Porter House

A new take on an old classic.
Everything about this place was absolutely perfect!
I can’t wait to come back!

In my efforts of doing new and unconventional activities in 2016, I decided to take my veggie loving friend for dinner at a restaurant that doesn’t serve any meat. Truth be told, I’m not even mad.
Porter House is a dimly lit yet casual pub-​like atmosphere, that had an impressive scent of curry in the air upon first arrival. We kept it basic with a tasty craft brewed beer and a sandwich of choice, with satisfying results.
I had the jackfruit sandwich, which is accurately described as «shredded jackfruit, slaw, horseradish mayo on a burger bun with fries» on their menu. The sandwich was tasty, and bits of jackfruit escaped the sandwich onto my plate, leading me to make «jackfruit fries» which were surprisingly delicious. My friend had the Yuba sandwich and was happy with their meal, agreeing on a «4 star» experience.
While my love for meat outweighs my interest in even the most creative of vegetarian meals (read: I won’t be coming back anytime soon), I will say that those who are interested in vegan and vegetarian dining should definitely put this on their list of places to go.

The bread from the bread and preserves was like day old supermarket ciabata and the cider (the server gushed over it when we ordered) was unpalatably sweet (the server said he actually didnt like it at the end) the ploughmans dinner was nice, but again with a side of stale bread. Ive been vegan fot 13 years, and while i really enjoyed some of the mushroomy fermented flavours, a non vegan would likely find them challenging. The music was loud and confusing too.

Staff is super lovely, dishes are either absolutely amazing or just pretty good. The cauliflower curry fries is ammmmmmmazing. Seriously one of the best veg dishes I’ve had. The beer here, god damn the selection is amazing and usually around 5 $ for tallcans (maybe that’s just Sunday?)

Had the curry fries and bread & preserves to start… hazelnut butter and mustard is delish!
Had the jackfruit sandwich which was ok.
Loved the beer selection. Try the Trappistes Rochefort 8.

I’d been wanting to go here for two days, after seeing they had a jackfruit pulled BBQ sandwich… I don’t think I’ve ever been more disappointed with a meal, however.
Let’s start with the positives:
Our server was amazing; friendly, engaging, and fast. The ambiance was nice, though it was a little hard to read the menu (I had to use my phone light).
The apple cider was very tasty, and the fries that came with the meal were decent.
But the hero, the BBQ jackfruit, was absolutely disgusting. Hot, flavoured mush with no discernible texture, I wanted to spit it out as soon as I took a bite
Really shame, as I’ve heard some great things about this place, so I’d be willing to give it another try.

Food: ⁷⁄₁₀ — Value: ⁸⁄₁₀ — Service: ⁷⁄₁₀ — Ambiance/​Décor: ⁷⁄₁₀
It wasn’t as good as I had hoped it would be. It doesn’t really elevate vegetables and instead, kind of gets lost masking them based only on the three things we ordered. But the food isn’t bad. It doesn’t stand out, but it’s good. This average/​normal theme extends to its service and speed of food coming out too.
We sat at the bar where there are four seats, and it wasn’t bad because we were the only ones there. It’s very dim inside and the noise level is reasonable, so it feels like your conversations are private.
APPETIZER/​SNACK: Onion Bhaji ($ 8)
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These are basically fritters. They were really good and the sauce was great too. I just wish there were more. I mean, it’s just vegetables and batter. But this was kind of a no-​brainer. Almost anything fried is great.
MAIN: Yuba Sandwich ($ 13)
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Mine was not greasy. I’m not even sure where grease so severe that it’s all over your fingers would come from, so that wasn’t an issue. It was pretty good and it’s quite a big portion of food. You’ll definitely get full. In terms of transforming something vegan into an imitation meat dish, I think they nailed the presentation, but the taste could have been better. When I started to get too full, I picked the sandwich apart to just eat the insides without the bread and it wasn’t not very good this way. It tasted exactly the way you would expect a vegetable-​trying-​to-​be-​meat to taste, which is not that great. With the bread and whatever’s on the bread, it was much more enjoyable. Fries were averagely good. I didn’t really touch the gravy because it was just brown salty water.
MAIN: Quinoa Polenta ($ 14)
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I didn’t have much of this one, but the one bite that I did have was very salty. It looks like a small bowl, but my friend said there was a lot of kale in it and that it was very filling. They had to pack it up.
SODA: Boylan Cola ($ 3)
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I don’t know why I keep trying these cane sugar. Every time I’ve tried a cane sugar at the recommendation of someone who claims there is no aftertaste, I’m always disappointed. It tastes weird and there is a stronger aftertaste than regular Coke.

Really eclectic mix of flavors and ingredients. By the time we got around to eating there we had consumed enough pub food for the week and decided to try some off-​the-​wall stuff. It was tasty, but the sandwiches and fries people were eating looked FAR better! Good beer selection and incredibly cool/​friendly staff!

Cool little vegan pub. Very hipstery feel and it fits right in the neighbourhood.
My date and I both tried the yuba sandwich. Its greasy as hell. Our hands were glistening in the candle light from all the oil. However I still really enjoyed it. The gravy for the fries was a bit watery, too salty and lacking in flavour for me. Drinks were pricey by my standards. Friendly and attentive staff. If I was in the hood I would check this place out again but I won’t be making a special trip to go here.

I enjoyed everything about this place, despite a rocky start to the evening. When we arrived they only had a 4-​top but my party was for 2 — so they reluctantly sat us asking if we’d mind moving once a 2-​top was available. I can’t blame them though, the place was suuuuper busy and I’m not surprised — it’s a great place with considerate service and delicious, quality food.
Almost as soon as we sat down, a 2-​top outside became available and we moved to the patio, which is small but nice.
We order the cauliflower poutine to share and it was AMAZING. It was huge and really filling so could also be ordered as a meal for 1.
I had the jackfruit sandwich and loved every last morsel of it — seriously I did not want it to end.
My friend had the polenta quinoa thingy and really enjoyed it — and he’s not even vegan.
The service was excellent.
We need more places like this :)

Excellent find nestled away in Dundas West! I’m not vegan and I think this place would appeal to vegans and non-​vegans alike if you can convince your carnivorous friends to join you. The yuba sandwich was delicious, very unique, and paired well with the gravy served alongside. The fries were good, not soggy, and also went well with both the gravy and the house-​made hot sauce. Trust me, if they ask you if you want the hot sauce (and you like spice), say yes! If they sold bottles of it I’d buy some. But, I’ll just have to make due with coming back here and ordering more food. :) You get a good amount of food for the price. Service is great. Ambiance is nice. It’s a small place but it’s not overly cramped inside, which was really nice. I’ll definitely be back to try the BBQ jackfruit sandwich.
Also, bonus points for being open on Sundays.

I’m always excited to try new vegan spots and this place is definitely a great one. The restaurant is a little on the small side and signage is limited, but don’t let the exterior fool you. The food is great and they have an awesome selection of unique craft beer that compliments the food.
We started with the curry fries which were amazing. The fries themselves were crispy and delicious, the curry was rich and creamy and the cauliflower added a really nice earthy element.
For mains we had the lentil & ale pie, jackfruit sandwich and yuba sandwich. All of these were so tasty. The best in my opinion was the pie. I could not wrap my head around the fact that the crust was vegan. It was so flakey and rich and buttery. AMAZING. The filling was very meaty and had a very homey vibe. The jackfruit sandwich was great as well. Perfectly tangy and smokey, the texture was spot on and you got a mountain of fries to accompany it. The yuba wasn’t quite as good but again, super tasty. The bean curd and horseradish mayo worked really well together. Only thing that seemed a bit out of place was the cranberry sauce. I get the idea of «thanksgiving dinner» leftover sandwich but the sweet component could have been left out.
All in all this place makes great vegan pub food and has an awesome selection of beer to match. I brought two meat eaters along with me and neither had any complaints, so it is definitely somewhere you can bring carnivorous friends. Highly recommend!

I’m not vegan or vegetarian, but I really enjoyed our meal here. Went with someone who was vegan, and loved how there were so many options for her.
We started with the Curry Cauliflower fries. Great for sharing, lots of flavour. We also shared the beet vegetable salad which was really good. Opted for the Yuba sandwich, not a fan of the miso gravy though. I really like it. None of this food was bland at all, and I wouldn’t have cared if it were vegan or not vegan.
This is a pub, so lots of fries and beers to go around. Tons of wine, beer and cider options.
Would I come back just for the food itself on my own as a non-​vegan? Maybe not. I feel like I’ve tried everything I wanted here, and the Lentil and Ale pie would be the next thing. But if I had to pick something vegetarian for a meal, I would come here in a heartbeat.

Porter House is a vegan restaurant offering appetizers, meals and alcohol The spacing’s a little tight, but the restaurant is accessible and offers gender neutral bathrooms. Appetizers range from $ 9-​$ 14 and full plates range from $ 12-​$ 16.
The space was cozy, but a little dark for my liking. My friends and I had a little trouble reading the menus due to the lighting. I had to use my phone. Please also keep in mind that the restaurant is a little cold close to the door, so get there early!
When I arrived, I tried to order a coffee. I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised that they didn’t have any. As a whole, I love their menu. If you’re into draft beers, they have a great selection of local offerings. They also have a bar rail, so you can order mixed drinks.
My table and I split the potato dumplings. They were excellent, as was the gravy that accompanied it. One of my friends ordered the Yuba Sandwich, while I split the Plowman’s Lunch with my other friend. I’m glad I split it, because as I observed at other tables and my own, the portions are massive. I’m a light eater, so my only issue is that it would be nice if their were smaller meals. I don’t always want to carry around left overs.
Don’t let that detract from how amazing the food was! The stuffed fennel was out of this world! I plan on returning, and my challenge will be deciding if I want to order the amazing Plowman’s lunch again, or try something new.

I was extremely excited to try this place out after patiently awaiting it’s opening. It definitely did not disappoint!
Beer: All four of us were very happy with our beer selections, and the recommendations from our server were spot on. For a place specializing in craft beer, my expectations were high. Luckily my expectations were not only met, they were exceeded!
Food: Our table sampled several different dishes. We had the potato dumplings, which were unique and tasty, as well as the lentil pie, which was very good! The BBQ jackfruit sandwich was the only thing at Porter House that I wasn’t crazy about. If you’ve had the jackfruit tacos at Hot Beans, you’ll know why. Lastly, we had the bread pudding for dessert, and it was absolutely delicious.
Atmosphere: I loved the atmosphere at Porter House. The space is intimate, and it has a great vibe. The servers and bartenders were exceptionally helpful and attentive (but not overly so). Often I find that the servers in places like this can have a kind of «too cool to be polite» attitude, which is definitely a turn off for me, but Porter House had a good group of genuine staff.

Came here with a couple friends and ordered almost everything on the menu.
The curry fries are perfectly seasoned and fried to a crisp. The bread and preserves were okay, I expected more flavour from the spreads. The potato dumplings but I’m not a fan of the beer gravy, I would’ve preferred mushroom gravy if there was the option. My friend and I weren’t fans of the yuba sandwich — the bread was very hard and the fries were too salty. One thing to note about the yuba sandwich is that it’s on the sweet side. I was expecting it to taste salty like meat according to reviews. I got the lentil pie which was okay, but also on the salty side, so I mainly ate the puff pastry. The bread pudding with berries and bourbon was good.

This restaurant is a nice cozy place. I liked the atmosphere. There isn’t a lot of space in here which is really nice for dining but if it’s full you will have to wait. We called ahead to get an idea of how busy there were. We enjoyed 3 different Appetizers: the bread and condiments, curry fries, and potato dumplings. All appetizers were really good. The bread came with a variety of preserves and spreads and was really nice. The curry fries were delicious. The potato dumplings were very creamy on the inside. For my main course I enjoyed the lentil pie with side of slaw and greens. The pie was very flaky which was delicious. It was very hot as well and nicely flavoured. I would order it again. Vegan isn’t my first choice but my friends are vegan so I happily go along. I would return and recommend. The service was very attentive and very nice.

Preface: I don’t drink alcohol. This review is about the food, service, and atmosphere.
Visited with a meater the other night to see what Ross was up to with his new spot. I’m not a pub kind of guy, but I’m a Ross Corder food kind of guy, so I wanted to check it out. And true to history, the food (so far) is fantastic. The Yuba and the jackfruit sandwiches were excellent, the service was unobtrusive and casual, and the atmosphere was conducive to serious chats about our adult problems. Next time I’ll try different eats and likely report back. The meater loved her food as well, and is keen to return.
This will likely be a frequent spot for me even though I don’t drink and it’s very far from my home in Cabbagetown, but it’s worth the drive, bike ride, TTC ride (all depending on who I’m going with). The menu is interesting, the food executed well and prepared by some folks that from my experience, really give a shit.
Only hope for the future: Thomas Lavers sodas (though Dad’s is still a decent choice). Lavers just seems to match the level of beers being carried.

Filling a huge void that this city never even knew that it had. This place is so good. It is pub fare, yes, but VERY good, made-​from-​scratch, creative, and delicious pub food. Whether you are vegan or not, the food is just amazing.
Excellent selection of beers. And yes, all of the beers/​wines are vegan too. I love a good beer and was not disappointed in the amazing selection they have here. Clearly hand-​picked with love by somebody who also loves beer.
Atmosphere is also pretty perfect. Low-​key and candlelit. Quiet but not too quiet. Warm, friendly, and inviting.
I had the potato dumplings with beer gravy and the bbq jackfruit/​slaw sandwich both times I went because they were so good I couldn’t risk trying anything else. My husband had the lentil pot pie and it was also excellent.
Do yourself a favour and get this food (and beer) in your mouth!

The Brockton General (a meat haven if I recall correctly) is long since dead and rising from its ashes is Toronto’s very first all vegan bar, complete with British-​style pub food. Thankfully, the beer is served cold!
We enjoyed some Beau’s vanilla porter, beer battered potato dumplings that were more like deep fried mashed potatoes than dumplings, cauliflower curry fries, the yuba sandwich and the lentil and ale pie.
The food is heavy pub fare but it wasn’t greasy in the way that makes me regret my meal like another local vegan comfort food establishment does.
The pot pie crust was tender and flakey. Service was great and the place was completely full of merry makers by the time we left at 11. Just glad a place like this that’s completely vegan finally exists.