Cardinal Rule

This place was a big disappointment for us. Came with the family in search of a new vegan gluten-​free restaurant, but will not bother to come back.
Food was greasy and uninspired. Service was friendly, but slow.
I ordered the potato latkes, which based on the reviews, I expected great things. I can only assume the people raving about the latkes, have never had them before. They were deep fried (ugh) and only came with sour cream. For a restaurant that is offering vegan options, some applesauce would have been a nice option. As it was, the only vegan condiment was a garlic aioli, which was not a great pairing.
Both hubby and child ordered the veg burger on a gluten free bun with sweet potato fries. The burger was relatively tasty, but greasy. Hubby thought the «bun» might have been some deep fried potato concoction. Fries were good, but he ordered the Cajun version, and they either neglected to season them, or you just can’t taste it.
The service was slow… we waited too long to order, and then sat with our dishes stacked, waiting to order dessert. After a time, we just waved her down and asked for the bill, as we didn’t want to wait anymore. It wasn’t that she busy either, she just wasn’t paying attention to the floor. There were only three tables at the time.
Not a terrible place, but if you are hardcore vegan or celiac, you may want to look around for another alternative, as they don’t guarantee no cross-​contamination.

I keep forgetting this place is near me and when I go I always say, I gotta come back soon! The food is very good with decent portions, the last time we were here we ordered:
Maki n Cheese– for someone who isn’t a fan of mac’n cheese I was very impressed! The flavour was outstanding and it wasn’t overloaded with cheese and the panko breading definitely kicks it up to a whole other level!
Nachos with pulled chicken– this was so yummy! Lots of great pieces of chicken and again, the flavour profile behind the nachos was certainly on point.
Potato Latkes — I saved this for last because these guys do it WELL! Man, the amount of flavour in these badboy’s is outrageous and being in the heart of little Roncy with many eastern European folks — they are doing a great job!

I don’t often find bars cozy till I walked into this cozy pub/​restaurant in Roncesvalle village.
There is that perfect serenity in this place with the right balance of friendliness from the moment I walked into the place and from the breath taking home cooked comfort dishes being whipped up by the most coolest chef ever!
My favourite items to order (yes I have gotten too cozy with this place and have been dining here once a week for last two months) are warm and creamy mushroom soup, oh My Lanta I have died and gone to heaven MAC n’ CHEESE, and Grilled Cheese Sandwich which is comprised of Four ooooey goooey Cheeses on a ciabatta warm and toasty please roll into bead with me Bread… Did I mention this place is cozy :-D

Came here for Saturday brunch.
The food came really slowly. I was really wondering why it was taking so long to scramble up the eggs.
In mu opinion, the classic breakast taste vs price point just … wasn’t worth it. have to pay an extra $ 7(?) To get a combo with salad… would rather go to Cora.
The burger at $ 15 was also not amazing. Dry and the buns were not even hot. Again, even say hero burger tasted better. I guess some special sauce for it would havr been nice. but it wss just a regular tasting burger, with the potato laks inside thr burger making it taste even drier.
So yes, the potato laks were extremely dry and over fried to the point that i had to peel off the burnt parts. and when i bit into it, still tssted burned.
The food also arrived slowly especially considering we ordered mostly breakast style food,
No fruits, no salad, no drinks, and burger with no fries. and thr bill came to over $ 80 …
It is not the $ 80 but just couldnt justify the portion or quality, presentation of the food, or the décor and service for that amount. If you are looking for brunch options, try somewhere else.

Would not return or recommend to friends. Place is dirty and small and staff are not helpful or accommodating. Way overrated and not worth the trip.

Went for brunch this past Sunday with my brother and sister-​law.
My sister-​in-​law selected it because of the veggie options. I was very pleased with the vegan options (even though I’m not vegan).
Service was exceptionally attentive. Great main server (young, cool, tattooed lady) and two other very young guys who supported the main server. Everyone seemed to compliment each other.
We ordered the Vegan Breakfast, Breakfast Pie, and the Breakfast Burrito. All looked and tasted great. Their own hot sauce was super delicious.
We hung out for a while after we finished our breakfast, and while everyone was buzzing around serving other customers, they kept our coffee and water full.
Great service. Great food. I’m going back.

Nice place and decent food. Was a little over-​priced for what you get in terms of quantity.

Lovely breakfast and very attentive waitstaff. Our waitress was very fun and sweet. My build your own benedict was delicious and we enjoyed a round of coffee, tea and mimosas.
There is an even selection of veggie, vegan, and meat-​y options so whatever your persuasion you should be satisfied.

Nice friendly small place. Vegan options. Maccheesemaki is must try. Interesting texture.

Probably one of the worst dining experiences in my entire life. The food is definitely overrated, the seating awkward (by the wall makes you feel like a giant as it’s so high compared to the chair across from you) and the WORST part is the service.
We had a mouthy blonde the Saturday afternoon we went by. Clearly she was not trained for this job. She starts spouting off the «specials» without asking us whether we were interested in a non vegan or vegan brunch. When she finally took a breath (or forgot what she was saying), I asked her a question about drinks. She responded irritably then very rudely asked if we wanted her to continue with the specials «or not»…almost as if this was a play & we interrupted her acting. I asked if any of the specials were vegan, she said they were not and looked more annoyed… then looked at my partner and asked if he were vegan too… he nodded. She walked away.
My handbag was kept next to me and she soon walked by saying «honey could you move your bag please, thanks» when some other customers walked in.
Needless to say we will NEVER be returning to this place again nor recommending it to anyone. Usually a small place like this would have great servers who know how to interact well with customers and keep them coming back. The owners must not care about this if they hired such a ditz. As a fellow business owner, my first concern would be staff and their treatment of my customers… this is clearly not a concern here.
Food was tolerable but nothing to write home about and be prepared for an extra charge for a small serving of maple syrup with your brunch… which I would imagine would be standard with things like pancakes or french toast. Bizarre and not an experience I could recommend. Much nicer vegan brunch options out there. Forget this dump.

I haven’t been in over 18 months, but when I went it tasted like everything was frozen and then flash fried and drizzled with some sauce to make it somehow acceptable.

Walked here for a burger and a beer, and loved the atmosphere and unique offerings. Ended up getting a standard burger and split the poutine offering with a friend. The burger was a little under from what I’m used to, and tended to fall apart pretty easily; the taste was fine and I liked the oka cheese though. The poutine was quite meh. just didn’t have the flavor I expected. Another person in our group had the sweet potato fries and they were excellent, however. Good drink menu too!
All in all its a neat place with friendly and attentive service; the food musters a two for me but everything else is a solid four.

This place is quite the little gem hidden behind its surrounding restaurants. We almost walked by it! Glad we didn’t and decided to give this place a go!
The service was prompt and extremely friendly! It’s very small and cozy. I love the atmosphere for a quiet low key lunch. The table pictures are fun to look at as well.
On to the food! We ordered the meat muffins, Maki rolls and potatoes latkes. I absolutely loved the meat muffins! The sauce was amazing and added so much to it. My fiancée devoured the maki cakes– to the point I was only able to try one before he polished it off. Potato latkes were good! However, mental note to myself probably not the best idea to eat after a dental visit!

Arrived just before 10 am for Sunday brunch. We were the first ones there, but it rapidly got very busy and the placed filled up. Dining with a veggie a vegan and a meat eater makes eating out somewhat challenging. This restaurant was a perfect place because everyone could order what we wanted. The owner was really nice and it was an easy going place. Would recommend as a great brunch place.

Relaxed atmosphere. With vegetarian, vegan and gluten free options there are choices for everyone.
Service was a little on the slow side. But the staff are quite personable and the delicious food more than makes up for it.
Meal: Wallop burger is highly recommended.

Great laid back ambiance. My server was very sweet and accommodating. Chef there that night made very slavery poutine and potato latkes.

Nice people, good options, okay food.
I want to like it more because the menu has great options (already covered in other reviews), they are making what could be a dark little place as cheery as possible and the whole experience radiates comfort. But I always leave feeling kind of underwhelmed. Then I forget and wonder why I’m not going there more often, I drop in and it all happens again.
It’s a safe, affordable, palatable choice at a place where there isn’t much of that for a few blocks. For me, not a destination but an ok place to wander in.

I drank the Dill Caesar and ate the Cowboy Eggs Benedict.
Dill Caesar (⁵⁄₅): a good Caesar should punch you in the face with flavour and, like a good punch, leave a lasting impression. This Dill Caesar is one of the best Caesars I’ve tried. If you have ever mixed dill pickle and ketchup chips, or if you have ever had dill pickle ketchup, you can already guess how well Clamato and dill go together: the answer is very. A perfect amount of spice, topped with a fantastic deep-​fried pickle (thin, crisp batter covering a juicy pickle). Flavourful and not too salty. Well done!
Cowboy Benny (⁴⁄₅): the eggs were cooked just right over a healthy portion of beef brisket. The brisket was tender, if not melt-​in-​your-​mouth tender. The sweetness of the buttermilk biscuits (instead of English muffin) was a nice compliment to the brisket. Came with two potato latkes on the side — these were excellent, crispy at the edges and soft in the middle with a nice balance of onion and potato flavour — a welcome twist on traditional breakfast potatoes: nothing fancy, just good latkes.
Ambiance (³⁄₅): small, clean room with friendly staff who were knowledgeable about the food. The ambiance met expectations. The washrooms were not dirty though not clean like a good hotel washroom either.
Bottom line: I would come here and again and recommend to friends living within a 20 minute walk radius. Try the Dill Caesar!

Had a fantastic and simple brunch there. Got there around 3:30 pm, so late for eating, and there were only two other tables seated in the restaurant. Service was friendly and fast. Good alcohol selection, I had a pear cider, but my dining companion had the Dill Caesar (with a deep fried pickle on top!) and it was goooood.
To eat, I had the grilled cheese — straightforward. Just a sandwich on a plate, but I was thankful for that, as I didn’t want anything else. I had a side of the smoked ketchup — usually I’m just a regular ol’ Heinz kind of girl, but this stuff was really good. Price for my meal (not including cider): $ 8.
Almost everything on the menu can be made gluten-​free AND/​OR vegetarian, so bring anyone along with you! I’d say «we’ll be back!» but it took us 2 ½ hours to walk there… so…“we’ll be back — by TTC!”

Worst burger I’ve ever had. One of the worst and disappointing dining experiences I’ve had in Toronto.
I had been to Cardinal Rule a couple times before, and it was pretty alright. Tonight we went to try their special for burger week on the eve of the last day. It was the 4^th burger I had during the festivities, and by far the worst. It was really tiny, really dry and really charred. My girlfriend could only get through half of the burger, and regretted eating even that much, and both of us left with charred tastes in our mouths. When we were there, we also got two sides. The brussels sprout slaw and fries. The brussels sprouts slaw claimed they were shaved (they were not, they were roughly chopped), and claimed it was tossed in a honey mustard mayo, but it tasted more like pure mayonnaise, and it really needed some acid. I will say the fries were pretty good. Though I felt like I paid 25 dollars for a bowl of fries.
The server we had was quite nice, and she was doing the best she could, but they were extremely under staffed. I think I saw one guy in the kitchen, and one girl serving. We had to wait a while for everything the entire time. It’s the closest I’ve ever been to dining and dashing.
It was such a disappointing burger, we ended up going to Rude Boy afterwards because we didn’t want to end our burger week off on a sour note. The burger we had there was fabulous. It was like night and day. I don’t think I could ever return to Cardinal Rule sadly. For their sake, and their customers I hope they improve.