We usually come here at least once a month for their bubble teas, which is always great. Never were we disappointed. When we walk in, we are always greeted with good service. You will get a little cup of pop corn as an appetizer before you order your drinks. This time around, we had dinner as well. The Salt and Pepper chicken is one of my favourite — and it was indeed good. The BBQ Pork Ramen was so so, the pieces of pork were fairly small and the soup based was not that heavy. The drinks were always great. If you go there, I recommend getting the Hokkaido Milk Tea with bubbles, as their bubbles are smaller size. The hot drinks are fairly good too. It’s quite crowded on weekends though.
Katty T.
Rating des Ortes: 2 Toronto, Canada
The place is nice to sit but their bathroom stinks! Ick. Bubble tea is alright, powder stuff and hot tea is served with syrup already added! Super sweet. Foos was just alright, eat if you’re starving. Won’t be returning anytime soon.
Shirley M.
Rating des Ortes: 1 Toronto, Canada
The service was horrible, sitting down for 10 mins or more and no service was given. 7 staffs standing at the bar area, jus chatting away. No water was given, the service was unacceptable.
Barane P.
Rating des Ortes: 4 Toronto, Canada
People stay long hours doing homework and whatnot so sometimes wait to get a table is long, but it’s a nice comfy area to chill. Lots of selections of teas and cake. I got a berry cheesecake and it was still frozen so I had to ask to heat up a bit more.
Lisa T.
Rating des Ortes: 4 Montreal, Canada
had the bbq eel over rice and the sugar cane milk tea with grass jelly and both were amazing! could have included more vegetables in the bowl but overall well balanced in variety of vegetables. the sugar cane milk tea was not too sweet and seemed like a popular choice: was not disappointed with my order. food came fast with pleasant service; would come again next time i am in markham
Sunny Ka Yu L.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Markham, Canada
Always the go to place when it comes to grabbing a drink and relaxing. The only issue is that their wifi is inconsistent and keeps disconnecting.
Christopher L.
Rating des Ortes: 3 Markham, Canada
Come here very often because it’s pretty close to myself. Bubble tea here is average usually powdered tea for what I get and you don’t really taste the tea but you do taste the sugar. The popcorn is often stale or over salted, and it shocks you sometimes how bad the popcorn is. The service is pretty bad here as well, waitresses don’t really care about you and they make it obvious. The staff is always chatting and sometimes it’s hard to get a hold of them. It’s still a good place to come with friends because it’s a good environment to relax and get a drink.
Julia R.
Rating des Ortes: 4 Richmond Hill, Canada
Green Grotto is slowly creeping up towards my list of the best places to go to BBT! I was introduced to this place by a friend who insisted on meeting up for lunch a while ago. The service is surperb while the atmosphere is welcoming, clean, and cosy. They give each table free popcorn when you walk in. It’s a great place if you wanna read a book(or grab one of the magazines on the shelves) or even use the free wifi on your phone/laptop/tablet over BBT! I can’t reacall(or even think of) a place where there was a large selection of magazines to read, let alone free popcorn. I really like their lunch specials(too bad it’s only offered during weekdays) as it was quite filling(like their popcorn chicken!) plus they include a variety of side dishes to your order! The bubble tea is also great too with generous portions(you are getting your money’s worth here!) plus the quality is amazing! Overall, a fantastic place for bbt. I will be back here whenever I’m in the area!
Amy Z.
Rating des Ortes: 3 Markham, Canada
This is the spot I always end up going to whenever I have a big paper due, or whenever I need to study for an exam. The interior is nicely done, with wooden designs and modern décor. I really like it here because it’s a chill place to do my work, and they don’t limit your time while sitting here. I’ve been here for over 4 hours once and they didn’t say anything. They also don’t limit your wifi like panera does, as a way to kick you out. Most of the spots have access to an outlet, which is a plus. They’re also very courteous to reseating you if you don’t like your current spot. I really like the spots at the high table, because of easy outlet access + no cold breeze coming from outside + comfy chairs with a good view. Service is pretty quick and courteous. let’s just say that they deserve their tip! For the food/drink, I’d say they’re about mediocre. There’s nothing really special about them, especially if you’re familiar with other asian places that serve the same things. I don’t particularly like their meals here, and I’d never come here intentionally to eat. their brick toast is average, tasting the same as other places that would offer it. Drink wise– again, average. Nothing too unique. I always go for their rose green tea, which has a light flavour & it’s not too sweet. I find a lot of their other drinks to be overloaded with sugar and just makes me feel sick after awhile. Don’t know if you can change the level. I also never get mine with tapioca because the variety of the pearl shapes makes it feel like I’m eating bugs. Small tapioca balls should not be a thing. I also got the grass jelly here once and it was uncut– it was literally an entire can of grass jelly dumped into a milk tea LOL. so unappealing and difficult to ingest. And final verdict is that of course I’ll be back. you’ll catch me here around exam time.
Karin Kara M.
Rating des Ortes: 3 Toronto, Canada
All male staff at 2pm on Thursday. Raining alot outside. Still manages to ignore me and 3 tables ordering… T. T took them someone to yell excuse me really loudly to respond… Poor service compared to before. Food quality is ok for a tea place. It’s nice and somewhat quiet environment.
Chris C.
Rating des Ortes: 3 Markham, Canada
Tried the sugar cane milk with grass jelly $ 5.99(take-out price is 15% off). Tasted okay but I much prefer the standard black milk tea with grass jelly. Service was fast and friendly.
Sarah S.
Rating des Ortes: 3 Vaughan, Canada
Green Grotto has a theme that definitely lives up to its name — the bird and forest motifs hidden in various nooks and crannies throughout the restaurant, the wooden panelling, the somewhat dim lighting, and the caged chandeliers bring to mind a glamorous clubhouse hidden away in some enchanted forest. There’s a certain coziness to Green Grotto with the couches, the Asian magazines and the board games. The Hokkaido smoothie that I had was amazing! I highly recommend getting it. The eel in the eel bowl that I had was good but it could have been better — I wasn’t too thrilled about the tamago since there was definitely a difference in temperature between the tamago and the rest of the ingredients in the bowl(tamago was cooler than the eel, rice and veggies). It’s certainly a first being served popcorn as an appetizer. At first, I found it a bit weird that I was having popcorn as an app. But then I thought, why not? It’s Green Grotto’s thing. It also adds to the coziness factor of the restaurant. What I didn’t like about Green Grotto was the following: the bathrooms weren’t the cleanest, the poor wifi(it worked when I logged in the first time, but as soon as I would stop using my phone, it would log me out and I would have to log back in again. After a few times of logging back in, I was unable to connect to the wifi and I had to continue the rest of my lunch break without free wifi) and the waiters were not very attentive. My Hokkaido drink took some time to arrive at my table. I witnessed a couple being seated and then leaving after a long time in attempting to attract the staff’s attention. Overall, the Green Grotto on Warden was okay for me. Perhaps I’ll visit other locations and see how they compare to this one.
Archimedes T.
Rating des Ortes: 2 Toronto, Canada
Oct 5 at 7pm. Noticed that the old staff I am used to isn’t around. Music is obscenely loud today and the waitress isn’t very responsive. Thankfully the waiter is still relatively okay. So today would be a remarkably lower rating considering that this is my favourite Green Grotto. Hopefully it doesn’t degenerate further. Otherwise I would be going to Gong Cha for my tea cravings. Speaking of which 10 minutes in I still haven’t gotten someone to take my order. I think I am in the waitress’ serving area. Thankfully the waiter is a bit more responsive to my needs and took my order just as I was typing this paragraph. The male bathroom up until now still has a very offensive smell as if the sewer back flow was not installed correctly. Oh it seems one of the old staff is around. Mayhap he is working in the back. At least he helped supplement the service when my friends arrived. However the two star rating shall stay for now.
Nelson C.
Rating des Ortes: 4 Markham, Canada
I’ve been here countless number of times when I was back in HS and still do nowadays. I remember when this Green Grotto used to be a part of plaza before renting out the entire space near Boston Pizza. I LOVE the quality of their bubble teas — in my opinion, it is my all-time favourite place for bubble tea as their flavours are rich and creamy. My favourite(and the drink that I always get) is their hokkaido milk tea. I also love how unique their tapioca is as they have tapioca ranging of various sizes from small to large. The free popcorn is also a huge tip as well and it’s some of the best popcorn I’ve ever had. When my friends come here and chill, we always grab bowls and bowls of popcorn while browsing on the Internet! The overall ambience and atmosphere of the new Green Grotto is really nice. The seats are comfy and spacious and allows people to do work on their laptops with ease. Definitely one of my favourite places to chill with friends during the night. Tip: You get 10% off on all take-out drinks!
Ariette H.
Rating des Ortes: 4 Toronto, Canada
I like Green Grotto! Their food portions are decent(if you are a small eater, the portions will be just fine). For those with big appetites you may find it a bit small but come with friends who don’t eat much and eat their leftovers ;) /this is what my girl friends and I do. GG bubble tea is delicious and they offer free bowls of popcorn for refill. Prices are your typical Taiwanese bubble tea shop price, ranging from $ 3.99 to $ 15 depending on your order. Service is quite fast and the food satisfied my hunger. The food is authentic and inoffensive — not too salty, just right. I frequent this place quite a bit as it is near my church which is just steps away(TCCC, which is behind the plaza) so my church friends and I come here after service sometimes. It’s spacious & great for groups!
Amirtha U.
Rating des Ortes: 3 Scarborough, Toronto, Canada
Their mango slush was great!!! Really enjoyed it. Had scraps from some of my friends food as well and it was good. However, DONOT get their Taiwanese sausage. It is the smallest portion I have ever seen! Definitely NOT worth the money.
Arnold L.
Rating des Ortes: 4 Toronto, Canada
Green Grotto has certainly earned an upgraded rating from my first post I have written about them. The ambiance, décor, service, menu selection have been pretty much the same and consistent throughout all the numerous visits I have made during the past year. In terms of recommendation in what to order, I strongly recommend Hokkaido Black Milk Tea, Okinawa Black Milk Tea, and the Matcha Red Bean Milk Tea as any of those selections are full of flavour with the right amount of creaminess and sweetness. Green Grotto does get noisy and busy during the peak hours of its nightly service, but it is still a great place to be if you are looking for a place to relax, study, or spend time with some friends.
Brandon H.
Rating des Ortes: 4 Toronto, Canada
This is a great place for snacks and drinks. Been to this location several times now, keep in mind this is the new location located beside Boston Pizza. The overall interior design is very unique which gives off the feeling of being at home. Although noise level can get a bit on the louder side due to the place always being packed it keeps the restaurant from being awkwardly quiet. The menus feel and look like magazines instead of the typical laminated menus. The food and drinks are delish, the food more than the drinks. They offer a large selection of variety for their deserts. They also have WiFi which is great.
Irene Y.
Rating des Ortes: 2 Toronto, Canada
Food and drinks kinda suck here. I ordered a pot of tea for 6.99, which is along the same prices for other places for freshly brewed tea. The tea comes and there is no whole fruit inside the tea — it’s just shredded pieces. I dont think this is worth even 2.50. Used to be amazing when it was a smaller restaurant. I dont remember liking any food i ordered here after it changed locations(gone maybe 3 – 4 times). Chat time or gong cha has better drinks and gofortea is my goto for food or drinks in terms of a bbt place. very busy and loud.
Priscilla L.
Rating des Ortes: 1 Toronto, Canada
GOTOANOTHERLOCATIONORCHATIMEJUSTUPTHESTREETFORBETTERQUALITYDRINKSANDSERVICE! I am a regular customer here and I can honestly say tonight I am VERY disappointed in the service I received here(may 26, 2015) and that I will NOTBECOMINGBACK! These people only care about making money and do not care about service or quality. They speak to you in a condescending manner and pretty much told us to leave if we are unhappy and to go Starbucks right around the corner. First of all, this is usually a pretty decent studying spot. But when it’s peak hours they really don’t care. I came with a friend and they tried to seat us at a single table and we asked for a bigger table. They accommodated but after came back and was persistent in making us squeeze into one single table. And pretty much said if your studying books and laptop don’t fit. It’s your problem. If I came alone they would seat me at a single table. I have two people why can’t you treat us as two separate people who came. They claim they need to accommodate their guests but we are your guests too whom you’re not accommodating to. Secondly, green grotto(all locations) is usually pretty good with switching your drinks for free when there is something wrong with it. But tonight the SAMEGUY pretty much told my friend it’s her problem she doesn’t like the drink but they will not do anything about it. Offered to dilute it with water??? And suggested we go to Starbucks instead. I felt so disrespected as I was spoken to in such a demeaning manner and heavy attitude.
Richard Y.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Markham, Canada
Been here since Day 1 and although I liked their original store much better, which was smaller, cozy and distinctive in character compared to the lounge/restaurant style now, their quality and service are still great. It is the top choice when I look for a spot to chill with free popcorn and my favorite winter melon black tea, or meet up with couple of people to have dinner, or even an afternoon of work session with the right amount of background buzz. Their servers don’t turnover as much with the current crew, so they know their stuff very well and could resolve issues with great flexibility. The bar table in the middle is great, and the tree sticking in the middle of it is even better, I just wish they had electric plugs under the table. Parking is never an issue, but seat availability is when it comes to after work hours or weekend. I think it only gets better once summer officially hits and the patio is open.
Crystal L.
Rating des Ortes: 3 Richmond Hill, Canada
3.5 stars We were here on 2 occasions, one in the evening to get takeout which took about 30 minutes since the place was packed and once recently at around lunch time on a weekday. I would recommend going there during the mid day hours on weekdays if possible, as there are not a lot of people and you can often choose your seats. There are many plugs are you plug in your tech, so it is a great place to get work done. One thing to also consider to bring are noise cancelling headphones, as with many cafes if does get noisy at times. They also offer free wifi, the ps is green9 or can be found on small wood plack near the wall. They also offer lunch set combos(11a — 3p) which includes a small drink for around $ 10. The meal includes a salad and 2 other small side dishes as well. It’s a great combo especially considering drinks alone are around $ 6 each. I wouldn’t recommend coming here in the evening as it is always packed and there are not a lot of parking spaces available either. They do offer drive thru service, but again there is always a line up.
Sue Z.
Rating des Ortes: 2 Toronto, Canada
This place is always packed. You’ll have to wait around 20 to 40 min for a table. All the drinks are really really sweet, which is why I always have to ask for less sugar. We also ordered the«curry sirloin set» for $ 10. I imagined it’d be a small piece of steak with curry on top, but it wasn’t. It was a minuscule portion of curry with exactly 4 tiny chunks of beef skin(definitely not what I thought sirloin would be), and a single chunk of potato. One of the beef pieces was GREEN(picture attached). OK, I know this place is called green grotto but the BEEFWASGREEN. I asked if it’s normal, and the explanation I got was that it was caused by the beef’s blood. Now, I’ve had beef my whole life, all kinds of cuts, in curry, BBQ or seared, and I’ve never seen it green like this. I know beef can turn iridescent from oxidation(like roast beef) but this was not the same. It’s also not ink. Then, we tried the green tea mille crepes for $ 5.70. It was tiny and very very stale. I’ve had much better.
Alfonso C.
Rating des Ortes: 5 San Francisco, CA
This is the original green grotto in Toronto and they used to always be packed in their old location beside Keung’s Delight. Now they’ve moved to a bigger location, replacing the Wendy’s and it’s still packed during the busy nights. I really hope they open the drive-thru one day and serve bbt drive through! The service is slightly above par but the free popcorn(with refills) will keep you patient and satiated throughout your stay. If you don’t like popcorn, there’s acceptable taiwanese food for a good price to go with some amazing bbt. The new menu is more of a magazine and is terrible at doing its job(of telling you what drinks you can order). However, I find that you can get pretty much any drink and it’ll be good. Many times, the drinks are too sweet so I would suggest getting less sugar. Highlights Pros: great variety, free popcorn Cons: always packed My Summer Drink: White peach oolong/green tea with tapioca, no ice My Winter Drink: hot original milk tea with tapioca
Karmen Y.
Rating des Ortes: 4 Mississauga, Canada
The drinks are Green Grotto are always good, albeit a bit pricy. This place is nice and spacious, good place for getting a drink and hanging out with friends. They have a wide selection of Taiwanese food — and they even list out their«top 10» most popular items. Their Hokkaido style milk tea(#1 for drinks) is quite good. I would recommend it, although it is quite sweet so it might be good to ask for less ice and less sugar. I thought Popcorn Chicken was quite nice. It comes with some small sides such as bamboo shoots and kimchi, but their kimchi was overly spicy. I got the Three Cups Chicken but the sauce was too salty for me. Bill came out to just over $ 60 for 4 people with 4 drinks and 4 Taiwanese meal sets.