Trapper’s Restaurant

Was here for lunch while competing for Miss Universe Canada 2016 — food was amazing and fresh. Loved the service and all the distinct flavors. More importantly, didn’t feel heavy or in need of a nap after. Loved everything !

service was terrible. waited 45 minutes before we could stop a server and ask to order. was going to order a bottle of wine but decided not to. Our waters were never refilled, We wanted to order coffee and tea after dinner and was just handed the bill. They shouldnt be in the service industry. never again

Not sure I get all of the negative-​nelly reviews about the Trapper… it’s not perfect but for the price it’s a solid option. I visited on a Friday at noon during Winterliscious and I was pleasantly surprised by the options, portion sizes and quality. Service was a bit slow but it was good. I selected the trio of snails, beef and chocolate from the table d’hote. All 3 were quite good with the snails being the most interesting (roasted on a slice of roasted eggplant, hint of blue cheese), the main being the most satisfying (sliced of tenderloin with a nice sauce and vegetables and the desert rounding things out (7 kinds of chocolate… need I say more?)…
The only time our server balked at a request was when we asked him to split the check… but it was only a moment of hesitation. I’d go back and would recommend this as a great lunch option with colleagues if you can spare 90 minutes…

I came to trappers for winterlicious lunch and I found the food and service was just ok. When reading the menu I was really excited but turns out the menu sounded better than the food itself. I got the escargot with brie and eggplant. I should’ve asked but the cheese tasted and looked like blue cheese. The taste was strong and pungent and the cheese was all melted not the creamy gooey brie cheese kind of melted but more like melted butter all runny. We went in a large group and a lot of us ordered the beef. I know it may have been the lunch rush but I would have liked to see some consistency. Each piece of beef I had was cooked differently, rare, medium rare or medium. Some pieces were tough and chewy. Not to mention if we order the same thing I would expect the same, so some plates had bigger portions or some had veggies that others don’t. Presentation seemed rushed. Now for the carrot cake. I agree with another review… looked and tasted store bought. I was very disappointed as I’ve been here several times before and not for summer/​winterlicious and it was great. As for service, it was ok. at times I felt the server felt annoyed. Maybe because we were a large group but we weren’t even demanding. Maybe they didn’t care especially since they knew they were getting an automatic 15% tip. So you decide but don’t say I warned you.

I’ve come here several times but most recently for winterlicious with several friends. All in all, it was a decent meal for the $ 35 price tag. We all ordered the jump escargots, however I would have to say I was disappointed by my lamb shank which came out extremely dry as opposed to tender and falling off the bone. On the other hand, outside of winterlicious, I’ve had some great experiences dining here (excellent seafood risotto) so I would have to say the food can be inconsistent at times.

Came here on a Saturday night for some desert and latte. Restaurant was totally empty. Very depressing.
My boyfriend and I ordered Chocolate cake and it was the smallest thinnest cake slice I’ve ever been served (1inch wide). Tasted like a cheap cake from Metro. The latte also was in a half the size of a regular cup. Total cost was roughly 16 $.
I found the whole experience insulting to a customer’s intelligent. To think that that level of service and food is acceptable and that people would not venture elsewhere to blow 16 $.

Loved the Venison… service was pretty good and everything timely.

This is one of the best restaurants I’ve been to for winter/​summer-​licious. Our table got one of everything so I got sample the entire dinner summerlicious menu and everything was amazing. The price was fairly reasonable as well.

I’ve been here a bunch of times and it’s pretty consistent, just basic food. They bring you bread and a homemade hummus to start. I really like the hummus, there’s a bit of a curry kick to it.
The salad had a nice presentation and was fresh. Chose pork tenderloin as my main. It was a little on the dry side but I think it was because the pork had no fat in it. It came with one piece of sweet potato which was still kinda hard and there’s like the smallest bits of fig on it. The mash that it comes with was also a bit flavourless. Lastly, I had the crème caramel for dessert and this was def the best part of the meal. The portion was big and it wasn’t overly sweet.

I’d like to think that this restaurant has a lot of potential, but it really needs to work on its service to win customers.
I enjoyed Winterlicious lunch with my boyfriend last month and although the food was mostly delicious, I still can’t get over the fact that the whole meal felt very rushed for a Sunday lunch and the servers seemed overwhelmed with the number of people in their restaurant. Our waiter also didn’t seem too pleased that neither one of us were going to have any wine.
We had the carrot soup which was not too heavy on the cream, had small pieces of carrot and the sweetness was complemented nicely with the saltiness of shredded sharp white cheddar on top. We both had the grilled fish which kept us going «om nom nom», but the cake was sadly dry and a great meal should always be highlighted by a yummy dessert (IMO).
Needless to say, we were happy to leave after being rushed out of our seats… I didn’t even get a chance to ask for another glass of water before we got the bill!

I’ve lived in the area for years and passed by this place countless times on my way to and from other fine dining establishments in the city and always thinking that I should make my way in at some time. So when I was invited here by very good friends for Winterlicious I jumped at the opportunity to satisfy my curiosity and the craving for quality carnivorous fare.
Perhaps it was the overwhelming amount of patrons that were piling in for Winterlicious but nonetheless, the service was just terrible. When we walked in the host looked up at us and rolled his eyes. We met our friends and again were shocked that they crammed 6 chairs around a table that could comfortably seat two.
I was really looking forward to some meat, so I wasn’t about to let a rude host, or uncomfortable seating arrangement put a damper in my evening!
Here’s the breakdown of food ordered:
Appetizers:
* Soup of the Day — flavourful and hearty (⁷⁄₁₀)
* Caeser Salad — great flavours, fresh and crisp — perfect steakhouse caeser (⁹⁄₁₀)
* Spinach Salad — fresh but left much to be desired in flavour (⁶⁄₁₀)
Mains:
* Lamb Shank — cooked well and seasoned beautifully but arrived cold (⁷⁄₁₀)
* Chicken — arrived dry and cold but flavour had great potential (⁷⁄₁₀)
* Pasta — looked terrible (sauce had crusted over) and fellow diner commented that it was one of the worst he’s had (⁴⁄₁₀)
Desserts were rather good, all sampled were ⁸⁄₁₀.
The service throughout the night only got worse. The staff there all seemed miserable and reluctant to serve the patrons. Sure it was Winterlicious and packed but that’s no excuse. Missed are the days that establishments would be happy or even excited at the idea of having a packed house.
In a city that has great restaurants popping up all the time, this one won’t be revisted by me or any guest in my party again.
**** UPDATE: 4 out of the 6 guests dining with me that evening got quite ill after eating here… ****

Just came back from lunch during Winterlicious. Overall had a nice meal. Place looks nice, casual. It was pretty busy. I had the salad to start, very tasty. My hubby had the soup — we both agreed it was delicious. The main course was beef ribs, nicely done as well, good sides — mashed potatoes and veggies. Can’t complain. The dessert was a very very good carrot cake. Service was good. Lots of free parking across the street. Overall a satisfying meal with good food. Will come back again.

Seemed like a hit-​or-​miss type of restaurant reading the reviews on Unilocal but a friend and I decided to try it out anyway given that we were already taking a stroll down Yonge. When we walked in, we were promptly greeted by the host staff and took us back to a table. The décor is fairly simple but nice and clean.
Our server arrived at the table shortly after we were seated and was enthusiastic, personable, and had a good sense of humor. When I asked for a wine recommendation, he was very knowledgeable about the various wines they had in house and suggested a lovely pinot noir, while my friend ordered a vodka tonic which he said was prepared to his liking. We were quite hungry after a long day of driving, so we started with one appetizer each. I had the scallop and prawn risotto, which was amazing. The rice was cooked perfectly and the consistency of the risotto was spot on. My friend started with the calamari, which was a little bit of a disappointment. He said it was chewy and a little tough, so I’m definitely glad I didn’t give it a try this time around!
For my entrée, I ordered the filet mignon medium rare, and it was cooked to perfection. It came with a baked potato and vegetables, which were good but nothing to rave about. My friend had the rack of lamb and he loved it. The lamb was juicy and tender, and the jus that came with it really complemented it nicely. It sounded like it would be a strange sauce with all the different ingredients, but it turned out to be quite tasty.
For dessert, we shared the Apple Crumble Pie, which was a great end to a nice meal. The service overall was pretty good and I will re-​visit Trapper’s again but probably not for a while, maybe Summerlicious 2012.

Went here a few days after Winterlicious 2012 was over. They still had the menu and we took advantage of it. Absolutely delish!
I had the…
Baked Almonds Crusted Woolwich Goat Cheese
with grilled Portobello mushroom, wilted spinach, Honey raspberry dressing (vegetarian)
Char-​Coal Broiled Lamb Shank
Slowly cooked with scallion mashed potato, red wine, garlic, and rosemary
Black And White Cakelet
Devil’s food chocolate cake bean mousse, dark chocolate ganache
Absolutely LOVED the salad (must be the goat cheese!) and the lamb was excellent. Slide right off the bone. So tasty and tender. I almost wanted to take the bone home for my dog !!
Service was wonderful. I don’t really like splurging out on food. but would not mind coming back for Summerlicious/​Winterlicious !
The carrot cake looked very commercial. Makes u wonder if they made it themselves or perhaps from Loblaws (across the street)
Parking might be a problem but u can probably sneak a spot across the street at Loblaws or if you’re lucky on Yonge street.

No complaints on the food. The ambience was horrible. Service was lacking, guess you make more money by being understaffed and squeezing as many table as fire code allows.

This is the first time we visit after the renovation. It looks a bit modern. Every time parking is a problem but we are lucky to have the coin meter parking in front of the restaurant.
On a Sunday noon hour we are the only table. Not till finish do we see the restaurant is filled up.
The appetizer Roasted tomato with portobella mushroom is one of a kind, very well cooked. The tomato is just done to retain the juice but not watery. The soup I heard is not seasoned enough. The salad is very good. For the entrée, my pork loin is very tender. The Tilapia is grilled good. One of our friends order the Baby beef marinated with red wine but she doesn’t like the sour taste. The waiter is kind enough to exchange it with Tilapia. The Chocolate truffle cake is real moist.
The portion is of a good size. With only $ 20 for a set lunch, you can’t beat it

It has become a family tradition of ours to come to Trapper’s during ‘licious time — summer or winter. My family belongs to the «value for our money» category and do not care much about ambiance — all they care about is the food. Luckily — Trapper’s now satisfies both criteria as they have renovated and it looks a lot less «old folks home» and more modern.
I was so happy to see that the same server we’ve had is still there and still dishing up in his quirky, hospitable manner. He is probably one of the best servers I’ve had in Toronto. Next time I will ask for his name. They had an addition to the menu tonight, a Lobster & Shrimp Bisque, as well as an alteration — that the Lemon Tart had been substituted tonight with a Lemon Cake. I was slightly disappointed as I was really looking forward to trying the Lemon Tart :(
We ordered a half liter of Merlot for the table. For starters we were brought a bread basket with hummus. It had French and pumpernickel bread and some crispy, sesame flatbread.
To start I ordered the Roasted Savory Tomato and Grilled Portobello Mushroom on a nest of wilted greens, feta cheese and balsamic-​basil dressing. The tomato maintained its firmness through the roasting process and the grilled Portobello mushroom was tasty. The balsamic dressing was a nice balance to the otherwise salty feta cheese.
I also got to taste the bisque, which was not very good. All I could taste was the roux. There was no distinct bisque-​like flavour that usually comes from sautee-​ing the lobster/​shrimp shells to give it that smokey flavour. Overall, not a flavourful soup.
My sister got the Jump Fried Black Tiger Shrimp and Escargot on grilled eggplant, panchetta, and brie cheese, with a Riesling tomato-​basil sauce. The escargot was really tender.
For mains I ordered the Pork Loin and Baked Sweet Potato with a grain mustard and honey-​roasted garlic. The pork could’ve been a bit more fatty to give it better flavour as it was relatively lean. However, it was quite tender and the vegetables were savoury as well. I particularly like the caramelized red cabbage. Mmm…
I got to sample the Charcoal Broiled Black Angus Striploin Steak with roasted new potatoes, shaved black truffles w/​shitake mushroom peppercorn sauce. This was a good steak. It had a great charred flavour to it and you could taste the natural juices of the beef sealed within the steak. If there were any black truffles in the dish, I didn’t taste them.
Mom opted for the Char-​Coal Broiled Beef Tenderloin Chops with scallion mashed potato finished in a Merlot-​thyme reduction. This was a thinner cut of beef and although the inside was cooked to a perfect medium-​rare, I found the outer edges a tad bit overcooked.
Once we had finished our meals, coffees, a cappuccino and an espresso were ordered. I can usually drink an espresso black, no sugar or milk as the sugar in the dessert is always sufficient. However, I found that I was unable to tolerate Trapper’s espresso — virgin style. I ended up added a bit of cream and it made it more potable. Later in the evening when I found it hard to fall asleep — I knew that Trapper’s made a mean espresso!
Last time when I dined at Trapper’s they were sold out of their Chocolate Truffle Cake — so this time, since my beloved Lemon Tart was not making an appearance — I opted for the said cake. I was not disappointed. It was rich without being heavy, and make sure that you get a bit of the fruit syrup that is beautifully presented in latte-​art-​style as it makes every bite a taste of heaven! Yummy!
My dad opted for the Lemon Cake as he has the typical Asian palette which has lower tolerance for overly sweet desserts. I felt that the top cream cheese layer was too heavy and that the cake lacked any real lemon flavour. If they had put a lemon curd layer in the middle of the cake it would’ve been much better.
The birthday girl (mom), got a little something special done to her dish as I alerted our quirky server it was her birthday. They used a chocolate sauce to do up a Happy Birthday along the rim of the dish which was a nice touch for our special lady! The Carrot Cake was just the right amount of sweetness and bursting of carrot flavour. This would’ve been my second most favourite dessert of the 3.
Verdict:
If you asked me last year if Trapper’s was a good restaurant I probably would’ve given it a maybe — just because it was so dated. But after their overhaul, I would say that Trapper’s is now a restaurant I wouldn’t feel ashamed about recommending. It is still not as trendy as some of the downtown hotspots you’d find; but not many restaurants have the Executive Chef doing his regal parade to each table to ask how the food was. At the end of the day, the bill came to $ 230 with tax and tip for 4. My family, who are even more critical than I am about spending a good penny on meals had no complaints. This place gets the Tsui seal of approval.

My wife and I were in town visiting our in laws and they blessed us with tickets to Jersey Boys and so we decided to make a reservation at a restaurant that was local to the theater.
We looked at the Price Fixe list of restaurants and decided on Trappers for the sole reason that the food they had looked good. That’s all we knew.
We made a reservation for 5:30 and away we went. We had the starter of scallop and shrimp risotto which I have to say was EXCELLENT, one of the best I have ever had. However the surly nature of th staff and the «WOW, locked in the early eighties décor» was a bit off putting.
The next course was the lamb –it was okay but not great and the dessert was a disappointment. As we hadn’t ordered wine — upsell, upsell, upsell, — our bill was dropped on our table as we started dessert. Classy.
We noticed all the awards the place had won on our way out, but we also noticed they petered out in the early 2000’s.
So, go if you must, but I think the glory days are gone.