Accommodated a large group (9 diners) at short notice and the staff were friendly and helpful. Food and drinks really tasty!
Accommodated a large group (9 diners) at short notice and the staff were friendly and helpful. Food and drinks really tasty!
Visited here for the first time, but won't be returning. Ignored by the staff so consistently that we ended up leaving before even putting in our order (which was 25 minutes after we arrived). Didn't even get a glass of water in that time. Waitress...visited the table beside us 3 times while we sat waiting to order and never even said hello to us or acknowledged in any way that we existed. Considering the prices charged for food and drink here they should improve the standard of their service.More
The food is basic pub”ish” food. Not many choices on the menu. The service is really poor. Staff are slow and most appear frazzled. I’m certain this place does not get many repeat customers. They may be counting on the one-time visit by tourists. We...won’t be back.More
Although the menu clearly states that they serve brunch on weekends and holidays - they actually decide not to without any warning! We were disappointed with the food, the attitude and the service. Also it is overpriced for the value you get. The location is...great, and our waiter was very nice.More
My cheeseburger was grey-brown and rubbery throughout and did not seem freshly cooked. Accompanying (extra charge) sweet-potato fries were limp and did not seem to be freshly fried. Overly loud background "music" made conversation difficult.
This place has a fab location and a lovely patio. The menu could be slightly expanded. The food was delicious, we had a few dishes to share. The squid was the best I’ve ever had. The restaurant however is totally let down by the service....We had three difference servers, service took ages, drinks took ages to come, has to wait for a glass for ages for my drink. Food took ages as well. This place needs a more efficient way of managing the tables. It wouldn’t be hard to get this up to five stars.More
What's the best way to spend a cold snowy day? With friends, of course! And a good meal! Don't forget the cocktails! We enjoyed all of that, along with some beautiful scenery at Against the Grain, right on Lake Ontario. Our meal started with some...cocktails to warm us up. They included Venceremos (Spiced Rum, Amaro Montenegro, pineapple juice, lime juice and spiced maple syrup); Old Fashioned (Bourbon, simple syrup, Angostura bitters and orange bitters); Prosecco Sangria (Prosecco, Grand Marnier, and Port); Blackberry Bourbon Sour (Bourbon, lemon juice, simple syrup and blackberries); and more. All good, all refreshing! Next, we had some delicious appetizers, including Fresh Oysters, Steak Tartare with Potato Chips, and Brussels Sprouts Amandine. All were delicious! Our main courses were very tasty but the highlight was the Steak Wedge Salad. On its own it would have been great but with the add-ons of Salmon and Shrimp, it was outstanding! I don't eat a lot of salmon but I really enjoyed the little taste that I got. So did everybody else! The Cheeseburger with Pork Belly and Poutine was also excellent! It was a generous serving that checked all the right boxes! The Bagel Belt (roast pork belly + optional bacon) and Lox & Toast were also very good, although a tad salty. These were from their Lakeside Brunch menu which featured mostly lighter fare. To finish, we shared a Sticky Toffee Pudding and Maple Butter Tart, to go along with another round of cocktails. Overall, it's hard to beat the ambiance of this location. It's right on the water with a great view of the lake. Their patio would be great in the summer! They did have a few "igloos" on the patio for sheltered dining. Maybe we should have tried that! The drinks were good. The food was very good, despite some of it being a bit salty for my taste. It was also a bit pricey. The Steak Wedge Salad, for example, was $47 with the salmon and shrimp add-ons. Service was a bit on the slower side, with our server seeming a bit overwhelmed at times. It took quite a while to clear the nearby tables. Maybe some staff didn't make it to work because of the snow? Despite the snow and service shortcomings, It was a good day out with fellow foodie friends!More
I took 4 friends here for lunch on their patio in late August. The meal and the service was fine. However, when I got home and took a closer look at the bill, I noticed that their payment tablet had added the tax before calculating...the generous % tip. As far as I know, it is NOT customary to tip on the tax, just the cost of the food and drink. I've asked management at other restaurants and they said that is NOT how it should be calculated. It should be before tax. I don't know if either the server or management had set up their tablet that way BUT either way, the customer is being OVERCHARGED. I called their Manager last week but they said they were not aware of the problem and would advise their GM to look into it and get back to me. They have yet to call back. In the meantime, if you go there, question the bill if this happens to you. My rating would have been higher if this had not happened. I know restaurants have had issues keeping staff during these times but they should worry much more about keeping customers.More
It is still one of the best places along the waterfront for a meal with average prices.The servers were very attentive.
I got the Risotto with mushrooms and it tasted so terrible. It had so much garlic and onions and my breath smelled bad for hours. I just had it because I was so hungry. We also waited for at least 30 min for someone to...get our order.More
Went for a drink. Gave my name and number and waited. Went back only to find out that they were not doing text or call backs for tables. I sat 15 feet from the girl who took my request for a table. I get that...it is busy these days but that is just plain horrible customer service. We ended up leaving with no table.More
good night as a couple. the food was sufficient and the cocktails fresh. good view in front of lake ontario. the best were the tuna tacos.
Probably wouldn’t go back. Showed up 10 mins early for our 3 pm reservation in one of there bubbles. Stood outside over 10 mins while 4 serves walked around outside. Service was okay during our meal until after. I ended up taking our daughter for...a walk because she was getting antsy. My husband waited 17 mins for our bill and ended up going inside to find our server. (Never found him) But apparently it was dinner time as all the employees were sitting around eating? You’d think they’d try to have A+ service during a pandemic so customers would return.More
Thank you for your review Lindsey! I can use this review to show to my team so that they can improve!
Almost 90% of the patio was empty and we were told that we need to wait for one hour. Asked for Manager. Very rudeMore
Hi Kryaohri, Thank you for your review. My name is Charmin and I was the Manager on duty who spoke with you and your group. As we are in the middle of a pandemic, please understand that the health, safety and well being of our...More
I have visited this place multiple times, either with friends or with family. Everyone loves the patio. A place with such a view and relaxing ambience is a rare find anywhere, let alone in TO. I like to travel. More often than not, places with...a view are overpriced, or with poor food/service. Against the Grain actually has a decent menu that requires cooking (not just deep frined stuff, or salad, tacos that can be thrown together by someone who needs no culineary training). It is not fine dining, but dishes here are as good as you can find at this price point. All service staff I have encoutnered were friendly and helpful. It is great place for a small group or family get together.More
Thank you so much for this review! We love that you have enjoyed your time with us!