BAK

In the last couple of weeks, my eating-companion and I have had three $30, more or less, dinners in downtown Toronto,

For those looking for a bargain meal -- in Toronto terms.

BQM hamburger restaurant, 354 Queen Street West, almost at Spadina.

This is the old (like for at least 30 years) Stem's Open Kitchen, leased by a couple of young women from the original family. Very minor decor changes, so it still looks like it is left over from thirty years of wear and tear ... missing tiles, worn floors.

Really, really good fries, but on our visit, indiffeerent burgers, cooked on a grill that was too hot so the outsides were a bit overdone,and the insides OK. Good service.

We were surprised (not [positively) at the bill.

Overall, it'll be a while before we thry this place again.

(I've probably had 100 meals at Stem's over the years)

Fran's on Front Street: E at Scott, across from Sony Centre, a block from Yoge.

I wrote a thread on this. Overall, good burger, which I ordered for nostalgia reasons, and I'll go back if I'm in the neighborhood, but Hot House Cafe, a block east at Church (where fodor's posters get together each year) is better and not much more expensive.

But it is open for breakfast, and I know an inexpensive downtown breakfast i not that easy to find. (Sunset Grill at Yonge and Richmond, of course)

Pho 88
...Pho 88, 270 Spadina,..
.... which is half a block south of Dundas, across the street from a Green P underground bargain-priced parking garage.

Now our favorite Vietnamese soup restaurant.

Recently remodeled, cheerful young servers, big menu but I only have chicken soup.

Apparently there's free parking out back in their own garage, but I have not looked. The Green P lot is convenient and a bargain.

I had lots of soup, dining companion had PadThai she said was excellent and so much that she did not finish, PLUS we took an order home for ahungry teenager. So dinner for three was about the price of burgers for two -- see above.

Pho 88 is the best of the three, assuming you want Vietnamese food.

ANYONE ELSE got goot $30 dinners tell forum visitors about?

annetti

Hello BAK: We recently ate at Green Vegan in Pasadena, California. Looking at the menu, we noticed that there are two Green Vegan restaurants in Toronto, a total of three restaurants in all including the one here in California. I liked it; my husband was not impressed. He was dismayed that some of the food served was from Trader Joe's; the waitress made no secret that the veggie burgers were TJ's. Wondering if the restaurant is a bit different in your neck of the woods and if it worth checking out when we visit Toronto? Any thoughts on it? We are pretty much vegetarians, though my husband misses meat and will occasionally indulge.

annetti

BTW, Green Vegan is less than $30 for two for lunch. I think the same menu is served for dinner, too.

BAK

Looks like there are three in Total. One on Pasadena, one in Toronto in a birkenstocks type of neighborhood, and one in Ottawa.

Never been to either Canadian one, and I'm rarely in the neighborhood of the Toronto one.

But I'll keep it in mind, and if I'm nearby, check it out.

BAK

annetti

That's a nice description, "a Birkenstock type of neighborhood." Is that yours or a Toronto ism? Thank you in advance.