An often busy lunch and dinner spot, the Queen Mother Café definitely deserves its reputation for serving great food at all times of the day. They offer both American cuisine (things like burgers, sandwiches, etc) as well as some more popular Asian dishes (Phad Thai, etc) Honestly, this is probably one of the best Phad Thai's I've ever had. A friend said to me that it was his favourite in the city, and I thought to myself as you may now be thinking to yourself, "it's highly unlikely that a café will have a great Phad Thai," but I was dead wrong. I tried it and don't regret it at all. I guess the only downside is that I can't look at other Phad Thai the same way anymore. read more

I was really excited to try this place based on reviews of my cousins and friends....I of course yelped it but like you can see it sounds good right? After a good afternoon of shopping Queen West we headed over to celebrate a cousins birthday. The wait was around 40 minutes, not so bad and we got great seating. The service was friendly however the food wasnt that amazing. We ordered the artichoke dip(a-ok, its not warm) and calamari for starters and I ordered the Pad Thai recommended by others and it was good but nothing that blew my mind. I would have to comment that the serving size is huge, totally worthy of family style if you go with people who actually understand the concept. The pricing is awesome for a restaurant like this, under $25 a person with starters and soft drinks. I probably wouldnt go back again for dinner because the atmosphere while cool was a little loud to carry on a conversation over dinner and the food didnt ring any bells for me. Probably a better place to meet up after work for a quick bite or drinks. read more

I've been here quite a few times, including last night. I like this place, it is a solid choice for food and drinks. My friend and I headed to the patio. He had a yummy dish and a beer. I just had a beer. The patio is awesome, although getting to it is confusing for new-comers. I like the vibe, it is very laid back. I remember eating here years ago, and being happy with my meal. My only complaint and it isn't really a complaint, was that the service is a bit slow. Other than that, great space for food, drinks and a catch-up! They've been around for as long as I can remember, and I think in Toronto that says a lot! read more

We walked by here serveral times but had always ended up at one of the cheaper Indian restaurants instead because of the price. But today I decided to give it a try. There is obviously a lot of fusion food on the menu as well as more traditional aisan fair. We ordered both the fish hot pot and the Khao Soy Gai. The fish hot pot was particularly good. It had really nice flavor and a good bit of heat. The Khao Soy Gai just couldn't stand up. It didn't have nearly the flavor. The atmosphere is kind of trendy/hip. Service was prompt without being intrusive, or particularly friendly. The only thing that would keep me from really recommending the place is that the prices are a bit high for what you get. Lunch ended up costing $34 after tax and tip, for two. Not horrible, but you can do as well for less. read more

An interesting twist of flavours, with great presentation. Service was great. The seating is set up quite tight, so if you are looking for quiet and intimate, then you would be disappointed. Overall a pretty good experience, I'd go again. read more

Queen Mother Cafe - Awesome lamb shank on steamed kale! - Asian Fusion Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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Interesting place. It doesn't advertise as Thai, but lots of the food is from Thailand or around (Laos). The Pad Thai was very average, smallish portion and kind of greasy. The Khao Souye (sp?) was much better though, very savory peanut sauce and well-done noodles. The chicken in both was fresh (one can feel the freshness of the meat restaurant-owners! you're not fooling anybody with old/stale/repeatedly frozen/unfrozen meat). The shrimp tasted fresh too. They have many decadent desert, but my girlfriend saw the server at the desert station taking a bite from one of the cakes before serving them - I guess it is ok (they make them there, after all), but not overly professional. read more

Queen Mother Cafe - Pad Thai - Asian Fusion Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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First time in Toronto and came here on recommendation from a coworker who had worked in the area and came here as her go to spot. The kao soi and pad Thai chicken/shrimp were really good and well portioned. The sauce in the kao soi was so addicting. Mixed the pad Thai noodles into the remaining sauce. read more

Queen Mother Cafe - Kao soi - Asian Fusion Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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Went last night for dinner with my hubby on the first night of our Toronto staycation. Sat on the patio - such a lovely spot, however our table was so close to the couple next to us, we practically joined them on their first date. (Which we knew they were on because we could hear everything they said - ha!) We ordered the sticky rice for an appetizer - I think it's gotten smaller over the years, though the peanut sauce is awesome. I had the salmon on soba noodles - it wasn't totally cooked through and was sitting in too much watery sauce. Hubby had the pad thai - not terrible, but not great either. So it was a bit of a meh experience - not the great time I've had there before. read more

During a couple nights stop over in Toronto last month I was introduced to the Queen Mother by my son who declared, I would dislike the name more than he did but, we had to eat there. Ordered a beef strip loin and roasted roots. Was not the size/ fusion/ flavour I expected and was way too much food, but the steak and vegetables were flavourful and done to perfection. The atmosphere and service were regally appropriate to the locality and clientele. All in all the Queen Mother is an enjoyable trip, rerun. read more

This place confused me a little...the decor, menu and atmosphere didn't really match, but whatevs, I was here for the stellar reviews. I was debating between the Pad Thai and the Ping Gai, and my really easygoing-friendly waitress recommended the Ping Gai ("This is what people come here just for") so I ordered that after reading the reviews on various websites. The portions were really well sized, the salad simple and delicious, and the chicken's marinade + dipping sauce were good together or separate. I went during the week (a Tuesday, perhaps?) at about three. Not too busy. Good stuff. Definitely worth a try! I definitely would go back, this time for the Pad Thai though. read more

I came here on a Saturday for lunch during the winter. The restaurant was not particularly busy and we were seated near the front so I did not have a chance to see the rest of the restaurant or the patio which other yelpers have mentioned. I had the kale, roasted tomato, and green lentil salad ($9.95) and asked for it without pistachios. The roasted tomatoes were unique and quite tasty, but I only received 4 slices of tomatoes, and given that it is in the title of the salad, I was expecting a bit more. The service was standard, although we did have to actively ask for refills on water / tea a few times. Overall it's a fine establishment with a wide selection of food, although I may be more inclined to try a different restaurant in the area next time as there are lots of options read more

A nice place to go for a late bite. My partner and I went last Monday at around 2300. We were greeted and seated very fast (being the only patrons). The waitress was very pleasant and knowledgeable. We started with the Dim Sum appetizer (4/5). Nicely cooked, good taste and decent portions for 2 people to share. For main I ordered the Pad Thai (3/5) and my partner had the Ping Gai chicken (5/5). The Pad Thai was good, a huge portion but was lacking with proteins. Only 4 pieces of chicken and 3 shrimps. The Ping Gai chicken, however, was the star of the night. Super tasty chicken and the coriander sauce was just a great complement to the dish! Such a huge serving, there was enough to make a full lunch the next day. Try to keep some space for the desserts, the cakes look all amazing and there is a selection rotation from time to time. read more

More like 3.5 stars. Excellent location, nice decor, comfortable seats, and very friendly service. Their quinoa salad was ridiculously big. It's probably enough for two people. I liked it but I found it a bit too salty. read more

Stopped in for Tea & Dessert and it was great. Our Waiter needs to be discovered by Some Talent Agency or something because he was trying too hard to be all funny & cute. Once it was funny, Twice it was like we got the message, Third time I just wanted to tell him to "Shut the hell up & leave us alone to enjoy our tea & dessert." BTW the Blueberry & Lemon Cheesecake,,,,,,,,,Yummy read more

I came here for a friend's birthday on another friend's recommended. She told me, "I don't like chicken. But the Ping Gai is the best chicken I've ever had." I was a little skeptical, but I took her recommended when we arrived and ordered the Ping Gai since the rest of the menu did not really appeal to me much (Asian fusion). The Ping Gai was soo crispy crispy on the outside and very tender on the inside. At first, I wasn't too pleased because sometimes, I tend to forget how difficult it can be to perfect chicken. After about a week about pondering it (and eating other chicken), I decided the chicken was pretty good and I found myself craving it. (When I saw the dish, it wasn't what I expected because I rarely eat Thai food but the dish looked and tasted very similar to grilled chicken at Vietnamese restaurants.) Good selection of dufflet cakes. Also, the interior of the restaurant is cute! A little dim and rusty atmosphere with a lot of history. Caters to the "hipster" crowd. I haven't tried anything else at this restaurant but I will probably come back for the Ping Gai one day. read more

A great place for late supper when I am at the Hilton. Love the ping gai chicken and the quinoa salad. If alone it is nice to sit at the bar and have a draft while enjoying dinner. Open late but menu gets smaller. If I end up there late I end up with a soup. A very good soup mind you but the name escapes me. It is the only item containing meat on the late night menu. Have a little patio in the back that is nice for summer dining. read more

I didn't really like the food here. I thought the place was kind of cool in the sense that it's an English style pub with pretty diverse things on the menu (quinoa salad to pad thai) - but the food didn't do it for me. The portions were massive, but the taste was mediocre and not worth the amount you pay for it. The dessert we ordered was too sweet and tasted like butter and sugar, not cake. Not sure how they made it but totally didn't cut it for me! Service was alright though. read more

I went in for Sunday brunch, and couldn't believe how busy this place was! Even with the number of people, I was extremely surprised and pleased by how quickly they got everyone seated and served. My food was super quick! I was a bit annoyed with the lack of brunch options without egg - I ended up having the BLT, which while good, was massive. I didn't end up finishing it because of how huge it was. Most importantly though, the coffee. The coffee was incredible. It was definitely the best coffee I've had since I got to Toronto and I would be back in a heartbeat for another latte. Props on having a proper espresso machine! Overall a good experience, and I'll be back for another coffee before too long! read more

So long Queen Mum, thanks for the memories! The Queen Mother Cafe was one of the first Queen Street restaurants I visited when I came to Toronto to attend university in the 80's. It became a special place to meet with friends and discuss lofty subjects over sticky rice with peanut sauce, Pad Thai and wine. Cozy, warm, eclectic and cool. The Charlie Pachter 'Queen on Moose' prints welcoming one to a uniquely Canadian experience. Perfect after skating in Nathan Phillips Square or for sitting on the back patio on a hot summer evening, I frequented the Queen Mum about 12-15 times throughout the 80's and 90's. The food changed very little, and that was always reassuring. The service was always casually friendly and consistent. I brought many visitors to Toronto here to share the experience, always to a very positive response. I remember my mom trying Pad Thai for the first time. In fact, that was her first try at anything Asian, (beyond sweet and sour chicken balls) and her mind and taste buds were jolted awake. Over the last 15 or so years, as Toronto's food scene exploded, my taste buds drove me to continually try out new experiences and I somehow neglected to return to the Queen Mum. We found ourselves in the neighbourhood recently and while deciding where to grab a quick early dinner, my partner ventured 'How about the Queen Mum?' Perfect! Well, not so perfect. We were seated and promptly shown the menu and told that the kitchen was only currently making a limited version of the menu. We were shown the appetizers and then 2 of the mains. Fortunately, the two dishes were ones we were interested in, the Pad Thai and the Ping Gai. We overheard another server explaining that the full menu was the dinner menu, which started a bit later. Why not have a separate lunch menu??? No, let's show you what you're not allowed to have. After about 10-12 minutes, we were ready to grab our coats and leave without ordering when we were finally approached by our sever. We ordered drinks and our food. After another 12-15 minutes, our drinks arrived. One of the drinks, a $12 gin cocktail, was served in a tiny stemmed glass and tasted as though there was no gin in sight. The food arrived a few minutes later. The Pad Thai was tasty at first but very salty. After several bites it tasted mostly of ketchup. 2 small shrimp and no sign of tofu. The Ping Gai was basically a piece of dry chicken and half a plate of leafy greens with a bland oil and vinegar dressing, mostly oil. The saving grace was the bowl of very yummy dipping sauce. Worst of all, part way through dinner, a Swiss Chalet delivery guy showed up with an order for the kitchen staff. What the??? We had a good laugh about that one with the table next to us, but it really showed how far this place has sunk. Disappointed, we ate our food, polished off our drinks, skipped dessert and coffee (would have NEVER done that back in the day), paid and left. We stood on the sidewalk, looked wistfully at the facade and decided that was the end of an era, our last ever visit to the Queen Mum. read more

Had the best peanut sauce with rice and a nice glass of red wine Very good service and nice atmosphere! read more

Queen Mother is a whole better than the sum of its parts. The Laotian/ Asian fusion food is great. It isn't the mind blowing thai coming out of Pai or Sukho Thai, it's (from what I understand but could be wrong) Laos focused and a bit sweeter. The Pad Thai is tamarind forward and so delicious. The apps are all solid, and all the noodles dishes are super "yummy" and go down like comfort food. Over your favourite pad thai, QM is the place to come for a big yummy comfy plate of noodles. The vibe is a (clean) dive bar in the heart of Queen West. It's unassuming and has a chill, hip vibe perfect for a casual dinner or a late grub after an event nearby. Service always great. Crowd always friendly. Also, clearly noted variety of gf and vegan options. read more

Found the QM Cafe by accident recently. The family and I stopped in for a late lunch around 3pm on a Monday. They were happy to see us, and offered seating out back on their patio. It started pouring rain at one point and the staff were worried, but we stayed dry under the awning. The menu here is unusual, and varied. That's good as we have vegetarians and non-v's to please in our group. Daughter had the burger and fries - very good. My wife and I had the curried red bell pepper and chick pea soup, and if you want a light, spicy vegan soup this is a good one. We had the kale and the quinoa salads, also both very good. The quinoa salad could have used something to give it a little more flavor though. Didn't have time for dessert, but their case was full of fantastic looking items. All in all, very pleased w our lunch! read more

Terrible service, with a waitress who barely made eye contact and, insult to injury, handed me the wrong bill. Would have been forgiven were the food good, but it's not. My pasta dish of uninspired, overcooked vegetables and pasta and cheese arrived barely warm. At these prices - about $16 per entree - I expect more. I can't believe this place is often crowded. To me this is like the Mcdonald's of the hipster scene. read more

I know my frickin' Asian food. Ping Gai (a.k.a. Gai Yang in Thai) is a pretty close interpretation of its Thai cousin. Took you a little time to bring it out to your salivating customers but we forgive you. It's delicious, tender, meaty, and generously served. Try it without the lemon and sauce first to build up how you want it. Allocate about 30 minutes for the chicken to come out during weekday lunch. Not their fault though, chicken has to be charcoal grilled to get the flavour. read more

A real hidden gem!!!! When I first entered this cafe with tiny door, I thought it was just a normal cafe. When I said I want a take-out latte. They said we don't do take-out. Wow, how could a cafe without taking-out service. Then I sat down and had a look of the menu. Thanks to the quick glance, I decided to have lunch here. There are variety of Asian food from Laos/ Thailand/Vietnam/ Sri-lanka..... Yujie ordered a VEGETARIAN NAM DIP(soft rice paper rolls filled with tofu, bean sprouts, cucumber, lettuce, vermicelli noodles, carrot, bell peppers, fresh mint and coriander, served with sweet and spicy peanut sauce 8.50) I had a KHAO SOY GAI (traditional northern Laotian dish of chicken simmered in a spicy broth of ginger, fresh Thai herbs, turmeric, curry and coconut milk, served on a bed of soft thin egg noodles, bean sprouts, watercress, garnished with mint, shallots, marinated bok choy and fresh coriander 11.95) So yummy !!!!!!! Highly recommend this Laos Dish to all, very creamy and very curry, very mild. Tanya is our server, she has amazing hair, wow...purple. She's really nice :P Do I forget to mention the coffee here? THE LATTE IN A BOWL IS AMAZING!!!!!!!!! The barista draw a rabbit on my coffee!!!!!!!! So impressive Love here, must come back read more

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I am so lucky to live only steps from the door to this surprisingly quaint gem. The menu is diverse to say the least. The nightly specials are well prepared and do not make frequent enough re-appearances. I guess that's also says a lot to a rotating and fresh menu. Last maybe the best desert in the area. Thank You QMC!!! read more

The biggest surprise is that despite the very non-asian name, the menu is very Asian fusion/inspired, which makes this place a pleasant surprise... The best kinda surprise! Another neat thing about this place is that it's got a hidden space, but you will have to discover for yourself. read more

Went with a friend for lunch. We shared the grilled veg panini with goat cheese, the QM burger and calamari. I LOVED the burger. I'm not a fan of chewy soy veggie burgers, which are the norm. This one was nutty and substantial! I am a big fan! I wish the patty was bigger though. The grilled sandwich was amazing too. Loaded with the perfect amount of assorted grilled veg and cheese. The calamari was mediocre. The meat was very soft and good but it was too oily and there was too much batter. read more

Ping Gai. try it, love it. On a lunchtime walk, I took a friend to this hidden gem and forced her to order the ping gai. We take it back to work and go to eat at our desks. About 3 hours later she calls me in tears because it was soooo good but she waited till it got cold to eat, I have to promise to take her with me the next time I go. Basicially everyone who I take here loves it, and has to come back and bring other people wit them. I can't say much because about 4 months ago that was me. Some advice when you go try the ping gai, if there are 4 of you order 4 ping gai, if you are the one person who wants to try something else, I am sorry for you, everything is good maybe even great, but the ping gai is magical, it is so good you miss it when you don't have it. read more

I wouldn't recommend this place to anyone. The place is filthy, sits old and the place dusty. I have a meat eater basically a hamburger, it was old and gross bacon was precooked and the mushrooms too. My friend asked for a pat Thai, the flavor was okay but it was really oily. We were waiting over 20 min for our meals and really disappointed. Also we sat on the bar and we saw people eating in their station while serving... that's just not right. We saw a little inside the kitchen, and I couldn't imagine how filthy the kitchen was. The service was okay but I definitely won't coming back read more

I've been here three times now so I feel confident saying I quite like it! They are good at accommodating lunch groups without a reservation, which is great as we often don't preplan our food outings. Twice I have gotten the kale salad and it is so good that I actually crave it, how many kale salads can you say that about?! The last time I got the quinoa salad and unfortunately the feta in it tasted very strongly of goat cheese and it ruined the dish for me. Not sure if this was an error or if they are using goat feta but if it is the latter they need to update their menu, some people hate goat cheese ;-) My coworkers always seem to enjoy their meals as well and this place has been around a long time so they must be doing something right! My only issue is the price for a salad, this is not a highend restaurant, if anything it is causal, the prices need to mimic that. read more

Been coming here for years and always get a good meal. Asian and Asian inspired menu full of delicious things. My faves are the ping gai and khan soy gai. They also do brunch but generally a great place to stop at when on Queen West read more

Wandered in here randomly on a Thursday night with a friend. We had no idea this would be more of an Asian fusion restaurant, but was pleasantly surprised. We did have to wait about 15-20 min for a table though, this place seems really popular. We weren't really hungry so we only had a few drinks and apps. We had the Nam Jeun( spring rolls) and calamari. Both were tasty! Makes me want to come back and try their entrées. Their menu seems pretty extensive with a mix of different foods to suit different tastes. I do agree with some other reviewers that it might be a bit confusing though. Overall, service was friendly and I would definitely want to come back and try more of their food! read more

Pad Thai ($14.95 as of 3/15/2017) was one the best Pad Thai I every had. I like Thai food so I went to many Thai restaurants in USA but it was so good. read more

The last two times I dined at the Queen's Mother I ordered the pad thai but both times my pad thai did not have shrimp in it. The menu specifically says shrimp in the description but yet there was no shrimp in mine or my friend's dish. I've been going to the Queen's Mother for awhile and each time was excellent but recently I'd have to give it a 5/10. When I order I want to know that I'm getting exactly what I ordered. I don't want it half-assed. I was disappointed read more

Lots of tasty options and a great quirky vibe. I find it easy to bring different people here because there is something they will like, and the service is great. Great kale salad for when I am being good, comforting Bah Me Hang noodles when I need them. Spectacular spring rolls keep me coming back. read more

Really enjoyed my lunch here. It's a really cute spot with fairly cheap food. We went on the tail end of our trip and needed to spend a little less. A lot of the Toronto restaurants we were finding were a little much, so this place was a great relief. Had basic American Thai food, pad thai, etc... not authentic Thai or anything but good comfort food. Service was quick and the back patio was so nice and calm and refreshing. read more

Cozy and den like, this place had quite a lot of foot traffic and the menu was ok. Only serving half menu before 530 however. Staff were hard to differentiate between them and customers but the male waiter we had was polite and helpful through the entire service. #TwoEntrepreneursApproved read more

Queen Mother Cafe - Queen Mother Cafe is a coy den like cafe that serves up a pretty OK menu. - Asian Fusion Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

One of my favorite dining spots in Toronto. I've tried most of the menu items--the crab cakes are so-so too much filler not enough crab but the steak frites and calamari are excellent. Pad Thai is ok but can be too sweet depending on who is making it. Service is brisk and efficient. Summer patio area can be unbearably hot at time it would be great if they could install some fans in the patio area. read more

Great food, but the service was very poor. I would go there again, hoping the service gets better when I visit next time.