Mad Dog Cafe

My favourite in the area! Great coffee and even better brunch. Best brunch menu item is the Perro loco, which is basically huervos rancheros.

Skip the line at lady marmalade and head over to mad dog café for a really great breakfast. Cozy feel inside, good service and yummy food. The potatoes are cooked just like latkes. Mmmmm

Have been there a few times.
The breakfast is delicious, but it’s always busy so be prepared to wait for a bit.
Have also been for lunch. Perogies are delicious. Their paninis are great too.
Would definitely recommend, it’s my go to place in the neighbourhood.

I try to make this my go to place, I keep coming back, not sure why. I have left this place several times before ordering simply because it is too hot, +40 outside with the humidex, +50 inside this place. I like the owner, you can’t get a nicer guy but turn on the damn air/​con. They also seem to have a hard time keeping good staff. They do get good staff from time to time but they keep leaving (see my comments below).
Their is a lot to like about this place but no air/​con and some unfriendly servers.
I left their today headed over to Jims on Queen at Logan. A bit of a dive but they have air/​con and it is on.
Am I the only one that feels this way?

Ordered Cuban sandwich which is not really good. Lack of flavor. Dry pork. Disappointing bread.
But I love the overall environment here. It is just so local. The chair close to the big window is super comfy. I will probably come back to order a cup of tea and get some work done.

gave it a try many times since they look good and really close to my house — would have been ideal coffee place. Except their americanos consistently feel weak — i ask for double, in small cup, with less water… and still feel watery. No more for me

Recently visited Toronto and my nephew took me here for brunch on a Saturday. Unfortunately, being a raving fan of Mexican food and from the San Francisco area, I sometimes forget that when I travel to other parts of the world, one’s interpretation of Huevos Rancheros will vary. With that being said, it was definitely prepared not what I was accustomed to. The coffee was a heavy dark roast coffee — almost like an Americano and was more bitter than what I was accustomed to. In the end, I grew accustomed to the taste as it did the trick of waking me up.
My nephew ordered the usual Mad Dog Breakfast with the country style bacon and in hindsight I should have ordered that since that was what they are known for.
I would give this place another shot as there were a lot of regulars who came here when we were having breakfast.

Three of us had a lovely brunch on the patio (eggs benedict, veggie dog, and perro loco [huevos rancheros]).
The food was lovely especially the perro loco! Our waitress was very nice. The only caveat was that the regular coffee was quite bitter but maybe we got a bitter jug since our free refills were better.
Excellent value for money!
We will definitely be back here :)

Amazing brunch menu. Always leave really full! Delicious pastries and custom coffees made to order on the antique espresso machine make this a perfect hangout to enjoy free wifi and people watch on the patio.

I have been coming to this café for about 2 – 3 years now. There are other places closer to where I live, but I love the vibe at this place. Their coffee is great. The staff is very nice and courteous. And the Mad Dog breakfast has been a staple for me whenever I am near by in the morning.

Once in a while when I am walking to or from somewhere on Gerrard I will stop by Mad Dog for a drink. It is a piece of shiny gold in a large lump of rough ore – which is to say this breakfast/​brunch diner is the only sign of activity in this city block that since childhood as i remembered has been a commercial dead zone, especially since Hammersmith’s across the street closed (unless you count the grimy Beer Store).
Obviously much attention has been put into making this place a community hub, with an inviting unpretentious atmosphere, a garage door frontage that opens up on the warmer months, warm staff and even a smaller table and some toys for the little ones. Much like the Rooster Coffeehouse up on Broadview, an eclectic mix of tables and chairs adds extra personality to a place I can imagine sitting around in forever if only time and life allows. Heck, this is the kind of place I’d imagine the Dan Mangan track «The Indie Queens are Waiting» describes.
Standard western breakfast and coffeehouse fare are served here, and for the value you get a big-​ass well-​prepared meal with a lot on the plate. A breakfast dish comes with a generous serving of baked beans, slices of bread from St John’s Bakery, fries, breakfast meat (sausage or bacom)… holy smokes it’s a lot. Crazy. Arrive hungover with an empty stomach and leave happy and awake.
Mad Dog currently stands out as the only breath of life in a sad stretch of east-​end Toronto. Thank goodness their presence is a much-​welcomed friendly one. Too bad they only open until six pm.
{TTC: take the 506 to Gerrard and Logan Streets.}

So I was heading to a job interview and got dropped off on Logan Ave. I had never been to this part of town and was a bit concerned. All I saw was a ton of graffiti and a Beer Store. Thanks to Unilocal,one single coffee shop showed up on the map. Mad Dog Café!
The ratings were very high but I didn’t really have a choice. I had to wait two hours for the job interview (I always arrive very early). I walked in and was really pleasantly surprised.
Atmosphere — This place has a mix-​feeling of a café and a diner. Fro the area it’s in, it could have been a bit more run down and I still would have liked it. But they keep it nice and clean with a bit of style. Music is Neil Young and easy rock. Not too loud or to quiet.
Service — The customer service is very nice. Sort of feels like the same service you get in a small town. Personal and friendly.
Coffee & Food — Fantastic! And I don’t drink coffee. I needed it today. But I also tried a muffin and their gluten free /​wheat free POW cookie. Very good.
Wi-​Fi — Very strong and easy to connect to without any drops.
I wouldn’t say I’d go out of my way to stop by Mad Dog Café. BUT if I’m in the area, I’m so happy it’s here. And if I get the job, well I’ll be here all the time. And I’d love to call it my neighborhood café.

Mad Dog café is pretty much a café version of the bar on Cheers where everyone knows your name! Very friendly staff, great décor, and good food. I highly recommend the salmon platter on the weekends. The garage-​door style windows at the front are great in warm weather.
Good food, good coffee and a warm and friendly neighborhood atmosphere.

I walked in and saw all these child friendly tables and chairs… oh and toys but luckily no kids or toddlers.
My cappuccino was one of the Meh one I had… milk was not frothed properly and resulted in a fail attempt of latte art…
Barista is way too indifference and way too laid back… I know I use a Indie Coffee Passport and not offering one of the those sandwiches…
Mad Dog Café does carries baked good from neighbourhood bakeries their cupcakes are from Desmond and Beatrice down on Queen and Broadview look quite delicious though…
Mad Dog Café is set up more like a diner that serves food… hopefully their food is better than their coffee!

The first thing I felt when I walked in here was fear. The fear that comes when going for a lazy quiet saturday morning coffee and being greeted with a row of children’s toys. Some places should just not be kid-​focused. Some places need to remain for adults, a place where you can swear in a conversation with friends or talk about the awkward sex you had the night before and not get side glares. A place where you can enjoy a coffee and a book without the background noise of screaming children. Bars and cafes — it’s all we have left. Why take those away from us?
Other than the kiddie clutter, Mad Dog was nicely designed. Though they seem to be more diner than café now — between all the breakfast foods and the children gear.
I had a great latte. Though I had it to go, running out the door, away from the loud child voices. Anytime on a saturday morning in a café is too early for me to deal with that!

Taste with your Nose. That’s my First-​hand experience at Mad Dog Café.
Open the doors to this Diner-​esque Café. Immediately I can taste Eggs, Fried Eggs.
It came via Nasal bombardment as the full space envenloped in Eggy smellness.
Mind you it was someone else’s Fried Eggs but the aroma was intensive. 2.5’d
Mind you again, that most Cafes I grew up in HK offers the same Foodstuff.
Western Breakfasts, actually you would call it Western only if you’re in the East.
Sandwiches, in the East you’ll get Luncheon Meat, here you get Smoked Meat.
Not like North American terminology of Café which mostly serves Coffee Bevvies.
Being in an Asian community, I can see glimpse of how MD Café came to be.
As a Café, my Single-​shot Cappuccino was weak but not the worst of the bunch.
HK-​style Café hiding beneath a Western façade within a North American Chinatown.
As a Diner, I see a relaxing comfortable neighbourhood chowspot.
Bring your Newspaper. Put your feet up. Enjoy.

Part of the Indie Coffee passport this is a surprising find in this area. The setup is quite nice it was packed with weekend brunch crowd. It was noisy though with some kids running around but I am guessing they quiet down on weekdays.
They had plenty of baked goods which were quite tempting but purpose of my trip was try the Cappuccino here.
I ordered a double cappuccino with a sweetener. The barista picked up a glass mug which was kept nice and warm the way it is supposed to be.
Latte art was OK and I think it would look better if a different cup was used.
Milk could use little more frothing. Espresso itself was nice and mellow.
3 stars for drink and 4 Star s for the setup.
Will repeat.

Mad Dog is a comfortable and relaxed space in a corner of Chinatown that is seeing signs of new life. The large and open café gains its charm from the refinished church bench, old stove, and teak furniture accents. As evidenced by the small collection of toys and appropriately-​sized munchkin table at the centre of the room, families are welcome here.
I stood at the cash, debating on what to order. With Montréal-​style bagels, sandwiches, and Kawartha Dairy ice cream on the menu, you’re likely to find something that would suit. The one anomalous item that caused me to hem and haw at the cash: the bulgogi sandwich. It seemed strange to see this Korean staple listed, and irresistible because of its oddity. Of course I ordered this, with a side of kimchi to boot.
As my food was being prepared, I claimed a seat at a low end-​table in the corner fronting the open front windows. Despite the shades of grey mottling the sky, the rain had been reduced to an occasional sprinkle, and the mugginess of the afternoon was tempered by a cool breeze. The sandwich arrived and is about what you’d expect — thinly-​sliced beef sautéed with onions on greens in a fresh bun. The kimchi was also fairly standard, but kickier than I’d have expected.
To finish off my meal and loiter with my book, I got a cappuccino and a cookie. The cappuccino was really well-​done and a nice way to wrap things up. I would definitely return.

Tasty beverages and super-​friendly service makes this a good place to stop for coffee I had both an americano and a cappuccino. The americano was fairly average, but the cappuccino was delicious. The Montréal-​style bagels were very good and I’d recommend them.
The décor is a little kitschy, but very charming and it suits the place. This is a neat area and it’s really interesting to see new businesses (that are actually worth going to) pop up. This one’s worth a visit, for sure.

Mad Dog Café is nestled amongst a row of eclectic houses and shops just across the street from the local beer store. Inside, it hosts wonderful staff, gorgeous furniture and a garage style door to have your favourite beverage el fresco on a fantastic Toronto sunny day.
The grinds are local — Toronto and Dundas (of all places!).
Service is great. Atmosphere is lovely. Cash only.