WOW Is how I feel about this place. Since the new owner took over last year he has been continually making improvements in service food quality and selection. I drop in for breakfast and lunch mostly and I have enjoyed every meal. The lunch specials have been a surprise of quality and presentation, much more than you would expect for a restaurant of this type. They are now open Sunday and certainly worth to take the family too without going bankrupt. This place is Toronto's Best Kept Secret! read more

Great place for breakfast, lunch ... hopefully dinner soon!-) They will be open on Sundays in June (2018)1, I guess I won't need fast on that day ... Food is excellent and a very friendly place. Hope to see you there. read more

We always had a problem finding breakfast when we lived here. That was before google though. This time google results on Nov system brought up this place. Hidden away in an industrial park beside the 401 just off Kipling. Very much a 1950s Diner complete with counter and chrome stools. The window ledge gad zero dust. And the ceramic pots and figurines sitting in the ledge also had zero dust. 3 eggs ham toast and home fries was less that 6 bucks. The eggs are cookedmore or less the way you want them. Served by a friendly and efficient wait staff. Would definitely come back. read more

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This little hole-in-the-wall diner is quite amazing! Don't get fooled by its questionable location and exterior; the food and service are great and the prices are very reasonable. I ordered the traditional 3-egg breakfast and was not disappointed. read more

Route 401 Diner - Diners Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

A real find! Service, food and atmosphere were all PERFECT. I'm here on business (from Texas) and got a glance of this place while driving along 401. "Diner" always catches my eye but the outside looked pretty rough. I passed it up yesterday but came back today based on a feeling I was missing something. The pic was taken at 10:50 am. Pretty quiet. I really like this place and I'm very much a 'foodie'. Classic diner, don't pass this read more

Route 401 Diner - Exceptional Coffee. Fantastic diner. - Diners Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Cute retro diner! The music and the decor are visually appealing. Not the most comfortable seating at the bar area. Good breakfast and good service. read more

Everything we had was excellent (eggs Benedict with fried potatoes, pancakes). Fun ambience with the classic 50s decor and memorabilia.

Showed up with a friend for brunch. There were 3 empty booths and an empty table of 6. We said there were two and we were told we could sit at the counter. We asked if we could sit in one of the empty booths and were told they were saving them for a larger party, however, there were no other people waiting in line just us. Hostess was very unaccommodating so we left. read more

What a great little place where the owner welcomes you makes you feel at home, restaurant has an old feel of a diner of the past , you have locals meeting for breakfast, if your looking for nostalgia And great food this is the place . I definitely will be back read more

What a gem!! The best coffee I have ever tasted at a breakfast diner!! We both had the Italian breakfast, -/ highly recommend!!

Ronson Dr is a small stretch of road, all light industrial, that runs parallel to highway 401 (hence the name). As such, there really isn't much closeby in terms of coffee shops, restaurants, etc. Route 401 Diner is one of two restaurants on this road. Every morning when I come to work, there are always a ton of people, probably due in part to the $4.75 all-day breakfast. It's your typical diner in terms of layout and atmosphere, but not a lot of flair or art pieces. The food is good and the coffee is amazing. I used to drive almost ten minutes to the nearest Tim Hortons since there is not a nearby Starbucks, but since a coworker took me to this place I haven't had Tims yet. My only complaints are the hours and the unfriendliness of the staff. Being industrial they close at 5pm, even though there is a healthy amount of night shift employees nearby. And the staff, all but one time that I've been there, have generally seen depressed, and very antisocial. If you are driving along the highway and would like some good, cheap food, it may be an idea to get off at the Dixon/Martin Grove or Kipling exits and give them a try. read more

Route 401 Diner - Diners Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Don't judge a book by its cover... The look of this place on the outside doesn't do it justice. I stopped by for lunch to go while at work and got the 401 clu which comes with fries and a small coleslaw. Food was entirely fresh, wasn't a huge fan of the rye they used but overall good lunch! read more

Route 401 Diner - 401 Club - Diners Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Perfect concept with authentic items everywhere. Tons of character, extremely original The 50's music is perfect playing throughout this colorful place! Great food too! read more

Average food and service. I got the eggs Benedict with salmon and cinnamon sticks. The cinnamon sticks tasted good, but nothing amazing. It's hidden in the middle of nowhere. Decided to try a new diner for breakfast after seeing the reviews, but was quite disappointed. Wouldn't go back or recommend to be honest. read more

A quiet, hidden-away local diner with adequate food and old-time atmosphere. NOTE: Under new ownership as of Dec 2017 - my review below took place before that, and apparently the new owners are a BIG improvement according to reviewers who have been to Route 401 since I was there. When visiting Toronto in 2016, I wanted to ensure that our busiest day started out right with a good breakfast, so that meant searching the local area for good eats: Yelp recommended this place. Parking wasn't so great, but we managed to squeeze into the small lot with some twisting and a jump over a big, deep pothole filled with water. The place isn't much to look at from the outside, but that's not why I try out new diners: it's what's inside that counts. Inside is a throwback to the 50's, which is in surprisingly good shape and kept quite clean if a little worn from time. We sat in a corner booth and enjoyed the fact that the morning sun didn't fry us through the windows, giving us a chance to take in the diner in all its retro glory. The food was all right. If I had to describe it in a single word, it'd be 'servicable' - neither good nor bad. The portion size was decent, enough so that the waitress gave me a 'You can't finish that?' look with her best mom-face on, which I appreciated. It's unfortunate that the bacon, sausages, pancake and eggs weren't inspired in any way - I've eaten at hundreds of different breakfast places over the years and in my experience, these were moved out of the kitchen without any TLC apart from making sure they were cooked to modern standards. Overall, I'd probably go back again, as there wasn't much else in the area, but I'm sure that if a new, modern place opens up locally that has a halfway-inspired kitchen staff, then the 401 is going to be in a run for its money. That upsets me, as I'd hoped for better for my first( and likely last )visit, because from the look of the place, the food should practically stand up and shout that there's a history of diner food here waiting to be discovered. read more

Love this place! My go to breakfast place every time I'm craving for good breakfast food. Service is excellent and staff are friendly. This place is where you go to - staff and food are great. Couldn't ask for more. Strongly recommend it! read more

Sweet little diner - we enjoyed a good hearty breakfast, menu seems all about that heart-warming, stomach-filling classic diner fare.

A very neighbourhood feel with some good basic breakfast fare and decently priced. It has a very nostalgic diner feel (more authentic vs corporate) and seemed a popular spot with folks from the area and family's finishing at the rink. It let us escape the rather busy and somewhat overpriced hotel option and got us off to a good start for the day. Not fancy but good solid comfort and homestyle breakfast on offer here and decent diner coffee as well. read more

A hidden gem with retro style music. It is a breakfast diner though. Because it closes earlier than other reviews I read. They should repost their hours of operation on google so too have customers rushed too leave because of their early closing time. Something like 3 PM read more

Absolutely incredible. To me it was a diamond in the rough. The staff was more than accommodating. We had two small children which always worries us in restaurants and how we are received. But we found a seat right away and it felt like home. The care they put into the food is evident. Please do not pass this place up when looking for breakfast or brunch. Also the price for the food is more than generous if you follow their special you'll get more food for your buck. We'll be back every time. read more

A true old fashioned diner that serves up great food at a great price. Sometimes small is better. read more

Absolutely terrible experience! The person behind the cash who is supposed to be taking your order would rather have a conversation with her friends than pay attention to paying customers. Can't comment on the food as I did not stay due to the fact that the person handling the money was also touching the cutlery without washing their hands. Im Not talking the fork and knife handles, rather the parts that you would eat off and cut into your food with. read more

Absolutely great experience!! Very unobtrusive, little place. Went there with my boyfriend for lunch on Saturday.Everything from the original retro interior, great home made food( had a burger and 401 breakfast with eggs, bacon, sausages and huge pancakes) to customer service was awesome. What really stroke me was a home-like atmosphere among the guests who were dining there.I had a feeling everyone knew each other and had a great time. One of those guest was the legend of Canadian box, George Chuvalo. It was kinda neat!! George was just a part of a "401 Family", he enjoyed a simple yet delicious food in a crowd of every-day people. Definitely going back there again!! read more

The place is so small but the food is soooyummy ,Fast service , very Convenient from my hotel

Just tried this place out today. I went with my other half and he liked it. Good coffee and food. We both ordered the Italian breakfast. My eggs weren't cooked - actually almost raw to the point I couldn't even eat them, though I ordered them as over medium. I didn't feel comfortable enough to complain or ask the owner to correct it, so I just avoided the eggs on my plate and ate everything else. The service was mediocre at best. Today is Easter Monday and the owner/server kept saying to customers that they were lucky that she even opened on Easter Monday because usually she doesn't; not a very welcoming statement. Anyways, I likely won't be back but it wasn't the worst place I've ever been. read more

Cute spot. Decor and ambiance from the 60s. Great service, food and coffee. Husband and I enjoyed it thoroughly.

i stopped by before my flight to get some breakfast, and im sure glad i came here because i was really satisfied with everything! i ordered their big breakfast plate, and it totally hit the spot! the waitress was also really nice and always made sure i had coffee at all times. simple, but so awesome, and i'll definitely be checking it out whenever i fly out. read more

Close to work. Checked em out, liked it. Went back several times with different friends all with positive experiences.

The Route 401 Diner is a great find. Tucked away in an industrial area, it would be easy to miss, but you'd be sorry if you did. Authentic diner food, great service and cool decor right down to the Formica on the booths and the pictures on the walls. If you don't try it, you're missing out. Highly recommend the eggs Benedict (with real Canadian bacon!) as well as the BLT. Everything is fresh and delicious. Oh, and the coffee is great too! Highly recommend. read more

This is a great little hole in the wall diner. There's not a lot of parking but it didn't seem to be too busy during a weekday stop-in. Bathrooms are downstairs FYI. Food is regular diner fare and prices are reasonable. Staff was very friendly. If you are in the area for breakfast or lunch definitely check it out. Forgot to mention the décor, which is very retro! read more

Route 401 Diner - Side view of 401 diner - Diners Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

We stopped here after a hockey game when I read decent reviews. It was very clean, staff was attentive, food was fresh and tasty. Very responsibly priced for a family our size (6). Highly recommend and we will be back on our next visit to Etobicoke read more

Excellent, fast and friendly service. Great breakfast food and pricing (3 eggs, bacon, home fries, toast and a coffee for $5.95)! Generous portions on top of that. I found this diner by using Yelp and I would highly recommend it!! I will definitely come here again when in the area! read more

Awesome diner! Great food, fast friendly service, and great prices. Anytime I have been there there have been, minimum, 10 pick ups from phone in orders, which shows that the place is doing something right! read more

I have the admit that when we first pulled up I was skeptical. Don't let the outside appearance fool you. The inside decor gives it a classic 50's diner feel, the diner is very clean & the service is fantastic. You will walk out with a full belly at a great value. Our family enjoyed it so much, we came back the following morning for round two. We will be back again someday when we're visiting the Toronto area. Friendly atmosphere & it's clear they take pride in their place. read more

Went there for breakfast; the place had a kind-of 50's theme with a few pictures on the wall. Ordered the pancakes; they came quickly and they were quite good. I would go again if I'm in the area. It's got a very homey feel and the food is good. read more

If you go often, you will begin to really enjoy this place. Only place I know that you get real soup. Stock made in house daily. Food like your mother or grandmother made. read more

I visit the 401 Diner regularly after my Gym which is down the street. It is the kind of place that when you walk through the door, you are greeted by everyone and your beverage of choice magically appears. I have introduced many of my friends to this spot. Good Eggs Benny for breakfast and if I go for lunch, I order the toasted turkey on rye, made with real turkey. Homemade perogies are also a big favourite. The owner Anna is very welcoming. Give them a try, not fancy, lots of character and the price is right! read more

Found this diner on yelp and decided to check it out. I love the atmosphere... just the kind of no frills hole in the wall I was looking for. Simple menu, warm friendly and timely service at great prices and decent coffee. I was satisfied with the food as I was not expecting to be wowed by the cuisine or the presentation. Like I said...it's no frills. If you are a food snob you will not appreciate this place. Me? I'll be back for sure if for nothing else, the wonderful owner and the easy simplicity of the menu and atmosphere. read more