Fresh on Spadina

This is a sublime oasis for health nuts and the culinary equivalent of a horror movie for fried chicken fanatics and the like. Unfortunately, I happen to fall close to the latter side of the foodie spectrum and I can’t say I finished my Fresh dinner with much joy — but of course, that is not to say that this isn’t an excellent option for those who are truly conscious about what they are feeding themselves when dining out. Fresh has a creative menu with such creations as a «green poutine» (with a vegan-​friendly variant of cheese) and quinoa onion rings, apart from the typical vegan/​vegetarian fare of salads, salad bowls and smoothies aplenty. I ordered the macro greens bowl (bean sprouts, a very, very, very small helping of goat cheese that I ordered as an add-​on) and the quinoa ‘ringz. The rings were pretty tasty — I guess my personal mantra of ‘all things deep-​fried are good’ still very much holds! The macro greens, on the other hand, were a bit too plain for my taste — ~$ 12-​$ 13 for a box of mostly bean sprouts truthfully was less than I was hoping for at a place some of my colleagues have raved about. I am not sure I’ll be back, but if you do enjoy more healthy cuisine, I think you just might like Fresh :)

Made a Unilocal account just for this review!
Stopped by after a blue jays game a while ago! It was busy when we sat in, but the food came out in a decent time (10 – 15 minutes?), and the service was good — never had to worry about the table water staying empty for too long, for example.
Though, I will admit that Fresh isn’t the same as it used to be. Something about the staff/​food/​atmosphere has changed … can’t say it’s necessarily bad, but just my two (five?) cents.
One negative, but could just be related to the server; this is definitely not a place where you want to hang around for too long after you’re finished your food/​drinks. I get this itching feeling that the our server really wanted us to leave.

Super slow service. Food came out barely warm and mediocre. It is vegetarian and vegan friendly but skip it if you have other options.

Im not a vegetarian, and the food is pretty good.
However, the last time I stopped in, I had a very frustrating experience. This restaurant has a policy of no outside food or drink, which I totally understand. If you walk in with a drink or something from somewhere else, they either want you to put it away or throw it out. Again, I get it. They are in the business of making money, and they want you to order things off their menu, duh.
However, the last time I dined here, there was a bunch of people waiting for tables. The hostess politely told is that it would be at least a 25 minute wait. Because of this, I decided to put my name down, and walk across the street to grab a coffee at starbucks. I was back within 5 minutes, and I went inside to let them know i was still around so I wouldn’t give up my spot on the waitlist.
To my surprise, a table was already ready! So we sit down, and a manager runs over and tells me they are going to have to throw out my coffee. I only had about 3 sips of this coffee, and they grabbed it from me and threw it out.
Anyway, again, im not angry about their policy, but I am angry at how useless the hostess was for telling me it was going to be at least a 25 minute wait, and then its only 5 minutes.
If they would have quoted me a more accurate wait, there wouldn’t be a problem. I don’t know how its possible for a 25 minute wait to turn into 5. Thats ridiculous.

I came here with a friend after a Yoga workout. It was 8:30pm on a weekday and the place was packed! Usually a good sign. The seats are really tight, but it must be because it’s such a happening place.
I’m not a vegan, or even a vegetarian but was willing to give this place a try. I was actually really surprised at how many dishes that I was interested in trying.
I got the beach bowl with soba noodles and goat cheese (I needed my cheese! and was happy that they had a little bit for us dairy eaters). It was absolutely delicious and filling. I actually had to take some home. I also took home a cashew cookie which was fresh baked and a great treat for my sweet tooth. I also ordered a side of cornbread. I LOVE cornbread and theirs did not disappoint at all.
My friend got the soup, salad and cornbread combo. She made a mistake when ordering because she thought she could pick any salad and so she ordered the ironman. When the order came we realized that there was an extra meal. We explained the misunderstanding no questions asked, the waitress took it back and never charged her. Great customer service.
Although I love my meat and cheese, I will come back here for a nice healthy meal!

Yum… got the onion rings as a starter which were to die for! Tacos, burgers and bowls are all great selections but that jalapeño sauce for the tacos won me over. Delish!

Went to Fresh on a Thursday evening. The place was busy but luckily no lineup. W e were seated right away.
This was our third evperience at the restaurant and it does not dissapoint. The choices are delicious. The food is fresh and healthy with generous portions. We always feel satisfied but not uncomfortably full. My partner had the powerhouse bowl and I ordered a super salad. We shared a half liter of organic wine. Bill total $ 63 for both. Quality of the food is very good.

My favourite place! Love the phytosalad, bean burrito and of course the legendary onion rings. It’s definitely pricey, but the service is great and the food fantastic!

Fresh is a really great name for this place! And it’s everything all Unilocalers have previously noted:
Fresh, minimally processed, healthy, vegan, etc, etc
If you’re ordering any apps at all, only order the baby size bowls/​salads, it’s a lot of food!
Loved the poutine! So little chance to have it if you’re a vegan!
We ordered the green goddess, dragon and Buddha bowls, all with soba. I would recommend the rice actually. The tahini sauce on the soba is a little heavy, weighs them down.
Staff is so sweet and efficient.

Had the BBQ burger, wrap style, with a side of onion rings. Good portion size for take-​out, but so stuffed after eating everything! Depending on what you get, it’s either healthy-​ish to not healthy at all, so choose wisely! But for a midday vegan fix, Fresh is the place to go! Their smoothies are pretty good too; I’d recommend the «Breathless» — a typical mango-​strawberry-​banana blend.
The service at this Fresh is above the other two that I have visited (the one on Bloor, and on Eglinton). The young gentleman was more than accommodating, and friendly — but not overly doing it.
As always, a joy to visit Fresh on Spadina.

I’ve found that, somehow, I constantly turn to Fresh for a meal, perhaps because a large number of my friends happen are vegetarian but it’s more likely because I’ve rarely been disappointed and it’s an obvious choice for a healthy meal.
I’ve had the squash tacos twice, as I LOVE squash. It’s always a great combination of crispy squash and tangy sauces. However, I’d avoid this option if you are trying to eat healthy, with the deep-​fried squash and creamy sauces; I think it’s the whole wheat tortillas that help this item «healthy enough» for the menu.
Fresh salads are amazing and are surprisingly some of the most filling items on the menu with incredibly generous portions. I always opt for the Sriracha Maple dressing, which gives a great kick, even though I always end up pouring too much in which means I have to down 5 cups of water.
The only item I’ve been disappointed by is the Buddha Bowl, which is why I took a star off. I was looking for a light meal but stupidly mixed all the peanut sauce into the dish as soon as it arrived in front of me (recurring theme here). Would recommend that you ask for less sauce as I’d compare the taste and texture of this bowl to ramen — very thick and filling, not what I wanted that day. However, my friend claims that her favourite item on the menu is the Buddha Bowl with soba noodles. I’ll be back soon to give this another chance.

LOVE this place! I came here to catch up with a friend and we got a spot on the patio. Delicious food, variety of options and amazing service. Food came quickly and service was very friendly! I got the all star salad while my friend got the squash tacos AND bbq burger! We loved our food and will be coming back to try more food!

This is place is awesome!
You must try the buffalo wrap and the poutine!!!
If you are in Toronto you must try this place!!!

Hands down the best vegan place I’ve tried! Had the holiday wrap, sweet potato fries and the super cleanse green juice. The holiday wrap was simply amazing, the vegetables and tofu were fresh and I didn’t feel like I was eating grass which is always a relief. Got the chipotle mayo for the fries and was delicious. I really liked the super cleanse green juice as it was slightly sour and sweet which made the whole process of drinking vegetable juice a lot more enjoyable.
The service at Fresh is excellent. They were having a 50% discount and we had to wait for a long time to get our food but one of the people working there was so nice to offer us a free juice and starter on our next visit which I thought it was kind of them to do that. Well, It definitely made the wait a lot more bearable. After today, I am seriously considering to become vegan. Fresh is undoubtedly the go to place for my vegan fix!

Always passed by it since it’s near my office but never tried it until this passed weekend.
The first thing I’d like to mention is that it’s not the biggest place but the food sure makes up for it. The service was great and the food came quick.
I had the Falafel Tacos. They are delicious! The Falafals were fresh, crispy on the outside but soft on the inside combine with the sauce, greens and shell it’t the greatest combination. If you decide to pay a visit, it one item on the menu you must try.
I will be back for more!!!

I’m just a sucker for Fresh and all their locations, but since moving to the east end this has been my go-​to location for bowls and burritos!
I’m lazy and seldom cook, so I’m always looking for healthy takeout options and this is one of the best in the city. I am always craving their Energy Bowl and it’s hard to resist grabbing one on my way home from a long day at work. I also love their Black Bean Burrito for a more portable, hands-​on option.
Like most of the other locations this Fresh is tiny — you’re lucky to find a seat when things get busy (which is always). Even when grabbing something to go it’s hard to find a place to post up for 15 minutes without being in the thick of traffic.
The food is amazing, and you’ll likely be more-​than-​satisfied with any of their menu options. I love Fresh and would eat it every day — but it’s expensive. Like really expensive. If you want a large bowl with noodles you’re looking at 20 bucks. Is it worth it? I would say «yes» but one day I will purchase one of their cookbooks and learn to make the Energy Bowl at home!

Ok this is a vegetarian hot spot and rightfully so
Just forget the Buddha Bowl and go right to the Squash Tacos and the Quinoa Onion Rings
You will not want any Korean Tacos after eating these.
The squash is so creamy inside the breaded coating and the spicy jalapeño mayo adds a nice kick
This place warrants several trips to work your way through the healthy and fresh menu
I am not a vegan by any means but I do enjoy great and tasty food

Everything on the menu is delicious. Some of my favourites:
— Date almond smoothie, hold the maple syrup (it’s quite sweet w/​o it)
— Tofu tacos — the sauce it comes with is sooo good
— Tomato soup — amazing — all of their soups are really good & are healthy
— House salad — that dressing is addictive
— Slaw — comes on the side of the thai burger
— Thai burger — a twist on the traditional hamburger — very yummy
And I could go on. It’s definitely one of my top 3 favourite restaurants in Toronto. Only downside is it can get quite loud.
Oh, and if you join the Toronto Vegetarian Association ($ 25 per year) you get 15% off take-​out.

Great place when you’re looking to have a casual green meal with close friends.
The food here is delicious but there are some downsides:
+ The prices can be crazy. Some items have good value but a lot don’t. The soup/​salad combo is a good one, the juices/​smoothies are whacko.
+ Seating is tight. If you’re looking to sprawl out, relax, and have a deep conversation look elsewhere. The strangers sitting next to you will be nearly as close to you as the people you’re eating with.
+ Take out portions don’t match up with sitting in portions.

FULL DISCLAIMER: I’m a vegetarian! I love vegetarian food! But as you know, some full on vegan/​vegetarian restaurants really disappoint me. Not Fresh!
Fresh was one of the first places I tried in Toronto YEARS ago when I came to visit. Back on that trip, I was having intense problems with gall stones and stomach aches and wasn’t able to enjoy my meal here. So, on my last night in Toronto, my dad and I decided to celebrate by going and trying it again.
Man this place gets packed! The tables are so tiny. You really feel like you’re eating on top of your neighbor. Definitely not a place to have a private conversation.
Servers look as if they are straight out of an American Apparel ad. Very attractive, hipster type women.
This time around, the food was delish. Here is what we ordered.
HOT COCO WITH ALMOND MILK. Yummy. Let mine cool so it was just warm. Dad and I shared it as our «desert» before the meal.
FULL ORDER OF FRENCH FRIES: –1 star for the fact french fries do not come with a burger! But these fries are great. Really tasty and a nice treat. We got ours with some kind of vegan garlic aioli which may be some of the best veganase I have ever had? It was great.
ONION RINGS — In my mind, these are Fresh’s trade mark item. Their quinoa onion rings are fun, crunchy, and tasty … albeit a bit greasy sometimes.
LENTIL SOUP: Cup/​bowls of soup are pretty big. My dad got some lentil soup and thought it was really tasty on a cool day to warm him up.
MUSHROOM BURGER: For some reason I decided to get the mushroom burger without the mushrooms, even though I love mushrooms. I just think I wasn’t feeling it that day. I remember vaguely no substitutions which is okay I guess, but whatevs! Upon putting my burger together it was really messy although tasty. One of the better veggie burger patties I have had.
BBQ BURGER: My dad wanted a burger as well (celebration burgers anyone?) so he got the bbq burger, which was even MESSIER than mine. But he managed to finish it!
Both burgers came with a salad which I actually really enjoyed.
All in all, I liked my second go at Fresh. When back in Toronto, I will definitely swing by Fresh for some great vegan food!

Friendly service. Helpful staff. Fresh tasteful healthy plates.
Will become a regular if this place.

This was my first time trying fresh and it did not disappoint ! We started off with juices and smoothies. Their smoothies are the best things ever. If I lived downtown I would definitely drop by everyday.
I ended up eating beach bowl with soba noodles. To be honest, this would have tasted better with the rice. Was not a fan of the noodles (but tasted great with lemon).
Also they used a bit too much oil for the noodles for my taste. Overall the food was delicious, the atmosphere was great and the service was awesome.
Can’t wait to go back

The food is fantastic, albeit on the pricier side. I’ve liked almost everything I’ve tried here:
–Pythosalad: I think this one must be my favorite!
–All star: delicious
–Corn chowder soup: it was more of a veggie soup (not creamy, but more like minestrone) but I actually loved it! This has been my favorite soup so far
–Leak & sweet potato: I wasn’t a fan, sadly
–Carrot soup: delicious
The cons are:
–They’re VERY strict with substitutions (almost nothing can be substituted)
–They’re very slow (although the servers are all super friendly, it gets quite busy and there aren’t that many servers)
–It’s quite pricey

There’s several things I really like about fresh:
The list of always-​organic foods they use, which is something I really appreciate and one of the reasons why I do visit (I don’t really like to eat out too often)
They have a big menu, so you can always try something new, which I really like to do!
The list of beverages is also huge!
Nice, laid-​out atmosphere but with style!
It’s often quite overcrowded (but I think they managed, hands-​off, the best use of space for a restaurant) and sometimes you can have loud neighbors (just hope they’re done soon), however you’re usually seated in 20 minutes at most, even when it’s packed.
I think the service is quite nice overall!

Kinda surprised it took me over three years of living in Toronto to try out Fresh! I ordered the Squash Tacos and they were DELICIOUS, especially once I added a little extra of their hot sauce! Will definitive be back again to try their bowls!

The menu at Fresh should appease everyone from a carnist to vegetarians and of course vegans. The founder has done an exceptional job with designing the menu with options ranging from salads to burgers to tacos to smoothies.
The few times I visited 2 of the Fresh restaurants in Toronto, I was surprised to see such large crowds. It is definitely a sign of changing times when people throng to a fully vegan restaurant. It is also a sign of the delicious food that is offered and a reasonable price (Myth: vegan food is expensive) and in large portions.
I tried the turmeric gold supermilk which was super with a little spiciness from cayenne and a little sweetness from orange and an overall well balanced taste from ginger, cinnamon and almond all blended in hemp milk. Slurp.
The burgers here are the best I have ever had anywhere in the world. The thai burger was unique in its taste and presentation. I also tried Indian dosas just because they had toasted coconut in them. They are not your typical South Indian style dosa but still very tasty. I have also tried poutine which was outstanding with mushroom gravy.
I really hope Ruth Tal, the founder of Fresh, opens a Fresh restaurant in every city in the U.S. soon. There is definitely a market for high quality, tasty, reasonably priced plant based food because consumers are more conscious about what (who?) they are eating.

Fresh serves the type of food I adore: nutritious, revitalizing and light.
Though Fresh is mainly a take-​out restaurant, I would definitely recommend dining in and sitting at the patio. (U of T students get a 10% discount off takeout but make sure to bring your student ID!)
The menu was a bit overwhelming, mainly because everything looked so good.
I would highly recommend the Jerusalem bowl with flax hummus on soba noodles. Despite the hefty list of ingredients (at least twelve), everything complemented each other so well. The combination of tamari with hummus and lemony zest was absolutely divine. I have a love-​hate relationship with soba noodles in Toronto, as most of the restaurants I have been to have totally butchered them. Thus, I am extremely happy to say that Fresh’s soba noodles have my nod of approval. The noodles have great texture and are very tangy and well-​chilled.
I would also recommend the premium powerhouse bowl with avocado and mixed nuts, but make sure to tell them to put less tahini sauce in (if you are a spice light-​weight like me) as the bowl is inordinately spicy.
Fresh trumps Freshii (ironically just located across the street) any day.

The food here is without a doubt amazing, if it’s you’re first time trying out this place I would suggest the quinoa onion rings or their poutines. I’ve had some of their burgers but I felt that they were a little too dry and wouldn’t order it again.
Nonetheless, I hate the customer service here, all the times I’ve been to this location I find that the waitresses put ZERO effort into giving us any proper service. I also once wanted to order soup but god forbid I asked a different waitress other than mine and she corrected the way I named the soup and said I’m not your server i’ll get yours and then stormed off. Like helllooo, I am so sorry I wanted soup. Please forgive me.

Got a baby size soba noodle powerhouse. It had avocado, chick peas & grilled tofu steaks and a bunch of nuts. It tasted and looked very healthy. I found the bowl a little too spicy for me. Baby size is more than enough for the average person. Great restaurant and vibe!

Dropped in for the sole purpose of trying one of their cold-​pressed juices!
Not gonna lie… I was totally attracted by the pretty glass bottle and lovely typography on the label but I am also a big cold-​pressed drinker so it was the best of both worlds.
I dropped in on a Saturday morning so the fridge was fully stocked with fresh juice and I ended up picking the Vitamin C. I’m a huge cayenne and ginger fan (I usually pick juices with ginger on purpose) but I was surprised at how strong this juice was for me! The spice was a heavy burn in the back of my throat and I actually couldn’t get through more than a ¹⁄₃ of my juice before I had to call it quits. I totally dig freshness and the thermogenic qualities of ginger and cayenne but this was too much and such a shame too because it ran me $ 11.

Call me crazy but when I see a place like this (one that I personally enjoy) with such mediocre reviews I wonder ‘What’s wrong with everyone?’. I have a policy at home that a restaurant with less than 4 stars should be bypassed or reserved for a day you wont be upset at a ‘waste’. I take my food very seriously. So I ventured a little more in to the review section here to see what brought the marks down on this place, and here it is:
1) Price: Yes, it’s expensive. Even I feel, at times, it’s expensive to an unreasonable degree. It’s casual atmosphere, service style, and location doesn’t account for the price tag… but then I remember: This is alternative food. There are unique, healthy, exotic and unheard of, things on this menu. This cost money. Quality cost money. If you are a first timer to the health craze, ‘detox’ community the menu is confusing and unwarranted. Which brings me to my next point.
2) Intimidation: A ton of low marks came from sheer cluelessness. I won’t berate the point, but this is obnoxious. I compare this to visiting a restaurant that serves offal and complaining about all the calf brains on the menu. Newbies, should take this restaurant as a learning experience and not a let down, that someone didn’t just throw clique poutine on their plate.
3) Health Factor: A continuation of the above is the fact that people want poutine. ‘These cheese curds didn’t taste like cheese curds’. Well, of course they didn’t. It’s not cheese. Please oh please do not be surprised when things don’t taste exactly as you want when this particular thing is not made with any of the same ingredients. If that is too harsh, don’t eat here. These alternative foods are tasty, for what they are. The reviewers should know this, and review in context. I’ll repeat: Burgers don’t taste like burgers, and tacos don’t taste like tacos. But Fresh’s VERSION of these things is damn good. Please see: Quinoa Onion Rings.
4) Size and Service: It’s beyond me how the same reviewers mentioned (too) large of portions and in the same breath the high price. Second with this complaint is service. A word to the wise, although prices are steep, this isn’t fine dining. It’s a café. Loud, bustling, and semi obnoxious. Know that.
All in all Fresh isn’t the most amazing place I’ve ever been, but it’s one of the best doing what they do. And within the context of it all, deserves a little more than three stars.

This is the first time for me to eat a Vegetarian meal, so please note that the review is based from a meat-​eater perspective. The restaurant is quite small so remember to make a reservation, as the wait can be 15 – 30 minutes.
*Drinks:
–Sweet Ginger Tea with green tea, raw ginger and maple syrup — $ 5: I don’t like ginger so I didn’t taste this, but my friend enjoyed it and she had a sore throat coming, so this helped to calm her throat :).
–gojiccino -$ 5: a cappuccino-​style beverage made from pure goji berries. I LOVE this drink. Surprisingly it doesn’t taste fruity. The taste is very unique: naturally sweet, taste like a mocha but with a herbal finish.
*Food:
–poutine -$ 8: The portion was huge! I enjoyed this dish but unfortunately I couldn’t taste the cheese. For me the cheese curds are a big part of poutine, but again this is a pure vegetarian poutine, so I can look past that. The fries were thick and I believe they were baked, but I wished they were a bit more crispy though. The gravy is made from smoked mushrooms and it was not too heavy, quite light and very smooth.
–bbq burger — $ 12: The onion rings were well cut, not like the skinny pitiful stringy type of onion rings. They were coated with puffed quinoa batter and fried (or baked?), really crispy and delicious! I didn’t get to try the burger but my friend loved it.
–Buddha Fresh Bowl — baby size with soba noodle — $ 11.50: quite disappointed with this dish. Luckily I chose the baby size too, as the normal size would have costed me $ 17. The tofu steaks tasted like cooked meat. The marinade for this dish was on point and it was cooked to perfection. The peanut sauce overpowers the ingredients and made the dish really heavy. I suppose the fresh vegetables (tomato, cucumber, bean sprouts) were supposed to cut down the heaviness of the dish, but it did little to nothing. My friend tried it and she agreed that the dish was really heavy as well. Furthermore, the soba noodles were overcooked and turned soggy. In my opinion, the soba noodles should be cooked, rinsed and served cold for this dish to work. Because the noodles were hot and sat at the bottom of the bowl, the noodles continued cooking, while soaking the peanut sauce, which made the noodles soggy. I ended up eating the tofu steaks and picked pieces of vegetables to eat lol.
Overall, while my experience wasn’t good, I would come back and try other dishes. If you don’t know what to order, I recommend ordering the burgers and quinoa onion rings. Although these are vegetarian dishes, they really fill you up and most dishes are tasty, while being nutritious :).

My first taste of vegan food in Toronto. I had no idea that vegan cuisine was so big in the area.
The menu is huge and you can customize your order every which way you want (for a price of course). Another New Years resolution is to eat healthy and this place sure fits the bill.
We can soon after they opened and they were getting pretty busy already as we walked in. The chocolate mocha drink special caught my eye when we sat down. The drink was rich and delish with just a hint of spice.
I ordered the All star salad and he ordered the Buddha bowl with soba noodles. We both got the large bowls and they were filling. Both dishes were rich with toppings and flavor. I wasn’t a fan of the house vinaigrette but did quite enjoy the dressing with his Buddha bowl. The buckwheat soba noodles made the dish for sure, make a warm and filling bowl. The corn bread was very good as well and my boyfriend just loved the flaxseed hummus.
Price wise, you pay for quality and fresh ingredients, with the final bill at $ 50 for 2 people. Nevertheless, defiantly a good place to try.

All I can say about this place is WOW, YUM, HEALTH. I can definitely see myself coming back to this place again and again in the future. They have a huuuuuge menu, it was so hard to decide what to eat, and there were so many things I wanted to try! Since I came here for Saturday brunch, I decided to get actual breakfast food and got the blueberry almond pancakes (which are gluten free). I got the platter which came with scrambled tofu and grilled vegan sausages (you can also choose tempeh bacon). The pancakes were surprisingly thick and quite fluffy! I loved that they came with sooo many blueberries inside. The scrambled tofu was also delicious, as it was very well seasoned so it was quite flavourful. The sausages were probably my least favourite part of my breakfast, they were just mediocre and just couldn’t compare to real sausages for me.
My friend got the Jerusalem bowl and it looked sooo so good. I was tempted to try a green smoothie, but was put off by the price, which was like $ 6 or $ 7 for a really tiny cup. The place in general is kind of pricey (pancake platter was $ 13), but I guess it is pretty comparable to Cora’s and it is a lot more interesting and I’m sure healthier as well.
Next time I am definitely planning to try the quinoa onion rings which I have heard are awesome.