Cool Hand of a Girl

Absolutely delicious. Went for brunch last Saturday and had one of the specials: french toast stuffed with vanilla ricotta and a side of strawberry rhubarb along with their fantastic coleslaw salad. The coffee was exactly the way I love it, fresh, strong and pipping hot and the service was great. Highly recommend giving this place a try.

This is a dimly lit chill out type place that seems to be pretty common in the Junction area these days. The food tastes good and is rather filling. I don’t know how they do it, but they got that balance of tastiness, healthfulness and satiation down pat. The menu is pretty simple but covers enough ground so that you can still get your fix if you have diet restrictions. At first glance, the prices might seem steep, but you truly get what you pay for in terms of quality and then some. Totally worth it and I plan on coming back.
They have a wheelchair ramp. Inside can be a bit cramped for wheelchair users but the tables can be moved around.

The avocado Parmesan sandwich was delicious. I went a few weeks ago and I can’t stop thinking about it! The soup was just okay, it wasn’t really my thing. I think I will try the salad next time. The portion sizes were just right. I really can’t wait to go back.

The food tastes fresh and «healthier» than most other restaurants. I think I liked it because it didn’t feel like they tried to over-​salt their food to compensate. The coleslaw is great, this is coming from someone who doesn’t even like it. It’s fresh and not loaded with sauce. The potatoes didn’t really do anything, and I think it was a bit undercooked.

Delicious! Highly recommend. The fish tostadas were on special today and they were packed with flavor. My boyfriend loved the fresh orange and mango juice and my Americano hit the spot. A perfect lunch/​coffee spot for locavores; food is made with love and fresh organic ingredients. Eat here!

The menu is certainly well thought out and very good, but I am not eager to return. I found the food overpriced, especially considering how small the portions were. Also, the restaurant was very cramped and it was difficult to really get comfortable.
But, if you enjoy really unique food and you;re willing to drop $ 20.00 for it, this place could be worth a visit. I liked the chutneys and I could tell that they used very good ingredients. But, it’s not a place that I would want to visit regularly, just because I found he menu too limited. This area of town has so many cool restaurants that it didn’t stand out too much for me. But, I have to give this place credit for having well-​crafted food.

Brought by my friend who is a regular. This place hits right at the spot. Very yummy home cooked meals. Healthy, flavorful not greasy like most restaurants. I ordered their fish tostada and the home made chili sauce definitely brought the food into a new high level. Cheddar chutney sandwiches my friend ordered is so amazing too! The chutney has so many levels of complex flavour that it’s just a party in your mouth. Highly recommend!

Really nice place. Unpretentious and laid back. The side salad is delicious and sandwiches are so tasty. Good coffee too. And the sun always seems to shine in all the right spots. We feel full and good when we leave.

Always vegan options available any time I dropped-​by, unfortunately everything is over priced. Still, if you’re in the neighbourhood, try this place out.

Another reason for Celiac’s to rejoice! Cool Hand of a Girl offers gluten free bread with their meals. Food is light, flavourful and healthy, simple and good. I will go back here again.

Very nice little spot. Décor is simple but tasteful. I had an americano which was medicore but the breakfast sandwich was delicious. It was filling and would be more than enough just to order the sand which alone for $ 7.50 without the potatoes for $ 11.

What a good find! Been living near the junction for ages and have meant to try this place but we are spoiled with way too many good resto’s. Had the chance to go with my celiac gf the other day and this will definitely be a regular spot — great food and even better service.
Very reasonably priced, we stopped in for brunch one Saturday and had a delicious meal. Lots of gf options and everything we ordered off the menu was amazing.

Absolutely divine… this is what I would hope for in a neighbourhood diner. Firstly, the atmosphere, though simple, is refreshing and intimate. The coffee was terrific and the service delightful. In addition our food was delivered in a timely manner!
I had the Fish Tacos (haddock) Special, which came with homemade coleslaw (delicious) $ 16.00. It was absolutely divine! Their generous dollops of guacamole on each taco was killer! Although, I would say they were tostadas and not tacos, which is totally fine by me because my love for latin food is not exclusive. The fish was cooked just enough to be flaky and still tender. The homemade hot sauce was quite flavorful yet still palatable for those who don’t like spice that lingers or makes you feel like someone just turned up the rad!
My partner had a generous traditional breakfast ($ 11) with scrambled eggs, toast, home fries, and again that delicious homemade coleslaw. You know coleslaw is doing something right for my partner (not usually a fan) takes it down with a, «yah, that’s good!». Who knew coleslaw had it in it! The toast was some sort of multigrain, there was a generous portion of fluffy eggs and homefries (not the deep fried cubes… more like the pre-​boiled then seasoned and pan fried kind… just like we make’m at the lakehouse… who am I kidding… how we make them at mom’s!!)
I really wish this place was a few blocks closer but its definitely worth the hike!
Good Job «Cool Hand of A Girl»…you are living up to your name!

An interesting little spot — we stopped for breakfast and I had a daily special: French toast stuffed with fresh raspberry yogurt cheese. It was very tasty and I really enjoyed it, but I wasn’t sure that the spicy side potatoes (also tasty) were the best match for it. A bit on the pricy side, but if they’re using the organic/​local ingredients they say they are, I don’t mind paying the premium.

Good at what they do.
Organic from scratch.Friendly.
Sandwiches: tofu chicken avocado cheddar. Homemade soups good or bland and yum chutney. Salads dull. Interesting breakfast.
Not cheap but you do get what you pay for here.

We went here for breakfast today and have mixed thoughts. The coffee was great, very flavorful with $ 1 refills (free refills would be better!).
I had the homemade granola with yogurt and fruit. It was flavorful without being too sweet with a good helping of fresh fruit (mango & berries) and yogurt. I was very happy with it, but $ 7 for a bowl of granola IS a little pricey!
My friend got a breakfast sandwich, which was really quite sad. The bread was little more than plain sandwich bread (it looked home-​made but the slices were very small). It had a fried egg and some melted cheese and a tomato on top. It was very small and not satisfying for $ 8. It also didn’t come with any sides.
I think I’ll go elsewhere where $ 8 buys a full breakfast & coffee with refills!
The server was very kind and friendly though, so this place is acceptable for a coffee but in terms of food & price it under-​delivered!

Just had some lunch at Cool Hand of a Girl, and I loved it! Parmesan Avocado sandwich was delectable, as was the coleslaw. Everything was FRESH and tasty. Lovely Americano. Very relaxed atmosphere, good tunes, local feel. Highly recommended~

Great non meat lunch for those hot days when you just can’t afford to get the meat sweats.

Cool Hand Of A Girl…
I’m still not quite sure what that name means.
But it’s ok, because the other hand serves up delicious and original breakfast options!
The Junction is a bit out of the way, but a fun area to visit.
This place is a casual eatery, popular with locals.
I didn’t expect it to be cafeteria style. It doesn’t look like cafeteria style, the seating area is nice, you just have to order at the front. Which makes me feel a bit rushed, which is fine for lunch but not really my preferred style of brunch.
The specials are awesome. The French toast was sold out, so I went for the lamb sausage omelet with almond pesto with sweet potatoes with buttered light rye.
The food was very tasty. The eggs were delicious and flavorful, a bit runny and soft, perfect with the toast. Complex tasting breakfast for a venue that looks so simple.
I did find the food a bit pricey for the small portions with a simple orange slice for garnish. And perhaps the staff had a hard shift, but there’s wasn’t a friendly smile to be seen.
The food was good, but I don’t think I would go out of my way to go back. Brunch for me is not just about the food, it’s about the whole experience.

I first noticed Cool Hand of a Girl in the neighbourhood in ’08 but for some reason it never actually was open whenever I was in the area. I attempted many times to get a coffee only to find a locked door and darkness… I should mention this was on weekdays, midday. It got to the point where I was actually convinced it might have been a front for something else.
Fast-​forward two years and Cool Hand seems to have switched it’s erratic hours for conventional café operation. There are lots of good vegetarian and vegan options at this omni-​café.
My sister ordered an avocado, cheddar and chutney sandwich that was quite good. It wasn’t exactly toasted but it wasn’t entirely cold either. It was devoured quickly and she was left wondering why it was so small. I had her side of vegan lentil soup, which all came to a grand total of $ 11. That’s not cheap for such small portions. And this comes from two tiny people regularly eat small meals.
I really struggled with whether to give this place 3 or 4 stars. It is definitely overrated on some fronts, but sticks out in a neighbourhood that is steady on the tracks to full on trendiness (get it, cuz it’s called the Junction?).
I would go back even though my sister chose to regale me with a story of seeing the owner come out of the washroom and sneeze directly into both hands, wipe on a towel and go back to work without washing on her previous visit.
I teased that this is exactly what makes ‘the hand’ so cool.