Hazel’s Diner

I like this place — the menu is good, the food is good and consistent. Waitresses are efficient and kind. They are usually pretty busy and they are actually what the eglinton strip needed!
Unfortunately they only have two high-​chairs — one of which is broken. I have been turned away multiple times because there are no chairs available for kids. Same has happened to several friends of mine. For goodness sake, you’re a family restaurant in a residential neighborhood. Even Big Bite Burger down the street has more high-​chairs (the $ 20 kind from ikea, which work great), and they run predominantly a take-​out business. The lack of highchairs suggests that they don’t value their customers, as they would recoup the cost within a day. This may seem like a small issue, but it is problematic when you walk over with a hungry kid (or pay for parking) and are then turned away. So they lose points in my book for not being as family friendly as they should be in this neighborhood — something another reviewer below noted, as well. If not for this issue I would have given them a perfect score.

Many years ago, I moved to an apartment in the middle of the city. I lamented the lack of affordable dining options, specifically a spot for an inexpensive, greasy spoon style breakfast. Sure, I had McDonalds and Timmies and Starbucks nearby, but shouldn’t there be an option somewhere between a $ 5 McMuffin combo and a $ 20 white-​tablecloth affair? Sometimes a guy wants to roll out of bed, pick his jeans up off the floor, and cure his ills with bottomless (good) coffee and bacon+eggs.
Some years (and a temporary move to the ‘burbs) later, I’m back in the heart of the city and loving almost every minute of it. I’m not far from the Eglinton strip, and while I’m often dismayed at the carnage new streetcar construction has inflicted on local businesses (stops to pour one out for House of Chan, Tasty Chinese, Ken Fong and others), I welcome those brave enough to set up shop west of Avenue Road.
Hazel’s is one of those brave souls.
Hazel’s opened around the time I moved back downtown, and has been busy ever since. It’s an outpost of a mini chain of diners, more upscale than Wimpy’s with higher prices (although a $ 7 bacon and egg early bird special is good value). A sandwich board outside promises a variety of breakfast specials with exotic ingredients. Great stuff, but if I want a diner I want a grease transfusion.
My introduction to Hazel’s is sub-​optimal. Meeting my folks for breakfast on a snowy winter morning, we are told that we have to leave my kid’s stroller outside, in the middle of a busy street, with no way to secure it against a rash of thefts in the area. After much back and forth, they reluctantly agree to let us keep it inside at the table, if we forgo a high chair and feed our very busy baby in our laps. We want to order the baby some fruit-​a half portion, since we know we will be cleaning most of it off the floor before we leave. This sets off another round of extensive bargaining. More trouble than it’s worth.
Coffee arrives quickly; it’s hot and fresh, and refilled often without having to flag a server down. Breakfast itself is a bit of a wait, which is surprising since we’re the first people there.
When food arrives, it’s generally good. Scrambled eggs are fluffy and loose, as requested. Bacon is burnt to hell, as is my preference. Sausages are thick and bronzed and filling, presented with a choice of hot sauce (breakfast needs to hurt a little).
Pancakes admirably soak up syrup while maintaining a crisp edge. My mom orders onion rings. I don’t know why. They’re really good, though; golden and crunchy outside, with yielding oniony centres.
The biggest sore point are the potatoes. Full disclosure: I am not generally a potato fan, and for breakfast vastly prefer American style crispy shredded hash browns to the. starchy under cooked chunks I often see here. Hazel’s are definitely on the starchy, under cooked chunk side. Even requested «super well done» they need a visit to the deep fryer and a good hit of salt. I could slather them with hot sauce and ketchup, but really they’re a drag on the meal and a waste of precious carbohydrates.
The bill arrives quickly, although change lags. Notwithstanding the surprising issues accommodating new parents (I like to think I’m not one of those unreasonably demanding parents who hovers over his precious snowflakes, but surely there’s a place to fit a stroller or two so they’re usable when we leave), service is pleasant, and we leave full and happy.
If you’re wondering Which Hazel’s you should visit. I vote for this one.

I love love love this place. The staff here are very friendly and the food is perfection on a plate. I am sitting here having the Hazel’s Hash. It is so fresh and so good. I had the Eggs Natasha when I was here last. I hate pancakes but I loved the Eggs Natasha. I never had black caviar before, but it was superb. I am very impressed with this restaurant, which is now my favorite breakfast stop.

Expensive for mediocre breakfast food. Mediocre service. Would not recommend. I’ll stick to my usual breakfast spots or even Boom as a last resort…

Came here for breakfast on a Saturday morning. There were a few other tables of people, but the service was very fast anyways. Food arrives at the table within minutes of placing the order and the Tuscan Omelette was fantastic.
We will be back!

Good food, generous portion
Enjoyed breakfast for a business meeting — egg white omelette with avocado,
Smoked salmon and tomato served with strawberry spinach salad and rye toast.
Would definitely return to try more of the menu

As far as a diner goes, this place is excellent. Tasty food, interesting specials, comfortable atmosphere and no diner smell. Also the service was friendly and kind. Great spot with kids. Prices are very reasonable too.

We came here for brunch on the weekend, and it was a super cozy and relatively small restaurant :) There were several pieces of interesting artwork (and random rectangular mirrors), which gave the resto a modern feel.
Eggs Natasha — I’m a huge fan of smoked salmon and not as big on pancakes, but Hazel’s made it work! There was caviar with sour cream and smoked salmon on top of the pancakes — I wasn’t really feeling the sour cream and preferred the dish without. The smoked salmon was definitely on point though, and the poached eggs coated the pancakes perfectly.
Mexican Benny — YUM. I liked this more than my own dish because the chorizo sausage was deliciously spicy. I also thought the chickpeas and cornbread were nomsworthy, would definitely get this the next time I come :)
Annnnd! The fresh OJ was excellent, I enjoyed the pulp :3 Service was pretty quick, waiting time was only a couple minutes on what I expected to be a busy Sunday. Worth a visit (or two)!

The food was really good! So, why the two stars? My dining companion asked for a slice of lemon with her water and the server refused, saying:” We only give lemon with Perrier.” To me, that is the ultimate in cheapness and puts this experience down as really pathetic. I mean, how much is a slice of lemon!!! I paid over $ 50 for our lunch, so we did spend. I think management needs to look at this. It makes the restaurant seem very uncouth!

Had an excellent meal… Had the club house sandwich — Crispy bacon and grilled chicken. Fast service and a great addition to the neighborhood.