Cheap Places to Eat in Ontario

"You wouldn't expect to find a French-Cantonese restaurant on College Street in Little Italy, but that's part of DaiLo's fun. The menu features crowdpleasers like truffled pumpkin dumplings and jellyfish slaw, but the real treats here include the whole fried trout, a dramatic and flavorful dish that's served pre-chopped with several dipping sauces, the braised lamb neck with banana blossom salad, and the General Tso sweetbreads. A $65 chef's choice menu, which consists of six or seven dishes, showcases the menu's full range."

"Running on the philosophy that eating well is a significant aspect of living well, DaiLo is a New Asian Cuisine restaurant in Little Italy of Toronto. Ensuring that the diners get to taste their genuine and true culture and traditions, DaiLo has plenty to offer in terms of authenticity. Apart from following their ancient heritage, the restaurant also hides some French twist in their methodologies and flavors that the ancestors of Chef Nick Liu have been indulging in for hundreds of years."

"Offering a variety of modern Vietnamese subs and Asian baos, Banh Mi Boys does not disappoint in the cheap, delicious eats department. At peak hours, the restaurant is often jam-packed with hungry diners waiting for fun fusion food that are sure to tantalize taste buds. Their fried chicken steamed bao ($4) and kimchi fries ($6.50) will have you rave about for days afterwards."

"If you are looking for a unique twist on a filling Vietnamese sandwich, you certainly can't go wrong with Banh Mi Boys. On Queen and Spadina, this sandwich shop takes the Vietnamese construct and gives it multicultural twists, from Korean to Japanese. People line up out the door in anticipation, serving the grab-and-go style quite nicely."

"Former Toronto food truck superstar, Banh Mi Boys, opened up a shop at the buzzy intersection of Queen and Spadina (ironically, it's beside a McDonald's). In addition to their popular banh mi sandwiches and steam bao is one unusual dish: Kimchi..."

"With several Planta restaurants in Toronto (and Miami!), each with a different theme and menu, Planta Queen has an Asian focused menu. All Planta restaurants are 100% vegan. They’ve got wok noodles, sushi, dumplings, small plates, and raw specialties."

"We absolutely love everything that is going on over at Planta. There is not a single boring spot to be found on the interior of this delectable plant-based resto. Even the chairs are dope!"

"Started by real life brothers Brayden and Dustin Jones in 2015, the brewery has amassed a passionate following, so much so, the park across the street has become the unofficial overflow room when the indoor seating and patio are packed. Blood Brothers is known for its experimental sours, wine infusions (like White Lies, a sour ale re-fermented with Chablis grapes) and fruity concoctions, including Ronnie’s Pharmaceuticals, a sweet-and-sour ale collab with Toronto dives Ronnie’s and Pharmacy. It recently opened a kitchen, serving up brewery bread made in-house and fried potatoes that are liked cubed latkes."

"What is it: Boundary-bending craft beers can be hit-and-miss, but brewer brothers Dustin and Brayden Jones have a knack for developing curious brews that are consistently sure bets. The Paradise Lost and White Lies sour series are our go-tos for tart brews. Why go: Blood Brothers Brewing’s location on the industrially-hip Geary Ave. strip makes it an even more happening brewery to hit."

"In 2015, Blood Brothers was born when a pair of brothers decided they needed to bring more interesting beers to their pals. Now, the Geary Avenue brewery is a full-scale operation. Beer menus read like potions – the Shumei IPA blends West Coast and North Eastern styles of IPA, while the Paradise Lost is a sour ale brewed with carrots, mangoes and pineapples."

"Sambucas on Church believes in providing only the best of dishes given the freshest of ingredients. They have already been serving their customers amazing Italian cuisine for years. That being said, the restaurant has a very wide array of menu items."

"Located a short stroll from Dolce Gelato on College Street in Toronto’s Little Italy, The Big Chill offers an old-fashioned retro ice cream parlour vibe. Owner Sam Santino opened the popular Toronto ice cream shop in 2001, in a space that was once an old shoe repair shop. Step inside The Big Chill and you’ll find checkered floors paired with a brightly lit interior adorned with a dizzying number of holstein cows."

"A post shared by The Big Chill Ice Cream (@thebigchill_to) on Jun 28, 2019 at 7:54am PDT. (Little Italy)thebigchill.ca. Remember LBK (life before kids) when you would stay out late on College Street and enjoy the lovely patios and wine bars?"

"Famous for their delicious plant-based ice creams, Honey’s is a dairy-free shop that makes some of the best ice cream bars in Toronto. Flavours include cookies n’ cream (coated in chocolate and Oreo crumbs) plain yogurt and strawberry crunch (coconut milk yogurt coated in strawberry dip and vanilla crunchies) and the peanut buster (peanut butter ice cream with chocolate chips dipped in chocolate with peanuts). All bars are $5.50 each."

"This dairy-free, plant-based ice cream shop doesn't compromise on texture or flavour. Coming in tubs, bars and sandwiches, they offer the classics like chocolate chip cookie dough as well as more interesting flavours like peanut butter and saltine crackers. View this post on Instagram"

"Machino Donuts is a vegan donut shop in Toronto open from Friday to Sunday. Their donuts look so delectable and come in an assortment of amazing flavors. It’s also possible to order letter donuts so you can spell out people’s names or words in donuts."

"A post shared by MACHINO DONUTS Vegan・Handmade (@machinodonuts). Another plant-based pick on today’s list has got to be the delicious vegan donuts available at Machino Donuts. These scrumptious creations are full of flavour."

"While Annapura Vegetarian Restaurant is not entirely vegan, it is a very vegan friendly Indian restaurant. You’ll find a little “v” next to all of the vegan meals (and a “gf” for gluten-free). Try the bhajia, potato masala, dosas, samosas, the soy masala chai, and a slice of chocolate tofu mousse pie for dessert."

"A variety of South Indian, vegetarian, and vegan recipes are available on the menu. It is a proud follower of Sri Chinmoy’s ideology. Sri Chinmoy devoted his life to the achievement of world peace and the recognition of the human spirit’s infinite potential."

"This hidden patio in Riverdale is perfect for those mid-afternoon snack attacks. This plant-based Toronto café is part of the social enterprise that supports marginalized women and youth through training and employment in the hospitality sector. Guests are encouraged to purchase food at the café and then dine on the front patio or the back garden patio (which is our preferred spot)."

"The Social Gardener is a vegetarian, vegan-friendly cafe in Riverdale. I browsed their menu and everything looked to be vegan!. There are bowls, wraps, and salads, as well as smoothies and sweets."

"Tenon Vegan Sushi is a 100% vegan sushi restaurant offering fresh and tasty Japanese cuisine. The menu is vast and offers all of your favorites gone plant-based. There are many sushi rolls, like tempura rolls, California rolls, caterpillar rolls, and dragon rolls."

"Another Davisville hot spot, Lola Sushi is a casual joint serving up Japanese and Korean fare under the same roof. Appetizers including soups, salads, sushi pizzas and gyoza are all around the $5 range; two pieces of nigiri are less than $5, and sashimi averages between $5-$6 for three pieces. The specialty maki are even better priced, all between $8-$10 except for the few outlanders like the lobster tempura roll for $10.95, but that’s the most expensive you’ll find on the menu."