First time visitor to this restaurant. Service was excellent. We were a group of 3 and each tried a different meal. All portions were decent size and included a salad and fries. On the recommendation of the server - my carnivore husband surprisingly sampled the vegetarian souvlaki and was impressed. While the 2 top choice desserts were unavailable (only drawback), the resulting fall back choice was excellent (flourless chocolate cake). Very pleased :) read more

The beautiful Spanish waitress is unfortunately gone and her replacement is not anywhere near as pleasant or personable. But the quality of the food is still amazing. I don't eat here often, but whenever I do I'm always very happy. Their burritos are phenomenal and I always go home with a bottle of their "OUCH" homemade hot sauce. read more

Utopia Café & Grill - Shaved lamb and Brie panini with caramelized onions instead of fried + salad instead of fries! - Tex-Mex Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Really good prices, huge portions, dope beer selection, home-made hot sauce, and a surprising amount of space. What's not to love? I came here on a Saturday morning and had their breakfast burger - which is just a regular burger with an egg. It's not as good/unique as Grapefruit Moon's, but a solid greasy thing that I immensely enjoyed. I've heard great things about their nachos - thank you Bunz community - so I will be back. According to other recent reviews, food quality has tapered recently, so I'll be cautious when I do read more

Utopia's still got it. Stopped here on an overcast Saturday afternoon to grab a late lunch and I was thoroughly satisfied by the Utopian experience. Our server picked up on my reluctance to grab a beer, and adroitly suggested a Caesar. Yes! Because I was carb loading for a (as it would turn out, ill-fated) run the next day, I opted for a chick pea and potato burrito. I was gently upsold on adding shrimp to the mix, and was not disappointed. The burrito was quite unlike any I have had before. It's more like a dosa really; the shell is cooked until it's crispy and it was folded into a smart triangle. They provided a brown tamarind chutney for dipping which was a nice touch. There was also a salad nearby but it was completely unmemorable. You don't win friends with salad, anyway. read more

This place is a winner. After walking by this spot numerous times, having a couple friends recommend and even having a few order take out, I finally visited the restaurant with a group of friends. I had a Bison burger, and burritos (including the veggie option) seemed to be a common order at our table. To be able to sit down at a restaurant, a group of people with different diets (veg, gluten free, meat eater) and everyone was happy with their meal.. makes this place a winner. read more

I am shocked that this place has the number of stars that it does considering my experience and what people have been only too eager to tell me about THEIR experiences. C'mon people, this is what Yelp's about. I have been going to Utopia for years, generally for take-out as I find the service to be sluggish and when this place is hopping (which is around any meal time) it's extremely difficult to hear the person across the table from you. Last night, I dined in (not my first time for this either). My experience was horrifying. Utopia is NOT a utopia!! I understand when places are having their dinner rush they may not be able to take your order promptly (heck, I WORK in the service industry, I know what it's like), but to not even bring a glass of water for 36 minutes? That is not a difficult service to do for your customers. When we finally ordered (40 minutes after arriving which we were still cool with), we had to wait yet another 20 minutes for our food to arrive at the table. At this point the dinner crowd was gone and we were one of only 3 tables left (one of which was just enjoying a few beverages). Our plates were delivered and the server was gone before we could even ask for hot sauce. When I looked at my plate I realized that my vegetarian souvlaki (sans taztiki because I'm a vegan who is actually allergic to animal products - an allergy that was shared with the server), had been... 1) Dropped on the floor. That's right. There were actually bits of dirt on my food. 2) The tortilla was mangled (possibly from the fall). 3) AND it was cold. I hailed the server as soon as I saw her and showed her my meal, asking if I could have another one. "I guess. Sorry." She went back to the kitchen with the plate never bothering to ask if there was anything she could bring me to tide me over until my meal was ready. After all, we had been there for about an hour and a half at this point. ANOTHER 15 minutes later, my plate arrived again. This time with Tzatiki sauce on it. There were no servers around to hail (ours had seemed to vanish) so I took it to the front to tell them that my meal had been made incorrectly and I couldn't eat it. Once again, I mentioned that I had notified my server that I had a food allergy which is why I DIDN'T want the sauce. The girl at the front just looked at me and stated that she hadn't taken my order, what did I expect HER to do about it and basically gave some pretty shitty attitude. Maybe you could give me the correct meal complimentary at this point, give me a side of some sort to tide me over and be polite. Just sayin'. At this point I had decided that this hassle really wasn't worth it anymore and I no longer felt like enjoying a nice meal...I wasn't going to get one anyway. We decided to leave, but not before the girl at the front stomped back to dish out more attitude and sarcasm. When we tried to settle up my friend's meal with our assigned server we got major attitude from her as well because she didn't take debit at the back of the restaurant. Obviously no tip! Thanks a lot Utopia for such a bloody "great" experience! I will NOT be going back and I will make sure to tell everyone what a horrible dining experience this was. read more

I headed to Utopia Cafe & Grill with a few friends for lunch. When we walked in, we were instantly greeted by the staff and directed to their heated back patio! How awesome to be seated in a patio environment in the winter. Menu Extensive - they have various offerings on upscale pub food. This is a great place for vegetarians, they had many veggie dishes. Food Appetizer Veggie nachos - they were great, huge portion! The three of us could not finish what they brought out. The extra guacamole we got was fabulous, we could not get enough of it. I would order this again! Entree Bison Burger - huge burger, juicy and right ratio of toppings to meat. I got half fries and half coleslaw with my burger. The fries were great, perfectly seasoned. Coleslaw was ok, on the bland side. I would try their other burger options my next visit. My friends were great satisfied with their meals. One of my friends had a gluten allergy and the waitress offered options my friend options on their menu. Service Great service. No complaints. Overall, Utopia is a great food and service. I will be back for sure in the future! read more

Utopia should have been my last meal of my Toronto trip rather than one of my first. The experience lives up to its name almost too well, jading all meals that followed. Think five pages of sandwiches, burritos, quesadillas and nachos of all shapes, sizes and ingredients, each under $10 (for the most part) and each able to be made with vegetarian 'meats'. I'm still longing for just one more bite of that breaded 'chicken' burrito...I've never been more mad about getting full than that day. It was cheesy, saucy hotness and I'm pretty sure I was minutes away from doing dirty-bad things to it had there been fewer witnesses. Utopia also has an incredible sense of humour. Order something with the 'handful of fries' and you'll know what I mean. You'll also then be able to feed a family of five. read more

Decent food. Awful service. We arrived on a weekday around 8:30 PM, and were seriously looking for good eats after a long day at work. We ordered right away: a) steak nachos (an extra $4 for steak), and b) the Utopia chicken club. Although the restaurant wasn't too busy (it was a weekday evening, after all), it took about 45-50 minutes for our food to arrive, without any explanation. Without giving ourselves time to think, we dove in and ate right away (a hungry stomach is a hungry stomach, after all). The food was decent, and the steak was nice and perfectly cooked. Portion sizes were also very generous! No complaints there. However, while the wait time for food was long, the wait time for the bill was another story. After our food came, we didn't see our server at all. No sign of her. No inkling of her. Until, about 35 minutes later, she casually walked by, and didn't bother stopping when we waved and signalled for the bill (honestly, we could have dined and dashed, I don't think anyone would have noticed!) After waiting 45-55 minutes for our bill (I know, we waited that long, not very smart of us), we gave up, walked into the tiny corridor leading into the kitchen, and signalled one of the cooks that we needed our bill. With tax and (a small) tip, our total came to around $40.00 - we won't be back. Don't think I can spare another extra hour of waiting to hand over money, just to physically walk into the restaurant's kitchen asking for my bill. No thank you! read more

Utopia Café & Grill - Steak Nachos. - Tex-Mex Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

File under One More Thing About Canada That I love. Basically, file it under O unless you have a section with just a shimmering red heart drawn on the tab with a gel pen. I am currently in Toronto for a few days for work. One night #2 my boyfriend and I headed to Utopia based on a reco from a pescatarian friend of mine. I knew when I saw the solar power lighting and the line out the front door that I was about to have a Double Rainbow Moment, or #drm. Vegetarian restaurants full of beautiful people, odd hipsters, and good wine always make me happy. When the food is delicious it's an even bigger win. What can I say? WINNER WINNER TOFU DINNER!!!!! The vegetarian poutine was STUPID GOOD. Three days later I'm still thinking about it. The tofu and white bean quesadilla? Spicy enough to be a party on my tongue, but mild enough to not require any watering down to get it down the hatch. And don't even get me started on the tofu cream croquettes. Ordinarily not a fan of fried food, I demolished two of the croquettes and secretly hoped my boyfriend would see how much I liked them and donate one of his to my cause. He did not, but last week he bought me a KitchenAid, so I can't hold a grudge. The vegie burger actually DID resemble meat. It was not the best vegie burger I've ever had in my life (I like mine a bit more puffy and eclectic with things like beets and chickpeas backed in), but it was a solid 7 or 8 out of ten. We got the bill for our 2 drinks, 2 appetizers, and 2 entrees and it only came to $48. ARE YOU KIDDING ME? There was only one appropriate response: We went back the next night. On night #2 we both got burritos and shared the squash soup. The soup was mind blowing. The burritos were healthy and toasted. I like my burritos a bit more bloated, calorie-laden, and steamed. I think that's just a Toronto burrito vs. San Diego burrito thing. Overall the meal was a 9 out of 10. I'm still in Toronto and going somewhere else tonight, but you know what...I'm sitting at work at 3:53pm and all I can think about is that effing poutine. I think I might have a 3rd trip to Utopia in me before I head back stateside. read more

This place is indeed a vegetarian-friendly utopia. One of my favorite spots for a burrito, poutine, and half a liter of wine! I love this place! It's easy to understand why this place is so popular. With the dim lighting, it's casual, comfortable, but still nice enough to take a date (well, if you can eat a burrito neatly, that's a pretty special skill). The menu is so extensive, there's something for everyone! I didn't even know there could be so many types of burritos. Also, there are vegetarian options galore! The poutine is tasty, the fries were perfectly crispy, the gravy salty. The gravy is good for a vegetarian gravy! I had the crispy salmon burrito stuffed with salmon, onions, lettuce, etc. Sesame slaw isn't too creamy and a bit tart which is perfect. This place is my go-to place on College for a casual meal! I could go for a grilled eggplant burrito right now... read more

Utopia is another Yelp discovery for me and I'm so glad I found it. Large portions of delicious, simple comfort food that will please vegetarians and meat eaters alike. A casual and fun atmosphere. Reasonable, though not dirt cheap, prices. You can't go wrong. The menu is large and consists primarily of many variations on burritos, quesadillas, burgers, and sandwiches. There are plenty of options for omnivores and vegetarians. Thankfully, the veggie options aren't your typical hippy rabbit food; no sprouts here. To start we had the delicious (and vegetarian) poutine ($4.95); tons of gravy and cheese curds on a pile of decent fries. While not the best poutine I've ever had it was damn good and certainly the best veggie poutine. For mains we ordered the Curried Chickpea & Potato Burrito as well as the Grilled Eggplant Quesadilla. The burrito was basically a huge samosa; good, but after a few bites I wasn't feeling it. The quesadilla was soooo good; perfect grilled eggplants and a delicious sauce. The portions are huge and you'll definitely be packing up food to take home. Service is not the quickest ever but what's the rush? read more

Fantastic vegetarian-friendly casual fare. They will make anything on the menu for you with mock meat. Their burgers and burritos are fantastic and they take condiments to the next level. They have lots of different flavored mayos. The wasabi and red pepper ones are both fantastic. The gravy is also great - and vegetarian. And be sure to try the hot sauce at every table. The one downside for me is the wait. Not the amount of time, you have to expect that from most "hot" places. But that despite the popularity, the staff always seems completely unprepared to deal with the lineup - and the venue is set up in such a way that there is no waiting area, making an ever increasing amount of people wait in the doorway. read more

Utopia, or Utops, as I lovingly call her is always there for me. She has a bit of an identity crisis going on, but who doesn't. This place has tex-mex, veggie, comfort food, burgers, and more. It's a huge menu. I've never had anything bad here, and I especially enjoy their veggie gravy poutine and various types of quesadillas. Last night I went here with friends and had the fried chicken and avocado burrito. It was delicious, but I always forget I don't really like their coleslaw (sesame oil-y) or their rice (not spicy like other tex-mex rice, often undercooked.) They let you sub in other things at minimal costs, so this is totally my bad for being disappointed in my sides (again). The service here is always good, though last night was a bit strange. Our server was quite twitchy... and worked at a wizard-like speed. Example: I asked for a side of sour cream, and ten seconds* after asking one of my supper mates said "I'm going to ask for a side of guac." I replied "Get him when he comes back with my sour cream." She then pointed out that he'd already dropped it next to my plate without me noticing. How. Did. He. Do. That?! I literally gasped. This place was a fancy date night in Uni when I was super-poor, and is a wallet-safe night out with friends now that I am slightly less poor. Enjoy! *Slight exaggeration. read more

Utopia Cafe and Grill is aptly named. Let me tell you why... One hot and muggy Saturday evening, I found myself walking down College Street in search of sustenance and something cold to slake my thirst. Now, I'm notorious for my inability to make a decision when faced with many options, and College Street has a lot to offer in the way of restaurants. I passed by bistro after restaurant after lounge, growing hungrier by the minute. How did I choose? Divine intervention lent me a helping hand as the sky opened up and let loose a torrential downpour sending me running into the open arms (see: doorway) of Utopia. It was already jam packed, which had nothing to do with the rain. There was a line-up for tables, but I managed to grab a seat at the bar to peruse both the menu and the environment. What is it about exposed brick and hardwood floors that make a place so cozy? Whatever it is, Utopia has both. Needless to say, I was immediately enamoured, and when I opened the menu, that bubble remained intact. Now, I wouldn't call myself a vegetarian, nor would I dive into a steak with gusto, so for a selectavarian such as myself, I couldn't have designed a more heavenly menu if I tried. All but three of their appetizers are meat free, and they allow you to substitute soy (grilled or breaded & fried) for meat in most of their main dishes. Meat lovers and vegetarians unite! And if that wasn't enough, it gets even better! I forgot to mention earlier that in between appreciating the exposed brick and opening the menu, I honed in on the beer selection (tunnel vision at its finest). And it made me smile, for they had KLB Raspberry Wheat on tap. Typically, I like my beer to taste like, well...beer, but I make an exception for KLB, especially in the summertime (although I find excuses to drink it at other points in the year) as the natural raspberry essence paired with the beer itself is possibly the most refreshing combination ever. Like angels dancing on my tongue...delicious, raspberry angels. Its difficult to find on tap, and Utopia has it, so I chalk them up some more points. I started with the Mumahari Dip (roasted red peppers, pomegranate molasses and walnuts) that comes served with naan. While the dip itself wasn't exactly visually appealing (but really how many dips are?) with a likening to cat food, I was willing to overlook it. The Everlasting Gobstopper of dips, every bite of the Mumahari started sweet, moved onto nutty and finished with a bit of a kick. Delish. Between the dip and the KLB, I was already very satisfied, but I wasn't done yet. Next came my Grilled Veggie & Goat Cheese Burrito. I love a good burrito, and this one didn't disappoint. Grilled zucchini, red peppers, eggplant, onions and a generous layer of goat cheese came wrapped in a soft tortilla. Served alongside substantial sides of both garden salad and rice, I couldn't finish it if I tried...and I tried. There is absolutely nothing wrong with leftovers though, and I can vouch that a Utopia burrito tastes just as delicious the day after. On a tight budget? All of Utopia's mains hover around the $13 mark which in my opinion is a great deal considering the quality of the food and the very sizeable portions. I can easily see two people splitting a burrito and leaving the place with full stomachs (and wallets). The only problem with this scenario however, is the lack of leftovers. If Utopia has any drawbacks, it's that the place is hot in the summer - really, really hot. The lack of air-conditioning combined with the open kitchen may have something to do with it. If I were anywhere else, I just may have been uncomfortable, but I had my pint of KLB, exposed brick, and a smiling bartender that made me feel like I was the only person in the room (okay...now I'm just getting carried away, but that being said the service is genuinely warm). Looking around, even though everyone had a sheen to them, nobody seemed to mind. Everybody just looked happy. People don't sweat at Utopia...they glow. For a pasta-heavy neighbourhood, Utopia provides a nice deviation. It's the kind of place I could eat at everyday, so it's probably a good thing I don't live nearby, but it will definitely be my College Street go-to. They also have a four season patio (another good reason I don't live in the area, as much to my liver's chagrin, I have an almost instinctual draw to drinking outside). Utopia is a contradiction unto itself: it's frenetic, but it's calm; blazers sit next to longboarders; meat lovers co-exist amongst vegetarians; it's hot, but oh so cool. As its name implies, this Bohemian spot in Little Italy is truly ideal. read more

Oh hey Utopia, what's up? (I also greet my bike this way and any other inanimate objects that I really like) Oh what? You're awesome? I thought so. This place is my go to restaurant when I want guaranteed goodness in my belly. I've gone here many times and each experience has been excellent. The staff are friendly despite the constant business and the atmosphere and food make for an enjoyable meal. I've been working my way through the burgers and right now the lamb is my fave. It's pretty popular so expect to wait ten/twenty minutes or so during peak fooding hours. Everything great about this place has already been said but I just had to add in my five stars to the mix. read more

I've been to Utopia many times, but I have never reviewed it. I used to reallly enjoy this place, but I think it's probably more enjoyable in the summer or for take-out only. As a vegetarian, I've always been a fan of their menu because you can subsitute crispy soy protein or grilled soy in any burrito. They also have veggie burgers, veggie gravy and soy cheese. I've had the plain burrito with grilled soy instead of chicken, the curried chick pea and potato burrito and the white bean/tofu quesadillas. I reallly enjoyed both burritos but I found the quesadillas to be quite bland and boring. The curried burrito looks like mashed sweet potatoes stuffed inside a quesadilla. It's huge and comes with a side of fabulous mango chutney. The vegetarian burrito comes with fake sausage-like meat. Like other reviewers have mentioned, they have a killer hot sauce. The portionsof each are massive and come with a choice of two sides. I recommend the salad. The rice and beans is good, but the burritos/quesadillas are so large and filling, it's really just wasted stomach space. They also make a pretty tasty coleslaw. The restaurant loses on ambience - it's always packed, the tables are very close together, the tables are picnic furniture, it's freezing in the winter, the heaters go on and off, and when it started snowing, the roof started dripping on me. The service is also extremely poor. It's not just slow, they're just poor servers. Our waiter cleared half the table and then disappeared for about 15 minutes even though we were all obviously done. I'd give it four stars in the summer, three in the winter. I also recommend going early - it's always SO busy. read more

Had lunch here not long ago and it was delicious. Upon entering the little space, you know you're in for something good otherwise why would all these people be here? My friend and I got the last table before a huge lunch rush came flowing in and out. It took us a little while to get situated with the large menu, get our drinks etc. But the waitress definitely redeemed herself when an incredibly loud, obnoxious man came in and sat at the table beside us. In a moment of sheer fate another table opened up and we could not move fast enough. When I caught the waitress' eye to indicate our movement, after a millisecond she just gave me a knowing nod and smile in a way that said, "Yes, I feel your pain and I'll get all the goods to the right place". Now let's get to the goods. Shrimp burrito! Perfectly cooked shrimp, melty cheese, great spices going on and a perfect portion for me. I wiped my plate clean, the black bean rice AND the salad. Both additions were fresh and great to eat when having a burrito break. My friend's Mediterranean burger was juicy and delicious with it's tzatziki, feta and other toppings. I've said it before and I'll say it again, I feel like the name "Utopia" is a lot of pressure to place on the shoulders of one restaurant. Don't get me wrong, Utopia is really, really good. Just saying utopian is pretty strong word to be throwing around. Go, eat some heavenly things. read more

YUM! I used to only order the lamb burrito. Then I used to only order the tandoori chicken sandwich. Now I only order the seared tuna sandwich with wasabi mayo. All the other food is great too but with this kind of selection it hard not to be overwhelmed. Also noteworthy is the lamb sausage poutine with brie. And that they'll vegetarian-ize any dish. Just be warned this place gets busy. Be prepared to wait for a table during prime hours. read more

No frills, good food, reasonable prices - what's not to like? I came here after I heard about the burritos from a few friends. We almost ordered the nachos after seeing another table get them. I realized this would have been way too much food after I got my burrito . The portions here are generous. I had the friend chicken and avocado burrito. This was amazing - on my top 3 burritos ever in Toronto. It almost tastes like a Mcdonalds McChicken (not sure if that's a good thing, but it was to me). You'll get a decent sized burrito, even more rice and beans and salad. Service is meh, but the job gets done. $3 wine on Monday after 5pm. I heard this place gets really busy, but we came in on a late Monday afternoon so it was dead. I'll definitely be returning. read more

My hubby and I went here for the first time tonight. We were very happy with our meals. I had the roasted veggie and goat cheese burrito and he had the buffalo burrito. My burrito was very good, chock full of grilled veggies and goat cheese. I was actually surprised by the amount of goat cheese as I'm used to places skimping on it. The rice and beans had a nice kick to them and the salad was tasty as well. The salad was more about the flavor of the lettuce mix than about the dressing. A good idea considering all the strong flavors that were coming from the other two items. My husband liked his meal as well. Evidenced by his extremely empty plate! Our server was also very nice and friendly. The prices are beyond reasonable and I love the large variety of veggie and meaty dishes. I'm not a vegetarian, but I'm a huge fan of good vegetarian fare. This place has definitely earned a place in our restaurant rotation! read more

Portions are very generous. We ordered Steak nachos which were great, but took more than 30 min to arrive. I ordered the burrito which was great, but the rice and coleslaw that came with it were pretty bad. It also took forever to come, we waiting a LONG time. All in all the food is decent, but the service is EXTREMELY slow. Be prepared to spend at least 1 hour from the moment you order your main course till you're served. The problem of this place may be the kitchen...?. Seems very small for a restaurant that size. Waitstaff weren't bad, not too friendly but not bad either. Although the food was OK, it's not worth the wait. I probably won't be coming back. read more

Two simple words. Veggie souvlaki. Soy protein on a skewer garnished with spices, cooked to perfection, served Greek style, in a pita with tzatziki. If you add the hot sauce they bring to the table it's borderline orgasmic. I love the back patio. Toronto hipsters at their best. The service is stellar. When our waiter inadvertently brought out the wrong beer, in the true spirit of Canadiana, he apologized profusely. Take the pickiest eater in the world here and he/she will find something to love.... for breakfast, lunch AND dinner. Well, except for that friend of mine who was on some sort of 'dietary cleanse," but she doesn't count. Easy on the wallet and located in the heart of Little Italy so you can grab drinks afterwards or go for a stroll. At peak hours the line-up is plenty. It's worth the wait. read more

What an awesome find! My first vegetarian poutine was everything I'd hoped for. My veggie burger was scorched beyond deliciousness. The layer of jalapenos did my my face numb, but what you do you expect from a Southwest burger? (Lightweight status: confirmed.) And despite having the potential to be uber-hipster I was given nothing but smiles and helpfulness from the staff. Is this just Canada in general, or Utopia living up to its name? Regardless, I might have to apply for citizenship. read more

YES!!!!! If you're hungry Utopia does not disappoint. The menu is huge, bordering on too many choices and the Kitchen staff are cool about substitutions (if you can find a combination of ingredients not already on their menu). I would say however, the rice and beans could use a bit more...something in the flavor dept., but that's me stretching to find something to critique. Service is always quick and attentive, and help to get you seated as quick as possible. The burritos are brick sized, and happily sit like one too, and their nachos rival any on the block. The patio is nice in the back but a little bit drafty in the winter. That's ok though, you're about to have some meat/cheese sweats in a minute anways... They also have drink specials daily for the lush in you, most notably $3.50 glass of wine mondays? A very solid bang for the buck. read more

I've been to Utopia several times and have always enjoyed it. Although it looks tiny from the street, there's also a covered patio in the back so don't let a line-up (which there often are) deter you, as the line generally moves along nicely. The food is unpretentious but with enough flair to give it that special touch to make you think it was totally worth going out for dinner rather than stay in. The fact that there are an abundance of vegetarian options is the icing on the cake. I almost always order the crispy brie as an appetizer. You can't go wrong with melted cheese, fried in rice paper, served with raspberry sauce. Yum! The burgers are delicious, the salads imaginative, and the sandwiches have the perfect combinations. The flavoured mayos make a great dipping sauce for the fries. I have yet to try the desserts but I believe they're made in-house. On the downside I wish the lighting were a bit better on the patio, it's quite dark at most tables. Like, too dark to read the menu without a flashlight the other night. Also, while I like the fries I don't love them. Perhaps that's just my personal preference as shoestring tend to be my favourite. I will definitely go back, fairly regularly I might add. read more

I love Utopia. This is my go to when I am entertaining out of towners. They have such a wide variety on the menu, and everything my friends and I have ever tried was great! (Burritos, real and fake burgers, utopia nachos w/tufu, poutine) Also, didn't realize how cheap it was. Went there with a group of four, we all got a pint of beer and one my friends had three shots of tequila (alki?). Anyhow, we left full of great food with a buzz on, and our bill was around 60 bones. It doesn't get much better than that! Back patio is where its at. Sometimes you gotta wait. But it's worth it. read more

We came here on the recomendation of my friend's hunky eye doctor. **sigh** Who said he loved the burgers at this place, and since we were in the area and hungry,we decided to give it a shot. It is a rather small place, but it has a really nice patio out back which we sat on this beautiful and sweltering hot day. There was only one server for the whole place, yet the service wasn't too slow and she was attentive and friendly. We decided on the crispy chicken and avocado burrito, and the Utopia burger and this was the veredict: Utopia burger- tender, moist and delicious! It comes with the works (tomato,pickle,onion,green onion mayo) plus 3 cheeses ( I think they were asiago, cheddar and havarti) plus grilled veggies (eggplant,zuchinni and red peppers). It was huge! I had a hard time taking a bite because it was so loaded with toppings, I could barely get my mouth around it, and it came with crispy, golden french fries. Crispy chicken avocado burrito- very good also, but the leafy greens in it got soggy from all the sauce and mustard seed mayo it had in it, and I really don't like soggy lettuce. Otherwise, the chicken was crispy and had good flavour, and the avocado was creamy and delicious, all in all a really good combination. The burrito comes with rice and beans and your choice of either slaw or salad. I got the salad and it was good, though nothing exciting. Just greens with a balsamic vinagrette, the rice and beans were bland, and I couldn't bring myself to eat them. The servings are really big, I cant immagine ever being able to eat a whole burrito, with rice,beans and salad. There are lots of options on the menu including meal sized salads, quesadillas, sandwiches, and a huge list of burritos and burgers. They also have a board with specials. I'm excited to come back here and try some of the other things on their menu, maybe one day we'll catch the hunky doctor here during his lunch break :) read more

My only real complaint about Utopia is that it's not close enough to my house. It's casual and cozy, and it's the perfect place to take a friend (veggie or meat-eater) for lunch or brunch. It's open for dinner, too, but I tend to go there more during the day. I've had many a hangover meal there, in fact..... The best thing about the menu is the substitute option: vegetarians and vegans can sub in soy-based protein (breaded faux chicken or grilled soy nugget thingies, like the So Soya stuff), and even soy cheese, for the standard animal products. And the servers are all very savvy to veggie needs. If I feel like being reeeally naughty, I order a vegan version of the chicken quesadilla with the grilled soy & soy cheese, and ask for fries instead of the salad & rice and beans. I'm not saying it's a healthy meal by any means, but holy crap is it good!!! The menu has a lot of unique burrito and sandwich-y type fare, plus meal-sized salads and burgers, etc. The prices are good and the portions are excellent. And did I mention that the gravy at Utopia is vegetarian and delicious as hell?!! I'm not sure if it's vegan....will have to double-check that. So far, it's been one of those "don't ask/don't tell" things for me. Shhhh.... Also, the bottles of yummy Utopia hot sauce on every table are more-flavour-than-heat, and go well with practically everything. I've probably eaten at Utopia 50 times (hey - I like what I like!), and the food and service have always been great. The food does take a little while to prepare, but that's ok by me, since I'm going there for good food, not fast food. read more

I'm downgrading Utopia to a 3 star. I went here last weekend for the first time since last summer (I used to be a regular). Prices have increased....by about $2 on average. Most of the burritos are now $13 plus tax. The waiting time is just as ridiculous as ever....OH MY GOD. It's agonizing waiting so long for food. I think we waited about 45 minutes this time from placing our order to receiving our food. Combine that with a 30 min wait for a table and a 25 min wait for the waitress to take our order = about 2.5 hours to eat a burrito and salad. Yes, the food is good, and the price increase would have been justifiable with improved service time, but the waiting is still bad. Don't get me wrong - the servers are very good here. I'm 100% sure it's the kitchen that is the bottleneck - it's a TINY area that can barely squeeze two chubby hipster chefs working tightly against each other. They need to renovate, increase the kitchen size that can accommodate another 2 chefs. I hope they sort it out. read more

Had dinner here tonight with two friends. We got there at around 7:30 and waited half hour for a table on the roofed in "patio," which is essentially the same as eating indoors. We got there and it took 15 minutes for our server to come to our table, even though she walked past it numerous times. When she finally came by we ordered drinks and appetizers. Big mistake. Once our apps arrived, I asked the person who brought them to us if we could order, and was told "I'm not your server I don't take orders." I replied as politely as possible, "Ok - well if you don't mind could you tell our server we'd like to order?" She tells me "she's right over there" and points off somewhere in the distance. We finish our apps, and another 20 minutes goes by. Mind you, the server had passed our table twice during this time, and I tried to flag her down and she either ignored me or might have be deaf. Finally she emerges to take our order. I ordered the chicken quasadillas (which were actually quite good.) Another 20 minutes later our food finally arrives. I must say, everything we ordered was really good, and very reasonably priced. The portions were quite large, and the menu has a great variety of things to choose from. Once we were done eating, we waited patiently for our server to bring us the bill. The person who brought our appetizers came by twice to refill our water, and I didn't want to ask her to get our server again because of what she had told me last time. Our server eventually gets there, we ask her for our bill, she leaves and I see her pouring a tray of drinks to take to another table. Now it is not normal by any means, for it to take 10 minutes to bring a bill to a damn table. Once the bill got there, I'm not even gonna say how long it took for her to take our credit cards, but it got to the point where I was waving the stupid thing in her face, which still seemed to have no affect. Frustrated out of my mind, I went up to another server and asked her to charge me. Needless to say, the food was pretty good, and it's unfortunate that the service was the most atrocious service I've received for as long as I can remember. I probably won't be back here for a while. read more

Wandered into Utopia randomly and was this a pleasant surprise or what! The place is intimate yet casual; music at a good enough level, and great dim lighting. The menu was extremely vegetarian friendly (jackpot!). And the service was great. The onion rings were the best I've ever had. Yes, EVER. Try them with the jalapeno mayo, heaven. They have other flavored options as well, and I'm sure they're all winners. We went with the Utopia burger w/ veggie patty and it was huge. They mean it when they say "heaping portions" on the website.. we split the one burger between the two of us. The burger itself was great except it was piled high with so many things that some bites were an overwhelming mix of flavors and textures. That said, it did taste good for the most part! I'll definitely go back to try some other combos. read more

It is too bad that although Canada is a free country, men are still not legally allowed to marry burgers. Because if I could, I would have married the double-pattie bison burger that they serve up at this place. Damn, it is big, sexy, and delish. I haven't tried other stuff on the menu, but seriously, their burgers are out of this world. read more