emma's country kitchen

i had emma's benny and subbed the daily salad for the potatoes and had an americano to drink. i really enjoyed everything. the eggs benedict we cooked nicely (the yoke was almost perfect but just slightly overcooked) and the sauce/biscuit was lovely. the salad was simple but satisfying (beets/argulua/balsamic/feta). coffee was enjoyable. 
we were seated very quickly but there was a line up out the door for most of the morning. our server was very accommodating and good at his job.

this place does brunch right. crazy busy on weekends so make sure to get there early! but so worth the wait. hands down the best eggs benedict i've ever had!!!

i had the banoffee pie pancakes – banana pancakes w/ chocolate chips, toffee bits, chantilly whipped crème, and orange scented maple syrup. very sweet and very delicious! i ate all 4 pancakes i also had a side of 2 scrambled eggs and red potatoes w/ sea salt and thyme. the eggs seemed to not be seasoned (easily fixed) and the potatoes were just okay; some were burnt.

delicious breakfast! you want that in your life. emma's specializes in breakfast seven days a week and will make sure that you leave their restaurant satisfied and happy. you might have seen them on season 4 of you gotta eat here! or noticed that blogto named them the #1 best all-day breakfast in town. they're open from 8am to 3pm every day of the week - don't expect to find any sort of dinner menu here - it's breakfast and brunch comfort food all day, every day!

when visiting on the weekend you can typically expect to be met with a bit of a wait to get in. they tend to move things along pretty quickly, but obviously the later that you arrive, the longer that the wait will likely be. i stopped in on a holiday monday and the place was bumpin'. you'll usually find them open on statutory holidays when lots of other spots opt to remain closed. the restaurant is fairly unassuming from the street, with their brown signage. on the inside you'll find that the room is quite spacious, with a few tables up in the front and quite a lot more in the back. they underwent a renovation a few years ago which has really helped to maximize their space. the decor is minimal and the ambiance is warm, buzzing and welcoming.

after a reasonable wait, we were seated at a table in the back section and were promptly served by the friendly wait staff.

emma's wants you to enjoy fresh comfort food and that includes; bakery items that are made fresh in-house daily, using only local meats that they cure and smoke themselves, and freshly fried donuts. the menu is filled with the delicious classics that you crave and each one is done really well. as a tea drinker, i asked for tea ($3.00) and chose english breakfast since i enjoy black tea in the morning. their tea is provided by tea squared, a company from canada. i prepare my black tea with milk and sugar and enjoyed a perfectly warm and pleasant cup. can't go wrong with that! i also noted that emma's offers some pretty awesome brunch cocktails, and the emma's caesar especially caught my eye. on another day when i'm feeling more "fun" i will certainly give it a try!

there are lots of items on the menu; from their rotating (and usually seasonally appropriate) pancake flavours, to a daily quiche, to the classically southern biscuits and gravy. they've even got avocado toast for the millennials. however, their most renowned item has to be the emma's benny (warm and fluffy buttermilk biscuit topped with house cured peameal bacon, soft poached eggs and smothered in mousseline sauce. served with a side of red skin potatoes - $16.00), a must-try. the food arrived fairly quickly and i eagerly sliced into my perfectly poached eggs. emma's signature buttermilk biscuit is impossibly buttery and absorbs the surrounding egg yolk and mousseline mélange decadently well. the peameal bacon is truly something special, utilizing toronto's famous meat so well. hormone and antibiotic free, their meats come from the best butcher in town; sanagan's meat locker. their peameal is salty and tender, a delicious protein base. what's the difference between mousseline and hollandaise sauce? it's a richer version of the classic that uses whipped cream. as if hollandaise could get any better. this benedict is like a hug of happiness for your stomach.

the potatoes were fine, a little bit plain. i could have used a bit more crisp on them, but they tasted good with salt and ketchup.

emma's is pretty well-known for serving up some of the best donuts in town. chances are that after eating a big, filling breakfast that you might not think that you have any room left for a donut. so take your donut to-go! you don't want to miss out! their flavours change all the time (instagram is a reliable source to find out what they've got in the case each day) and on my visit they had one of their best ones; maple bacon ($3.25). a lot of people are doing a maple bacon donut. it's a pretty trendy flavour. but it's my opinion that emma's is doing the best version of it that i have ever tried. the way that they handle the bacon on this donut is by far the best. it's ultra abundant and crumbly, capturing the salty and sweet combo expertly well. if your a fan of the maple bacon donut, this is the beginning and end of it right here!

emma's country kitchen is a perfect little breakfast (not so) secret. they bring country flavours right into the city and serve up what you dream of for a classically delicious breakfast. you want this!

base on online recommendations, we chose to go to emma's country kitchen on new years morning, do not be put off by the non descript store front. the restaurant is nice and clean. expect a line up. to our delight the menu offers a unique and refreshing selection. each of us, 3 people, ordered different meals and we were equally impressed of presentation, test and price. the staff were organized friendly and worked very well together. as an after note, the staff inquired about possible allergies which we appreciated.

once again yelp has pulled through! i knew when there was a line (only waited about ten minutes) on a weekday morning it was going to be a good brekky. excellent coffee and breakfast. super surprised and happy there was only a $1 upgrade to replace my bread (trying to be good on my gf diet) with a lovely fresh serving of avocado. nice service however they were all run off their feet. will be going again during my stay in the area for sure!

one of my favourite brunches in toronto would have to be the one at emma’s country kitchen. it’s a little bit out of the way to get to, so we went the morning before heading to canada’s wonderland since we had a car rental. emma’s benny. for breakfast, we decided to get the same thing, since it seemed like this was everybody’s go-to at the restaurant. the emma’s benny. this was also featured on you gotta eat here! it comes with warm and fluffy buttermilk biscuit, topped with a house cured peameal bacon, soft poached eggs, and smothered in a mousseline sauce. this is served with a side of red skin potatoes, an orange slice, and strawberry.

my friend and i decided to venture away from our usual spots in the east end and we were so happy we did! we showed up just before 11am and it was a 45 mins wait for the two of us but it was worth it. we ordered a main breakfast each and then pancakes to share, we had an indulgent morning. staff were incredibly friendly and food was delicious. will definitely be back!

2 hours of waiting leads to a 20 min brunch, and most importantly, the food tastes very disappointing.... totally a waste of my time... the pan-cake was collapsing and the juice are from the bottle...

amazing eggs benedict! i recommend emma's benny. the buttermilk biscuits as the base are yummy. the house cured peameal bacon is perfect. the red skin potatoes were perfectly seasoned as well. mimosas are always a good choice with brunch too. the staff here are great and very attentive.

emma’s county kitchen won first place on the food network’s donut showdown. since it is a popular breakfast place, we started with the yeast donuts and then stayed for brunch. although the service was great, we did not like our breakfasts, at all. if you’re interested in trying their donuts, follow their twitter account to find out which flavours they’re selling, as it changes each day. their donuts sell out very quickly on the weekends, so call ahead and reserve some. their donut dough is nice and chewy and is my second favourite dough in the city (second to rachelle’s which is softer and airier). we tried their maple bacon, chocolate and peanut, and apple fritter donuts.  i loved the real bacon bits and the subtly sweet glaze, but it was lacking in smoky and maple flavour. the chocolate peanut butter donut had crushed up peanut butter cups on top and was a bit too sweet for my taste. finally, the apple fritter was very disappointing. it was too heavy and far too greasy. overall, i would go back to try their other flavours, but this place wouldn’t be my first choice for a donut run.

this morning i went for brunch at emma’s country kitchen. my friend and i arrived before the 9am opening time and there were already locals in line. it’s a super popular spot on the weekends for brunch and also appeared on jon catucci’s you gotta eat here. i ordered the emma’s benny. warm and fluffy buttermilk biscuit was topped with house cured peameal bacon, poached eggs and a generous amount of in mousselline sauce (like a hollandaise with whipped cream). it was served with a side of griddled red skin potatoes. the sauce was buttery and delicious and i dipped everything in it. the peameal bacon was not too salty or hard. the eggs were a perfect poach. this dish was heavenly and i washed it down with some freshly squeeze orange juice.

this morning i went for brunch at emma’s country kitchen. my friend and i arrived before the 9am opening time and there were already locals in line. it’s a super popular spot on the weekends for brunch and also appeared on jon catucci’s you gotta eat here.

i ordered the emma’s benny. warm and fluffy buttermilk biscuit was topped with house cured peameal bacon, poached eggs and a generous amount of in mousselline sauce (like a hollandaise with whipped cream). it was served with a side of griddled red skin potatoes. the sauce was buttery and delicious and i dipped everything in it. the peameal bacon was not too salty or hard. the eggs were a perfect poach. this dish was heavenly and i washed it down with some freshly squeeze orange juice.

my friend had the cornbread and pimento cheese french toast. a house made corn bread, dipped in a creamy custard and griddled until golden brown. it’s opped with melted pimento cheese, 2 over easy eggs, avocado, crema and finished with a smoked paprika salt. i stole a bite and it had a heat to it that was balanced well with avocado cream.

this place, even if you have to wait, is well worth it.

great quality, awesome place, i ordered a french toast with sausage and no doubt was the best toast i ever had. don't forget to try their donuts as well!

emma's has the best veggie burgers in toronto. they change their menu items (most of them) on a daily basis, which only means their products are fresh and creative. the staff is so friendly and efficient. they will accommodate your needs and wishes. their roast beef sandwich is the best item i have tried so far and for $7, i always leave ordering a second one togo. - if you want to make the burgers and sandwiches supreme, add an over easy fried egg- they have seasonal drinks as well, like apple cider during winter, and fresh lemonades during the summer time. 
their donouts are sold on the weekends, but if you want them during week days, you need to order them in advance (i believe it's 24-48 hours prior) and pick them up. the donouts are huge and delicious!!