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Restaurants

The Lakeview Lunch Humbly Hits the Spot

Posted by Tanja / Listed on August 29, 2007 / review policy

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While there are dozens of restaurants across town trying to achieve a nostalgic vibe via kitschy decor and booth seating, the Lakeview Lunch isn't one of them. Not that the humble Lakeview doesn't have both those things and more, but it just has never had to try. It's been this way since it opened in 1947.

Hanging our jackets on a pair of chrome coat hooks, my friends and I file into a U-shaped, art deco style wooden booth. Avoiding a couple patched spots, we get comfortable and start things off right with a few bottomless cups of coffee ($1.45) and a chocolate milkshake ($4.95). The milkshake is so thick it remains motionless when picked up, the straws having to be coaxed into leaning over. Nice.

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For dinner: Banana Pancakes with Eggs, Home-fries, Toast and Baked Beans, the Avocado Cheddar Burger and Mushroom Swiss Burger, a Hot Open-Faced Sandwich with Mashed Potatoes and a Pesto Chicken Pizza ($7.95-$9.95).

The pancakes (pictured at the top) are more weighty than fluffy but delicious never-the-less. Stealing the show were the accompanying home-fries. A crispy kind of wonderful, these were promptly robbed by others at the table. Mental note: Come back for brunch.

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That Avocado Cheddar burger on beef proves a tangy choice. We order the patty medium-well and it arrives totally cooked through yet juicy. All Lakeview burgers can be made veggie, so we switch up the Mushroom Swiss to veg and are pleasantly surprised! The patty is savoury and made of real, visible veggies (i.e. peas, pepper, corn, etc) - would definitely order it again.

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My fave diner classic is the Hot Open-Faced Sandwich, but this one isn't quite up to par. The mashed potatoes are fantastic, but the boring white bread is stale, bringing down the whole dish.

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Finally, the Pesto Chicken Pizza. Going with pesto (from distrust in the tomato sauce at most non-Italian eateries) proves a good call. While a little heavy on the cheese, the pesto cuts right through and the crisp thin-crust holds up well, making this delicious (and totally sharable) dish a worthwhile pick.

Coffees are filled for the *insert much too high number here* time as the sun goes down and the red neons in the window are flicked on. No room for pie tonight... but there's always next time.

Discussion

23 Comments

Anon / August 29, 2007 at 09:36 am
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Your experience is much different than mine. The Lakeview Lunch has a reputation as being one of the worst restaurants in town. Awful service and poor quality food, served with a scowl. They closed last year and reopened under new management, but the food and service didn't change. Our breakfast orders, which were supposed to come with toast, didn't, and I asked the waitress. I was told they didn't have a toaster. A diner. No toaster. Not that it was broken, but that it didn't exist (though fully half of the menu items include toast). She said she sometimes went home and toasted bread to bring to the diner. I'm not making this up.

After a couple of utterly disappointing experiences, I've never returned, although I live quite nearby. Honestly I haven't been there in a year, and based on this review, I'm wondering if they've gotten in an entirely new chef and new waitstaff (which would be the minimum necessary to overhaul the place).
A_Zelig / August 29, 2007 at 10:04 am
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The Lakeview is one of my fav places for breakfast - huge portions, tasty food, a great selection of omelettes.

I have never had a problem getting toast.
bart / August 29, 2007 at 11:57 am
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if you haven't been there in a year then how do you know what it's like under new management? i've been a regular at lakeview for a few years now and have never had problems getting toast or with the service. when it comes to diner food this place is the best.
Paul / August 29, 2007 at 01:05 pm
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I went to the Lakeview after they shut down and re-opened but no better. I had to ask the server to wipe off the table twice because it was so dirty. Then had to ask twice for a glass of water. The service is bad.

If the tables are that dirty I worry about the kitchen.
Angie / August 29, 2007 at 01:31 pm
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We stumbled upon Lakeview Lunch about a month ago and enjoyed a very delicious omlette and eggs and bacon. There was a selection of toast (and plenty of condiments too!) The home fries were indeed a crispy highlight of the meal. The freshly squeezed grapefruit juice was amazing! The service wasn't super, but also not bad. The only complaint we could make is that we had to go up to the counter to pay after asking for and not getting our bill at the table. We both decided that we would definitely go back again while walking away with our satisfied full bellies though.
jeeff / August 29, 2007 at 03:05 pm
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the food is passable, the service is patchy. the whole place still seems run down.
Jon / August 29, 2007 at 03:10 pm
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The last couple times I've been there the service has been ridiculously slow and good-naturedly incompetent, but the food was good. If the waitress is running home to cook stuff, maybe that explains the delay. :P
stuart / August 29, 2007 at 06:29 pm
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Parts of Boondocks Saint's were also filmed at the Lakeview. It plays a prominent role in a few scenes.
Tanja / August 29, 2007 at 10:05 pm
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For those questioning the staff: go in one of these evenings. They have some young staffers in the evenings who are AWESOME! They staff that's in early on weekdays is bad (i went in today and she couldn't figure out how to make a milkshake) so I avoid it too early in the day, but later on, love 'em to death.
laurel / August 7, 2008 at 10:12 am
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i adore the lakeview lunch. the mashed potatoes are awesome, and my mushroom and swiss veggie burger was delicious!
laurel / August 28, 2008 at 07:30 pm
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of course, i start loving a place and it goes and closes. typical. RIP a damn good lunch.
tc / October 24, 2008 at 07:54 pm
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If I could attach pictures, you would see what a disaster they served me for lunch this past Sept '08. A simple steak sandwich with onion rings turned out to be one of the most awful meals I've ever tasted in Toronto. Burned onion rings, a steak that was trending toward rotten, and served without batting an eye, as if that's the level of food they normally serve. I'm not a picky eater and this was probably only the 2nd meal I can ever remember not finishing. Totally different from my past experiences, which were good.
tc / October 24, 2008 at 08:01 pm
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Woahh, I just checked my diary and it was July, not Sept when I went. Time flies. Couldn't have gone in Sept as it was already closed! From the level of service, it seemed they knew it was coming at the time.
Tim / November 4, 2008 at 12:03 am
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Word is the Lunch is re-opening under the eye of Winnipegger Danny Greaves, of The Watchmen fame.

As a Winnipegger myself, who used to frequent the Lunch with a good friend (and fellow Winnipegger) Damon (RIP) I'm looking forward to returning.
Michael / December 7, 2008 at 12:26 pm
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Just came home from 'trying' to have brunch at the new Lakeview. Renovations look nice, but overall the experience was a nightmare. Waited forever for a server to take our order; when our breakfasts finally arrived neither were right so we sent them back. The same breakfasts reemerged five minutes later corrections (sort of) made, but with everything shuffled so we wouldn't notice it was the same food, just cold now. We sent the cold food back paid for our coffee and left.

Mistakes will be made, but they should corrected properly. Shuffling the food is the worst offense; they knew it wasn't right, and tried to hide it.

For a restaurant I previously thought had nowhere to go but up, The New Lakeview has found a new low.
Bryan / December 29, 2008 at 02:09 pm
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I echo Michael's opinion. I thought that the former Lakeview could only improve, but it can actually get worse!

I have been there twice since it re-opened. I thought the first time was poor luck so I decided to give it a second try.

The wait staff were busy chatting with one another when I arrived so eventually found my own seat. They came by and gave me a glass of water, followed by a menu a few minutes later, and came back to take my order about 10 minutes later. I confidently ordered "The Standard" because... hell, it's standard. How can you go wrong? After 60 minutes, one Uncle Tupelo album, and a complete read of Eye magazine, the Standard finally arrived. Yes, it had eggs on it. The rest... now really sure where it came from. Apparently their version of fruit salad includes greens and sunflower seeds. Not a piece of fruit to be found.

So that's it. I have sworn off new and declined Lakeview.
Tanja / December 29, 2008 at 02:16 pm
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I can't imagine when you guys have been there, 'cause i'm there a few times a week - even in the middle of the night - and each time the food is great and the staff is absolutely lovely. I'm so completely thrilled with the NEW Lakeview.

Here's the link to the new profile for everyone:
http://www.blogto.com/restaurants/lakeview
A / January 5, 2009 at 02:53 pm
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I dunno, been there years ago (weveral times) and it was all bad. Only thing great was the decor. If you want to see how it's supposed to be done, try the Senator on Victoria at Dundas.
Christian Bobak / January 6, 2009 at 12:23 pm
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I'm curious as to why the sign used to say "Established in 1947" but now says "Since 1932"
DD replying to a comment from Christian Bobak / January 15, 2009 at 09:39 pm
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Christian, If you go to the link the owners say the restaurant originally opened in 1932 as The Lakeview later sold and in 1947 they opened as The Lakeview Lunch. The new swinging sign reflects the original artwork & looks great.

http://www.blogto.com/restaurants/lakeview
Jay Eagle / March 11, 2009 at 08:57 pm
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- i can remember enjoying a burger at the lakeview in the mid 1970's. yes, i am that old. it was a neglected, ignored, totally forgotten old vintage art- deco diner then that appealed to hardly anybody except for pensioners, those looking for a warm place to kill time with a cup of coffee on a cold day, and art- school students with an eye for ' character '. i am very pleased to see that the place remains. gentrification is not always a terrible thing. is this area still predominately portugese- canadian ? - i live in vancouver and have not been in toronto since ' 91.
Bob / December 14, 2009 at 07:09 pm
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I was there with some friends recently.

Bad food, bad service.

Save your money and go somewhere else in the neighbourhood.

A / January 29, 2011 at 12:11 am
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Terrible service. Save your money and go to one of the many fantastic places in Toronto.

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