NO LONGER AYCE - Granite Brewery (Western)

Update: 2021-Aug-20 - There is currently no buffet/AYCE at this location post-lockdown even though it is now permitted, and it is unknown if and when it will ever return. I am therefore removing it from the active list, and will follow up periodically and restore it should it return to AYCE status.

Granite Brewery is located at 245 Eglinton Ave. E., at Mount Pleasant, but it actually faces Mount Pleasant not Eglinton. Granite Brewery has a nice interior as well as two exteriors, a front and back patio. The interior is classic Victorian bar with dark wood, although it seems to have a gas fireplace and brick wallpaper. It's larger inside than it appears outside. We went for Sunday brunch, which is the only AYCE meal that is served there.

  

Bacon was excellent, just crisp enough and sausages were good though a bit overdone. Mexican-style fried buritto or chimichanga, which is a house recipe, was very good; both of us loved them and I ended up having four of them as they are the same size as spring rolls. Eggs Benedict were alright except the English muffin bottoms were a bit chewy, and the Hollandaise sauce was runny, but I'm just glad to have Bennies. Pancakes were very good, fluffy and flavourful, with syrup in single-serving containers. Mishy described the French toast as "scrumptious and hard as a rock." Home fries were good but a bit dry.

Dill and lemon chicken was amazingly good and Mishy and I both loved it as well, and this is another house receipe. Pasta primavera was very good. Beef barley soup was excellent, the beef itself was formed but the broth was very tasty and exactly how it should be, of course it's a brewery so they're good with barley. Tomato and onion salad (no lettuce) was well seasoned. I usually don't like tomatoes but I did like this dish. Greek salad (also "village" style with no lettuce) was excellent; the dressing was very good. Caesar salad was alright but the dressing could have used some more tang, ie parmesan.

For dessert, fresh fruit cantaloupe, watermelon and grapes were good especially with sweetener topping. White cake and carrot cake were good but the carrot was a bit dry, butter tart cake was delicious, white cake muffins were good. Mishy indicated there were brownie squares as well that I had missed and she loved them saying they were chewy and chocolaty. We managed to sample everything as there are fewer items than other places.

The brunch price is only $15, which seems like an excellent deal, but there are no drinks included other than water. We ordered two coffees and found later they were $3 each, so really we didn't save much from other brunch places. Still, the food was mostly quite good, we certainly enjoyed the brunch and didn't need to eat until the next day.

Rating: 8/10