Foods from Baker Street Cafe
Comments
2017 Jan 4
Yes, there are always line-ups on the weekends. But if you have kids and are up early, getting there by before 8:30 usually means no wait. And even if you get there at peak time, it is normally not more than 30 minutes. Very kid friendly place. The staff, including the boss, George, are nice and helpful. Come here when you are hungry. Nothing fancy, but good home-style cooking, including nice egg options (e.g. massive omelettes), and comes with home fries and fruit. The sandwiches are good to for a lunch alternative to breakfast plates. Their cinnamon buns are also very good if you like the non-gooey type - try them toasted if you are eating in.
2013 May 13
Below are parts of two reviews i posted re Baker Street on another site back in 2008....
---JULY 2008---
...Great breakfast Have been here about six times for breakfast/brunch, most recently early July 2008.
Let's start with the positive - the breakfasts are awesome. Truly. The omlettes are massive oven baked feasts, the poppyseed frenchtoast is even better than it sounds, the cinnamon roles are perfect, the toast and eggs are great, and the fruit salad that comes with most plates is fresh, generous, and not a canned fruit to be seen.
...
BUT... and this is a huge 'but'... service is slooooooow. Very slow.
...
I don't fault the servers - they're trying. And i suspect i can't fault the kitchen, who are doing the best they can in a set-up that's just not equipped for the numbers. And they really do turn out superior food. But geez.... slow.
---OCT 2008---
I give up... I give up, Baker Street. I do. You win. I won't be back and i'll miss you horribly so your evil plan has worked.
Was back again, Mid Oct 2008, Sat brunchtime. Close to noon and it wasn't busy at all. No one ahead of us in line. Most tables occupied but a few wrapping up and we were seated immediately. A chalkboard sign at the door says '45min wait for food'. Ok, i'm warned. I get it. We came prepared, newspaper, agendas, cel phones, no problem, we'll enjoy the anticipation...
Waitress comes, we ask if the wait is still 45, she says yes. The place is emptying out, but still fine. We've been warned. We get coffee, we get water, we settle in.
Time passes.
The paper is finished. The calls are all made. Coffee has been refilled twice. 45min. 1 hr. 1hr 20....
Food arrives.
And this is what kills me... the baked omlette was awesome. The poppy seed french toast is STILL the bestest thing ever. You warned me, you DID, i KNOW....
But come on... over an HOUR??? No lineup. No massive group. Empty tables... and over an hour wait. For breakfast. By the time it got there we were just... bleh.
...
(the worse part about this is in six months i know, i KNOW i'm going to buckle and try again....)
-----END----
...so it wasn't six months, in fact it was almost six years. BUT... have now been back three times, in Mar, Apr and May 2013, and i have to say they are NAILING it at Baker Street.
Yes, the lineup can still be insane and my weekend AMs are not so free that i will wait, but when it's reasonable it's been worth the wait every time.
Wait time for food is down. it's still 20min for an omlette, but that's better than 45 and we've discovered that one of their toasted monster sized cinnamon rolls is exactly the right way to make the wait pass fatter i mean faster.
Omlettes and poppy seed french toast are still awesome, but i just discovered their Monte Cristo club... and while Mama's in SanFran used to be my gold standard for this kind of sandwich, Baker Street just topped it. Thick slices of roasted ham and turkey, real meat, not from a loaf, on french toast, w cheese. It's even better than it sounds and now my new favorite thing. Served with the mountain of always fresh fruit and delicious potatoes. It makes me happy in my stomachparts for most of the day.
Service remains great.
One minor quibble... i really appreciate that they give each table it's own pitcher of coffee, but i've found that sometimes it's more bitter/sour than others. Not sure what they're using or how long it sits and they changed ours without hesitation when we mentioned it the second time it happened. My point being if this happens, mention it and they'll fix.
Breakfast for two (2 coffees, omlette, club, cinnamon monster, tip and tax) about $45. Totally worth it. Will be back. Will send others. But not at 11am on a Saturday because holy #%$@ that lineup ... !
---JULY 2008---
...Great breakfast Have been here about six times for breakfast/brunch, most recently early July 2008.
Let's start with the positive - the breakfasts are awesome. Truly. The omlettes are massive oven baked feasts, the poppyseed frenchtoast is even better than it sounds, the cinnamon roles are perfect, the toast and eggs are great, and the fruit salad that comes with most plates is fresh, generous, and not a canned fruit to be seen.
...
BUT... and this is a huge 'but'... service is slooooooow. Very slow.
...
I don't fault the servers - they're trying. And i suspect i can't fault the kitchen, who are doing the best they can in a set-up that's just not equipped for the numbers. And they really do turn out superior food. But geez.... slow.
---OCT 2008---
I give up... I give up, Baker Street. I do. You win. I won't be back and i'll miss you horribly so your evil plan has worked.
Was back again, Mid Oct 2008, Sat brunchtime. Close to noon and it wasn't busy at all. No one ahead of us in line. Most tables occupied but a few wrapping up and we were seated immediately. A chalkboard sign at the door says '45min wait for food'. Ok, i'm warned. I get it. We came prepared, newspaper, agendas, cel phones, no problem, we'll enjoy the anticipation...
Waitress comes, we ask if the wait is still 45, she says yes. The place is emptying out, but still fine. We've been warned. We get coffee, we get water, we settle in.
Time passes.
The paper is finished. The calls are all made. Coffee has been refilled twice. 45min. 1 hr. 1hr 20....
Food arrives.
And this is what kills me... the baked omlette was awesome. The poppy seed french toast is STILL the bestest thing ever. You warned me, you DID, i KNOW....
But come on... over an HOUR??? No lineup. No massive group. Empty tables... and over an hour wait. For breakfast. By the time it got there we were just... bleh.
...
(the worse part about this is in six months i know, i KNOW i'm going to buckle and try again....)
-----END----
...so it wasn't six months, in fact it was almost six years. BUT... have now been back three times, in Mar, Apr and May 2013, and i have to say they are NAILING it at Baker Street.
Yes, the lineup can still be insane and my weekend AMs are not so free that i will wait, but when it's reasonable it's been worth the wait every time.
Wait time for food is down. it's still 20min for an omlette, but that's better than 45 and we've discovered that one of their toasted monster sized cinnamon rolls is exactly the right way to make the wait pass fatter i mean faster.
Omlettes and poppy seed french toast are still awesome, but i just discovered their Monte Cristo club... and while Mama's in SanFran used to be my gold standard for this kind of sandwich, Baker Street just topped it. Thick slices of roasted ham and turkey, real meat, not from a loaf, on french toast, w cheese. It's even better than it sounds and now my new favorite thing. Served with the mountain of always fresh fruit and delicious potatoes. It makes me happy in my stomachparts for most of the day.
Service remains great.
One minor quibble... i really appreciate that they give each table it's own pitcher of coffee, but i've found that sometimes it's more bitter/sour than others. Not sure what they're using or how long it sits and they changed ours without hesitation when we mentioned it the second time it happened. My point being if this happens, mention it and they'll fix.
Breakfast for two (2 coffees, omlette, club, cinnamon monster, tip and tax) about $45. Totally worth it. Will be back. Will send others. But not at 11am on a Saturday because holy #%$@ that lineup ... !
2012 Mar 28
my name is george voulgaris and i have owned baker street cafe since march 2010. i purchased the business from john and since then have operated an honest and fair business for my employees and patrons. i have no other connection to john other than the purchase of baker street. please find out the facts before vandalizing the name of baker street cafe. at any point of time i would be most glad to meet you as a patron and friend of the new baker street cafe. this message is for "new user 4650"
yours truly
george voulgaris
yours truly
george voulgaris
2012 Mar 27
I worked for John Mariam about 5 years ago for this supposedly great and welcoming breakfast restaurant.
He enjoys to hire people and work them to the bone without pay and then fire them without pay. He owes me 1300$ and even labour board can't get to him. I was given no training, yet I did a fantastic job and customers always left with a good experience. I am not the first person he has screwed over. He has had many businesses such as this one, and has not payed many staff. Maybe being a thief is how he renovated his restaurant! What a joke!
When he comes up to you with a warm and welcoming smile, just remember the person he truly is. I was tricked into believing his genuiness also.
DONT SUPPORT A SCAM ARTIST!! This isn't the end of it!
He enjoys to hire people and work them to the bone without pay and then fire them without pay. He owes me 1300$ and even labour board can't get to him. I was given no training, yet I did a fantastic job and customers always left with a good experience. I am not the first person he has screwed over. He has had many businesses such as this one, and has not payed many staff. Maybe being a thief is how he renovated his restaurant! What a joke!
When he comes up to you with a warm and welcoming smile, just remember the person he truly is. I was tricked into believing his genuiness also.
DONT SUPPORT A SCAM ARTIST!! This isn't the end of it!
2012 Jan 1
To add, the sausages they serve here are by far the most delicious ones I have ever had for breakfast. Full dinner size, locally made (so I hear), and every bite is so juicy and each chew releases more flavour! And of course the carafe of coffee they provide - even if dining alone - is incredible. And they bake all the buns and bread in-house. When this place first opened they had a sign stating they served "Ottawa's best breakfast" and I was very skeptical, seeing how they just opened and didn't even change any of the decor from Gentle Annie's. These days I'm 110% converted and they've updated the interior as well.
2012 Jan 1
Have read a lot about this place on Richmond Road in Westboro but never visited until right before Christmas - have now been there twice! Fabulous place for breakfast/brunch. Menu is quite substantial and has lots of options ranging from muffins, cinnamon buns to full cooked breakfast (eggs, pancakes, french toast, etc).
The first visit I had to try the famous (very large) cinnamon bun which came toasted along with a sizeable fresh fruit salad - it was difficult to finish everything on the plate. The second time I had the more traditional breakfast with eggs, hash browns, toast and the most perfectly cooked bacon ever. This plate also came with the very fresh fruit salad.
From the outside this place looks like it might be a dingy, greasy spoon but don’t be fooled – once inside you will find yourself in a hip and happening establishment!
Be prepared to wait – this place is understandably popular – however the line seems to move fairly quickly.
The first visit I had to try the famous (very large) cinnamon bun which came toasted along with a sizeable fresh fruit salad - it was difficult to finish everything on the plate. The second time I had the more traditional breakfast with eggs, hash browns, toast and the most perfectly cooked bacon ever. This plate also came with the very fresh fruit salad.
From the outside this place looks like it might be a dingy, greasy spoon but don’t be fooled – once inside you will find yourself in a hip and happening establishment!
Be prepared to wait – this place is understandably popular – however the line seems to move fairly quickly.
Older
2007 Sep 2
Was so excited today as my financee and I were taking my daughter to a restaurant we both loved and talked about so much-Baker Street Cafe. Well, I guess I should`t have as things did not go so well and basically I was made to feel like the bad guy for complaining. The first disappointment was that there were no more cinninamon buns, oh well we could live with that as I did not need the calories anyway. We waited and waited and noticed that others that came in after us were now served. When I called the server over, she hastly told me that ours was in the cue and would be up soon. I would also like to add that while I was waiting , our server was over folding napkins for a very long time. As you can imagine, when the food did come it was yes, at no surprise dirt cold. As I assumed that this would happen, I checked my food before she left my table and asked her to take not only mine but all three of our`s back. With an attitude she did so and brought back what was probably the same plates with hot potatoes and not nuch more hot. We sucked it up and ate the food expecting the server to appologise. Ooops, wrong idea on our behalf. All we received was mor attitude, plates rushed away and a very cold treatment. Well, you imagine the rest of the story. I paid, no tip and proceeded to tell the server that her customer skills were lacking. She then proceeded to tell me that it was not their fault and the food was OK. Her father was the cook and owner and did all they could. I told her that other places would have taken something off the bill as a gesture of good will and welcome me back. Aparently they did not have a microwave to heat up the food, so they must have tried other magical things.We have so enjoyed our other times at this restaurant,but it certainlt has left a bad taste in our mouth.
2007 Aug 6
A very standard "big breakfast" here. The eggs were nicely done. Toast was fine. Bacon was so-so. Potatoes were not good at all -- overdone, dry, and without flavour (ketchup is mandatory). They were also kind enough to give me the over-fried crumbs of potato from the bottom of the fryer basket (bleh). Jam packets were served in a separate bowl rather than thrown on top of the food like some other places do.
Pancakes were excellent. Fluffy and tasty -- possibly from a mix but good in spite (because?) of it.
A nice assortment of fresh fruit is an admirable part of this meal. Not the ripest most flavourful fruit I've ever had but they still deserve credit for bothering.
Coffee is not included and costs an extra $1.75, making the total charge about $10. This is a huge meal and could very well be the only thing you need to eat all day. They do have less gluttonous options on the menu!
Pancakes were excellent. Fluffy and tasty -- possibly from a mix but good in spite (because?) of it.
A nice assortment of fresh fruit is an admirable part of this meal. Not the ripest most flavourful fruit I've ever had but they still deserve credit for bothering.
Coffee is not included and costs an extra $1.75, making the total charge about $10. This is a huge meal and could very well be the only thing you need to eat all day. They do have less gluttonous options on the menu!
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