Tuesday, February 14, 2012 — Cloudy -1°C
Restaurants

Aunties and Uncles

Rating: 2.6/5 (132 votes)

Posted by Staff / Reviewed on January 31, 2008

23 Comments

Aunties and Uncles
Aunties and Uncles is one of Toronto's favourite brunch spots. The pancakes here are super fluffy and the place is always buzzing. Just make sure to get here early to avoid the lineups.

Photo from gbalogh in the blogTO Flickr Pool

Discussion

23 Comments

Sort By Oldest First / Newest First

Subscribe

fc / November 15, 2009 at 12:04 pm
user-pic
LONG, LONG waits to get in, they say 20 mins to everyone, but the reality is that it's double that time or more. Worst of all, if the host likes you, he'll move you ahead of others, making the wait that much more irritating. The food is great, especially for the price, but the attitude of the host and the laid back atmosphere while people are waiting is not for me.
Reply
sw replying to a comment from fc / December 29, 2009 at 04:46 pm
user-pic
I had a similar experience. We didn't end up eating there! I was hoping it was going to be good because of its review and how cute it is! But as soon as we got there the host ignored us for ten minutes!!! And then another couple walked in and he put them on the list right away. We had to flag him down but by that time we decided it wasn't worth it.
Reply
jameson / January 22, 2010 at 06:04 pm
user-pic
this place is awesomeeee
Reply
Prometheous / February 14, 2010 at 01:50 pm
user-pic
ummmm yea.... been there once... really nothing special. Definitely not number #1, but I guess its not too bad for the price. Doubtful I'll go back though.
Reply
Vancity Girl / February 17, 2010 at 12:04 pm
user-pic
Aunties and Uncles is so quaint and charming. Initially I was taken by surprise by the overall esthetics of it's exterior. It wasn't what I had in mind. The interior, however, was adorable. The omelette was delicious! I'm definitely going back before I fly back to Vancouver.

I went when it was relatively quiet so I didn't wait for long. The waiter did seem to favor the other tables but still cordial.
Reply
BCR / February 17, 2010 at 09:13 pm
user-pic
My boyfriend and I really didn't like the food - it was a while ago that we went, so I can't remember specifics other than general confusion as to why it was so popular. I do recall that the potatoes that came with the breakfast were actually a cold potato salad with a ton of dill.
Reply
steve / February 25, 2010 at 01:56 pm
user-pic
the line-up is looong but the food, atmosphere, and price are worth it. if you go early (before 1030am), you can get a good seat relatively quickly. the omelettes are always spectacular, the breakfast pocket is amazing, and nothing on the menu disappoints. maybe the service isn't always the best, but they're so busy it's no big deal. my favourite brunch in toronto.
Reply
philster / March 4, 2010 at 07:14 pm
user-pic
Glad I read these comments before visiting. It doesn't sound like the food is that spectacular. And even if it were, crap service is a deal breaker for me.
Reply
Rachel Falk / March 18, 2010 at 08:16 pm
user-pic
I am torn about this place; the food was delicious and they are right about their pancakes- melt in your mouth. However, I called one Friday to see how busy they were because I had read the other reviews. I was taking my elderly grandmother (79) out for brunch and I didn't want her to have to stand in line too long. I was told if I got there soon, it would not be busy. I expected to be there in about 1/2 an hour, but often when dealing with older people it is difficult to rush. When we got there, in about 40 minutes, there was already a line up of about 4 groups of two or three. I was prepared to go elsewhere because I realised we had come too late, but my grandmother asked me to see about the time. I spoke to the host and he said what the other reviewer said, "about 15 minutes." I was pleasantly surprised and we waited and waited for over 35 minutes. When the host came out I approached him and asked what was going on and he said, "Well, you said you were coming in 30 minutes; it's not my fault." I told him that I understood that, and that's why I asked him if we should bother to wait or come back another day and he replied, "What do you want me to do, kick someone out of there table?" I told him, no, but I expected he knew his business or should and could gauge how long people generally would take and give a more accurate time frame and if it got extended, at least come back and keep us informed. My grandmother is small and thin and it was a bit chilly out and he never apologised or offered a place for her to sit inside. He was not openly rude, just very blasé about the whole thing and if it had just been me and my friends, I would have shrugged it off, but his lack of concern for an elderly woman customer sitting outside in the cold for so long really bothered me. We were going to leave at that point, but a table just came open and she was tired and hungry and I didn't want her to have to walk to another restaurant with the possibility of having to wait again, so we took it. That is the reason I would likely never go back, but it is with regret because the meal was lovely.
Reply
sn / March 22, 2010 at 07:42 pm
user-pic
I visited the past weekend expecting a Toronto's #1 brunch experience, but was disappointed. It's just another greasy spoon with a long wait. The omlettes and sandwiches were good and worth trying, but not worth a 40 minute wait for first meal of the day.
Reply
Rachel / March 24, 2010 at 10:22 pm
user-pic
You know what, sn? You're absolutely right. I've checked out many of the other reviews and visited some of the places listed and they're all pretty good. The meal here was not something you couldn't find at a number of other brunch spots. I thought it was a good meal, but I was thinking that it was the ONLY place to go and also, everyone else who liked the food, raved about it, but now I realise I was just not seeing clearly. If you get there early, when it's not busy or you don't mind waiting then this could be the place for you. But I realise now, it is not for me. Besides, there were a lot of flies for the beginning of March; it makes me think twice about going there in the summer. I'm gonna try BOOMbreakfast this weekend; it's in my neighbourhood and a friend said it's very friendly. Any other suggestions?
Reply
steve / March 29, 2010 at 06:17 pm
user-pic
just went again today and had the special (a grilled cheese with peameal, caramelized onions, and a fried egg), and it was really great. no wait because it was a weekday i guess. i've seen the line-up on sundays, and i'm not about to get in it. but i understand the people who do--if it's your hangout, then it's worth the wait. service was totally fine too. i've yet to have a bad experience at aunties.
Reply
Iggie / May 24, 2010 at 12:39 pm
user-pic
Good food, horrendous service! But I guess when you've got line-ups out the door you don't care about taking good care of the customers inside.

We waited 40+ minutes for our food on my last (and final) visit. They ran out of the special my friend had ordered but didn't let us know. They just brought out a random, unordered dish along with everyone else's meal. The waiter then argued with us when we pointed out that my friend had ordered a vegetarian dish and the new one had chicken in it. (he insisted it was mushroom! What....ever)

Then they had the audacity to charge us for the meal that we hadn't ordered and that my friend couldn't eat anyway. They gave us ONE free coffee for our trouble. The waiter then bitched about the fact that we didn't tip him.

The food is nowhere good enough for me to put up with such obnoxious service. I don't know why they still have line-ups when there are such better spots in town.
Reply
Patricia Marie / June 1, 2010 at 05:30 pm
user-pic
Best brunch in Toronto, the food is amazing, fresh and homemade. Yes there is always a wait but if you are prepared for it I think it's more than worth it. It's not a place you go to for incredible service, I wouldn't take my parents here but for great brunch at a reasonable price in a fun atmosphere this is the spot!
Reply
s2k / June 6, 2010 at 12:56 pm
user-pic
Good food for the price and charming atmosphere, but definitely not worth the long wait and slow service.
Reply
Lori / December 29, 2010 at 01:07 am
user-pic
The cost of poor customer service is just that: THE CUSTOMER! That is why I come back to a place time and again. I can't believe people would be so tactless at the cost of the reputation of the establishment. After reading the reviews I have decided not to try this place on sunday. Hopefully the owner reads these reviews and realizes the impact they have.
Reply
Anna / February 11, 2011 at 12:05 pm
user-pic
Have been here a couple of times, the wait is long but from my experience the host was very friendly towards those waiting in line. They came out with a tray with pieces of toast and jam and offered it to us while we were waiting.

The pancakes are great, so is the breakfast pocket and the staff has often come to our table to talk to us and ask about the experience.

The only disappointment is when my friend ordered the breakfast burger, it was almost completely raw and bloody on the inside. Big turn off.
Reply
Jean gabin / March 1, 2011 at 01:30 am
user-pic
Hi everyone, is this place good for a date (atmosphere...)? Thank you!
Reply
Paul / March 27, 2011 at 10:42 am
user-pic
Just went to a&u for the first time. The breakfast pocket was scrumptious! The caramelized onions in the pocket under the pea-meal bacon and scrambled eggs were a nice touch. The home-fries were simply awesome! We arrived at the 9am opening time and had our choice of seats. The service was extremely friendly, in fact, as we were finishing a staff member brought us 1/2 an oatmeal pancake with a little dollop of butter and chocolate sauce on top to sample. Very tasty! Not sure what the whining is all about on this site. We look for places that are busy. Doesn't that suggest they're good? Plan your visit, take your time, be prepared for a wait, enjoy the knick-knacks and things strewn about, and savor the food.
Reply
DAVID / April 21, 2011 at 02:15 pm
user-pic
Well, how about telliing us WHERE THE HELL IT IS!!!!!!!
Reply
Joshua replying to a comment from DAVID / May 13, 2011 at 11:53 am
user-pic
There's a map on the right side of the page, David. Underneath it you can also find the address, phone number, and a link to the website.
Reply
kulsum / July 31, 2011 at 05:00 pm
user-pic
this place is closed for the past few weeks call before you go
Reply
Sarah C / November 6, 2011 at 04:42 pm
user-pic
This is my absolute favourite brunch restaurant in the city! Just so delicious!
Reply

Add a Comment
Information

Location and Contact Details

74 Lippincott St. (Get Directions)
416.324.1375
Little Italy
Website
Brunch

Search

Find a restaurant

Or use the options below to assist you in locating a restaurant in Toronto.

Search Results

Please select criteria from the dropdown menus above to start your search.

Brunch

More Restaurants in this Category

View All »

Little Italy

More Restaurants in this Neighbourhood

View All »

Reviews

Recent Reviews

Refine the list using the categories below:


Loading...
Other Cities: Vancouver – Montreal