Tried this out with friends, and the food and atmosphere were amazing! It was very busy, yet the…read morelayout is not cramped in any way so it didn't bother us so much. There's plenty of games to bring to your table to play too. The menu was very cute! It came in the form of a newspaper, so I thought that was a nice stylistic choice. Lots of variety on food. I got the Rosé Bacon Penne Pasta, which had gochujang in it and it was the perfect level of spice! I've always wanted to try it, and now I'm dying to come back to have this dish again. The only thing I would say is that it's a bit of a small portion for its price, but was still worth it to get.

It seems the business may have changed ownership already with simple renovations done, but it is…read morestill very good in terms of both taste and service. We ordered a few dinners, and each dish was nicely prepared and well presented. The quality of the food remained consistent, and the flavors were enjoyable throughout the meal. The service was also attentive and friendly like before, which added to the overall experience. We really enjoyed our visit and were pleasantly surprised by how well everything was maintained. I would definitely recommend it and would be happy to come back again.

Starving Artist is one of our go-to spots for breakfast in Markham. It's minutes from our house,…read moreand not only that we actually like the food. Although this is a busy brunch restaurant, the turnover happens fast, and we have never waited more than 30 minutes for a seat. Starving Artist has a wide array of coffees and teas as well as waffles and 'Bennies. We have tried quite a few of the drinks during our visits, and we have tried many of their signature dishes. The staff are great and always accommodating and very patient when my kids can't make up their minds about what they want to eat or drink. The servers have helped my kids on more than one occasion make up their minds. This is a great place for breakfast, brunch or even late afternoon coffee, and we try to go at least once a month.

Visited around 10:45 a.m. on a Tuesday. The café is tucked beside Shoppers Drug Mart, with plenty…read moreof parking available. You pass through a charming patio to enter, which was shaded nicely thanks to the size of the Shoppers building. Given the recent heatwave, we opted to sit indoors. We were greeted at the door and offered the choice between a two-person table tucked farther inside or a four-person table closer to other diners. We chose the smaller table for a bit more privacy and ease of conversation. Menus were provided right away, followed shortly by tap water. When our server checked in to ask about drinks, we let her know we were fine with just water. Later, when we were ready to order, she came promptly when we called her over. A standout moment: we ordered just one smoothie, and she kindly asked if we were sharing, then offered to split it into two cups without us even asking. A thoughtful and appreciated gesture. The Pineapple Banana Smoothie was a highlight. It was perfectly balanced between sweet and tart, and incredibly refreshing. My sister ordered the Halloumi Benedict. She noted that while the waffles leaned toward a sweeter flavor on their own, the combination of waffle, egg, and halloumi was well-balanced and worked beautifully together. The egg was jammy and spot-on in terms of taste, texture, and presentation. I had the Fully Loaded, which features a potato waffle topped with bacon bits, sour cream, chives, and cheese. It leaned a bit salty, but not overwhelmingly so, still quite enjoyable overall. I loved the potato waffle which has the slightly crispy edges but was soft to bite with a texture that resembled mash potatoes. As someone who isn't usually crazy about waffles, which was such a nice alternative. Each of our mains came with a side salad (lightly dressed and refreshing) and a choice of fruit salad, maple baked beans, or potato salad. We both chose the fruit salad, which was impressively varied with orange, grapefruit, watermelon, blueberry, blackberry, and banana. Note: Payment is cash or debit only.

amazing service, very understanding of me and the food was amazin! also loved how cozy it felt,…read moredont really see too many places like this anymore.

This establishment replaced the Eggs for Life awhile ago. We finally had the chance to go in and…read moretry it. There wasn't a ton of seating, but it was comfortable enough with its booths and a few tables in the middle. We ordered a French toast special (comes with eggs and sausage and bacon), a crab cakes Benedict, and 2 kids meals (one penne with meat sauce and a pancake). Kids meals come with a juice box (or you could pay $1 more to get an adult apple juice for example). I had the crab cakes Benedict. It was not what I was expecting because it's actually eggs on crab cakes and hollandaise sauce. The thing that threw me off was no English muffin. Can't say I absolutely loved it but it was decent. It came with potatoes that were sort of cooked in a curry. Again a little unconventional but it tasted good and had a slight kick to it (mildly spicy) The kids pancake was done well. You could choose from many different flavours but we went with original. It was just the right consistency and made the kids happy. The surprising item was the kids penne in meat sauce. We thought the sauce was done really well and the pasta was cooked just right. We completely ate the whole dish (and it was generous for a kids meal). And the whole family enjoyed it. Overall food was decent but what pushed it to the next level was the service. It was attentive and thoughtful, not overbearing but friendly. I'll probably try a different dish next time but will definitely be back again.

The space is super cute and trendy, though it is quite small - definitely not ideal for big groups…read more. The staff were warm and welcoming, and our food arrived quickly. I'm already planning my next visit to try the Gochujang Chicken and Waffles. Highly recommend!

Service 5/5 Food 4/5…read moreAmbience 4/5 We popped in for brunch on a weekday. We were seated almost immediately. The server said we could sit anywhere at a table for two. We shared the chicken katsu sandwich and each had a latte. The serving is quite hearty and was sufficient for us. We really enjoyed the chicken katsu sandwich which comes with french fries and salad leaves. The chicken was stacked quite high and I had to take it apart to eat but I appreciate the generous serving of chicken and really enjoyed it. For me, it's a 4* comparing it to the chicken katsu sandwich at Katsupan which unfortunately closed. The service is friendly and attentive. Parking is available right outside the restaurant.

I dropped in here for some after-dinner drinks with friends. It was a cold snowy night outside but…read morethe ambiance inside was warm and friendly, from the staff and the other brave souls out in this weather. My drink of choice was Red Sangria, while others had Sex on the Beach, and beer. The drinks were gigantic! Everything was really good. I'll have to come back to try their food.

Visited Maine's Mansion for lunch while looking for a spot to grab a quick bite. Although we were…read moreseated quite quickly, we waited over 15 minutes for the waitress to bring us our waters despite being only 1 of 3 other small groups that were dining in. I ordered the chicken pesto sandwich with fries. The food took almost an hour to arrive after we placed the order and unfortunately was not worth the wait. The focaccia was stale and chicken breast was dry. The size of the sandwich itself was comically small, and definitely not worth the $17.99. The server was friendly and the interior was quite dated (though part of the aesthetic). I was able to find free parking on the street.

On a recent lunch date with dear friends, we visited Halibut House in Markham. We had their…read moreWednesday Special - Cod & Chips, with Coleslaw. It was a good sized portion, and a good deal for only $14.99. The fish was perfectly cooked, with a light batter. A generous portion of fries, and a vinegar based coleslaw were included to complete a delicious meal. The only thing that would have made this meal better, is homemade tartar sauce, rather than the little packets. If you're in Markham, off Hwy 7, between Markham Rd and 9th Line, check out this place. They offer fresh seafood, and great service, with ongoing specials!

It's been a while since I had fish & chips from Halibut House. A bit disappointed with two recent…read moreexperiences. I say two because I went back to give them another try. Ordered the halibut and chips. Very greasy and patches on the fish with no batter. Clearly someone missed a step here with cooking our meal or the oil wasn't hot enough or both. I love to support local but I prefer to drive to Stouffville (Joy's) and Toronto for fish and chips now. Too many places now giving up on quality control and overpricing their food with no justification.

已經唔係以前嗰間 Uncle Joe's ! 本人第一次去30年前聽過好好味，今非昔比！ 轉咗老細好幾個月聽講！…read more It's not Uncle Joe's before! I heard it for the first time 30 years ago. It's delicious. I've been listening to the golden brown for several months!

After many years since our last visit, we came to celebrate the winter solstice tonight with a…read morefamily dinner. My dad got the T-Bone special at medium (originally it was only meant for the 23rd onwards) which was allowed because the original owner was present tonight. My mom got the Certified Angus medium. I got the New York steak for myself at rare doneness. For the soup that came with I upgraded mine to French Onion and my parents took the regular/daily which was also accompanied by garlic bread-ish. Additionally, I got a Long Island Iced Tea and in the process of it caught a conversation between Kitchen and Old Owner that their ice machine is broken so I have NO IDEA where the ice for my drink came from--other than that it tasted fine and the old owner personally made it. T-Bone was not up to par. It was exceedingly tough according to my dad and inconsistently cooked. It was closer to a medium well than a medium rare-medium and subsequently whether from improper prep or age of the cut, it wasn't juicy. From what I witnessed when I did look up at my dad, it was tough to cut no matter how small or large he sliced it. Certified Angus was passable. My mom didn't have many complaints nor praises so take that as you will. Could tell at a glance the vegetables were the family pack frozen ones from Costco. My New York Steak was passable-ish. The fat cap wasn't rendered down properly and the steak itself was slightly tough in certain areas. The doneness was fine at rare, but with all this in mind--if you want a consistent cook medium to well seems to be the way. My problem mainly with the food lies in seasoning and ingredient quality. The vegetables are for some reason visually and texturally rough and fuzzy? They melt in your mouth in the worst way possible. There is no crunch, not even on the carrot. It was mush, plain and simply, same with the mashed potatoes. No seasoning aside from gravy and actual mush it was melting every forkful into my mouth. No hint of garlic, butter, milk or cream--just bland potato mush with gravy. Ambiance? Nothing at all. I don't know what to describe it other than quiet and empty. There was one other table aside from ours and one take-out order. From the bits of conversation with the old owner, I gleaned that at the turnover at first, regulars were aplenty but they tapered off and dwindled as time went on and that looks to be accurate based on reviews here on Yelp and over on Google. Business has been slowing down and much of it is attributed to the declining quality both in service and food/ingredients. The new owners of the establishment bought this restaurant for the brand name but didn't upkeep the standard for food, quality, and service. There's just no business acumen from the new owners from what I can see based on reviews of this year and my experience tonight. The old owner was the saving grace for this visit on Saturday December 20th, otherwise the rating might drop to a 1 or 2 out of 5.

I always enjoy brunch here. My favorites are chicken and waffle and any of the eggs benedict. You…read morecan also customize the meal to replace potatoes with more salad for a less carb heavy meal. The (black) sesame latte is so good. Service is great. It's a great place to bring kids because they have a whole bookshelf of board games they can play with.

Don't get their iced coffee. It's premade not pulled on the spot. Gave it a shot anyways but it…read moretasted really bad. Watered down and tastes worst than McDonald's

A great option for brunch, as they have a full brunch menu besides a list of drinks. I had the…read morechicken and waffles and it was the perfect brunch dish. Love the creative design, transforming the long narrow eating area into a 'train' to fit the theme of the restaurant. Platform refers to a train platform. Extra star for the cute atmosphere.

It's been a while since I've been back. Based on my review from 7 years ago, the space was a little…read moredifferent from what I remember. I brought my husband to work from here but it was a bit tricky. They had a time limit which made sense as it was a limited seating area, so they gave us a smaller table to let us work for a couple hours. I appreciated it but with the space it was a little challenging to work. We ordered the torched salmon. It was really tasty and the bread was super soft. I kind of wished the salmon was a bit thicker, or at least it seemed a little imbalanced with the toast. I ordered the matcha latte too. Delicious!

Great vegan friendly option, peaceful ambience. Most importantly, unique and tasty dishes.read more

I was looking for a place to do some studying cafe, and I decided to stop by STAE Cafe!…read more STAE Cafe was quite busy when I walked in. There's about 7 or 8 tables available, and I sat down at one of the smaller tables since those were the only ones available. There's QR codes on each table so you can order what you want through your phone. They also deliver your food/drinks to your table. I ordered the blueberry matcha latte, which I was pleasantly surprised about! It had just the right amount of sweetness, and the blueberry flavour pairs so well with the matcha. I'd definitely order it again! There is a 75 minute seating policy. however, I'm not too sure if they strictly enforce that. I did work for about an hour and there were people who came before me that were still there. It is a very busy cafe, so if you can't study in a noisy area, I would recommend bringing noise-cancelling headphones or going to a different cafe. Overall, the cafe has a great aesthetic and a short but quality menu. I'll be back when I'm craving a decent matcha!