Signs Restaurant

Signs is an interesting restaurant where guests can learn about American Sign Language.
I walked in and was greeted by friendly staff, one already speaking to me in sign language. I let her know that I made a reservation under Kristy and after searching for like 3 minutes, she could not find my name and seated me on the opposite side. Next thing I knew, my friend was already inside at our table.
The menu is super cute as all of the food items had illustrations of ASL actions that you will need to do when you order. We learned how to say water and everything we ordered to our waitress who was really friendly and took her time to show us how to do the actions. Unfortunately pictures of the menu is not allowed. The portions were rather large at SIGNS. I loved one of their seafood items on the menu, though I felt like a lot of the food can be much more warm than what we had.
Comparing it to O’Noir, for the blind, i felt like Signs was less of an experience because we were allowed to talk, which sort of limited the feeling. Maybe they should implement a no talking rule to REALLY get guests into the experience.

I’ve always walked past this restaurant and have always been curious about it. Finally my friend and I came on a Groupon deal that included a 3-​course meal and a drink under $ 8. Overall I think it was a unique experience.
We had a warm welcome by the hostess and our server whom we learned how to sign with to order our food. There are «cheat sheets» that show diners basic dining sign language along with the menu that had the signs of all the food items. I got a Goat Cheese Bruschetta (5 pieces) and my friend got the Deep Fried Ravioli (5 pieces) with Pickles on the side. The Raviolis replaced a menu item that they did not serve anymore and the sign for it was not in the menu either so there was a little miscommunication and lack of preparation there. It didn’t bother us too much. Nothing too spectacular but overall a good start to our meal.
For our main dish we both got Steak and Frites with a Creamy Caper sauce and it came with a side of sauteed vegetables. The steak was a little bit chewy even though I asked for medium rare. The strip of fat that was on the side of the steak did not help make the dish look more appealing. The fries were normal and the sauteed vegetables were better than plain steamed vegetables. Overall the flavour was there but my friend didn’t like the sauce as she thought it took away from the flavour of the meat.
We were super stuffed by the end of our meal but we still had dessert! I ordered a Chocolate Brownie with Vanilla Ice Cream drizzled with a caramel sauce and my friend had the New York-​style Cheesecake. I love brownies so it was perfect for me. The cheesecake was good as well but we couldn’t finish it all because we were too full and it was too heavy.
Our server and the other staff members were very helpful and very pleasant. He was very patient with our signing and very sweet. The experience was fun and delightful and the food was good as well. Would come back!

Came here with a group for 14 people, staff were friendly but very absent. The majority of the time we spoke with 2 other staff members to get basic utensils, water and service in general. The main waitress who was the only one who we spoke sign language to, only took our orders. Although she was very kind, service was very absent.
We waited 1hr before we were even offered water, and when they brought it out, only half the table was served. The restaurant was not very busy yet the largest group of customers were not attended to.
The food itself was very mediocre and overpriced. Everyone at our table was brought cold food and the portions were very small for the price.
Although we came mostly for the experience of trying sign language, the only real experience we felt was ordering food and when they signed/​sang Happy Birthday to a friend at our table.
The concept is unique, but I felt they could have integrated more aspects to enhance the experience. (Ex. video demonstration, more interaction with staff, more attentive to customers etc.).
The overall wait and mediocre food would not bring me back here for another visit.

It was an interesting experience. The waiter was very sweet and accommodating. The food and drinks were of good quality as well. Ordered bruschetta and mac and cheese and i loved both of them

I went there on a date with my boyfriend and it was our first time to have an alternative dining experience.
We shared the chili-​lime shrimps which were excellent, def a retake and both had burgers. It was fun to practice the communication and our burgers were of decent quality!!!

Last night I came here with a friend and we had a really great time. The waiter teaches you some common sign language as soon as he/​she greets you. I have two food allergies so I had to cheat a little bit to order. I may have typed my questions onto my iPhone’s notepad to make sure my dish was both lactose and gluten free. The waiters were very patient and they all had huge smiles on their faces.
The food was really good and the restaurant offers different specials each day. The specials are of great value and they tasted delicious. We really enjoyed our experience and even asked the staff to get in a group photo with us. They were more than happy to oblige. It was really fun to learn a new language in a fun and positive atmosphere. I wish I knew sign language better so I could speak with the waiters better but we had an awesome time.
This was definitely an experience and I would definitely go back with other friends. I ordered the Prime Rib Eye and they were able to accommodate my diet. They subbed the mash potatoes with fries and brought me more vegetables. Allover I was really happy with the experience.
My friend had a great time too and she loved her dish as well. I think she ordered the chicken panini. It’s a great experience that I recommend for anyone. :)

Food: ⁶⁄₁₀ — Value: ⁵⁄₁₀ — Service: ⁹⁄₁₀ — Ambiance/​Décor: ⁸⁄₁₀
Would I come back? No.
Signs is a really average restaurant; average because the service is pretty good and the food is not.
We went for our office lunch this past Tuesday, and our waiter, an Asian female (sorry! I forget her name), was really great. She was so patient when people were slowly — and I mean s… l…o…w…l…y — spelling things out in sign language and she was incredibly quick and proactive with drink refills.
The prices aren’t pretty. I guess you could said you’re paying for the experience, but it isn’t nearly as immersive or noticeable as O. Noir (where you eat in a pitch dark room). While it might seem like you can’t compare the two, they are comparable in price. It’s $ 40 for a three-​course meal at O. Noir and for an equivalent appetizer/​main/​dessert combination at Signs, you’d have to pay $ 40 as well. I guess with Signs, you don’t HAVE to get a three-​course meal.
You don’t interact with the waiters much. You pretty much only have to sign when you order. They’ll refill your drinks with a nod of your head and the bill is pretty self-​explanatory. Because of this minimal interaction, it doesn’t feel like as much of an experience. While the experience of O. Noir is essentially 95% gimmick, 5% food, Signs is more like 60% gimmick, 40% food because as customers, we still have access to all our senses and it feels almost like a regular meal. So food is important and the quality is just not there.
My burger and fries ($ 15) was more like a large bun with a side of desert patty. It was so dry and the bread to meat ratio was way off. I don’t really like how they give you ketchup in tiny little metal shot glasses as opposed to the bottle because you’re gonna need more than one of those to accompany your plate of dehydration. As a portion, the burger and fries were quite filling.
Since its opening a little over a year ago, it’s clear that Signs still struggles to find a balance between good food and good value. The menu has barely changed over the last year (has it changed at all?) and the lack of variety is only highlighted by how it doesn’t seem like they differentiate between lunch and dinner. As it stands, I wouldn’t recommend this restaurant — for the food or the fleeting «experience».

Coming from an ASL interpreter and Deaf Education graduate student from Rochester NY who is fluent in ASL, I think the concept of this restaurant is fantastic. I was very happy to see a place for the Deaf community to come socialize and have a good time as well as educate the hearing community of Deaf Culture.
With that said, the service was quite poor. My boyfriend and I were going for apps and drinks. We drove 3 hours to have our order taken in spoken English by the hearing interpreter/​waitress/​hostess who made an excuse that our Deaf waitress was busy at the moment. The whole point of coming was to use sign! My boyfriend spent time to practicing his order in ASL and was excited to sign and then it was just written down like every other order. We would have been willing to wait for our waitress for the opportunity to use ASL. I was pretty upset about it but then again I converse in ASL every day. They didn’t have the appetizer I ordered and the waitress brought out another one that was similar and told me that the previous app ran out. Granted, it was not the waitress’s fault, but because it was wrong I would have thought it would have been taken off our bill or at least reduced. It was not.
Food tasted okay but the menu was all over the place. I think they should specialize in one kind of food and then perfect that instead of having a little Italian, Thai, American and everything in between.
Probably won’t be back. Nothing special other than the Deaf Culture aspect.

What a unique experience! The atmosphere for this restaurant has been quite calm every time I’ve gone which is nice for me. Not many people are talking of course except for the few who are just having a conversation at their tables. Everybody was quite soft spoken I found.
Been here for both lunch and dinner and the menu is actually the same. There may be some festive menus (ie. Thanksgiving) but all in all, all the food I’ve had was delicious!
The butternut squash ravioli was absolutely delicious. I say it’s a must and its vegetarian too. There’s gluten free food as well. For those of you who eat meat, there’s protein too don’t worry. I’ve had the chicken wings and sandwich here. Not too bad.
Our waiter, Brandon was super friendly! He was always smiling and even if we made a mistake ordering, he knew what we were ordering and would correct us. It’s important not to get frustrated through. There was a time we wanted to have a different menu when dessert came; we didn’t know how to ask for the ‘Thanksgiving menu’ with the dessert we wanted (pumpkin pie) so we had to innovate and type it on our phones. Luckily, we had technology but it would’ve been more efficient if we knew ASL for ‘the other menu’.

*There is usually a host or hostess here who here who acts as the translator between the customers and servers.
*Food wasn’t that great overall, however i still recommend everyone to try it out for the novelty.
–Taro Chips & Guacamole — $ 10:
This was an appetizer of taro chips with guacamole, tomato sauce and sour cream. I thought it was an okay dish. Tomato sauce had no flavor, and the guacamole was really creamy but I wish there was more lime or something tangy to cut the fatty flavor of the avocado. The chips were lightly salted and since the chips were not too thin, they were the perfect vessels to hold the dips.
–Butternut Squash Ravioli — $ 19:
I thought the ravioli was decent with a good ratio of filling to dough. However the combination of enoki and shiitake (?) mushrooms didn’t really work for me. I felt the whole dish was too earthy and there was nothing else to balance the creamy butternut squash filling. It also had too much olive oil tossed with it so the ravioli were quite greasy.
–Miso Salmon — $ 26:
The salmon was dry and bland, and I couldn’t taste any of the miso marinate. The risotto was a bit mushy and I’m not sure what happened, but the rice had an overpowering artificial lemon fragrance. It was almost like eating a chopped up bar of lemon soap… I didn’t care too much for the sauce as it added no flavor to the salmon. With their asking price of $ 26, I can’t recommend this dish at all.
–Butter Chicken Poutine — $ 12:
For $ 12 the portion was pretty good and you are getting chunks of juicy and tender chicken. The fries were ok and nothing special, however the butter chicken sauce was delicious! With that said, the cheese curds didn’t fully melt so with every bites, you are not getting the squeaky and stringy cheese curds that you would often find in a poutine.

One of the best experiences I’ve ever had at a restaurant. Such an eye opener. The food was amazing and the staff were even more incredible. We take so much in life for granted, this is a good way to sit back and appreciate so much more!

After reading an article about Signs coming to Toronto, I’ve been wanting to try it since.
Signs is a unique dining experience where guests can learn more about American Sign Language (ASL) by attempting and succeeding to order food items by using the language as well as to interact with deaf servers through simple phrases. The staff at Signs are very patient and welcoming and are attentive to everyone’s needs. The hostess guided our family through using the menus — each food item has diagrams that illustrate how to sign them in ASL to the server. At every table is more sheets, a «cheat book», to learn phrases to help you throughout your dining experience — the ASL alphabet, phrases such as «thank you» and «one bill please», etc… It was a great and fun learning experience for me and my family — we all loved learning more about ASL, trying it out, and helping each other learn the signs.
For food, we ordered:
Appetizer: Korean BBQ Wings ($ 14)… were okay. They were a bit salty and had a soggy feel to them. They came with a side of kimchi which added a sour countertaste to the chicken flavour. I wouldn’t recommend them as apps.
Mains:
Grilled Chicken Panini ($ 15)… this was one of our favourite dishes. We would give it a 4÷5… a good sandwich stuffed with chicken breast, lettuce, tomatoes, bacon, mayo, and served with either soup, salad, or fries — my mom chose fries. The fries were good too — reminded us of Costco fries. I’d definitely recommend this sandwich!
Butternut squash ravioli ($ 19)… this was a pretty yummy dish. I liked the ingredients and toppings mixed in — pecans, cheese, sage, and mushrooms. It had a bit too much olive oil tossed with it but the flavours were good. Not the best butternut squash ravioli I’ve had but delicious nonetheless. A recommend.
Miso Salmon ($ 26)… grilled salmon served on a bed of risotto. We were actually disappointed with this one — which we didn’t expect to be. We love salmon but we didn’t find ourselves agreeing with the flavours and textures in this dish. Salmon was soft and tender — not well done but light pink and juicy (which I prefer) but didn’t go well with the mushy risotto and the flavours were bland. Unfortunately, I can’t recommend this dish — especially at their asking price.
Pad thai ($ 18 but if you want either chicken or shrimp, you have to add $ 5 each)…we ordered three plain pad thai because a few of us were craving it. For the most part, it was good pad thai — the flavours were mostly spot on — not the best we’ve had but good — ³⁄₅. Only downside is that all dishes needed more sauce. They were all on the dry side. Portions were big but, again, at the price you’re paying, you can get a lot more pad thai someplace else.
Overall, we’d rate the food a ²⁄₅ and the experience ⁵⁄₅. What you’re coming here for is the experience — something nothing else in Canada offers. While the food unfortunately lacks in quality, the ambience and the people here more than make up for it. We enjoyed our stay — we got the chance to learn more about ASL and what Signs is doing is innovative — Signs is a restaurant that provides deaf people a workspace that wouldn’t normally be open to them while, at the same time, giving non-​deaf people a chance to learn more about ASL as well as a chance for deaf people to order in ASL.

Very friendly waiters ;) A great place to make your dinners more interesting by learning and using sign language to order and everything else you’d normally do at a restaurant. I think I made up some sign language too but for the meaning across ;)
Food is great too. Especially the cheese cake ;) so filling couldn’t finish

The experience was different but very enjoyable. The food was really delicious. We ordered the NY steak and butternut squash ravioli, the steak was very nicely done and tasty. The ravioli was nothing to write home about though. We also had the mac and cheese bites which was a new experience but really good. For dessert the cheesecake was smooth and the perfect way to end the meal.
Our waitress was friendly and patient with us. She did the best to understand us and make us feel comfortable and welcome.

Ein sehr gutes Restaurant mit einem außergewöhnlichem Konzept: Alle Kellner und Köche sind gehörlos.
Man bekommt eine kurze Einführung in die englische Gebärdensprache und danach kann man die Bestellung in Gebärdensprache aufgeben. Ein sehr interessantes Konzept, dass es auch in anderen Ländern geben sollte.
Ich hatte den Burger und kann ihn sehr empfehlen.
Frisch zubereitet, keine gefrorenen Patties.
Auch die Poutine war sehr gut.
Wir kommen sicherlich wieder.

I had a wonderful dinner here this week with a group of 8 people in total.
The entire experience was great and a lot of fun. Since my in-​laws are both deaf, I actually have a little experience with signing, however the staff really made an effort to make everyone comfortable who had never used sign language before. Our waiter was really friendly and super patient when everyone tried to order their food in ASL.
I ordered the Butter Chicken Poutine and it was delicious!
Everyone else, including the kids, loved their food as well.
Can’t wait to come back next time I’m in town.

Interesting place to try for dinner. Their food was actually pretty good. Took my family here for my birthday dinner. All the menus have sign language instructions and there are pamphlets on the table that teach you how to say basic phrases like thank you, more water, everything is great. The server was super enthusiastic and had the biggest smile in the entire world. Just makes you want to smile too. The lamb was probably the best dish of all the different ones we tried. We also order salmon and chicken pot pie.
Response time is a bit lagging here though. Takes a bit of time to get water and also our food. Would be great if the menu had a three course option too. Ambiance is average here.

If ONOIR gives you a slight insight of how people with vision loss experience the world, SIGNS gives you the same oppurtunity with hearing loss.
The places is modern with booths n tables. You are introduced to your waiter/​ress n are thought the basic sign language to communicate (since your servers have hearing loss). Your menus also show you how to order a particular dish.
I ordered the duck confit poutine (which was good), a friend ordered a salad n her bf ordered a jambalaya risotto.
A fun experience for sure n will go back again!

Well, this was fun. I do find the concept a little silly though — I mean eating in the dark at O’Noir is a worthy experience, but failing miserably at sign-​language and pointing at the menu is not. Granted, they have a very visual menu, with all the signs for food. It’s just that our whole table ordered from the specials, which were printed on a sheet of paper, without any of the signs. It’s also not a «silent» dining experience. Peeps around be super noisy, yo!
Despite my rant above, dinner at Signs wasn’t bad at all. The food was great, as was the attentive service. And the prices are extremely reasonable. I ordered a Filet Mignon for $ 20 something. That’s a GOOD price for the cut. I do wish I’d ordered the «duck poutine» though. My friend did, and it looked godly. I had one bite and I was sold. I wanted more! I also tried the Calamari — not fried, grilled and I think they should mention that in the menu. Even then, it was pretty good.
I should mention too — the restaurant is tastefully decorated. It’s spacious, the booths are cozy, and the walls are filled with a variety of great posters.
Verdict? Not sure if I’d go back for the experience, definitely would for the food.

Definitely a place to try if you’re in Toronto!
Seeing how close I work to the place, I figured this would be a good a time as ever to head over. I knew beforehand that the restaurant employed deaf waitresses, so I wanted to learn a bit of ASL before I got there. I learned the greetings I thought I would need, pleasantries, and the order I wanted.
It’s one thing to know what want to say beforehand, but actually putting it to use was a lot more difficult than I expected.
I was greeted by a young lady who (thankfully) welcomed me in both english and ASL at the same time. She led me to my seat, explained how the process went and introduced me to my waiter. The hostess-​now translator asked me to follow my waitress in learning a few of the signs possibly needed for my stay. Also provided was a small booklet that included many more things such as pleasantries (thank goodness, I forgot all of them already!), responses and many other things.
In the end I ordered the butternut squash ravioli as they didn’t have the fish and chips that I saw on the Unilocal photos album (that dish is only served under certain days apparently).
Now my experience with Italain Cuisine (?) is not as comprehensive as my Asian cuisine, but I will say that I thoroughly enjoyed my meal. It was a nice blend of sweet and savory, and for what I thought to be a small portion, I was actually filled quite nicely. The fried basil leaves and walnuts added a beautiful difference in texture, and it was quite an interesting plate!
At one point I decided to research how to sign ‘dessert’, and I guess the waitress saw me attempting it and brought it over the menu anyways! She was a very attentive and very nice waitress. Unfortunately I ran out of lunch time and let my waiter know I was in a hurry and I needed the cheque (both phrases provided in the book).
At the end of the day I was extremely satisfied with my meal there, and would definitely come back again. This is a place that does the community some good, while producing top notch service and excellent food.

Great concept ! All staff here are deaf or hard of hearing and patrons get the opportunity to learn about the D/​HH community while being introduced to American Sign Language. Conveniently located, it’s steps from Wellesley Station. Signs has a large dining room along with a bar so it’s a great venue for large groups. To eat, I had the fish and chips; you won’t be blown away by the food, but it’s also not terrible. Service was quite good with staff coming by often to see how we were doing.
Good for: lunch, dinner, drinks, groups