Restaurants
Disgraceland
Disgraceland opened earlier this year on Bloor West and quickly won over local fans for its weekend brunch lineup.
Having heard glowing reviews from friends but mixed reviews in the local papers, I was eager to get over there and check it out for myself. Ready for anything, I walked over bright and early, settled into a seat by the window with a couple friends and ordered up the Veggy Benny, Green Eggs & Ham, a round of coffees and one Strawberry Mimosa ('cause hell, we're up before noon on a Sunday).
Service is laid back but never lacking. Hot coffees arrive in no time, and the cocktail soon after.
While I'm not generally one to start off my day with a boozey kick, this strange and pretty Strawberry Mimosa could become a habit. A mix of 'muddled strawberries, orange juice and champagne', it wakes the senses right up with the blend of citrus and sparkle.
That said, it's merely one from a whole list of cocktails. I've posted the full list below.
The food arrives and we dig in... and... it's great!
No, this isn't the mimosa speaking when I say that the Veggy Benny is quite possibly my favourite eggs benny in town. Pictured at the top, two poached eggs are served over a stack of spinach, mushrooms, roasted red peppers and thick fried green tomatoes instead of a bun -- genius. A generous helping of Hollandaise doesn't hurt things either.
Green Eggs & Ham, stars basil spinach pesto in the role of green and Virgina ham as itself. I wouldn't trade my benny for it, but between the pesto and chipotle hollandaise, it was really tangy and different. The side of hash browns we'd half-expected to be so greasy were the complete opposite - crispy outside and fluffy in. The King'd be mighty proud.
Since that morning, I've already been back to Disgraceland and would return again. Anyone who had doubts needs to give this spot another try.
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Debbie
and would normally say that veggie eggs benny are blasphemy but damn that looks good!
Even as a carnivore, I could be easily persauded to eat that!
And yea, no grease, I don't go. Brunch is usually the cure for self-inflicted sunday morning headaches ;)
Sometimes you need a good fix of grease and, unfortunately, lots of places only do brunch menus on Sundays...
Coffee cup - lipstick all over it
Coffee - Tasted like hot water with coffee flavour added.
Caesar - Super "clammy" very little/no spice or flavour.
Heart-Attack breakfast while interesting was lacklustre at best. Chipotle "hollandaise" was certainly not actual hollandaise, and was COLD. Eggs were overcooked, and the homefries were cold as well.
Service while adequate was about as warm as the homefries.
In no way was this meal worth the $20 + tip it cost. At these prices I'd say go have brunch at Brassai or something, which has amazing eggs benny (although I haven't been in a while) for cheaper than anything on this menu. You'll get better service, better food, and better atmosphere.
(nb: before anyone says anything, I appreciate a greasy casual breakfast as much as the next person (i'm still mourning the Stem), but this place is just bad!)
Now, if only someone could recommend a great breakfast place east of Victoria Park. Finding a great place to eat in Scarborough is an extra challenge.
Food was a tad cold tho, I think beacause it was winter and we sat near the window.
That and I hope they get their cider on tap soon. Otherwise, Disgraceland is really hit-or-miss.
Disgraceland has likely been my biggest disappointment of the 21st century. Let me clarify...
- Right around the corner; only really potentially interesting place on that stretch of Bloor... unless you wanna count Long & McQuade = +
- Looks kind of cool from the outside = +
- Occasionally has a night where some dude DJ's only metal = +
Went in for brunch today.
- THE SERVERS ARE TOTAL FUCKING IDIOTS
- COMPLETELY NEGLECTED TO NOTICE THAT MY GIRLFRIEND AND I WERE WAITING @ THE DOOR FOR A TABLE FOR 10 MINUTES (we eventually sat down on our own)
- NEW GROUP OF PPL WALK IN... THEY ARE SEATED IMMEDIATELY AND BROUGHT COFFEE UPON SITTING DOWN
So we walked out...
But not without informing the waitress that what just happened was beyond inexcusable.
Bottom line... Disgraceland is the retarded cousin of all things enjoyable.
I give it another 6 months...
Amazingly, they ruined poor expectations by reaching bigger lows, not by service, but simply by the food. Two orders, both an English Breakfast... bangers, beans, hashbrowns, brown toast... 2 eggs over easy on a saturday afternoon (2ish?) when the place is deadsville.
Both orders yielded 2 orders with rubbery eggs as a puck, white toast and homefries... the hard burnt "toast" couldn't even penetrate the rubbery mess of egg.
So we mention something to the server, who mentions it to the cook, and he fires up more eggs and toast.
This time he gets the toast right, but we end up getting eggs which were twice as rubbery, to such a point that the previously burnt toast was able to stand upright in a small hole I made in the rubbery mess of egg puck he concocted in his Frankenstein kitchen.
Honestly, what are you doing even opening a kitchen if you can't even do a corrected order of eggs over easy properly...
they do not provide any drink list and our drink (mimosa) was overpriced.
Disgraceland may have made a profit when they where the only option in the area for the under 20 crowd but now that the area is attracting new buissnesses I can't see it lasting long.
For cute, nice staff plus delicious Ethiopian food, go to Nazareth two doors down. For crummy but real bar nearby, stick with Hurricane's. For hip bar with great music and food, walk a few blocks west to the delightful Three Speed!
http://app.toronto.ca/food2/DineSafeMain?userRequest=view_history&;ESTABLISHMENT_ID=10301248
Give it a try at your own risk - but we're never going back. Ever.
Needless to say it was almost a dine and dash, but as good citizens we paid. But no tip, due to the horrible service. So if you like servers who hate their job and the customers, go to disgraceland. If not, avoid at all costs
However, I would like to apologize for any ill experiences anyone has ever had here. All I can say is I hope to see some of your faces around, and I really hope I can turn your opinion around, even if it is just a little. :)