Gale’s Snack Bar

Wonderfully old school diner. Awesome prices, décor transports you back in time. Be nice to the staff!

So cheap it’s crazy. Fun for a visit, but don’t expect to be culinarily satisfied.
When you can get a snack for a buck though, it really makes your day. We went on a Saturday and it was rammed around lunchtime.

I heard about this place through a blogTO review, which is probably the only good thing that wretched website has done for me since ever.
My girlfriend and I stopped by on Friday afternoon. Booths seat four, and there’s three of them inside; eight stools line the bar. We got chocolate and butterscotch milkshakes (1.50 each), a corned beef sandwich (1.75), and two club sandwiches (2.50 each). It was all really good – pretty much as good as you could get from anywhere else, and the value is unbeatable. I wanted to buy like three more items and only didn’t because we were short on time.
As far as I know, we only saw one person working, so keep in mind that your service won’t be sonic speedy. That said, the woman who served us was super sweet. Like, she was literally so nice, we ended up tipping her 45%.Which isn’t saying super much because our final bill was like, 11 fucking dollars.
I love this place so much. The most expensive thing on the menu is 3.95 and I’m so glad.

Never heard of this place until it was suggested to me as a meeting point. There’s really not much in the area so it’s an unassuming joint. Family run, Gale’s has been around for quite a long time (and looks it too!). The décor of this place could get a makeover. The clientele here are folks who look rough around the edges. I was, however, pleasantly surprised by the food. The menu consists of mostly sandwiches and fries, but at extremely reasonable price points. I recommend the club sandwich with a side of fries. I’m seldom in this part of town, but I wouldn’t hesitate to return to try their other menu offerings.
Good for: cheap eats (super cheap), lunch

Wow what a strange spot. A had the fish and chips for 3.25! Fries were awesome. Fish was cooked perfectly but with a little too much batter.
Super duper old school and kitschy. Manual cash register. One very nice lady tuning the entire front of the house. Wildly diverse crowd.
The kind of place you tell stories about.
Watch out. With only two staff. One cook one front of house. The service is slow as everything is made to order.
I’ll be back with my kids to show them what a old school diner is and get a couple of 95 cent grilled cheese sandwiches.

This place is anything but classy. It’s downright falling apart around you but the food is good. I’m talking ’60’s mom’s kitchen’ good. I think the most expensive thing on the menu is 3.75 for a hot turkey. It’s real turkey on white bread, smothered in gravy that needs salt, some awesome fries on the side, topped with some frozen peas and carrots. Its great! Service is slow but I seriously think the lovely woman serving is also running to the back and cooking. We eat here around once a month… spend about 10 bucks for the 2 of us… start the car!

I would probably not come back because the wait wasn’t worth my time. I was walking south down Carlaw and I was hungry. There was a No Frills, gas stations, houses, and other along a barren strip of a walk. I spotted Gale’s Snack Bar. It was unusual. I hadn’t seen snack bars outside of fair/​exhibition grounds, stadiums, and parks. I couldn’t tell it’s character from the outside – it was quite plain – nor could I see inside from where I stood across the street. It looked tiny. I crossed and peered inside from the window where I could just see the menu and nothing else. The prices and food items caught my attention and I went in.
What’s good:
— still really cheap despite the greater prices in recent years (the most expensive item is now $ 3.85 not $ 3). I was incredulous
— Well-​portioned dishes. My clubhouse and fries were a good size
— Food was put together well and was decent-​tasting
— interesting vintage diner. I was born in the 90s so no personal nostalgic feel for me. Closest thing to a real life Pop’s from Archie Comics.
— The waitstaff was nice
What’s bad:
–You’d never know it was a vintage diner from the outside. It’s a puzzling place with no other eateries in sight and might have you debating whether you should check it out.
–Understaffed and the food was not worth the whadn’t seen snack bars outside of fair/​exhibition grounds, stadiums, and parks. I couldn’t tell it’s character from the outside – it was quite plain – nor could I see inside from where I stood across the street. It looked tiny. I crossed and peered inside from the window where I could just see the menu and nothing else. The prices and food items caught my attention and I went in.
What’s good:
— still really cheap despite the greater prices in recent years (the most expensive item is now $ 3.85 not $ 3). I was incredulous
— Well-​portioned dishes. My clubhouse and fries were a good size
— Food was put together well and was decent-​tasting
— interesting vintage diner. I was born in the 90s so no personal nostalgic feel for me. Closest thing to a real life Pop’s from Archie Comics.
— The waitstaff was nice
What’s bad:
–You’d never know it was a vintage diner from the outside. It’s a puzzling place with no other eateries in sight and might have you debating whether you should check it out.
–Understaffed and the food was not worth the wait. I came in at 12:30 and waited AN HOUR for my order to be taken. Not for my food. To give my order. There was one waitstaff for the 3 booths and the 4 out of 7 stools (me included) that were occupied. I waited another 20 minutes to be served my clubhouse and fries. So an hour and a 20 min I waited and the place is only open 5 hours on a Saturday.
— My clubhouse, part of the «hot sandwiches» selection was fully cold and the fries were lukewarm. She remembered no mayo but forgot my gravy.
— CRAMPED. I don’t mind tiny but I am not a fan of being in cramped places for extended periods of time. Unless you’re the size of a 10-​yr-​old child you don’t have enough leg room on those stools so you either have to turn sideways or really spread out your legs
I wish it could have been a better experience. The food is amazing for it’s value (my bill came to $ 3.90 with the tax) but the space is uncomfortable and the wait was definitely uncomfortable. You could always try to stop by in the 5 or 6 hours that it’s open and hope there isn’t more than two customers.

Gale’s Snack Bar in Leslieville received «Conditional Pass» from the City of Toronto’s DineSafe programme. Infractions include failure to ensure food isn’t contaminated (crucial) and failure to provide adequate pest control (significant).
Link to report:

I believe it’s the cheapest food in Toronto ! I ordered a hot beef sandwich with fires only $ 3.75, coffee $ 0.65, strawberry milk shake $ 1.50,qualities are standard~~very nice homemade style snack bar.

Dirt cheap eats that bring me back to the 80’s, this place gives me a definate half chub — and being from this part of town I can remember this joint but never bothered to try it out until recent.
Customers of today are all mixed together, I sat down and there were three Yipsters eating at the bar while some weirdo sat behind me — this guy brought back memories of what growing up in this part of town was like in the late 80’s.
What I can honestly post is that it’s a cool little joint with some edge to it; fun and cheap, $ 1.50 for an old skool burger — the type you’d probably find in a grade school cafeteria.
The Milk Shakes are real good, and I welcome all to enjoy — rich, poor, cool, geeky, schizophrenic, sort of like the Donnie Darko days.

This tiny, dingy hole-​in-​the-​wall diner offers some pretty standout value.
We took Unilocalers’ advice and ordered the fried egg sandwich (95 cents but really nothing special; I wouldn’t recommend it) and the hot turkey sandwich, which is actually an open-​faced affair that comes smothered in gravy and with a side of surprisingly good fries (I forget how much the sandwich/​fries cost but I think it was $ 3.25). The turkey was delicious!!! With a root beer float and another pop, the whole meal was under $ 7 before tax.
If you’re out in this random neck of the woods, this is a unique place to grab a cheap-​ass lunch.

This place is unbelievable! Great home cooking at yesterday’s prices. Try the hot turkey sandwich.

Sorry, no one else seems to want to say it, but this place is a DUMP. I’ve got nothing against old, character-​filled greasy spoons… I’ve been to most of them in Toronto (see
), but I’m also a fan of minimal standards of cleanliness.
Translations of other Unilocaler’s comments;
«Well-​worn stools» = dirty
«…dingy, grubby and nostagia-​filled» = dirty
«…dripping with atmosphere» = dripping with grease
My wife and I both had grilled cheese sandwiches and fries. The sandwiches were made with Kraft singles (acceptable at this price) and had the taste of a dirty grill (unacceptable at any price). The fries were good and the malt vinegar was a nice option. (2 grilled cheese, 2 fries, 2 pops = 8.15.) The waitress was friendly and good natured.
Gale’s is even smaller than it looks in the photos. 3 tiny booths and about 7 stools. Lily Y. has the right idea. If you are tempted by this place, taking out might be the best move.
All that being said, I’m glad we went. Once.
NB I’m rarely this harsh in a review. I think it’s in response to other Unilocaler’s 4 and 5 star reviews. I understand that they may be swayed by the nostalgic element of Gale’s. If you want to experience a nostalgic diner from a similar era, go to People’s Food, Avenue Diner, or George St. Diner.

I’m giving this place four stars just for atmosphere alone. It actually deserves an extra half star for its price. I’ve been meaning to come to this place since the 80s and now it’s off my Restaurant Resolutions list. You can take a peek here:
HOURS: Mon-​Fri: 10 – 6 (give or take); Saturday: Noon-​5. Closed on Sundays.
No website. No phone.
VIBE
Gale’s isn’t exactly central. Located at Eastern and Carlaw, it’s downright intimidating to come here even for a local. It really does look like one of those places where motorcycle gangs hang out (do those still exist?). To add to the «should I come here?» question are their hours. I couldn’t find them anywhere online nor do they have a phone number so it’s kind of a crap shoot coming here.
Luckily, they were open and I immediately got transported back to 1965 (that’s how long they’ve been open). It smelled musty. The smell was a mix of fuel and batter. It is your typical diner. Old pepsi signs; booths; stools at the counter; and «American Pie» playing on the sound system.
Ida immediately greeted me and smiled and from there, my fears dissipated. We had a good conversation about the diner. Then her friends came in and started reading her passages from the Bible.
I ATE
I admit I was being a bit snobbish about the food. So I erred on the safe side and got fries and a hot dog. The hot dog is basically boiled from the pack they got from the grocery store and I was asked if I wanted relish and mustard (both please!). The fries were a hefty portion and home cooked. I loved that she asked me if I wanted malt vinegar. I couldn’t finish my portion.
And on the vintage cash register, the grand total came up to $ 2.50. $ 2.50! Amazing.
OBLIGATORY CATCHY REMARK
It’s not fancy. It’s not the best food. But there’s a lot of heart here. And for those prices and history, I really hope they’re around for another 40 years.

Forget you, laws of physics: time travel IS possible. All you have to do is step through the rickety front door of Gale’s Snack Bar at Eastern and Carlaw and you will be transported to a bygone era. This is a diner through and through, dripping with atmosphere, local characters and prices that will make your jaw drop.
This is 1983 pricing. I mean, there wasn’t anything on the menu more than three bucks. I’m serious. You can choose from hot and cold sandwiches, burgers, hot dogs, fish ‘n’ chips and other diner fare. You can also get shakes (for a mothaflipping dollar) and pies. The pies might have been homemade, but this was not confirmed.
Every piece of furniture seemed to be at least fifty years old. That said, it wasn’t grubby and the cheerful server behind the counter was quick to wipe down the counter as we sat down. Despite the rough appearance (and some salty customers) I didn’t feel out of place there.
I had a fried egg sandwich which was just a fried egg on toasted bread. It was perfect: the egg wasn’t overcooked and the bread was toasted just right. That’s part of the magic of a mainstay diner, over time they can elevate simple meals to an artform.
This place is too far out of my way to be a regular haunt, but I can step a little lighter now, knowing that it exists.
Obligatory Title Pun: You’ll be BLOWN AWAY by the prices.
Menu Readability: It’s a hand-​painted yellow sign above the counter.
Need to mention: Two fried egg sandwiches, an egg salad sandwich, a coffee and diet Pepsi came to about $ 6.50.
What this place teaches me about myself: I have tasted value; and it tastes like the intersection of Eastern avenue and Carlaw.

This really is as good as it gets if you want cheap diner fare. The most expensive dish on the menu is 3.75 (I’ve noticed that there prices have gone up slightly in recent times) and it’s totally worth it.
I doubt this tiny hole in the wall will ever be award a Michelin star but for those Torontonians who can still appreciate the simple meal of a grilled burger with that bright orange kraft single melting on top, a side of fries and a few cups of coffee to wash it all down before heading back to work, Gale’s is definitely the spot.

I finally got a chance to try out this place. even though i live 15 minutes away from it. It was quite busy when i arrived. Once i placed my order it was packed and ready to go in less than 10 minutes. I ordered 2 hamburgers and fish and chips all came to 6 bucks! The burgers were small but hey I’m not complaining when its under 2 bucks.
Next time i think I’m gonna try out their milkshake and pies!

Gale’s is dingy, grubby and nostalgia-​filled. It’s a cool spot, a throwback to times gone by, when Eastern Ave was an industrial wasteland (not an offshoot of trendy Leslieville).
The pleather stools along the snackbar are well-​worn, as is the menu with unchanged prices since forever ($ 1 milkshake, anyone?). I always fret that Gale’s will be gone one day when I pass by, yet it stays strong.
The majority of regulars are elderly gents who appreciate the warm service and economical cheeseburgers and coleslaw. They’ll even tell you stories if you spark up a conversation (it helps if you’re a girl).

Gale’s is the pure essence of diner. Prices that haven’t changed in 20 years, grotty interior, but good solid food.
A hamburger costs $ 1, a slice of pie 80 cents.
Make some time though, things don’t happen fast.