11 queer-owned restaurants to eat and order from
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Toronto is home to many a queer-owned and operated restaurants, so we rounded them up in one spot for all your ordering and appetite needs.
Queer-owned restaurants you can order from are one silver lining while many of us are stuck, stranded and in solitary, right? This city has some really amazing spots to eat, and many are great allies, but this list is strictly for queer-owned spots, and it’s a delicious lineup.
Let us know if we’ve missed any, bon apétit!
Bacan
Our favourite spot for empanadas in the city is on Roncy, and it’s owned by lesbian couple Mina and Ale (their marketing manager is also queer!). They also make arepas, and have vegetarian options. We have a few faves, but we recommend just ordering an entire box and trying them all.
Banu
This Queen west spot serves “Persian cocktails, cuisine & culture,”…. and are some of the loveliest people you’ll ever meet. They’ve opened up a market and bottle shop while we slowly get back to dinning inside and living our truest lives. Banu is unique, delicious and everything they do is gorgeous.
Neon Bread & Wine
Cafe Neon, Bar Neon and now Neon Bread & Wine! Check this spot out behind their Bloor street location for exactly what the name says. Everything is baked fresh and curated to perfection.
The Diners Corner
Ackee and saltfish, jerk salmon and rasta pasta are all on menu at this Jamaican restaurant. While they wait to get back to indoor dining (pre-Panini this spot is casual and cute with DJs and candlelite dining!) A truly unique queer-owned west Indian spot you can consider ordering from.
La Bartola
We have a major crush on Ivan, owener of La Bartola, but this College street Mexican restaurant is much more than just his stunning smile. This is a plant-based Mexican restaurant, inspired by him hometown of Mexico City, and his fave spot Oaxaca City, the dishes are beautiful, inspired and bursting with flavour. They’re closed while Omarion figures his shit out, but keep an eye out on their Instagram for the reopen and all the yummy stuff that comes out of it.
Glad Day Bookshop
Drag Brunch at the world’s oldest queer bookstore is the spot in the village. There are two seatings, Saturday's 11am and 2pm.
Levant Pizza
Owners Nader Qawasmi and Tamer Agha bring us yummmmmmy Sicilian-Levantine style pizza. Their flavour combinations and originality are next level. "Ezzo’s Pep with Harissa Honey Butter Drizzle, The Shawarma, Upside Down “Maqluba”…. what?! This Bloocour village pizza joint lets you mix and match pizza types and love experimenting with ingredients. They also have homemade hummus and kunafa worth trying.
Sabai Sabai
The co-owners of Sabai Sabai are part of our community and proud of it. Flavours and recipes from Nothern Thailand and Loas make up this menu, and they are take-out pros. They’re stunning patio is worth checking out as well as all colours and flavours of this delicious Thai food.
Si Lom Thai Bistro
You’re damn right this Church street staple is co-owned by a queer-couple. Giving you Thai street food on a platter, this friendly colourful spot is vegan friendly and are always ready for takeout.
Son of a Bean
Serving Hatch coffee, smoothies, sandwiches and lots of sweet stuff, this Danforth Cafe is a neighborhood fave and will get back to hosting events in the space (they’ve done some really great drag shows in the past) as soon as they can. They’ve got a coffee window for you to roll up and order, and have a cute little market corner for all kinds of yummy things for home.
Not a restaurant, but still…
Anti Vice Juicery
A College street juice bar owned and run by Joe! Pop in and say hi to this cutie, get a smoothie for fun, for detox, for a hangover, or DM him for delivery. Joe also blends 1L bottles of pure juices, which we regularly order in LIME for our margaritas as home. They also offer a juice cleanse.
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