Astra Meat Products

if you need to eat lunch for less than $ 3, this is the place for you.
the schnitzel is yummy, just the basics yes, but yummy nonetheless.
filthy, no useful information posted… anywhere, and no fuss staff are what you can expect. and yet i’ve returned for this schnitzel sammy at least 6 dozen times.
not sure what that says about me…

Great cuts and chicken cutlet sandwich special for lunch. Unlike every other butcher in Bloor West, this place has very reasonable prices. The store may not look the best, but you’re coming for the product, not a trip into a museum.

I have been to many a ‘East European’ deli shop, and this one is probably the worst!
Their services is horrible, their products are awful (schnitzel is ok, but I took out some dinner items before — perogies, meat, potatoes and I am pretty sure half of it turned up in the garbage). You never know if you have to take a number to get served, or just wait until someone is available to help you, either way you will be waiting a long time! Plus finding the ticket machine is like a scavenger hunt in itself, maybe they don’t want to get business, I am not sure.
All I know is that even their great deal for the Schnitzel sandwich ($ 2.50) is not worth me going in there again! Especially in Bloor West, where there are so many other better places to get deli, there is no point in wasting time and sanity in this one.

The only remarkable thing about Astra’s storefront is the sandwich board outside announcing their $ 2.50 pork schnitzel sandwich on a bun, and the interior isn’t much to write home about either. The lighting could be better, the single aisle down the centre could be wider, and there could actually be signage indicating price points for products. The service is brisk to say the least, but it’s not unfriendly and they will answer questions that you have regarding any of the somewhat mysterious/​unidentified products on display.
The food is comforting, and very much like the home cooking I’m used to eating at my eastern european friends homes. Also, the plum filled Pczki always make up for any miscommunication that may occur. It worth stopping by fir a quick pastry, and maybe one of those sandwiches. Explore the other offerings at your own risk.
Why they didn’t get 5 stars:
1. Lack of identifying labels and prices. I’d like to know what I’m paying for something that looks delicious. I’d also like to know what it is.
2. The service could be friendlier to clients who don’t speak Polish/​Ukrainian
3. The lighting could be better.

I needed to grab a quick dinner on the way home from the gym and decided to check into Astra for take out. I tried some of their deli food during the annual Bloor West Ukrainian street festival in the summer.
I ordered a dozen perogies ($ 5.60) and five cabbage rolls ($ 7.40). There were no prices displayed so I feared it was going to come out to an very expensive bill considering it was Bloor West Village. My orders were weighed on a scale and the price was written on top of the styrofoam container.
The perogies were quite good. I got the cheese and meat versions. The cabbage rolls, however, were still frozen so I had to pop them into the oven for about 40 min. They were a bit on the bland side and needed some salt/​pepper.
I would check out Astra again, especially for perogies, and maybe some of the other foods I saw in the counter like chicken, schnitzel, and sausages.

I usually come to Astra Meat Products for perogies. I have been coming here for over a year now, but lately, it starting to taste horrible. It tastes like those packaged perogies that you get from the frozen section of your supermarket.
I will probably return back to this area since it’s one of the only places I’m near that has perogies. Wouldn’t recommend it to anyone though.

So on a whim coming home from work I decided to pick up dinner for my partner and myself. This place has a sign that says something along the lines of «no more cooking» or «real home cooking» or something like that.
So first off, this place doesn’t look like anything. Which when you consider the price of rent and the competition of the area, is actually a GOOD thing. Hear me out here. If a place looks like shit and it’s in a swanky area, you know there has to be something good about it. Otherwise, it would go out of business.
So you walk in and it looks like a hurting deli (old and kind of run down). But the hot food selection is extensive! From what I can tell it’s Ukranian (durrr Bloor West Village). So you can guess what kind of food you’re going to be getting into. The review below mine goes into detail.
So I order four things:
Pierogies — Potato Cheddar and Mushroom and Sauerkraut. Delicious! Homemade, great filling, great texture.
Veggies — Lightly sauteed chunks of red pepper, onion, green and yellow zuccini. Nice flavour.
Coleslaw — Vinegar based with a really good seasoning.
This pork and sauerkraut dish that had chunks of sausage, pork and bacon in it that was fucking amazing.
All this food cost me a mere $ 15.00. I will be back. The ladies behind the counter are super friendly and even flirted with me «excuse me, you have wife?»
The only points lost are for the fact that there are no prices or what the food is so if its busy you might have to wait.

I went to Astra Deli on June 21, shortly before they were closing. I was shocked to find a guy talking to an employee while SMOKING inside the deli. I immediately took a picture of the guy smoking and the employee who was working at the time. I confronted the employee, letting him know that first of all it was illegal to allow people to smoke inside the deli, and second of all I am pregnant and this was not good for me. Instead of being understanding, he became belligerent with me. He started yelling at me and told me to take my business elsewhere. Later that evening I tried calling Astra Deli to speak to an owner or manager and the same old man answered and yelled at me calling me a «Russian spy». The next day I called and reached a manager who told me I was lying (I have a picture) and then said she had no time for me and hung up on me. I IMMEDIATELY sent my picture of the guy smoking to Toronto Public Health.
Customer service is by far the worst in the city. And honestly, letting a customer smoke in the deli? It’s disgusting.

Amazing Ukranian food market! I often come here for their sausages or pierogies. But they also have cabbage rolls, potato pancakes, cottage cheese filled pastries (my friends like these, but not really my taste) and other delicious traditional Ukrainian foods.
The ladies that work here are pleasant and good at moving the line along. If it is busy, make sure you grab a number to get served.
The price is great, if I’m grabbing a quick bite, I’ll get 5 large pierogies and it will be under $ 3! woot woot! There is a small park behind Astra, or a park bench right outside on the sidewalk.