Ardmore Tea Room

Stumbling on this little place by accident, on a walking trip in Halifax with my girlfriend, was the most pleasant I’ve experienced in a long time. The first visual impression of the location didn’t reach out to me as impressive, but the quality of food and friendly staff really just leaped way beyond my expectations. Fabulous food with a home made feel offered in generous portions and at unbelievable prices has urged me to return. Superb place to give a try.

Ate here twice over the past couple of years, but I won’t count the first visit, because I wasn’t feeling too well at the time to remember much, except that I had to bring almost my whole plate home with me. So again, on a mild Saturday morning in October, I tried it again. Around 9:30 or so, the place was about half full. It’s relatively small inside, with maybe a dozen tables in total? I took a small two-​seater booth at the rear. I notice the booths themselves are quite small. I am not small, but a person even bigger may have trouble fitting in. The four-​seater booths around me had only two people in them and they looked more comfortable. Anyway, overall, it’s your typical diner style, very basic, straightforward service. The eggs benedict with spinach, and home fries (8.99) was decent. I didn’t find it memorable, but definitely enjoyed it enough to get again. Wouldn’t mind trying their breakfast burrito sometime. And luckily, there is at least one vegetarian item on the regular menu (a sweet potato & bean burger) I’d like to try if ever here later in the day.

I’ve been to this local diner hot spot a few times, every time it’s crazy busy and each time I’ve gone it’s been for breakfast. You might have to wait for a table or booth and they only accept cash, but it’s worth it. This place has that small town local charm that I love so much in my diners. The bacon and eggs are cheap and the coffee is good. They offer lots of side so you can build any combo of breakfast you want. Everyone around me was ordering milkshakes. Which can only mean one thing… milkshakes with breakfast is a thing. I must order one next time!

Great place for a cheap breakfast. Your coffee mug never goes below half. Great service. A little bummed about the cash only but no big deal, just plan ahead.

The breakfast here was satisfactory. I would go back, though nothing on their menu wowed me. I ordered the blueberry French toast. I’m pretty sure the blueberries were defrosted frozen berries which I didn’t like the texture of. I would much rather have fresh blueberries. My husband got the fish cakes and eggs which he said was OK. He would go back but would order something different. Overall it was a standard diner type place for a relaxed breakfast.

Stopped here for a lazy breakfast on a Tuesday. Great place for a filling but cheap breakfast any time of day. No waffles on the menu but the savoury choices are plenty. Had eggs, hash browns and meat which were very nicely prepared and for under $ 10 couldn’t ask for much more. Service is quick and frequent.
The diner style provides a local intimate atmosphere. Cash only is a little annoying but there are ATMs nearby.

Quick tips: The Ardmore is cash-​only. Visit the gas station ATM next door or run down the road to major banks (RBC, BMO, TD are just blocks away).
Breakfast is all day.
Atmosphere is dialed down to «relaxed». Enjoy it!
The Ardmore, as my pals and I refer to it shorthand, is one of my favourite places in the city. You know how some places will evoke memories or good feelings? The Ardmore reminds me of spending time with my grandparents in the summer, of pulling over on a long drive from campground to home to get cheeseburgers, fries, and a big olé ice cream.
I’m a semi-​regular here. I bring my family when they’re in town, I bring my friends when they’re hungover, I go on breakfast dates (which are the perfect dates imo).
For me, there are so many reasons to keep coming back. My meals are usually around $ 10, depending on what I order. They open at 5am which is restaurant-​speak for «get your lazy ass out of bed and come in before 8am» because that’s when the place will be sprinkled with regulars who are hilarious and filling themselves with coffee over a newspaper. I generally avoid the busy times (aka weekend brunchers) because I like to sit with my food, a cuppa joe, and a good book, and I’ve never felt rushed or pushed out as I linger.
I’ve eaten almost everything on their menu, but I have my staple faves. Breakfast: Lumberjack plate (because I’m always effing hungry, that’s why). Not breakfast: Burger with the works and fries (because I’m still always hungry). The waitstaff have always (ALWAYS!) been personable, friendly, and constantly carrying hot coffee so we are all practically BFFs now.

Go here for the food, not so much the service. Also, a warning for newcomers, this place is cash only! But there is a bank machine @ the gas station right beside the building, so no worries :)
I ordered the eggs Benny… Was pretty good! The sides are super cheap too if u wanted to share with a friend.
FOOD: 8.5÷10
SERVICE: ⁵⁄₁₀
PARKING: ⁷⁄₁₀
ATMOSPHERE: ⁶⁄₁₀
BATHROOMS: ⁴⁄₁₀

Love this breakfast place! Prices went up recently, which is a shame, but regardless I remain a regular when I’m in the area.

Don’t jump to conclusions too quickly about this place from it’s outer, and inner appearance. While the booths and décor is a bit 70’s and needs a serious update, the waitstaff are super friendly, and the breakfast is delicious!
It’s hard to get a good breakfast for under $ 10 these days but this place is definitely one of them. The pancakes are massive and cover your entire plate! The guys behind us didn’t finish theirs and I think that was the first time ever that I really wanted to go over there and grab them and eat them myself! The only drawback was that I think they may have been cooked with an oil on the pan/​stove. My little guy wasn’t a fan and he LOVES pancakes! This was the only difference between our pancakes and the ones we make at home.
If at all possible, avoid the bathroom. It’s super super super small. To the point where you can use the facilities and wash your hands without ever needing to stand up. Not the greatest place to have to go in the bathroom with your kids.
Otherwise, I would definitely go back here again for some more yummy food!

I have been going for years but unfortunately today will be the last time I go there for their breakfast. Food and service overall have gone down in quality… Food more so than anything. Over cooked eggs, wrong food being served and very skimpy on sauces on egg Benny… Sad to see that Ardmore isn’t the way it used to be before…

Breakfast special: 2 eggs, meat, toast, potatoes, coffee including tax = $ 6.88
The cheapest breakfast I know of in HRM, includong fast food places. For example A&W it would be $ 8.05

You know the coffee shop that Carrie and her friends eat at in Sex and the City? Well this is not quite the same. But for me and my friends… it’s OUR spot! There are lots of space to sit and catch up with friends, plus you don’t feel on top of anyone so you can ACTUALLY talk and not have everyone listening to your conversation! (Many scandals have been discussed in these booths, I’m sure!) There are waits on weekends for breakfast/brunch…but it moves quickly and never feels like a bother. (And BOY is it worth it!!)
I love old school, greasy spoon, always dependable breakfast spots. The menu has pretty much been the same since I was in high school… yes, THAT long! We would skip class and head down to get some delicious food, that we could ACTUALLY afford. (Now we skip work… KIDDING) The options are endless and all equally amazing. The lumberjack special is a must-​have for anyone with an appetite and the inability to make a choice (as it basically comes with everything you could want!) Their pancakes are more true to the name than any place I have ever been, as it is basically the size of a PAN and 1 will most often fill you! Did I mention their hash-​browns? you have 2 options, thinly sliced and greased right up nice, or crispy potato cubes seasoned to perfection. Either option is amazing and worth the carbs… if you count those pesky things.
The staff are amazing and never make you feel rushed but are always there to make sure you are taken care of! Many of the people who work there have also been there for a while. This gives it a much more family/​friendly atmosphere because you feel like you know everyone… or maybe that just means I eat there too much… NO, it’s the amazing staff and establishment.
So, if you are waking up after a CRAZY night out and need a dose of grease and love all in one… I recommend breakfast here. Your body will thank me for it!

This former doorman’s heart has broken.
The spot we used to stop by after a late night shift for a cost effective greasy spoon meal… it has changed.
Still there is the affordable prices (10/​bucks per person tip incl.). and the tiny booths. gone now is the sneaky good hash browns and a touch of that down home sweetness you get from the servers.
I ordered the staple lumberjack plate, with two sunny side up eggs. Unfortunately, the hash browns I had raved about to my folks and gf were bland chunks of potato with no seasoning (they used to be flavour filled bites of heaven). the egg was not over done, which is great for a greasy spoon. The sausages are not the typical cheap links, instead you have a nice sized sausage. The bacon was way way way over done. The poor pig was crispy twice over.
None the less, I still do enjoy having a big meal for a great price.
Oh and cash only!

After my Physio, my wife and I decided to go to the Tea room, and we were not disappointed, or server was awesome, and the Bacon Cheeseburger platter I had (about 7 – 8 $) and my wife chose the veggie burger (about the same price), heaps of I believe double fried fries, and a pot of tea between us, it came to about 21 – 22 $.
The atmosphere is a funky-​retro greasy spoon, I love that feel, I do wish there was the counter and stools like in one of the old photos.
Back to the food, my Burger was very nice, juicy, and not alot of salt or pepper, very fresh, it allows the bacon (BACON! CRISPY!.. err sorry) and grease from the meat to flavour it, wonderful. My wife’s burger, as with most veggie burger IMO was dry, BUT that is my opinion, my wife enjoyed it. The tea was a nice touch, and love the pot it came in. :) Definitely a return with my whole family will be soon. Loved it!

When me and my friends are looking for somewhere cheap to go for brunch/​lunch/​supper, you name it, The Ardmore Tea Room is our place to go!
I’ve been here a few times and I usually order the lasagna, which is surprisingly good considering I’ve never had good pasta at a diner. They serve the lasagna with a huge portion of caesar salad with real pieces of bacon and homemade croutons, and two pieces of garlic toast. The lasagna itself has a thick meat sauce and lots of cheese — yum! Their chocolate milkshakes are also unreal, super thick and they give you a huge portion, I can’t remember exactly how much they cost but I know its reasonable.
Unfortunately all that I’ve had here hasn’t been good. The hot sandwich and fries and gravy I got from here once was lacklustre. The gravy was the main issue, as it had almost no flavour whatsoever. They used almost all white meat in the sandwich, which I do appreciate, but the gravy unfortunately really ruined it for me. On the plus size they gave me a ton of fries which were quite good!
I also like the ambience and décor of the Ardmore Tea Room! Very typical, traditional diner style which I find comforting and homey :)
Overall I like it here, I’ll certainly return, and I’ll certainly update my review when I try more things!

Tip: There’s shelled flax on the table to sprinkle on your food, very progressive!
An excellent greasy spoon diner option for brunch. Everything you want in a morning-​after meal to sort you out the face the next day. Coffee is generally decent, and service is quick. It can fill up, so be prepared to wait a short while, but if you time it right you can just as easily get a nice booth in the window. Cash only, so be ready for that!

The Ardmore is cheap, but doesn’t make you feel like you’ve found a big secret in Halifax or anything.
Too many times I’ve gone there and my food order has been wrong or the food has been way too greasy or soggy.
For example, once I ordered the grilled cheese with bacon on it. They came out with two pieces of bread cut in half with bacon in it. No cheese. Really?
Sometimes I order the onion rings since I love onion rings, but these ones are 80% almost burnt dark brown batter with onion hiding somewhere inside.
You really get what you pay for.
And make sure you have cash, no credit or debit on site.

If you haven’t figured out my dining MO by now, let me fill in the blanks for you: I’m a fan of comfort food done well and the places that serve it. I appreciate finer dining, but let’s face it, a solid mom and pop diner is more accessible and more wallet friendly, and you don’t have to worry about putting on any fronts when going there. The Ardmore is through and through one of these places, with their well worn vinyl cushion booths, wonky ceiling fans and light shades that look like they are from someone’s grandparent’s house, and may very well be. To complete the feel, there are old timey photos on the walls and a condiment caddy with the usual diner-​style tall container of sugar and red squeeze bottle of ketchup. Not so typical was the bottle of Roland brand sriracha, which I had never heard of due to the dominance of the green-​capped Huy Fong rooster sauce, and suspected it was a cheaper version.
Like any popular diner, there’s a mix of all sorts of people here, from representatives of Halifax’s omnipresent student population, to professorial (yeah, that’s a word) looking types and regular Joes and Janes, all enjoying good, inexpensive eats. I like to think that a good diner is like a tiny United Nations, except more gets done. It’s a Thursday morning so the restaurant, while mostly full, isn’t crazy busy as a weekend day, likely having to do with fewer hungover students. My girlfriend and I are quickly seen to and I head straight for the breakfast menu. It’s a full page of breakfast deliciousness that is all served all day, and the prices are quite reasonable. I’m hungry, but not hungry enough for my usual big breakfast type of order so I go for the eggs Benedict with ham, because nothing says ‘light breakfast’ like an egg yolk and butter sauce.
It doesn’t take long for our food to arrive, and when I see my plate, I’m relieved that my girlfriend’s breakfast comes with toast, as there’s no way that the pile of hashbrowns that I got would suffice in delivering that pool of rich, yellow awesome (something I wish people called me) to my mouth. The Hollandaise is a little bit thin, but it’s fantastic — rich and smooth from the egg yolks and butter it is mainly comprised of, there’s also a slight lemon tang that helps keep it from being completely overwhelming. I even ordered my eggs cooked soft so that there was even more yolk goodness to go around. While it might seem lost in all of the Hollandaise and egg, the ham manages to make itself known, thanks to the sheer volume of it, as there is a few soft folds of it, not just one lonesome slice below the egg, as with eggs Benny as many lesser restaurants. The hashbrowns are A-​OK, but I paid little heed to them as I was just using them to sop up the Hollandaise.
The Ardmore is a Halifax dining icon and for good reason, with simple but delicious diner food at really good prices (breakfast for two was just over $ 20 with tax). One caveat though is that they are cash only and there is no ATM inside. Seems a little odd in this day and age, but hey, it obviously isn’t stopping the hordes of Ardmore fans.

Maybe I’m a bit of a masochist, but when I wake up hungover, somebody better already know where we’re going for brunch or there’s going to be trouble. Yes — even in the worst state, I need to know that within minutes of showering, I will be queasily en route to hollandaise sauce, eggs, and hasbrowns — not necessarily in that order.
With that in mind, the Ardmore on a Sunday morning means I’m surrounded by ‘my people’. Everyone there looks a little worse for wear, heads down, waters all round, and no more than a dull mumbling in the air. Well, except for the people who arrive later and get stuck waiting in a line outside (which, let’s face it, sucks).
By the time the cheap, all-​day breakfasts hit the table though, it’s a different story. Team Alcoholics picks up, find some energy, and starts rehashing the mayhem that brought them to where they are today. The food is never going to be memorable for me but it’s exactly what I need at that time-​hearty, hot, fast, affordable, and in front of my face.
The staff remind me of those in a Cape Breton diner too, which makes it even funnier when you’re listening to everyone reevaluate their Jersey Shore life choices around you.
I’m pretty sure it’s cash only-​or maybe just most of the time-​so run to the ATM at the Irving next door. You’ll thank me later.