints of whatever looks cool and going from there? Sounds good to me. So after perusing the incredibly impressive beer menu we decided to basically stick with cask ales and go with as many as we could. Most were winners, some were disappointments and I'll be damned if I can remember what was good and what wasn't. I took a blurry photo of the list but I probably should have done so AFTER we marked it up with our ratings. Oh well. At any rate most of them aren't on their regular beer menu, although they do have an impressive regular list as well as rotating taps. And they're all Canadian and mostly local. Very cool. Of course I've now completely forgotten to mention the food that initially drew me here but then again a good selection of beer tends to do that. I went with the Adobo Black Bean Burger and it was quite good. Not your standard soy, meat analogue veggie burger and also not loaded with mushrooms (for which I was thankful). Very tasty and not at all dry. My friend had the Buffalo Burger (he approved) and both the regular and sweet potato fries were very yummy. Service was fine despite the busy night and they were even good enough to secure my attaché case that I had half-drunkenly left behind. I guess my one minor knock is that our server wasn't super knowledgeable about the beer list but I'll chalk this up to the fact that a lot of them weren't typically on the menu. So must definitely come back to C'est What? and will probably make it my go-to place for after work beer and grub. Too bad they can't have a beer tasting every day! read more

C'est What - Adobo Black Bean Burger - Breweries Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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