Cafe Belong

Sometimes, im compelled to write a review. Not to simply tarnish service received but to fire off a warning to a business owner whom I’d like to assume wants to be in the business of making money. Picnic is a disaster. Sure, if you’re at Brickworks, it’s your ONLY option (why that is will be a mystery to me! We can responsibly expand offerings and hey maybe create a bit of competition but… nay nay). Being the ONLY option shouldn’t mean you get low value for the money you’re about to spend. The menu is disorganized. (There is a digital menu and then printed menu items all over so in the rush of ordering, hard to know what’s really available). We settled for bowls. I got the harvest bowl and my husband the Mediterranean. $16 a bowl. Please take a look. You can count the # of vegetables. And it’s missing an avocado which I noticed after the fact. $16 for a few pieces of broccoli, beets, sweet potatoes and… a tiny handful of arugula. My husbands was a little more full bc of the lentil/rice bed but the chicken was cold and looked really sad. Picnic… don’t take your customers for granted. We aren’t asking for obnoxiously overly filled plates of food. But a sad looking salad for $16 is how you label your customer as a sucker! Now, I’ll go back to Brickworks and I’ll enjoy the wonderful walks, farmers market, and avoid Picnic. Not right! You can and should do better. Kind regards!

Wonderful dinner experience! From the food to the peaceful Brickworks atmosphere, we had a great time. The food was delicious— extremely fresh given the seasonal menu but still featuring diverse options. The outside patio is perfect during COVID; the tables are well spaced out and staff is very careful. Highly recommend!

I am a loyal customer of this cafe (formerly Cafe Belong). From the time it opened, I have dined here, grabbed a coffee and enjoyed their delicious pastries. As described, the food/snacks are locally sourced, the space is airy and designed perfectly to cater towards the heritage aspects of the Brickworks. Always happy to come back here, whether or not it's jam packed or quiet.

Great spot at the wonderful evergreen brick works. Sit outside on a nice summer day - enjoy the warmth of the summer breeze and the friendly and efficient wait staff. The food here is great - brunch is a real treat. The pull pork tostadas is really good! The side serve of bacon (must have with brunch) is more American style than Canadian (which is good - but being an Aussie I was hoping it would be more Canadian style) The latte comes in a cup you could bathe in - which I know some people like but too much for me - although I will say it was at least an acceptable coffee - not too washed out with all that milk (I wonder how many shots of essential they put in it?) The macchiato I had was very well done and much more to my liking! They do a five course “family style” dinner which looks interesting- I’ll update the post if I manage to get back and try it out.

Update: April 2023: it is a bit confusing as the Google had merged the new cafe (Picnic) with the previous one located at the same place (Cafe Belong) even though they are two different entities and under different management. Cafe Picnic had opened sometime in January 2023, so if you see review older than that, they are written for Cafe Belong (sometimes the name is actually used). I hope it can be fixed, and those two entities can be differentiated. Because right now Cafe Picnic is getting both bad and good rep for the previous business. anyways... Cafe Picnic still serves espresso drinks/hot chocolate: there is also a huge variety of wine and some beer. the website is still under construction (c'mon, it's been months since opening but you won't see anything more than "full website coming soon") so it is really hard to tell what's on offer there (I saw muffins and cookies). There are also prepared meals (like vegan lasagna) to take home. It would be nice to see some menus. I have no idea whether Picnic offers any hot sandwiches or lunch/dinner dishes. there are a lots of tables and chairs inside, which is a great improvement from last year (there was no indoor sitting space). The staff seems to be friendly and welcoming. The place has definitely good potential, it would be really great if they had put some more effort in promotion and advertisement. My original review written last fall (2022) for Cafe Belong (no longer there). It is a lovely place and a great location, but in the same time I think they can do better. I am still catching up with the inflation and new prices, but $5 for a tiny muffin (although super fresh and delicious) and $5 for an Americano seems a bit high. the place is air conditioned, but there is no indoor tables (even though there is plenty of space - it is just empty). there is a large patio, with lots of umbrellas proving shade, but still it would be nice to have an option for sitting in air conditioned space. the staff is very welcoming, friendly and fast.

Warm and earthy ambience. Brunch menu is decent and changes sometimes. I had the matcha muesli. It looks nice and very filling. But doesn't have much taste..for me it tasted too plain and couldn't taste any matcha. It could have less coconut and grains and more fruits. Something was off. The other plates had a decent presentation but I didn't try them so not sure about the taste.

If you’re looking for a place where not only is the food creative, full of love and absolutely delicious but is also conscientious and uses local products need look no further. The menu has some staple items but it also changes depending on season and what is available so you’ll have to go often to check things out! My favourite dish is the eggs Benedict and recently I went there and they had it with lobster. Not only have I never had a lobster benedict before but it was absolutely amazing. I have never been disappointed. Thank you!!

Had a wonderful dinner her on a Friday night to celebrate our anniversary. We opted for the Chef's Choice Communal dinner for 2. Our sever noted our dietary restrictions and the rest was up to the Chef. Everything was delicious. Our favorites were: * Pan Roasted Venison Loin Brown Butter Creamed Leeks, Maple Glazed Turnips, Quince Relish, Pickled Mushrooms, Crispy Leek Tops, and Duck Fat Purple Potatoes * For dessert we had a yogurt & pear upside down cake with Cinnamon Whip, Cider Caramel, Apple Chip, Cheddar Tuile, Brown Butter Crumble. Sssooooo delicious and huge! We will definitely go back! BTW, check with the host/hostess to see if parking is validated before paying for parking. Could save you some money but I think they only do this during certain days.

One of the best blueberry scone in town. The cafe has just simply coffee and some scone, muffin and cookies for sale. It is very yummy! Definitely come back for scone. Since it is located at brickworks, it has paid parking and limited parking space. Washroom is right across outside the cafe.

If you're ever fortunate enough to make a stop at the Evergreen Brick Works, you may get a little peckish after exploring the trails on the outskirts of the park. That's what happened to me and Jamie W. since we didn't get our complimentary croissant when we checked out of our Toronto hotel. There's a cafe within the cafe in the main building, and we decided to partake of the small savoury menu available since a full-fledged meal wasn't our burning desire at that moment. We decided to share the C$14 St. Lawrence Salad, a robust box of mixed greens, apple slices, almonds, and quinoa with the vinaigrette appropriately on the side (photo). It was just the right bite before our long drive back to Detroit. FOOD - 4 stars...fresh ingredients, no complaints AMBIANCE - 4 stars...greenhouse windows, open patio... what more do you want? SERVICE - 3.5 stars...a bit of alright TOTAL - 4 stars...peckish feeling satisfied RELATED - Traveling to Toronto? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: bit.ly/2LETSfV

Had a wonderful dinner her on a Friday night to celebrate our anniversary. We opted for the Chef's Choice Communal dinner for 2. Our sever noted our dietary restrictions and the rest was up to the Chef. Everything was delicious. Our favorites were: * Pan Roasted Venison Loin Brown Butter Creamed Leeks, Maple Glazed Turnips, Quince Relish, Pickled Mushrooms, Crispy Leek Tops, and Duck Fat Purple Potatoes * For dessert we had a yogurt & pear upside down cake with Cinnamon Whip, Cider Caramel, Apple Chip, Cheddar Tuile, Brown Butter Crumb. Sssooooo delicious and huge! We will definitely go back! BTW, check with the host/hostess to see if parking is validated before paying for parking. Could save you some money but I think they only do this during certain days.

Ordered takeout for lunch. The service was good, although the menu seemed quite limited for full lunch options. The falafels in the lunch special were kind of overcooked and dry, but the flavour was not bad. The pie was better; crispy outside and flavourful filling of steak, mushrooms and carrots. Everything is on the pricey side ($8 for a latte!). Convenient place to grab a treat but will probably bring my own food when visiting Evergreen Brickworks next time.

I don't know why this place only has a 3 star average. The people are super nice and the food is awesome. It is nestled inside the Evergreen Brickworks. As I am writing this, I am inhaling a lamb flatbread like a savage. I ate it so quickly I once again do not have a photo to share. My better half had a butter tart, which is basically a pecan pie without the pecans and it was sooo good.

Came by here after an afternoon stroll around the park. Due to regulations, it is take out only but so worth it. You can order from inside and food takes only couple of minutes if it's a hot/dish to be prepared. I ordered the Belong sodas - ginger & lemonade (they are really good) & the vegetarian flatbread which was filled with a lot of fresh & local ingredients. Also picked up some cookies & hot chocolate for the fam. We ate outside one of the many picnic benches. Definitely would come back here again

Food was great, service not so much. We ordered the smoked trout salad and pulled pork with fried egg. We also ordered a glass of cider - the bill came to $63 before gratuity. The trout was flavorful and moist, the pork was really tender. Our server however did not come back even once, until we waved her down for more water towards the end of the meal, nor was she particularly friendly. We will not go our of our way to visit again.

The ingredients were indeed fresh! The Tartine was like an open sandwich. I liked the ingredients on top of the toast but I did think that the toast was over-toasted. The bottom of the toast from both ends were charred black (and thus very crunchy and hard to chew through). I avoided eating those areas. However, the middle of the toast where the bulk of the ingredients sat was great. Our dessert was the Strawberry Pavlova. This had a meringue and macerated Ontario strawberries with a lavender whipped cream, blueberry syrup, and lemon curd. This was beautiful! It was like a work of art (fine dining perhaps). There were some edible flowers on the plate too which gave some texture to the dessert. We both found the dessert overall was way too sweet. The ingredients were once again very fresh. I would have liked to share this dessert to divide up the sugar intake a bit that day. I'm very glad that I got to try Cafe Belong with C! Maybe I'll find myself here for dinner or brunch or lunch in the future (although I do think that their prices for the regular items are a little high...) -- I'm not writing off their restaurant but definitely wouldn't run back here any time soon.

Don't be mislead by the other Yelp reviews for this spot. You have to come here for dinner. And get the chef's menu. Then let it all unfold.

3.5 star I just love the set up at Cafe Belong. The decoration makes me feel like I am in cottage country somewhere, not in the middle of Toronto right next to DVP. Just love those huge windows letting the sunlight shining in on this warm winter afternoon. Eating here at Cafe Belong should makes me feel good and healthy as all the ingredients here are local, organic and sustainable. We shared: Croque Ravine ($23) - I just love everything even the fried mixed green on the side - Pork was tender! love the caramelized onion French Toast ($16) - Am I going to eat that? 3 huge piece of banana bread a little crispy outside but still soft inside.. - I found this a little bit too doughy for my liking - The syrup just add a little sweetness to the already sweet bread The service though was definitely lacking! My coffee was served in a smallish cup so I ended up have to keep waving down my waitress for a refill while she was just busy chit chatting with the staff at the back. -0.5 star I definitely will come back to have a bite at Cafe Belong next time when I am visiting Evergreen Brickwork. But it is not worth a special trip.

Super disappointing - well, maybe disappointment is not the right word because I went in with low expectations based on the information I had. Website says the restaurant is open from 10 am - 10 pm, but, as with the entire experience, that was a lie. We got there at 300 pm and the seated portion of the restaurant was only serving drinks, not food. So we lined up for take out, and they don't serve cold sandwiches, hot sandwiches, just cookies or a pre-packaged "tabule" salad. (i put in quotes because it's a disgrace to the tabule concept). So this salad. My boyfriend said, upon tasting, "This is like we are in prison." It was bland and just...something was not right. Like being mushy but also tough? Ugh. As there are literally no other options around there at that time (you're in the middle of the forest, essentially, and for some reason the farmer's market closes before I was even awake), we ate it. But it would be great if they could indicate before you line up that they have NO options left for take out, so you don't waste your time.

If I had to choose one word to describe Cafe Belong, I would choose the word "limited". For a cafe, they really do not seem to serve much. Today was my first time coming, and I would be hard pressed to make a repeat trip here. Upon first looking at the menu, they have 1 veggie sandwich, 1 meat sandwich, chips, and a daily soup. They also have breakfast sandwiches on buttermilk biscuits, and a small assortment of baked goods. Their drink menu is considerably larger than this, but I did not buy a drink, so I did not pay much attention to their drink menu. Oh. I should mention that I ordered off their takeout menu. Their sandwich options (veggie and meat) are a daily selection, and you have to ask what they are, because they aren't written anywhere. We got there around 1:30pm, and we were told there were no sandwiches left. At all. That limited our lunch options significantly. My friend opted for the sausage and egg biscuit ($9), and a small daily soup - cold asparagus soup ($5?). I wanted the egg and trout biscuit ($9), but was told that they did not have trout that day. I then went for their small soup and biscuit ($7.90 after tax?). If we're keeping track, this means they were out of their two sandwiches and their trout biscuit. That's a minimum of three larger food items missing from their minimal menu. Not a good sign. The biscuits are said to be fresh, but my understanding of fresh is perhaps a tad fresher than theirs. Their biscuits sit in a basket on the display shelf. My biscuit was not stale, but it was not piping hot out of the oven either. The outside was crunchy, and the inside was not as fluffy or as flakey as I would have expected of a fresh biscuit. The cold asparagus soup did not taste of asparagus. It was pureed until there were no chunks in it, and was almost a matcha green color, but all I can really say is that it was cold, mild, and had herbs in it (I thought I detected a hint of dill, but I could be wrong). After that small, cold soup and my biscuit, I felt as though I did not want to eat any longer, although I was not satisfied. I also felt like I had had all the greens I could stomach for the day. Now, about an hour and a half after eating it, my stomach is not particularly happy with me, although perhaps that is just because I am unaccustomed to having so much cold soup. For the price and the food choices available, I wouldn't come back.

Cafe Belong is probably one of my fav brunch spots! Especially on days where I am able to catch the farmers market at Evergreen Brickworks. The restaurant feels homey, down to earth, comfortable. Although you might be sweating a little if it's a very hot summer's day (no air conditioning). Servers are super friendly and helpful. The food is quite amazing in my opinion. The balance of sweet and savory was perfect! I had pulled pork on a bed of pancakes. The presentation is killer and my tastebuds were super happy with my food choice. The cost for a weekend brunch is probably slightly on the higher side but with really good ingredients and interesting location, it's worth the splurge once in awhile!

In my photo caption I said the Dark Chocolate Brownie is quite possibly the best I've had in Toronto. On second thought and taste, I can't remember ever tasting a better brownie in the city, so I'm willing to say they are the best Brownie I've ever had in Toronto, and possibly in my life!!! I also ordered the Turkey and Bacon Stew, which was great! A very thick soup without being gluey, full of turkey chunks that were juicy, a great smokey bacon flavour, and perfectly seasoned. Too bad I wasn't hungry enough for a full meal, I am sure it would be equally as good. I am planning to visit another day for the full experience.

Amazing place to eat, there food is always fresh and made with the best organic ingredients, it's worth the price and the atmosphere is great, good location as well, not too hard to find or get to. The service is great as well, always nice and everyone always has a smile on their face. You can't go wrong eating here.

Tucked away within the Evergreen Brick Works, Cafe Belong appears to be the only place to grab a cup of coffee. The lineup is pretty long and the cafe only has a few seats and one table so clearly it's meant to be takeout only. However they have a restaurant section (that does not allow coffee area patrons to sit in). Service is short and staff members did not seem rushed considering the number of customers lining up (you'd think they would speed things up). I ordered an iced Americano and it was nothing special with a large amount of ice. The pastries look really tasty - I'll have to try it next time.

Nice surprise within brickworks. Nice variety of items, staff was attentive. Nice signage and presentation. I started 3 sentence with NICE.

Came here for brunch with my girlfriend - the weather was nice so we enjoyed the patio. Surprisingly this place takes reservations for Brunch! Pulled Pork Shoulder ($27) I really liked the presentation of my dish. Pulled pork meat served on a crispy fried tostada, topped with some black bean aioli, chili, and a fried egg. There was also mashed avocado spread but it was on the side or under the tostada. Although when served it looked slightly small, there was actually a lot of pulled pork meat inside. The pulled pork meat was slightly more tough than I expected but still good, I liked how it's not drenched in sauce but still flavorful. The tostada was nice and crispy which I liked, and went well with the avocado mash. Really tasty. Eggs BE - Smashed Avocado ($22) Eggs benny on a buttermilk biscuit with a layer of caramelized onions and avocado spread in between, topped with hollandaise. A simple dish, but was really tasty. The egg was made just right and the yolk was runny. The biscuit was a little hard at the bottom but overall went well with the avocado and onions. I also ordered a mango orange juice which was really good! ($3) I really enjoyed the atmosphere of the place and the food was good. This place seems to be more on the expensive end for brunch, dishes were all $20+ If you don't mind the price, it's a nice secret place for brunch.

I like having brunch here because of its nice atmosphere and after brunch you can take a nice walk around the place. Food is generally good but overpriced, I guess because of their location. Service is good or bad depends on who's serving, coffee is great. The one time I ordered egg benedict, my eggs were overcooked which was quite a big let down. Whatever they missed on food and service they made up for it by their location and ambience, that's why I always have a nice time there. So, a 4 star experience.

Food presentation is nice, taste is good and service is really poor. Would not come back here. Atmosphere: 5/5 Price: 3/5 Presentation: 5/5 Taste: 4/5 Portion: 2/5 Service: 2/5 Atmosphere: Very nice and relaxing atmosphere at Evergreen Brickswork. The interior is nicely decorated with industry/rustic look. There is an outdoor patio area as well with umbrellas, perfect for a sunny day. Larger group tables are harder to seat so this place is probably ideal for groups of 4. Price: This is an upscale restaurant so it is priced on the higher side. Had brunch here and was over $30 for poached eggs benedict and around $20 for blueberry pancakes. Presentation: Everything was beautifully presented and instagram worthy! Taste: Taste was pretty good. Portion: Portions are on the smaller side. Service: The wait for a table here on a Sunday afternoon was extremely long (45 minute wait). Service is also very poor. The staff were friendly but not too helpful or knowledgable.

A large and pretty restaurant at Evergreen Brickworks. The large windows let the light in and the small fresh flowers on the table are a lovely touch. The service was ok, the waitress was really trying to upsell. Had lunch there and got the fish and chips, they were tempura battered so it was light and the fish felt fresh. It came with two pieces, the portion looked small at first and ended up being fine for myself. It also came with slaw, it was a nice brightness to the deep fried fish however the carrot strings were so long and oddly cut it was hard to eat without getting it everywhere. Their house pickles were good and had variety of pickles, onions, beets, beans etc. I also got the chocolate raspberry jar for dessert, it was beautifully presented with edible flowers, caramel layer, chocolate crumbs and topped with whipped cream, it was really (really) delicious! Their sodas are also great, they have house syrups and you can mix flavours (I usually go with ginger jasmine)

Last minute call for Sunday dinner found me at Evergreen Brickworks' Cafe Belong for a event sponsored by American Express. Five courses all paired with Stratus wines, with Chef Brad Long in attendance. Cafe Belong serves good honest food made with fresh local ingredients. Chef Long is a firm believer in honest food preparation and the philosophy of food as fuel, love and nutrition (medicine). It is a philosophy that shines through his tasty dishes. Every dish was wholesome, well prepared and delicious. Ravioli in a mushroom broth set the tone for wholesome goodness. Marinated sardines over a salad of caponata was bright and fresh. Roast saddle of lamb was tender and flavorful paired nicely with a side of foraged kale and heirloom beans. Filling and nutritious. To finish, one course of fried montfort cheese with a sliver of honeycomb to add a touch of sweetness and the most spectacular slab of chocolatey goodness I've ever had. The chocolate came from Oaxaca apparently, chock full of antioxidants and wonderfully enriching. Needless to say, I really enjoyed the food at Cafe Belong. It's food is devoid of pretension and very well prepared. Great place for nice casual dinner.

I rated this place a 3 but maybe if I could give half stars id give it a 3.5? Atmosphere is great and waiters are attentive. Food was good but not necessarily better than my other favorite brunch spots, however it was pricier hence the -.5 star. Liked: -Eggs Be house ham Okay: -Side macaroni (not that cheesy flavored which I like. If you like a strong cheddar flavor this isn't for you) -lattes -eggs be trout (wasn't a huge fan of the fish Benny combo..) Disliked: -Apple fritters were dry and unexciting taste wise, kind of reminded me of a plain donut with cinnamon sugar? SO SAD they didn't have pancakes this weekend

First off I'd say 5 stars for effort! Cafe Belong has a great menu, not too overwhelming and with a lot of character ie. Lentils of the day was w duck confetti. Each dish showed thought and care and I'd say for the size of the cafe they clearly had a larger than usual number of kitchen staff on hand. They have homemade syrups for their soda and they had $2 for unlimited bottled still or sparkling water, I wish every restaurant in Toronto would do this. I ordered the lavender soda, the sticky pork and my friend and I shared an order of fries and she had the St Lawrence salad. The lavender soda was a bit sweet for my liking but we also ordered sparkling so I just added more water. The fries were well done, thick cut fries, well fried, not greasy, golden, delicious! It came with a dollop of mayo and we also asked for chili sauce and they brought a delicious homemade chili sauce made of puréed peppers, chili, and ginger. Now before you read further, remember i gave this place 4 stars but if i'm reviewing fairly I'd say the sticky pork was slightly disappointing. Don't get me wrong, it was great, but it's probably the only reason this is 4 stars instead of 5. The sticky pork was a piece of pork belly and pork shoulder. The pork shoulder was done to perfection, yum! But the pork belly lacked the soft texture of really good pork belly. It was a bit too firm... It could be personal preference but the fat was a bit too chewy and the sauce was good but lacked a bit of depth. It was more sweet than anything else. Overall the food was still fantastic and I'd love to go back and try the chicken that the table next to us had. I'd probably even order the pork again, 4 stars is still very delicious in my books!

It's a nice place to have a beer, but I would not eat there again. I ordered the apricot salad and it felt like an entree. There were literally 4 tiny pieces of halloumi, 2cm by 3 cm for an 18$ salad... yep, I left lunch hungry and I still had several kilometres of trail to walk! There were also one apricot, peas and the arugula... it wasn't good; edible but not enjoyable. The atmosphere is nice. Stop there for a beer, no more.

I came here for brunch and ordered the kale and caramelized onion Benedict. It was ok but not worthy of $22-24 (can't remember the exact price but for sure it was above $20) Also their biscuit which the Benedict is served on was very dense and not the best biscuit I've had. Also their filtered coffee is terrible! Extremely bitter! Stick to espresso based drinks. Overall, great space and service; however, the food wasn't top-notch for this price point.

I was at Evergreen Brick Works for a Craft Beer event and spotted this Cafe packed with people over a weekend. Hence, I went to the full quick-service take-away counter and grabbed a bite size burger, soup and coffee to go. It was absolutely delicious and tasty! There is much more to offer in their restaurant but if you're on a time crunch, the grab and go take-away counter offering refreshments and nourishment is not disappointing for your visits to the Evergreen Brick Works either for work or for play.

I came here on the family day long weekend brunch. We were expecting a lot of hustle and bustle so luckily we had reserved a table online earlier (I would recommend doing that as the phone kept going to their Voice Mail) . After making it through the huge line ups at the entrance at their take out outlet I was greeted by the host and seated immediately. The place has a nice airy and open feel. I already knew I had to try the french toast after being seduced by the pics on a Yelp friend's profile. I was able to convince a friend to share a main and have the french toast as dessert (a good combo if you ask me) We had the following items Scrambled egg, Fries, Smoked trout and Potato Tart. The food took its time arriving and the service was a bit slow as the place was slammed. Apple Tart and Egg didn't fare well. The side of Salad was OK. The main tart was devoid of taste and wasn't seasoned well. The boiled egg was cooked way too long and the yolk was grey all over the side. French Toast despite being a Vegas Style Monstrosity was good. Hint of banana in the bread with the center being nice and goeey. Apple compote with cinnamon and maple syrup helped it. Good stuff and recommended. The fellow diners seemed happy with their choices. I wish I had convinced me fellow diners to do a BYOW as it would have completed a good brunch. There was even a dessert menu If you are here and you know the concept of this spot i.e. everything green and not mean! so if this idea appeals to you this is the place to be. With the ambiance and ethically sourced food I would say 3.5 Stars.

Went there for brunch. The food was good, a bit salty but very fresh and inventive. The mimosas were great, so was the tea, they really pampered us there. The fresh biscuits were delicious, but the butter was margarine or mixed. Bad shortcut! It is Sunday brunch, you will need lots of butter, just leave it out of the fridge and you don't have to wait for it to soften.

The food we had was quite good. I had the smoked trout, served on some sort of fluffy, whipped cream cheese and rye bread. The portion looked small but was actually filling. The side salad was very fresh - the dressing just right and the roasted heirloom tomatoes were the best part. My friend had the lemon ricotta pancakes, which is a nice change from typical flavours for pancake. We were a bit surprised that there was an extra $4 charge for maple syrup (the pancake was $15) - feels like being charged extra for ketchup with an order of fries. She didn't end up getting the maple syrup, but I can't imagine eating pancakes without it if it were me. Overall, the menu was pretty expensive - perhaps best for special occasions. The ambience is excellent - the decor very in tune with the surrounding Evergreen Brick Works. Although when my friend and I went for Saturday morning brunch (in the summer), we were seated in the back and there were 2 fans blowing right at our table - when the waitress was sprinkling ground pepper on my food, a lot of it was blown onto the table. Overall, the service was good - the waitress could have been a bit more knowledgeable about the menu.

Obscene prices which is quite ironic considering the motto of this place is "sustainability". IF the prices were about half , the food would receive a pass grade. If the goal of the visit to brickworks is this cafe, don't bother.

Cafe Belong is cute, but kind of pricey. I got a delicious latte here. They have 2 tables for those just taking food to go and they've got a beautiful restaurant with a gorgeous patio for those who choose to eat in. Their salads look AMAZING. They're ~ $17. Their pastries are about $5. That being said, they're not that big. They have a bunch of flavours of pop that you can mix together which is super cool. Lavender, hibiscus, etc. They don't have kombucha though! They have scones and tea lattes and some other sweet and savoury nibblies. A really cute place for a date. I think they have Muskoka Brewery beers here too!

Really overpriced and mediocre food. $9 for a side of bacon which consists of 4 paper thin burnt slices. $30 for a piece of chicken and some bland zuchuni. Very disappointing. Also, I'm writing this from the toilet due to some severe tummy troubles since eating here.

Definitely a good place to stop by after hiking the Don Valley Trails. The interior was welcoming and bright. I loved the feel and look of the place with the simple designs and exposed kitchen. Plus the displays of the pots and industrial lighting made it a very casual ambience. The lunch menu, although small seemed varied for everyone's palates, but found it a bit heavy and pricey which would be more suitable for a dinner menu. We were hoping to have brunch, but it wasn't offered during the weekday, so we opted for the Bricklayers Board which consisted of various charcuterie and pickled goodness. Presentation was very lovely and the server explained everything on the board. Plus it was served with more than enough flatbreads which was a nice change to see. It was exactly what we needed as it wasn't too heavy and we were very satisfied. Our server was friendly and attentive, but not intrusive and always came at the right time to refill our water glasses. The glasses were never empty. Overall, a nice and relaxing break from the city. Going during the weekday was definitely lucky for us since the place wasn't busy compared to during the weekend as it can be extremely busy and noisy.

I think it's actually a 4 star but I'm giving it 5 because it's insane that it has a 3. It's really delicious, lovely staff, nice atmosphere. I love how they make their own pickles. I think the only downside is that it can get very busy at times and its a bit pricey I guess. They don't have the full menu the whole day so just check ahead of time.

An update to call out several items on the Cafe Belong menu specifically: THE FRUIT AND NUT SALAD IS BONKERS. Bonkers. Based on what's fresh and available, yesterday's version featured toasted almonds, plums, peaches, beautiful greens and a brown butter vinaigrette. Cafe Belong has a "brunch master" (official title) on staff, so you know they do midday weekend eats right. Downed with some house-made fizzy water and a blueberry vodka cocktail...it was a perfect summer meal. Yelp note: the staff here is great, and they've really hit their stride on the service front. I showed up with a dog, and they helped find him a shaded place on the patio, and moved my table so that I'd be sitting close to him. Double shout-outs for the Evergreen Brickworks volunteer who supplied him with a bowl of water. Happy dog = happy me. I'll be a regular bruncher here, trust.

Brad Belong needs to return to take charge of his kitchen. His absence has sent the food quality spiraling downwards. The food used to be good at one point. I regret to see that the present chef prepares pretentious and overpriced food. I brunched there last weekend. I ordered their version of the eggs Benedict. What I got were overcooked poached eggs that were almost a soft boiled consistency, on a bed of whole leaf kale (which at the very least should have been cut into strips before being wilted), and what seemed like rehydrated shiitake mushrooms, tough stem ends and all. I know of novice food enthusiasts who can pick better quality ingredients, and prepare them far better than the fare I had to endure. The only preparation of theirs that I found redeeming was the coffee. While the staff is generally friendly and helpful, and seem otherwise competent, the waitress serving me seemed offended that I asked the eggs be redone to be more runny, the way poached eggs should be. (I did leave her a decent tip, though.) The chef however, I believe to be either lazy, or incompetent, or both. The only reason I give it one star is because I can't seem to post this without

It was a spontaneous Sunday and I really wanted brunch - we decided to go to Café Belong. I heard about this place for a long time but because it's not exactly in the core of Downtown Toronto, it was a bit out of the way. I'm not exactly sure if there is any public transportation that can take you there from downtown core but we drove there. We walked into the building that houses Café Belong and it immediately reminded me of a cozy ski lounge. Aside from the restaurant (which was not hard to find at all, as it was inside the main building), there is a little store that you could visit if you're waiting for a spot. We didn't make reservation but was offered seats at the bar. The server had recommended the Eggs Be (with House Ham - $27) to us, and we also got the Pancakes ($21). Although they do charge for maple syrup, our server gave it to us on the house. When the food came, I was definitely blown away. The pancakes were very fluffy, having eaten the pancakes at Mildred and School before, this was definitely on par with those two brunch places. While we were eating, we also saw them make the pancake batches right in front of us - talk about being fresh. But the dish that really amazed me was the Eggs Be with House Ham. The portion was good for two people to share but after eating one of them, I wanted the second one. It was perfect, the poached eggs, once broken, leaked onto the buttermilk biscuit and the combination was heavenly. You really have to try to get all the little veggies that they put on the side on the bread as well and dip as much of the Hoolandaise Saue because everything just compliments each other. If you are heading there and must try one thing, I would highly recommend the Eggs Be with House Ham. AMAZING!!! Aside from the food, the ambience is casual and I love how so much natural sunlights were able to get into the restaurant. I do agree that this restaurant could be a bit pricey, but this place is definitely worth a revisit.

Wow quite a busy place... but lots to choose from they have eggs, pancakes, french toast, Lattes, fresh juice and much more. If you're Evergreen Brickwork, its worth a stop.

Come early for parking purposes. Lots going on today, holy crappers! And find out if anything else is going on here because space is limited. We were here for the Brewers Backyard event so I figured we might want to put something on the stomach before indulging in the belle provinces golden nectar. The beer sampling and munching on a fruit and cheese plate was great and definitely look forward to the next round, next season, good times all around, thanks Jennifer K. for the heads up on the event itself, it was an awesome afternoon out. Cheers! Next round's on me!

This a great place for all kinds of activity! The brunch is great but the price is little high for my wallet. Overall service was great and the food was good. Only recommendation I suggest is a little change on the brunch menu. Other than that the experience was great!

This place is called cafe belong? Well my girlfriend and I didn't belong here. We tried to get in on the weekend and we could see empty seats and the server said we are full and we are closing down the kitchen, at 2pm? I heard many great things about this place however our first interaction was horrible. When we asked is there somewhere else that we could eat or have a drink on the grounds the "host at café belong" said i don't know and without checking with anyone else she turned us away. I hope she isnt planning a hospitality career. The only good thing about that place was the weather!

I don't like to write bad reviews. Maybe it's bad karma or maybe I would just rather focus on the better establishments in Toronto--and there are plenty. In fact, I haven't bothered to write a review about any restaurant in awhile. My experience at Cafe Belong last Saturday evening was so completely incompetent that I need to share my experience with others. Let's begin with the brusque greeting by a host who would rather not like to be in the hospitality sector. Aggressive in tone, he asked if we had a reservation (yes we did). He then put us through a needlessly tiresome and aggravating process of seating us at one of the many appropriate tables that we wanted. Service was slow. It took 30 minutes to get a cocktail and there weren't that many diners present. Ingredients were missing with no effort in making some kind of substitution. Wine was off--"It must be because the bottle was in the sun all afternoon," was the reply. Food was mediocre, cold, or both: the miserly pieces of duck in the duck salad were dry; the 12-ounce steak contained 5 ounces of fat and grizzle. I had to get up to find steak knives, only to remind the server that we needed two of them. Nobody asked about coffee or dessert or whether or not we were able to digest the massive chunks of grizzle on an underwhelming piece of meat. There was no manager on the duty--I asked to see one. Nobody responded. This is clearly a tourist trap par excellence, or simply a restaurant so blessed in its location they barely have to lift a finger to satisfy their clientele. And they don't!

We stopped in for something before walking around and the blueberry scone just came out of the oven so we shared one. It was the best ever for my husband and me and it was a memorable one...I'm trying to figure out how to go back to get some on my current trip. It was that good. It was moist more like and biscuit and not dry like a typical scone...and it being so warm...it was the best ever! Must try it!

Omg their eggs benedict with avocado and side of potatoes were delicious. Very spacious place with well done food. Would definitely come back again

tl:dr: Overpriced for a meal. Probably a nice place to stop for a drink. Great service. I wanted to treat my parents to a nice dinner after a day-long 40km bike trip from the Brickworks down to Cherry St, all the way across the city to Humber Bay, Mimico, and back. Cafe Belong does a family-style prix-fixe farm-to-table dinner special on Sundays starting at 5pm, and I thought this would be a great choice. For $47 a head we got: - A starter salad with mustard dressing - various greens plus tomatoes and radishes - Mains: roast beef, grilled asparagus, Yorkshire pudding, and mashed potatoes with wild leeks - Dessert: a rhubarb "tiramisu" I substituted a curry carrot mash for the roast beef in my meal (vegetarian), which brought the prix fixe price for my meal down to $32. [The Pros] * Great service! We loved our waitress - so attentive and pleasant, and she was literally the one waitress serving the entire outside patio area. Quite impressive. * Large serving sizes - we felt quite full after a day-long bike ride and hike around the park, which is impressive, as my parents always lament the small serving sizes at pricier restaurants. [The Meh] * I guess it's because they're the only restaurant anywhere near the Brickworks, but for the price we were pretty underwhelmed by the food. It wasn't bad, it just wasn't worth $47 a head. Everything was just...very okay. * There was a noticeable bitter alcohol taste in the rhubarb tiramisu. I know tiramisu is supposed to contain liquor of some kind, but this was way too much to be pleasant. [ verdict ] Nice for a quick drink around the Brickworks, but next time, I'd take dinner elsewhere.

The food was excellent (seriously excellent), although it was quite pricey for lunch. I'd definitely go back for dinner... Apparently the ingredients for the items on the menu are mostly locally sourced, organic, and sustainable. I've also been told that many of the items will be from the farmers who show up at the market every weekend. The atmosphere is airy, and open, as is the kitchen. I'm sure that the smells from the kitchen will be amazing during their dinner service. The wait staff are excellent, just attentive enough, and very polite. When I went (the second day after it opened), they didn't have their liquor license yet, but I was told that they'd be getting it imminently. I was also told that there'd be a huge patio space outside as well. It's going to be great! They have reverse osmosis water that the can carbonate - very refreshing. You can also add a number of "made in the restaurant" syrups to the water as well. There are lots of options; I had lime, and other person I was with had Cherry. They were really nice, but very sweet (some, I'm sure would say too sweet). Being at the Brickworks has it's benefits - there's lots of parking close by. It also has a drawback - since its very green at the Brickworks there's no Air Conditioning (good air circulation though). This is going to be a great little oasis that you can go to and get away from it all. I can't wait to see how it matures...

Ho hum. This is a sad sad place that is not likely long for this world. Today, I spent $90 on lunch for two without any alcohol. I was drawn there by Now Magazine's top ten of 2011. I think it must have gone downhill since whenever Now was there last. The space itself is quite nice except for the constant din of what sounds like a road repair crew's industrial generator just outside your window. It turns out that's actually the building's heating system.. Unlike a road crew, it never goes away. The waitress was just barely pleasant. She was a bit slow, a bit incompetent and had a way of making you think that she was really above this station in life - and not in the snarky way that younger staff do - this time, we actually believed it ourselves. I asked the waitress about the soup of the day. She said it was carrot. Carrot with ginger or peanut? I asked. Nope, just carrot she replied. The carrot soup came with some sort of cheese and some sort of chutney. We'll never know more than that. Ironically, the soup tasted nothing like carrots. It tasted more like squash, and mostly, it just plain sucked. Roasted chicken had some nice flavourings going on, but it was dry. I'd tell you about the stuffing that comes with the chicken but it arrived without stuffing. Bacon-wrapped venison was cooked perfectly. Jerusalem artichoke hearts were excellent. Overall, this place is underwhelming, overpriced and has a stench of death about it.

~~Jennifer Ks Head vs Mega French Toast~~ On a calm winter's sunday, I ventured out to an area known as Brickworks. There resides a Cafe and that Cafe belongs to Chef & Owner Brad Long. Cafe Belong, as I interpret it is a Modern Minimalistic Barnyard presense. The green winding Vine-like lights above becomes part of the focal point. Secondary vision is the view of beyond the floor-to-ceiling glass windows. French Toast ($16.00) Judging by ~Things-Larger-than-Jennifer K's Head~ standard, one will leave full. Banana Bread is a wise carb choice as it's simply a warm classic comfort food. Apple Cin Compote, Maple Syrup, Butter accompany 3 piece Brick-sized Toast. Exterior crisp while interior soft gooey, the latter might not be to everyone's liking. Croque Ravine ($23.00) Toscano, Glazed Ham, Caramelized Onion, Sunny Egg Open-Faced Croque. Topped with some pan-fried and possibly IMO over-seasoned Mixed Greens. May I add that this version appears much healthier than it's Closed-Face cousin? Local, organic and sustainable has it's monetary additions, so does location. In Everygreen Brickworks, Cafe Belong has the Monopoly on Food & Bevs. 2.5'd Sure, the business needs to make monies to keep afloat, however... When a Family of 2 Adults 4 Kids arrive and observe how little the Kids ordered... Brickworks is a family friendly destination, I just wish with that family and others alike could have eaten decently without having to break the bank in the process. A Kids plates bordering $10.00 would be a nice offering. Simply remove 2 of 3 pieces of French Toast and voila! Trust me, my Friend even said it was LARGE portion... and she normally never ever says anything is too MUCH. After so many bites of French Toast, it does get boring tired. The Food concept & Space match the destination Brickworks nicely. Maybe something can be adjusted to accomodate more customers? *** Jennifer K wasn't too excited about her T&T Supermarket ROTD. This is her replacement ROTD otherwise known as JOTD[Jen-of-the-Day]